Chapter 4: Aftermath

"Ugh" those were the memorable words that came out of my mouth when I woke up. I looked around. I had fallen asleep in a tree. As anyone who has spent half the night in a tree can tell you, it is not the most comfortable thing in the world. I felt like I had gotten drunk the night before. My right hand was cramped and numb because I had held tightly to my wand as I slept. I tried to remember what happened to get me in this tree. Then it all came flooding back.

"Great. I just screwed myself. They are gonna kill me if they find out that I spent the night in a tree in the Forbidden Forest."

What to do now. I was already in big trouble all because I had to avoid any questioning at all costs. I had no choice but to go back to the castle and act like nothing happened.

I went up to Gryffindor tower. It was empty. One quick glance at the clock told me that I had missed my first class of the day and was late for Potions. Wonderful, not only was I late to the class of the most hated man (not including Voldemort) in Gryffindor house, but also one of the teachers that was out looking for me yesterday. Well, I reasoned with myself, I should at least look decent so they won't know where I was. And if they do ask I'll think of something on the spot.

On the way to the dungeons I saw Peeves. He was laughing about something. Probably some poor first year got detention. He said some stuff to me, but I never listened when the poltergeist talked. Then I reached the door to the potion's classroom. I was so scared as I turned the handle, but I knew I had to move fast. I looked at the lovely grime covered floors as I rushed for a seat in the back of the class.

"And where have you been Miss Dumbledore? You are twenty minutes late. You should also know that I had a grand total of three hours worth of sleep last night because I spent the remainder of the evening searching for you." His voice was so cold and it sounded like he was really pissed off.

Damn and I was half way there. I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at me, including Malfoy. He had a big smirk on his face. Along with all the other Slytherins, he looked like he was really enjoying the fact that I was in so much trouble.

"I slept in," I said. That was half of the truth anyway.

"Yes, but we shall have to talk after class about your midnight walk. Now have a seat and 50 points from Gryffindor for being 30 minutes late." He resumed looking at his desk.

I was so mad. Who the hell did he think he was? Granted he was a teacher, but still that was a large amount of points he took from us. I also knew that Professor McGonagall was going to take points off later as soon as she had me for class. So while I was reasoning in my head I stared with my mouth wide open at Snape. The Syltherins were chuckling now.

"Yes Miss Dumbledore is there a problem?" said Snape.

"Yeah! Why are you taking house points? That's penalizing the whole house! They didn't even do anything!" I was shouting now, "Why can't you just give me detention like a regular teacher would! Why do you always have to take house points? You are a teacher, you aren't suppose to be biased on these inter-house competition."

"Are you through at yelling at me yet?" he said.

"Yeah, but that's because if I said the rest of what I was thinking I would probably be expelled." When I said this some people actually dared to go "oooo". This was responded by a glare from Snape.

"Miss Dumbledore if you do want your wish to come true then by all means go ahead and scream, although you should know that the punishment stands. Oh, and if you want to have a good grade for the day I suggest you get to work on your potion, the directions are on the board."

Things just kept getting better and better.
"The Headmaster would like to see you as soon as possible. Now I think I have the right to know where you were all night, seeing as I was out looking for you." Said Snape.

He could ask all the questions he liked, but it didn't mean I would answer truthfully, or at all.

"No, fine then you can tell me on the way to the Headmaster's office. Please refrain from lying. I should warn you that both the Headmaster and I are very able Occulmists, so we do know when we are being lied to. I will walk you to the Headmaster."

"What don't you trust me?" I said smiling.

"I believe you are intelligent enough to know the answer to that." with that said he opened the dungeon door and led the way to my grandfather's office.

Once we reached the stone gargoyle Snape said, "Pumpkin juice" and the gargoyle jumped aside. When we reached the door Snape knocked.

"Come in" came the serene voice of my grandfather. Snape opened the door. He pushed me in first. I stumbled as I clumsily entered. I saw my grandfather sitting at his desk and Professor McGonagall standing to the right of him.

"Please sit down Lydia." he said while motioning to a chair in front of his desk.

I did as I was told and noticed that Snape just hung around in the back. I assumed he would stay to listen what would be said.

"Well I will assume that you will not speak first, even though there is a lot that we must discuss. Let us start from the beginning. Where were you when the feast was being held."

"I had a stomach ache. I was resting in the bathroom. I was too sick to be hungry."

"You did not have breakfast this morning either. Are you hungry now?" he said this with concern. I did my best to stare at the lovely carpet that he had. It was blue and felt springy when you walked.

"No, thank you." Professor McGonagall and Snape were silent. "Well I'm sure Professor Snape told you that he found me in the bathroom on the second floor. I told him I was ill and then I went to go to see Madame Pomfrey."

"Yes from there I heard you went up to your dormitory to sleep. Which then brings us up to a second topic. Now you may speak to me as a grandfather and not as a headmaster. I can assure you that if you had a bad nightmare as what was said, then you should come and tell either me or your head of house."

Now I looked at him. He looked sad and worried. "I won't say it was nothing, but I can't really remember it now. The thing is that this summer I had an obsession with horror films. Every once in a while I might dream about it, but I swear that this was the first time I had an episode over something." Okay, so I lied, but they wouldn't find out.

"Professor Snape what do you think?" he asked.

"Unless she is an expert Occulmist, I believe she is telling the truth. Has she had any lessons before?" replied Snape.

"I can't detect if she is lying either. No she has never had lessons before. If she had her mother would have notified me. She always had hoped I would teacher her." thanks grandfather for speaking for me. Ignore me. Ask yourself the questions and then answer them for me. It would definitely speed things up.

"Yeah, well it was a scary nightmare and I panicked so I left the tower. I went to hide in a bathroom and spent the night there." I had to speed things up, get this all over with. Although one thing did bother me, why couldn't they tell that I was lying?

"Is there anything else you would like to say to us. Such as which bathroom were you hiding in because all the bathrooms were searched, and you were not in any of them." he removed his glasses and wiped them, then he sighed. "You are not going to speak any further are you?" he looked at me when he said that.

"No"

"I will make you a deal. If you accept you punishment quietly, then you will not have to explain anything at all."

"Sure, no problem." I said, it sounded easier than talking. What a relief.

"You did not let me finish. Should this ever happen again, and I have a feeling it will, you will come straight to me instead of running off. What ever frightened you can be dealt with, you just have to come and ask for help." now he stood up, walked around his desk and held his hand out to me as he said, "Now do we have an agreement?"

What else could I do? I didn't want help from anybody. I didn't need it. I shook his hand.

"Now your punishment will be very severe, seeing as you broke many school rules. Three weeks detention, fifty house points from Gryffindor, and Professor Snape asked personally for your help, three weeks of assisting Snape with his potion making. I believe some other students already help him with that, but he says he needs more." said my grandfather.

"Normally it counts as extra credit work, but seeing as I lost time searching for you I think that will make up for it." said Snape. Stupid bastard.

"Your house will find out about thenumber of points lost, that you have caused it, and you will be the one to tell them about it. You may do it tonight after dinner." said McGonagall.

"Okay," very lame I know, but what else could I have said.

"Very well now it is time for lunch." after my grandfather said that he stood up and motioned for all of us to leave.
I didn't go to lunch. I went up to my room. When I got there I knelt down by my trunk and pulled out my little journal and my knife. I had a little private place at the far end of the castle near the end of the lake. As I walked down there I saw a tide of students making there way to the Great Hall. Out the great front doors I walked absorbed in my own thoughts. Maybe if I wasn't so pensive I would have noticed the person following me. When was only a few yards way from my place I heard a voice in my head.

Where could she be wondering off too?

I gasped, then turned around. I saw that Malfoy had been following me while I had walked outside. As soon as he realized that I saw him he turned around and ran. That asshole had been following me! And what was that voice that I had heard in my head?

Oh well, I curled in a shady spot with my journal and my knife.
OK yes I am aware that was no the best chapter. I didn't make the conference to long w/ details b/c I didn't think they were that important to the story. I've been very busy lately w/ stuff so I am sorry that it took so long to update. Chapter 5 is in the works. I want to post it by next week. I'm going to change my summery and maybe even the title. I also want to change the genre b/c it is so many things. I don't know if I want a romance btw Malfoy and Lydia, but I am open to suggetions. If there is anything that you find wrong, or you just don't like it then let me know. The rating is staying a R b/c I will put alot of languege, and maybe buring or cutting.

Thank you to killrgcriotgirl and Queen of Serpents for being the best reviwers.