A/N: Yes, don't worry. The sixth chapter of "Be Careful What You Wish For" Should be up soon. I'm just getting a little bit of writer's block. Anyway, this is the first chapter of Song of the Phoenix. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Harry Potter, for the last time! Why do you keep asking?
;) Back to the story... Hope you like it!
Creatively yours,
~*JacobBlackLuva*~
Ch.1: Memories
All stories have a beginning.
Well, mine does too. A strange one, no doubt. But when you're a student at Hogwarts, it's hard to avoid strangeness.
It all started on our trip to Hogsmeade in Seventh year. The owl store had a poster on the shop window saying they were selling Phoenixes that week. I had made up my mind.
I wanted a Phoenix.
So here we were, sitting in the Head's Common room (I had been elected Head Girl, and non other than the Ferret Malfoy was the Head Boy), admiring my new purchase, a scarlet and gold female Phoenix I had named Cinder.
"It's beautiful." Sighed Ginny for the twentieth time. I smiled and stroked its beak. It looked at me with clever eyes, almost as if it knew something that I did not.
"Make it sing." Asked Ginny suddenly. I wasn't so sure about doing this. I'd heard that when a Phoenix sang, it gives insight to the owner's soul.
"Oh, please?" Begged Ginny. I struggled with the decision for a moment. Then, deciding it was just a myth, I stroked Cinder's beak once more, whispering for her to sing.
Cinder opened her mouth and an unearthly, haunting, yet beautiful song rang out. The sound tore at my heart, causing several different emotions to arise: love, hate, fear, anger, joy, pleasure. Those and many more took me off guard, causing me to stumble back a little.
The Phoenix started to sing again, on a higher note, and this time my head was filled with memories that were clear in the Phoenixes song. Darkened corridors, the brush of lips against lips, fear of being discovered, a hate turned to love. All these flashed through my head and then a sudden memory flashed before my eyes. I winced.
Flashback:
"Look at him blubber, have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!" What a complete idiot-brained cockroach! My hands trembled with rage as I stormed down the steps to the Hogwarts grounds.
"Don't you darecall Hagrid pathetic, you foul- you evil-" I was so enraged that I couldn't finish my sentence. The nerve of him! My hand flashed from my side and slapped him across the face smartly. His icy blue eyes sparkled with shock, his eyes going wide. But as soon as the expression had come, it was gone, replaced instead with a scowl of annoyance.
"Come on, Hermione. He's not worth it." Harry spoke to my left. I turned away from the Slytherin, my face warm and my stomach doing somersaults.
What was wrong with me?
As Cinder stopped singing, Ginny's eyes grew wide.
"Hermione, what-?" But Cinder started singing again, creating an even more unearthly, chilling, haunting song than before.
Flashback:
I descended the steps to the Entrance Hall, smiling nervously. As I strode into the room I felt two pairs of eyes on me. One, of course, was Viktor Krum, my Yule Ball date, who was staring at me with his mouth agape. I looked around and another shocker met my eyes: Draco Malfoy, the Ferret Prince himself, was staring at me with unconcealed awe. I blinked and I felt my face grow warm and butterflies in my stomach.
I was blushing. That had to be the fact that everyone was staring at me. I refused to believe it was because of Malfoy.
As soon as I had reached Viktor, he took my hand and brushed his lips across my knuckles. If possible, I blushed deeper. I couldn't help glancing at Malfoy out of the corner of my eye. I was surprised to see him still staring at me, absolute anger on his face. Though what I had done, I didn't know. He turned to glare at Viktor and it was then that I knew.
Draco Malfoy was jealous, or so it appeared.
The champions and their dance partners were told to line up beside the doors to the Great Hall, as they would be starting the first dance. I slipped my arm into Viktor's and he led me onto the dance floor. The band struck up a tune and Viktor pulled me into a waltz, which I followed. I could feel eyes on my back and turned my head to find Malfoy watching us dance. He looked away when I glanced over my shoulder.
"Vat are you looking at?" Asked Viktor. I turned back to him and frowned.
"Nothing..." I murmured, a little distracted. The dance ended on a soft note and Viktor bowed to me.
"I vill go get us some drinks." He said. I nodded and he disappeared in the direction of the refreshments table. I walked towards Harry and Ron, grinning. I had just had the time of my life.
Of course, there was always someone to ruin my good days.
Today that person was Ron. He glared at me. Apparently Malfoy wasn't the only one who was looking jealous. Ron kept shooting murderous glances to the place Viktor had disappeared.
"Viktor went to get us some drinks." I said.
"Viktor? Oh, I see. You're on first name terms with him now, huh? Why don't you just start calling him Vicky?" He jeered.
"Don't call him that!" I protested.
"Oh, why not?" He asked sarcastically.
"Why are you being this way? Every time I try to have a good time you always come in and ruin it!" I shrieked, now close to tears. Harry stood in the middle of us awkwardly, but I hardly noticed him because I was so upset.
"Fine. Have fun with Vicky, then." Sneered Ron, turning away. Harry looked torn but eventually followed after him a minute later.
"Ron, you spoil everything!" I sobbed, sitting down on the staircase and slipping off my high heels.
I got no reply.
I stayed hidden, still crying even when everyone was gone. I didn't care if I got locked in the Great Hall. I didn't care about anything, frankly. Except that I was away from the most horrible person in the world.
"Granger?" A familiar voice reverberated around the Great Hall, magnifying it by fifty times. Lucky no one else was in here, or Ron would've found me most definitely. That alone should've made me happy, but the fact that the owner of the voice was one of the least persons I wanted to see right now.
"Go away, Malfoy." I said, trying to strengthen my voice, a feat at which I failed miserably.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
I wiped my eyes and turned towards him.
"What do you want, Malfoy? I'm not in the mood for your snarky remarks." I said, frowning at him.
"Hey, cheer up, Granger. I'm not here to be my snarky self. What's wrong?" I wasn't sure why he was being so nice, but I started telling him. I guess it was his charismatic demeanor that got me, because I started gushing like I was talking to Ginny.
"It's Ron...I guess he got jealous when he saw Viktor and I dancing... He can be a jerk sometimes... Ron, I mean..." My sentence trailed off and tears sprang to my eyes again. I bowed my head, not wanting him to see my tears.
"Hermione," He whispered. My head shot up. He had never called me by my first name before. "I believe Weasley owes you a dance, and sine he's not here, I'd be willing." My eyes flashed up to meet his, surprised.
"S-sure." I choked. He led me onto the dance floor by the hand and pulled me close.
"Malfoy, we don't have any music..." I said. He smiled, pointing his wand at the stage. An even-paced waltz started up.
"I can fix that. And the name's Draco." He said, smirking. Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy.
"Fine, Draco." I muttered, smiling slightly. It was strange, but I was actually feeling slightly better, even if I was dancing with Malfoy- or Draco, that is.
All I knew was that he'd changed, and I hoped it was for the better.
"Mal- Draco?" I began cautiously, only remembering to use his first name at the last second.
"Hmmm?" He asked, looking down at me. Right then it struck me just how much taller he was than I. I looked up at him, feeling the words I was going to say disappear.
"You... Why-you-you're so... nice..." I looked down, my cheeks feeling warm. I didn't know how to phrase it. He smiled.
"I've changed Hermione. And..." He looked away, his sentence trailing off. It was awhile before I registered in the dim lighting, but I saw a rosy color adorn his cheeks.
Draco Malfoy was blushing for reasons still unknown to me.
"And what?" I asked, trying to persuade him to finish his sentence. He looked back at me, his ice-blue eyes boring into mine.
"I-I..." Suddenly he pulled me closer and kissed me deeply. My eyes went wide, but I responded to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me even closer. He broke the kiss and stared into my eyes. I stared back, mesmerized by his gray orbs.
"I-I love you. i guess I have since last year..." I smiled at him and he smiled back shyly.
"I think I've felt that way too. I've felt some way, at least. It might be-" He cut me off by kissing me again. He broke the kiss after awhile and I smiled.
"I guess that's one way to shut me up." I laughed. Draco smirked.
"I'll have to remember that, then, for future reference." He said, smirking wider. I laughed again.
Suddenly Draco's face grew troubled. His lower lip trembled and his eyebrows scrunched together.
"What is it, Draco?" I asked him, full of concern.
"I can't do this..." He muttered.
"What?" I asked
"If it gets out that I'm with you, Father will disown me and Voldemort will have my head, as well as yours." He said, frowning.
"We don't have to tell anyone." I said.
"It'll get out one way or another." He said. "Hermione, I think I'm going to have to erase this memory." He whispered. "It's my fault for telling you, when I know it would endanger both of us. I'm sorry and I love you." He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
"What? Wait! No! I-" He leaned down and drew me into a kiss again.
"I told you I would need it for future reference." He gave a weak smile and then pointed his wand at me.
"Obliviate!" He cried. There was a flash of blue light and everything blurred. When it became clear Draco was standing next to me.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" I hissed. He not so much glanced at me before muttering.
"Nothing."
He turned his back to me and walked away.
I wasn't sure why, but somewhere in my chest I felt a pang.
A/N: All right there it is, the first chapter of Song of the Phoenix! Hope you liked it! Please read and review! And don't worry, all you "Be Careful What You Wish For" fans. The next chapter will be out soon. =)
Creatively Yours,
~*JacobBlackLuva*~
