The alarm clock rang, she rolled over and let your eyes focus on the clock for a second before it registers. "Ugh, 6:00" she moaned and rolled back over and out of bed. She shuffled slowly to the bathroom, took a shower then finished getting ready. She had to head out of the door in a rush, grabbing her books, this was usual for her, she was slow in the mornings. Band class had barely started when she got there, she wasn't seen, so she hastily grabbed her mallets and music and warmed up with the rest of the band. The band room door opened, which she didn't pay attention to, people always walked in and out of that room, but everyone looked to the door, and suddenly got quite. Everyone was whispering, even the band director had stopped conducting and looked to the door, her eyes wide. Audrey Hammond leaned to Christina, a friend and fellow percussionist, "Why'd it get so quite?" Chris' mouth fell open, barely able to whisper back "That.." and pointed towards the door.
A giant
man seeming to be what had to be about 8 feet, with a overgrown,
shaggy beard that nearly covered his whole face was standing right in
the direction of Chris's pointing finger. "May I help you Sir?"
The band director asked, kind of put off my his appearance.
"Yes,
I am looking for a young lady, by the name of Audrey Hammond."
the man looked around, obviously looking for someone.
"Well,
Sir, She is right there," She pointed to her "Audrey would
you like to introduce yourself?"
Audrey just stood there,
looking to her then to him. She didn't say a word. The large man
started towards her, she was frozen in that spot, completely
intimidated. When he reached her, he politely stuck out his hand
offering it to her. "Audrey!" he sounded elated. "I am
Haggrid, If I might, can we speak outside please?"
"Uhm,"
She was still frozen to that same spot, her feet seeming to be super
glued to the floor. Without knowing what to do she looked the band
director, who gestured for her to go. "Sure." She said
shakily.
Audrey followed the giant man outside, people were
starting to arrive at school, everyone stopping to stare at Haggrid.
"What happened?" was all that she was able to get out.
"No!"
He laughed a great belly laugh, "Not at all, I am here to speak
to you about you joining our fine school. Hogwarts, school of
witchcraft and wizardry."
"HUH?" Audrey raised an
eyebrow, completely confused.
"Your a witch Ms. Hammond, a
powerful one at that, we need your presence at Hogwarts."
"But,
what about public school? I cant leave band and my friends, where is
this school anyway" Audrey had always had a bad habit of talking
with your hands, sarcastic to top it.
"Please, Ms. Hammond,
come with me to Hogwarts, talk to Dumbledor, stay with us for a few
days, see how you like Hogwarts, we wont force you to stay, but
please, this is a mandatory thing for witches and wizards alike. This
is important for your heritage Young Lady."
"Well, How
do I know you aren't like a dude trying to rape me? Am I supposed to
just come with you, so you can rape me and kill me?"
"Miss
Hammond, That is ludicrous!"
She had spoke to him, even showed her a spell to reassure her he wasn't making these things up. Audrey knew she could do things with water, weird things, but no one ever knew about her powers. She finally agreed to go with Haggrid. He let her say her goodbyes, telling everyone she'd call them and would be back soon. Haggrid did most of the explaining to Audrey's parents, but they already knew what Audrey was. They had never told her about her real parents, or anything about the world away from the mortal world. Audrey's foster parents loved her more than anything, they had always called her their own, never letting her know that she really wasn't of their blood. "Before you leave, I guess it's time to tell you a few things Honey, please sit."
"So wait you're letting me go!?" Audrey was so excited, but her feelings were rather bitter sweet about leaving at the beginning of her senior year here with everyone she loved and knew as home.
"Yes, but listen.." Her mother sighed heavily, holding onto her husbands hand, "Well.. Audrey, we aren't you're blood mother and father. We love you just as much as they could've though Audrey. You're birth parents we're killed shortly after you were born, they were caught up in something just... So unbelievable, and you're not the only one that lost your parents, a few other children lost theirs in the same accident."
Audrey's face had confusion written all over it. She didn't say anything so her mother continued.
"I'm so sorry honey to bring this on you like this, so late. We were supposed to send you to Hogwarts five years before this, but... We just couldn't see you hurt like that, you had all your friends and were so happy. But, you know, and we know, that you're a witch, We've seen what you can do with that water in the pool. We know you have strong skills to be tamed. So please, go and learn with kids like you."
Audrey nodded, she kissed her parents goodbye but didn't say a word to either of them. Haggrid made light conversation with her on the way to Hogwarts.
"Well,
here we are" Haggrid held out his arms as an introduction. A
grand castle stand in front of Her.
It's.. Absolutely beautiful!"
Audrey exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Yes, it is, isn't it."
A girls voice from behind Audrey chimed in. Audrey turned around
quick, seeing a young man with bright red hair standing, shaking his
head in agreement, a girl with wavy blonde hair, standing very
confident, and another boy with dirty blonde ha, almost light brown
hair, with glasses. Audrey laughed at the kids glasses, thinking that
if she ever wore something like that at her school she would've
been picked on for months about them. She couldn't help but giggle.
"Hi I'm Hermione." the girl said, offering her hand to
Audrey. She shook it.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Audrey"
Hermione
cocked her head to the side, a little shook from Audrey's American
accent.
"You're not from here?"
"No, Illinois."
Hermione looked to Haggrid in puzzlement, he shook his head,
implying- "It will be explained later." The boy with the
glasses introduced himself as Harry, and the redhead introduced
himself as Ron.
-Wow, the redhead's
cute- Audrey thought, smiling to
herself.
"Ron, Harry, Hermione, would you like to come with
Ms. Hammond and myself to Dumbledor's Office? I'm sure he would
appreciate you guys coming along." They agreed and headed into
the castle. Upon coming inside the castle Audrey gasped, it was
beautiful, just as nice as the outside. Pictures were moving,
talking. "Uhm, What the hell is all this? This is starting to
creep me out, first I'm a witch, next this crazy castle, is this
serious?"
"Of course it is.. You mean to tell me you
didn't know.. you were a witch?" Hermione asked you.
"Hermione,
everything will be explained when we get to Dumbledor." Haggrid
chimed in.
"Here
we are" Haggrid said happily, all of them walking into the
entrance of the High Professor's office. It was just as grand as
the rest of the castle. A man with a long white beard, and what
anyone would say would be the poster child of the fantasy wizards
always heard about in stories. "Hello Miss Hammond. I'm so glad
to have you here with us, finally. Please have a seat," He
gestured as a wise old man would. She sat on a simple wood stool.
Hermonie Ron and Harry stood with Haggrid a few feet away. Dumbledor
sat behind a cluttered desk and began to speak "I have some
things that are quite personal Audrey, would you like them to leave?"
He gestured, the same way, to the four standing a few feet away.
Audrey looked over then back to the old wizard. "No, They can
stay, I suppose."
"Alright then. I will begin with that
I'm happy your here. This school will help you with your powers, and
I'm sure you've noticed some strange things you can do, have you
not?"
She nodded.
"Can
you perhaps tell me, or show me what you can do" He sounded as
if knew what she was capable of already, he pushed a goblet type
glass towards her. She hesitantly picked it up.
"Go on"
He gestured.
She looked up and around for a second then lifted a
hand over the glass. The water started to lift from the cup. She held
the water in its shape above your hand. Ron's eyes opened wide, as
did Harry's and Hermione's. They began to clap.
"How'd you
do that!?." Came from all three. She smiled, proud and shrugged,
implying she didn't know, that she just could.
Dumbledor began again "Miss Hammond, You have foster parents, correct,"
Audrey nodded and he continued. "Your real parents went here, to Hogwarts. They were great pupils, wonderful witch and wizard. Which, I'm sure will explain your power. You are a pureblood Ms. Hammond. This is where your heritage lives."
Her mouth
fell open at his words, before beginning "What about my real
parents? What happened to them?"
"That's for a
different time Miss Hammond." the wise wizard looked to Haggrid,
as he said this, "Now, lets see where you'll be placed."
Dumbledor grabbed a black, haggard looking hat, he placed it on her
head and it began to move "Ahhh... A Leto! Why, I haven't had
one of these beneath me since years ago. Hmmmm..." The old hat
was thinking. "Ah, yes, A pureblood I sense. Well, you'd do
great in Slytherin. Yes... Hm.. but.." you heard a gasp from the
trio. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted and claps came from the
trio and Haggrid on the far side of the office.
"Great then miss Hammond. I'll have Miss Granger, Mr. Weasely, and Mr. Potter show you to the common room," he averted his eyes and words to the trio "I trust you'll show her around, make her feel at home, we want her to stay after all" Dumbledor handed you a schedule of lessons you were to attend the following day and given robes and a school uniform
ugh, a uniform?! Greeeeat. And, a Leto? What? That must have been my parents name.. You thought.
Haggrid handed her her books, a broom to which he explained was for flying, told her that she had an owl waiting for her in the "owlry" which she named Sid, a wand and everything else she possibly needed for attending Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry.
The three, Audrey noticing they must good friends, led her up to the Gryffindor common room. A Painting of a fat lady hung on the wall, she asked for the password
a painting just asked for the password. whoa this is crazy..
Harry
gave it to her and they entered the room.
"Tonight's been a
long night, I'm surprised Dumbledor didn't say anything about us
being out so late" Ron said.
The four looked over their new
schedule. Luckily, Audrey had classes with them all.
"This
works out great! we will show you to your classes tomorrow, its
always good to start out with friends. C'mon Audrey, I'll show you to
the girls dorm." Hermonie grasped your arm and lead you to the
girls dorms
"Thanks
Ron, Thanks Harry." She said before she led you away.
She
unpacked her things quickly then laid on her new bed
"this
is going to be great. Maybe I will stay after all." She said to
herself quietly.
"I hope so" Hermione said.
She woke
the following morning to Hermione shaking her gently. "C'mon,
get ready I'll take you down to breakfast." Hermione wore a
bright smile. She handed Audrey her uniform and robes, "Your
gonna need this" she handed her her new wand this time. After
getting ready, putting some make-up on, fixing her hair, and putting
on her uniform and robes, Audrey and Hermonie met up with Ron and
Harry. They escorted her to the great hall. It was filled with
seemingly endless tables filled with equally endless food, breakfast
she noted.
"Is there always food set out like this?"
Audrey asked, gaping at the tables. The three nodded, smiling. She
sat down with them and noticed there was a table crammed with kids in
the same uniforms
This.. This aint Illinois anymore.. And definitely NOT public school.
Audrey
gazed at the other tables, kids in the same uniforms but each table
had a different symbol, she guessed showing their house.
"Good
morning everyone." Dumbledor bellowed seemingly happy. "We
have a new comer to Hogwarts," He averted his gaze and lifted a
hand in her direction.
Ah, shit. I hate
when people do this..
"Miss, Audrey
Hammond!" He began to clap, then Hermione, Ron, Harry, pretty
soon the whole hall was filled with applause. She shrank down at the
table, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
"Please,
stand Ms. Hammond."
She did so.
"She's
joined us as a 6th year at Hogwarts. She's come to us from the Untied
States. Please, do all you can to make her feel at home, we want her
to stay." the wise old wizard returned to his seat from the
podium he spoke from.
"A 6th year? but.. WAIT! You just
started Hogwarts!" Ron blurted out confused.
"How? I
don't get it.." Hermonie added
"Guys, it doesn't
matter, if Dumbledor wants her 6th year then so be it, obviously
she's at that level. This shouldn't be news anyway, she's got all our
classes." Harry chimed in.
You sat confused for a few
seconds.
"Oh! how rude! We haven't even offered you food,
so sorry Audrey!" Hermonie picked up her empty plate.
"Oh
that's ok.. "Everything on the table was meat or cooked with it,
she could smell it. "I don't really want anything.. I.."
"Oh,
c'mon don't be shy!" She put bacon and eggs and steak on her
plate, she grimaced.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I don't eat meat
though.. Thank you so much though." Audrey smiled sweetly and
took the plate. She didn't touch it.
"Oh, well toast?"
she handed her a piece toast and she accepted.
Hermione, Ron,
Harry and Audrey sat around after everyone had left, over looking
Audrey's schedule. Hermione had figured out how they were going to
switch off and who had classes with Audrey at what time. Haggrid
walked over to the four, "Audrey, Dumbledor would like to see
you in his office, the rest of you, I trust you'll escort her in the
right direction. It's up to her and Dumbledor if you stay."
"Uhm..
Am in trouble?" they could tell Audrey had experience with this
one before. Haggrid only nodded no and walked with her out of the
hall. When Audrey walked into Dumbledor's office the trio had
followed and The old Rpofessor gestured for all of you to take a
seat.
"Is this alright? that these three remain?"
"Yes
sir, that's fine."
"Ok, Miss Hammond, as I announced at
breakfast, you'll be a 6th year here at Hogwarts. Your a strong witch
and I'm sure you'll catch on quickly, public school seemed to agree
with you. You make grades that are sufficient. We want you to be with
wizards and witches your age also. You have powers, Audrey that not a
lot of witches or wizards posses, and seem to have controlled those
powers well. You deserve to be in 6th year, miss Hammond. Welcome,
again, to Hogwarts." After he'd finished, Audrey thanked him and
wrote them all a pass to their first lesson.
"Professor
Snape..? sounds kinda..." Audrey began
" 'Kinda' what,
Miss Hammond?" A dark, low voice came from behind you upon
walking into the class. She looked up and behind to see a man with
bobbed black hair in black cloaks standing behind her.
"AWESOME,
DUH!" you said, playing it off. Audrey knew he had to have been
Snape.
"Take a seat. thank you" He spoke low, slow and
sure. Audrey sat, of course.
"Bloody hell, already getting
in trouble with a teacher.." Ron whispered into her ear. Audrey
shivered at the breath on her ear and his accent.
Oh. my. god. Goose bumps.. I haven't had these since Jade..
She
smiled softly and looked at him. She shrugged and shook your head in
reply.
"It's nothing new."
Class was
over. "Divination?" Audrey sounded confused, walking up to
Hermione after meeting her halfway on the stairs.
"Yeah,
reading palms, telling the future. It's not my favorite class
though." Hermione smiled and explained. They both giggled and
walked into the class together and took a seat.
Soon the
class was over. Audrey and Hermonie had the next class together, Dark
arts, but the two had a short break, they went to the common room and
sat around a fire. "So uhm.. Hermonie, you know Ron pretty
well?" Audrey asked, kind of sheepishly.
"Yes, he's one
of my best friends, aside from Harry. Why do you ask?" she
smiled at her, knowing something was up with the question.
"Well,
I don't normally do this, but, I can trust you with a secret
right?"
"Of course, I'm not the person to go around
spreading other's business." Hermonie smiled sweetly.
"Ron
is cute. I thin- know I like him. When he whispered in my ear this
morning. I almost fell out of my seat. I haven't felt that way
since.. Jade..." you trailed off, the thought of Jade made you
so upset.
"Jade? Well anyway, Ron is a great guy, Audrey.
He's really shy though, But I kept catching him stealing glances of
you, I haven't seen him smile like that ever."
Audrey was
glad she steered away from the "Jade" subject, no one dared
bring it up at school, they knew better. Instead of thinking about
Jade, she shook off the feeling and smiled at Hermione "Really??
Wow.." then a helpless smile traced across her face. She
couldn't help it.
"C'mon, I don't want to be late for Dark
Arts." Hermione stood and grabbed her wrist, leading her out of
the common room to the Dark Arts class room.
Lunch
time. Hermonie and Audrey met up with Ron and Harry and headed to the
Hall for lunch.
"So Audrey, are you going to come and watch
the Quidditch match this Saturday?" Harry asked, sounding
slightly excited.
"What's quidditch?"
"It's a
broom sport, its easier if you just come." Hermione
explain.
"OH! So, It's like football? Do you have school
marching band or anything?" Audrey brightened.
"Yes, we
do actually, they play at all the matches." Harry began.
"Oh!
I love band! music is basically my life. Can I join?"
"Well,
we could take you to the director after lunch, Ron has free period
with you." Hermonie motioned to Ron. She smiled to Hermione and
she smiled back.
Hermonie
requested salad for lunch so Audrey could have something to eat until
she figured out what she could do to get you a vegetarian menu.
Audrey was so glad to have walked in to a new school with friends
already. Lunch was over before they knew it.
Hermonie and Harry
waved bye and shoved a nervous looking Ron in Audrey's direction.
"C'mon, I'll show you to the music room, I don't think there is
a class right now." Ron said a little sheepishly. She just
smiled and followed him
His hair is so cute! His eyes, and the way he talks, Wow.. He's just all over adorable
Ron
stopped at a room and kind of stood there, Audrey stayed
near.
"Well are you going in?" Ron said
"What,
you're not gonna come with me? I don't know what I'm doing."
"Oh.
Right. Yeah come with me, Sorry" He made the I'm Sorry face and
walked into the room, Audrey wasn't far behind. A short troll looking
creature stood before you.
"This is Audrey, she wants to
join the band." Ron explained.
"Of course!!!" the
short man exclaimed "Of course, Miss Hammond, correct? What do
you play?"
"Mallet Percussion, electric bass guitar,
cello, and certain woodwinds."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Mortal instruments, of course!" He said it almost to
himself. "Well, do you have any of those with you?"
"I
have my bass and Oboe, oh and pair of mallets, and drumsticks, oh,
wait, you don't have a xylophone or a set of vibes?"
"Well,
we could always order some, our percussion is back there" He
pointed "Show me what you can do."
She looked at him
then to the back, there were some really strange looking instruments.
They looked like distorted versions of the ones back home. She took
out a pair of mallets she had always carried with her for good luck
and hesitantly hit a note. It didn't take her long to figure out what
notes were what. Audrey played two show tunes from last years
marching halftime performance. She loved playing, it made her feel
secure, so after she'd finished that she played another piece then
another. Ron was clapping and smiling widely. It made her feel
nervous and shaky, the familiar butterflies in returning to her
stomach.
"Grand! Grand! You are good, We have practice this
evening after dinner in the quidditch pitch. Can you be there?"
the short troll clapped.
"Uhm, sure, I cant wait! Oh.. Do we
march? 'cuz like back home I was in the front and I didn't march, I
mean I can, but I'd rather play pit percussion" She had a sudden
feeling like she was rambling.
"I'm glad I've had my share
of research on mortal music. No you don't march, unless you want to
play something that you can march with. But, we are usually in the
stands-" he was cut off
"TAMBOURINE!" She shouted
before he finished his sentence, she was beginning to feel more at
home. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry, but I can play tambourine in
the stands if I cant play the mallet instruments, that's what we do
back home."
"Of course Miss Hammond. And the mortal
instruments will be in before Saturday, I assure you." He said,
patting Audrey and Ron both on the back, gesturing to them it was
time to leave. Ron smiled
"Your
good at that, I guess now there's another reason to go to the
quidditch games now."
"Thanks." she smiled and
looked into his eyes "I'm glad."
"What is that ludicrous noise?!" Professor Magonagol was cut off in mid lesson by your cell phone's ring tone, the one you'd set for Cody, the drummer of xPushx, her and her friends band.
"shit"
Audrey whispered to herself. She flipped open her phone then closed
it back within the matter of milliseconds. "I'm SO sorry
Professor. I completely forgot my phone was in my bag."
Everyone
was staring at her, and her phone.
"A cell phone, we aren't
allowed to have those Audrey." Harry pointed out to you.
"Well
thanks for letting me know now!" she whispered back to
him.
"You can keep the phone this time Miss Hammond. But I'm
sending you to Dumbledor's to sort out the phone." The professor
pointed towards the door. Audrey walked out quickly to he old wizards
office.
"Your phone shall not be heard again Miss Hammond,
I'll let you keep it until it disturbs someone again."
"Thank
you sir."
She walked into an open restroom, it looked like
it hadn't been used in ages. She called Cody back.
"Cody! Oh
my god I miss you! what's up?"
"Dude, Drey, we need you
back man, we got this amazing gig with fuckin' a bunch of bands. it's
gonna be baller."
"I know.. I'm sorry. I wanna be
there, I wanna play so bad, but I'm here in London until summer..
Promise you wont replace me?" Audrey felt her throat swell up,
the first sign of tears.
"Naw, girl, we couldn't ever, this
band is here because of you. Mick is filling in, so Johns gonna play
guitar, besides that everything's the same."
"Alright
well, I'll catch you later hun. I'll call before the show k? and
bitch! you better call me after and tell me how the dancing was! All
right?"
"You know it bitch! Bye girl, we miss
you."
Audrey figured she'd take the opportunity to use the
restrooms while she was there. She walked into a stall screaming upon
entering, "Ah! What the hell!?"
"Moaning Myrtle"
She heard Hermione said and pulled her out of the restrooms. "C'mon
lets go put regular clothes on and go down to dinner."
She bathed, fixed her hair, put some make up on, and then tugged on a pair of skinny jeans and a band tee before meeting Hermione, Harry, and Ron in the common room to go down to dinner.
Jesus, Hermonie sure does work fast. She thought to herself, walking to the table. For dinner there was a vegetarian section on the table set out for Audrey, but open to anyone who wanted to try it.
"Thanks so much Hermione. Really," Audrey gave her an around the shoulder hug. Tofu burger, peta chips and hummace was her choice in dinner, with a small salad.
"I don't know how much
longer we can keep procrastinating. She needs to know. and soon."
Haggrid said.
"I know, I know. but she isn't in Danger just
yet Haggrid. It can wait." Dumbledor now.
"No, she
needs to know soon, the danger is closer than it appears. Harry
Potter and Audrey Hammond are one in the same. I thought we could
hold this off longer..." Magonagol trailed off.
"Soon...
soon." the wise old wizard said sounding distant.
Dinner
was over and Ron walked Audrey to the common room, Hermione and Harry
went to the library to study. It was quiet the whole time you walked
to the common room. She sat aside the fire and he sat close in a
chair.
"Ron, you don't have anything extra-curricular to do
here?"
"No. I'm not the sporty type, and music isn't my
strong point. and art.. Oh well.. we wont go there."
Audrey
giggled.
"Well that's ok.." She was at a loss of
words, not wanting to make small talk.
"I'm off to bed,
night-" he got up and tripped over his feet, falling on top of
Audrey Her heart beat increase and she could feel his do the same. He
didn't move for seconds, he stayed atop of her, their noses touching.
"Uh..
We didn't mean to interrupt.." Harry started. Quickly, Ron
demounted from on top of Audrey and stood straight up, she sat up
just as quickly and just as straight as he had.
"No, no. I
tripped, that's all." Ron looked flustered, sounded it too. She
just smiled to Hermione and she smiled back. Ron and Harry walked to
the boys dorm and Hermione and Audrey walked to the girls.
"SO..
What was that out there?" She gave her that same look her girl
friends back home had when she would come off a date with Jade.
Audrey explained to her exactly what happened. "Nothing girl!"
she had said. She fell asleep fast that night.
The next few
days went by fast, it was Saturday morning before she knew it. Audrey
had practice in an hour, so she grabbed her laptop and went to sit in
the comfy chair in the common room. The instant she was connected to
the internet a million IM's popped up. She quickly said hi to
everyone who IMed her and clicked out of them, but left Cody's
up.
xCodyISedgex: Eh girl
xAudreyTrillx: Hey, what it is
B?
xCodyISedgex: Haha, not a lot girl. How's
Europe??
xAudreyTrillx: Oh it's awesome! But I miss you guys, the
band especially.
xCodyISedgex: Alright girl, you up early. but I'm
up late, so I'm gonna go crash, peace B.
xAudreyTrillx: Of course.
Tell everyone I said hey bitches! Bye B.
Audrey
had made friends with a cute drummer boy quickly in her few days of
band, and was seated next to him in the stands reserved for the band.
Her stomach was fluttering with the excitement of that first game. It
had been like this back home. That first football game, unloading the
trailer and then taking the auxiliary instruments up to the stands,
just walking around in a band shirt and uniform bottoms, and the half
time performances! Up in the front, with the rest of her PIT
percussionists. This always gave you shivers. you loved everything
about band and music. This made her feel a little more at home. It
had only been a week, and she was homesick.
"Hey, Audrey."
Audrey turned her head quick, it was Ron, her stomach fluttered even
more. "Hermione and I are going to sit next to you, so we can
listen to you play, she said she wanted to see you in action, and see
the mortal instruments."
Audrey just smiled at him and gave
him and Hermonie small hugs over the separators in the
bleachers.
"Thanks guys. It's only been a week, and I've got
three amazing friends."
The game had ended, and Gryffindor
had won. Hermione, Harry, and Ron waited for Audrey out side of the
music room while she unloaded instruments. "Sorry guys, you
didn't have to wait you know."
"We know. We don't mind."
Hermione said as you guys walked to the common room.
It was
late and a few kids from the Gryffindor house were sitting together
talking and laughing. Audrey sat with her laptop by the fireplace
with a crowd around her. "What's myspace?" A boy named
Neville asked
"It's an Online community for friends,
everyone has it. You guys wanna see my band? wanna hear some of our
music?"
All at once the group around the group nodded. She
pulled up your band's myspace and clicked on their best song.
Everyone's eyes opened wide.
"Oh
bloody hell!" Ron shouted "I've never heard anything like
this before. That wasn't bad by the way, just different."
"It's
hardcore. There aint nothing like our scene." she said
arrogantly. She laughed, everyone was standing around her laptop
listening. The excitement died down and soon everyone had gone to
bed, she was still at her laptop, now in the chair though, talking to
people on AIM. Ron had stayed up with her, they were left alone in
the common room.
"You
know. This whole witch thing, it's real scary. It's kinda surreal. I
don't know."
"Don't worry, you must be a great witch.
obviously, you started out 6th year." Ron was trying to help,
she could hear it in his voice "Just don't leave, I mean
Hogwarts is a great school, and there are a lot of people here who
like you and want to get to know you. Plus, the band sounded great
with you there."
"Thanks Ron." She turned off
laptop and set it on the chair, sitting close to Ron now. "Any
advice you can give me?"
"Well.. Uhm.." He was
moving in closer to her face. They kissed. A short sweet peck, at
first. Then another one, a little longer. The next turned passionate,
long, her hand found his cheek and his hand found her waist, scooting
her closer to him. Then it was over, both just looking at each other
for a few seconds.
She
didn't sleep much that night, the night Ron had kissed her. The rest
of the weekend passed quickly and it was Monday again. Audrey did the
usual, shower, make-up, hair, clothes then out the door with the
right books to breakfast. Breakfast was eaten in a hurry, she didn't
know why, she just felt like she should've been rushing. Halfway out
of the hall she was stopped by Prof. Magonagol, "I would like
you to come with me to Dumbledor's office, Miss Hammond," She'd
placed a hand on her should and walked her to the old wizards office.
"Miss Hammond, have a seat please. I'm sorry you have been
in here so many times, I assure you, you are not in any trouble.
There is something you should-" he began but was quickly cut off
by Hermione, who entered in a panic. "Miss Granger? is something
the matter?"
"OH! thank god! I was so worried, sir, I
am so sorry for barging in, I thought something had happened to
Audrey, I hadn't seen her since yesterday morning. I apologize."
"Well that's alright, Audrey was just on her way anyway. Go
on Audrey, Don't be late for classes."
Audrey gave a strange
look to whoever was looking at her and got up to go to class.
Everything had seemed to be going by so fast. Lunch was a granola
bar, it was quick and easy to eat, she needed time to call people
back home. She rushed to the common room, to save time, and sat with
her laptop in the big comfy chair. The second she turned on her
computer, her phone began vibrating.
"Hello?"
"Audrey!
Girly, what's good?"
"Mark! Oh my god, what's good
nig?"
"Not a lot girly, the show went amazing, minus the
you not being there part. the pit was crazy girly, I'm so pissed you
couldn't be there to rip that floor up."
"Damn, dude, I
wanted to do that show so bad, it's our biggest show yet. I bet that
pit was fucking amazing. Next time nig. There'll be other times.
Cant wait till summer. I'm coming home!"
"Alright girly.
Well I'm out, call us later k? Talk to you later girly."
Audrey
put her laptop up then started to divination lesson. Halfway to
class, SMACK!
"What
the mother fuck!" she shouted, obviously angry.
"Oh
god, Audrey I'm so sorry..." Ron. She hadn't seen him since
Saturday night. He was picking up her things and handing them to her
nervously.
"Oh, Ron, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you.
It's alright, I can get my own shit." She smiled softly, she
couldn't help it, his voice, eyes, lips, everything melted her
insides.
"No, I don't mind. Uhm.." He was hesitant, but
he smiled just as she did when he finally met her eyes. "I'm
sorry, for Saturday night."
"Why be sorry? I didn't
regret it at all, I'm glad it happened. Are you ashamed or
something?" she were speaking rapid-fire fast, a nervous habit.
"NO!
No, I didn't know how you felt about it.. I've.. Uhm.. you're the
first one I've ever kissed..."
"It was both our faults,
I mean, we both met halfway Ron." She smiled "That's
awesome, I'm glad I was your first," Her smile turned into a
seductive grin "I hope we can be each others firsts for other
things. And Ron," She turned away to go the direction of her
next lesson then turned her head to look at him "I look forward
to more kissing. That is if you aren't
ashamed."
Ron half smiled and walked the other way to his next lesson.
Audrey took a seat next to Harry and Neville in Divination. "Hey guys," Audrey sat right between them. This lesson didn't pass so quickly, the teacher was "whack-job" to the best Audrey could describe her and crystal balls just weren't her thing. It did end eventually and it was back to the Common room to change for dinner.
Oh
great skinny jeans, how I do really love and appreciate you,
Audrey thought to herself, dreading the uniform, it was nice to be an
individual again. Her jeans and band-tee on she was comfortable and
ready for dinner. She hurried down to the hall, she hadn't eaten much
at all that day. Caesar salad, Tofu buffalo wings, and organic cherry
fruit leather was her choice for dinner, it didn't take her long to
eat, but she took a little more time to finish this food than she had
the last meals. Hermione, Harry, Neville, Ginny, the twins, Ron and
Audrey all giggle and chattered through dinner and all the way up to
the common room. Audrey sat silently trapped in her thoughts of what
was going on back home, at Robison High. Then it hit you, "OH
NO! PROM!!" Audrey suddenly blurted out, most of the Gryffindor
house sitting around in the common room.
"What?"
Hermione said after an awkward silence.
"Prom, Oh my god no!
I'm going to miss prom back home! It's my Senior prom and I'm going
to miss it, and marching season! prom, everything! I wont be there
for it. Fuck!"
Gasps ran across the room.
"Seriously,
you guys haven't said curse words ever? besides ass and hell?"
"Wow
big subject change," Hermione started, "Prom? that's like a
big end of the year dance right? We have a dance here! You can go to
that, I'm sure its not much different."
"Yeah.. But.. I
wont have a date, and my friends were supposed to go with me since
Jade-" she stopped abruptly.
"No, Well you have friends
here now, dances will be the same. Don't worry. Plus we have band
here too. I know what that means to you." She was changing the
subject, Audrey felt she could've kissed her for this, she always
seemed to be on top of everything.
Everyone was heading up to bed
one after one, Hermione gave her a hug, she mouthed thanks to her for
earlier, Hermione smile to her. Harry hugged Audrey goodnight then
Ron.
"Will
you sit with me for a little while Ron?" Audrey asked, she
wasn't very tired, and didn't want to be alone. He didn't say
anything, just smiled and sat next to her. Simultaneously they both
scooted closer to each other, trying to be as unnoticeable as
possible. It wasn't very concealed, they both cackled. "Thanks."
she said tenderly and smiled to him.
"Oh that's ok, you
don't need to thank me anyway."
They sat there in content
silence for several seconds before his hand fumbled for her own.
Smiling uncontrollably, but not caring, she grasped his hand soft but
firm and turned her head to face him, they smiled to each other at
once. It was happening again, the faces meeting halfway, a soft kiss,
then another. Then it became passionate, kissing soft, he presented
his tongue, she opened her mouth inviting him inside. The kiss was
long, and both strived for it not to end.
"Whoa!" Fred
and George, exclaimed simultaneously.
The kiss was stopped
suddenly. Ron jumped up instantly, Audrey shook her head and waved
him off. She went up to bed.
A week
had passed since the kiss. Audrey had been trying hard to not make
things uncomfortable, but he seemed nervous every time he was around
her. It was Tuesday which meant band practice after school. After
practice Audrey found Ron pacing around the music hall. "What
are you doing?"
"Oh, I was just. Well I was waiting for
you to finish with practice. I had some time to kill, ya know."
"Oh,
well.. Ok" She smiled faintly, walking with him to the common
room. Audrey washed up before dinner. Ron walked her to dinner and
met up with Harry, Hermione and the rest. Dinner went by quickly and
then it was back up to the common room. The usual, sitting around
with the others, her laptop in her lap.
xDrugFreeMarkx:
Eh girl!
xAudreyTrillx:
Mark! God, what's up?
xDrugFreeMarkx:
Not a lot really, you missed an AMAZING show
last night. Casey Jones fucking owned.
xAudreyTrillx:
Ok, that blows dood. I haven't seen them since like 3 years ago man.
and your gonna be all "You missed an amazing show blah blah"
wtf man?
xDrugFreeMarkx:
Girl, you know I love you. Summer shows are gonna be the real shit
girl. You aren't missing anything really, we miss you though. But hey
I'm about to go grab dinner. 333 bye girl
xAudreyTrillx:
Bye hun 333
"Who's
that?" Ron's voice came from beside Audrey's ear, he had been
leaning over her the whole time, reading her IM.
"Mark. He's
a band mate. Real good kid."
"Oh, cool." Ron
sounded a tinge jealous.
Audrey smiled faintly to herself then
turned to face him. "Sit, your making me nervous by leaning over
my shoulder." He shook his head and timidly apologized then sat
next to her on the couch. People began to head off to the dorms for
bed. Again, it was just Audrey and Ron on the couch alone. She began
messing around with her music and things on her laptop, looking at
old videos of shows. "Dammit, I miss it so much." she said,
more to yourself.
"Miss what?"
"Home, shows,
band, the band. Friends."
"Oh, well, you have people
here though. I wouldn't know about shows and things though. But I'm
here, and Harry and Hermione."
"Oh, I know Ron. Don't
get me wrong, I love you guys just as much as I love them back home.
I wish we could go off campus, there's gotta be shows around
here."
"Well maybe we could figure that out over the
summer, you are staying right?"
Audrey's face contorted
"Uhm.. I - yeah we'll see," she had to force a smile. She
shut down her laptop and set it aside then grabbed for his hand. He
laced his fingers with her own. "I could get used to this."
this time her smile real and so was his.
"I wonder why this
keeps happening," he smiled.
"What? What are you
talking about?"
"This." He leaned in and kissed
her softly a few times, things turning intimate after a couple more
kisses.
God please, no interruptions. was
all she could think.
And there wasn't, no one walked in, popped
up or out. Finally. The kiss lasted for a few minutes after he was
pushing you gently to your back, holding your hand with one of his
and running the fingers of his other hand through your hair.
oh
hell, he's seriously on top of me. Mister I'm so Timid and Shy.
She though again.
Still no one had interrupted. his mouth had
traveled from her lips to her neck in a matter of passionate seconds.
His mouth was sending shivers all over her body.
"Audrey?!
Where are you, I've been waiting upstairs for hours." Hermione
was walking down the stairs calling for you like a lost puppy.
"Dammit" You whispered under your breath.
Ron
quickly demounted, out of site, he rolled to the floor and she lay on
the couch, both acting like they were asleep. "Oh, gosh."
Hermione whispered, then headed up stairs again. Audrey couldn't help
it, she burst out laughing hysterically.
"What? What's so
funny?" Ron looked flushed.
"Nothing, that was the
dumbest thing I think I've ever done, why did we do that? We had no
reason, it was like our parents were coming in and catching us
fucking or something," you began to laugh again.
Ron just
looked at her for a few seconds then stood up. "Goodnight."
He smiled to her and kissed her forehead softly then resided
upstairs. Audrey wasn't far behind. Hermione was asleep when you got
to the dorm. Audrey went to sleep, deciding she wasn't going to wake
her. Audrey did the usual thing to get ready in the morning. At
breakfast Hermione ran to her frantically.
"Hermione,
are you ok, slow down chick."
"Audrey. I need to tell
you something. Come with me right after breakfast."
"Well
I'm done, I can come now..?"
She grabbed your arm and drug
you to the Myrtle's bathroom. "What's going on? did someone
hurt. OH! I'll kick someone's ass!"
"No, no, this isn't
about me Audrey, this is about you. I over heard Dumbledor and Snape
talking about something. Snape said something about Harry not being
the only one with troubles."
"What are you talking
about? What does this have anything to do with me?"
"Because,
Audrey, You understand that you were adopted right?"
"Yeah,
actually, I just found before I left for here.. How... How'd you know
that?"
"I told you, I over heard them talking.
Something went VERY wrong, that's what they said. That something
happened to your real parents, they were strong, and had amazing
powers. Like that water thing, your father could do it. Your mum was
quite smart, and had great control over her witchcraft. Something
apparently went completely bad after you were born. Audrey-"
"C'mon
girls, you'll be late." Magonagol stood at the entrance of the
bathroom, her face knowing something.
"Yes Ma'am" They
said together.
All Audrey could think about in Dark Arts was
what Hermione had said. She was dazing, not paying very much
attention to lesson.
"Miss
Hammond. Wont you come demonstrate what I just explained, please."
The professor had caught her dazing.
"Uhm. Yeah see what
had happened was.. Well..."
"You weren't paying
attention, something more important Miss Hammond?"
"No,
no. I just, I don't feel good."
"Then I'll excuse you,
see you tomorrow Miss Hammond." You gave a nod and walked out,
back to the deserted bathroom. You dialed Cody's number.
"Yo?"
"Cody, hey, it's Audrey. What's
up?"
"Nothing, girly you don't sound like your alright.
What's up girly?"
"I just, I'm tired is all. I miss
you like crazy too. I want to come home."
"Well, cant
you transfer back? I mean we all want you home, and your missing
shows like crazy, Mark wont shut up about you, his little crush has
gotten crazy. And Chris is so worried about you, she came up to me
for the first time since you introduced us and asked me if I had
heard from you, and how you were doing. By the way, I have a date
with her, I'm taking her to the Bishop show. I want you here so you
can help me." He laughed over the phone. Audrey didn't realize
how much she missed it.
"Ah piss! AW! I want to be there to
witness that! I want her to be in the scene so bad! and she likes you
so much! Ugh! I'm missing to much. I'm going to Dumbledor and
asking to go home. I need you guys."
"Alright! You'll
be here before the show then! love ya girly, talk to you real
soon!"
"Alright, check you later."
Audrey ran
into Ron on your way out and suddenly felt a load of guilt wash over
her.
"Hey you"
"Hey Audrey. How was first
lesson?"
"Oh, I didn't feel good, so I was excused,
just got off the phone with Cody. He said everyone wants me home.. I
was, well-"
"No! I mean, are you thinking about
leaving?" Ron's voice went from tough to timid within
seconds.
"Well, yeah. I mean this isn't my place, I don't
have shows or the band. I just miss my bed. I don't know."
"Audrey,
you cant leave," He stopped short, holding on to her arm, "I
need you here, I haven't felt this way about anyone and-"
"What
way Ron? What the hell is everyone talking about?!" Her voice
startled Ron and he jumped back a half inch. Her face showed sympathy
suddenly and she walked the half inch he'd put between them, taking
his hand. "Fuck. I'm sorry Ron. I'll explain later. Why cant I
leave? what way are you talking about?"
"The way I feel
when I think about you, or talk to you, see you, kiss you. Audrey, We
all want you here, George and Fred love that you can be one of them
and joke, Hermione loves that you became a close friend and Harry
feels just the same. You've helped Neville out with girls and that
stuff, he thinks your great. Audrey, please don't leave.
Please."
"Can I at least take tonight to think about
it?"
"Do what you want Audrey, it's up to you. Just
think about it please?"
"Of course, Ron, You understand
where I'm coming from right? the whole being homesick thing?"
"Yeah,
I do."
Audrey began to walk away when he called after her
"Audrey?"
"Yeah?"
"Uhm, I wanted to
ask you something. Uhm. Ya know, last night was nice, and the one
before that and so on. Well, I- I just- Well maybe- Uhm. Will you be
my girlfriend?"
She giggled, goodness he was so cute. "I
haven't ever been asked out like that. But you know what, since I
like you. I'm gonna have to say yes." She smiled sweetly and
hugged him tight. "I've got next lesson like now though Ron,
I'll see you in Divination." They kissed and went separate ways.
Audrey sighed dreamily, a wide smile etched into her face.
That day had passed swiftly, and working on a week since that day Ron had asked her out. Cody had called and asked if she was coming home after all. Audrey couldnt answer him. She wasn't sure she could leave Ron and just go back to normal. Normal, no she wasn't normal and things couldn't go back to normal. She's a witch. A witch. Things were hitting her hard and fast in the past couple of days, Ron, home, what she was, what she could do. She paced the common room during lunch alone.
"God,
what the hell is all this? What am I going to do? What am I doing?
Why, how, who, what, JESUS! I'm retard strong. I'm so confused..."
Audrey thought she'd been contemplating to yourself.
"Huh?"
She
turned around quickly, startled. "Ron! Oh, my. I-"
"What's
wrong? You weren't in lunch, I thought you might've been sick, are
you ok?"
"No, I'm fine, Ron. I had a granola bar, I'm
not hungry. I uhm... Well, I just - wanted some time to
think.."
"Oh, about leaving?"
"Mhm. Ron,
if I stay, I think I'll learn a lot from this. About my power and
what I am."
"So.. You're staying then?" he sounded
excited.
"Yeah." Audrey smiled to him faintly.
He
smiled and hugged her tight. "Well, lunch is about over, wanna
head down stairs to lesson?"
"Sure. Do I have a
choice?"
She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with
his, walking together to class. Class went by fast, especially since
she kept flinging water on random students. Audrey formed a ball of
water from her goblet, shot it towards Ron, he ducked and it hit
professor Snape in the back of the head.
"Oh
shit." She lowered in her seat and whispered it under her
breath.
"Miss Hammond, not only do you have a broad
vocabulary, but your very funny. why don't you see me after class."
His sarcasm punched her in the gut. Audrey rolled her eyes and
nodded. Ron looked to her, his eyes big with apology. After class
herr stomach was fluttering, She'd been in trouble a million times
back home, she never cared, but Snape. There was just something about
him that gave Audrey the creeps.
"Miss Hammond. I have been
observing your behavior. You use more profanity than I have ever
heard a pupil use, even when they think they are alone, away from us
professors. I have been looking at records from your previous
schools, you have quite the record. Lets see..." He shuffled
through papers on his desk and apparently found what he was looking
for "Ah yes, 'Audrey was asked four times to sit up, stop
sleeping and do her work, she refused and slept anyway, when she was
told to leave the room she did so but belched loudly and said "Happy
fuckin' valentines day Miss. Foster." ' Charming young lady,
aren't we?" he wasnt done. "Oh and here's the best one,
'Audrey Hammond was belching and passing gas in the middle of a music
lecture, I asked her to go outside until I came to talk to her. She
proceeded to grind on the entrance door of the music room making
obscene sound effects.' Well." Professor Snape stopped briefly
to raise a dark eyebrow in her direction. "Miss Hammond I have a
right mind to punish you for your behavior-"
"But he
will not," Dumbledor's voice drifted into the room. "because
there is nothing to be punished over. Miss Hammond. Please, no more
foolery, and the language should be kept outside of the classrooms.
Now be on your way, you'll be late for practice."
"Yes
sir, sorry."
Audrey nearly sprinted to the deserted
bathroom to change into her practice uniform. Practice was hot and
sweaty, the director had her watching people's marching and spacing.
On the way in, she were pushing the Marimba with the bells kit in
another hand and the stand on her shoulder, Ron met up with her,
grabbing the stand and bells from her. "I never did get to see
the mortal instruments. These are a couple of them right?"
"Yep,
this is the marimba and what your holding are the bells." Audrey
smiled gently.
Like every other night she washed up for dinner.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville all walked with her down to the hall
for dinner. Half way through dinner Haggrid stalked behind Audrey and
laid a hand on her shoulder. He bent down and said "Please come
to Dumbledor's Office after you've eaten." She simply shook her
head in agreement, feeling her stomach drop to her feet, and faked a
sweet smile. Audrey did as she was asked, straight to Dumbledor's.
She paced around waiting for him, looking at the trinkets and things
he had on selves and tables.
"Miss
Hammond I'm sorry, but I have not enough time to tell you what I
wanted you here for. You may return to the common room for tonight.
My apologies."
"No that's ok Professor, not a problem
at all. Goodnight." Audrey smiled sweetly and returned to the
common room.
She sat with her laptop once more, Ron by her side.
Her stomach was doing flips, like something was wrong, feeling
depressed for no reason. "What's going on?" it was hardly a
whisper. Things suddenly went black.
Audrey
sat up quickly in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable bed and panted "What
happened?"
"You passed out Audrey," Neville was
sitting in a bed a little ways down the clinic hall.
"What
the fuck did you do? Why are you in here?"
"Oh.. Had a
little accident in herbology. Been in here a few times before for the
same thing."
"Oh. You ok then?"
"Yeah."
Neville smiled a little then laid down and said, "Ron was in
here not that long ago, after first lesson, he said he'd be back at
lunch." Then he fell asleep.
She just sat up in the hospital
style bed and looked around for a while until the nurse came in to
check on her, gave her a glass of water and some kind of weird
smelling liquid. "Uhm, what's this, it smells like sh-
crap."
"Oh goodness, Its a potion that will help your
weariness, now drink."
She did, and almost threw it back up
in the midst of drinking it. "Oh god that's awful." Audrey
frowned, the nurse smirked and took the glass away when she had
finally finished with the medicine. She slumped down into the bed,
looked at the clock, and sighed. An hour until lunch. It eventually
came though, after what seemed forever and as Neville had said, Ron
was in to see her right when lunch began.
"You
are going to eat right?"
"Oh, I had a lot to eat for
breakfast, so I could come and see you during lunch. I was- well. I
guess I was really scared when you blacked out. What happened?"
"I
really don't know, I remember feeling like something was wrong, like
when your a little kid and you get that anxiety feeling, like your in
trouble or something. And yesterday, for the first time, using my
power made me really tired, exhausted actually. And I felt so
depressed."
'Audrey, you've been in here for about two
days."
"Oh. Oh god. I was out for two days? Fuck. I've
never assed out. Like ever, unless it was really hot during band
practice back home, but that was only for like 30 minutes or
something."
"Yeah.. I'm sorry. I hope you are feeling
better though." He smiled briefly "Hermione will be in
after lunch, she has a free period, for the first time in 5 years.
Harry should be in sometime too. I'm guessing whoever knows you will
be in."
"Alright." Audrey smiled sweetly and
brushed her fingers over his hand that lay close to her torso on the
bed. He sat with her all through lunch, like he said he would, then
left when it was over, kissed her on her cheek and said he'd be in if
she wasn't back in the common room after lessons were over. Fred and
George came in to see her first, Harry and Hermione just shortly
after, and a few others. Audrey was released back to the common room.
The nurse gave her some more of the liquid she'd given her earlier
and told her to take it before bed and in the morning. She took a
shower after two days of not having a bath and felt much better.
Audrey went down to the common room to find Hermione sitting with a
book in a big chair. "Hey girly."
"Oh, I was
hoping you'd come down. I need to talk to you." She smiled
briefly then her face went suddenly serious.
"Oh, god, that
face does not look like whatever you have to say is a good
thing."
"Well, it is serious, Audrey."
Audrey
shook your head and she continued.
"Like I said, I overheard
the professors talking. Dumbledor said something about you being
adopted. Your parents were killed, your real ones. They were the only
Italian pupils at Hogwarts when they went here. Your father had the
power to manipulate water. He was real popular and apparent friends
with Harry's father. They were in alliance with each other against...
You-know-who.. He killed your father, your mother killed herself
before you- know-who could get to her."
Audrey couldn't
speak. The tears started streaming down. Hermonie embraced you into a
hug the second she sensed tears, you cried on her shoulder. "God,
I'm sorry, I haven't done that since Jade-"
"Shh.. It's
ok, really. I just thought maybe it'd be easier to have some
knowledge before you knew EVERYTHING from one of the professors. It
wasn't my place to say anything anyway. I'm sorry." She pulled
away and held onto your shoulders "Your going to be ok right?
I'm really tired, but if you want me to stay down here with you, I
will or you can come to bed with me? or be alone, whatever you
want."
"I just need a minute, I'll be up in a little
bit, ok, And.. Who's you-know-who??"
"He's the most
evil of wizards here in this world. He is 'he who cant be named.'"
She smiled and retired to the girls dorm.
Audrey
listened to music on her computer for a while. She began to feel sort
of better and decided she should sleep, there was a quidditch game
tomorrow, which meant the band was performing and she had practice
bright and early on her Saturday morning.
She got read for band
practice early in the morning. No one was up yet, she didn't wake
Ron. She'd let him sleep. Audrey carted the Marimba to the practice
field earlier than practice started, wanting time to practice her
music alone.
"Whoa,
am I seeing things?" Audrey said to herself after she saw,
could've swore she saw something run across the field. "I must
be." She ignored it and grabbed mallets, playing a few scales to
warm up. Something was behind her, she could feel it. Before she
could turn around someone yelled out a incantation and she was
paralyzed, frozen in mid turn. "Fuck." was the last thing
she could say and things went black again.
"Where in the
fuck am I now?" Audrey's head was spinning and throbbed
tremendously. She put a hand to her forehead and almost got sick from
the pain. It was cold and stony, almost dungeon like where she woke.
She was trying to remember what happened, the only thing could recall
was going down to the quidditch pitch to practice her music. She
remembered what she assumed must have been a spell being shouted out
but nothing else was coming forth in her mind. The door to her cell
opened slowly "Whoever the fuck you are I'd suggest letting me
go because if I don't get the hell out of here now you and me are
gonna be scrappin' mother fuckers. I aint playin'!" now she was
angry. The man was liquid paper white. Ghost white. Audrey jumped up
quickly Shit I'm new to this whole wave a
wand shout out some Latin shit. what the hell am I going to
Audrey thought frantically.
He struck her with his wand. She was on the ground within a matter of milliseconds and he was standing over her, his wand millimeters from her face.
Audrey woke again in the same stone cold cell, but this time she had company. The man standing over her had long blond, almost white hair, his face was pale and his eyes sharp. His wand hovered over her the instant she opened her eyes.
"Ok
girl. You belong to that inferior Angus and Credo Leto. And you
woman! You can not be much better." The man spoke as if he was
the King of all Kings.
"Who the hell are you anyway? and
how do you know my parents?" She had the feeling talking to this
man like he was a moron probably wouldn't get her very far, but she
couldn't help it. His expression proved her feeling was right. He
immediately turned to her out of pacing and shot her a death
look.
"You will not get away with that kind of language
little girl! Your best bet is to keep your mouth closed, or you will
be in more trouble than you already are."
She kept a blank
stare despite her fluttering stomach. "Oh dude. What do you want
anyway? I wasn't doing shit to anyone, minding my business, I didn't
even wanna leave my home town! I could be going to public school and
being in band and going to shows and playing shows with my band! And
I'm stuck in this shit hole where I don't even know where I am, being
threatened by a man who looks like a twiggy Fabio!" her anger
was growing by the minute, her terror quickly fading. The man's eyes
grew bigger with each word she let out, he looked shocked at her
anger, or maybe it was her language. Audrey looked at him right back
with the anger brewing in her throat, she was ready to throw him
down. Just as he saw she was ready to fight he pulled out his wand
and aimed quickly at her. But she was quicker, she pulled out her
wand and shot him back from her quickly, he dropped his wand on his
way down. She breathed hard and heavy, pumping with adrenalin. "Don't
dare come an inch closer! I'm not the bitch to mess with. Now,"
she tried to calm down, holding her wand over his face now, "Tell
me who you are."
He made a move to try to knock her back but
she restrained him with a flick of her wand. "I said don't move,
and tell me who you are."
"Not that it is for you to
know, But I am Luscious Malfoy. You will pay dearly foolish
woman."
"You shut the hell up and you listen to me. You
wont be giving me any payback, it's me who will be making the bills."
Her wand still hovered over his face. She moved a step back and
shouted out a spell to bind him to the wall. He was to quick. before
his other hand was bound he grabbed for his wand, waved, and she went
flying across the room.
"I told you silly woman, you will
pay." He grabbed Audrey by the neck scraping her back against
the rough stone of the wall. She cringed with, her eyes closed. She
felt him smiling.
Oh shit.. I wish Jade... NO! no where's Ron?!
Audrey
felt the tears sting beneath her closed lids and fought them back
hard. She felt the blood stop in her neck, head and started to gag
and cough. Luscious was laughing now.
"We got your
miniscule parents. And I'll be the one to get you. Their pride and
joy. Oh these sob stories that just seem to be everywhere, with you
and Harry. That boy will be mine too." He laughed deep from his
belly.
She felt as if she were going to vomit. Something
sparkled for a minute second in her peripheral. Water. A small puddle
of water that had leaked down from the cell covering. Quickly she
struggled to lift a hand in the direction of the water forming a ball
out of the water in the corner, helping it multiply in size. She
swept her hand towards Luscious' head and the massive ball of water
hit him hard. He fell at once and without taking a second to catch
her breath she formed the water back into an enormous ball. Luscious
lay with his head up to see the ball of water, he was wide eyed with
terror. "Little girl you shall be a fool if you do anything
with that!" He was trying to scare her. But she wouldn't be
provoked. The ball of water drowned him when it came down greater
than it had before. She continued recycled the water to keep flow on
him, the instant it hit his face, more water was falling on him. He
couldn't resurface himself to his feet, the flow was to strong. He
drowned, but she knew it'd only be temporary. Quickly she found a
place to flee and raced out to anywhere. Realizing she didn't know
where she was, she kept running anyway.
Audrey eventually ended
up in a congested street in a town filled with people wearing unusual
clothes, cloaks and hats that look so old fashioned. She took a
second to catch her breath and fell suddenly onto a deserted bench.
"My phone. Do I have it." She searched her pockets.
Luscious hadn't had enough brain to take her phone or her wand.
"What a dumb fuck." She said to herself.
"OH!
MISS HAMMOND!"
Magonagol.
Audrey
lifted her head, and her thoughts were right, The professor stood
poised before her but looked haggard with worry. Dumbledor and
Haggrid weren't far behind her. She quickly collected her and led her
away from the crowded village of Hogsmead, back to Hogwarts.
"You'll explain yourself to Us when we are back at
Hogwarts." Was the only thing Pro. Magonagol said before Audrey
arrived back at school.
Audrey
had explained very little to the professors and had the feeling they
already knew what had happened. She was sent to her room and given
dinner in the common room to rest and take a day to recover. She took
a shower the instant she was back at the dorms. Tears began to stream
down her cheeks, she didn't have time or energy to waste on crying
back in that cellar. Audrey let the water run on her until it grew
old and cold. She dressed and grab her laptop then leisurely walked
down to the common room. Ron was there waiting. His face was etched
with worry lines and his eyes were a soft red, had he been crying?
She placed her laptop to the couch and quickly wrapped her arms
around him. He clung to her instantly, holding her tight.
"Audrey,
what happened? People have been saying all kinds of things, and
Harry, he was gone! Both of you disappear at the same time?! Harry
said he saw you, he said he saw Luscious walking with you over his
shoulder, like you were knocked out or dead. I was so scared and I'm
missing class, Snape will probably-"
"Ron! You're
babbling babe.. It's ok, I'm here now, and I'm fine, Look."
He
did look, Audrey had a bruise on her cheek and one above her eye. He
touched them softly, a touch that reminded her of velvet across skin.
She closed her eyes fighting tears. She lost the fight and a single
tear escaped landing on Ron's finger. He embraced her again leading
her to the couch to sit down. She changed the subject briskly to
avoid anymore tears being shed.
"You're missing class?
You're skipping? Ron, you can't do that, you have to have a good
reason to miss class. You could get expelled Ron."
"No.
I'll just go tell Dumbledor I was sick, throwing up or
something.
Audrey smiled at him, he was risking getting in
trouble for her, shy little Ronald Weasely. She laid her head in his
lap. He ran his hands over her hair, trying to comfort her. And it
was working.
"What have I missed? was I gone very long? I
can't really recall. AH PISS! I missed band didn't I?" worry
swept over her suddenly and she shot up off the couch. She didn't get
very far, Ron grasped her wrist preventing her from going any further
away from him.
"It's ok. They'll let you make everything
up, and band isn't a problem, band will go on." He stopped to
look her in the eye and it seemed worry had set his face as well.
"You've been .. You've been gone for about a week.. Harry came
back the same night."
Audrey dropped beside Ron and looked
over his face. "A week Ron? But I - oh my.. I must've been out
for like five days."
"Can you tell me what happened?
Audrey, please?"
She did, she told him everything. He looked
more grief stricken than he had when she first came down to the
common room from her shower. She clung to him telling him it was fine
and things were alright now. She kissed his lips tenderly. His
returned kiss was late in coming and led to another kiss and then
another. The kisses turned deep not long after. She pressed on his
chest, indicating for him to lay on his back. He obeyed. He coiled
his arms around her waist bringing her down to lay on him. Neither of
them heard the door to the common room open.
"Bloody hell!"
George and Fred yell simultaneously along with giggles.
Both
jumped quickly and she fumbled off his lap. Ron's cheeks turned
bright and she could feel hers doing the same.
"We came in
to check on you Audrey," Fred said "But now we see you're
doing fine, and Ron is too, we're sure!" they both laughed
together.
"Oh shut up guys! This is our business."
"Yeah,
but you're the ones who wanna do that stuff in the middle of the
common room, so its ours too now!" the twins were still
laughing.
"Ah piss. you got me" Audrey said
sarcastically but laughed right along with them.
Ron hadn't said
anything. Audrey laced her fingers with his and squeezed with
reassurance. She smiled at him and mouthed "Don't be
embarrassed." He smiled back and waved the twins away. They left,
still chuckling.
"I bet that's gonna leak, and we're gonna
get separated and watched twenty-four-seven," She stopped to
smile at him, "so while we have the time alone, lets go up to
the dorms."
He returned her smile, stood, and led you to his
dorm.
"The weekend!" Fred and George shouted together, making their way down the stairs to the common room. Audrey shook her head, giggling faintly. She was cuddled against Ron, her laptop in her lap.
"Yea, so what's the plans then?" She asked without turning away from her computer screen.
"Well we're gonna go to Honeydukes, we need sugar, and then possible Zonkos." George answered, the twins walking out the door to leave the common room. Audrey laughed and shook her head, her eyes still on the laptop's screen. Ron leaned over, not really paying attention to her computer and kissed her on her cheek.
"No, they really don't need sugar." Audrey laughed again.
Ron smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "What do you do on this thing anyway?"
Audrey looked away from her laptop this time and stared at him blankly. "You mean to tell me that you've NEVER used a computer."
"Right."
His accent made her melt, it was hard to be anything but sweet to him, "Oh my god, Ron, I'm instant messaging, it's when you talk over the internet."
Ron just looked at her as confused as ever, "Oh.. Ok."
"You don't get it do you?"
"No."
She handed him her laptop and touched his fingers to the keys, "'K, you type things out with these keys. Right now I'm talking to one of my band nerd friends back in the states, her name is Christina, type hi to her, and tell her your name."
Ron began typing the words she told him to very slowly, "Wow, this is new."
"ok, now that Christina knows you blow at typing, we can move on." She laughed again and started back to typing on her computer. Ron didn't laugh, he stared at her, his brow furrowed. Audrey laughed again, placing a hand on his cheek, apologizing with her eyes.
People began to head out for a weekend in Hogsmeade. Audrey was still well at work on her laptop. Still staring at the screen she said, "You gonna go out too? I wanted some chocolate or something, but, pictures talk here, and I'm not sure what candy is gonna talk and I don't think I can take that just quite yet. Besides, I just wanna stay in and talk to my homies."
"No, I'll go if you go, but since.. you came back I just want to make sure your alright.."
"Wait, do you have quidditch practice?"
"No tomorrow."
"You gonna be able to leave me alone then?"
Ron stared at her again, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"I was being sarcastic. Babe, I'll be fine by myself, please, don't worry about me ok? I'm a big girl."
"Is it so bad I just want to be around you?"
"No, I guess not." She smiled now, and kissed his cheek. She turned her computer off, folding the screen to the keys and set it aside.
"Ron, I want to tell you something that I never talk about, something that almost no one knows. I think I deserve to talk about it, and have some kind of closure, and that you deserve to know about it, so you can understand maybe some things about me and my trust and things like that."
Ron nodded, looking at her, his eyes wide and alert.
Audrey continued, "I've been in love before. With only one guy. Jade Brady. He was wonderful, everything I looked for and the reason I'm into the hardcore scene back home. He was tall, and pale, that stood out the most about him, skinny and in one of the most well known bands back in Illinois. My friend in band invited me to my first show, that's where we met. He was a drummer, and I asked him if I could play on his set, he laughed but he let me. And it went from there, we really enjoyed each other and he finally asked me to be his girlfriend. We dated from the beginning of ninth grade until.. He died. We spent all our time together, he was there for me always, and I was there for him just the same. He was the first guy I kissed, he was my first for a lot of things... After junior prom, he told me he was moving. We ran away that night, didn't come home for two days, we spent those days crying together , holding each other and just being with each other. He moved over the summer, promised me he'd make everything work for us he wanted to be with me forever he said. He got up there, I got a call from him everyday and then a week went by without a phone call." She began crying now, the tears hot, stinging her eyes. Ron held her close.
"You don't have to finish.."
"No, I need to do this.. So.. a week went by, and no call. His number came onto the caller ID, I was furious and glad at the same time when I saw his number. His mom was on the other end, sobbing. His parents LOVED me, treated me like their own kid. So this hurt me when I heard her crying. I knew something had to be up. She says 'Audrey.. Oh god Audrey I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry Audrey, Jade, he's- he's cut himself to death. We found him this morning, gashes as deep as 4 inches all over him, he cut his throat open, he died he killed himself! He killed himself.' and the phone dropped, his dad picked up the phone and told me he'd call back and tell me the date for his funeral." She continued to cry, talking through her tears. "It was the hardest thing. When I got to Texas, where they'd moved, his parents had a letter Jade had written for me before he killed himself. I remember everything it said and still carry the note with me everywhere.. 'Audrey, you are the love of my life. I will never love someone as much, no, Audrey I wont ever love anyone else but you. Being away from you was harder than I thought. I want to see you everyday, I feel empty without you, you are the only one for me and the only thing I need. I have nothing but you now Audrey. Instead of losing you, the sweetest thing to have ever come into my life, I need to end this. I need to end me. I can't do this. I can't be here, on the phone with you and listen to you cry, it kills me everyday, and this would happen sooner or later. I have to die Audrey. And I know I'll see you later, in our next life, we were made for each other, I love you more than life and anything else, nothing changes that. See you later baby.' God, I wanted to kill myself, I wanted to be with him. But, obviously I didn't. So, here I am, and I have someone new. So please, forgive me if I have some trust issues or if I cry randomly."
Ron just held her tight, clinging to her as if she were going to slip away from him. Her wiped her tears away and smiled to her. "I'm here now though. I'm so sorry, I can't explain how sorry I am. No one deserves that."
Audrey smiled and wiped her tears away herself this time. She stood up and stretched, "Well, since I'm dressed, let's go ahead and head to Hogsmeade, I mean if you want to."
Ron stood then, straightening out his hand-me-down collared shirt tail and said "Yea, I'll show you wants good at Honeydukes."
Ron walked nervously holding her hand down the village of Hogsmeade, leading her to Honeydukes. Audrey's jaw dropped the instant they walked into the candy shop. She gasped, clutching her chest, right over her heart. "My god, I've never seen a place so... Enchanted, Ron this place is beautiful.." Audrey dropped his hand and walked around the shop, her jaw still dropped, touching everything ginger with the tip of her fingers. He followed her, telling her what every piece of candy was.
They came back with shopping bag full of enchanted candies and chocolates. Audrey dumped them all on the floor in front of the fireplace and sorted through them with Ron.
"Oh dude, I think I ate to much.. My stomach is not feelin' good at all right now." Audrey laughed a little, holding her stomach. Ron was shoveling candy back into the bag as he nodded, agreeing that he had eaten to much as well.
"To much." Was all he said.
"God, night already? Where is everyone anyway?"
"Dinner, we're missing it, but I couldn't eat anything else, bloody hell, I feel like vomiting."
Audrey grimaced, "Please don't."
Ron didn't say anything, he half smiled instead and pushed the bag of goodies aside, scooting closer to Audrey. She scooted closer too, leaning into his chest. They sat there by the fire, Ron nervously fidgeting with the hearthrug. She enjoyed his shyness, it's what made him, him. So she sat there, leaning against him in total thought and silence.
"What a right scare you gave us Audrey!" Fred bellowed when he spotted Audrey sitting with Ron on the hearthrug.
"Yeah, we'd thought you'd been captured again." Hermione said this time.
Audrey hesitantly stood up, not wanting to leave Ron's side, and straightened out her blouse. "I'm fine, neither of us felt like dinner, I think we ate to much candy."
Hermione and Audrey talked for hours before she retired to bed that night. Audrey found much easier to talk about Jade, she'd known Hermione would want to know about Jade since she mentioned him so much. Hermione had been a great listener, this brought them much closer.
The months past quickly for Audrey and before she new it Christmas was just around the corner.
"The Yule Ball is coming up. Are you staying for Christmas Audrey?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, yea, I cant go back to the states, it would take a week just to get over there, so I'm here."
"Well, Do you have a dress for the ball?"
Audrey shook her head, grimacing. "Am I even going to that dance?"
"Well, yes of course! Hm, I wonder if we can whip up something for you to wear."
"Oh, Hermione, it's ok really. I'm having a hard time wearing this skirt, dresses aren't gonna go over well. Especially heals."
Hermione smiled, shaking her head and pulled Audrey into the Potions classroom. Audrey was forming tiny spheres of water from a puddle in a corner of the room and launching them at different students. Hermione grabbed her wrist but Audrey didn't stop, she kept laughing and flinging water at the backs of peoples heads.
"Audrey, stop it!" Hermione whispered, "Professor Snape is right behind us."
Audrey stopped abruptly, dropping whatever water she had to the floor. Snape glided slowly past her, his head turning to keep and eye on her. Audrey looked at her lap, avoiding catching his eye. Lesson went on. Audrey had the most trouble in Potions, she caught on to everything but this. She wondered why it was so difficult because she was good with ingredients and loved cooking. How was this any different she thought. Well it was, and there she was struggling with the odd ingredients trying to get the potion right. She dropped in wormwood and a great cloud of smoke exploded from her cauldron in to her face.
"Shit!" Audrey said it short and staccato, unfortunately Snape was standing behind her.
He cleared his throat, Audrey turned her head, her face covered in soot, and swore under her breath again.
"Miss Hammond, You seem to not be trying at all in this class, and every time I turn around you're swearing. This," he pointed to her cauldron of something that was a grayish green, "whatever this is, is no where near a potion. Do you wish to fail in O.W.L.s this year?"
If it weren't for Hermione explaining what O.W.L.s were when she had first come to Hogwarts, she would've been lost. "No that's not what I want," Audrey's anger was rising, and she had no idea why. "No. What I want is to be sitting with my friends, with my family," she stood now, looking up at Snape, not fearing him anymore, "for Christmas. What I want is to be doing marching band right now back home! What I want is to get the hell out of this place and be home with everyone who actually likes me. Instead of a stuck up, rude, douche bag 'Professor' Telling me that I suck at everything! That's not what you're supposed to be here for!" Audrey pushed past him with her shoulder, leaving her bag and books and potion gone wrong in the classroom. Before she left, she turned at the door and said, "I didn't ask to be here Professor." Then she walked out, her eyes swimming with hot tears.
Audrey returned to Myrtles bathroom and called Cody. He could hear in her voice that she was crying, even though she tried to cover it up and be as calm as possible.
"I can't be here anymore, I need to come home. I know what happened today was because I miss home, I was fine one second and then the next I'm flipping out on a teacher."
"Then come home, I hate hearing you like this, you're fuckin badass Drey, you cant cry." Cody tried comforting her over the phone.
Audrey skipped all her classes, and stayed in from lunch. She was writing poetry, sitting on the hearthrug when Ron walked in after last lesson before dinner. He hesitated, but walked over and sat next to her on the rug. He hesitated again to say anything, but he did, "Hermione told me what happened in Potions today."
Audrey shook her head, still writing.
"And I didn't see you in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Are you alright?"
She shook her head again.
"That Umbridge is right foul. I'm surprised you blew up on Snape instead of Umbridge."
Audrey again shook her head. Ron was beginning to get annoyed. He closed his mouth and sat staring into the fire. She bewitched her quill and paper so it would write for her and turned to look at Ron.
"Ron, I'm going home. It's to much here for me. And the only reason I haven't gone at Umbridge is because she has the right to take away band from me. If I lose band, I'm nothing. I saw what happened to Harry and Fred and George."
"Why do you want to go home? You belong here. You are a witch, you can use magic. Why would you go back where you cant?"
"I miss home. This isn't home Ron, and I don't belong here, I may be able to do magic, but.. I mean listen to me, I'm the only one in this place with an accent. And I cant go back and face Snape, I've been hiding out in the girls dorms all day, until about an hour ago."
Ron turned again to face the fire, his ears turning red. Audrey could tell he was becoming angry.
"Ron.. You have to understand where I'm coming from-"
"I understand perfectly!" Ron burst put suddenly, his fiery hair flipping at the violent way he turned his head. Audrey pulled back a few inches away from him, her quill and paper falling to the floor.
"You don't want to be here, you don't want to be around me, I finally get the guts to ask someone out and this is what I get for it."
"Ron! This has nothing to do with you!" Audrey was shouting now. She stood up, stepping on her quill and paper, the parchment ripping under her foot. "I cant be here Ron! I don't belong here! You haven't listened to a damn word I've said! You know what. No. I'm not gonna get mad. I'm going to do this instead," She kicked the piece of parchment his way, landing in his lap, and she walked to the girls dormitories, "We are through, Ron, you don't listen and can't understand. You're selfish and clueless!" Audrey walked up the stairs, leaving Ron sit alone in the common room.
Ron just stared up at the stairs blankly for a few moments. Remembering the parchment she'd kicked onto him, he picked it up, piecing it back together and read aloud, but to himself:
"Our hearts marching to the cadences of their fast beat
holding each other so close, the beats becoming one.
We didn't let go
We couldn't let go
Our favorite measure, the one that builds up
were the roll of the cymbal crescendoed us into the next
and the meter changed .
Accelerando.
It happened so fast
but we hoped it would last forever, never end.
The moment eventually decrescendoed.
Diminuendo.
And all that remained were the faded
Far away taps (of the drums of our hearts)
that said it was bound to happen once more."
Ron grimaced when he finished reading it. "She wrote this..." He read further down on the page and read aloud again "Ron, you've been a great inspiration, you've helped me get over what I've been feeling because of Jade, I know I can love again, thank you. This isn't the end for us. I promise. But now, I have to leave. I love you."
He folded it and walked to the stairs leading to the girls rooms but remembered that boys weren't able to enter the dorms. "Oh no." He said to himself. "Who needs her anyway. She wants to leave me then oh well, I don't need her." Ron went to bed mad.
"You can't leave Audrey, please, don't leave. You've got Ron and me, and your magic. Music is here to, and the Yule Ball is so close." Hermione was trying to reason.
Audrey listened to her, packing away her things not saying a word.
"Please Audrey, can you at least wait until after the ball? I'm sure Ron would really appreciate it."
After hours of reasoning and Hermione putting back her things over and over again, Audrey had agreed to stay until after the ball.
Ron wasn't speaking to her. Audrey had come to him during study hall and tried to explain quietly that she was sorry for yelling and that she was staying for Christmas. He had kept turning his back to her, his eyebrows raised at his books. Audrey became so frustrated she threw her book into professor Snape's hands and stormed out of the hall, jabbing her wand to Ron's paper, leaving the word "Jerk" in bold letters whenever he tried to write anything. She smiled, this is what she liked about being able to use magic, it was the best way to get even. She ate lunch with Hermione, Ron looking at his food, but staring up at her when he thought Audrey couldn't tell. He was snarling. Audrey flicked her wand under the table and all Ron's lunch flew up into his face. His face turned scarlet and he rose from the table, wiping off the food from his shirt and face. Audrey covered her mouth, trying to hold in giggles with Hermione. Ron stormed out of the room.
"So, I guess it's a safe bet that you aren't going with Weasely to the Yule ball right?" An almost Royal voice came from behind Audrey.
"Guess not." Audrey wasn't laughing anymore. She turned around to face a boy with blond, almost white hair.
Oh god, he looks familiar... She thought
"Then today's your lucky day, you get to go with me."
Audrey raised one eyebrow, her top lip curling a little as she stood up and stood inches from his face, "I get to go with you huh?"
The boy shook his blond head.
"Oh. Really? Oh well holy shit guys! Did you hear that, I'm fucking blessed I get to go with This kid here!"
The boy wasn't smiling anymore, his face turned angry. And that's when she knew who he was. He was Luscious' son.
"Oh, no. Fuck you kid, I'm not going anywhere near you!"
"Audrey, no, don't. Don't say anything about what happened to you. He has no clue. Do not say a word." Harry came up behind her to whisper in her ear.
She shook her head. "Ok kid, come with me." Audrey grabbed the boy's wrist, leading him out of the hall. He looked absolutely shocked that someone would actually grab and pull on him like that.
"Oh wipe that badass look on your face off. Do you seriously want to go to that dance with me? If you do, ask me like a normal human be- Wizard and don't be an ass about it."
He just stared at her and before he could open his mouth to say anything, Audrey interrupted and said "And what's your name?"
"Draco. Draco Malfoy. And I just figured you'd like to be with someone up higher on the social ladder than the Weasely's."
"Social ladder? Kid, you're digging a dipper hole already, shut up and ask me nicely and you wont be going to the dance alone."
"Ok. Alright. Audrey, you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?" his invitation was hushed and through his teeth.
Audrey acted as if she was contemplating for a few seconds, "Eh, why not. See ya kid." She smiled seductively, the way she had to Ron, and walked away.
"How am I supposed to go to a dance and enjoy myself when one, I don't have the date I want, and two I am going with the son of the guy who kidnapped me? Audrey was rummaging threw all her clothes, Hermione going through her own. There was a huge pile of clothes on the floor of their dorm.
"I don't know why you said yes, but maybe Ron seeing you with Malfoy and how amazing you're going to look will make him stop being so pigheaded. Ron's always been stubborn and clueless. Dunno why."
Hermione grabbed a black flowing skirt and threw it to her bed. Audrey threw a strapless black top into the pile, Hermione grabbed it as well and threw it to her bed. "Ah! I think I've got what we need to make you a dress for the ball."
Audrey grimaced, remembering Hermione's knitted elves hats. "You aren't thinking of sewing me a dress out of that are you?"
"No! I'm going to do this with magic."
"Oh.. Ok." Audrey sounded relieved.
Hermione had done an amazing job on making the pieces of clothing they'd picked out into a beautiful dress. She made Audrey try it on and gasped when she saw her in it. Audrey looked so gorgeous, even without her hair done up and make-up on. The dance was only two days away and the halls were buzzing with chatter from girls and boys alike.
Ron hadn't spoken to Audrey for a two weeks. He didn't know she had another date either. He hadn't found another date himself. Ron had been walking in the halls when he over heard Malfoy and his cronies talking about Audrey.
"She said she wants to meet up before the dance to have a real date. She wants me bad." Draco was smiling smugly, his friends practically falling over each other listening to him.
"That American girl wants a date with you. They are easy, you might get far with her!"
Ron was turning scarlet with rage, he marched up to Malfoy and began shouting at him.
"Audrey doesn't like you, you git! Stop saying she's easy! She's not, she's still a virgin, she told me so!" His face was even redder now.
Malfoy kept his smug smile, walking leisurely towards Ron, "She felt bad for you Weasely, that's why she was with you. She told me she couldn't wait to get away from your poor, hand me down self."
Ron raised his fist to punch him, Malfoy flitching and throwing his hands over his face. He didn't him Malfoy though, he just walked away, feeling worse than he had ever. He returned to the common room to get a heavier coat then went outside under some trees to study and finish homework for the rest of the night.
Audrey was getting ready to meet Malfoy for a private date when Hermione and Ginny walked in. Ginny gave Audrey a distressed look, Audrey tilting her head and asking, "Is everything ok Ginny?"
"Yea. Well, for me yes. Ron's sitting under trees, in the freezing cold, doing his homework. He told me he just wanted me to leave him alone. What happened? You two had at it again?"
"No, he hasn't spoken to me since like two weeks ago."
"I think you should go talk to him Audrey.." Hermione suggested. She gave Audrey the same look Ginny was.
Audrey gave in and stopped prepping for her date with Draco. "I'm going alone I guess?"
"Yes. This is something you have to do without us."
Audrey shook her head and headed out of the dorm, down the stairs and out of the common room. She wasn't dressed at all to be in the snow. A pair of leggings and a mini dress weren't enough to keep the cold from cutting her. She found Ron sitting at a bench underneath a tree, his wand expelling a mild light so he could see what he was writing. She sat herself next to him on the bench, not saying a word for several minutes.
"Ron, come inside, it's freezing out here."
"Well, maybe you should put some clothes on then. You should consider it seriously, because everyone thinks your easy."
Audrey raised one eyebrow, turning her head to look at Ron, "You think I'm easy?"
"Well, I would if you hadn't told me you were still a virgin. Malfoy thinks he's going to get something 'good' out of you." Ron put his quill down, setting his books and parchment to the side.
"Ron, that's horrible. I don't have proper clothes on because I was rushed out of the common room. I was worried about you. I cancelled my meeting with Draco to come talk to you. Please come inside."
"I'm fine. Why don't you just leave me alone ok. You could've told me you were going with Draco to the ball and having a 'date' with him. Audrey, I thought you were different."
"Ronald Weasely! If you weren't so fucking pigheaded we wouldn't be in this predicament now! I wouldn't have to go with Malfoy to the Ball. But I'm gong to make this the best I can! So I'm gong to go find Draco and you can stay the hell out here! Fuck!"
"I was just looking for you, you didn't forget about tonight did you?" Malfoy's voice broke their fight.
Audrey shook her head, staring angrily at Ron. She walked away from him just as Ron had whispered "Piss off.."
Malfoy was kind enough to wrap his cloak around Audrey, she was shaking violently.
"Well, you two had another fight? You two aren't even together, why even bother with him? He's low class Audrey, you need someone higher."
"Draco, shut up. I really don't want to hear that shit at all. I heard you said I was easy?"
"No. Crabbe did."
"Thank you for caring enough to not let me freeze, but I don't feel like doing anything right now. Can we just meet up at the dance?"
Draco looked like he had just been slapped in the face, but he shook his head and walked her to entrance of the common room. The portrait was asleep. "Thanks.." Audrey said and Malfoy left, his cloak still on her shoulders. She said the password loudly, waking the lady. When she returned to the dorms, Hermione lay in her bed awake, waiting for her. Audrey said nothing, she just sat on her bed, her head falling to her hands. She sobbed into her hands and Hermione came to her side, patting her on the back telling her things were going to be fine. Audrey eventually fell asleep, Hermione not far after.
It was the day of the Yule ball. Everyone was up in a roar when Audrey walked into the hall for breakfast. She didn't eat much. Hermione and her spent the whole day with each other, doing finger nails and pedicures. The day had passed quickly and they were finishing their hair and make-up, putting on their dresses in a hurry.
"Of course we'd be late, just like girls." Audrey laughed nervously, her stomach was fluttering and she had no clue why. It wasn't Draco who she was worried about impressing, it was Ron.
Hermione nodded and smiled to her. "C'mon, we've got to get down there! Our dates will be upset if we're late." She grabbed Audrey's arm and pulled her out of the dorm and common room.
They walked, arms linked, down the stares to the Ball together. Draco and a boy from Hufflepuff waiting for them downstairs. Draco's eyes widened when he saw Audrey. Audrey, dressed in a beautiful black silk dress, scarlet roses embroidered all over it, it was strapless and heart shaped at the top and flowed out around her legs. She looked like a princess, her hair half up and down in curls. Malfoy's jaw dropped as he held out his hand to her when she reached the last step.
"You look amazing." He whispered, as if he was out of breath.
Audrey smiled, "Thank you. You're being nice."
He just nodded, and walked into the ball room, the smug smile back on his face.
They didn't dance but once, he was off bragging to his friends about his date. She sat at a table across from Ron, he was sitting there by himself too. She hoped he would notice her, come talk to her, but the whole night passed without him doing so. Audrey collected her dress, got up and began to walk out of the ball room, sitting on the steps just outside. Ron followed her. He sat next to her awkwardly.
"You need something? Oh, lemme guess, I must look as easy as ever in this get up huh?"
Ron frowned, "No. Audrey. You look amazing. Even better than that. I-"
"Please, just go away ok? This night has been shit. I don't feel like arguing at all. and thanks for the compliment." Audrey ruffled her dress and stood up, walking up the steps.
Ron waited a few moments before walking up to find her. He did, she was sitting by the fat lady portrait to the common room. "I'm apologizing Audrey. I've been called pigheaded a lot lately. I guess I am acting like a git," He offered her his hand, "Please. Forgive me?" His mouth slanted into an almost smile.
Audrey took his hand, straightening out her skirts with her free hand.
"We never got to dance, want to go into the common room and dance there?" Audrey said.
"Sure."
Audrey got out her laptop and put on some indie music for them to dance to. Audrey slinked her arms around his neck, Ron nervously placing his hands on her hips. She scooted close to him, swaying with him to the music.
After three dances he twirled her and she land on the couch. He smiled at her, "Does this mean you'll stay for good?"
Audrey furrowed her brow, "I- I will stay for the rest of this year."
Ron sighed, then smiled and shrugged "That's alright then."
Audrey smiled, pulling her dress skirts up so she could get closer to Ron on the couch and kissed his lips gently. Ron smiled and kissed her back.
What a perfect end to a shitty night. she thought.
Christmas passed rather quickly. Audrey found herself buried completely in much needed studying for O.W.L.s. She hadn't even hardly thought about them and for the next two weeks she was going to be up to her eyeballs in exams.
"You know, shit's so much easier in public school. We have two weeks of testing but, its easy and its half days and at the end of the school year. I took my last tests on the last day of school last year."
Exams commenced and were over a lot slower than she'd expected. Everyone was meeting and getting ready for the end of exam celebration when Harry burst through the portrait hole.
"Harry, what the hell-" Audrey couldn't get the rest of her sentence out, Ron grabbed her and pulled her out as quickly as Harry had come in.
"Ron, what the hell is going on?"
"We have to distract Umbridge, Harry's gotta talk to Sirius, through Umbridge's fire."
Audrey just nodded and ran along with Ron. Ron ran to tell Umbridge about Peeves causing trouble in one of the classrooms. Audrey stood guard near by. It was no use though, a Slytherin girl grabbed her, Audrey fought back hard. The girl however stunned Audrey with her wand and dragged her to Umbridge's office. Audrey couldn't hear or see much of what was going on in the office, the only thing she noticed was Hermione's, Harry's and Umbridge's feet walking out of the door. The next thing she knew, Ron's feet were shuffling and the rest of them were free. He picked Audrey up off the ground, stumbling a bit and they were off, rushing out the down and down the stairs in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
Audrey was slow, the last one behind them all running, Luna in front of her and Ron and Ginny in front of them. "Guys what happened?!" Audrey's shouting was breathy.
"Hermione and Harry went into the forest with Umbridge, and knowing Hermione, something has to be up.. She has to have some kind of plan." Ginny replied.
They ran deep into the middle of the forest, thankfully meeting Harry and Hermione. They both looked beat, dirty and bruised, and there was no sign of Umbridge. "Where is she?" Audrey looked around, her neck twinged with pain.
"She was carried off by centaurs." Hermione was short.
"Guys c'mon, how can I get to Sirius!" Harry was obviously in hurry.
Luna pointed out that they could travel via Tresel. Audrey couldn't see them, but she believed they existed. After a long explanation and some freaked out expressions, they were on their way to the ministry of magic building. It was dark, and no one was there, "is it always like this?" Audrey's neck pounded with pain now, but it didn't stop her from looking around, always curious.
"No, it's not. Its so empty in here.." Harry replied.
They continued on, Audrey extremely close to Ron, holding onto his hand so tight, his arm was going numb. He nudged her "Audrey, I can't feel my arm." He smiled faintly. She loosened her grip a little and they continued down a long corridor.
The corridor was completely dark, only lit with a small candles, none of them could see anything. They came to a room, and there Harry found a small sphere, his name written across it. Hermione warned him to not pick it up, but he never listened. There out of no where that familiar voice to Audrey came from the darkness. Luscious Malfoy. He spoke to Harry, trying to lure the sphere out of his hand, he called it a prophecy. They all ran for it, and the death eaters were after them. "What the hell do we do now?!" Audrey was so terrified, she hadn't ever been in this kind of trouble in her life.
"We spilt up, and hide, and try to fight this, I have got to find Sirius." Harry was trying to think of what to do as he spoke.
So they did, Hermione, Luna and Audrey all ran for it in different ways than the rest. The death Eaters soon came through the hall, catching Harry, but he fought and so did Neville. Ron and Ginny were caught and stupefied, Ginny injured badly. Then came Audrey, she escaped, trying to take Hermione with her, but she failed, and Hermione was hit with a spell, she fell to the ground instantly. Audrey crawled out of sight and hid. No one found her for a while. She could hear distant yelling, and incantations hitting the walls. She ran in the direction of the ruckus. The room, that looked like a baseball stadium, but steep, and the "seats" were made of stone. Everyone it seemed was in the room, fighting, a spell flew straight for her head, Audrey ducked and flew across the floor, hitting someone in the shins. Luscious Malfoy grasped her by her hair. When he lifted her completely to her feet, she kicked him hard in his knee, then his groin, he fell, but shouted an incantation. It flew and almost hit her. Harry noticed she was in trouble and shot out a spell at him, that one missed, but it gave Audrey enough time to run, and she did, but she wasn't fast enough -fuck! this is what I get for being a band nerd-. Luscious caught her by the leg, she fell to the ground, smacking her face on the cold stone floor. She was crying now, her face bloody and already bruising.
"You wont escape little girl, you're not so lucky as Potter."
Audrey was dragged by her leg, her hands grasping for anything she could get a hold of. He dragged her to the feet again.
"Look at me! I want to see your face when I rid of you!"
Audrey was terrified, but it didn't stop her from being herself, she spit right in his eye, he dropped her. She fell and crawled, Harry shit another spell that knocked Luscious right onto his back. She half crawled, half ran to the lobby and hid in a corner, holding her knees to her chest so tight she was losing circulation in her arms.
She sat there for a while, in that corner, scared and shaking waiting for someone to come out. Someone did, Dumbledor told her to go back to Hogwarts, leave on the Tresel. He told her that things would be fine and try to go back and get rest at the castle. She left, like he told her, but rather reluctantly.
She paced the whole of the Gryffindor common room. She waited for hours and hours until she got a message from Dumbledor "Everyone and everything is fine, return to your room and rest."
She was still worried about Ron, she had no idea what kind of shape he was in, or anyone else for that matter, she wanted to know how Hermione was, how Ginny's injuries were. She did fall asleep though, he eyes wouldn't stay open. When she woke the next morning, she took no time to shower or dress, she through on her robes and ran to Dumbledor's office. He was just coming out when she arrived and ran right into him. "Sorry, sir. Is Ron-"
"He's fine. He and everyone else are alright."
"What's all this going on for? I do not understand at all. Why me? What's Luscious got against me?"
"Miss Hammond, why don't you come have a seat in my office?"
Audrey followed him to his office and sat like he requested.
"Miss Hammond, you had very important parents to the order. The order of the phoenix that is. It is a secret organization against evil, or Lord Voldimort. You, just like Harry and Neville were children of these members, all valued members indeed."
"So basically, by association, we are on a hit list?" Audrey was still confused.
"No no, well.. In a way, yes. You're looked at as a threat. You especially, and Harry.. Of course, most out of all, he is the biggest threat to them, to Voldimort. Luscious and you're mother were feudal enemies."
"I get it. I'm hated, for no reason, I don not even know my real fucking parents! I'm going to get killed because of something that happened so long ago, before I was even born." Audrey was becoming more and more infuriated.
"Miss Hammond, what has Professor Snape told you about your profanity? Continuing on, yes, this is silly, but, you propose a problem, you're quite a strong witch. This is over for now though, you may go visit everyone, summer's almost here and you needn't worry about any of this any more this term."
That was all he said, Dumbledor sent her on her way.
Downstairs, everyone was gathering for the end of the year celebration. She walked into the great hall to see everyone talking and laughing, and eating. Where was he? -hospital wing!- she thought. Audrey fled to the hospital wing, and there he was, walking out of the wing. She ran to hug him instantly.
"Hey, how are you feeling? Why were you in here?"
"I'm not sure, I know I was hit with a spell and then something like I got caught in a brains memories. I'm ok now."
"I'm glad you're ok."
"What happened to you? You're face is busted." He looked worried.
Audrey looked like Ron had just hit her in her face. "I was knocked down onto concrete... Thanks."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that, You still look great to me, you just.. look like you hurt."
Audrey shook her head, but she did hurt, he whole head ache now that she thought about it.
Ron held her close now, happy to hold her.
"I'm hungry, lets go eat." Ron held her hand and led her to the hall.
"So, over the summer Audrey, where are you going to be?" Hermione chimed in once they were packing in the girls dorms.
Audrey, stopped to think, feeling guilty, "I don't really know actually. I have to go home, will you write?"
"You have to or you want to?"
"I want to-"
"What about Ron?" Ginny rang instantly.
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. All I know is that I have to leave this place and go to civilization, my home." Audrey was so worn from all of the events in the past year.
"You need to go talk to him then." Hermione informed, Ginny agreeing.
Audrey did just that, she went downstairs, finding Ron, Harry and Neville all sitting in the common room, there things already packed. She smiled when he looked to her, the sweetest, prettiest smile she could possibly do. Ron smiled back, naturally.
"Hey, babe..." Audrey said, sitting next to him.
"You alright?"
"Yea, of course. So, the summer- it's coming up like, now." She laughed nervously
"Oh yes, I did mean to ask you about that, are you going home?"
"I have to, Ron. I have to get away.. But, I want to see you, and talk to you, write to me?"
"Of course. I understand that you have to go home. Just please, promise to be mine, and I can send you a howler when you want me to."
"A howler? Isn't that those letters that yell at you?"
Ron shook his head, "Well, I want mum to meet you, Ginny told her about you, and now she's dying to meet you. "
"Arrange something? My parents don't care as long as they know I'm safe... Can we work something out?"
"Of course."
Audrey left to continue packing and didn't see Ron until they loaded the train back home. Ron and Audrey stayed extremely close the whole ride back into the UK. He kissed her neck gently, Audrey nibbling at his ear. It was making people sick. They ended up with a stall of their own. This made her very happy. "Ron, I love you..."
Ron smiled, and kissed her lips, whispering into her mouth "I love you too."
Audrey was able to open up to him, to tell another person she loved them, the way she had with Jade. Ron was smiling endlessly, he hadn't ever been in a relationship, none the less like this. She kissed his lips a couple times, Ron this time making the effort to deepen it. He slid his hand down her side, and into her lap, she spread her legs a little, inviting his hand between her legs. Harry walked in. They both shot up straight, like they always did when they got caught. Harry could tell something was going on. He said nothing of it, but instead he said "We're here. C'mon Ron. By Audrey, I hope to see you next term." Harry smiled and Ron walked away, kissing her lips a few times before he left. Audrey shed a single tear, drying them quickly when Ginny and Hermione came in to say bye. Hermione and Ginny took turns on hugging her, "Have a good summer, we will write as much as we can, and so will you don't forget about your owl, she knows what to do, just tell her who you want to send it to and send her on her way."
Audrey returned home with the most bittersweet feeling she'd ever have. Her decision was had to be made, and in only a few months. Go back to Hogwarts for two more years, or finish her senior year in public high school?
