Life Happens
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter or Twilight series or have any rights to them.
AN: I know I haven't written/posted in a while and I'm sorry! Life and school has been really crazy busy lately. I will try to post as much as I can, but I can't make any promises! Thank you for all the reviews and love!
Chapter 10: Yule Time and Task Two
Bella POV
"Aunt Bella!" Harry called out loudly, drawing out each word much longer than need be. "Aunt Bella!" He had a sing-song quality to his voice, so whatever he wanted wasn't bad, but he was still much to loud.
"In the bathroom, and please keep it down!" I called back, not as nearly as loud.
"What're you doing in here?" Harry asked as he stepped through the door of my bathroom, holding his golden egg in both hands. The task was only a little over a week ago, and soon a Yule Ball was announced. Harry asked some girl in his year after trying to get me to going with him- an idea I quickly shot down.
"Drawing a bath, of course." Motioning to the water, I was about to go on before Harry interjected quickly.
"Yes, well, I need your help! Please, Aunt Bella! Please!"
"Fine, my bath can wait." I sighed, I was really looking forward to it after the all the worrying and stress the first task put on me. "What is the matter?"
"This!" He exclaimed before opening his egg allowing a high pitched loud screeching to fill the room. I winced in immense pain as it assaulted my sensitive ears and did the only thing I could think of- I knocked the egg out of Harry's hands hoping it would stop the noise. Wherever I knocked the offending item, it stopped screeching, leaving only the ringing in my ears. I waited patiently as the world around me returned from the muffled noise it currently was.
"Aunt Bella?"
I shot Harry a look that pretty much said 'what the hell were you thinking' and raised one eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, um, sorry, I forgot about your super hearing." Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, um, what do you make of it?"
"You mean besides the ear and head pain it induced?"
"I said I was sorry!"
"Well," I stopped, listening more carefully as I became suddenly aware of a soft singing voice. Focusing, I turned to the bathtub. Water littered the floor surrounding the large four-legged bath that now held the golden egg. Harry followed me, watching intently, as I moved closer to the tub, now able to make out what the voice was saying.
"Aunt Bella?"
"It's mermish."
The Yule Ball came quickly, along with the winter holidays, and I found Harry nervously sitting outside my door the day before said event, along with his two best male friends, Neville and Ronald.
"Really, Harry, with the amount of time you spend here, you may as well move in." I teased as I led all three boys in. "Let me guess, you just realized you need dress robes?"
The three boys looked embarrassed as they took a seat side-by-side on my couch. "Yes Miss Bella." "Yes Bella." "Yes Aunt Bella." The three said all at once.
"And you expect me to do the impossible and get you three reasonable robes before tomorrow." I asked again, eyeing the boys.
"Well…" Ron and Neville said, blushing.
"Look Aunt Bella, it's like this," Harry suddenly stood up and stated, before beginning to pace and talk a mile a minute, "I was going to ask you for robes last month, but then when Ron and Nev got theirs in the post, well I couldn't let them go in theirs- they're very out of style, poor blokes. And so, I figured that if I waited and you had to take us all personally then you wouldn't mind getting two more sets of dress robes while we were at it! So we sent back Nev and Ron's robes in time sensitive mail and I talked them into letting you buy us all robes at once. And that's how it is. Um, is that alright?"
I had to try so hard not to laugh, he sounded so unsure and meek at the end when he asked that question. And the other two looked so sheepish. I smiled, however, "Well, I guess we better get going while the shops are still open for business."
"Really?" Harry asked, all three boys cheering up instantly.
"Of course, but it would have been better if you three had asked me last week, it would have given us all some more time." I grabbed my cloak and walked to my door, "Come on you three, keep up."
I got to the ball a bit early the next night, finding an opportune place to sit and go unnoticed, or so I thought. I watched, smiling, as all the kids filed in, and then the champions and their dates were announced. Harry looked stunning for a thirteen year old. I helped him get ready for the night, with hair and skin charms and the like. We got lucky and I ran into an old friend of mine last night that wound up becoming a seamstress, who was able to whip up three very elegant male dress robes that I picked up and paid for this morning. The boys were very sweet and grateful.
"Is this seat taken?"
"Not as far as I know. Where would you like to take it?" I smiled, as Severus Snape pulled out the chair and sat down.
"You always did have an odd sense of humor."
"And you always had such a dry one."
He smirked at that statement and we both turned back to watch the kids dance.
"I know something is, different, about you." He murmured lowly, just enough for a human to hear, more than enough for me to hear.
"Time changed people Severus."
"Yes, you've said something similar already. However, time doesn't seem to have had much of an effect on you, other than what you tell me. Light sensitivity?"
"I am lucky to remain so nice and youthful, and I explained about the stress."
"Yes, you did. But time seems to have been more than kind to you, if I can say something without over stepping my bounds, you seem to be more beautiful than when we last saw each other, almost unnaturally so."
"That is overstepping your bounds. We are acquaintances, Severus, friends at most, please do not make unnecessary comments."
"Then as a, friend," he hesitated when saying friend, "I must express my worry that I never see you eating at meal times."
"I am used to traveling around the world, so in order to avoid constant jet lag I eat and sleep when I feel I need it."
"So then what do you do all day, or night? Just out of curiosity, Isabella."
"What do you do in your free time, when not sleeping? Or teaching? Research, reading, travel, eat, write. It's all very basic." I said, glancing at him quickly, "Why does it matter to you? Just out of curiosity, Severus."
He smirked again, I could see him fighting a smile, this was the same way we were as children at school, without the dangerous questions that is. "As a friend," he paused a moment, "trying to rekindle an old worth while friendship I suppose."
"You suppose." I raised an eyebrow at him, letting the corner of my mouth quirk up into a one sided grin. "Well then, I suppose we did get on pretty well back in school and it could be said we'd still make great friends."
"Yes it would."
"So then, does this mean we get to have sleep over's and pillow fights on the weekends? Telling each other our weekly gossip and painting our toenails?"
Severus gave out one dry laugh at that, "You must be mistaking me with another of your school day friends. I don't remember such foolish behavior from back in school."
"No? Perhaps you hit your head and forgot, they were such great times." I smiled as he let out another laugh. I believe this was the most Severus had laughed since we were in school. Go me.
"Perhaps, however, I believe that a certain red headed cretin over yonder is trying to catch your attention." Severus nodded his head slightly in the direction behind me. Looking over my shoulder I saw Charlie Weasley standing awkwardly looking in our direction. "Shall I get you something alcoholic?"
"No, leave the poor boy alone. How you manage as a teacher, I'll never know." I laughed as he stood up and began to walk away, not another word said. I knew Severus was suspicious, but until he found concrete evidence, he would not make a move. It's just how the man worked, always did. My thoughts were pushed aside when Charlie strode up next to me with a blinding, yet meek, smile.
"Hey Bella."
"Hello Charlie. How're you doing?"
"Good, good. You?" He shifting from foot to foot and moving a bit closer.
"Just fine, taking some time to relax."
"Yeah, it's been pretty crazy here. I'm sorry I didn't say anything about the dragons to you and Harry. I didn't even know he was in the tournament, honestly."
"It's alright, it wouldn't have been right even if you had. We figured it out and he did just fine." I smiled warmly at him.
"I saw, he had the highest score and fastest time. Pretty wild if you ask me, he must take after you."
I didn't respond and just smiled at him again, watching the people passing and dancing. Charlie seemed to be steeling himself for something; his face kept changing emotions before finally settling on a decision.
"Bella, would you care to dance with me?"
Three hours later, I'm sorry I said yes. It seems that once Charlie asked and was approved, all other males over the age of fifteen decided it would be all right for them to ask as well. Even Severus had a dance with me, to 'give me a break from all the dunder heads' he had said. I even danced with Charlie four more times, before Albus intervened with a dance request of his own, then allowing me to finally excuse myself and run to my rooms.
Christmas and New Year passed quickly, much in the same light-hearted manner it did every year Soon the next task was coming up. Harry had still yet to figure out the riddle that the egg provided in mermish, but he made me promise not to help. He told me I already helped enough, throwing the egg in the tub and giving him gilly weed. Apparently, he decided to help Cedric again and tell him how to listen to the egg. Soon I found myself standing on the edge of a lake, waiting for the next task to take place. I assumed it was cold, and bundled up and stood there pretending to shiver every now and then.
The champions were brought out on separate boats, and led to the platform where the family was waiting. It was announced that something of great importance was taken from each of them and hidden at the bottom of the lake and they had a certain time limit to bring each thing back. If they didn't make it in the time limit, the thing would be left at the bottom of the lake. I used my vampire eyesight and focused, trying to see down to the darker parts of the water. People! Children at that! The idiots took children who were important to the champions and put them at the bottom of the lake. Ron was down there for Harry- they were back to being best friends after the whole first task happened- Hermione was down there for the Durmstrang competitor, a female student for Cedric, and a young blond girl for the Beauxbatons champion.
As I was looking, the signal went off and all the champions dove in. Harry was the fastest, with the Durmstrang boy right behind him. The Beauxbatons girl had to turn back, leaving Cedric in third. I was very proud when Harry sacrificed being first to save the little girl as well and then making sure all the captive were safe before returning to the surface. He ran into a little trouble on the way back, but was fine otherwise. To Harry's and most of Hogwarts pleasure, he was awarded extra points and still came in first.
AS soon as he was back on deck and both he and Ron caught their bearings, I rushed over to Harry and gripped him in a loose hug.
"I'm so proud of you, you did the right thing by saving that little girl too."
"Of course Aunt Bella, I wouldn't ever leave someone behind, especially if I could easily help it. You taught me better than that."
I smiled and gave him a kiss on the head, and then gave Ron a kiss on the head as well, for good measure. Soon the pretty Beauxbatons girl in thanks for saving her sister accosted them with kisses as well. I laughed as I walked away, hearing some other boy murmur about how lucky Ron and Harry were to be surrounded by beautiful women.
TBC…