"SO, you were chased through the Forbidden Forest by Dementors, fought them off using a Patronus, which is very difficult magic, by the way. Afterwards, due to your ghastly sense of direction, you then got lost, and wandered the forest all day, whilst your brown-haired friend remained unconscious for several hours, with possible brain damage. Then you risked the possibility of concussion, when you recklessly decided to climb a tree, and fell, causing a delusion that you where in some mythical land where everything was opposite?" We all looked at each other before nodding.
"Yup…. That sounds about right. Oh, but you left out the part about the magic necklace." Dumble sighed before sitting back in his chair, rubbing his wrinkled hands over his face. He looked older then when I last saw him, as if his Hundred-or-Something years of life were catching up with him. I lightly sucked on the sweet-but-tangy lemon drop in my mouth.
After our latest adventure, Madame Pomfrey almost had a heart attack when she saw us passed out on the floor. Colin woke up a few minutes later, acting slightly dazed. There wasn't anything seriously wrong with him; he just knocked his head on some boulder when he fell. Luna was fine, only having a few cuts and bruises here and there. I, on the other hand, almost had a concussion, and after sucking up, managed to get out early, only for all of us to get called to Dumble's office. I tried my best to explain the situation without sounding like a maniac, but I doubt that worked.
"Isabella, as your Headmaster, I would have to say that what you have done was extremely reckless, not to mention dangerous, and will require proper punishment-"we all groaned, and dropped our heads in defeat.
"But," He looked at each of us with a twinkle in his old eyes. " As you Godfather I would have to say…. Well done. You are just like your parents. They almost caused me a heart attack on several occasions." My face broke out into a wide grin. I may or may not have tuned out while Dumble chastised us for our actions, telling us to think before we act. After a while, he allowed us to leave and go back to our rooms to sleep, but not before congratulating Luna on her use of a Glamour charm. She accepted it gracefully, with Colin and me staring at Dumble in shock.
The three of us walked side-by-side, our footsteps echoing throughout the empty halls. I noticed that Luna looked as if she was deep I thought.
"What'cha thinking about, Lu?" She turned her wide-eyed gaze towards me.
"It seems strange, doesn't it?" Colin was now looking at her in confusion. " I mean, why would death eaters chase little children through the forest. If they would attack simply because of someone's stupidity-," At this we both sent a sharp glance at Colin, who shrugged sheepishly "Then they would be extremely too dangerous to walk freely over the grounds." We both nodded. It was an obvious lapse in judgment.
Colin walked us back to our Common Room, and we both bid him goodnight. Enduring the long trek up the stairs to our room, Luna and I both kept a comfortable silence between us. There was nothing to be said, therefore we didn't say anything. It would just be a waste of breath. Pushing open the large door to our rooms, we changed, and then swapped good nights, before practically falling in to bed. For once I appreciated the too-hard mattress, as the soft lullaby of my nightgown lulled me to sleep.
….
I held the umbrella up higher as the crowd erupted into cheers, me included. Colin cheered on his house, and Luna clapped politely. I, on the other hand, was acting like a cheerleader. The glares from those around me were the only things that stopped me from doing a few cartwheels. Hermione smiled at my over enthusiastic-ness, but I suspect that she knew why I was doing it. So, I had a crush on Harry. That meant I was just like the other hundred-or-something girls.
And I hated it.
Having a crush on him meant that I was normal. I absolutely despise that word.
Shaking my head clear of those thoughts, I began cheering again. As the crowd watched the game, my eyes were focused on Harry flying form of Harry. I watched as he went around the pitch searching for the Golden Snitch that would bring his team to victory.
That's when it happened.
I saw his eyes get unusually wider as he stared above those sitting in the empty rows at the top of the stadium. Following his line of sight, I saw that he had locked eyes with what seemed to be a Grim. Not really paying attention to the game anymore, I watched curiously as the dog seemed to stare straight at Harry. How… Unusual. I surveyed it more carefully, trying to find out what it was doing here, when the whole Stadium got deathly quiet.
Snapping my head back to the front, I watched as Harry swayed on his broom, before completely falling off and hurtling to the ground. My breath caught in my throat, and I was trying to will myself to move... to do something, but luckily, Harry was saved. I wanted to kiss my godfather so much at that moment. Well, the second crush I've ever had in my life almost dies. Typical.
Hearing a loud nose, I looked up, and saw as his broom was destroyed from the Whomping Willow. Catching movement below it, I looked down and saw the cape of the dementors as they floated past. The chill that was in my body left and it seemed as if someone pressed the 'play' button.
The stadium was in uproar. Everyone was yelling about something or the other, everyone jumping up, and screaming. I tried to see what caused the disturbance, and saw that Hufflepuff had won the match. There were jeering calls, and yells of celebration. I suppose the only ones quiet were Me, Hermione, Colin and Luna. We were much too shocked to do anything else. Hermione started hyperventilating, and Luna started trying to help her. Colin's mouth was open with shock, and all I could do was watch the scene where the almost-tragedy just happened.
What a way to start the new Quiditch season.
I lightly tapped Hermione on her shoulder. She turned and looked up at me, her eyes practically shining with unshed tears of concern. I gave her a small, reassuring smile and began soothingly rubbing her back.
"Do you want to go and check on Harry?" I asked quietly. She nodded frantically, and took my hand, allowing me to lead her. Luna and Colin followed behind me.
"'Mione?" I turned around to see Hermione's and Harry's tall, red-headed friend. His blue eyes narrowed when they saw us, and his stance screamed 'protective'.
"Is everything alright?" he questioned, looking between me and my friends. Hermione didn't seem to notice. Instead, she began nervously wringing her hands
"Quite alright. We are going to see Harry. Quite alright, really. Talk to you later" I rolled my eyes and pulled on her hand harder. She seemed to get the message because she waved slightly to Ron and allowed herself to be dragged by me.
….
Sadly, our search for a certain 'Senor Potter' bared no fruit. So, after going our separate ways, I decided to take a much needed peaceful walk along the lake. It felt absolutely marvelous, though hype sky was still slightly overcast from the storm earlier today. As I shuffled along the shore, absentmindedly braiding a piece of my hair, I stared up at the grey sky, catching glimpses of blue here and there.
A strong gust of wind caused me to tighten my cloak then hung on my small body, and to tuck the piece of hair that was irritating my nose behind my ear. Only focusing on the sky, I didn't notice the silhouette in front of me, but I did, when I tripped over it. I started falling, bracing myself for the impact, but instead of falling on the cold, hard ground, I fell on a warm, not-so-hard body. I cracked open an eye to meet the face of Harry Potter, a dazzling smile etched on is lips.
"We really need to stop meeting like this" He said.
"If I didn't know better, I would say that you were stalking me, Mr. Potter" I replied, breathless. His grin grew wider, before he let me go, and I plopped down next to him. Peaking a glance from out the corner of my eye, I saw that he was spread out on the ground, the wind blowing through his unruly hair. I had an unnatural urge to run my fingers through it. There was a sort-of awkward silence between us, and you could practically feel the tension.
"Well, aren't you going to ask" He spat angrily. I raised an eyebrow.
"Ask what, exactly?" He glared at me.
"You know the whole entire Dementor fiasco." It was my turn to glare.
"You know, Harry, not everyone is the same. I didn't ask you anything nor do I plan to" We had a glaring contest for a while, before he sighed and slumped his shoulders. I smiled slightly, and relaxed my tensed body.
"I-I'm sorry. It's just that… That-"
"That everyone won't leave you alone?" He looked at me and nodded. I smiled wider.
"I know the feeling." The silence took over once again, but know, it was more comfortable then awkward. We laid side-by-side staring up at the grey sky. Suddenly, I got a marvelous idea. Shooting up, I turned to Harry, a wicked smile on my face.
"How good is your sense of direction?"
…..
I tightened my hold on his hand as we trudged through the roots of the Forbidden Forest. Even though I probably should have trusted Harry's assessment of his sense of direction, I figured it would be best if we just followed next to the lake. So, grabbing Harry's hand, I had run into the woods head-first, not thinking about the consequences.
"Where are we going?" I huffed.
"Don't know, Potter. Just follow me." He tensed up for a moment before submitting and letting me drag him to nowhere. We stumbled a bit, before the ground became flat again.
"Now, was that so hard?" He snorted, but didn't say anything back. As I pulled him further into the dark abyss, we stayed silent, the only thing alerting me to his presence was his steady breathing, and his hand in mine. I liked the feeling of his hand in mine…..
Snap out of it!
After a while, we decided to take a break. Leaning against a tree, I let go of his hand, and immediately missed it. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I tried to get rid of this urge to take his hand back in mine.
"Cut it out, Bells" I mentally chastised myself.
"Do you smell something?"
"Huh?" Brilliant response there, Isabella. I mean, what's a better way to say 'I'm a very intelligent person, and I want you to be attracted to me in a romantic-kind-of-way' than huh?
"Do you smell something...Like, something sweet?" When I just stared at him blankly, he sighed, before grabbing my hand and walking further down the path. I stumbled a bit as I tried to keep up with his long strides. Damn my short legs….
I wasn't until about three minutes later then I started to smell something. It was sweet, like flowers, or something. Was there a field around here? For all I know there can be some magical spring, ya' never know! Besides….
This is a school for Witches and Wizards, you know.
In my so-called ponderings, I failed to notice the fact that the glorious green-eyed guy in front of me stopped moving, thus causing me to run face-first into his back. A very nice back if I do say so myself… No, NO. Pay attention Bella. Wait, he's saying something, his lips are moving… Oh god, his lips…
Stupid Hormones. I'm going through puberty all over again.
"…Meadow" He finished, looking super excited. I shook my head as if to clear it.
"I'm sorry, what?" He looked at me strangely, before motioning around him. Tearing my eyes from his bod-er- face, I took in my surroundings, and gasped.
The first thing I noticed was that here, the lake had dwindled into a stream, the crystal-clear water shimmering below us. The grass was softer, greener, and sparkled with fresh dew. The trees formed a Canopy above us, making it seem as though there was a roof of leaves, all of them glowing faintly from the sunlight. Wait-sunlight?
I realized that it was warmer, and that it seemed to be spring here, not winter like how it really is. I wonder what type of magic is responsible for it. Turning my body completely around, I saw many bushes with brightly colored flowers that were emitting a delicious smell. That was probably what Harry was talking about earlier.
"Amazing!" I heard him whisper from behind me. I turned back to him with a smile on my face.
"It is, isn't it? Well, I think we found it!" He furrowed his eyebrows in a completely adorable way.
"Found what, exactly?" I rolled my eyes in exasperation.
"What we were looking for, silly! The reason we came into the forest in the first place!" I decided not to tell him that I had absolutely no idea this place was here. Gingerly sitting down on the grassy floor, I pulled off my shoes and socks, and dipped them in the water. I moaned happily. The water felt absolutely perfect. After a while, Harry joined me.
"Let's play a game!" I exclaimed suddenly. He jumped a little, before fixing me with a glare.
"Could you please not scream so suddenly?' I smirked "And what did you have in mind?"
" 21 Questions!" I sang happily. He nodded.
"Okay, I'll go first. What's your favorite color?" He pretended to think for a minute.
"Red." He finally said. I snorted.
"What?" he asked defensively.
"Nothing, just typically Grryfindor-ish. Anyway, my favorite color is…. Green" I decided after a moments thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the corners of his mouth quirk up.
"Fine. Favorite food?"
"Cake" I answered automatically. He gave me a strange look, and I shrugged.
"What can I say? I like my sweets. You?"
"Treacle Tart. Okay, favorite band?"
We went back and forth like this for a while, and before I knew it, I started swaying. My eyes slowly closed of their own accord, and after a while, I was passed out on Harry's shoulder. The last thing I remember was watching the stream glisten.
…
I felt someone tap my shoulder, so I moaned and turned around. Then, that same person lightly poked my cheek. I groaned, and turned back around. Still, they stayed persistent, and kept poking me. But, since I am naturally stubborn, I fought to go back into the dark abyss that is my dreams.
"Bella!" A murky voice hissed. It sounded as if I was under water. I fought to get back to the surface before I drowned…
"Bella!" The voice was clearer this time, and I was able to snap my eyes open. When I realized where I was, I shot up, and looked around the now slightly-darker meadow, before my eyes rested on a disheveled Harry. Then, I felt the familiar heat that was a tell-tale sign that my notorious blush had appeared.
"What happened?" I asked, yawning quietly after.
"You fell asleep" he told me. I looked around.
"How long was I asleep?" he suddenly looked sheepish, his blush covering his face.
"A-Actually, I'm not sure… I just woke up myself a minute ago." I smirked, before standing up and dusting myself off. After I checked to make sure my hair was free of any grass and what not, I held my hand out for Harry. He just looked back at it hesitantly, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Just take it. I don't bite, ya' know." He chuckled and shook his head. After a moment, he took my hand, and pulled on it to help himself get up. Bad idea.
Since he was so much physically stronger than me, that movement caused me to fall back on him. Both of us crashed back to the ground, Harry taking all the brute of the impact, since he was on bottom. Slightly lightheaded, I tried to shake my head to straighten it. Then I noticed out position.
Harry had his arms loosely wrapped around my waist, pinning me to his form. Amy body was flush against his, my face tucked into his chest. Oh my God…. My face was blushing so much that I'm sure I was practically Glowing!
"Ouch" he mumbled from beneath me. I jumped out of his almost too intimate embrace, and backed up until I was far, far away from him. I watched a he heaved himself up, rubbing his sore backside. He looked up to see me cowering away from him, before smiling. He held out his hand for me.
"I think we should go now.
…..
Before we realized it, the time for the holidays came. Since both Minnie and Dumble were staying at the school, I was required to stay too. Luna and Colin both opted to stay with me too, for which I was extremely grateful for. Also, through my connections, so was Harry.
Anyway, currently, all three of us were stalking through the halls, wearing oversized black clothes. We were going to attempt an escape to Hogsmeade, which, hopefully, would prove successful- meaning, no one would find out. This time, we decided it would be better for Luna to cast the glamour charm while we were inside the tunnel. Hopefully, Dumbledore wouldn't find out this time.
Looking from side to side, we opened the tunnel, and started dashing down the passage. I was slightly behind them, since I hate running, and, sadly, ran into the wall. Luna and Colin stopped and looked back to see me sprawled out on the ground. That would have been normal enough, If only I wasn't seemingly floating in mid-air. But, to me, it seemed as if I fell on something- or someone. Grabbing handfuls of the invisible fabric, I dramatically lifted it up to see- Guess who?
"Harry!" I gasped. He looked at me wide-eyed, both of us silent, before Lu and Col's chuckles alerted us.
"So the twins finally gave you the map, huh? Colin asked. Harry blushed.
"How did you know about that?" It was my turn to laugh.
"Colin is the eyes and ears of this place. That, and he is the best eavesdropper I know. And the twins can easily be bribed." Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Really? You have to teach me that sometime." We stared into each other's eyes a moment, before Colin cleared his throat. I realized we were still in an awkward position, so I jumped up, and backed away. Luna and Colin broke out into loud laughter. I glared at them until they calmed down. Helping me up, Harry gave me a shy smile.
"So, since I guess we're all going the same place, how will you three explain yourselves." We all shrugged.
"Glamour Charm." We all said simultaneously. He nodded, looking at us expectantly. I realized he was waiting for us to do it. I nodded at Luna, and she raised her wand, muttering the spell under her breath. Harry watched as our bodies changed, certain parts growing, others getting smaller. In the end, Luna and Colin looked like how they did last time, but I looked more like my old self. You know, before the whole witch thing. I was still relatively short with bon hair and brown eyes. The only difference was that I looked a bit younger.
"Let's go." I said to each of them. They all nodded, my friends straightening out there clothes, and Harry replacing the cloak over his head. We all walked down the rest of the tunnel, My wand lighting the path. Our steps echoed loudly, causing me to flinch. When we got to the end of the passage, I gave Harry a quick hug, before running after my friends. We all decided to split up too get our presents . That's how I ended up wandering through the busy streets of Hogsmeade.
After a while, I decided the magic necklace I got from FF Land would be perfect for Luna. That left Dumble, Minnie, Colin, Harry, and Hermione. I sighed as I shuffled through the snow. The further I got, the more the people dwindled. Soon, I saw no one. This was a street full of abandoned shops. The tinkling of a bell alerted me that there was an open shop up ahead. Running, I heard the bell get louder, until I was standing outside of an old shop. There was a sign on the roof, but it was so faded I couldn't see, and at the very top, was a bell that was slowly ringing.
Hesitantly, I pushed the door open, and stepped into the slightly warm store. It was amazing. It looked small on the outside, but inside, it was huge. There were objects from clothes to books, and everything in between. It was like, the Wal-Mart of the Wizarding World, or something. I walked slowly through the many aisles of objects, looking for anything that would catch my interest. As I neared the back, I prepared to go back, before something caught my eye. I walked to it, and lightly touched it, before pulling my hand back. It was cold.
I'm not entirely sure what it is, but, all I saw was the chain. I prepared to pull it out, before someone touched my shoulder.
"And what do you think you're doing?" A cool voice hissed in my ear, causing me to shiver.
Oh shit.
….
Ha,Ha! Bella has such bad luck!