Chapter 2- Shutter Bug
Halloween feast was soon approaching and Colin wasn't getting any better about splitting his time between a girlfriend and his brother. It would only be one week from the Halloween feast that Gryffindor would be playing in the first match against Ravenclaw. Harry had been drilling the team constantly for the past month, but other than that Colin didn't bother practicing much else.
The day before Halloween had been one such grueling practice. Once Harry had finally figured they had had enough practice (five hours worth), he told the team to hit the showers. Dennis noticed that Colin was the first one out, and after peeking out of the locker room saw that Colin's now official girlfriend had been waiting for him. Dennis scoffed and went back to finish getting ready. "I hope he still smells bad and she breaks up with him," Dennis said as he pulled on his socks and shoes.
Dennis's patience for the situation had been declining steadily for quite some time now. He gathered his broom and book bag full of gear and made his way for the exit of the locker room. "Hey Creevey," Harry called. Dennis stopped, rolled his eyes and turned around to see what he could possibly want. "Not bad on the pitch today, your aim is improving." Harry had decided when given the position of captain that he would give both the good and the bad comments. "What's with your brother though? Haven't you two been practicing?"
"Well, he's been busy with things, you know O.W.L.s are this year and he's been trying to keep up in potions," Dennis lied for his brother. No matter how angry he was a Colin, Dennis still wouldn't let him get in trouble if he could help it.
"Alright," Harry said sighing. "I'll talk to Hermione about tutoring him, but in the mean time try and get him to practice with you because your work is really showing."
Harry turned back to talk to another teammate and Dennis just stood there for a moment before remembering that he was leaving. Dennis walked just a little lighter than he was just five minutes ago, so he decided to take the long way back to the castle.
It had been a relatively mild fall, not much wind or foul weather. Dennis was finally able to enjoy it after knowing that what he had been working on was successful, and he couldn't wait to show up Colin after all those times he had been ditched for some girl.
Dennis whistled 'We are the Champions' as he strolled toward Hagrid's hut. He turned around and stopped mid phrase when he saw a blonde haired girl, just a few inches shy of his height, on the opposite side of the lake with a camera in hand. Dennis hadn't seen DJ since their first meeting. He figured that she probably ate when meals first started since he was always late to them. On top of that, they were in different years and different houses, so it would make sense that they never saw each other.
Dennis took a deep breath and made a sudden change in course, back tracking toward the lake. When he got closer he noticed a camera in DJ's hands, and watched as she started to take a picture of some scenery around the lake. Great, more photography, Dennis thought, though this didn't quench his curiosity of this strange girl. "Hey," Dennis called when he got close enough.
This got DJ's attention as she looked up just before hitting the shutter release to get a photograph of a robin that was nesting. "What?" she said, upset that she had lost this shot.
"Just saying 'hi'," Dennis said.
"Well I'm working right now," DJ informed him. "And it's quite distracting when sometone shouts and scares off your subjects."
"Oh," Dennis said. He put his hands deep within the pockets of his robes and bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of some clever answer. "I'm not scared off too easily. Maybe you can use me as your new subject," he suggested. Stupid! What are you thinking, he reprimanded himself.
DJ looked at her watch sighed and then responded, "fine, I have to get this done soon, and seeing as it took me all morning to get that shot." She loaded up her camera and scanned the surroundings to see where she wanted her model. She turned back to Dennis, "what are you wearing under your robes?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, shocked at the inquiry.
DJ just rolled her eyes and cocked her head to the side. "Most people wear clothes under their robes...what are you wearing?"
Dennis got the picture and removed his robes, revealing a slightly dirty red and white polo shirt and jeans sporting holes in each of the knees. Dennis usually only wore these of Saturdays, but was still a bit ashamed of having offered for her to take his picture in these. "That will work," she said examing the look it presented. "Over here, please; by the large oak." DJ helped him to pose properly and then ruffed his hair for effect. She then stepped back and started shooting.
DJ took at least two rolls of film in several areas around the lake and edging the forest before she was completely satisfied. Dennis bit his tongue for most of the thirty or forty minutes they were doing this unexpected photo shoot. "Thanks," was all DJ said as she packed up her things to go.
Thanks? That's it?
"Wait," Dennis said as DJ started walking toward the castle without him. "So," he said casually, trying to pace himself with her steps, "how did you become a shutter bug?""A what?"
"You know, a shutter bug. Someone that likes to take pictures."
"My mum was a photographer," DJ said shortly.
"Was? Does she not now or something?"
"No."
"Oh, okay," Dennis said lamely, trying to save this conversation like he had the last time. They were quickly approaching the steps and he only had until then to try and get some more information. "Do you play Quidditch for Hufflepuff?"
"No, why would you think that?" DJ asked, finally looking over at Dennis in curiosity.
"You were on the pitch the last time I saw you," Dennis pointed out. They had stopped at the foot of the small flight of stairs leading to the entrance hall.
"It's a good way to get out aggressions," DJ said, then turned and started walking up the stairs.
It took Dennis a moment before he realized that she was a couple steps ahead of him already. He tried to skip one, but miscalculated where the step actually finished because he was still staring at the girl ahead of him. Needless to say he ended up face first on the stones. Dennis started to get up to lick his wounds and saw DJ picking up some of the equipment and a book that had fallen out of the book bag he had been carrying around. "Are you all right?" she asked nonchalantly.
Dennis was glad she didn't make a fuss like most girls would have done. It always made it feel more embarrassing that way. "Fine," he said, accepting the things DJ had handed to him. "Thank you."
"Yeah," DJ said then started making her way up the stairs once more.
"Hey wait up!" Dennis said, once again playing catch up, though being a little more cautious of where he had his feet instead of his eyes.
"What?" DJ asked, slowing down, but not stopping.
"I was just wondering who you hang out with," he said, seeing if this new conversation struck a chord.
"No one," she shrugged, as they turned the corner and passed some whispering Slytherins in the corridor.
"No one at all? Come on DJ, there has to be someone you like to hang around," Dennis tried.
"No actually there isn't," she said getting snappy again.
"Sorry," he said trying to figure out what he had said wrong.
"Look, I'm not a people person, if you haven't noticed," DJ said turning to look Dennis straight in the eye. "I don't get close to anyone and no one gets close to me, and I'm fine with that, so don't try to fix me or 'make me happier' because it isn't going to happen, all right?"
"I didn't say that's what I was trying to do," Dennis said defensively.
"They all do," DJ said, turning away and taking a hallway to the left. Dennis looked toward her and was about to forget his idea all together until he couldn't restrain himself into doing so any longer. He rushed to where he had seen her turn, but that hall was empty. No one in sight and no where did he see any sign of another passage extending from the one in which he now occupied.
Dennis turned back to go to his own common room, wondering what had been with DJ's attitude. It wasn't as if he had done anything to her, and he had never seen a Hufflepuff act in that manner anyway. One thing was for certain, however, Dennis was going to find out and he was going to at least give this strange girl one friend.
A/N: Okay, now that you're all wondering what is up with DJ... I promise it will come up but not for a while. What her initials stand for will be revealed later as well. There is a reason she is Hufflepuff, and you'll all agree with me for placing her there once you discover that reason. Remember there is a reason for everything you've learned of her so far, and there are reasons to why she cuts conversations where she does, it's up to you to find that out. Until I tell you, I'll let you come up with your own crazy theories... that might actually be fun. Well, seeing as it is now 11 pm here, and I'm babbling, I think I'll end this Public Service Announcement by saying Adios and goodnight (oh yeah and REVIEW!) =)
Thank you:
JamieBell: There won't be a Marysue here, I promise. I think I'm going to limit my romantic notions for now and make this one more about family and such other sappy ideas =) but DJ isn't a Marysue, though I'm terrified people will think so. I don't think your reviews are ever boring! I love to hear from you, and I'm glad you don't have anything bad to say, that makes me happy. Besides, a lot of the times when I'm getting all sorts of flames, rereading your reviews it what keeps me going!
Weirder Sisters: Dennis isn't in love, but there is a reason he was gawking in that fashion (now that I've probably given that away...)oh yeah, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there will be no romance between Dennis and DJ. As I mentioned in my AN I'll be informing you of what her initials, and all sorts of other things in other chapters. It'll be fun! Thank you for reviewing, and as always I request that you might check some of my other stuff out, if you have time =)