Author: Cait Sith. Permission for translation was granted.
Beta: Many thanks to my superb beta, PensievePrince. I wouldn't be able to do it without you.
About story: This story is a complete one, consists of 14 chapters and is one of my favourite HG/SS fanfics. Translation is still in progress, though I promise to finish it.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR and I make no money from this fanfic.
My Universities
Chapter 1
"The worst way to miss someone is to have them sitting right next to you and know you can never have them."
Gabriel García Márquez
1st of September, Monday:
September that year turned out to be chilly. The very first day started with a nasty drizzle and I, while hurrying to the station, was forced to use an umbrella: there were Muggles around, and I could not resort to magic.
It had been a long time since I'd been as happy as I was to arrive at Platform 9 ¾ - there were no signs of rain here. The parents who had been seeing their children off to Hogwarts had already left, but there were still just as many wizards and witches as when I had been leaving for school from here myself. Only now these were students of one of the five currently existing magical universities – Stonehenge University of Magic Sciences – as well as their nearest and dearest.
I was alone: my friends, Harry, Ron, and Ginny, couldn't come to the station because they were resuming their Auror Training. Despite that, I was still trying to spot someone among dozens of faces, making my way through the crowd; constantly apologizing and getting apologies in return. And then finally, my face lit up with a gleeful smile. I waved my hand to attract her attention, as I was still too far away to call out to her. Thankfully, an elderly gentleman blocking the path between us stepped aside, and I was blessed with a fierce hug from my university friend Claudia Marinescu.
"How was your summer, 'Mione? Did you enjoy yourself? Why didn't you write more often? So much has happened, you wouldn't believe it! Did you see any of our folks?"
I was slightly taken aback by such hail of questions, so managed to reply only with:
"I did ask you not to call me "'Mione", didn't I?"
"Oh, still a nagger! And I was afraid that you would change over the summer and I wouldn't recognize you! Wait, your hair seems different… You cut it!"
"A little," I answered with a smile.
"It suits you! And I've already seen Dick – he's with Jason on the train. I was waiting for you here. Come on!"
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the person I was dreaming about all summer. Richard Montague, or Dick, as his friends called him, was a good friend of mine. We met about a year ago, when Claudia started seeing Jason, the Quidditch team captain, and was simply obliged to come to all team matches. I often tagged along and, eventually, became acquainted with everyone on the team. Including Dick. A pure-blood wizard, he had the most sophisticated manners, subtle sense of humour, pleasant appearance and the most enchanting smile. I couldn't resist his charm, but it was not really my nature to flirt with guys – I wanted to be liked for who I was, without false pretence and coquetry. Besides, I was never good at it. As a result, my relationship with Dick had never progressed further than being friends, which greatly upset me.
On the train all the way to the university, we talked about the past summer. Claudia and Jason spent it together in Brazil, while Dick had travelled with his father to Romania on a scientific expedition.
"Father has been stressing out a lot because of his age, so I found it necessary to introduce him to vampires. When it turned out that the youngest one was one hundred and thirteen, he perked up noticeably," Dick said, smiling mockingly.
"Let's hope your father would never dream of trying their way to retain his youthfulness," I joked.
"No-no, he is on a carbohydrate diet, protein is off-limits," Dick answered and I couldn't help a smile.
While the train took us west across Britain, I was thinking about my life. I liked the university. I was very fond of the many witches and wizards who studied and taught there: most of them were accomplished, intelligent, well-educated people. From time to time it felt like I had somehow been transported into the nineteenth century. Considering the old-fashioned style of wizarding attire as well, it was easy to imagine how one might get that impression. Of course, there were exceptions. Take Claudia for example. No matter how well we got along, it was impossible not to admit that she was noisy, talkative, flirtatious and somewhat spoiled. But at the same time, she easily won people over and was well-disposed towards everyone. I rarely heard my friend speak ill of anyone, at least not intentionally or other than in jest.
Also, I was captivated by the atmosphere of student life. I enjoyed this rush; this freedom; the desire to discover yourself, and to gain what I have always considered one of the greatest treasures in the world – knowledge.
"Oh, you still don't know!" Claudia suddenly exclaimed, tearing me away from my thoughts.
"It's theoretically possible, but since I try to avoid such situations, I'm all ears," I replied teasingly.
"Do you remember Professor Torrent?"
"It's hard to forget the man who drove us mad with his tediousness and obstinacy for a whole year."
"He resigned and now, instead of him, we will have a new lecturer on Poisons and Antidotes: Professor Veans," Claudia, delighted, squeezed my hands in hers. "I think it's brilliant news."
"Yes, that's great," I admitted, smiling. "But let's wait before we celebrate – we don't know yet what sort of man the new professor will turn out to be."
"Oooh, my dad met him. He said that he was "a pleasant young man, composed and sensible". Do you get it? Young man! Chances are, he could be cute."
"I have no idea why you care?" I replied, glancing at Jason, who was telling Dick something animatedly.
"What do you mean, "No idea"?!" Claudia's eyes burned in anticipation.
"If we take into account the fact that your boyfriend is sitting opposite me, my confusion is understandable."
"Oh, you're so uptight, where do you get it from?"
I sighed. How was I to know?
"Well, think about doing exams, for example," Claudia condescended to explain. "If he's young, you can smile flirtatiously at him a couple of times, – and a good mark is in your pocket."
"But it's not the marks, it's the knowledge that matters…"
"Jason, have you already chosen the new Keeper?" Claudia interrupted me pointedly.
She always did that if she thought I was nerding out too much. I'd even stopped taking offense at it.
"Yeah. Kenneth did such a great job last year so we'll take him to the university team."
"He's as dumb as a tree!" Claudia cried out.
"The Quidditch team is not selected according to intellectual ability," Dick noted.
"Then it's not surprising that the two of you got there," my friend mocked, and I exclaimed indignantly:
"Claudia!"
But Jason and Dick just smiled indulgently. It was impossible to get angry with her, even if she was completely obnoxious. I shook my head in disapproval and stared out of the window.
──────── • ✤ • ────────
We arrived at Stonehenge, the magical university campus, shortly before lunch, and accompanied by hundreds of students, immediately headed towards Merlin's Campus, the main site of the university.
I was very tense because there was an incredibly important ceremony awaiting me – this year I was appointed as the Lead.
When we, surrounded by a crowd of students, finally found ourselves in the inner courtyard of Merlin's Campus – a large building in the traditional English style which resembled a mighty rich lord's mansion – I walked up to the massive door and stopped in front of it. Soft music began to play.
Being the Lead was a great honour and my emotions started to overwhelm me; I was all worked up. Finally, two first-year girls brought me a velvet cushion, on which laid a carved wooden hammer. I carefully picked it up and knocked on the door three times. The noise resounded across the whole lawn – the hammer was enchanted.
"Who knocks on the doors of science?" a male voice rang out suddenly.
"I – a Wizard," I replied, and my voice was heard far around.
"What are you looking for?"
"Spiritual awakening through diligent work and hard labour, as I devote my life to Knowledge."
"Then welcome. And may everyone who pursues the same goals enter here also."
Huge doors flung open, and the professors, led by Rector Newman, appeared before the crowd of students.
"I hereby declare, the academic year has begun!" the rector said solemnly, and I took a deep breath and entered the castle.
The other students all followed after me.
The professors stood along the walls of the corridor down which we walked, greeting their students with smiles. Then my gaze met with the surprised look of unfamiliar green eyes, and for some reason I immediately understood – this is this new professor Veans. And he really was quite attractive.
──────── • ✤ • ────────
Once in the Uroborus Hall – a spacious room that served to hold various events, conferences, and receptions for important guests – the students sat down on wooden benches and stared at the small podium where Rector Newman stood now. As was tradition, he gave the opening speech, explained the rules to the freshmen, and wished graduates good luck with writing their diplomas. While I was intently pretending that I was listening, Claudia was trying to obtain the timetable from the head boy of our class, Julius Glauber, which she succeeded in right at the end of rector's speech.
Claudia and I bid farewell to Jason and Dick, who went off to the building for their college, and hurried to the Dining Hall, which was located directly opposite Merlin's Campus, just across a rather large lawn.
While I was choosing a side dish, Claudia was sharing the information she'd procured:
"Here's the schedule for today. Bibliography after lunch, and then Poisons," she made a vague sound, obviously expressing joy, and continued her report. "And here is the general schedule. Hurray, no classes on Saturday!"
"Great!" I agreed. "I can go home every Sunday and spend Saturday in the library."
Claudia folded her arms.
"No, Hermione, you can spend all Saturday morning in the library, 'cause we'll go to Quidditch at noon."
"Hmm… But when… I don't know…"
"Don't you want to go to the matches? You enjoyed it last year!"
"I'll think about it," I said uncertainly. "Now let's hurry, we don't have much time."
──────── • ✤ • ────────
After Bibliography, which Claudia dubbed as "the most perverted way to kill time", we headed to the small auditorium in the laboratory wing where lectures on Poisons were conducted.
"Merlin, I'm so on edge!" Claudia said, while we were walking along a lengthy half-empty corridor, where my friend's voice echoed unpleasantly. "I'm so eager to see him as soon as possible. Awww."
"Claudia, I beg you, please stop making these terrible noises."
"But don't you wonder what this Veans looks like?" Claudia demanded, grabbing my hand. "Doesn't your heart tremble with anticipation?" with these words, she pressed my hand to her chest. "Doesn't it sweetly falter at the thought that our new professor is a handsome young man?"
I winced at Claudia's familiarity which I never was comfortable with. To be frank, I didn't like to be touched. I didn't know how to explain it, but any contact that was not initiated by me gave me a sense of discomfort.
"Let's start with the fact that he is our teacher, and that rules out any possible thoughts of a relationship, other than a professional one," I said, releasing my hand from her grasp. "Therefore, it's probably preferable that our lecturers are either elderly, or women."
"Or ugly," Claudia concluded, "like Torrent."
"Or ugly," I agreed.
"But you're wrong," Claudia stopped at the window and turned me to face her. "Far too many professors found their other halves here at the university. Do you know how often teachers fell in love with their female students or assistants and started a relationship that on numerous occasions ended in marriage?"
"No idea."
"A hundred times! For example, my dad also met mum here. Truth be told, she wasn't a student, but a sister of one of the students, Aunt Rose, and was visiting here when Aunt Rose became seriously ill."
"This is a completely different case… and, moreover, I have already seen Professor Veans."
Claudia's eyes widened.
"No way! When did you manage that?"
"At the opening ceremony," I turned and walked down the corridor, expecting Claudia to follow me.
I was not disappointed.
"Really? But how did you know that it was him? And what does he look like?"
"I don't know for sure, maybe I was mistaken. It's just intuition. As for his looks, you'll see for yourself in a couple of minutes."
Claudia sighed as she entered the lecture hall and went up the stairs to the rearmost desks.
"Hermione Granger trusts her own intuition – yeah, and pigs might fly!"
"We're at the University of Magic – anything is possible here."
──────── • ✤ • ────────
Professor Veans entered the auditorium as the Old Tower's clock chimed – he was not even a second late.
Claudia sighed raptly along with a good number of female students. I just nodded in satisfaction — I was right. In front of me stood the very same blond green-eyed man I saw in Merlin's Campus. His watchful stare quickly passed over the students' faces, as if appraising us. Claudia, obviously wanting to somehow express her delight with the teacher's appearance, painfully nudged me with her elbow.
"Are you nuts?" I hissed.
"Sorry, I…"
"Is something wrong, Miss…?" Professor Veans suddenly turned to me, and I was surprised to have managed not to blush to the roots of my hair.
"Granger. Miss Granger," I replied firmly. "It's alright, sir, I'm sorry."
"Well, Miss Granger," Professor Veans drawled in a honeyed voice. "I hope it will remain that way."
I bashfully lowered my eyes – the teacher's gaze was too piercing for me to keep looking at him.
The next instant, the lecture hall door opened, and three students froze at the entrance.
"You wanted something, gentlemen?" Professor Veans inquired in a tone that might have been commenting on 'what wonderful weather we're having lately'.
"Uhh… we…" one of them hesitated, "we're here for the lecture, actually."
"Lecture began two minutes ago. If during the four years of study you haven't learned how to arrive for class on time, I have serious misgivings about whether it would be safe to allow you to work with poisons."
"Sorry, sir, it won't happen again," said one of the intruders.
"I have no doubt about that. As for now, you are dismissed."
"But…"
"You're disturbing your colleagues and me. Goodbye."
The trio shrugged and left the room, muttering something angrily.
"So, Poisons and Antidotes," the professor said, folding his arms and looking somewhere over our heads. "You have been studying them for a year, and you are probably sure that you know and can do a lot. But I promise that you do not possess even half the knowledge that a future healer or potion master should. The science of poisons does not allow inaccuracies, as it stands on the border between life and death. Therefore, I demand perfect discipline and diligence from you. I also demand a perfect knowledge of the material being taught, as there will be not only theoretical lessons but also practical ones. And I wouldn't want all of you to die from toxic fumes while working in the laboratory as a result of one of your colleagues' failures. The classification of poisons should be committed to your memory as firmly as your own name. Poisons Theory should be your bed-side book…"
"Merlin, he's gorgeous," Claudia whispered, looking at Professor Veans dreamily. "He just radiates strength!"
"Hush," I hissed to my friend, fascinated by the teacher's speech. "You're distracting me."
"Miss Granger, perhaps you are in need of help after all?" Professor Veans immediately approached me, as if he was waiting for me to make my presence felt again. "You seem somewhat… agitated."
"I… no, I'm really fine, sir. Sorry again."
Veans got back to reading the lecture, and I, giving Claudia my most reproachful look, began to write down his every word.
──────── • ✤ • ────────
After lectures we, like most of our class, went to the Chocolate Frog, a café located in the courtyard of our college, right next to the dormitories. There began a heated discussion of the past holidays, the new timetable, diplomas' theses and, of course, Professor Veans.
"Damn, why the hell did he kick us out of the class? We were two minutes late. Is it a university or a school?" one of the latecomers bristled. "Git!"
"I dare say, Terry, it seems that a bit of discipline won't hurt you," I said.
"Of course you would think that!" Terry answered, and everyone chuckled.
"No, you really are wrong about him, Terry, you know," Claudia supported me, and then added coquettishly. "He doesn't look like a git at all..."
"Sorry, I didn't have time to examine his face in those ten seconds that I was in the lecture hall," Terry replied angrily.
"Well, I did," Gina, his girlfriend, giggled and dreamily rolled her eyes.
"He seems to be a true professional," I declared authoritatively, not wanting to listen to conversations about our teacher's appearance. "I'd like to write the graduation work under his guidance. I just need to discuss this with Dean Pitch."
"A tiny obstacle on the way to our new sex symbol," Julius, the head boy of the class, sneered.
"I'm sure she won't insist that I keep writing under her…" I replied uncertainly.
"Nah, of course. She'll simply start methodically tormenting you because she perceives any transition from her to another professor as a betrayal and personal insult."
I gave Julius a dreary look.
"But I don't want to write about Potions Theory anymore. I want to try myself in something new."
"Tell it to Pitch."
They all nod in agreement.
"Come on, she has no right to interfere with your choice of topic," Claudia said, "so, switching to a more interesting subject, tell me: did you notice how hot Veans' bu…?"
"Claudia!"
"So you did!"
──────── • ✤ • ────────
2nd of September, Tuesday:
The first meeting of the Student Council, the body of student self-administration, was always held on the second day of classes and, as a rule, the Freshers' Day was to be the main topic of discussion. As custom has it, the post of Head for the Organization of Events was taken up by fifth-year students, and this year that post was entrusted to me.
Dick also attended the session as a representative of the Quidditch university team, so straight after the meeting, we went for a short walk together.
"I have no idea what theme to choose for a party. Looks like everything has already been used before," I complained while we were crossing the Professors' garden.
"I don't know if there has been anything like it already, but what about a theme of 'Antiquity'?" Dick suggested.
I looked at the young man in surprise.
"Great idea! Why didn't I come up with it myself? I don't think there's been anything like that before, at least over the last decade or so. You are just a genius!"
"I won't deny the obvious," Dick replied mockingly.
I smiled and once again thought how wonderful he was. We talked over possible costumes and music, as well as the design of the hall, and I didn't even notice how quickly the hour passed.
Suddenly Dick glanced at the clock on the Old Tower, which was visible from almost anywhere on the campus.
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I have Quidditch training in ten minutes. I'm already late!" with these words, he ran in the direction of the Quidditch pitch, yelling as he disappeared, "See you!"
I watched his tall slim figure moving away from me, and the more blurred his silhouette got, the more wistful I became.
"Yeah, bye," I replied quietly in the end.
I felt so good with him, and so bad without him.
──────── • ✤ • ────────
6th of September, Saturday:
On Saturday, I got up unusually early, but I felt full of energy. The Quidditch match lay ahead, and I couldn't think about anything but that and the following meeting with Dick. Claudia, of course, was still asleep – she loved to lie in until noon whenever such an opportunity arose – and I was able to enjoy bathing without being accompanied with her constant whining. Lying in the bath, I read a book and listened to classical music, which put me in a good mood and complete harmony with myself. After drying my hair and putting on a black robe that barely differed from the student uniform, I went to breakfast in the Dining Hall. There were very few students and only one teacher. The majority of the students were still in bed; only those who had classes on this Saturday morning came for breakfast. And professors often preferred to have breakfast in a café next to the staff quarters.
For the umpteenth time, I regretted that students from only four colleges ate at the Dining Hall, and Triffany College, where Dick and Jason studied, wasn't among them. Triffany, like as the other four colleges, had its own Dining Hall, located not in a separate building, as ours was, but right next to the dormitories.
But I cheered up in a moment, remembering that I would see Dick soon. I wanted so much for time to go faster so that it would already be gone lunchtime, and Claudia and I would be on our way to the Quidditch pitch. And then we, after the match, together with the team from Triffany College, would go to the Bludger café next to the field and hang out there until the evening. My heart swooned at the mere thought of the upcoming meeting. Different images flashed through my head; I imagined where everybody would sit in the café, and if I would be lucky enough to end up with Dick next to me. I wouldn't try to get near him intentionally, because then he might guess my feelings for him and our friendship would come to an end. No, he only liked me as a friend, and he had to think that the feeling was mutual. I bit my lip, feeling melancholy seize my heart again, and tried to cheer myself up with the thought that I would still see him, and that we would still hang out together. And he treated me well, yes, very well. He had said time and again that he considered me the smartest witch in the world, and that I am just lucky that I am also a pretty one.
Sometimes I just wanted to bang my head on the nearest available hard surface, so many different thoughts and feelings did I have all at once. I looked completely calm, but inside me there was a bubbling volcano of roiling emotions present at all times, erupting more often than Kīlauea, and it drove me crazy.
After breakfast, I went to the university library situated on Merlin's Campus. I needed to prepare a report on the History of Potions, but a few of the required books were not in the college library. I stayed on Merlin's Campus until lunchtime, almost managing to take my mind off Dick, but as soon as I heard the clock chime on the Old Tower, announcing the beginning of lunch, I didn't even finish writing my sentence and rushed headlong out of the library. After meeting Claudia in the Dining Hall, I quickly bolted down my food, and we went to the dormitory for a change of clothes and to fetch some money.
"Hermione," Claudia said sternly, looking me up and down, "you're not going to go in that?"
I rolled my eyes. Every Saturday last year had begun with that phrase. It seemed nothing had changed.
"Claudia, I beg you, don't start," I prayed.
But my plea was in vain. Claudia gave me a long lecture about the fact that if I finally want to get a boyfriend, I needed to at least diversify my wardrobe and that I wore a uniform five days a week, so I needed to let my hair down a bit on weekends.
"Claudia, I like everything simple and austere. Not everyone is comfortable in a cloak that would give a peacock butterfly a run for its money, and a massive cable chain with an anchor hanging round your neck!"
"Put on a light beige one," Claudia concluded, ignoring my words and slipping on a bright blue robe that complimented the colour of her eyes.
I obeyed with a sigh. All in all, if I wanted Dick to fancy me even a little bit, I really should try to look more attractive. When I was ready to go, Claudia examined me from all sides and arrived at her verdict:
"You're such a cutey, why are you so afraid to show it?"
I shrugged.
"If you always looked like that, you would have a queue of suitors lined up."
"Mhm."
"It's so simple: put on something that isn't black, do your hair and apply eyeliner. And then you'd have not a super-intelligent nerd, but a pretty charming girl."
"Let's go already," I asked, feeling uneasy with the amount of compliments and even more numerous insults that Claudia tried to make me happy with.
The stands on the Quidditch pitch were only half-full, as it always was during matches between colleges. It was quite another matter at the inter-university cup: then, extra seats had to be installed. We walked to the Flamel's College's stands and, to our surprise, we saw Professor Veans near our favourite spot. Looking at each other somewhat puzzled, Claudia and I went to the free seats. I found myself next to the professor, and Claudia sat on my left.
The match had already begun, but nobody had scored yet. However, we were not very interested in the gameplay. It was much more entertaining to discuss the players instead.
"Aww, Jason looks so fantabulous on a broomstick!" Claudia said admiringly. "If it was up to me, he'd never get off it."
"It appears to me that the two of you think alike on that subject."
"And Dick isn't bad either," she pointed, "Mm?"
I shrugged. I didn't like the fact that Professor Veans sat right next to me and heard our chat, so I decided to be laconic.
"I heard the two of you went for a walk together the other day – is that true?" Claudia was not letting up, obviously determined to gossip.
I nodded reluctantly.
"Well? And?"
"And nothing. We just took a walk after the Student Council's meeting," I replied without emotion, although my tone betrayed some irritation.
"And how's it going between you… nothing happened?" my friend asked and looked at me meaningfully.
"No, Claudia," I replied, no longer trying to hide the discontent. "We're friends, as you know. What can possibly happen?"
"But you like him?"
"Does it really matter?"
I didn't want to talk about it, absolutely didn't. I was dismayed by the thought that someone would know about my feelings and that they were unrequited. But Claudia would not be Claudia if she had surrendered halfway.
"Just say it, do you like him or not?"
"What's the difference?" I inquired again. "The point is that he doesn't like me."
"How do you know?"
"You don't have to be the great Cassandra to get it."
"If he doesn't show you his feelings, it doesn't mean that they don't exist. He's just shy."
Hope crept into my heart for a brief moment but I immediately strangled it and answered Claudia more harshly than I would like.
"Don't look for something that isn't there."
Claudia was silent for the time being.
"Still, do you like him or not?" she asked after a while.
I sighed in exasperation.
"I thought that we were over this topic," I said through clenched teeth.
Claudia turned towards me and smiled. Patting my shoulder, she said:
"How can you keep everything to yourself, 'Mione? I would explode if I hid everything from everyone like that."
"You'd hardly dream of making us that happy," I replied grumpily. "And I did ask you not to call me by pet-names."
"Nagger," Claudia echoed, still smiling, and turned her attention to the field again.
For some time I also tried to follow the game, but I got bored soon and took out a shrunken tome from my pocket, which I immediately Engorged and began to read.
"Miss Granger," Professor Veans addressed me, and I slowly raised my head to look at the teacher in surprise, "do you seriously believe the Quidditch pitch to be the most convenient place to read?"
His lips were shut tightly, but his green eyes gleamed with laughter. I smiled against my will.
"I suppose reading is the most fascinating possible pastime on the Quidditch field," I responded.
"You think that it is anywhere and at any time," Claudia joined in the conversation.
Professor Veans chuckled, watching us closely.
"What are you reading this time?" my friend asked – not without sarcasm.
I picked up the book that was resting on my knees and showed her the cover so that Veans could see it too, if he was also interested in the answer to the question.
"Whaaaat?" Claudia drawled, wriggling to read the title. "Pre-waffle-what?"
"Pre-Raphaelites. It's a book on art," I explained.
Claudia raised her eyebrows in surprise. Looking at the pages, she exclaimed:
"It's full of pictures!"
"Amazing observation," I commented. "But, believe me, that's not its only virtue."
"How beautiful! Just awesome! Such a pity that they don't move."
With a sigh, I turned my gaze to the field. But soon Claudia started to shake me by the sleeve of my cloak.
"Look, look! This is amazing. She looks just like you!"
I peeked at the illustration. It was a picture of Lady Godiva by John Collier.
"It's hard to say. She's depicted in profile so she could look like anyone really."
Claudia shook her head vigorously.
"It's not just her face, but her character as well."
I looked at the reproduction again.
"What can you tell about her character from that? She's just sitting on a horse?"
"Merlin, you know so much, but you understand absolutely nothing!" my friend exclaimed. "Do you know the legend about this lady?"
I nodded.
"Only a truly stubborn and selfless woman would ride around the city naked to force her husband to cut taxes. And this is exactly what you could pull off protesting against injustice and in defence of the downtrodden. In addition, she's smart and cunning, since she had the sense to ask all the residents to close their shutters and not look out onto the street. But in this picture, it shows that, although she resorted to such a move, her determination is driven by despair, and she is not in fact a loose woman at all, but very modest and shy. It's all about you! Besides, you were in Gryffindor at Hogwarts, and there are golden lions on that red rag on the horse."
"Horse blanket. This "red rag" is called a horse blanket. And golden lions on a scarlet background are just a royal symbol, or a sign that one belongs to a noble family."
"Oh, I don't care what they symbolize. It's just all you, that's all. Oh, the match is over!"
Claudia slammed the book shut and handed it to me. I shrunk it, hid it in my pocket, and together we went to the locker room's exit to wait for the boys.
Finally, they flocked out onto the street, and in a tight-knit group we all went to the Bludger. Dick merely exchanged a greeting with me, and then all the way to the café he talked to the Seeker, Carl Gruber, so I silently paced beside Claudia.
The Bludger was a fairly large café, or rather a bar; all its walls were covered with posters of various Quidditch teams, decorated with various Quidditch symbols, and in the centre of the room stood a large glass cube in which about a hundred snitches flew. Trays with orders or empty dishes were constantly moving around the pub, soft upbeat music was playing, and it was crowded at all times. I had never happened to be in the Bludger when it was empty; rowdy groups were always chilling out here, and now I was part of one such noisy gathering myself.
We sat down at a large, round wooden table; the boys ordered Elf-ale, and Claudia and I, as the only girls, the usual cider with spices, for some reason called the Witch's Caprice here. I diligently pretended that I did not care that there were three people between me and Dick. Moreover, I mentally reprimanded myself for taking notice of it at all.
The whole evening Dick discussed the last match with the Seeker of their team, Gruber: who made what mistakes, what could have been done better at one moment or another, what changes occurred in the opposing team. I pretended to be absorbed in conversation with Claudia and Jason, deliberately trilled with laughter and was all charm and sunshine. But only twice did Dick address me personally with some funny comments about my story, and only once did I find a reason to comment on his remark. I was completely disappointed by this, and to make it worse, there had been Kenneth, who had tried to hit on me. He was now in the University team and considered it his duty to attend all matches, although he had only come to watch the game today and not play, as he was not from Triffany College, but Merlin's. His flirting was unobtrusive and rather inept, but it didn't take much to piss off an already-annoyed Hermione Granger. Finally, I got tired of sitting with these rowdy lads, pretending to enjoy their company. I got up, said that I needed to finish something for class, apologized and left.
Of course, everybody tried to persuade me to stay, out of sheer politeness, but actually, they didn't care. Well, maybe Kenneth would be glad if I stayed. The rest of the guys barely set eyes on me, Claudia finally could fully fixate on Jason, and Dick hardly even noticed that I had left the Bludger.
I wandered along the path, pitying myself and feeling completely neglected. I had a lump in my throat, and I tried not to cry in the street, in front of students and teachers passing by. I didn't remember how I reached the stone wall connecting the building of our college, where the classes were held, with the Chocolate Frog; how I muttered the password; how I entered the inner courtyard and found the right door. How climbed to the second floor; how I entered my room, and fell on the bed. But for almost half an hour I laid there, crying bitterly into the pillow, feeling sorry, constantly feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in my own loneliness.
However, the tears dried up, mostly due to the thought that Claudia would return soon and would certainly begin questioning me about why I was crying. Having washed and dressed in a cosy black robe, I sat down at the desk by the window and got down to writing a speech for a report on the History of Potions. Soon I regained a presence of mind and by the time my friend returned I was calm and composed.
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7th of September, Sunday:
The next day I went to "the city", as part of Stonehenge was called, where shops, restaurants, a theatre, a museum, a hotel, a hospital, a Floo Hall, and several apartment houses were located. I aimed for the Floo Hall, from where I could travel to Harry's house at 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were already waiting for me there. At dinner, prepared by Ginny, we told each other how the first school week had gone, shared news and gossip, and just enjoyed each other's company.
I told them about the upcoming party and my difficulties with the choice of the theme.
"It could be done in the spirit of great wizards," Ginny suggested. "Well, Merlin, Morgana… They had very beautiful outfits."
I considered this idea. Actually, I liked it. Moreover, I liked it more than the idea of an Ancient Classical-themed party, but… I had already told Dick that I was fond of his suggestion, that I would choose it and that he was a genius.
"Thanks, Ginny, the idea is great. But I think I'll settle on the theme of Ancient Greece after all. Maybe next time we'll do something à la Merlin, but for now…"
The redhead nodded and turned to suggest which costume I could make for myself, but I was thinking about something else – when did I become a weak-willed creature that depended entirely on the opinions and thoughts of Richard Montague, also known as Dick?