The Calm Before the Storm


A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. We had to figure out what chapter followed which. And we decided that enough action had passed and we needed something happy. So we are bringing you the next chapter in the story. And yes, the title is from "Fellowship of the Ring" so sue me.

Disclaimer: We don't own Harry Potter and Co. The Tenshi and Ms. Lange are based upon real people, so please don't steal them. Thank you.


After the action packed first month of school, life began to settle into a routine. The Tenshi would wake up, meet at breakfast, talk, and head to classes. After lunch, they would head to a few more classes, before supper and a break. They ended every night by venturing to the DADA classroom for their training for the Order of the Phoenix.

Nicole found herself getting comfortable with this life. It reminded her of when she had first moved in with Riley. After all those years of loveless foster homes and empty rooms full of empty children all to similar to herself, she had finally come home.

She had a family. She belonged. She couldn't be any happier.

'Happy,' she thought, a smile tugging at her face. 'I really am happy, aren't I? I've got a home, a family, friends that care about me...'

"So where are they now?" She demanded, a slight pout converging on her face. "I've been looking for them all morning...They haven't said a -thing- about my birthday, now they're gonna be late for training and -I'm- going to be blamed for it, I just know it."

"Hey Nicole," Padma Patil greeted as she walked by. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Nicole lied. "Just waiting for Robin and Riley. They were supposed to meet me here like, twenty minutes ago."

"Really? Well, I saw them out by the lake a few minutes ago talking to Harry and Ron. It looked like they had formed a study group or something. There was paper everywhere, and they were being really serious."

"Oh really? Well thanks Padma." Nicole said stomping off angrily. "I can't believe they would blow me off. And leave me out. On my birthday!" Nicole muttered to herself as she made her way outside.

Nicole stomped off towards the lake, expecting to give them a piece of her mind for excluding her. As she was passing a row of trees, she heard voices talking in a low whisper. It sounded like Robin and Riley.

"Damn it Robin," Riley was hissing, "I'm telling you this in the utmost confidence, so will you just listen?"

"I -am- listening." Robin growled back. "And I still think she has a right to know."

"No!" Riley's voice was getting as her frustration mounted. "No matter what happens, we cannot tell Nicole. Do you understand?"

She could hear Robin sigh as the two walked off towards the school. "Fine. Have it your way."

Nicole was frozen where she stood, the thick tree trunk her only support. She couldn't believe it. Her friends, no her compatriots, were purposefully hiding something from her. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as the feeling of betrayal swept over her. What was she going to do?

'Wait.' She thought, hope shining from her watery eyes. 'They were talking to Ron and Harry...maybe they know what's going on. Maybe it's all just one big misunderstanding!"

With newfound confidence, she pushed off the tree and headed for the lake where she could see Ron and Harry sitting, still deep in conversation. She was about to call out, when she caught what they were saying on the breeze.

"Well, you must admit that it's pretty tempting," Harry was saying, his voice wistful. "It's not every day you find out that a Tenshi loves you, you know."

Nicole's eyes widened and she was frozen in disbelief, a second time in less than so many minutes. Did Riley finally say something to Harry? Why wouldn't she want her to know?

Curious, Nicole snuck up closer to the boys, crouching low behind a tree only a couple meters behind them.

"Yeah..." Ron's voice was quiet, as if he was still in shock over something. "I can't believe Riley said that...Wow... Imagine! She's in -love- with -me-!"

Nicole couldn't breathe, her heart just didn't seem to have the will to keep going.

Harry was laughing at his friend. "Come on, man! Don't sound so shocked. You've liked her for how long now? Tonight's you chance to finally show her how you really feel. Get the lead out!"

"You're right!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm going to go get ready!"

"Tonight's going to be great man!"

Their voices were drifting away, now, but Nicole didn't care. She vaguely realized that she was walking back towards the castle. But nothing seemed to matter anymore. 'How? How could...Riley...my own sister...she knows how I feel...'

As she stumbled, not really seeing, back into the castle, she heard someone call out her name. Turning quickly she tripped on her untied shoelace and fell on her face. The contents of her bag tumbled everywhere. To make matters worse, Pansy Parkinson had been walking by at the time and gleefully ran off to tell all of Slytherin what a loser she was.

Collecting her things, Nicole realized that Adrienne Lange had been the one calling her name. From the looks of things, she was in a bad mood and Nicole couldn't imagine why. Standing, she decided to pretend everything was fine.

"Hi, Adrienne. Something wrong?" Nicole was surprised at how cheery she sounded.

"Yes Nicole." Adrienne looked at her sternly. "I'm glad that you're having a good time. I, however, have been waiting for you in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for quite a while now. Where were you?"

As Nicole began to respond, Adrienne interrupted. "Actually it doesn't matter. Just come with me. Where are Riley and Robin?"

Nicole shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" They walked in silence to the DADA classroom .

"Well I guess it'll just be you and me, then." Adrienne said as they entered the classroom.

"What?" Nicole cried, throwing her bag to the ground. "You mean, I still have to train without Robin and Riley here?"

Adrienne looked at Nicole like she was crazy. "Of course you do. Just because your friends skipped out on me, doesn't mean you get the day off."

"They're not my friends." Nicole muttered angrily.

"What was that, Nicole?" Adrienne asked, turning.

"Nothing."

"Okay, then," Adrienne said with a dismissive tone. "We'll begin with counter-curses. Reducto."

Two hours later, Nicole emerged from the DADA classroom sore and cranky. It had been her worst training session ever. Not only had Riley and Robin ruined her birthday, but they made her so made that her concentration was shot. 'Now Adrienne's going to think I'm a loser. And that I can't do anything without the others.'

"Hey Eversly! Graceful as always, I see."

Nicole flinched at the sneering voice behind her. "Now is not the time, Parkinson..."

Suddenly a foot flew out into her path and the exhausted Nicole could do nothing to stop herself from falling, her books flying to cover the corridor once again.

"Careful, Eversly," the high nasal tone of Pansy drawled on. "Wouldn't want you any muddier than you are."

The group of Slytherin girls were laughing as they all surrounded her, pointing at her disheveled state. But it wasn't the Slytherins Nicole saw in her mind. It was Riley, and Robin, and Harry, and...Ron...all laughing as fell from her happy world.

"Shut up," she pleaded with the cackling betrayers.

"What was that?" Pansy jeered, leaning down to poke Nicole's shoulder.

"I said SHUT UP!" Nicole slammed the girls back with a wave of her hand and ran, leaving her books and a hall full of frightened faces behind.

Nicole was struck by an odd thought as she stormed her way to the Gryffindor tower, it really was possible to see red. She was literally so mad that everything around her seemed darker, redder, more menacing. As she approached the Fat Lady's portrait she realized that she was so mad that she couldn't remember the password.

"Dammit!" She shouted angrily.

At the moment the portrait swung forward and Ron stepped out. He smiled at her. Nicole felt like she would be sick. "Hey, Nicole." Nicole was positive that she felt a distinct nervousness coming from him. "I was just...uh...coming to find you."

Nicole felt a wave of happiness come from Riley in the common room and snapped. "Sure you were. Get out of my way." Nicole said, pushing past Ron.

Red. Everything was red. She zoned in directly to Riley and Robin and stormed right up to them, slapping them both across the cheek as hard as she could. Their faces were still stuck halfway between joy and shock, their emotions in complete turmoil.

'That's what you get for screwing with me all day,' Nicole thought bitterly as she stood there, fuming at who she thought were her best friends.

Riley was the first one to come out of her stupor. "Nicole? What's wrong?"

Nicole balked at her, the rage growing stronger just knowing that Riley had no clue why she was angry.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was trembling with anger. "What's wrong!" She was shouting now, but she didn't care. She had a hell of a day and they were going to know it.

"First, you two made me search all over the school for you so we can go to training. I skipped lunch to look for y'all! And, what are y'all doing? Plotting behind my back! Hiding things from me. I HATE secrets!" She emphasized her words with huge, erratic arm gestures as her voice got exponentially louder.

"Then I find out that you..." She pointed a finger accusingly at Riley. "You, whom I consider a sister...You've been planning to steal my only chance at a relationship with Ron. You -know-I love him and yet you go and snatch him from me the first chance you get." Tears were welling up in her eyes now, but she didn't stop her ranting.

"Then, I had to go train -by myself- and Ms. Lange thinks I'm a complete fool and probably won't let me back into the Order, and Pansy made me lose all my books out in the corridor, and you want to know what's the worst part of all of this? Do you?"

Tears were flowing freely from her eyes now, as she balled her fists and glared at both of them. "The worst part of it is...Today's my freaking birthday and neither of you even remembered!"

She could breathe at last, her vision blurred only by the tears in her eyes. She glared triumphantly at her fellow Tenshi, glad to have gotten that out of her system. That was when she noticed something strange. Above their shocked faces were brightly colored cone-shaped hats.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at their hands which were holding opposite ends of a banner which clearly read 'Happy Birthday Nicole'. She looked around the common room, only to meet the eyes of confused and amused students and teachers. Behind her stood a beet red Ron, with Harry congratulating him adamantly.

She turned to face Riley and Robin, who were now trying desperately not to laugh.

"What the.."she began, only to be cut off by Riley.

"Uh...Surprise?"

The three stood there staring at each other for several minutes; the room stood still with them.

Nicole smiled, joy radiating from her face. "Yeah. You got me."

The three girls fell into a fit of hysterical laughter, soon followed by the rest of the room.

The party was a blast. The entire Gryffindor house had come to celebrate, along with Remus, his dog, and even Dumbledore, who showed up with about ten jugs of premium butterbeer and an order to the kitchen for an all-you-can-eat dessert tray.

Nicole couldn't believe all her friends had done for her, but one thing still bothered her.

"So Riley..." she started, her confusion clear on her face. "Are you saying you -didn't- confess your love to Ron?"

Riley, who had just taken a giant swig from her glass of butterbeer, nearly choked in an effort to keep it down. Finally she caught her breath and laughed, slapping her sister on the back. "No, dummy! Why would I do a thing like that? You know I don't like Ron."

"Oh. Ok." She smiled, leaving her to the party as she went to sit on the couch by the fire.

'I don't get it,' she thought, staring into the flames. 'If it wasn't me, then who was he talking about?'

"Mind if I sit with you, Nicole?"

She jumped, looking up into the eyes of her tormentor. "Ron! No, of course not..." She blushed, remembering her earlier rant as he sat down

"Um, Nicole...about what you said earlier, I-" Ron began. Once again, Nicole felt his nervousness.

'Oh, he's trying to let me down easy.' Nicole thought sadly. "Look Ron. Don't worry about that. I just thought...well never mind. It was a mistake. I was confused.

"Oh. Well, here's your gift," Ron said, shoving a small package into her lap as he suddenly got up. "I really ought to go now...I've got quidditch in the morning and all..." He left her with the unopened package.

'Is he disappointed?' Nicole wondered as she tore the wrapping away from the small box. Inside Nicole found a beautiful necklace with a small heart-shaped locket. 'Man! Not again!' She thought, wanting to kick herself as she searched the room for Ron. She caught him just as he reached the stairs that led to the boys's rooms.

"Ron, it's beautiful. Thank you. And, well, I want you to know that...well...I meant what I said to Riley and Robin earlier about how I felt about you. I just thought that you didn't feel the same..." She finished lamely. She couldn't believe that after all she had been through, this was the hardest thing she had ever been forced to do.

She felt a hand lift her chin and looked up to find Ron looking down at her with a big grin on his face. He didn't say anything; he simply leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. It lasted no longer than a second before Ron jerked back. Nicole felt that he was completely shocked by his actions and smiled as he turned bright red.

"Well, Happybirthdayg'night!" Ron squeaked before dashing up the stairs.

Nicole smiled up after him, her hand slowly rising to her lips.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Nicole! Come on!" Riley exclaimed, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "You can't leave your own party until we say you can."

"Yeah," Robin added, throwing her arm over Riley's to insure the capture of their prey. "If you're not careful, I'll just have to eat all your cake, and then what would you do?"

Nicole smiled at the two of them and then out at the group gathered to celebrate with her. She fingered the small locket in her hand, her cheeks glowing red.

'Yes,' she thought. 'I really am happy.'