"I caught Cassius checking out that French girl again" Ursula whined, doodling on a note pad. Penny laid on the grass with her sunglasses on, basking in the summer sun with her Slytherin friends.
"What a jerk." Heather said as Ursula agreed. "Did you have go at him for it?"
"No. I haven't let him touch me since though. See how long it takes him to notice." Ursula muttered, scribbling crossly.
"Why not just tell him that he upset you and why?" Theo said, his brow furrowed in confusion as both girls looked at him like he was crazy.
"If he doesn't know what he did wrong then I am not going to tell him." Ursula huffed dramatically. Theo blinked and shook his head in exasperation, his eyes wondering to Penny who had remained silent.
"What do you think Penny?" Theo asked tentatively as Heather's lips thinned. Rolling her eyes behind her shades Penny didn't attempt to move from her comfortable position.
"Unless Cassius has been learning Legilimency you shouldn't expect him to figure it out. Most guys don't think like that, subtlety is lost on them." Penny said as Theo nodded enthusiastically. "Maybe flirt with Krum or Diggory, that might get his attention." Penny suggested. Ursula paused her scribbling to consider this whilst Theo sighed. Shaking his head again he stood, wandering off further down the lake to where a couple of Ravenclaw boys sat.
"Penny." Heather said sharply, her tone making the dark-haired witch look up at her. Sitting up Penny turned to follow her gaze up towards the castle. A tiny dark shape was rapidly approaching them, a strange whiteness flying out behind it in clumps. Lifting her shades Penny squinted at the shape before recognizing Astoria, who appeared to be badly foaming at the mouth. Getting up Penny drew her wand as two taller figures emerged from the castle. Two fourth years Penny didn't know, a tall blond boy and a plain brunette girl a bit behind him, laughing as they gave chase.
"Penny!" Astoria gargled though the soapy suds that foamed out her mouth as she reached her. Swishing her wand Penny muttered the counter curse, a violet light flashing out the tip of her wand. Gurgling slightly Astoria spat the remains of the soap out before hiding behind Penny who turned to face the approaching students, wand still raised. Spotting Penny the boy skidding to a stop, his girlfriend slamming into the back of him as his smile vanished as he eyed her raised wand. In an instant he turned tail, shoving his girlfriend out of his way as he made his break for it.
A second later he face-planted the dry earth as Penny's Trip Jinx took his legs out, Theo laughing loudly from his spot along the bank. Desperately trying to get to his feet, the blond boy was dragged backwards by an invisible force before coming to a stop upside in front of Penny.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Penny mocked in a baby voice as the blond boy flailed helplessly. "And where do you think you are going?" Penny asked in a sharper tone as the brunette girlfriend tried to sneak away unnoticed. A blast of light later she hung beside her boyfriend, her long brown hair nearly brushing the floor. A small crowd was beginning to form around them as Astoria's dark eyes appeared, peeping nervously around Penny's leg. "Which one hexed you?" Penny asked the tiny witch, who remained silent but her eyes betrayed her as they flickered to the boy, who was getting redder by the second. "And what should I call you? Beetroot?" Penny taunted as the crowd laughed.
"Zacharias Smith, Huffelpuff" The boy spat, his face flushing redder still, blood running down to fill his face. Looking between the two of them Penny took a guess.
"Showing off to your lady friend?" Penny asked, tsking as their silence confirmed it, the gathered crowded sniggering. "What is it with boys acting like idiots to impress girls?" Penny chastised as Heather approached the hanging boy.
"You should leave him like that, how dare he hex my sister" Heather snarled, jabbing his face with her wand crossly, a hissing noise accompanying a slight burning smell as he yelped. Drawing her wand away a burn mark shone brightly on his cheek.
"Ah my face!" He squealed, his hand clutching the burn uselessly.
"Pathetic" Penny snorted before feeling a tug on her sleeve. Looking down she saw Astoria's concerned eyes before the little witch shook her head meaningfully. Rolling her eyes Penny glanced at the lake before smirking. "You are gonna need to put water on that or it might scar" She said pausing to enjoy the comprehension dawning in Smith's eyes before she whipped her wand like a lasso, spinning it over her head. Smith followed suit before he was released with a yell and shot threw the air across the lake, landing with a smacking splash right in the centre. "Hope you can swim!" Penny called, cackling at the soaked blond head that resurfaced.
"What if the Giant Squid gets him?" Ursula asked sounding more curious than concerned.
"He will just have to tickle his tentacles" Penny said without thinking, snorting slightly as Ursula gave her a questioning look. Looking back at the girl who looked on the verge of passing out, Penny quickly flipped her, so she was hung instead by the collar of her uniform. Eyes rolling slightly the girl seemed to shake herself slightly before focusing on Penny with a look of alarm. Peering at the girl thoughtfully Penny noted with a pang that although quite plain, the girl's brown eyes were rather pretty, reminding her of Ginny's similar shade. Scowling slightly at this thought, Penny let the girl fall with an undignified thump as her backside hit the dry earth. "Perhaps choose a better boyfriend next time, eh?" Penny said as the girl nodded rapidly before scarpering away. "Ok show's over" Penny shouted to the gathered crowd, twirling her wand threateningly, the crowd evaporating hastily. Turning back to the tiny witch Penny crouched to examine her.
"Scouring charm?" Penny asked as the small girl nodded shyly.
"Why did you let them hex you?" Heather chastised "You are a Greengrass!" She said scowling as Astoria remained silent.
"Oh please, like you could have taken on fourth years when you were a first year" Penny retorted, making Heather scowl though she fell silent. Penny looked at Astoria thoughtfully as the dark haired witch stared at the floor. "Its true though, we can't have people thinking you are an easy target" Penny continued standing. "Come with me Tori" Penny began walking, gesturing the small witch to follow. A few steps later Penny glanced behind her, raising her eyebrow to see the small witch hadn't moved to follow, but instead was looking at her sister, who had a light grip on the small girl's forearm. Glancing between them Penny rolled her eyes at the uncertainty in Heather's eyes. "Just going to teach her a couple tricks" Penny explained with a slight bite of impatience. Heather looked back to her sister, nodding her assent before the tiny witch followed Penny up to the castle. Glancing around the corridor Penny gestured Astoria to follow her as she headed to the Transfiguration classroom, knowing the Professor tended to be in the staff room at this time. Yanking it open Penny walked straight in, making a noise of surprise as she found herself face to face with Ron, Hermione and Harry. The latter was hopping undignified round the room, his legs clearly stuck together by a hex.
"Penny!" Hermione said in surprise as Penny took in the scene before her. Meeting Harry's green eyes she was taken aback from the intensity of his gaze. Unlike his usual pained but adoring gaze there was a strange apprehensive look she had not seen since Rita Skeeter's original article about her parents. Perplexed Penny lowered her Occlumency shield just enough to see a few images darting behind the boy's eyes before he looked away, stumbling as his legs disobeyed him.
"Jelly Leg Jinx?" Penny said as she glanced at Hermione before back to Harry, trying not to snort slightly as the dark haired wizard lost his balance and hit the floor with a thump.
"Yes, do you know the counter curse?" Hermione asked as she flicked rapidly through the book on the desk in front of her. Astoria peered from behind Penny at Harry on the floor with mild interest before looking up at Penny, who had smiled slightly.
"You used a spell you don't know the counter curse to?" Penny asked, a grin spreading as Hermione blushed slightly.
"Just because you know every counter curse" A bitter mutter came from across the room. Narrowing her eyes Penny glared at Ron before flicking her wand lazily. Flipping upside down the ginger yelled as he found himself stuck by his feet to the ceiling.
"Penny let him down!" Hermione shrieked as she looked up at him. Harry groaned from his spot on the floor, unable to come to his friend's aid.
"Who says I know the counter curse?" Penny teased, as Astoria stared wide eyed between the ginger boy and Penny, biting her lip uncertainly. "Who knows, maybe he will pass out whilst we waste time looking up the counter curse." Penny went on, smirking as Hermione frowned.
"Ok ok, I get it, I should have looked up the counter curse first, now will you please let him down?" Hermione said hurriedly as Ron's ears began glowing red. Penny sniggered a little before shrugging, glancing up at the ginger coldly. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her shin, making her gasp. Leg buckling slightly Penny looked in shock as the dark locks of Astoria disappeared rapidly under a desk. Cursing loudly, Penny flicked at her wand, causing the tall boy to crash onto the pile of pillows beneath him.
"Come here you little..." Penny snarled angrily as she ducked under desk, getting hold of a handful of robes and dragging a squealing Astoria from under the desk. Lifting the small witch by the scruff of her neck Penny plonked her on the desk before staring down at her crossly. "What did you think you were doing?" Penny demanded, pointing her wand threateningly at the first year. Eying the wand nervously Astoria nonetheless looked the older witch dead in the eyes.
"You were being cruel. It was wrong." Astoria replied with an unexpected determined voice. Penny snorted slightly in amusement at the small girl's scruples. The three Gryffindors watched the exchange, clearly if to intervene.
"Did you not learn from the fourth years?" Penny replied tartly. "I was going to let him down once I had finished making my point. You are lucky you are so ridiculously tiny. It would be like squishing a Flobberworm" Penny huffed jabbing the air in front of the young witch's face.
"Still wrong." Astoria muttered defiantly, making Penny smirk despite herself.
"This one has a moral backbone to rival even yours Granger" Penny said turning to Hermione who smiled back at her before turning her wand to Harry, fixing his legs. "Found the counter curse then?" Penny teased. "Honestly though you shouldn't use a hex you don't know how to undo." Looking back at a sheepish Astoria she went on. "Maybe it was wrong but at least I could unstick him. After all I could use a curse to make some of his skin turn into maggots and begin feasting on the rest of his skin. But I don't because I don't know if I could reverse it." Penny said shrugging as the four of them went slightly pale, a look of disgust on all their faces.
"That's really Dark magic Penny." Hermione said, her voice a little higher than usual.
"Well what did you think was in the books Karkaroff has been lending me? Cake recipes?" Penny said with a bitter laugh. Looking round at the disturbed expressions on their faces, she quickly changed the subject, her eyes meeting Harry's once again. "Practicing for the Third Task?" Penny asked, irritated by the forced lightness in her voice. "Which spell?" Penny asked when Harry nodded, to which Harry answered the Shield Charm. "I was thinking of teaching this one that spell" Penny said gesturing Astoria who still sat on the edge of the desk. "Not sure she would manage it though, so I was going to start with Disarming." She went on as Harry glanced at the small witch, nodding his agreement. Green eyes meeting bluey green, there was a drawn out silence as both of them searched for anything to say, Penny painfully away of three sets of eyes looking between them. As Harry went to speak Penny turned away cutting him off.
"Best let you get on with it." Penny said sharply, gesturing Astoria to follow her. Opening the door Penny sent Astoria ahead of her before looking back to see Harry ruffling his hair as he eyed the floor. "Harry" Penny called, causing the young wizard to look up, making Penny hesitate for a second before speaking.
"Good luck with the Third Task."