A/N:
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Chapter 3: Triumphs of Life
"Here she comes! Thank god we got here early, or we would have missed her," Ron whispered to Harry. "Blimey, she's down here early. Its obvious she's trying to avoid everyone."
"Well you cant blame her. She doesn't have any friends."
"And that makes her an even easier target. Ill go over there and invite her to go with us to Hogsmede today."
"You're going to invite her to come! Shell spoil the whole trip!" Harry almost yelled.
"Shhh! Were going to have to, we have to make her think she's one of us. Then we can tell her our plan."
"Hermione isn't going to like this. She kept going on yesterday about how wonderful, our trip is going to be." Harry said.
"Well, Hermione isn't here, well just have to explain to her that its just part of The Plan. Well have to get used Calista hanging around with us." Ron saw the look on Harry's face and added, "Well go to Hogsmede alone another time, just us three." Ron tried to sound as convincing as possible and put his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Oh all right. But lets get this over with as soon as possible."
"Thank you." Ron said, relieved. "I'm going to go over to her and ask her to come with us today. You stay here."
"OK."
Ron got up out of the little nook he and Harry were sitting in, waiting for Calista. He walked casually over to Calista as if he had just come down the staircase.
"Oh! Calista, I'm so glad I found you here." Ron said when he was about five feet away from her. Calista, startled, dropped her glass of milk, and it landed with a loud CLINK on the table. The milk splattered everywhere, including onto her new robes, and on Ron.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she squealed while blushing bright red at the sight on Ron, "how clumsy of me." she tried to wipe up all the spilled milk with her one napkin, but wasn't too successful.
"Let me get that," Ron said as he whipped out his wand and muttered a spell. In an instant all the milk was gone.
Calista looked very embarrassed, so Ron changed the subject.
"Well you know Calista, I woke this morning and it was beautiful outside," he emphasized the word beautiful, "I thought I'd take a walk, and then I saw you. Just yesterday Harry, Hermione, and I were talking and we decided today would be a great day to go to Hogsmede. And you know I've been watching you, (Calista's heart skipped a beat), you're a nice girl, even if you are in Slytherin. I thought maybe we could get to know each other better, would you like to go to Hogsmede with us today?"
Calista couldn't talk, and she stared dumbfounded at Ron. She was silent, and Ron misinterpreted her silence, so he quickly said, "It'll be fun, and well be back before dark, if that is what you're worried about."
"Oh no, I'm not worried. It was just... never mind, Id love to go."
Ron let out a silent sigh of relief. The whole plan would work only if Calista agreed to help, and he'd have to do everything to make her feel comfortable.
"Great! Meet us at the top of the marble staircase at nine o' clock."
"OK."
"Well see you then," Ron said with a charming smile.
"Bye."
* * * * * * * * * *
Calista sat hopelessly on the edge of her four-poster. It was seven-thirty in the morning-- only and hour and a half until she had to meet Ron, Harry, and Hermione. She didn't have any idea of what to wear or how to do her hair... or anything.
"Well nothing is going to happen if I just sit here." She said to herself. So she got up and walked to her dresser, and looked into the mirror.
Two dark purple eyes appeared, a perfectly shaped nose, and then deep red lips.
"Finally, Calista. What is it you need, child." The mirror said in a deep pleasing voice.
"Ron asked me to go with him and his friends to Hogsmede, and I said Id love to go. Now, I don't know what to wear or how to do my hair."
"Ohh! My darling child has grown up! Already on her first date." The mirror sang happily.
"Oh, stop it!" Calista scolded, "Its not a date. Ron just asked me if Id like to come on a trip... he just wants to be friends, that's all. Besides," Calista added, "Harry and Hermione are coming too."
"All right, if you say so. So, you're going to Hogsmede are you? In that case, we don't need anything fancy."
"I want to wear something nice but not too formal."
"Then how about something like this, " the mirror said as some robes appeared on top of the dresser.
Calista picked up the robes; they were a cherry red with shiny gold fastenings that glistened in the light.
"You could wear it with this," the mirror said, meaning the silky, dull gold colored dress that had appeared on the dresser.
"Hmmm... well, it's pretty... but I think it's too flashy. How about something more plain."
"OK, how about this."
The red and gold robes and dress disappeared, and were replaced by different ones.
Calista picked up the robes, they were a deep forest green, nice and simple. Then she looked at the dress, it was a lighter green velvet, with a revealing neckline.
"This is nice, very dramatic, but its too... you know." Calista said, after consideration.
"I understand," the mirror agreed, and took the green robes and dress away, "But I think you'll like this."
This time, another pair of robes and dress appeared. "Sky blue robes and a matching dress."
"I like this, its pretty. And the dress is sparkly." Calista said, delighted.
"Darling, you look beautiful," the mirror said as Calista changed into the dress and robes. "It really brings out your beautiful eyes."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Oh Ron, does she have to come?" Hermione whined.
"Yes." Ron replied, a little too forcefully than he meant. "Hermione, please, make her fell happy. As soon as we get her comfortable, well tell her about our plan. She'll do her part, and we don't have to talk to her again."
Hermione put on a face.
"Come on sweetie. Well only need to use her to get Snape's kidnapping in action, after that we don't need her."
"Do I have to be friends with her?"
"No, you don't have to. But just make sure she feels happy. Make her feel welcome."
Hermione paused considering this. "OK. But I'm only doing this for you."
"Are you two ready?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione who were talking quietly near the fireplace.
"Yes, Harry, we are."
"Well, lets go then. Calista's probably waiting for us," Harry said.
The three grabbed their broomsticks and climbed through the porthole. Before long they reached the top of the staircase, and sure enough Calista was watching for them.
"Calista! I'm sorry, we were a little late-- oh my goodness, you look gorgeous! What a beautiful dress, I'm so glad I asked you to come!" Ron said with outrageous fake enthusiasm. He offered her his arm, and she took it.
Hermione gave a small growl.
"Hermione! That was just an act! Act natural!" Harry hissed into her ear.
Hermione put on a fake smile.
"Morning, Calista," she said stiffly.
"Ron raised one eyebrow at her, when Calista couldn't see. Hermione broadened her smile a little more and managed to say, "Cute dress."
"Thank you," Calista said with a smile, truly happy that it was going so well.
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds, all excited (for different reasons) for what was going to happen next.
"Well," Harry broke the silence, "lets go then. It should take a good hour to get there on broomstick."
"Broomstick? Oh dear..." Calista said. She didn't want to tell them she was afraid of heights.
"You don't have one?" Ron said, "That's OK, you can ride with me on my broomstick."
Calista started to say something, but decided she was going to have to get over her fear if she was ever to get anywhere socially. "Thank you, Ron. I'm not very good at flying."
"All right then, Hermione, do you have our Student Passes?"
"Yes."
"Then lets go," Ron said, and he Calista went down the staircase.
Harry started to go too, but Hermione grabbed his robe, and pulled him back. An ugly frown was forming on her face as she watched the two walking down the steps arm in arm.
"Hermione! You heard Ron! He said we have to keep it cool! That we have to make her think she's one of us! You aren't doing a very good job!"
"Harry," Hermione said, turning to him. "I really don't like the looks of this."
"Tough." Harry said, very frustrated that Hermione was being so stubborn. Then he softened. He knew from previous experiences that you couldn't get anywhere with Hermione, if you weren't calm and gentle.
"Hermione forget about Ron and Calista. Let's spend the day together. When was the last time we went anywhere together?"
"A few months ago." Hermione said, a smile appearing on her face. "We could use some time togeth--" She was cut off by Ron.
"Are you two coming?" His voice came from somewhere down, around a corner.
"Were coming." Harry answered and grabbed Hermione's hand. They ran down the steps to Ron and Calista.
The four walked out the gate into the morning sunshine. They looked up to the sky that was a beautiful clear blue.
"Not a cloud in the sky. What a beautiful morning!" Ron said as he took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. Ron helped Calista onto his broom, which got some attention from Hermione. But Harry moved in front of her, so he blocked her view, and pointed to her broom.
Hermione smiled. "Oh... right"
Harry rolled his eyes.
They both got on their brooms and kicked off into the air.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Hold on tight," Ron said.
Calista's hands tightened around his waist. She got nervous as they went higher up in the air.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah, its beautiful up here!" She said as they flew east over the Forbidden Forest. "I used to go flying with my father, when I was younger. I've always loved flying, but I'm no good at it myself."
"Flying is loads of fun, its too bad you're not that good. Maybe Harry and I could teach you sometime."
"Yeah." Calista said, not really listening. She just couldn't believe, she, of all people, was with Ron, on her way to a great day at Hogsmede.
"Are you two still there?" Ron called out to Harry and Hermione.
"Yeah, right behind you." Hermione said as she closely watched Calista's hands.
"Hermione, I swear, if you don't stop watching Calista, you're going to crash. And I'm not going to come after you."
Hermione laughed, "Oh all right Harry."
************
When the four arrived at Hogsmede, Harry and Hermione went in one direction, and Ron and Calista in the other. They decided to meet at the Three broomsticks for a drink and something to eat at one.
"Why don't we go to Honeydukes, for some sweets, and then over to Lake Hogsmede. I heard they have rowboats for rent." Ron said as he and Calista walked by Floreans Floral Frenzie and the sweet aroma of hundreds of enchanted flowers.
"That would be nice," Calista said, and she smiled up at Ron, who smiled warmly back.
What a nice person Ron is. Thought Calista. He's smart, charming, attractive, charismatic, and such a gentleman. He's... irresistible. That's the word for him, irresistible.
Ughhh. Ron thought. She's disgusting. She actually thinks I like her. Well, it's kind of pitiful, he thought, with a smirk, she's so desperate for friends. Desperate enough for my plan to work.
At Honeydukes, Ron bought Calista 43 sickles worth of candy and sweets. Gooey, fat honey colored toffees, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, lemon flavored sherbet balls, creamy vanilla lollipops, and a whole bag of Fizzing Whizbees. Calista left the shop sucking on a vanilla lollipop. "So shall we go to Lake Hogsmede? We spent only half an hour at Honeydukes, we have plenty of time before we have to meet Harry and Hermione."
"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Calista replied. "I've never been to Lake Hogsmede."
"Well, I once took my little sister, Ginny." Then with a smile he added, "There will be a little surprise when we get there."
"What kind of surprise?"
"You'll see when we get there." Ron said with a wink. He took her arm.
* * * * * * * * * *
And a surprise it was. Calista was shocked to find Lake Hogsmede wasn't a lake at all. It was only a large puddle, five feet across.
"Ron? This is only a puddle."
"I know," he said, "get into this rowboat with me. It'll get a lot more interesting."
Calista carefully stepped into the rowboat and suddenly the world changed before her. The puddle was no longer a puddle, but a large lake.
"Oh Ron! Wow!"
Lotus flowers in full bloom covered the surface on the lake. There wasn't a sound, except for the 'Cheep! Cheep!' of the birds.
"Ron this is beautiful!" Calista exclaimed.
"You like it? I knew you were an outdoors type."
Calista smiled. Ron was just getting better and better.
Ron picked up the oars and began rowing. So far so good. He rowed to the middle of the lake, and put the oars down. Silence.
Ron put an arm around Calista and kissed her. Calista pushed him away.
"What are you doing?" Calista asked, quite startled.
Ron turned red. "Umm... sorry." Stupid Ron, you blew it. "That's... that's OK." Calista looked away. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed him away. After all he was only trying to be friendly.
During the rest of the morning Calista and Ron exchanged quite a few conversations. The atmosphere between them lightened quite a bit.
At twelve-thirty, the two started towards the Three Broomsticks pub.
"Harry and Hermione should be waiting for us," said Ron.
Sure enough, when Ron opened the door, Harry and Hermione were at the far end of the pub sitting at a table, waiting for them.
"Hey guys." Ron said as he and Calista took a seat at the table.
"Hi."
"You didn't wait long did you?"
"No we just got here," Harry said.
Madam Rosemerta walked over to their table. "Afternoon, kids. What'll it be?"
"I'll have a butterbeer."
"Me too."
"I'll have a cherry syrup and soda with an umbrella."
"Ice?" Rosemerta asked.
"Yes."
"And I'll have a raspberry flavored currant rum."
"Anything to eat?" Rosemerta asked.
"A platter of sandwiches."
Rosemerta read the order back to them, and disappeared into the kitchen.
The three started talking, and Calista joined. It was if they had been best friends forever. They always said the right things so there was always room for Calista to make a comment.
The drinks and sandwiches arrived, and the four began. Calista took her robes off, because it was getting a little stuffy.
"You look really different in that dress. You look kind of... delicate." Ron said.
Hermione laughed. "I wonder what Snape looks like without those ugly long, black robes he wears all the time. Delicate?"
"Are you kidding?" Harry said, as he started to laugh. "We'll have to take them off before we stun him. We don't want to be tripping over them."
"Stun him?" Calista thought she had heard him wrong. "Did you just say stun?" Suddenly she realized the atmosphere had changed abruptly. Their faces all turned towards her. Observing. Calculating.