Hello! I didn't think I was going to get this posted. I was baby-sitting my 3 nephews! Two of them are twins and are two and a half. The other is five. So I figured I might as well post a chapter tonight. Because I'm off to watch Davis Cup Tennis matches in Oklahoma City either Saturday or Sunday. Depends on when my boyfriend gets the tickets from his friend.
I'm also still looking for a Beta Reader. Contact me at [1]esl86vw@yahoo.com if still interested.
Allow me to say thanks to Alice for my fourth review!
Excerpts are taken from "Casey At The Bat." The entire poem can be found at [2]http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/catb_1.html
Ms J.K Rowling owns the Harry Potter whatnot. Please enjoy my form of amusement.
Ch 8. The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth.
Delia found herself in the Hufflepuff Common room. All heads turned and look at her in silence. Delia walked up the stairs into her Dorm room. She didn't expect anyone to be there. But Nicola was there. As soon as Delia opened the door she was greeted with Nicola screaming.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?"
"In the Hospital Wing," she replied nonchalantly.
"Like hell were! Something's up! I want to know!" She gasped and got a look on her face of excitement!" You've GOT A BOYFREIND! Is it Thomas? Is its? IS IT!"
"NO!"
"Then who is it?" inquired Nicola.
"Tell you what, let me change clothes and we'll meet outside by the Quidditch Pitch in fifteen minutes. Find Josh and let him know. I better say this now to you two before you hear the rumors.
***
Delia sat in the stands on the empty Quidditch Field. She knew she had half an hour before the Slytherins came out for practice. It was late morning on a clear crisp autumn day. Delia liked autumn. It was her favorite time of year. Everything was so full of color. Delia then walked over and stood on the Quidditch Pitch out in the middle. She had changed into jeans, red Converse All Stars and was wearing a long sleeved tee shirt that said Green Day. Her hair was in pigtails under a royal blue baseball cap that was from the time her father had taken her to see the Kansas City Royals. On this morning Delia had her Louisville Slugger, baseball and catcher's mitt. Delia had a Sunday ritual of waking up and coming out to hit a few balls. Her baseball was bewitched to return. She had used the same charm one uses on a Buldger. Delia tossed the ball up into the air and gave the ball a good whack. Then she began to recite:
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
The baseball came back to Delia at an alarming speed. She got in a batter's stance and hit it out of the park, as they would have said back home. She was still reciting:
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
From the benches black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
The ball returned Delia hit it again:
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
Delia watched the ball come back; she returned to her stance, concentrated on the ball and hit it. This time it bounced on the ground before taking off:
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
This time the ball returned sooner. Delia got ready, swung and missed:
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out.
Delia turned around, dropped her bat and picked up her glove. The baseball returned and Delia caught it. Delia put the ball in her other hand, took off her glove allowing it to drop to the ground and pulled out the little orange drawstring bag she housed her baseball in. She pulled it open and placed the ball inside. She tied the bag to her Louisville Slugger. Delia always seemed to feel a little home sick after she hit. She missed playing on a girl's baseball team back home. She preferred baseball to ice-skating. Delia sat down in the central point of the Quidditch Pitch, and drew her knees up to her chin. If I had stayed home, she thought, I would have played baseball for Derby High School. I wonder what life would have been like if I had stayed home. I would have been going to DHS with my friends. When I saw them this summer they all had their colleges pick out. They all presume I'm going to Oxford or Cambridge. They don't know that I'm really here at Hogwarts snogging
with the Potions Master, head of Slytherin House. I miss my parents. I know they're only a ocean away, but Kansas seems so far! Worlds apart! And I do mean that! A few tears spilled out onto Delia's cheeks. I would have gone to prom this year! Drove to school everyday! Been a senior and graduation! Delia began to sob harder. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and then buried her face in her hands. She didn't notice Severus was walking towards her. She was still crying when Severus arrived. She didn't notice that he was kneeling on his left knee until he spoke in a gentle voice.
"Delia are you all right?"
"Fine," she coughed. "What are you doing here?"
"You are crying. I saw a strange object flying around on the Quidditch Pitch on my way to Hogsmeade! I had to investigate what it was. I can see that it was your doings. Judging by this...stuff laying on the ground."
"It's not stuff," she informed him, "its baseball equipment." She looked up at him, her face puffy.
"I see. What's baseball? I am afraid I only know Quidditch and A little bit about football, but I think you Americans call it soccer."
Delia nodded, "Yes, we call it soccer. Baseball is a game played back home. I was just hitting to hit. You see I bewitched the baseball like you do a Buldger. I can explain the rules of baseball later."
"No thanks. I fear I don't understand sports much. But why was baseball making you cry?"
"Because it reminds me of Kansas. I get home sick. I miss my friends, my parents, everything!" She started to sniffle again. "I mean, I'm happy here. Heck, I'm overjoyed to be representing the US and Kansas here. I just wonder sometimes..."
"What you would have done if you stayed." He said finishing her sentence. "Delia don't do that. It only makes you feel worse. You will miss your parents and friends. You will also feel different around them. Delia you are a very brave girl. You have shattered boundaries! You know at first a lot of folk resented you attending Hogwarts?" Severus noticed his leg was falling asleep and sat down.
"For real?" The old spark was returning to Delia. "Do tell!"
"There were articles in the Daily Prophet about it. Lucius Malfoy was dead against it. So were the other Death Eaters. They don't deem American witches and wizards as real. I know there is an American following for Voldemort. But they are worthless because your government finds them and stomps them out. Wish ours were better. The Ministry doesn't want to mess with anything it doesn't have to."
"How do you know this?" Delia asked.
"I was at a Malfoys get-together when it was announced that you would be here. It was the talk of the evening. They of course wanted you..."
"Dead," she ended his sentence.
"I didn't want to say it. Be thankful you didn't end up in Slytherin or other wise you wouldn't have made it this far. Gryffindor would have been just as bad because you would have had Potions with Slytherin and I can guarantee that life would have been melancholy for both of us. I would have had to pick on you worse then I do now. Slytherin is full of spies. Spies with important parents in ghastly places, my dear. If I ever catch you with a Slytherin I will personally escort you back to Kansas!"
"You're a Slytherin!" she said as if he didn't know.
"So I am, but I don't count!" He laughed and stood up, "I'd kiss you but it looks like my House is here to practice. Thank you for enlightening me to the finer points of baseball. NOW CLEAR OFF!"
"You are welcome-," she stood up, "-Professor Snape." Delia collected her things and was leaving when she heard the Slytherins mutter something about baseball. One of the Slytherins said something rude that Delia would have smacked anyone for saying. Severus heard it.
"Mr. Daniels!" Severus snapped, "You do not call on older student that, even if they are a Hufflepuff. Apologize to Miss Wheelrite. And five points will be taken!"
"No!" Craig Daniels the captain and Beater of the Slytherin team exclaimed. "I will not make an apology to a foreign Hufflepuff Mudblood!"
"Then we shall see the Headmaster about this!" he said firmly
Delia knew her life was going to be worse. Severus should have let Craig's remark slide. Instead Severus was trying to save her honor. Delia walked away from a stunned Slytherin Quidditch team in search of Josh and Nicola.
Delia found Josh and Nicola running from the front steps of the school.
"Sorry!" Nicola said, "I couldn't find this nit wit here!"
"Hey!" Josh punched Nicola's arm. "I was sleeping! God whatever happened on the Quidditch Pitch with you and the Slytherins is all over the school! Snape was chewing out Craig Daniels! What did happen?"
"Oh," Delia said nonchalantly. "He said a rude remark and refused to say sorry. Snape then hauled him off see Dumbledore. I just have a feeling Snape's making my life worse!"
"He would! I HATE HIM!" Josh said.
"Don't lower yourself to Snape's level Josh!" Nicole cried. "Anyway what do you want to tell us?"
"Come on, lets go somewhere quite like by the lake. I have much to tell."
***
Once Delia had finished her story about Severus. She told her friends everything that had happened in the last few days from the first kiss to last night. She expected Josh to punch her. Instead he sat on the bench with Nicola. Both were stumped.
"I still can't believe you kissed him. Let alone ended up sleeping with him! EW! EW! EW!" Nicola said in repulsion. "And in your KNICKERS!"
"I'm in agreement with Nicola, Delia." Josh said. "However, if you two like each other, why not? I mean he is a man still in his prime, by wizarding standards. And the talk around with the guys is how HOT Delia is. Not that I think that! Not that I think that!" Nicola punched him in the shoulder. "OW!"
"Delia," Nicola said firmly, "if you like Snape and he likes you then I can accept it. If he lays a finger on you, and I mean a FINGER, I'll come after his Slytherin ass."
"So, will I!" agreed Josh.
"Now can you keep this a secret? I wasn't even supposed to tell you." Delia said.
"I can, I don't know if nit wit can!" Nicola said.
"Hey, when have I not been trusted?" Josh said.
References
1. mailto:esl86vw@yahoo.com
2. http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/catb_1.html
I'm also still looking for a Beta Reader. Contact me at [1]esl86vw@yahoo.com if still interested.
Allow me to say thanks to Alice for my fourth review!
Excerpts are taken from "Casey At The Bat." The entire poem can be found at [2]http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/catb_1.html
Ms J.K Rowling owns the Harry Potter whatnot. Please enjoy my form of amusement.
Ch 8. The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth.
Delia found herself in the Hufflepuff Common room. All heads turned and look at her in silence. Delia walked up the stairs into her Dorm room. She didn't expect anyone to be there. But Nicola was there. As soon as Delia opened the door she was greeted with Nicola screaming.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?"
"In the Hospital Wing," she replied nonchalantly.
"Like hell were! Something's up! I want to know!" She gasped and got a look on her face of excitement!" You've GOT A BOYFREIND! Is it Thomas? Is its? IS IT!"
"NO!"
"Then who is it?" inquired Nicola.
"Tell you what, let me change clothes and we'll meet outside by the Quidditch Pitch in fifteen minutes. Find Josh and let him know. I better say this now to you two before you hear the rumors.
***
Delia sat in the stands on the empty Quidditch Field. She knew she had half an hour before the Slytherins came out for practice. It was late morning on a clear crisp autumn day. Delia liked autumn. It was her favorite time of year. Everything was so full of color. Delia then walked over and stood on the Quidditch Pitch out in the middle. She had changed into jeans, red Converse All Stars and was wearing a long sleeved tee shirt that said Green Day. Her hair was in pigtails under a royal blue baseball cap that was from the time her father had taken her to see the Kansas City Royals. On this morning Delia had her Louisville Slugger, baseball and catcher's mitt. Delia had a Sunday ritual of waking up and coming out to hit a few balls. Her baseball was bewitched to return. She had used the same charm one uses on a Buldger. Delia tossed the ball up into the air and gave the ball a good whack. Then she began to recite:
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
The baseball came back to Delia at an alarming speed. She got in a batter's stance and hit it out of the park, as they would have said back home. She was still reciting:
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
From the benches black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
The ball returned Delia hit it again:
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
Delia watched the ball come back; she returned to her stance, concentrated on the ball and hit it. This time it bounced on the ground before taking off:
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
This time the ball returned sooner. Delia got ready, swung and missed:
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out.
Delia turned around, dropped her bat and picked up her glove. The baseball returned and Delia caught it. Delia put the ball in her other hand, took off her glove allowing it to drop to the ground and pulled out the little orange drawstring bag she housed her baseball in. She pulled it open and placed the ball inside. She tied the bag to her Louisville Slugger. Delia always seemed to feel a little home sick after she hit. She missed playing on a girl's baseball team back home. She preferred baseball to ice-skating. Delia sat down in the central point of the Quidditch Pitch, and drew her knees up to her chin. If I had stayed home, she thought, I would have played baseball for Derby High School. I wonder what life would have been like if I had stayed home. I would have been going to DHS with my friends. When I saw them this summer they all had their colleges pick out. They all presume I'm going to Oxford or Cambridge. They don't know that I'm really here at Hogwarts snogging
with the Potions Master, head of Slytherin House. I miss my parents. I know they're only a ocean away, but Kansas seems so far! Worlds apart! And I do mean that! A few tears spilled out onto Delia's cheeks. I would have gone to prom this year! Drove to school everyday! Been a senior and graduation! Delia began to sob harder. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and then buried her face in her hands. She didn't notice Severus was walking towards her. She was still crying when Severus arrived. She didn't notice that he was kneeling on his left knee until he spoke in a gentle voice.
"Delia are you all right?"
"Fine," she coughed. "What are you doing here?"
"You are crying. I saw a strange object flying around on the Quidditch Pitch on my way to Hogsmeade! I had to investigate what it was. I can see that it was your doings. Judging by this...stuff laying on the ground."
"It's not stuff," she informed him, "its baseball equipment." She looked up at him, her face puffy.
"I see. What's baseball? I am afraid I only know Quidditch and A little bit about football, but I think you Americans call it soccer."
Delia nodded, "Yes, we call it soccer. Baseball is a game played back home. I was just hitting to hit. You see I bewitched the baseball like you do a Buldger. I can explain the rules of baseball later."
"No thanks. I fear I don't understand sports much. But why was baseball making you cry?"
"Because it reminds me of Kansas. I get home sick. I miss my friends, my parents, everything!" She started to sniffle again. "I mean, I'm happy here. Heck, I'm overjoyed to be representing the US and Kansas here. I just wonder sometimes..."
"What you would have done if you stayed." He said finishing her sentence. "Delia don't do that. It only makes you feel worse. You will miss your parents and friends. You will also feel different around them. Delia you are a very brave girl. You have shattered boundaries! You know at first a lot of folk resented you attending Hogwarts?" Severus noticed his leg was falling asleep and sat down.
"For real?" The old spark was returning to Delia. "Do tell!"
"There were articles in the Daily Prophet about it. Lucius Malfoy was dead against it. So were the other Death Eaters. They don't deem American witches and wizards as real. I know there is an American following for Voldemort. But they are worthless because your government finds them and stomps them out. Wish ours were better. The Ministry doesn't want to mess with anything it doesn't have to."
"How do you know this?" Delia asked.
"I was at a Malfoys get-together when it was announced that you would be here. It was the talk of the evening. They of course wanted you..."
"Dead," she ended his sentence.
"I didn't want to say it. Be thankful you didn't end up in Slytherin or other wise you wouldn't have made it this far. Gryffindor would have been just as bad because you would have had Potions with Slytherin and I can guarantee that life would have been melancholy for both of us. I would have had to pick on you worse then I do now. Slytherin is full of spies. Spies with important parents in ghastly places, my dear. If I ever catch you with a Slytherin I will personally escort you back to Kansas!"
"You're a Slytherin!" she said as if he didn't know.
"So I am, but I don't count!" He laughed and stood up, "I'd kiss you but it looks like my House is here to practice. Thank you for enlightening me to the finer points of baseball. NOW CLEAR OFF!"
"You are welcome-," she stood up, "-Professor Snape." Delia collected her things and was leaving when she heard the Slytherins mutter something about baseball. One of the Slytherins said something rude that Delia would have smacked anyone for saying. Severus heard it.
"Mr. Daniels!" Severus snapped, "You do not call on older student that, even if they are a Hufflepuff. Apologize to Miss Wheelrite. And five points will be taken!"
"No!" Craig Daniels the captain and Beater of the Slytherin team exclaimed. "I will not make an apology to a foreign Hufflepuff Mudblood!"
"Then we shall see the Headmaster about this!" he said firmly
Delia knew her life was going to be worse. Severus should have let Craig's remark slide. Instead Severus was trying to save her honor. Delia walked away from a stunned Slytherin Quidditch team in search of Josh and Nicola.
Delia found Josh and Nicola running from the front steps of the school.
"Sorry!" Nicola said, "I couldn't find this nit wit here!"
"Hey!" Josh punched Nicola's arm. "I was sleeping! God whatever happened on the Quidditch Pitch with you and the Slytherins is all over the school! Snape was chewing out Craig Daniels! What did happen?"
"Oh," Delia said nonchalantly. "He said a rude remark and refused to say sorry. Snape then hauled him off see Dumbledore. I just have a feeling Snape's making my life worse!"
"He would! I HATE HIM!" Josh said.
"Don't lower yourself to Snape's level Josh!" Nicole cried. "Anyway what do you want to tell us?"
"Come on, lets go somewhere quite like by the lake. I have much to tell."
***
Once Delia had finished her story about Severus. She told her friends everything that had happened in the last few days from the first kiss to last night. She expected Josh to punch her. Instead he sat on the bench with Nicola. Both were stumped.
"I still can't believe you kissed him. Let alone ended up sleeping with him! EW! EW! EW!" Nicola said in repulsion. "And in your KNICKERS!"
"I'm in agreement with Nicola, Delia." Josh said. "However, if you two like each other, why not? I mean he is a man still in his prime, by wizarding standards. And the talk around with the guys is how HOT Delia is. Not that I think that! Not that I think that!" Nicola punched him in the shoulder. "OW!"
"Delia," Nicola said firmly, "if you like Snape and he likes you then I can accept it. If he lays a finger on you, and I mean a FINGER, I'll come after his Slytherin ass."
"So, will I!" agreed Josh.
"Now can you keep this a secret? I wasn't even supposed to tell you." Delia said.
"I can, I don't know if nit wit can!" Nicola said.
"Hey, when have I not been trusted?" Josh said.
References
1. mailto:esl86vw@yahoo.com
2. http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/catb_1.html