Don't really have much to say except HELLO and to share that I recently had the realization that I am actually addicted to the world of Harry Potter. I watched Half-Blood Prince the other day and might have cried when I remembered that after this last movie, it'll actually be over. The only thing that comforted me when the last book came out was that the movies were still going. *Sigh* Lord I hope I am not the only one upset by this!
enjoy the chapter :) (I hope at this point I don't need to put a disclaimer, I obviously don't own HP lol)
PANSY
"This is not going to work." I said flatly.
"Of course it will!"
"Look Weasley, this kind of shit might get your attention but Potter is-"
"A guy! Trust me,"
"I'll do nothing of the sort," I muttered. I looked at myself in the mirror. My dress was skin tight and very, very short; I had my doubts that it was even a dress. The shoes I had on were certainly high enough to worry me, though my legs did look great. Basically, I looked ridiculous. Actually I looked like Daphne on a night out (but frankly I often thought she looked ridiculous.)
"Now Harry is down in the common room,"
"For the hundredth time, I know! Damn you are annoying!"
"Watch it Parkinson," Ron said, his face turning red. "I'm helping you if you've forgotten."
"Well at this point I don't really need you," I said nonchalantly.
"W-what?" He sputtered.
"I already have the plan and its not like you can really do much else."
His eye narrowed, " You can't do this without me."
"Want to bet?" Though secretly I hoped he didn't. Hadn't a bet put me in this horrendous situation to start with?
"You are being ridiculous!"
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"Argh! Look," He said taking deep, calming breaths, "Just get down there and get his attention."
Unfortunately for me Potter was not especially attentive that day. I stomped down the stairs and, like most days, was met with stares. This time however the room went quiet and all jaws dropped. That is, all jaws but Potter's, who hadn't even looked up from his book. I stood in front of his chair and leaned, as casually as I could in such a get up, against the fireplace. Potter turned the page and continued reading.
"Ahem," I cleared my throat casually. Flip went the page. "AHEM!" I tried louder. That time Potter did look up.
"Oh, hello Parkinson," He said dully.
"Uh h-hey Potter," Ron mouthed the word "sexier." I shooed him away, this was embarrassing enough and I certainly didn't need an audience! "What are you reading?" I asked and leaned down pretending to read the title. Had he bothered to look up Potter would have had a clear shot of cleavage.
"Quidditch Through the Ages," Of course. I rolled my eyes, boys and Quidditch.
"How fascinating! I love Quidditch." I purred, "Everyone riding their broomsticks so hard, all sweaty and panting. It's exhilarating."
"Yea, totally." He said, his eyes never leaving the page. Inwardly I groaned. That shit always used to work on Draco. All I had to do was coo and stoke his ego and BAM whatever I wanted! Alas that did not seem to be the case with Potter. I was close to aborting the mission when out of the corner of my eye I saw Ron watching eagerly. He saw me looking and sent me an enthusiastic thumbs up. God he is such a nerd! I rolled my eyes and once again shooed him and in the process managed to trip over a rug. I felt my feet leave the ground and closed my eyes preparing for the impact (as well as for the painfully embarrassing moment of when I would hit the ground). But instead of the hard floor I was expecting I felt a pair of strong, warm arms grab me firmly by the waist.
"Are you okay?" Potter asked, steadying me back on my feet. I nodded too baffled by the speed of which he reacted to say anything. "Are you sure? How's your ankle?" As he spoke he crouched by my feet, rubbing the ankle in question.
"Well look who's paying attention now." I grumbled. But it made perfect sense! Potter was the hero type he thrived on helping others. The groveling bimbo thing might have worked on Ron but Potter had women throwing themselves at him all the time. What he liked was saving the day.
"What was that?"
"Ouch," I said gingerly, "I think I might have twisted it."
"We should get you to the Hospital Wing." He said, slipping into leader mode. "Can you walk?"
I delicately put my foot down and pretended to cringe in pain. "I don't think so."
"Come here," He said, slipping an arm around my waist for support. "Now just take it slow," I couldn't help but be pleased. I had Potter exactly where I wanted him, all I had to do was keeping getting in trouble and, the reliable git that he was, he'd be there to save me.
"Harry!" Ginny's shrill cry pierced the room. "What are you doing?"
"Ginny she's hurt! I have to get her to the-"
"Hurt!" She scoffed, "I'm sure this just some desperate attempt to get attention."
"Yea 'cause I'd really twist my ankle to make a point." I said sarcastically.
"I wouldn't put it past you,"
"Oh come off it Gin," Ron said. "She's obviously in pain."
"Have you guys completely lost it?" She demanded and stormed off.
Harry sighed and motioned for Ron to take his place, "I better go talk to her."
I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him she'd get over it but Ron was dragging me out into the corridor.
"You are bloody brilliant, you know that?" Ron was positively beaming.
"So I've been told. Now get off me Weasley."
"Oh right," He said, awkwardly releasing me. "I must admit, when I saw you start to fall I thought we were completely screwed! But then Harry caught you and I said to myself, 'Merlin, she's a genius!'" He thought it was on purpose! Well who was I to ruin such innocence.
"Well it was pretty clever if I do say so myself." I said smugly. "So will you listen to me now? The sexy thing is not going to work."
"Yea, it didn't seem to." He sighed. "So what now?"
"We'll have to play to Potter's hero complex."
Ron glared, probably at my choice of words, before suddenly smiling, "I think I have an idea."
Hermione
It was a Friday afternoon and I was leaving the library. It had been a productive morning, the library was relatively empty and I'd spent the early hours studying and getting ahead on schoolwork. The weeks were passing by far too quickly for my liking and I could feel myself falling behind. The Slytherins were a huge distraction, it was hard to get anything done with them bickering, which they did incessantly. Plus I was beginning to desperately miss my friends. It was lost in this unfocused and glum haze that I found it. It being a small silver pendant with an ornate G embossed on it. It had caught my attention from it's spot on the floor because of it's luminous glittering. When I picked it up though I began to think the glittering was a trick of the light, as it lay in my hand, shiny as any metal, but not remotely sparkly.
I continued to study the silver as I made my way to the Slytherin dormitory. I wondered what the "G" stood for. Briefly I contemplated the idea of it being something Gryffindor but dismissed it based on the design, which was decidedly not very Gryffindor. If it had been a Gryffindor charm I would have expected it to be gold for starters. The "G" was also done in a way I'd never seen before, with flourishing and elaborate swirls. It was quiet beautiful.
"Hey Granger-" Daphne stopped dead in her tracks. "Where did you get that?"
"What?" I asked confused, she was staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and hunger. It was, needless to say, unsettling.
"The key!"
"The what?" She frantically pointed to the silver I was holding. "This? I found it. Why?"
"You found it?"
"Yes." I said irritably. Her accusatory tones had not gone unnoticed.
"But how? There hasn't been one in over a year!" She was half muttering to herself. "Unless they have and I've never noticed. I need Blaise, he'll know. Granger!" She grabbed me roughly by the arm, "We must go."
Regrettably, Blaise was as interested in my pendant as Daphne had been. "It's marvelous!" He cried. "I thought it was closed for good, what with the war and everything."
"That's what I thought!" Daphne continued, "What does it mean Blaise? Is it real?" He studied the silver before nodding, "I think so."
"Eeek!" She squealed, "We have to go! Oh Granger please take us with you!"
"Take you where? Can somebody explain to me what the pendant is?"
"Well it's not just a pendant," Daphne said, rubbing the silver between her fingers, "it's a key."
"Not a key in the sense that it will physically unlock something," Blaise added, answering my unasked question. "It's more like a map."
"A map to where?"
"Well that's the question isn't it." He replied, smirking playfully. "Let me back up a little bit. So there's this… hmm I guess you can call it a club."
"With music and dancing and cute little outfits," Daphne added.
"And a often a fair bit of Firewhiskey." They looked at each other and laughed, obviously remembering some fond memory. "Anyways, it's called Grind. Thus the 'G'," He held up the pendant for emphasis.
"So that," I said pointing to the silver, "Is the key to this place? Grind?"
"Like I said, it's more like a map. As long as you keep it with you, when the time comes it will take you to Grind."
"It will take me?"
Daphne nodded, "It's usually quite the shock for those who aren't prepared. See whoever started Grind was sharp, they knew that it would be impossible to keep the club open if the Professors could find it. So they made these," She took the silver from Blaise and looked at it fondly, "Half the fun of Grind is that you never know when or where it will be. The coin will just suddenly get hot and next thing you know, you're feet are walking you off!" It was indeed smart. I was reminded of the coins we used back in the D.A., except with those you had a choice.
"And they'll lead you straight to the party?" They nodded. My head was reeling as I tried to sort out the information. "And it's in the castle?"
"The places are always different, from the towers to the dungeons, but they are usually in the castle. A couple times they were outside though," So there was a secret club at Hogwarts called Grind. It's time and location differed and the only way to find it was with these magic pendants that grew hot and suddenly took you to it. The whole idea was ludicrous.
"Why have I never heard of this before?"
Daphne snorted, "Probably because you'd run to the nearest professor to report it if anyone had told you." I huffed but had to admit that she had a point. "Plus the crowd has been rather selective."
"What do mean?"
"It's mostly Slytherins," Blaise explained. "I think whoever started Grind is in our house. We always find the pendants around the common room or in the dungeons. Places Slytherins go."
"So has a Gryffindor ever gone?"
"They have, but they don't usually return."
"Except the Weasley twins," Daphne said rolling her eyes, "How they always found us I could never figure out."
"So now that you know everything," Blaise smiled deviously, "Are you going to go?"
"I don't know…"
"Oh come on Granger!" Daphne cried. "Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"Can't you just go without me?"
"Trust me, I would if I could."
"Here, just take it," I said thrusting the silver into her hand.
"I can't." She said exasperatedly. "It will only work for you! You found it."
"I'm sorry," I said. Her face dropped and I honestly thought she might cry, "It's just not my kind of thing."
"It's okay," She said dejectedly, "We get it." And a sad silence fell over them. I felt bad, I really did. But clubbing? That is the last thing I wanted to do, especially when I'm supposed to be focusing on my studies.
Millicent burst in to the common room, panting and clutching her chest, "You are never going to believe what I just found!" She held up a small piece of silver, "GRIND!"
"Oh Millie!" Daphne squealed and flung herself at the other girl.
"Isn't it crazy?" She said, "I thought it was gone for good! I mean there wasn't a single party last year!"
"I know! It's amazing! I've already planned my outfits for the next three days, just in case."
"Wait, what? You already planned them?"
"Granger found one too," Blaise supplied. "But she doesn't want to go."
"That reminds me, here," Daphne dropped the silver in my sweater pocket, "I don't need it now anyhow. Come on Millie, let's go change." The girls left, giggling (well kind of cackling in Millicent's case) and discussing clothes.
"You know," Blaise slid across the couch and put an arm around me, "I could always stay here and keep you company."
"Uh-h," I stuttered and searched for something to say, "No it's okay." And to think not five minutes ago I'd been having a real conversation with this guy!
"Ah but Granger," He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "I'd hate to leave you here all alone and defenseless."
"I really think I can fend for myself, thank you."
"Hmm," He sighed. "Well if you say so. But if you do get lonely, my bedroom door is always open."
"How many times does she have to turn you down before you'll get it Zanbini?"
Blaise rolled his eyes, "I don't know Malfoy, how many times do I have to tell you to mind your own business before you'll get it?"
Malfoy smiled and clapped a hand on Blaise's back, "You're my best mate, your business is my business."
"Yea, yea," Blaise grumbled, "Right now my business needs to go get sexy," Malfoy quirked an eyebrow, a look most adorable. Wait did I just think that? "Millicent found a Grind key, guess the club's opening back up. I got to look good just in case."
"Ah, well I'll be sure to keep an eye out. Wouldn't want to miss what I'm sure will be quite the party."
"After last year, I'm sure it'll be crazy," Blaise called, retreating to his room.
"Thanks," I said as Malfoy sat on the couch.
He shrugged, his eyes following Blaise, "I must admit my motives aren't entirely chivalrous. I rather enjoy watching him squirm."
"Well as long as we are being honest, I also find it pretty entertaining."
He studied me for a second and chuckled, "Who would have thought the little Gryffindor princess and savior of our precious world would find pleasure in other's pain?" His leaned in close, his breath ghosted over my ear, "What other secrets are you hiding Granger?" I blushed and looked away, unable to meet his gaze. I felt the cushion lighten as he shifted his weight back against the couch. "So why aren't you busy getting all dolled up?" I sent him a look that made him laugh, "Not a party animal then?"
"Definitely not,"
"Have you ever actually been to a party?" I could hear the doubt in his voice.
"I don't have to drink slug juice to know I won't like it." I replied crossly.
"Don't knock it, 'til you've tried it." He said all too seriously.
"My point is partying is not in my nature." I fidgeted with my sweater, my stomach was beginning feel abnormally hot. And I was suddenly on my feet.
Malfoy smirked, "Well I'll guess we'll see if that's true or not."
"Wha-?" My feet abruptly began walking, completely independent of my will. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as I reached into my pocket. I quickly withdrew my hand, nursing the fresh burn. Hot as a coal the small Grind pendant lay comfortable in my sweater, leading me to what would inevitably be a disaster of a night.
Well there ya go! Thanks to those who reviewed, you guys are my motivation. And to those of you who are reading and not reviewing, thanks for the support but go ahead a drop a comment! haha
