Disclaimer: See Chapter 19
Last chapter for the night. I never dreamed I'd get this far.
Snape's behavior had become obvious enough that rumors spread through the student body like a fire through dry brush. Percy Weasley thought it scandalous that Snape should openly profess his interest in a married woman. The Weasley twins, on the other hand, were amused by Snape making a spectacle of himself. The Slytherin students tended to blame Kokiri rather than Snape. They never said anything to Kokiri's face, or Okino's for that matter. Kiki, however, found that when she walked down the hall, some of the girls would glare at her, or whisper to each other and start giggling. If she started to ask what the problem was, they'd turn and run.
The Gryffindor common room wasn't much better than the castle halls or the dining room or the library. Everywhere she went, she could feel the eyes of other students on her. Jiji didn't offer any clues; he had his own problems with Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. Kiki was on her way out onto the grounds Friday a little before supper, although with no clear plan of where to go once she was outside, when she realized: she needed to fly. It had been almost a week since she and her mother had made the new broom, and she hadn't even taken it on its maiden flight yet. She ran back to her parents' office, where the new broom was being kept. There was nobody there; it was time for her father to give another lecture, and her mother was probably still in the greenhouses. She took the broom from behind a secret panel in a wardrobe; she wasn't about to leave it where students could get at it again. Once outside, she looked at the lake, but she still had too many bad memories of her last flight. Looking around, she noticed the Quidditch stadium. She had only ever seen the outside of it, so she went over to take a look.
She wasn't prepared for the size of it, or the height of the benches and goalposts. Still, she didn't let it faze her. She mounted the broom, and took off at high speed up, up toward the goals. She dashed from one end of the field to the other and back for fifteen minutes, trying to drive the bad feelings out of her head. Finally, she came to a stop atop one of the goalposts and sat down on it, holding the broom in her lap and looking at the sun setting behind the hills to the west.
"Hello, Kiki."
It was Harry Potter. He'd risen up to her on his own broom. A breeze blew the hair off of his forehead, showing that lightning-bolt scar. It was as red as the robes he was wearing.
"Do you mind?" he continued. "If you'd rather be alone."
"It's alright," she shrugged.
Harry sat on the goal next to Kiki. They weren't touching, but he was very aware that he was sitting very close to her. He started feeling nervous, and cleared his throat. "It's nice up here. I never would have thought to just sit here."
"Did you want to ask me something? Is that why you're here?"
"Huh? Oh, no, no. It's just that we have practice here in a little while. I'm on Gryffindor's Quidditch team. That's why I'm wearing these robes; they're the house colours. I just got here a little early."
"Oh." They sat on the goal post quietly for another minute.
"Is that the broom you were making the other night?"
"Yes, it is."
"Looks good. How is it for flying?"
"I don't know. This is my first time trying it since we made it. Feels good, though."
"That's good." Another minute went by. "Well, that is, do you mind if I ask you something, Kiki?" Had any other student asked her this, she probably would have flown off without another word. But Harry was among those (seemingly) few students who hadn't been preoccupied lately about what was supposed to be between her mother and Professor Snape. "What is it?"
"Well, I know you've been living out on your own and all, and, well." Maybe it was the wind, or maybe Harry really did blush a little bit, but Kiki smiled in spite of herself. That encouraged Harry to go on. "It's just that, I've been thinking about it since last year, about what will I do after I get out of Hogwarts. I really don't know what witches do to make a living."
"Well, neither did I until I Started Out On My Own. I mean, my mother grew plants and made medicines and things, but I could never do that. Everyone says I'm too impatient. And I met another witch who was a fortuneteller. But flying was all I knew how to do."
"Didn't you figure it out with your parents?"
"No; that's part of Starting Out On Your Own. You have to make your own decision about what to do, as well as when and where to go." She paused for a minute, not sure if she should ask her next question. "Haven't you talked it over with your parents?"
Harry realized that Kiki didn't know about this part of his history, either. He took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses on his robe. They didn't seem dirty to Kiki, but Harry took the opportunity to look away. "They're dead. They were killed when I was barely a year old."
Now Kiki knew she shouldn't have asked. Part of her wanted to just fly off, but she couldn't just leave it at that. Fortunately for both of them, a voice called out.
"Come on, Harry! What're you doing up there?"
It was Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, with a couple of the other players. Practice was about to start. "In a minute!" Harry called down. As he turned back to Kiki, she was already on her broom, ready to fly off.
"I'd better leave you to your practice. But here's what I think. No matter what you do, do it so that your parents would be proud of you. Then you'll be alright." She drifted off toward the castle.
***
More chapters tomorrow. Good night! R/R. . .
Last chapter for the night. I never dreamed I'd get this far.
Snape's behavior had become obvious enough that rumors spread through the student body like a fire through dry brush. Percy Weasley thought it scandalous that Snape should openly profess his interest in a married woman. The Weasley twins, on the other hand, were amused by Snape making a spectacle of himself. The Slytherin students tended to blame Kokiri rather than Snape. They never said anything to Kokiri's face, or Okino's for that matter. Kiki, however, found that when she walked down the hall, some of the girls would glare at her, or whisper to each other and start giggling. If she started to ask what the problem was, they'd turn and run.
The Gryffindor common room wasn't much better than the castle halls or the dining room or the library. Everywhere she went, she could feel the eyes of other students on her. Jiji didn't offer any clues; he had his own problems with Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. Kiki was on her way out onto the grounds Friday a little before supper, although with no clear plan of where to go once she was outside, when she realized: she needed to fly. It had been almost a week since she and her mother had made the new broom, and she hadn't even taken it on its maiden flight yet. She ran back to her parents' office, where the new broom was being kept. There was nobody there; it was time for her father to give another lecture, and her mother was probably still in the greenhouses. She took the broom from behind a secret panel in a wardrobe; she wasn't about to leave it where students could get at it again. Once outside, she looked at the lake, but she still had too many bad memories of her last flight. Looking around, she noticed the Quidditch stadium. She had only ever seen the outside of it, so she went over to take a look.
She wasn't prepared for the size of it, or the height of the benches and goalposts. Still, she didn't let it faze her. She mounted the broom, and took off at high speed up, up toward the goals. She dashed from one end of the field to the other and back for fifteen minutes, trying to drive the bad feelings out of her head. Finally, she came to a stop atop one of the goalposts and sat down on it, holding the broom in her lap and looking at the sun setting behind the hills to the west.
"Hello, Kiki."
It was Harry Potter. He'd risen up to her on his own broom. A breeze blew the hair off of his forehead, showing that lightning-bolt scar. It was as red as the robes he was wearing.
"Do you mind?" he continued. "If you'd rather be alone."
"It's alright," she shrugged.
Harry sat on the goal next to Kiki. They weren't touching, but he was very aware that he was sitting very close to her. He started feeling nervous, and cleared his throat. "It's nice up here. I never would have thought to just sit here."
"Did you want to ask me something? Is that why you're here?"
"Huh? Oh, no, no. It's just that we have practice here in a little while. I'm on Gryffindor's Quidditch team. That's why I'm wearing these robes; they're the house colours. I just got here a little early."
"Oh." They sat on the goal post quietly for another minute.
"Is that the broom you were making the other night?"
"Yes, it is."
"Looks good. How is it for flying?"
"I don't know. This is my first time trying it since we made it. Feels good, though."
"That's good." Another minute went by. "Well, that is, do you mind if I ask you something, Kiki?" Had any other student asked her this, she probably would have flown off without another word. But Harry was among those (seemingly) few students who hadn't been preoccupied lately about what was supposed to be between her mother and Professor Snape. "What is it?"
"Well, I know you've been living out on your own and all, and, well." Maybe it was the wind, or maybe Harry really did blush a little bit, but Kiki smiled in spite of herself. That encouraged Harry to go on. "It's just that, I've been thinking about it since last year, about what will I do after I get out of Hogwarts. I really don't know what witches do to make a living."
"Well, neither did I until I Started Out On My Own. I mean, my mother grew plants and made medicines and things, but I could never do that. Everyone says I'm too impatient. And I met another witch who was a fortuneteller. But flying was all I knew how to do."
"Didn't you figure it out with your parents?"
"No; that's part of Starting Out On Your Own. You have to make your own decision about what to do, as well as when and where to go." She paused for a minute, not sure if she should ask her next question. "Haven't you talked it over with your parents?"
Harry realized that Kiki didn't know about this part of his history, either. He took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses on his robe. They didn't seem dirty to Kiki, but Harry took the opportunity to look away. "They're dead. They were killed when I was barely a year old."
Now Kiki knew she shouldn't have asked. Part of her wanted to just fly off, but she couldn't just leave it at that. Fortunately for both of them, a voice called out.
"Come on, Harry! What're you doing up there?"
It was Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, with a couple of the other players. Practice was about to start. "In a minute!" Harry called down. As he turned back to Kiki, she was already on her broom, ready to fly off.
"I'd better leave you to your practice. But here's what I think. No matter what you do, do it so that your parents would be proud of you. Then you'll be alright." She drifted off toward the castle.
***
More chapters tomorrow. Good night! R/R. . .