Hello, my two lovely reviewers! I'm going to go back and add an authors note to every chapter as well as a dedication at the beginning, but I just haven't had time. Just wanted to give you a heads-up that things get much more interesting from here on in, so have fun. I'm sorry the chapters are so long, but I've tried to make it worth the read. As a point of interest, Disenchanted and this fic are connected, I'll let you figure out how... :) They can be read separately however and the events of Disenchanted are not vital to the understanding of SCK(which I feel like is better written, but whatever). Anyhow, that doesn't matter I'm rambling. Enjoy this chapter!
A few days later, I was still in a rage about the whole thing. The scales and the hissing had eventually worn off, as had the fangs and the urge to sway back and forth while angered. Cedric's hair had almost resumed its normal colour, but we still weren't speaking to one another. Fred and George had been delighted by the whole fight, not to mention what we'd done to each other. However, in an attempt to be repentant, they offered to send him a skiving snack box tester for Christmas, an offer I quickly declined. The snack boxes were a work in progress, and as angry as I was, I wasn't quite ready to permanently maim Cedric.
"DAMN it ALL, FRED!!" I shouted, spitting out a mouthful of feathers and glaring at him. "What was in that pastry?"
"Hmm, never tried these on blonde's, but you look good with golden feathers. Everyone else turned into a canary, but you look more like a goldfinch. Huh, Oi, George!" He called over his shoulder as I brushed the golden feathers off my arms angrily. The entire class was in hysteric's as we filed out of McGonagall's room.
"Very sexy." Eli grinned at me, pulling feather out of my hair.
"Give me one of those things!" Alex snatched a custard from George's hand and shoved it in his mouth, chewing vigorously.
"Canary Creams! Unless you happen to be a freak and turn into a goldfinch, like Fin here." I groaned and threw up my hands in disgust, some stray feathers fluttering to the ground as I molted. George threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned at me.
"Come on, you have to admit that was pretty funny. Care for a jam tart?"
"Will I turn into a lizard?"
"No, these ones are fine, promise." There was a squawk as Alex burst into feathers behind me. I took a jam tart and bit into it cautiously, the tangy raspberry jam sweet on my tongue.
"Hey, where's Cedric?" Terry Boot asked, turning the tart to ash in my mouth. It almost hurt to swallow. Valerie made a strangled sound and looked over at me.
"What?!" I snapped angrily, throwing the rest of my tart at her. She ducked and it hit a passing Slytherin in the face. The girl turned and, wiping the jam off her cheek, flashed me a very rude hand gesture.
"Yeah, you just keep walking!" I snarled at her, my teeth clenched in frustration.
"Was it something I said?" Terry looked up at me innocently, blinking his huge, bright blue eyes. I made an annoyed sound and glared down at him, my patience at an end.
"Remember how I said that one of these days, I was going to go on a random hexing spree against the younger classmen? Today is that day-" He was gone faster then you could say 'duck' and I smiled after his retreating back, turning down the hall that lead to potions. Listening to Snape make the Hufflepuff's lives misery would help my state of mind considerably…
"Hey, we've got to learn the waltz with Flitwick now, remember?" Valerie caught my shoulder and dragged me in the opposite direction.
"What-? Oh right, the Yule ball." I followed her in the other direction, sighing.
"Hey," Val asked gently, prodding my shoulder. "Hey, Fin. Easy, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing…so, have you got a date?" I asked brightly, trying to look happy for her sake. She beamed at me and shook her head.
"You know I wouldn't want to go unless I had a really hot date. You know how I cant stand dances…but you, you usually like them, what's up?" She pressed urgently, poking me in the stomach.
"Who's this date?" I changed the subject, grinning at her. I saw the two needs in her brain waging war against each other: The almost pathological need to figure out what was bothering me and the equally as frantic need to divulge the identity of her boyfriend. I had no doubt which need would win.
"I can't tell you who he is!" She laughed, full of excitement.
"Wow, this guy must be something."
"A Durmstrang something…" She whispered under her breath.
"Durmstrang? I thought you had a thing for Davies-"
"SHUSH!! You're supposed to use his nickname!" She chastised, glancing around furtively and smacking me.
"Ow! How the hell am I supposed to remember his nickname when it's- "
"Broomstick."
"That doesn't make any sense! I mean, why do we call him--" She had this weird half smile on her face and my stomach flipped in disgust as I realized. "Eew. That was really, really nasty. I didn't need that kind of visual. He's my Quidditch captain-"
"Hey, look! That's where we're supposed to be meeting! C'mon!" We rushed down the hall and entered the room just as the door was closing on Alicia Spinnett.
"Ah! Perfect timing! O'Brien, over here if you please!" Professor Flitwick called and I darted through the crowd."Yes, Professor?" I asked warily.
"Now, if I'm not mistaken, Amos Diggory told me you and your brother-"
"Cedric." I corrected automatically. His face fell for a moment and he frowned.
"Well, yes, of course, Cedric. That you both had a certain aptitude for dancing. Is that right?" He smiled up at me from the crates upon which he stood. I glanced around, frightened someone might pounce on me at any moment.
"Yes." I said, trying to figure out what he was getting at.
"Well, then you can help us, the both of you." He clapped his hands together and before I could object, beckoned Ced down from the benches set up around the room.
"But…I-!" Gritting my teeth I turned to see Ced leap lithely from the lowest bench, confident smile in place. He saw me and scowled, turning to Professor Flitwick.
"Yes, sir?"
"I was just asking your sister-"
"Findabhair." We said in unison, glaring at each other.
"-About your dancing talents, I am correct in assuming you can both perform the waltz?" He squeaked, looking between Cedric and I.
"Yes."
"Well, then! That settles it! You see, Professor Sprout and I were going to demonstrate. However, our height difference-"
"So what about Snape and McGonagall?" Cedric asked quickly, arms folded over his chest. His comment stung me, as did his reluctance. Flitwick seemed to hesitate for a moment, maybe perceiving the tension between us.
"Well, they thought it would be best if two students demonstrated. The two of you draw more attention-" I was going to have to disagree with him there. I'd have been riveted if I could see Snape and McGonagall being forced to dance with one another. Just waiting for them to hex each other's brains out…it would have been fascinating. "So, if you please-"
We stared stonily at one another and I unfolded my arms and held out a hand to him with a weary sigh. At the same time as being utterly disgusted by him, I felt a strange thrill when he took my hand and pulled me closer. He stared down at me, poker-faced as I set my hands on his shoulder. The tips of his bangs were still florescent pink and I snickered softly under my breath; dislodging a small, yellowish feather from my hair.
"-very good." Flitwick was saying something in the background. "Now, O'Brien and Diggory will demonstrate the waltz for you. Take her waist." He urged Ced, who did so with a slightly exasperated look on his face. Professor Sprout set the needle to an old-fashioned record player and it began to play(of all the horrible tunes it could have chosen, it picked the worst.) 'A Cauldron Full of Strong, Hot Love'. Ced and I snorted simultaneously and our classmates started to laugh loudly.
"So," I began quietly, not having forgotten his comment about Snape and McGonagall. "Glad to see you're still pink."
"Got a hold of a Canary Cream, did you?" He took huge strides as we waltzed around the hall. "You fixed the sssscale problem, too, it looksss like."
"Have you asked that harpy out to the dance yet? Whoever she is?" I hissed, grinding my teeth and changing the subject.
"No, I haven't. But I heard that Goyle was looking for you…huh, there he is now, leering." I winced and steered us so that Flitwick couldn't see before stomping on his foot. He gasped a little and glared at me, taking a huge step forward so I had to compensate.
"Valerie and I were discussing it today," I mused. "We were thinking it was probably someone like Millicent Bullstrode, or maybe Eloise Midgen. Figured they were the only two you'd have enough courage to ask, you know?"
"You've been talking to Valerie about it?!" He paled, and almost forgot to take a step back for my step forward.
"Why not? She doesn't gossip…much." I grinned up at him angelically. 'Much' was a dramatization, Valerie never gossiped, especially if it was something I had confided to her. He had no reason to worry.
"Who else have you told?" He glared at me, teeth clenched.
"Oh, I dunno…why's it matter? If you just told me who she was, I could ask her for y-"
"No! I want to do it myself."
"Why?" I asked as he moved his other hand to my waist and picked me up. A strange warmth blossomed in my stomach and I tried to quash it as he set me back down. It struck me then, just how incredibly good-looking he was. Gorgeous, in fact. There wasn't a single other boy here who could compete with him.
"Because I'd feel like a dolt if you did it for me. I want it to be special, I think I really like her." He looked excited as he said it, his lips twitching at the corners as his happiness shown out from behind the scowl.
"I forgive you for being an idiot." I blurted before I could consider the thought fully. He blinked at me in surprise as the song came to an end, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.
"Well, okay then…I'm sorry I was a git. And I forgive you for not being more…understanding." I wanted to disagree, but in favor of keeping the uncomfortable truce, I smiled and nodded.
"Marvelous!" Flitwick gushed enthusiastically as Ced and I returned to the benches, his to the right with the rest of the boys and I to the girls on the left. "Now, the rest of you! Pair up! Quickly, now!"
With a mixed echo of groans and giggles, everyone stood up to find a partner. Snape and McGonagall stalked around, making sure we were partnering up girl boy. I sighed and stood, seeing Ernie Macmillan searching desperately for a partner in the middle of the floor.
"Hey, Ern?" I called, grabbing Susan Bones by her ponytail and dragging her around so she faced him, ignoring her protests and shoving her into him. There, my good deed done for the day, I went to return to my seat.
"Oh no, you don't, O'Brien." McGonagall caught me by the arm.
"But Professor, I just-"
"Wood?" She called shrilly and Oliver stood up with a sigh. She handed him my elbow with an expression of relief and bent to whisper to me out of the corner of her mouth:
"Good luck." She straightened and stalked off to catch Fred and George, who were trying to sneak off unnoticed amid the crowd.
"Hey, Oliver." I grinned and removed my elbow from his grasp, holding out my hand and wiggling my fingers. "Why the long face, kiddo?"
" I can't dance."
"That's okay, it's really all about who's steering. That's usually the guy, but we'll make an exception for you." I laughed and spun him around.
"Woot." He muttered unenthusiastically. "I'm going to step on your feet."
"You'll be fine, it's easy as Quidditch." I laughed and took his shoulders, stretching a little. He was a little taller than Cedric so I had to get closer to him in order to reach. He set his hands around my-
"Okay! Right idea, but you're a little low! That's not my waist, Oliver." I repositioned him so that his fingers gripped a little above my hips.
"Oh! Sorry, Fin!" He winced and went pink with embarrassment.
"Don't worry." I laughed at his scowl.
"Remind me when I have to pick you up." He assumed a look of boredom as we started to dance.
"Oh. Ouch! Hey…oh!" He did step on my feet…a lot.
"I'm sorry." He winced and gave me a desperate look.
"It's okay, Oliver. Just let me show you…step forward as I step back….good…back!" I stepped forward and smacked into his solid chest as he tried to bunny hop away from my feet. He swore and we turned sharply to avoid Valerie and Summerby who were whirling about vigorously.
"Okay, you can pick me up now--AAH!!" I yelped as he dropped me and I landed hard on my feet before losing my balance and falling on my bum. Ow. The soles of my feet ached as he scooped me back up.
"Ow! Oliver, easy. That really hurt…" I rubbed the small of my back. I heard him muttering something about quaffles being easier to handle under his breath and ignored it. Mercifully, the song came to the end less then a minute later, coming to a close with a grand finale when(unmercifully) Oliver tripped over his own feet and fell on me. I cracked my head on the stone floor and gasped for breath.
"FIN!! Oh Merlin, I killed her!" Oliver moaned, kneeling over me.
"And, to add insult to injury, you goosed her, too." George cackled manically.
"Your sitting on my lungs!" I groaned, shoving him off. Roger rushed over to my side and helped lift Wood off me, glaring at him.
"I don't remember giving you permission to dry hump my chaser, Wood."
"Shove off, Davies." Fred snapped from across the hall. "He fell on her."
"As a member of Ravenclaw house, I reserve exclusive rights to any pelvic thrusting-"
"Shut up, Roger." I coughed, dragging myself to my feet.
"Fin." Oliver smothered me in a hug, stroking my hair. Okay, that was weird.
"Oliver, I forgive you." I murmured into his chest, the smell of his cologne so strong it was burning my nose. "Your suffocating me." I squirmed away under his arm and looked around.
"You got the better end of the stick, Fin. Look who Ced's trying to get away from…I almost pity him." George snickered and I turned to see Ced grappling with a Slytherin girl who had wrapped her arms so tightly around his waist he had no hope of getting away. Something flared sickeningly in my stomach, a spark of rage….and oddly enough, jealousy. The sudden, strong, uncontrollable emotions lashed through me and I raised my wand: "Relashio!" The spell whipped from the tip of my wand and hit her square in the back of her head and she let go with a squeal. It was so strong it knocked her back a step and I shoved my wand back in my bag as Ced looked up to search for his savior.
"Fin, you look like your going to kill-"
"Get out of my way!" I snarled, shouldering my bag and shoving past George and out the door.
I was still brooding about the whole fiasco when lunchtime came, the headache I'd gotten from Oliver flattening me a constant reminder of the jealous outburst.
"You know, the pheasants already dead, you don't have stab it like that." Luna stared at me with her googly eyes. I whipped my head around and glared at her.
"I'm not trying to kill the pheasant, I'm killing Nargals." I hissed viciously, shoveling forkfuls into my mouth. Valerie snorted into her Yorkshire pudding.
"My, you're grumpy today." Luna admonished lightly, taking a sip of pumpkin juice from her goblet. If I hadn't known her well enough, I'd have thought she was mocking me. Before I could reply, something flew and hit me right on the bruised part of my head.
"Heads up." Val said belatedly as I swore so loudly several people turned to gawk.
"What are you looking at?" I snapped angrily and they looked away. "What hit me?"
"This," Luna said, holding up a parchment airplane. I took it from her and unfolded it carefully. Inside it read:
We heard you could really dance, not just the waltz, either. Care to show the school a few moves? Room of Requirement? Just before Filch makes his rounds? Right your answer and send it back.
F&G
"What's it say?" Luna asked, arranging her lunch into a mosaic.
"Ahem," Val tried to peer at the words over my shoulder, balancing her elbow precariously on a pitcher of pumpkin juice so she could lean over the table. I shrugged away from her unconsciously, eyes on the letter.
"They want me to teach the older classmen to dance." I murmured quietly, fishing a quill out of my bag to write a reply.
"Who?"
"Fred and George, of course." Val rolled her eyes. "Hey…"
"Hmm?" I dipped the tip of the quill in a small bottle of ink and set it to the paper.
"Hey!" Valerie snatched my wrist and shook it, an anxious look on her face. "They used the wrong write!"
"So? It's Fred and George."
"So, fix it!"
"Why?" I asked, tacking on a sentence at the beginning:
You used the wrong right. Describe what you mean by 'the school'. And I can't show you how to dance if I haven't got an equally as competent partner. I only know the girls moves.
~Fox.
I signed it and enchanted it with my wand, shooting it across the gap between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables at ground level, so it was less likely the teachers would get a hold of it. I saw them read what I'd wrote and grin to each other, slapping high-fives as they wrote back.
Just a few friends, you can trust us. As for a partner, doesn't Pretty Boy Hufflepuff know the guys moves, you could both teach us.
I winced and reread the letter. Cedric certainly did know those moves, and I should probably just get over it and dance with him. In fact, some part of me yearned desperately to dance with him. It was so strong it was an ache in my chest, persistent and throbbing. I was lost for a too brief moment in a fantasy: Dancing across the floor with Cedric, wearing a beautiful white dress and having him stare into my eyes like I was the only thing that had ever mattered in the entire world…I sucked in a breath and reigned in my over-active imagination. I could not think of those things, the things that would never be.
By agreeing to dance with Ced was like agreeing to rip out my heart so everyone could stomp on it. To cause immeasurable pain to my psyche by letting it fantasize about impossibilities. I took my quill and wrote back my reply, feeling the entire time like I was writing away my soul:
Okay, but ask Ced for me. Make sure it's okay with him. Meet you in the Room of Requirement at 8:00.
I sent the note back with a sigh of defeat, not even bothering to watch their reaction to the news. It would be happy, at least I could make someone smile these days. I played with the food on my plate, chasing a piece of broccoli around the rim. What was I going to do? The Yule ball was in two days and still, no boy had even approached me.
"They're all scared of you, Fin." Ced had told me once when I bemoaned my lack of relationship history.
"Scared of me?"
"Yeah…I'd be terrified you'd bite my head off, and I know you."
"But, why?"
"Sometimes you get this look in your eye, I can't describe it, really. It's what makes boys like you in the first place, but scares the hell out of them to ask you out. Don't worry, one of these days there'll be a boy worthy of your attentions."
"Hey, you look like somebody beat you at Quidditch. Chin up." Val, pointed her fork at me and spoke through her mouthful.
I groaned and resisted the urge to take the butter knife and stab myself in the stomach with it. A note smacked me in the forehead and I winced and fished it out of the salad bowl, unfolding it wearily.
8:00? Do you know who they're inviting to this?
I grimaced ruefully, Ced didn't have to sign his name for me to recognize his handwriting. And luckily, written notes didn't have the kind of resentful tone face to face confrontations had. He had, however sent the letter rather forcefully. I glanced up at him, sitting there with the populars. He looked calm and at ease, smiling even. Were we forgiving each other now, or what?
8:00's the plan. I don't know, they wont tell me. We're getting a reputation though, and we don't even dance.
Compared to this bunch, we're dancers. So, why are you doing it?
For fun, I guess.
I didn't really know why I was doing this, but I was. Then again, what did I really have to do tonight anyway, apart from mountains of homework? Okay, what a lie. I wanted an excuse to dance with Ced without it looking awkward and without us glaring daggers at one another.
Has anyone asked you to the Yule ball yet?
My heart did something funny as I read the words and I clawed at it through my chest, trying to stop it's queer twisting. I wish you would. The thought leapt unbidden to my mind and I had trouble thinking of what to say back. Finally, I settled on one word:
No.
I was abnormally anxious as I waited for his reply, and I kept forgetting to breathe. Why was he asking me that? Probably just curious. Of course he was just curious. I bit my tongue and kicked myself in the shins, punishing myself for letting my imagination run away with me again. But I would have had to bite through my tongue to have even competed with the pain in my heart.
No? Your kidding, no offers at all? Come on, I want to know. REALLY.
I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Ugh. I would be the one girl without a date. How depressing. No one had asked me, that was the really sad thing. And Valerie, who I'd always kind of counted on, had a date. I looked up at her. She was happily digging away at what looked like a stack of waffles, drizzling them with every kind of condiment known to both muggle and magic kind. Oblivious of my inner turmoil in her waffle quest. Good for her, I should have the stupid, immature teenage part of my nature in better check. I shouldn't have to lean on her, not unless I really needed it.
Luna was sitting on my left, rolling her spaghetti onto her fork. She looked up and saw me watching her and smiled, her huge eyes taking on a deep look. And on the strangest level, I felt like she understood me in her own way. Anastsia and Olympia were blathering away at light speed about a new muggle phenomenon called manga. Danica was pensively studying her Arithmancy and nibbling at a cracker, normal as ever. No, I couldn't bother them about it now.
Jedda was studying for potions, a blank, expressionless look on her face. She flipped a couple of pages and took a sip of the coffee she'd learned to brew for herself, dark and thick and loaded with way too much caffeine. Maybe I could tell her about my problems, after all, it wasn't like I would be ruining her good mood. But then again, Jedda would just give me a snarky answer to a stupid question. As I watched her, she looked up and gave me her long-suffering day-of-the-living-dead look.
"What?" Her flat, uninterested voice told me everything I needed to know.
"Erm…nothing." I chickened out and returned to my pumpkin juice. Staring into my empty cup, I sighed. Seemed like Val was going to be the lucky one around Yule. I was happy for her, but at the same time, it made me feel inadequate. Why did life suck?
REALLY. No offers. NOT kidding.
(Why do you care, anyway?)
I added the last line hesitantly, feeling very bitchy after sending it. But it was kind of an insult, that he didn't believe me after I'd written it the first time. Or maybe he was just humoring me, maybe I was just really unattractive, maybe…The parchment plane bumped gently against my shin and floated up to land in my lap.
Of course I care, I'm your brother.
Brother!? My brother? He was NOT my brother. He was my foster sibling. I raised my fist and slammed it down hard against the tabletop, startling Terry Boot so badly he shrieked and fell backwards off the bench, upsetting a bowl of custard as he fell. Valerie started and made a loud sound of dismay as custard splattered over her waffles. Anastasia climbed Olympia's back and Danica wiped some yellow goop off her face with a cry. Jedda simply removed her potions book from the path of the rapidly spreading custard sea and continued to read, absolutely un-phased.
"What is your problem!? Twitchy!" I snapped viciously, glaring at Terry as he scrambled back into his seat. Valerie looked over at me and scowled slightly, raising an eyebrow. What the hell? Her expression said as she shrugged and dug into her custard covered waffles.
"God, Boot, your such a klutz." I snatched up the bowl before anymore of the thick dessert could spill out over the table top. Val made a mumbling sound through her mouthful that sounded disapproving. Forcing myself to be calm, I plunked back down on the bench and flicked my quill across the parchment so furiously ink splattered everywhere.
Whatever, I don't want to fight again.
Fight about what?
Fight about what? What do you think?! Sometimes, Cedric could be so perfectly obtuse. I was aware of all the eyes on me as I penned the two words:
Forget it.
I was thoroughly annoyed with myself for even talking about fighting, and his interrogation was starting to bug me. I wanted to scream at him: Why NOT me? WHY NOT?! Because he doesn't care, of course. I kicked myself again and ignored the note when it fell in the salad this time. I glared at it and mouthed the word 'no'. It shot up and tried to poke me again and I battered it away. The poking got more persistent and I finally had to grab it when it tried to wedge itself up my left nostril. So furious I nearly ripped the paper in half, I unfolded it and read the words written there:
I'm sorry, you're right. It's none of my business. See you tonight.~ The Great Prat
The Great Prat. It was one of my favorite nicknames for him when he was being an idiot. I instantly felt a horrible twinge of guilt for being so angry. I heard Terry sigh across from me, his spoon clinking against his bowl. I picked up a napkin and held it out to him without looking up to meet his eyes.
"Um, thanks." He took it from my hand and I nodded, fighting back the wave of bleak emotion that was threatening to crush me.
Sorry.~ The Bipolar Ravenclaw
~*~
"This is not just a few friends, this is the entire year." I hissed at the twins as they greeted kids coming through the doors.
"Well, what can I say, Findabhair? Word got around…" Fred laughed as I stormed off to stand by Cedric. Oliver slunk in last, looking around the room of requirement with a hopeless expression on his face.
"It's going to be a long night." Cedric whispered in my ear as he saw him.
"You get to teach him the guys moves, because I always screw them up. Show him how to pick someone up without dropping them…please." I mumbled, glad when Cedric chuckled a little at my sort of humorous rendition of the truth.
"Right, so! Listen up, you lot!" Fred shouted over the excited murmurings.
"You know, it's a good thing Dad got us used to being the center of attention at a young age." Ced whispered out of the corner of his smile.
"Yeah," I returned his grin. "Otherwise, we'd never survive."
"So, who wants to learn some real dancing?!" The crowd bellowed and shouted their encouragement.
"Hey! I've got a question!" Zacharias Smith shouted over the rooley-booley .
"Yeah?" I called, curious.
"Got a date to the ball yet, Fox?"
"No, she doesn't." Cedric called before I could answer. "You asking, Smith?"
"No, of course he isn't asking." I said loudly, feeling horrible for letting him down but at the same time relieved. I couldn't go with Smith, no matter how lonely I'd be. Better to suffer and endure then to force myself to date someone I didn't really like. Ced shot me a confused look and I changed the subject. "Right, guys! Let's do this! Somebody tune in to the WW Network, turn it to something with a beat." Fred and George cheered and searched about for a song as I stretched with Ced.
"Celebrity status, all in one year." I muttered to him, trying to touch my toes.
"Triwizard Champion." He snorted under his breath, arching his back so the vertebrae popped.
"This really is silly, I mean we don't even dance. If your Mum hadn't forced us to go to those lessons with the muggles, we wouldn't even know how. Why did we have to go, again?" Cedric started to laugh and cracked his knuckles.
"The neighbors got suspicious when they saw we weren't doing any extracurricular activities with their kids."
"Oh yeah, didn't you have to take piano?" I snickered, he'd actually really liked the instrument but felt kind of embarrassed admitting it.
"You took violin." He reminded me. "But at least we took dance together, and the swim team."
"Yeah, because Amos went overboard." I rolled my eyes and slid down into a split. Ced looked at me incredulously.
"You can still do that?"
"Yeah," I blushed a little at his impressed tone of voice and stood up.
"WHOOP!" The song was a Weird Sisters composition, 'Bewitching'.
"OH! HA haha!" Someone wolf whistled and I laughed, flashing them a rude sign over my shoulder.
"Let's jive, turkey!" Val shouted loudly, "Woot!"
"What?" As a whole, we all turned to stare at her.
"You know…like 'jive'? Dance? Aw, forget it! You guys are so…whatever. Freaks." She muttered under her breath, sitting back down. Strangely enough, it wasn't embarrassing to be dancing with Cedric like this, it was thrilling. I held out my hand and he spun me, whipping me around to catch me.
"Easy and don't drop me!" I reminded him, having come within just inches of hitting the floor. He laughed and spun me back around, catching me on the other side.
"I'll never drop you." He whispered in my ear. Something about the way he said it caused an unfamiliar explosion of feeling to chase itself around the pit of my stomach.
"Yeah, right." I muttered sarcastically, trying to cover up the shudder of delight that his words had triggered. He laughed, picking me up and setting me on his shoulders, so I could address the others. That strange thrill chased through my stomach again and I sucked in a breath. Stop it! I commanded myself and recovered.
"Alright, so dancing. We're not experts, but we'll tell you what you need to know. Girls over here," I pointed, setting my hands on Ced's shoulders and using him as a springboard to jump off of. "Blokes over there." I waved my hand lazily in Ced's direction.
"First, some basic moves-" And then it began, a detailed instruction on one dance after another, step by step. Cedric and I had to pair up occasionally to show them moves which involved partners, each time he touched me, it was like the air had been charged with a wild electricity. Stupid, really. I mean it wasn't like I'd never danced with him before, but all those times it had never been so serious, I guess.
"Come on, you! Try it by yourselves!" We went around and corrected the faults as best we could, laughing the entire time. I would later look back on it as one of the most enjoyable experiences of my entire time at Hogwarts. I danced with a couple of boys who were still having trouble with the moves yet somehow miraculously figured it out as soon as I came by to teach them.
"Fin?" Cedric called from where he and Ernie were tutoring Oliver.
"Yeah?" I replied, supporting Alicia's weight so that Summerby wouldn't drop her. He beckoned me over and I made sure she was safely on her feet before coming over. "Mm?"
"Have a dance?" Ced asked, gesturing to Oliver, who grinned sheepishly at me.
"Sure!" Oh boy. Here we go again.
Oliver took my hand and, to my surprise, we glided across the floor. It wasn't effortless, but it wasn't as painful as I'd expected. He took my waist, picking me up and set me back down again lightly, never missing a beat. I grinned back at him and winked as the song ended."I'm impressed." I laughed, "Miracles really do happen, don't they?"
"I guess so." Oliver chuckled, looking down at me with a fond expression. It was almost too sweet, too gentle a smile.
"Olive?" I prompted.
"Yeah?"
"You haven't eaten anything from Fred and George lately, right?"
"No, of course not. Why?" His voice was so soft. I took my hand from his shoulders and snapped my fingers in his face, startling him.
"Because you look like you've achieved Nirvana." I said, rolling my eyes.
"Huh?"
"That's better." I laughed and let him spin me in a lazy circle. I could see Cedric out of the corner of my eye, pacing restlessly from pair to pair and correcting mistakes. When he thought I wasn't looking, he'd cast me a furtive glance. Weird. Ernie was also acting a little funny, staring at Oliver and I, an unfathomable expression on his face. It was halfway between a worried scowl and a small smile.
"Findabhair, you haven't gotten a date yet, have you?" Oliver asked me suddenly, his expression eager.
"Nope," I giggled with a hesitancy that could easily have been mistaken for nervousness rather then a worry about whatever it was that was eating Ernie and Ced. "Too much of a troll, I guess."
"Who said that?" He snapped, almost forgetting to take a step back. He looked outraged by the suggestion.
"I did." I said, surprised.
"You shouldn't say that about yourself, Fin. Your witty and attractive and I'd kill anyone who told you otherwise." The strength of the emotion in his voice was frightening. The song drew to a close and I pulled away from him.
"Uh, thanks."
"But no, I really want to know…" He started, gripping my wrist tightly.
"Hey," Ernie called, interrupting Oliver and tuning in to a song with one of the fastest beats I'd ever heard. Cedric was whispering something in Ern's ear and he was grinning his head off. "Anyone who can keep up with Fin takes her to the Yule Ball!!" He shouted.
"What?!" I gasped. My exclamations and objections were drowned out by the catcalls and screams of approval. Fred stepped out and swept into a low bow, holding out a hand to me.
"Let's do this." I took his hand and whipped him around behind me, whirling like a dervish. The music pounded in my ears as we waltzed across the floor. I threw back my head and laughed, dancing free of any inhibitions. He couldn't take more then one song. Gasping and sweating, he grinned breathlessly at me.
"Sorry, Fred. Too slow." I laughed and shoved him back, dazed. Zacharias Smith was next. He stumbled halfway through his first song and fell. Roger, grinning his idiot head off, stepped forward to take my hand. I bit my lip, uh-oh. Part of our training regiment for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team was something along these lines.
"Let's see what you've got, Roger." I danced faster than I had with the others, trying to keep my confidence as he kept pace easily for the first couple of songs. The fifth song was a wildly seductive beat, thumping and continuous.
"So…Foxy Darling, can you keep up with me?" He asked, his dark eyes catching mine as we swayed like a pair of serpents.
"Easily." I laughed breathlessly, and dodged his foot as it danced out to trip me. He grabbed my waist and pulled me in closer. I heard some 'oohs' from the crowd behind us and groaned. Best to put an end to Roger before he went off into an impromptu striptease. I was going to have to pull a new move. I spun behind his back unexpectedly, twisting his arm back. Eager to keep time with me he turned the wrong way and I had to let go of his hand to avoid hurting him.
"Damn." He breathed amid the laughter and smiled down at me. "I just wanted to prove that I could beat you, I've already got a date."
"Like I'd take you even if you won." I teased, beaming at him to let him know I was kidding.
"You're so sweet, Findabhair." He muttered, rolling his eyes but still keeping his patient smile.
"So, who'd dare risk their reputation by taking you to a social event?" I laughed, hopping up on my tip toes to give him a peck on the cheek for a game well-played. It took an inordinate amount of effort from my already taxed muscles.
"Fleur Delacour, actually." He crowed proudly, laughing at my stunned expression.
"Lucky you, huh?" I laughed and patted him on the back as he trudged wearily back to the stands. Justin Finch-Fletchley couldn't even manage to beat me when I was exhausted, collapsing to the floor at my feet and gasping. I sucked in massive breaths through the sporadic laughter and slapped him an exhausted high five.
"Well, can none of you keep up!?" I laughed weakly, coughing a little.
"Fin?" I turned to see Oliver hop down from the stands, a determined look on his face. It was a good thing it was Oliver, so at least I wouldn't have to struggle. I could last one more dance.
"Last one," I panted. "The rest of you…just ask."
I took Oliver's hand and the music started up for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He was actually keeping up pretty well, Ced really had worked miracles with him. I wondered briefly if he'd used a spell to--my legs did something funny and disorientation clouded my brain. I yelped and tripped over my feet, throwing my hands out to catch my fall. Arms locked around my chest and caught me before I hit the ground.
"Is she okay?" I heard someone ask as Oliver set me back on my feet. I wobbled a little and clutched his shoulders, laughing into his chest and trying to catch my breath.
"I can't believe I'm saying this…But Wood wins!" George announced through his laughter. Maybe it was just post traumatic confusion, but George sounded…a bit too innocent. Oliver kept his arms locked around my shoulders and I panted with exertion, hands shaking.
"Are you alright?" Cedric held out his hands towards me, expression anxious. "I didn't think that would take so much out of you, I'm sorry…I'll take her, Wood."
"No, I've got her." Oliver surprised me, arms tightening around my shoulders. I tried to get my feet underneath me again but they refused to support my weight. I wanted Cedric to hold me up like this, not Oliver. I mean it was nice either way, but I wanted Cedric.
"It's okay, Oliver." I gasped, "Ced's got it."
Oliver reluctantly let me stagger over and cling to Ced like a drowning sailor to a life-preserver. I was laughing hysterically at the irony. Of all the boys out there who could dance, and who had nearly out-danced me, I got Oliver. In the strangest of ways, too. Like my brain had stopped working right for a couple of seconds, just long enough for me to lose it and trip.
"I'm sorry." Cedric apologized again as I tried to get my breath.
"No! No, it's okay…I feel…great!" I gasped and leaned into him, trying to stop laughing. The rest of the kids had started to slip quietly out the door in groups of two or three, hoping to lessen the likelihood of being caught by Filch on his second shift. I finally recovered enough to stand on my own and slow my breathing.
"Oliver…I can't believe it!" I laughed, holding out a hand to him in typical Quidditch fashion. "Good game!"
"Good game. Yeah, excellent. What I mean is, uh, you were great…um…yeah!" He tried to flash me one of those priceless grins and his lips trembled a little. I rolled my eyes.
"So, your taking me to the Ball, then? If you want to?" I asked uncertainly. What if he didn't want to take a loser like me to the ball? Maybe I would get stuck with Malfoy, after all that. The thought made me cringe.
"Really?" He looked surprised and overjoyed, like all of his Christmas's had arrived on the same day.
"Really really. that was part of the plan, according to Ernie." Ernie snorted from behind me and I flashed him a grin. "Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Earnest, I will take my revenge. Mark my words." I threatened, shaking a finger in his direction.
"Great!!" Oliver's reply was explosive and he hugged me again. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall then, for the dance, shall I?"
"Sounds good to me." I shrugged nonchalantly and caught a glimpse of my watch. My heart stopped. "Oh crap!"
"What?!" Ernie turned from his conversation with Cedric, eyes wide. Valerie, who had been pacing impatiently around behind Oliver, stopped in her tracks.
"It's two A.M.!!"
"So?" Ernie snorted, underestimating the seriousness of the situation drastically. The colour had drained from Cedric's face and he stared at me in horror.
"Filch is coming…" Oliver whipped around like the janitor might rush in through the door at any moment. Fred and George stared at each other and burst into hysterical laughter.
"It's not funny, you idiots! Oh why did I let you talk me into doing something illegal!? Before the Yule Ball! What if we get caught, what if-" I gasped angrily, swiping at them
"It's alright, Findabhair! Don't have a tiz…say, whose dormitory's the closest? We could even sleep here for the night, if we needed to." Fred asked, completely relaxed. I glared at him pointedly, if we all showed up to breakfast the next day wearing the same clothes, there were doubtless going to be questions.
"Our's." Ernie and Cedric said in unison.
"Hufflepuff it is, then." George replied merrily, as though that settled the matter.
"Don't joke, we can't do that!" I snarled back, desperate now.
"I'm not joking." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fin's right, we can't let you into our Common room." Ernie folded his arms over his chest as though that settled the matter. "It's just not right."
"Not right?" Oliver loomed over him, looking very threatening. "Not right?! I'll tell you what's not right, letting us get caught by Filch, you little Hufflepuff!""What's that supposed to mean, Gryffindor?" Cedric snapped back, staring Wood in the eye. The two were incredibly frightening in those few seconds, but they'd never been more attractive to me. Damn hormones.
"Oh, we're least likely to be caught if we go it on our own." Fred held out his hands in a careless gesture. "I mean, let's face it: George and I…well, we're us. And the Gryffindor Common Room's on the corridors Filch has already checked by now. Hufflepuff is a fair straight shot from here, down by the kitchens where Filch started. Despite the fact your lot wouldn't know the meaning of the word 'subtle' if it bit them in the bum. But Ravenclaw, well, the Astronomy tower's all the way on the western side of the castle, goes right by Filch's office. Thing of it is: it's the girls who are most likely to be caught."
There was sinking feeling in my stomach and I cast Val and anxious glance. She mouthed a swearword over and over again, pleading me to think of something. I had no ideas. Well, I had ideas, but they all sucked. I looked around at the tense expressions and sighed.
"We're going to have to try it on our own." I breathed, turning towards the door.
"Aw, bollocks!" Valerie whimpered, pulling at her hair.
"Are you sure, Fin?" Ced asked, a guilty expression on his face.
"Yeah, definitely. How would you explain it to your house that you let us in, anyway?" I sighed wearily.
"Exactly." Ernie pointed out triumphantly.
"Shut up, Macmillan, or your ass is grass!" Valerie snapped, glaring at him. In times of great stress, Valerie swore like no one I'd ever met. I had to agree with her on this, though. Ernie was being a twit. Val turned towards the door and started to hum a strangely familiar tune.
"What is that?" Oliver asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Mission Impossible. It's a muggle thing." She said curtly and continued to hum.
We crept out the door first, running alongside Oliver's gang. We waved to Ced and Ern as they dashed down the first set of stairs to our right, running furtively along through the shadows. We didn't talk much, but I could hear the faint strains of Val's 'Mission Impossible' behind me as she slunk around quietly.
"Alright, this is where we turn off. Are you sure you can make it? No one would complain if you spent the night on the Gryffindor couch." Fred whispered, looking back at us. As kind as his offer was, somebody would definitely mind a pair of Ravenclaws taking shelter in the 'cheaters' common room.
"I wouldn't complain." Oliver said hastily. Fred and George stared at him with matching disgusted expressions.
"Well?" George asked as his brother swatted Oliver in the chest contemptuously. I glanced around at Val who was nodding vigorously.
"I…we'll be okay." I said, trying to ignore the muffled swearing and groaning from Val. Oliver gave me a sort of desperate look then leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Hey! What the…oh. Night to you to, Wood."
" 'Night." And then they were off, dashing from shadow to shadow like wraiths. Well, noisy wraiths…
"OW! Damn it, Oliver! That was my foot!"
"Yeah, I know. It was in my way." The three silhouettes skirted the moonlit floor, the shorter pair stopping to wave at us as they turned off up a stairwell. Valerie giggled and gave me a smug look.
"What?" I whispered over her giggling. "What, Val?!"
"Oliver really likes you, you know."
"Huh, right. If it's not a broom, he's not interested in riding it." I took a deep breath and plunged into the darkened corridors and up the steps that lead to the fifth floor. Val tripped along behind me, shadowing my every step. I was turning the corner when it happened.
Val let out a shrill shriek as I ran right into a figure dodging out of Professor Moody's office. I yelped and fell back, yanking my wand out of my pocket. A stranger looked down at us, his gaunt face illuminated in the moonlight that filtered in eerie shapes through the stained glass windows. His tongue darted out of his mouth like a snakes and before I could think, he'd jerked his fist forward and punched me in the nose.
"OW!!"
"HAHA!" Valerie burst out laughing before she realized I was actually hurt. "Hey, Fin? Who was that? Come on, we've got to go before we're caught! Did he hit you? We've got to-"
"No, I'm fine! Come on!" I tugged her down the hallway, the home stretch, in fact. I could hear footsteps rushing up the stairs coming on our right…we'd never make it!
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" We skidded to a halt, face to face with Professor Moody. I would have rather tackled Filch any day then meet the extremely creepy Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The worst Filch could do was give us detention. Moody was a wildcard, he could do anything from let us off on a warning to turn us both into stoats. I liked life as a human. Valerie shrieked and turned to run in the other direction, jerking on my collar and choking me.
"AAH!"
"Stop, wait! OW!"
"Petrificus!"
"I'm so sorry, Professor. We got lost and-" Val blurted, her mouth the only movable part of her body.
"Shush! No excuses! I heard someone running around up here-why is your nose bleeding, O'Brien?"
"I- There was this man! He was in your office! He hit me and ran."
"In my office!?"
"Yes, sir." Please don't turn me into a stoat, please. Anything but that. Moody seemed to debate for a moment and then looked up.
"Run off back to your Common Room and don't let me find you out of your bed again, the both of you. I'll look into this 'man'. Probably just Peeves having a lark."
"But sir-"
"Bed with you!"
We didn't need to be told twice. We ran for it. It wasn't until we were safely in our dormitories did we contemplate the strangeness of the event.
"We're alive! Oh, that was so close! Holy crowe!" Val blathered excitedly, poking the underside of my bunk with her foot.
"Shut up." Jedda groaned, rolling over. I glared and kicked her bed, ignoring her continued swearing.
"I know, I thought we were dead." I laughed a little too loudly, exhilarated.
"What part of the words 'shut' and 'up' don't you two morning people understand?" Jedda snapped angrily, rolling over in bed and clamping her pillow over her face.
" But it doesn't make any sense…Moody would have seen that guy." I said, leaning over the edge of the bunk to look at Val.
"Eh, whatever. He's gone now, at least. Hey, how's your nose?"
"Fine, it just needed an episkey charm. He didn't really hit me that hard. Who was he? Do you think Moody really cares?"
"Of course he cares! DADA professor, isn't he? Whoever they were, they're gone now." Jedda wrenched the pillow off her face to snap at me.
"Yeah, but doesn't it bother you? And what was professor Moody doing out of his office?" I replied, trying to involve her in the conversation.
"Monitoring the halls. Come on, Fin, just go to sleep. Besides, it was probably just Peeves fooling around." Jedda's voice was weary with resignation, realizing that if she didn't join in the debate, we were just going to keep her up all night.
"I did not get punched in the nose by an apparition!" I growled, glaring at her.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep my roomate-" She started to sing, fingers in her ears. I threw a pillow at her and groaned.
"Fine." I rolled over in bed and put out my wand.
"Nana, NaNa, NaNaNa-" The first strains of the lullaby drifted up to me and I leaned over the edge of the bunk.
"Valerie?"
"Sorry."