A Seeker's Troubles

Nazi captains don't play nice. Neither do kittens.

"This," I said, twisting my fork around in my palm to then thrust it at the wooden surface of the table, "is taking forever."

We were sitting at the Gryffindor table, watching the Sorting, eagerly awaiting the feast that would soon come. Professor McGonagall was half-way through her list, with "Mutton, Delia" going to Ravenclaw.

"I hate to break it to you," Angelina said, resting her head bored in her hand, "but it's not going any faster just because you're whining about it."

"It might," I said defensively, twiddling a strand of my hair around my index finger. I'd pulled it up into a messy bun, but some strands of hair had fallen out of it. We had now changed out of our "civilian" clothes, and were currently dressed in the school uniform. It was the same as usual, grey plaited skirt with black leggings under, a white shirt under a black wool cardigan, all completed with the red and gold Gryffindor tie. I liked the Hogwarts uniform. It was comfortable without being ugly. Though I suppose there was one thing I disliked about it, which were the shoes. They were awfully clumsy and heavy, in a gloomy black colour.

But this year was different, since it seemed as Alicia's and Angelina's constant complaining about what we wore on our feet had paid off. The students could now wear whatever shoes they wanted to the uniform, and my toes were currently enjoying the soft sensation of the comfortable soles of my low-cut Converse.

"So what classes are you taking this year?" Katie asked, but I knew she was only doing it to over-voice the loud rumbles coming from our stomachs.

"Meh, the usual," Fred replied from across the table, sitting beside Alicia who was sitting opposite me. On her other side was Wood, which I had been giving the silent treatment since the train ride. I was still furious with him for the whole going-out thing. He raised his eyebrow at me when he caught my look, and I instantly looked over to Fred.

"What's that?" I asked, "The Arts of being a Redhead?"

Fred gasped in mock offence, clasping his red hair and glaring at me, but I merely grinned at him.

"I really wished they had a class where we could learn a new language," Katie sighed dreamily, and I rolled my eyes. True, Katie was smart, but sometimes she was a bit on the over-ambitious side. "Like the elven language. I've heard it's beautiful," she continued in the same longing voice.

"Two languages in one head?" George exclaimed in a disturbed voice. "No one can live at that speed!"

I cracked a laugh at George's comment, as always enjoying his sense of humour.

"You're asking the impossible!" Fred cut in, making me laugh harder. But then my eyes had suddenly landed upon the Hufflepuff table, and locked on to Cedric Diggory's frame. He was applauding at some first year that had been sorted into his house, a smile on his face.

I couldn't help to zone out for a moment as I studied Cedric, and the voices of my friends soon faded away, like I was in some kind of protective bubble, including only me.

But then, as if sensing my gaze, Cedric suddenly wrenched his eyes away from the first year and locked onto my gaze. For a fleeting moment we merely looked at each other, but then he lit up in a devilishly handsome smile and winked at me. I instantly felt the heat rise to my cheeks, but managed to smile back at him in some miraculous way. I wondered if maybe Alicia was right. It wasn't just heir imagination, but Diggory was being nice to me. Maybe he did fancy-

"IF Elle would honour us with her presence," Angelina's voice suddenly rang loudly, and I immediately snapped back, darting my gaze back to the table and focusing on the dark-haired girl.

"Huh?" I said very elegantly.

"We just decided Quidditch practice," Katie said lazily, as McGonagall called for "Wilkins, Mary". We were then forced to interrupt our conversation as she was sorted into Gryffindor and we broke into applauds.

"What day?" I asked her as I watched the first year scramble to our table and taking a seat.

"Wednesday, five o'clock," Wood filed in with his thick accent, "if you'll be able to tear yourself away from precious Diggory," he added with a smirk, but his face was slightly grim. I shot him a foul glance. Of course Alicia had babbled on and on about her seeing me with Diggory and by now all my friends knew. Including Wood.

My cheeks turned pink but my gaze remained cold as ice. "I don't believe I was addressing our Nazi captain," I said acidly, and I could hear Katie, Alicia, Angelina, the twins and Lee all groaning.

"Here we go again…" Angelina murmured as I started bickering with Wood, whose smirk, no matter what, never faded from his lips.

"Students!" a pleasant voice suddenly rang through the hall, interrupting Oliver and I before our row had even started. I tore my livid gaze away from Wood's well-sculptured face and turned my eyes to the teacher's table in the front of the hall. As I set eyes upon Albus Dumbledore, our headmaster, my rage instantly seemed to calm. The whole hall fell silent, waiting for him to speak.

"Students," he said in a cheery voice, "I have no intention of keeping you from the feast that will soon begin. However, it is my duty to introduce you all to our new professor in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

I sighed bored, turning my eyes back to my friends. It was the same thing every year, a new professor in that subject.

Dumbledore extended his arm to someone, gesturing for him to come forward. He did so, rising from his seat, walking up next to Dumbledore, a weak smile on his lips, yet his amber eyes twinkling kindly.

"Students, this is Remus J. Lupin," Dumbledore said proudly.

My jaw dropped as he made this statement, completely shocked.

"What!?" I hissed. My friends looked surprised as well, but did not reply to my outburst. "Uncle Remus?" I whispered incredulously.

But I discovered it to be true as I darted my gaze to the front of the hall. There stood my very uncle, looking kind as ever, but tired. I was one of the few that knew of his "furry problem" so I knew the source of his fatigue look. But seriously, my uncle? Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts? Just-How-When- "What?" I settled for saying instead, repeating myself.

"We heard you the first time," Angelina said somewhat snippy, and I turned my sour gaze to her, but she merely smirked at me.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't know about this," Katie said slowly, trying to calm me down.

I shot her a Duh- look. "No," I said disgruntled, "I did not know."

"You can ask him about that later," Fred said hungrily, as he was staring at the food that now magically appeared before us on the table. Apparently Dumbledore was now finished with his speech, and the feast was starting.

My rumbling stomach finally got me into other thoughts, and I started loading up huge amounts of food upon my plate, as I was starving, burying my thoughts for later.

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The big classroom was empty, which was kind of eerie. The blinds to the windows were shut, casting long shadows into the room. The only source of light was the moonlight, seeping in through the blinds. Ignoring how creepy the room was now at night, I quickly scurried past the desk, my long robes dancing at my feet. I hugged it tighter around my torso, shivering. It was cold.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was one of my favourite subjects, but it was funny how unwelcome the room seemed at night. Really put the dark in Dark Arts.

I finally reached the front of the classroom and past the teacher's desk, where I made my way up the stairs. I stopped when I noticed the door to the teacher's room opened, and light was coming from the room. Good, he was still awake.

I positioned myself in the door opening, leaning to the frame. My uncle Remus was moving around the room, busy unpacking his bags and storing different things into shelves.

Even though Remus was my uncle, I felt like he was the closest thing I had to a father. Really, he was over at my house almost the whole summer. I was used to seeing him everyday, when on the same time I hadn't seen my real father in…what? Almost a year now?

So of course I was happy that he was a professor here now. No, not happy, thrilled. Because this meant that I could spend more time with him. He who was like my father. How he could be so different from his brother, I do now know.

I crossed my arms, silent for a moment before speaking.

"So when were you going to tell me about this?" I asked, meaning to sound rude, but I was smiling so much that I failed.

He stopped, looking up, his sand coloured hair falling back as he did, and his face lit up in a smile.

"Well, maybe I wanted it to be a surprise, Elisabeth," he said. I grinned at him. He was the only one allowed to call me by my full name, save for the teachers at Hogwarts. Well, I guess he was a teacher now as well.

Even though it had hardly been a week since I had last seen him, I ran forth and flung my arms around his tall frame, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so glad you are here," I said, my voice muffled since I was talking into his soft tweed jacket. It smelled of Remus, which was a mix of fresh air and old wood.

"Is that so?" he asked sceptically as I pulled away, and he held me at an arm's length, surveying me. I knew why he asked. Not many would be thrilled about their relatives being at the place they lived, but I nodded sincerely.

"At least there will be one sane person here," I said, looking slightly peeved.

He smirked, his wrinkles around the eyes crinkling.

"And you're not sane?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, "Where have you been the last seventeen years?"

He lit up in a grin at my sarcastic remark and reached out to ruffle my hair and I grimaced. He knew I hated when I was treated like a kid, and he was chuckling at my sour expression.

Then he looked at the clock at the wall, and frowned. It was well after ten o'clock, and I knew it. I had been hanging out in the common room with my mates until I'd suddenly remembered my woes at the dinner, and rushed out to find my uncle.

He looked at me sternly but I knew it was only a façade; his eyes were still alit with his smile.

"Well, as my first act as a professor, I will have to urge you to head immediately to you common room. It is well after curfew," he said in this business like tone, and I merely chuckled at him. But he narrowed his eyes at me. "Or I'll be forced to take five points from Gryffindor."

This sent me into fresh peals, and I turned to grudgingly walk out the room. I could tell he was grinning at my back.

At the door I stopped, turning towards him, offering a smile. "I'm glad you're here, Remus." I truly was. For once, I had a bit of my family at this school. He winked at me, and I grinned before I spun around and skipped down the stairs.

I quickly left the classroom and padded into the corridor of the fourth floor. The entire castle was dark and silent, but not in a scary way. Even though the walls were of cold stone the corridors seemed to be full of warmth, and I smiled satisfied to myself as I turned a corner. I loved Hogwarts, I really did. It was my home.

It didn't take me too long to reach the seventh landing, -after successfully avoiding an angry-looking Filch on the warpath, - and found myself outside the Fat Lady's portrait. Stifling a yawn I mumbled the password to her, and she swung open, looking as tired as I felt. Tomorrow was the start of the classes, and I really needed a long night's sleep if I was going to handle the first day.

As I entered the common room, I found it deserted. Everyone had already gone asleep.

I smiled to myself, but my smile froze as I spotted the scalp of a brown-haired head over the back of the couch by the fire. I stopped dead, my gaze nailed onto the hair of Oliver Wood. Had he heard me? I really wasn't in the mood to bicker with him now; I was too tired. But his head did not turn at the sound of my presence, and I dared to relax. Then I noticed that his head was sort of slouching against the back of the couch. Frowning, I carefully edged around the sofa, but stopped as I had a clear view of Wood.

The Quidditch captain was sprawled out on the couch, eyes closed, breathing softly… sleeping. I couldn't help to soften the hard gaze I always saved for Wood. Sleeping, he looked so innocent and… cute.

I sunk down upon the arm of a sofa, not able to tear my gaze away from his sleeping frame. First of all, why was he sleeping here? The answer to my question came almost immediately as I located schedules and notes about Quidditch. I scoffed. Always fulfilling is duty as captain, planning the schedules of the practices. My eyes travelled up to his smooth face again. I guess not even the fanatics of Quidditch could escape the drowsy boredom of planning practices. A smile crept onto my lips as I watched his muscular chest rise and fall when he breathed. H is eyelids fluttered slightly, as if he was dreaming. His well-sculptured face was completely relaxed, and I couldn't help but to sigh. Wouldn't it be nice if he behaved as nice as he looked while sleeping?

Then there was a faint sound, and I was surprised I snapped it up. My gaze flickered around, trying to locate the source of the sound. Then my blue eyes zoomed in on a something small and black on the top of the couch, just a few inches from Wood.

My heart melted as I set eyes upon my kitten, Memphis. My heart always melted when I saw her, and whose heart wouldn't melt? She's such an adorable kitten! Though I suppose she was more like a ball of fur, she was so small. I'd just bought her this summer, while in Diagon Alley. My owl Rosie was just too old, and I had decided to let her retire this year, and instead go for something new. I had set out with the goal of buying another owl, but as I had entered the pet store, I had immediately located the tiny kitten in the corner of the cage filled with cats. She was all alone, frozen out by the other cats because of her small size and was cowering in the shadows. I had stopped to look at the small kitten, her colour a mixture of rich black and the purest of white. And then as she had turned her tiny head, blinking up at me with her bright blue eyes – surprisingly the same colour as my own- my heart had melted. A few minutes later, and my wallet rid of some sickles, I walked out the store with my new friend perched upon my shoulder.

I smiled affectionately at the kitten before me, whose gaze was locked on Wood's sleeping body. As I realized what Memphis was up to, my smile turned into a smug grin.

Her tiny white paws tramped on the soft texture of the sofa, as she crouched down her black body, pressing herself closer to the couch, her snowy tail still in the air. As she prepared her ambush on Wood I realized with motherly pride that my little kitten had turned out to be quite an adventurous cat. Once rid of the cats who bullied her, she grew confident and I often found her bravely exploring her surroundings, or attacking different things.

Not quite unlike how she was preparing to attack Wood at the moment. "Good kitty," I murmured approvingly under my breath, letting the scene unfold before me.

The common room was silent for another few moments, Wood's soft breathing being the only source of noise, until Memphis leapt of her spot on the couch, and launched herself at Wood.

I couldn't help to let a rather uncharming bark of laughter escape my lips as Wood jerked in surprise, spilling his schedules all over the place as the weight of Memphis pounced onto his face. He sat up, but Memphis was clinging to the collar of his school shirt as he looked around confused, trying to locate his attacker.

I closed my eyes, laughing so hard I was almost out of breath. But I couldn't help it; it just felt so darn good for once seeing Wood getting caught off-guard and getting all flushed. Gods know I've done it far too many times.

But as I opened my eyes again the laughter strangled itself in my throat and I let my eyes widen in shock. Wood was laughing as Memphis was licking his face affectionately with her miniature tongue, her petite white paws treading over his high cheekbones, as she was purring. Purring! My little sweetheart to kitten was purring! While snuggling with my mortal enemy!

"Memphis, your traitor!" I couldn't help to blurt out in a shocked voice.

Wood turned his head towards me, and it seemed he hadn't noticed me until now. His features relaxed into a grin, as Memphis pawed over to his shoulder, meowing at me. But my attention was fastened on my so called loyal kitten. Was it just my imagination, or did her voice have a rebellion-ish streak to it?

"Get over here," I hissed, and fortunately she obeyed, leaping from Wood's shoulder to the floor and clumsily making her way up my couch, then clawing her way (rather painfully, I might add) up my torso to then sit perched on my shoulder.

"How could you do this to me?" I said in a hurt voice, but she merely purred at me, stroking her soft chin at my neck. As a result, my heart melted and I smiled affectionately. Really, how could I even try to stay mad at this adorable creature?

"Would you look at that, Belle Stevens showing some affection," a Scottish drawl stated quietly from the other couch. I could feel Wood's coffee-coloured gaze on me.

"Your point is?" I asked coldly as I turned my eyes to him, but was surprised to see that he was for once not wearing his trade-mark smirk, but was actually looking… I couldn't really put my finger on what.

He shrugged. "Nothing," he said in the same quiet voice, "I just thought I'd remember it, since you so rarely show such feelings towards me."

Now I knew what the look on his face was. Sadness! Oliver Wood actually looked sad! While talking to me! What's happened to the world?

"I would, Wood," I shot back, "if you wouldn't make my life such a living hell."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Hell?" he echoed, an amused look creeping onto his face.

"Yes, hell," I said stubbornly. "Why else would you want to go out with me?"

His face to on a puzzled look, but then the smirk entered his face. "So that's what this is all about?"

I let out a frustrated cry. "You're just doing it so that you can humiliate me!"

The smirk didn't waver as he raised his eyebrow again. "Is that so?"

"But for the record," I hissed, standing up and narrowing my eyes against him, "It's never going to happen. I'll win this stupid bet, you just watch me."

"Be my guest," he said quietly, his gaze suddenly hard.

I stood rooted on the spot, glaring at him. If I were to lose this bet, I'll never forgive myself. Never. No, I told myself. There is no losing.

Then I turned around and stomped off to the girls' dormitories.

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for the lovely reviews you've given me! You guys rock! So I hope you liked this chapter, though it might be a bit on the short side. I really wanted to post it before I go abroad next week.

Anyway, some of you might recognise the Eddie Izzard line which I used in this chapter. I'm a huge fan of this comedian, he's brilliant! Hope there's anyone out there who thinks so too…

Anyhow, please tell me what you like/didn't like in one of those lovely reviews!!