Sudden Relation
Chapter Six: The Alliteration Chapter
It is easy for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. ~Pope John XXIII
"You've got quite a death wish, haven't you?" Jason asked in a soft whisper as Noel led him through the deserted hallways of Hogwarts. She just grinned cockily and gently pulled him into an empty broom closet, shutting the door firmly behind them.
"I think of it more as an urge for adventure," she corrected, smiling coquettishly and pressing closer to him, which really didn't take much considering the small space they were in. He raised an eyebrow before looping his arms around her waist and pulling her body flush against his before attacking her lips.
Noel had been pleasantly surprised to find that Jason wasn't as polite as he manage to come off as – that was only in public. When they were alone he was much more relaxed and easy going. She really didn't care if they had only been 'together' for three days – she wanted him. Could you blame her?
As his hands slowly caressed her back, she twisted her hands into his hair and forced his face closer to hers, pressing her tongue into his mouth without hesitation. He was surprised, if the pausing of his hands said anything, but he was quick to adapt to the sudden change. Things were heating up and Jason's hands were moving up her skirt when the door slammed open, making to two jump apart.
"We've got another set over hear, Dolores," Filch said, glaring angrily at the two teens. Noel glared back with just as much fire, while Jason had the decency to look embarrassed, and the two disentangled themselves.
"Voyeur," Noel spat, making Filches glare worsen and his hands tighten into fists. She froze as she heard Umbridge's dainty, girly giggle.
"Now, now, Noel," Umbridge simpered, "If you're going to sneak around the school, at least think of some less stereotypical hiding spots. I was a teenager myself, once."
"Well, I find it hard to believe boys dragged you into any broom closets when you were my age," Noel snapped, "the only dragging going on would be after you drug them and drag them off to have you nasty way with them."
"That is enough!" Umbridge snapped, her face flushed fuchsia with anger. Jason looked completely stricken as he stepped a small step away from the two. Umbridge released a breath, "Detentions, the both of you, now."
"Now?" Noel asked incredulously, "It's nearly midnight!"
"Does it look like I care?" She asked, before turning sharply on her heels and walking purposefully down the corridor, "Follow me."
"Oh we're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz," Noel said dryly, ignoring Jason's confused look. Filch continued on the hunt for misbehaving teenagers while Umbridge led the duo down the halls and towards her pink torture chamber from hell. When they arrived, the Toad pushed open the door and motioned them in with a calm expression. The duo dutifully took their seats, separate from each other, and Umbridge wasted no time in placing pink slips of paper onto their desks and handing them the dreaded blood quills.
"I want you to write 'I will not participate I scandalous behaviors'," she instructed, and Jason nervously asked,
"How many times?"
Noel winced – the guy had to go get his first detention with Umbridge, and it was her fault. She had been the one to drag him out of the common room and down to the nearest closet. Umbridge smirked.
"Until it sinks in," she responded in a poisonous voice that Noel found she was way to acquainted with.
She began to write as slowly and neatly as possible, and barely managed to ignore the stinging pain that shot up her arm with every stroke of her quill. She heard Jason gasp as he realized what the quill was capable of, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. She was surprised to notice that the writing appeared on her only un-marred hand, which unfortunately, was her writing hand. It only made the task more daunting.
They weren't there for nearly as long as Noel had been previously, but it was bordering on 2 AM before they were released, their hands bleeding heavily.
"I'm so sorry," Noel immediately said, "I didn't think we would get caught, it was stupid and I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," Jason said through pursed lips and he gave her a lame attempt at a smile. She knew it wasn't because he was angry at her, but more so that he was in pain and trying to suck it up, "should we go to the hospital wing?"
"Nah, we'll just bandage it up when we get to the common room," Noel murmured. The rest of the walk was silent, but when Jason gently took her hand in his she knew that things were still okay between them.
She didn't quite know how she felt about that.
.
Noel was miserable as she sat through all her classes like a good student, ignoring the excruciating pain in her right hand. Her only reprieve was Care for Magical Creatures, which had been relocated to a class on the ground floor because of the horrible weather. She was so lucky that she didn't have Herbology today, and not only because of the weather – she really didn't want to deal with the pain of the soil getting into her still opened wounds would cause.
"Hey, Noel," Ron said, parting from his friends to catch up with her as she trudged towards Transfiguration. She turned and faced him with a semi-impatient smile.
"Wassup?" she asked. Ron lowered his voice to a comedic whisper.
"We've found somewhere to hold our defense meetings," he explained, immediately catching her attention, "Tonight at eight o'clock. You know that tapestry on the seventh floor with Barnabus the Barmy getting clubbed by a bunch of trolls?"
"Yeah,"
"Well, it'll be right across from that."
"Alright. I'll be there," she said before smiling politely. Ron flushed before hurrying off, and Noel sighed as she began to trek towards Transfiguration. She barely made it in time, and McGonagall gave her a look before starting the lesson. She paid an average amount of attention and applied her self only as much as she had to, and McGonagall seemed satisfied with her work. Though she was distracted, she loyally told her fellow Ravenclaws and DA members about the meeting, giving them the location and politely engaging in conversation.
By the time Seven o'clock came around she was exhausted, emotionally and physically. She had gotten a minimal amount of sleep, tossing and turning all night and wincing whenever she tried to get in her favorite sleeping position, which happened to put pressure on her sore hand. She was, for the first time, regretting getting so many classes. She was just jaded, and she didn't completely know why.
She moved stealthily through the halls, having left early simply because she wasn't in a people kind of mood. When she reached the hallway indicated she took a few seconds to admire the tapestry before turning and eyeing the blank wall. She was surprised when a large door appeared, and she tentatively pushed the door open, gasping as she saw the room. It was lit with flickering torches and the walls were lined with large wooden bookcases, and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor. At the far end of the room were shelves that were littered with curious instruments, from Sneakscopes, to a large Foe Glass that she had only seen in books.
The golden trio was already there, along with some of their Gryffindor friends, Ginny, Neville, Parvati, and Dean, and one blonde girl that Noel hadn't the pleasure of meeting yet. She had apparently come in at the middle of Harry's explanation and he had to start all over again. Apparently the room was called the Room of Requirement, and Noel stored it away for later. Then more people arrived, and Harry decided to hold off the explanation until all the pillows were filled. Noel was nervous – she didn't quite know why – and it wasn't until Harry walked across the room and locked the door and a comforting click echoing across the room that she relaxed.
"Well," said Harry nervously, "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've – er – obviously found it okay-,"
"It's fantastic!" Cho interrupted, her voice shocking Noel and almost making her fall of the pillow. The people surrounding her all murmured their agreement.
"It's bizarre," Fred said, frowning as he looked around the room, "We hid from Filch in here once, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard…"
"Hey, Harry what's this stuff?" asked Dean, indicating the back wall.
"Dark Detectors," Harry explained, and for a long whle, Noel barely focoused on what was going on around her. Her mind just didn't seem in it, and she was so tired it was ridiculous. She managed to grab the basics of what he was trying to say.
Finally, they stood and began working on a simple disarming spell that many people were having difficulty with. Noel was paired with a girl she didn't know and didn't care to know, who was about as rubbish as a first year. Finally, Harry came over.
"Er, Noel, why don't you just let her try it on you for a while," he said. Noel sighed and rolled her eyes before nodding. She brushed her hair behind her ear, and froze when Harry lightly grabbed her wrist.
"I will not participate in scandalous behaviors?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Hermione noticed the commotion and was quick to step over, gasping as she saw her hand.
"Oh, Noel! You should have told me, I have some murtlap essence that I could have given you," she chastised softly. Noel quickly pulled her hand back and pulled some bandages from her pocket to wrap loosely around her palm.
"It's nothing," she said roughly, anger flashing in her eyes, "It doesn't even sting." Hermione frowned, but didn't mention the murtlap essence again.
"What'd you do to get a detention with Umbridge?" Harry asked. Noel shrugged, and tied off the wrapping before quickly pocketing the significantly smaller wrap.
"Got caught snogging my beau in a broom closet," she said nonchalantly, "I think it best you leave, so missy over there can get in some more practice."
Harry and Hermione both showed their reluctance to leave, but they both agreed without a fight and headed to the next team. Noel pocketed her wand and turned towards her partner.
"C'mon, then," she called, "Give me your worst."
.
After a few more meetings, Noel found herself enjoying the DA meetings, even though she knew most the things they were teaching. Of course, practice makes perfect and all that rot. The only bad thing was that as the first Quidditch match of the season (Gryffindor versus Slytherin) the meetings were put on hold due to the Gryffindor Quidditch Captains psychotic daily practices.
She was definitely interested in how the game would play out – she was on Ravenclaw team after all – but she wished they would take down their enthusiasm a notch.
The funniest part? Even the teachers were getting into it. The week leading up to the match Noel had the pleasant surprised of Professor McGonagall giving them absolutely zero homework. And of course, Snape was being a bigger jack ass than usual towards the Gryffindors. And While Noel had a healthy sense of humor, him ignoring the fourteen eye witness accounts of Slytherin Keeper Miles Bletchey hitting Alicia Spinnet in the back with a jinx that made her eyebrows grown to a horrendous mass was way over the line.
Noel usually didn't care who won these sorts of things unless she was directly involved, but as the day arrived she found herself cheering violently for Gryffindors success. She wasn't the only Ravenclaw on their side, but they were all surprised as she gave the Slytherin team the finger as they flew out onto the field.
"And it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me-"
"JORDAN!" McGonagall yelled.
Noel had a strong feeling that this was a normal occurrence at the Hogwarts Quidditch games, if the exasperated if humored looks the Ravenclaw were sharing said anything.
"Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest – and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's – ouch – been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe…Montague catches the quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and – nice bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away-"
That was when Noel hear a peculiar sound from the Slytherin section of the stands. It sounded as if they were…singing?
"- doges Warrington, avoids a Bludger – close call, Alicia – and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"
Noel felt her hands clasp into tight fists as the words became clear and their insults rang in the air.
Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.
"SOD OFF, SLYTHERIN!" Noel screamed as loud as she could, but she was drowned out by their jeering and the sound of Lee Jordan attempting to block out the sound.
"- and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" Lee shouted, "Come on now, Angelina - looks like she's got just the Keeper to beat! – SHE SHOOTS – SHE – aaaaah…"
Noel let loose a string of curses – muggle, wizard, English, and American insults – as Bletchly (the Slytherin Keeper) saved the goal and threw the Quaffle to Warrington, who sped off towards the other side of the field. The singing just grew louder.
Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King.
" – and it's Warrington with the Quaffle, Warrington heading for goal, he's out of Bludger range with just the Keeper ahead-"
As much as Noel was rooting for Ron – since she wanted Slytherin to crash and burn to spite her father – she knew deep in her heart that this match was as good as dead. She buried her face into her hands and listened to Lee's commentary.
"- so it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, brother of Beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team – come on, Ron!"
Noel's heart stopped.
"Slytherin score!" Lee boomed, "So that's ten-nil to Slytherin – bad luck, Ron…"
Noel cursed and slid into her seat, hesitating before peeking between her fingers. Luna gave her a sympathetic looks, the lion on top of her head roaring obnoxiously. Faith gave Noel a pat on the shoulder before screaming out cheers for Gryffindor.
Angelina seemed to be yelling at Harry, forcing him to dive and start looking diligently for the snitch, intersecting Slytherin Seeker Draco Malfoy (who Noel would like to get to know in that way if time allowed in) every so often.
Noel watched as Warrington gained purchase of the Quaffle yet again and passed to Pucey, who shot past Alicia. Angelina began to chasing him down only for a well-timed Bludger from one of the Weasley twins. Noels heart soared as Katie Bell caught the Quaffle – and her heart sunk as she dropped it into the awaiting hands of that stupid Montague.
"COME ON, DAMMIT!" Noel screamed, shocking Faith and making her jump as Noel shot to her feet, "GET YOUR ASSES IN GEAR!"
Montague passed the ball to Pucey, who sped through the teams and dodged Alicia before launching the Quaffle into one of the hoops.
Noel watched with horror as two more times, Ron let the Quaffle into the hoops. She questioned the Gryffindors judgment – why put him on the team if he couldn't perform?
"- and Katie Bell of Gryffindor doges Pucey, ducks Montague, nice swerve, Katie, and she throws to Johnson, Angelina Johnson takes the Quaffle, she's past Warrington, she's heading for goal, come on now Angelina – GRYFFINDOR SCORE! It's forty-ten, forty-ten to Slytherin and Pucey has the Quaffle…"
Noel allowed herself to feel a sliver of hope as the score processed in her mind. She chanced a glance at Harry and Malfoy and saw them circling the pitch, both equally stumped as to where the Snitch was hiding.
She returned her sight to the game just as Pucey threw the Quaffle to Warrington, Warringotn to Montague, and Montague completed the circle and threw it back to Pucey only for Angelina to intervene and take hold of the Quaffle.
"GO ANGELINA!" Noel screamed.
Angelina executed a perfect pass to Katie, only for Katie to get hit by a Bludger sent by the idiotic Goyle. As the Quaffle fell, Pucey was quick to redeem himself and recapture the ball.
Then it happened – Potter and Malfoy both spotted the Snitch. Noel let her gaze zoom ahead of the duo and spotted the small spark of gold fluttering on the Slytherin side of the pitch.
Noel bit down on her lip and help her breath as the two moved like lightening, the Snitch closest to Malfoy. Harry pulled his broom around until the two were neck in neck. They were so close to the ground that Noel was close to having a panic attack.
"COME ON HARRY, YOU GIT!" Noel roared, again surprising Faith and making her loose her footing. Then it was over and the Snitch was firmly in Harry's hands. Noel sunk back into her seat while Luna's hat let out an encouraging roar.
Noel felt her heart freeze for what felt like the hundredth time as a Bludger hit Harry squarely in the small of his back and sent him flying off his broom. The cacophony that followed his crash was loud enough to make Noels ears bleed – if she hadn't been one of the people screaming, that is.
She collapsed in her seat as soon as she saw everyone was in tack and immediately started up a conversation with Faith and Luna, all of them giddy from Gryffindors success.
Then she hear a loud commotion on the field – she turned to see
Harry and George sprinting towards Malfoy, and she felt her mouth drop open as Harry's fist sunk into Malfoys stomach. Everyone was screaming as the two continued to beat the shit out of Malfoy, who looked as if he were about to puke. It was only when Madam Hooch sent a well aimed Impedimenta that separated them. After what Noel knew was a stern yelling the two were sent into the castle and Fred was still being restrained by his female team mates.
Noel shared a look with both Luna and Faith – and all three of them seemed to know without having to be told that those two weren't going to play Quidditch for a while if Umbridge had anything to say about it.
.
Disclaimer: I own nothing save for Noel Black (of no relation to Sirius Black). Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and I claim nothing save for my characters and the plot.
A/N: Sorry for the wait – I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the New Doctor Who series and I lost track of time. So, you might see some similarities between Faith of BtVS and Noel, but it's not entirely intentional. And Spike? Sex on a stick. He is sex personified. And Angel? A big poncy idiot who is a control freak. I don't care how hot he might be. :)
And anyone who can tell me how many times I used Alliteration in this chappie gets a cookie. :) So, it has to be something like "Peter Piper Picked", and sound the same. Not something like "tiny thing".
B.E. Nomads
