A New Interest
The arrival of the other two schools to Hogwarts brought much excitement to the school. And with all the French girls walking around in their groups and the young men from a country nobody really cared to acknowledge, roaming the school, there was much giggling and wide eyes from the Hogwarts students. Within the fourth years and up the boys and girls were beginning to notice and pay more attention to one another. But after Harry Potter's name mysteriously flew out of the Goblet of Fire, the attraction the boys and girls were feeling was dulled and continued to be so after the first test of the Triwizard tournament.
After the first test it seemed that everybody's attention was focused on Harry Potter and all people seemed to be talking about was Harry Potter, everybody except for one. This individual would be Carlisle Lockry, a quiet but well-known Ravenclaw in his fourth year of Hogwarts. He liked to spend his time in the library to be by himself and enjoy some books. He'd enjoy reading history the most and occasionally the odd action novel in the fiction section. Lockry had a love for reading about talented witches and wizards and thinking that he could be them one day, fighting corrupted giants and riding hippogriffs into the horizon, to him that was the real magic.
Lockry was well known for his mysterious nature; he wasn't mysterious in a bad way, he was more an intriguing mystery than a strange one. Most girls would whisper to each other if he walked by or giggle if he talked to them at all which are the main reasons he decides to avoid or just ignore most students his age or altogether. It wasn't that Lockry felt more mature than the other students he was just an independent being who preferred to spend time with himself than anybody else.
Lockry walked casually, a book held open in his hands before him as he made his way to the library. He was determined to finish this book by the time he got to the library this afternoon so he decided to finish it on the way as he only had several pages left. This book, which he found in the fictional action section of the library, was a rather exciting one which he found he could hardly put down. Lockry understood that it was rude to read in class, and he'd hate it if he were a professor dealing with a student who preferred to read instead of paying attention. He felt guilty about this but the teacher must have known that Lockry would catch up with the missed work; he always finishes his homework, if not always early.
Carlisle arrived at the library just a few pages from the end of his book. He stopped in the threshold of the entrance to the library where he finished his book and then closed it shut with a satisfied smile upon his face. He exhaled and felt complete for the time being. Lockry strolled up to the library desk and placed the book on top of it. He then walked over to his usual spot at a study table before one of the tall, thin windows overlooking the lake. Carlisle pulled his shoulder bag up beside him and placed it on the table before him. He sat back and watched the glimmer of the sun rays dance upon the water outside. Lockry was beginning to feel restless, bored even without something to do, something to occupy his hands. He looked around at surrounding students. A group of girls sat on the other side of the group of study tables; they were studying together from what he could tell. He was happy to find them not watching him and whispering to each other with utter conspicuousness. Lockry was rather enjoying taking in his surroundings, he never noticed the large amount of cobwebs on the ceilings or even how high the book cases climbed. Lockry decided to take a walk around this playground he liked to dream his own. He stood from his seat and began to roam the aisles, walking at a relaxed pace, looking up at the ceiling and the high, disorderly looking collection of books in the great shelves. Lockry felt as if he were somewhere new, he grew curious of what fascinating books slumbered in the higher shelves of the library. He placed his hands in his pockets and gaped up at the roof where there seemed to be decorations in paint, hidden by cobwebs and decades of dust. Wow, Lockry thought and then collided with a figure before him; books scattered on the floor.
"Could you watch where you're going?" A girl said before him, he looked at her, shocked by the sudden awakening from his indulgence in his surroundings. Lockry looked at the girl before him, she seemed familiar to him, but he didn't think he knew her too well. She had light brown hair which sat fiercely on her shoulders in a large mat of messy curls. Her eyes were hazel; hazel eyes, Lockry thought to himself and smiled. His thoughts seemed to have been stolen from him, his heart pounded heavily in his chest. Say something! His brain screamed.
"Oh, sorry, I'm so sorry, let me..." Lockry bent down with the girl immediately and gathered her books together. He glimpsed the titles of her folders and scrolls of parchment as he collected them together with the girl, knelt before him. Transfiguration, Relics and Ancient Runes, Advanced Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, the young woman collected the rest together quicker than he could read but he found that he was doing ht same subjects as she.
"Let me carry some of those for you, you have quite a lot." Lockry smiled as he stood with half her pile of books in his arms. He looked down at the books and read a label of one of them, "Hermione Granger", one read. Hermione Granger, Lockry thought and then it clicked: this girl seemed familiar because she is in his year, in these classes with him. She's one of Harry Potter's friends, along with Ron Weasley; the three of them were inseparable.
"I can take those," Hermione said firmly and took the books from Lockry's chest. She then turned and walked to a table to put her belongings down. He was stunned to not have her melt at the sight of him, had she not heard of him before? It wasn't that Lockry wanted her to act like every other girl in the Fifth year group but it did seem unfair to him that she made him feel that fluttery, melting feeling but she felt nothing. Lockry followed her to her table and sat in the seat across from her.
"My name's Lockry," he said softly, and smiled at Hermione from across the table. Lockry? First name you idiot, Carlisle scolded himself again. "Uh, Carlisle, Carlisle Lockry," He chuckled softly and rubbed his fore head with his fingers. Lockry looked up again to see Hermione staring at him as if he had offended her in some way. Carlisle started feeling unwelcome, incredibly unwanted and as if he were intruding.
"What do you want?" She asked gently in her cute, English accent. Sure, every girl in the school spoke in some kind of foreign accent to Lockry's reformed Australian accent but Hermione made it sound like a song. "Hello?" Hermione asked again, seeming a little more confused than irritated now.
"Oh, sorry... what?" Lockry shook his head a bit and tried focusing more as she spoke again.
"Can I help you with something or...?" Hermione spoke again and waited for his reply. Carlisle was a little taken aback. She sure was rude for someone so pretty, maybe it was just a front.
"You can help me with your name," Carlisle smiled slightly and waited her reaction. Hermione stared at him a moment with a straight, stern face but as Carlisle stubbornly held her gaze, lifting his hand to his cheek and resting his elbow on the table, Hermione could no longer stifle her smile. Carlisle watched a smile crack Hermione's stale expression and as she looked away from him, he shifted his position and leaned forward on the table toward her.
"What's your name miss Gryiffindor?" Carlisle murmured as alluring as he could. Hermione looked to him with her hazel eyes and lifted a book in front of her to hide her mouth as she spoke softly:
"Hermione Granger," Carlisle nodded and stood up from the table slowly, pushed his chair back under the table and gave Hermione a slighted bow before walking back to his own table. Hermione watches Lockry from behind her book with curious eyes, then brushes off her interest in the boy to continue her potions study. Carlisle watches Hermione most of the way to his table where he sits and opens up his own book to write down some things in his journal.
Lockry sat at his table, writing away and occasionally looking up at Hermione as she read and scribbled down notes. He found her enchanting, and found himself intrigued by her attitude towards him. Lockry wanted Hermione Granger for him to hold and please and kiss. He didn't know what this attraction was about but it was mad and it had taken over him. For a while Lockry sat with his hand rested under his chin as he watched Hermione study intently and then what seemed all too soon, pack up her things and walk past him. Carlisle looked outside one of the large windows and saw that the sun had hidden itself past the mountains at the horizon. He collected his things quickly into his shoulder bag and swung it round his right shoulder. He turned around and saw the back of Hermione disappear out the entrance to the library. Lockry rushed to the threshold and looked round the hall to find the direction Hermione was travelling in but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Damn," he grumbled and tilted his head back. Lockry walked straight to the Ravenclaw dormitory to have a restless sleep filled with the image of Hermione's perfect smile.
