Sorry for the wait! I've been busy with auditions and music. It's hard to have a career, go to school, take care of a four year old and still find time to write.
So, is anyone up for more background?
Rumours
Previously:
When she ran out of pages, she was left staring at an elaborate drawing of a Joker one would find in a deck of muggle playing cards. Although, this particular Joker was more breathtaking than any others Hermione had ever laid eyes on.
The image was brilliantly sketched across the entire back cover, done in black and every shade of gray imaginable. His face appeared sinister and cruel, with a lone tear running down his right cheek. His thin body was sitting slouched over, clothed in that of a medieval court jester. The left hand was brought up to clasp over where his heart would be…while the right was reaching out to something unknown to the person viewing it. There was lettering just beneath it…and Hermione had to bring it up close to her face to decipher the tiny writing…
C.C. Joker
Dylan Blaise Michelangelo Zabini
"All the roads we have to walk are winding…And all the lights that lead us there are blinding..."
Wonderwall; Oasis
Chapter Two: The Talented Colin Creevey
Colin Creevey was an artist…and like many artists before him, he's dabbled in various forms of artistic media. Sure, it'd started with his simple photography. He'd snap the pictures, take them to the dark room he'd set up in the Room of Requirement, develop and inspect them…but that had become tiresome. Truth be told, there wasn't a lot of available creativity in taking photographs…and Colin was aching for something…different; more fulfilling.
That's what had driven him to begin painting.
In his paintings, he could create anything; map out a whole new world inside the ornate frames that onlookers would be able to get lost in. Because of this new outlet, Colin had discovered something about himself.
He was fairly good at painting…
Actually, that was modesty…
He was incredibly wonderful at painting.
Each finished work of art was a true masterpiece, flawlessly executed and brilliantly colored. At first, he'd painted his classmates; starting with Ginny Weasley, his closest friend. Then he'd moved on to Ritchie Coote, Jack Sloper, and Adam Pickering who were boys in his year that Colin occasionally associated with. He hadn't known what made him do it…but he'd painted the Gryffindor Quidditch team and right after finishing, quickly decided that he should do all the house Teams.
Colin hadn't realized how much the decision would affect his life…
It's strange how situations set themselves up to happen a certain way. And he'd never even seen it coming…like some huge gravija ball of Fate, landing right in front of him in the form of his ill-tempered Potions Professor.
It had been during dinner time on the 23rd of October, 1994…a Saturday. Colin had been down in the dungeons all day, putting the finishing touches on his representation of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Apparently, the abandoned potions lab he'd been using wasn't meant to be abandoned for much longer…because Professor Snape had appeared just after dinner, ready to asses the lab for repairs (Colin had later found out).
He'd been beyond furious at first, demanding to know what a Gryffindor was doing so far down into the dungeons and completely alone…But when Professor Snape had seen the almost finished work, he'd been struck speechless.
Colin knew the man didn't miss much…And while many didn't believe so, he paid close attention to his high-scoring students no matter what house they were from. And apparently he'd noticed Colin Creevey…who had always been quiet and reserved, but a stellar student nonetheless.
…It also didn't hurt that he was very close with Ginny Weasley. Colin knew (through his redheaded friend) how much the Professor favored her. While Hermione Granger was the smartest witch in her year…Ginny Weasley was most likely the smartest witch in the entire school…but that was not without help.
She'd started hanging out with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini at the beginning of that school year and they'd tutored her constantly. Colin had even sat in on a few of their study sessions. It had surprised him at the time how intelligent both Malfoy and Zabini were. They had broken down the material and presented it in a way that a small toddle could have understood. They were patient and kind with Ginny…and with him. They were the meanest in the school, but Colin couldn't find it within himself to hate them.
It was because of these things (the Gryffindor had later been told) that he'd been approached by Professor Snape in the first place. It had initially been a ploy to get Colin to do portraits of the CC members…He had a bunch of questions, however, and as most things go…soon he was being offered the opportunity to join.
He'd known nothing of the card game, nothing of the meetings and weekend getaways this band of students had been taking in total secrecy. The prospect had been exciting…a chance to be a part of something totally exclusive, among the elite...And that apparently transcended blood status.
Professor Snape had refused to explain any further…To protect the total concealment of the CC.
"Only when you join will everything be clarified."
It wasn't as simple as it had sounded, though. To be a member, he had to play his way through at least 3 ranks of the CC tier; the Jack, the Club…and the Diamond Duo. If he could prove himself better than them, he'd be in.
Colin hadn't accepted immediately. He knew absolutely nothing about the game itself. How was he supposed to go up against people who'd been playing for years? He knew no strategy or technique. He hadn't even known anyone involved in this group…Or so he thought.
It should have been obvious at the time that Ginny was involved…along with her Slytherin buddies. From what Colin could gather, this group was headed by Professor Snape himself. They were his absolute favorite students…A no-brainer, really.
It was in the dead of night on the 13th of November when Ginny had appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the edge of his bed and grinning from ear to ear. Colin had screamed…or attempted to…but Gin had anticipated his surprise with Silencio. With a single finger over her lips, she'd motioned for him to dress and follow her.
Down through the common room and up one flight of stairs…down a ways and right in front of a blank stretch of wall.
A familiar path to Colin back when he was taking simple photographs.
The Room of Requirement
Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini had been waiting for them; the cards already set up and ready to go. It became a routine over the following weeks. Ginny would rouse him from sleep, walk him to the RoR and she and the Slytherins would proceed to teach him everything they knew. After a month of intense card training, he'd been ready.
Needless to say, he met Jack, Club, and the Diamond Duo…winning all three matches and solidifying his place in the CC tier. Strangely enough, however, they already knew he'd win the games and join them.
November 21, 1996
2:35 p.m.
Same
When a card is placed touching two other cards (one or both of them have to be the opposite color) and both the ranks of the card are the same as the opposing sides of the first two cards, then both cards will be turned. It's much easier to explain with the diagram.
Weak
Strong
Another Spade! "Weak"? But "Strong" is written beside the Heart…
Hermione was currently spread out across her bed, the book flipped opened in front of her. She'd been going at this thing for two days now…and had gotten absolutely no where. All that had been achieved was a higher level of aggravation and a stronger desire to crack Blaise Zabini's cryptic footnotes…if symbols could be considered footnotes.
She believed it was safe to assume that Zabini was the "C.C. Joker"…And if he'd given himself such a title, then it was also safe to assume that the others, like Malfoy and Ginny, had similar nicknames. In a fit of desperation, she'd dug out her old muggle card deck. The cards which now littered her bed, each with a different sticky note attached.
In a muggle deck, there were always two Jokers…but Hermione doubted if how many mattered. It seemed to be more about the names. There was also the King, the Queen, and the Jack. Those were the only cards with actual titles tagged to them. She figured Malfoy was the King, since he enjoyed acting like one…and Ginny was most likely the Queen…since she was so deeply connected to both Malfoy and Zabini…and seeing how everyone in the group looked up to her. The Jack remained open because there were simply too many possibilities.
Colin Creevey was a likely match…Malfoy obviously accepted him enough to touch and ruffle his hair. Maybe…but there was also Theodore Nott…He was just as much a part of the group as Malfoy and Zabini…Gregory Goyle, he was close. Vincent Crabbe?
Wait…Does the Jack have to be male? Maybe it's Luna…Daphne or Pansy?
Anthony Goldstein, the Ravenclaw Prefect, had been seen with Malfoy on several occasions…as well as Padma Patil, who was also a Prefect from that house. Maybe they held titles? Of course, Parvati had been seen with Padma while she'd been hanging around Malfoy's gang. Hell, maybe both Patil sisters when involved in this thing?
What is so great about this card game, anyway?
The process was a fairly simple one.
It started with researching the subject and figuring out what the ranks would be. Then after he'd squared that away, photographs were taken to get a basic art concept for the card. Then he'd sketch out an interpretation.
After the initial sketches were finished, Colin would review them carefully…seeing what needed to be changed and fixed. Then he'd clean up the lines and begin transferring it to canvas. This was the most difficult part of the entire procedure. Well, maybe not the most difficult…The complex spell-work for finishing and activation was definitely more taxing in that respect. But for Colin, who had a steady hand and patience, the final steps towards the finish product was always the most heart-wrenching.
Is this is the card that will change everything?
He'd fallen into this crowd of talented, revered students who excelled at everything they set out to do. He was placed among them with his exceptional eye and artistic sensibility. Ginny had told him on many occasions that he was a crucial asset to their team…but Colin remained skeptical. Something within him was becoming restless with his current status.
Luna had been the cause, of course…and if anyone were smart, they wouldn't go against whatever she said…but Colin Creevey was apprehensive. Had his skill improved so much that he could successfully challenge so high up the tier? Everyone knew that Spade was a ruthless card player. Could Colin be just as ruthless in order to beat such a skilled opponent?
These were all things to consider…but not this moment in time. He'd just finished up a set of player cards at the request of Severus Snape himself. It had puzzled him at first to be making cards for someone who was yet in the troupe…but not nearly as much as who the cards were depicting.
Now that they were completed, how long would it take for them to recruit her?
6:50 p.m.
Things notated in Zabini's stupid book:
Clubs one
Diamonds two
Spade one
Heart one
"J" one
Crowns two
All labeled as either Strong or Weak
Hermione paused, reviewing her written list. The only symbols that held a difference were the Diamonds, which were always presented as a pair…and the Crowns, which were also as a pair.
Hmm…also a pair…
Maybe …the Crowns identified the King and Queen? The "J" would represent the Jack…but the suites? The Club, a pair of Diamonds, the Spade, and the Heart…Maybe they were nicknames, as well!
Oh Merlin, that actually makes sense.
So, the Club would actually be someone…As well as the Spade, the Heart…
Would a pair of Diamonds mean two people occupying that suite nickname? Hermione knew just exactly who would be the Diamond pair…if there happened to be one.
Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson
Not only did they behave like a couple of princesses, but just from observing them, it appeared they did everything together…like twins. Why not share such a nickname? Besides, they were the only constant females in the troupe other than Luna and Hermione didn't foresee Lovegood being a Diamond. Perhaps the Heart maybe…And a pair of guys would not be Diamonds.
That just leaves the Spade, the Club, and the Jack…
7:00 p.m.
The first thing Hermione noticed upon entering the Great Hall was that people were missing…And not just anyone either.
Where was Ginny and Luna? Colin?
Gregory, Daphne, and Pansy were missing, as well…but that wasn't as unusual. They missed a lot of meals…and Hermione really didn't want to think about what they could have been up to during dinner.
The thing was…the two Gryffindors and the Ravenclaw were always there...sitting with the Slytherins, laughing and joking around about something. Hermione could not recall a time where they hadn't been there…except over weekends.
As of right now, Malfoy and Zabini were sitting on either side of the table…but they weren't meeting each others gaze. Tension was evident…It was heavy in both of their postures. Hermione had to wonder what might have happened to cause there strange demeanor. Did it have something to do with why people were missing…?
Even though the brunette was as far removed from the situation as one could get, it was making her nervous. Ginny was always with the two Slytherin boys. Always. And while Ron was somehow able to act as if his younger sister never existed, Hermione was unable to be that heartless…
Is she okay?
Of course she is…They wouldn't be here if something had happened…
As if on cue, Ginny Weasley entered the Great Hall. She was unaccompanied by Luna or Colin, and her expression could have cut glass. As Hermione watched her slowly walk towards the Slytherin table, she was openly glaring at both Malfoy and Zabini. When they looked up to greet her, no words were said…or none that Hermione could see. Something must have been said, however, because not a moment later the boys stood and followed the redhead closely out the door...
…But not before said redhead shot Hermione an unusual look…It was that almost anxious look, the one Hermione was use to seeing on Ginny's face up until a few years ago. As if she was waiting on something to happen…
The brunette gasped softly, puzzle pieces clicking into place in her head…
Oh no! They know I have the book!
Author's Note: So, I've gotten some attention for this story. I totally understand. I haven't written anything before and many are probably confused by my concept. I apologize for the baffling nature of my story…
I'm going to equally divide the focus between the card game, the strange romances, and the infinite danger coming for the CC members.
Thanks for reading!
The Elegant Egotist