Lilacs In November--Part Four

DISCLAIMER: I swear to GOD, I didn't do it. It was all JK... well, everything except for Delilah, Brett, her family, possessions, and the egg-thingie. Ooh yes, and the broomstick bit last part.

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Chapter Thirteen
Not Enough

"It's always too early to quit." Norman Vincent Peale

     The six girls piled inside one carriage, Delilah and Lisa each squished in the middle on each side, made for an interesting trip. Between threats of one girl throwing another into the lake/cage of Hagrid's latest animals/room with Peeves inside, and Delilah and Padma bursting into song with "99 Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall", it was safe to say the others gave them a wide berth. Sadly, the two girls only got to bottle 91 when the ride was over. When they got out, the stares they got were a mix of fascination and disgust. "We don't know you," said Parvati to Padma and Delilah, speaking for the other three and herself.
     "So we'll talk to you in public?" grinned Delilah. She reflected that she must be starving and therefore dizzy... but that didn't matter.
     Parvati made a noise of outrage and stalked off. Grinning, Delilah and Padma went inside the castle.
     "Ah, home sweet home," said Delilah, flinging her arms wide to encompass Hogwarts. "How I have missed thee, mine learning center."
     "Must be one for the mentally ill, if you're here," joked Padma. Sticking her tongue at her best friend as they entered the Great Hall, Delilah slid into the seat that Mandy had saved for her. Padma sat down also, just as the Sorting ceremony began.
     Blanking out the Sorting song as best as she could, Delilah looked at the row of first years. They all looked either scared, queasy, or smug. She had suspicions of what house some would be in... others she had no idea.
     Looking at the teachers' table, she saw some familiar faces... Figg, Snape, Sprout... and Brett. He was staring at the Ravenclaw table, as if someone had placed the Holy Grail on it. Delilah thought, for one wild instant, that he was looking at her... then she followed his gaze to Cho. Of course. Cho was pretty, popular, and Head Girl. She, Delilah, was none of those. Biting her lip, Delilah turned away to catch the last chords of the song.
     While she cheered for the new Ravenclaws, Delilah felt a new, tugging presence on her mind--like a child pulling on its mother's skirts. Brushing it away, she clapped loudly as Delaney Davenport became a Ravenclaw. The tugging became more insistent... then Delilah almost fell out of her chair with the sheer mental impact. Ignoring any weird looks she got, Delilah crept into the barely opened kitchen door.
     "Mistress Delilah! What is you doing here?" It was Dobby, the house elf Harry had introduced her to last year. She liked him... he was an individual.
     "Sneaking to my tower," she said matter-of-factly. "Do you know the closest exit to Ravenclaw tower?"
     Dobby pointed a gnarled brown finger toward a far door. Thanking him, Delilah dashed to the door and flung it open. Halfway down the hall, she realized she didn't know the new password. Cursing, she ducked into a bathroom and quickly changed into a golden eagle. Clutching her clothes and robes in her beak, she went out the nearest window and around the castle to the tower window.
     The window was locked. Muttering another oath, Delilah went to a nearby tree and changed back. Getting her wand from her robes, she blurted out, "Alohomora!" The window opened. Flinging her things inside, she changed into a falcon and zipped inside. Something was happening... and she had a good idea what.
     She was in the sixth-year's dorm, where she'd be living this year. And her things weren't in there yet. Growling, Delilah put her clothes back on and paced the room, waiting.
     There was one more extremely shocked house elf that night, as Delilah snatched her trunk out of his hands and flung it open. The egg inside was glowing, and tiny cracks were appearing in the shell. Squeaking in fright, the house elf dashed out of the room. Delilah watched it go, then turned her attention to the egg. Tentatively, not knowing what she was supposed to do, Delilah placed her hands on the shell.
     The mental tugging quieted and calmed. Looking around confusedly, as if seeking help, Delilah saw a peregrine falcon watching her amusedly. They're going to notice you're gone, said Flightwing.
     "I know," sighed Delilah. Fishing parchment and ink from her trunk, she readied a quill pen for scribbling a note to Dumbledore. But what could she say? "Hello Professor, I skipped the feast because my egg is hatching"? Biting her lip, she looked at the egg, which was trembling. She had no expertise in this... but she knew who did. Jotting a note, she folded it and held it out to the falcon. "Take this to Hagrid, will you?" she said pleadingly. "I'll be needing his help."
     Hopping forward, Flightwing took the note, then zipped out of the window and to the Great Hall. That done, Delilah's attention turned to the egg. Wrapping it in a towel from the bathroom, she hugged it to her chest and ran down to Hagrid's hut.
     Ten minutes later, the door swung open and Hagrid came in. "Got yer note," he said, panting. "Wha' is it?"
     Delilah pointed to the egg, which was almost bouncing up and down by now. His eyes widened. "Blimey... tha's th' egg of a winged unicorn. Very rare," he said. "In fact..." At Delilah's urgent stare, he shut up. "Oh. Right. Wha' we gotta do is..."
     With the help of Delilah's magic and Hagrid's instructing, they were able to soothe the foal inside and help it. Delilah's face was grim. "He's weak. He... he might not be able to..." Her voice broke.
     "Now, now, lass... no talk like that. Ye've helped the lil feller more than anyone else could," said Hagrid comfortingly. "Jus'... jus' keep doin' the same, and he'll be fine, you'll see."
     At last, the egg was opened. A small, sticky, tiny little horse was revealed, his coat pitch black. Looking at them both with wide copper eyes, he stood... swayed... and fell down. The eyes closed.
     Delilah howled in pain. Her magical self dove for the baby's own falling self... then was held and anchored by ropes of brightest blue. She strained against them; but they were reinforced with something stronger than steel. Slumping over, her actual eyes opened. Turning, she saw Dumbledore, wand in hand. "So it was you," she muttered thickly before falling into a faint.
     Hagrid picked up the unconscious girl. "Poor dear," he said sadly. "She did all she could--and more."
     Dumbledore pocketed his wand, blue eyes grave. "I know. But sometimes... all we can do just isn't enough." He wrapped the tiny body in the towel. "Take her to Madam Pomfrey. She needs food and rest. I'll bury the young one." Head bowed, Hagrid left, Delilah sprawled in his arms. Shaking his own head sadly, Dumbledore exited the hut also.

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Chapter Fourteen
Unleash the Dragon

"I never let schooling interfere with my education." Mark Twain

     Delilah's eyes flew open and she sat up. The unicorn! All too soon, she remembered what had happened... and realized she was in the infirmary. If she'd just tried harder, that little baby might be here next to her... she sobbed, knees to chest, head down.
     Madam Pomfrey let her cry, standing by with a healing tonic for when her cries subsided. Delilah drank the tonic, feeling half dead.
     "Which you are," said a voice near her. Surprised, Delilah looked up to see none other than Brett.
     "How did you know..?"
     "ESP," he grinned. His tone changed when he saw her tear-stained cheeks. "You OK?" he asked concernedly.
     "Peachy," she said with a yawn. "The world always looks better when you're drugged."
     "That's nice to know," he snorted. "There's an hour until classes start, and half an hour until breakfast. You going to either?"
     "As John Cougar said, 'life goes on'," sighed Delilah. "Besides, that tonic of Madam Pomfrey's is helping. Might as well."
     "Delilah." Something in his voice made her look at him. "What you did... you have no reason to regret anything. You did more than anyone else could have." Blue-violet eyes held nothing but compassion for her.
     "But it wasn't enough," she said quietly. "Now get to your classroom; I need to get a shower." Someone had brought her a fresh set of robes and clothes--probably Padma. They'd also brought her books.
     Giving her one last smile, Brett left. Getting ready took her about twenty minutes; a five-minute check by Madam Pomfrey, and Delilah was on her way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
     Blindly, Delilah went to a seat at the Ravenclaw table. She wasn't really hungry... but she knew she needed to eat, so she put jam on a slice of toast.
     "Well, if it isn't Miss Rescue Mission," Delilah heard Pansy's voice cut through the din of people. "What good is a weird power if you can't use it right?"
     Delilah kept a stony face, knowing they were trying to provoke her. Tears glittered in her eyes; how could people be so cruel? It was most likely Pansy's fault that the foal had died; and she was laughing about it? Turning away from the Slytherins, she looked at her own table to see some people looking at her oddly. Others didn't do anything; just went on as normal. I should start charging admission if they're going to act like I'm a freak, she thought sourly, pushing her eggs around on her plate listlessly.
     Peeking back at the Gryffindors, she saw Hermione and Ron wave at her sympathetically. Giving them a half-smile, she looked at Harry. He was looking at Cho mooningly... and Cho was making major eye contact with Brett, and both were about drooling in their breakfasts. Were Delilah not so thoroughly depressed, she would have felt outrage that her best male friend's girlfriend was checking out another guy--a guy she liked. As it was, she had the sudden urge to laugh maniacally.
     She didn't remember taking her schedule; she just knew she was looking at it. Oh, no. Her first class was Care of Magical Creatures. She couldn't face that now... but she knew she had to. Heaving a gusty sigh, she stuck the schedule in her bag and stood to go. With any luck, the creature they'd work with today would be hideous and nonpitiful. Or they'd be doing bookwork.
     Luck didn't hold out. Looking guiltily at Delilah, Hagrid unveiled their first project: a mixed assortment of baby magical creatures for each student to pick from and study. "They migh' not turn out as they look now," warned Hagrid, "so choose carefully." Every last one was perfectly adorable--except for a few that looked like slimy substances or warped piles of scales. Delilah chose that one, a black lump shot with silver. This wouldn't remind her of the foal... then she saw the magical color of black, copper, gold, and silver, and bit her lip. All the others were like this, she told herself, picking up her new creature. At least it wasn't furred.
     "Ah... I see ye've chosen yours," said Hagrid, coming over. "Barely got 'way with puttin' that one in there... he's a special variety of his kin', though, so they let me." He cleared his throat. "All th' other girls got cute fuzzy things."
     "I think we know why I didn't," said Delilah blankly, nudging her scale lump. She let out a cry of shock as a tiny head emerged to snap at her. "That wasn't funny, mister." She could've sworn he blew her a raspberry before the little head tucked back inside.
     Delilah inspected the scales... the tiny, furled wings... the crested head and spiked tail... and stared at Hagrid. "Are you mad?" she hissed. "He's only a baby, but still!"
     Hagrid shrugged. "They said I could, an' he's harmless." Delilah snorted, remembering how he'd snapped at her. Hagrid walked off, then paused and turned back to her. "I'm glad ye got 'im. Ye'll unnerstan' him better than some o' th' others would. Well, 'cept for one other... but I dun' like to admit that."
     Ignoring his last words, Delilah stared at the slumbering baby dragon. "Why does everything have to have wings?" she muttered to herself, getting out parchment for writing notes on her new "project". At least he didn't need her as desperately as... the other. A tiny smile crossed her face. If his reaction meant anything, he didn't need her at all.
     "You're looking better," began Padma, then she stopped and stared at Delilah's chosen creature. "My God, that's ugly."
     "No... it's a variety of dragon," said Delilah matter-of-factly. "I'll have to go to the library and find out what kind they'd let in Hogwarts."
     "Do you know who's really good with dragons, I've heard?" said Padma.
     "Who?"
     "Draco Malfoy. Go figure, huh?"
     Delilah made a sour face. "How would you know? For that matter, how would he know?"
     "His uncle raises them or something like that. Mandy told me."
     "She fancies him, I take it?"
     Padma grinned. "And she has yet to talk to him."
     Snorting, Delilah wiped her quill clean. "I'll be sure to ask Malfoy for help with my dragon," she said sarcastically. "He'd probably hex me first."
     "Maybe the alfalfa was an accident," said Padma. Delilah caught the dreaminess in her tone and her jaw dropped.
     "Padma Patil! You're... you're defending Malfoy?"
     "Well, he is cute. He's a git, but cute," said Padma defensively. Delilah just rolled her eyes.

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Chapter Fifteen
Harsh Words

"He who angers you conquers you." Elizabeth Kenny

     Delilah saw Draco walking over to their area of the grounds lazily--he must have the class next. Crabbe and Goyle flanked him, as always. "If his goons would move out of the way, I might be able to tell if he's cute or not," she said sarcastically.
     While Crabbe and Goyle stood at the edge of the field and sniggered over some private joke, Draco sauntered over. Delilah instinctively blocked the dragon from his view. "Hello Padma, Riddle," he said offhandedly. "How's life, for the birds?"
     "Gosh, Draco, you're witty. Did you think that up yourself, or did Einstein and Newton over there pitch in?" said Delilah bitingly. She could forget her grief in the presence of a prat like Malfoy.
     "What's that?" He peered over her shoulder. He'd gotten taller over the summer, and now topped her by almost a head, which irritated her to no end.
     Delilah shielded it with her hands. "My project," she said with emphasis.
     His silver eyes were wide. "It's a dragon, isn't it? Hagrid's going to get canned for this one."
     "Ah, but he's not," said Delilah sweetly. "He's already cleared it. Besides, it can't attack you with its beak... it's not big enough yet. You'll need another excuse to stink at Quidditch."
     "Lila, we're going to be late," said Padma, tugging her arm. Delilah took her arm out of her friend's grasp, eyes locked with Draco's. His face had darkened with her comment, eyes burning.
     Taking a sick pleasure out of verbally lashing him, Delilah kept going. "And what's more, he's not in an egg, so you can't shoot fire at him and kill him. Or wait... is that your girlfriend's forté only?" Turning her back on him, she picked up the dragon and carried him over to Hagrid to be put in a snug little cage until lunch. Glaring at a furious Draco, she picked up her bag and headed for History of Magic.

     While Binns droned on, Delilah had ample time to reflect on her actions. Damn, but it had felt good to tell him off... when it was happening. Now she felt like... like she'd sunk to his level. The egg thing hadn't been his fault, but she'd blamed him anyway. And the interest in his eyes when he'd seen her dragon had been real... he obviously cared for the creatures. There was no way around it... she'd have to apologize. And if there was one thing Delilah Anne Riddle hated, it was apologies.
     After History of Magic was lunch. Delilah ate hers quickly, looking around for Draco. He was nowhere to be seen--but Delilah had a good idea of where he was. Getting up and making her excuses to her friends, she took her gloves from her pocket and went to where the baby animals were being held.
     To her shock, Malfoy wasn't there. Suspicious, Delilah checked her cage. The dragon was still in there... good thing, or Malfoy would've had a new eye color. Black. Looking at the instructions she'd posted on the dragon's cage, she went to the food bins and mixed together some dragon's milk (not too much, for the baby was getting weaned), sulfur, and brimstone. The mixture was a cloudy yellow-red-black that looked positively disgusting. "Chow down, little guy," she muttered as she poured the mixture into his little trough.
     You aren't as good as the other one, muttered the dragon as he--no, she, got up and waddled over to the trough. He's a lot better around dragons--even knew where to scratch me.
     Oh? And when did he come by? asked Delilah nonchalantly.
     Oh, he's still here... but I'm not telling you where. The dragon crunched on a chunk of brimstone. You didn't grind this enough.
     "Hush. At least you're getting fed." Still, she pulled out her quill and made a note on the sheet. "Happy now?"
     No. I also want more milk, and less sulfur. And some butter, to thicken it. Where'd you get the recipe for this, anyway?
     "However did I manage to get the whiny one?" sighed Delilah. "I should've gotten one of those balls of fluff. Or a phoenix. Yeah, a phoenix would've been nice."
     The dragonet finished its food and blew a raspberry at her. Curling up, it went back to sleep.
     "Good Lord, Riddle... is that how you treat all of your little winged friends?" came Draco's drawl from behind her. "If so, I pity them."
     "Oh, only the ones that act like yourself, Malfoy," she said sweetly. "No wonder you two get along... misery loves company."
     Draco chuckled. "Aren't we the witty one?"
     "Better than being the conspirator that never got caught," she retorted. "How can you even walk the halls, knowing what you did last year to try and destroy them?"
     Draco grabbed her arm, so tightly it hurt. "Don't you dare judge me," he hissed. "You have no clue what it's like to live my life. So sod off."
     Delilah wrenched her arm from his grip. "After you... Malfoy," she snapped. She'd walked halfway back to the castle before she turned back around to look at him. "Hey Draco!" she yelled.
     He looked over at her. "As soon as you get a backbone, you might want to come back to the castle. Lord knows you won't want to miss Divination. Maybe Trelawney will help you see why your family can bow down to other people and revile servants at the same time!" All thoughts of apologies gone from her head, Delilah walked back to the castle, waiting for a curse to hit her. It never came.

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Chapter Sixteen
Impromptu Visit

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me..." Aretha Franklin

     Delilah tried to do homework. She got done quickly. She tried to work ahead, but only ended up flinging her quill to the ground in disgust. She only had one option, as she saw it... one thing to do. She opened the window.
     Fifteen minutes later, she was outside of Sirius's cottage. She flew for a window--but veered off at the last second when she realized it was shut. Circling back around, she used her beak to tentatively tap on the glass.
     Nothing. She peered inside--Sirius was laying on the couch nearby, sound asleep. She tapped again... he stirred, but rolled back over and put a blanket over his head.
     All right... you asked for it. Checking around, she shifted from raven form to her human form, dressed in Muggle clothes. Pulling out the lockpicks that had been in her package from him (along with a ring that adorned her finger at the moment) she opened the window. Shifting into parrot form, she flew in.
     Positioning herself out of range of his fists, she cleared her throat. "What you want, baby I got it... what you need, you know I got it..." she started to sing in her funny parrot voice, doing a can-can.
     Sirius's eyes flew open and fell on her. "I never should've told you that story," he muttered, reaching for his pants.
     In a few seconds, Delilah had shifted again. "How else was I supposed to learn drinking in moderation?" she said cheekily. "I learn from your mistakes, oh wise one."
     "Turn around and let me get dressed," said Sirius with a yawn. "Your mutt's in your old bedroom. He's been pining."
     A faint blush staining her cheeks, Delilah went down the halls to where her old room had been. As soon as she opened the door, her little dog sprung out at her and started frantically yipping. Cooing at him, she picked Ryo up and let him bathe her face. "Have you been peeing in Uncle Sirius's slippers? Every morning? Such a good boy! Mommy's so proud..." She said it loud enough for Sirius to hear.
     "Ha ha," he said behind her. She turned around and looked up at him. Even though she'd grown, she was nowhere near his height.
     "Seriously--no pun intended--has he been good?"
     "Well... he's not the kind of dog that you can drink beer with and watch rugby on the telly, but he's survivable," grinned Sirius, running a hand through his long black hair. Delilah shook her head.
     "You need to get that cut. Didn't you say you would at beginning of term?"
     "I lied."
     "You look like a Black Sabbath wannabe spawned from the genes of Ozzy Osbourne and Satan--well, their hair genetics, anyway." Delilah frowned. "As if everyone needs more evidence that you're insane."
     "Delilah, I've had my hair like this since Hogwarts. It's tradition."
     Delilah snorted. "Since Hogwarts? That was about twenty-five years ago, for you. Isn't it time for a change?" She situated Ryo so that he only took up one of her arms.
     "Blah, blah, et cetera, et cetera. Tea?" He led her into the kitchen, where she sat down, her dog in her lap. She accepted, and waited for him to return with the two steaming cups. "This living alone is making me domestic."
     "Probably poisoning you, since you have to eat your own cooking." She looked over at the sink, which was full of dirty dishes. "Sign of the bachelor."
     "How've you been, kid?" asked Sirius, smiling at her.
     "Well... um... not so good," she confessed.
     "Why?"
     "It all started with the train ride..." She told him the entire story of the egg, which led to the Care of Magical Creatures project, then to Draco. "He's so irritating!" she fumed. "I can't believe Dumbledore even let him back... it had to have been Fudge or someone idiotic like that. Every time I talk to him, I have to restrain the urge to throttle his little albino neck."
     "Maybe he's got reasons," said Sirius gently.
     "Like..?"
     "I for one wouldn't like having Lucius Malfoy for a father."
     "Wondrous. He can spend the hols with my family then. I'm sure they'd get along smashingly." Sarcasm dripped from her last word.
     "Just... don't judge him until you've walked in his shoes. All right, Delilah?" Sirius smiled warmly at her. "You'd better go. Your friends will be getting worried."
     "They're too busy mooning over the slimy git," she muttered. "What do they see in him?"
     "Don't ask me... I'm the crotchety old man," said Sirius. Delilah hid a snort. Sirius still had a youthful air about him, even though it had been dampened by Azkaban. And he was still funny as hell.
     "Then why do my dormmates want a snapshot of you in your knickers?" she said with a grin. "Or without... they aren't picky girls."
     Sirius chuckled. "Tell them to put their wands behind the big copper trophy in the trophy room, tap the trophy three times, and say 'Lunus Veritas'."
     "What happens?"
     Sirius grinned. "Well, if the spell survived, an image of all four Marauders mooning the crowd at a Slytherin Quidditch game should show up." As an afterthought, he added, "I'll have to modify that so that Peter gets assaulted by Bludgers. Didn't happen, but still highly amusing." His eyes darkened even more than normal.
     Delilah squeezed his hand. There really wasn't anything to say when he thought of Peter, James, or Lily... he was going to cry and/or yell anyway. "I'll be going back now... and I'll remember that spell. I'll show Harry that one... a side of his father he never got to see." That made Sirius smile at least a little bit. "G'bye, Sirius."
     "G'bye." Delilah changed into her falcon form again and sped back to the school.

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     Well... that was interesting. Sorry again about the delay... second semester's hell, and I'm sure I'm failing math by now. Yeah. School sucks. ~Phoenix Starfire (I like the new name... don't you? *wink nudge*)