Chapter Two

The weeks trudged by in a bitter fog. Tension was so thick a machete would be rendered useless (why zombie-apocalypse chainsaws are in such high demand). The tally that Magda was keeping of the crying children, usually running out of the Great Hall, had risen above 175 with repeat offenders. Lynne had cancelled her subscriptions to the Daily Prophet, The Times of London, and the Quibbler, despite being the information hoarder that she was. Everything had reached a level of unbearable morbid-ness. Thoughts of "what insert- animal- here was slaughtered for dining pleasure?" nearly converted me to veganism. To try to avoid any sick thoughts, I began people watching; especially taking note of people I rarely talked to. For one thing, the dark circles under Harry Potter's eyes had gotten a helluva lot darker.

Harry Potter was an interesting subject, in my circle. We were fairly good friends first through most of fourth years. Right after the Triwizard Tournament ended with a student fatality, Harry and I had a huge argument; in the Hospital Wing none-the-less. We haven't spoken more than a bitter "hello" at the few meetings of the Order of the Phoenix that I attend. It was more than the "he has his friends and I have mine"; it was the blatant, glaring hate that we both refused to fix. Yes, my family was involved in the Order; we had latched on when it was reorganized. Harry was the reason it was revived. Of all the things I'll admit about him: he wasn't too bad to look at. Even with the shiner circles.

One week, about ankle deep into October, was a single continuous rain-storm all week. I found myself paying more attention to Potter's quirks that week; especially the weird habit he developed of standing out in the middle of a field or elsewhere and staring at the clouds. The Wednesday of that week, I decided to take the long way from Charms to dinner. While passing by the Quidditch practice pitch, I spied a bag resting against the wall next to the boys' locker room. Setting my own bag down, I glanced at the tooled leather label: Brooks Supply Company.

I only knew one person who owned a Brooks bag in that bad 'a shape. I stepped over to the pitch entrance, yanking a Princeton sweatshirt over my head. Sure enough, there was Potter, standing in the middle of the pitch, staring up at the sky.

In a down pour, soaking wet.

Rolling my eyes I walked up behind him. "Trying to prove just how stupid you are, Potter?" I huffed, crossing my arms. Potter visibly jumped, looking shocked when he realized it was me.

"Hi Renesme, how are you?" he asked, shaken.

"Fine and dandy, thank you." I snapped back, sarcastically, "Ever thought about going inside? I'm pretty damned sure that the ceiling is just as interesting as your rainclouds." I tugged on his shirt. Blinking a couple times, Potter nodded and set off towards the entrance, or exit in this case. Coming into the hallway, I silently cast a drying charm over the both of us, relishing in the dryer-warm feeling.

"Um… thanks, Renesme." Potter said, awkwardly, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks? I just saved you from about a month's worth of pneumonia," I muttered furiously, "Furthermore; this is the first conversation we've had in years." Potter watched me closely, leaning up against the wall.

"So, what's your angle, Cullen?" he asked.

"I don't have an angle."

"Then, what's your point?" he was clearly amused.

"My point is," I scoffed, "that we haven't spoken in two years. Maybe you could try at more of a conversation next time?" Before he could reply, I had already begun making my way to dinner; in the opposite direction.

That Thursday, at lunch, I watched Nicolette bobbing her head to a new Weird Sisters song she had latched onto, mouthing the words. Snickering, I tore off a piece of my roll and tossed it in her direction, hopping to hit her forehead. The bread bounced off her nose and fell into her blouse. Nicolette jumped and immediately began fishing around in her blouse, making me laugh harder. Finally shaking the roll out of her bra, she gave me look.

"Why?" Nicolette was obviously annoyed with me.

"Felt like destroying your bliss." I smiled cheekily, trying to hide the lingering snickers.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked in a bored tone, going back to her food. It was amazing how well she knew me; sometimes even better than Jess.

"Do you really want to know?" I bit my lip.

"Only if it means I can watch you squirm some more." Nicolette smiled mischievously. I had a feeling that she and Jess could be the power couple of the century. They'd have people sniping down their younger siblings in no time.

"Fine," I said, leaning across the table, "I talked to Potter a few days ago." Nicolette gasped dramatically.

"What?" I asked, chuckling. She shook her head and began collecting her things, rushing out of the hall. I raced after her.

"Letta? Come on, Letta! This isn't drama class, so tell me! Please, Letta?" I called after her, weighed down by my bag. I kept calling after her: "Tell me, Letta, please?" I finally cornered her outside the library. I was standing on a stone bench; Letta was catching her breath.

"Letta, if you're not going to tell me what the Hell's going on, then I'm not giving your poem journal back." Letta's eyes narrowed from her hunched position.

"Which one?" She asked, still breathless, watching me nervously. Digging into my bag, I produced a pale green, leather-bound notebook.

"Jasper's and I have no problem getting it to talk," I smiled evilly, glancing at the book, "Particularly during, I don't know, dinner tonight?" I waved the book in front of it.

Letta sighed: "Okay, Nessa, I overheard Dan talking to Scarlette Astair, the girl from Greece," I nodded in understanding, "Well, she said that she'd overheard Potter telling his Quidditch lackeys that he was going to try to win you over for… Order reasons. You know, collecting troops and stuff."

I rolled my eyes: "I'm sorry Letta, but that is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth." I laughed.

"I'm not lying, Nessa!" She sputtered, snatching at the notebook.

"Potter doesn't mince words or keep his mouth shut for more than twenty seconds at a time," I spouted off quickly, quoting Yvonne, "And you're just a bad liar, Letta. You can't cover up anything! Has nothing in our six years of friendship taught you anything?" I teased playfully. She laughed and relented, coming to full height.

"Okay, Nessa. I also heard that he was going to…" Letta paused, swallowing, "As Scarlette put it, try to get you in bed."

"Lovely…" I muttered. Letta looked really uncomfortable. "That's all?" She nodded.

"I always thought he was kind of an ass, but this exceeds expectations, doesn't it?" Letta crossed her arms.

"It sure does…" I thought out loud, "Well, I'm off." I walked past her, heading to Care of Magical Creatures. Letta's mouth dropped open.

"What about my journal?" Letta called.

"Oh, yea…" I turned back around, "Think fast!" I tossed the journal at her before speeding down the hallway. Letta just barely caught it.

I met up with Magda just outside of the Forbidden Forest. We talked as we ambled to the clearing where class was being held. The two of us were in stitches and stumbling through the underbrush like drunks by the time we arrived. We sat down on the stone wall, still giggling madly.

"Afternoon, ladies." Both of us looked up.

"What do you want?" Magda's eyes darkened with malice. Potter just snickered, looking at me. I stared down at my textbook, praying the Letta, Daniel, and Scarlette hadn't actually heard anything at all and that I was imagining things.

"I just wanted to speak with Renesme," he smiled, like it was perfectly normal, "However, if you want to talk later I could always come back…" Magda looked at me curiously.

"Nessa?" Magda was watching me with some sort of amusement.

"Whatever; just make it quick." I sighed, setting down my things on the wall. Potter nodded and placed his bag next to mine. Grabbing my wrist, he pulled us a bit away from Magda, who was eyeing him suspiciously. Yanking my hand away, I crossed my arms.

"So, what exactly do you want to want to talk about, Potter?" I glared at him, digging my nails into my forearms.

"Relax a little bit, okay?" I rolled my eyes, "Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmede with me on Saturday." I thought a bit, then, glancing back at Magda, a brilliant idea came to me.

Maybe Potter would enjoy being run-around as well. It's only fair to play the game by the rules, isn't it?

"Alright, I'll go with you. Where would you like to meet up?" I replied, giving my best genuine-but-still-fake-as-hell smile. I was smiling for reasons he didn't even fathom…

"How about the main hallway, at around nine-thirty?"

"That sounds lovely, Harry." I smiled, making a point to use his name this time. Fluttering my eyelashes a bit, and giving a teeny wave, I went to sit next to Magda. The two of us were silently looking at Magda's textbook until Potter left with his bag. I began to look at my own textbook, the section about Unicorns, to keep from having to answer Magda. Unfortunately, she doesn't give up that easily…

"So, Nessa…" She began in a smarmy tone, "Care to tell me what happened just now?"

"You want to know what happened, Maggy." I snickered, " Let's just say Potter isn't the only one who is getting the run-around this year…"

"Why, might I ask?" Maggy smirked.

I lowered my voice so only she could hear. "For wanting to screw me till I can't see straight." Magda and I began to laugh, earning strange looks from our class mates.

This was going to be an interesting year.

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I only realize now that I am straying from the original plotline, but that's why we write new ones, yes? Trust me, it'll all come together eventually, I promise! Anyway, how do you like the twist that Nessa & Harry are not best buddies to begin with? I you do, great, fabulous! I you don't, cool, whatever… Please rate, review, send me a message with any questions, email me, whatever! Just an FYI, if you want to zip me an email, just send me a message asking, okay? I'm not going to post it around randomly. So please, just ask, I will be more than willing to let you at it

Thank you,

Pepper