maybe chapter 8 will up quicker than I thought? Hey it's Friday night, I don't drive, folks aren't home, friend are out of town, do I have anything better to do? No , not really, so maybe if I am lucky I can get this chapter done tonight."
****disclaimer I own three things, Charlotte , Riencour and giant foot powder. J.K. Rowling owns many things, everything but those 3 things to be exact.............*********
Birds that can't fly
Chapter 8 : It pours
The common room was more pleasant than usual that evening. Especially for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The rain began to fall heavily at 4:00, by 4:30 it was a torrential down pour. Since six o'clock Fred and George had quite a few first years convinced that Hogwarts had an annual monsoon season. The drenched players sat shivering on the hearth sipping hot chocolate underneath piles of blankets. But even though he was soaked to the bone George was in a jubilant mood. The new Quidditch captain could not have been in higher spirits, but while Fred tried to celebrate his brothers victory, he found his thoughts wandering back to the dungeon. The whole episode had left him muddled and confused. More than ever he was unsure of where he stood with Charlotte.
Angelina wrapped her arm around Freds stomach. "What's the matter dear?" she asked.
It bothered him that she called him dear, and at the moment this embrace felt like an attack on his personal space. Gently he untangled himself from her "Nothing Angelina......just a little chilly, that's all."
Angelina flashed a sultry smile and leaned in toward him. "I could warm you up." she whispered in his ear so quietly only he could hear.
He made an effort not to cringe but turned to her and replied " Not tonight Angelina." By the hurt look on her face Fred could tell his words had been more harsh than he'd intended. At the moment he didn't care, but he did have the strong urge to be away from her.
Fred stood and made his way to the portrait hole.
"Oi! Fred! Where you goin?" called Ron from the hearth where he and Harry had been rehashing Ron's first Quidditch practice as the new seeker.
"Library, there's a book I want to get out...." Fred called over his shoulder.
"While your there, would you please tell Hermione that she has another week to get that essay done? And inform her that her friends are forgetting what she looks like because she spends too much time in the library." Asked Ron. Fred could hear Harry chuckling.
"Sure thing Ron." Replied Fred sliding out into the corridor. It was freezing outside the common room and Fred cursed himself for not changing cloths before he left. His socks were wet inside his shoes and made an unpleasant squish squish squish as he plodded down the corridors.
The library was nearly empty when he arrived. No one in Hogwarts did their homework on Friday, with the exception of Hermione Granger. And sure enough there she was hunched over a pile of books, her quill working furiously. Fred plunked down into a chair across from her. Hermione glanced up.
"Hey Fred." she muttered.
"Your boyfriend requests you presence in the common room." Fred chuckled.
"Who?" She was obviously confused.
"Ron naturally, who else?"
Hermione went very red and glared at Fred over the mountain of books. "He's not my boyfriend thanks." She snapped.
"Touchy." Fred joked. " Say, what are you reading Hermione?" suddenly noticing that the text in front of her was in French.
"Oh, this?" Hermione had a hard time covering up guilt. " It's just a .......um.....dictionary. There was some stuff I wanted to look up."
Fred frowned, what in heavens name did a fifth year need with a French dictionary? There was nothing that had to be translated in the fifth year. Unless....... "Are you trying to translate what Fleur and Charlotte were talking about the other night?"
Hermiones' blushed deepened. " No not at all. It's just .........this......potion.....for um.......potions class.."
"Hermione, you can't fool me, you lie like a nun, you know that?" he gazed down at the parchment where Hermiones neat writing seemed to be making good progress. " So?"
"So what?"
Fred was slightly exasperated. " What were they saying, honestly Hermione, if I didn't know better I'd say you were stupid."
She was relieved " So your not mad then?"
" Nah, it's been driving me crazy for ages." Fred answered.
Reluctantly Hermione passed the parchment over to Fred. He read quickly.
F: What's wrong?
C: he found me......
F: Impossible, he couldn't have . Dumbledore......
C: I don't know how, but he found me here. I need ----------
F: No! wait , you just need to see Madame Pomfrey, you only imagined it. Don't take the --------------, not yet.
C: I need to, I need it..............
The whole thing pretty much went like that. Fred Looked at Hermione perplexed.
"What are all these dashes here?" he pointed to several spots on the parchment.
"That's just the thing" Said Hermione. " I can't find that word anywhere. It's not in any of the dictionaries, not phrase books, it's like it doesn't exist."
Fred studied the parchment again. " It sort of looks like it might be a spell or a potion or something........."
"That's what I thought. But I can't find it in any of my text books, and I need teacher permission to look at the restricted books."
" Tell you what Hermione, you go back to the common room , or my brother will never let up on me, and I'll see if it's in any of my books. If not I'll get someone to give me a recommendation , or I'll forge one , or something......" Fred began snapping Hermiones books shut.
She gave him a grateful smile and stood to go. She stopped abruptly when Charlotte came charging into the library, looking calm as usual but something about her said she was on a mission. Fred stood and walked towards her. Her eyes locked on him. She didn't keep her distance. The girl came very close to Fred, they were inches apart. With out a word Charlotte took his hand.
For a moment it looked as though an electric shock had gone through her body. A tiny spasm wracked her and her mouth fell open as she gasped for breath. Then Before anyone really knew what was happening Charlotte had gently tilde Freds Face down and kissed him. It was slow and passionate, Hermione stared, she felt strangely comfortable watching them. It wasn't like watching some hormone driven teen-age make out fest. It was like the end of the movie when Prince Charming finds his love and they share their first kiss. Hermione knew that was what this was, this was true loves first kiss.
Gently Charlotte pulled back. One hand around his neck and the other still clasping his hand. She looked deep into his eyes and whispered words Fred nor Hermione had ever heard before.
" Miserere Mei Deus" she said. Then she dropped his hand and her eyes clouded over again. Silently Charlotte turned and ran from the library. Leaving Hermione half standing half sitting at the table and Fred standing, looking like he had no idea what he was going to do now.
**** Yes this is where I shall stop, and go away for a few days, enjoy!******
