~*Harry Potter and Practical Magic*~
Chapter 7 – The 13th Floor
As the weeks passed, we find the trio and the twins in the middle of Novemeber. Ron and Isabella offically made there announcment that they were dating, which nobody really seemed surprised to here about. Samantha and Draco remained good friends, and that's as about as far as they would go. Harry and Hermione…well, both of them liked each other, but they were both to blind to see it. Even with all the obvious hints, they just thought 'oh, he/she's just a really good friend'.
On Novemeber 17th, while eating breakfast in the Great Hall, Dumbledore rose from out of his chair, and tapped his fork on his glass filled with Pumpkin juice.
"May I have your attention please," he began. Everyone turned their heads to face the headmaster.
"Thank-you. I would like to take this time to announce that on Decemeber 15th, we will be having the annuel Yule Ball. But, for a special treat, and thanks to Miss Lavender Brown and Miss Parvati Patil, you will be required to wear a formal gown for the women, and tuxedo's for the men. On Decemeber 1st, you will be able to go into Hogesmeade and get your items. For more information, please see the head of the dance ccommittee, Lavender Brown. That is all." Dumbledore then sat down, as the Great Hall filled with murmers.
"A tuxedo? Why do they have to do this to me?" Ron said, hidding his face in his arms on the table.
"Oh Ron! Quit complaining. At least you don't have to wear something that looks like a dress!" Hermione pointed out.
"I guess your right…So, I wonder who I'm going to take…" he joked. Isabella then wacked his arm.
"Very funny, Ronald." She said. Ron frowned.
"Would you stop calling me that!" he said. Isabella giggled.
"Okay, I'll stop, Ronnikins…" She teased. Ron rolled his eyes, and faced Harry, who was on the other side of the table, watching Hermione's hands. He coughed to get his attention. Harry looked at him with his brow furrowed.
"So Harry, who are you going to take?" Ron smiled. Everyone then looked at Harry, including Hermione.
"Oh, um, I haven't decided yet." Harry answered quickly, then changing the subject too,
"Our first game is against Hufflepuff on December 8th. And if we want to win, we have to practice at least an hour every other day. There new Keeper, Sarah Tunney, I hear is a hard Keeper to get by." He said looking at Ron, who shrugged.
"I can take her." He said, punching his fist into his other hand. Hermione looked horrified.
"Ron! You'd never hit a girl, would you?!" she shrieked. Ron frowned, and shook his head.
"NO! Hermione, it's just an expression!" he said, defending himself. Hermione breathed a sigh of relif.
"Okay, that's good to know. Hey, remember we have a study group on Sunday night." She said, and everyone but Harry, her, and Samantha groaned. Harry didn't mind it because he would get to spend even more time with Hermione.
"Come on you guys, if you want to pass your O.W.L.S your going to have to do some studying." Samantha said.
"So there is nothing we can do to get out of it?" Isabella asked. Hermione and Samantha shook their heads.
"Fine, fine. What time again?" she asked.
"Right after dinner on Sunday. We'll all walk there." Hermione said.
"Can Draco come?" Samantha asked. Harry, Ron, and Isabella looked at her.
"I'm telling you, Samantha, don't get to attached to him. One of these day's he's going to break you heart." Isabella said. Samantha glared at her sister.
"You don't know what your talking about! I trust Draco, and obviously you 3 can't understand that!" Samantha said, getting up from her seat and stomping out of the Great Hall. Everyone was silent.
"I really think you should give Draco a better chance. I've seen them together and they look pretty happy." Hermione said.
"But Hermione, it's Draco Malfoy! The bloke that has a father who is a Deatheater, the bloke who always annoyed us, and the bloke who calls you Mudbl-"
"He doesn't anymore, Ron! Honestly, if you don't learn how to look inside for there true seleves, your not going to know who's good, and who's not!" Hermione shouted, following Samantha's lead.
"Those too are way to much alike." Ron said. Isabella and Harry nodded in agreement.
"I think we should go and apologize." Harry said.
"Let's finish eating first. It'll give them a chance to cool off." Ron said, shoving another spoonful of pourage into his mouth.
"Where do you think they'll be at?" Isabella asked. Harry and Ron looked at each other, then back at her.
"The Library." They said in unision.
About 15 minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Isabella made there way to the library. They opened the doors, and found that it was empty, with the exception of Madame Pince. The three looked at each other, and walked over to her.
"Excuse me, Madame Pince?" Harry asked, and she looked up.
"May I help you childern?" she asked, folding her hands on her desk.
"Was Hermione Granger and Samantha Owens here at anytime?" Harry asked. Madame Pince nodded.
"Yes, they were. But they left with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Slater." She said. Harry frowned. 'why would Hermione go off with them?' he asked himself.
"Oh, okay. Thank-you." Harry said, then turned to Isabella and Ron.
"Let's go." He said, and they walked out of the library.
"Who's Slater?" Isabella asked.
"Chris Slater? He's another Slytherin, just as bad as Draco." Ron replied. "I wonder why Hermione went off with those too. It doesn't seem like her." Harry nodded, also wondering the same thing.
"She just probably didn't want to be left alone in the library." Isabella inquired.
They started heading up the stairs, and just when they were about to get off on the 6th floor, they suddenly, they heard a voice of a male viciously laughing loudly coming froming from up the stairs. Harry, Ron and Isabella looked at each other.
"It's probably just a picture." Ron said, and continued walking, when then the vicious laughter got louder. Isabella then ran to Ron, and he held her tightly. Harry looked up the stairs, the back at Ron and Isabella.
"I'm going to go find out who that is." He said, and continued walking up the steps. Ron and Isabella exchanged glances.
"Wait Harry!" they shouted, and ran up after them.
The three walked up about 7 more flights of stairs, when they heard the laughter coming from down a darkend hall way.
"What floor are we on, Harry?" Isabella asked. Harry shook his head.
"I don't know. We've walked up about 7 flights…This must be the 13th floor" He said, and continued to follow the laughter.
"That's silly. I've never heard of any castle or building having a 13th floor. It's supposed to be unlucky." Isabella said, clutching Ron's hand tightly.
"Well, I never believed in Wizards and Witches, and now I'm one of them." Harry said. They then stopped, when they reached a latter, the laughter seemed to cecse also. Harry was about to climb it, when Isabella stopped him.
"I don't think you should go up there, Harry. I'm getting bad vibes…And when I get bad vibes, they normally are" she said. Harry smiled.
"I'm just going to peak in." He said, lifting up the trap door. He then peered into the long, low attic.
"Anybody in here?" Harry shouted. He then pulled himself up onto the attic floor.
"HARRY!" Isabella shouted. Harry looked back down at his friends.
"It's okay. Come on up." He said, and Ron and Isabella went up. Harry wiped out his wand, and muttered "Lumos." And a eerie glow filled the attic. And that's when Harry noticed the door. The same door he had been dreaming about lately. He walked up to the door, and pressed his body on it pressing his ear against the wood.
"Hello! Can you hear me?" he shouted into the door. All he heard was Ron and Isabella's soft breathing from behind him. And then he heard a soft plopping, a dripping sound. Harry raised his head just in time to see the dark liquid to ooze out from the top of the doorway. It descended rapidly, in a single wave, flowing straight down the front of the door to the floor, splashing at Harry's feet. He yelled and jumped back.
It was a thick, dark liquid. It was blood. A curtain of blood. Pouring down the door. Forming a dark, widening circle on the floor at his feet. Harry then ran back to his friends.
"We need to get out of here! NOW!" he shouted at his to friends who seemed frozen in place. That's when Isabella brought her hands to her face, unable to take her eyes from the flowing waterfall of blood, she screamed. Harry then smacked Ron across his face.
"OW!" he yelled, rubbing his cheek. "What the bloody hell was that for?" he asked.
"We need to leave!" he shouted. Ron nodded, then picked up his hystarical girlfriend who keep screaming, and Harry raced down the ladder, and waited for Ron to hand him Isabella so Ron could get down. When Ron got down, he picked up Isabella again, and him and Harry raced out of the darkend corridor, and to the steps, and they keep running until they reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady.
"What's going on!" she shouted at them, seeing their whitened faces, and Isabella who was now passed out, and shaking like a leaf.
"Nevermind that! Nugent Narrow!" Harry shouted, and the Fat Lady's portrait swung open. Harry and Ron rushed in to find Hermione and Samantha sitting at the couch reading their Arithmancy books. They jumped up when they saw what state Isabella was in.
"What happened to her!" Samantha shouted, rushing over to her sister.
"We'll tell you in a minute. Lay her down on the couch, Ron." Harry said, Ron nodded, and walked over to the couch and laid her down.
"I'll go get a wet wash cloth." Hermione said, racing out of the room. When she returned, she placed the wash cloth on Isabella's forehead. Then looked at the boys who seemed to be off in there own worlds.
"What happened?" She asked. Harry looked at her.
"We…We heard some laughter, and we followed it and it lead us to an attic, and blood started to poor over this door, and Isabella started screaming, and we left and she must have passed out on the way back." Harry exlplained. Hermione frowned.
"Oh." Was all she said, looking down and sounding hurt…which confused Harry, he tilted his head as Hermione began chewing on her index finger nail.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asked, sounding concerned. Hermione looked up, and took her finger away from her mouth.
"Yeah…I'm," she paused. "I'm fine. Look, I'm gunna go to the library and see if I can find out something about that attic. I'll see you all later." Hermione said, standing up, and rushing out of the common room. Harry turned to Samantha.
"Whats wrong with her?" he asked. Samantha shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe you should go and find out." Samantha suggested. Harry nodded, taking one last look at Isabella, he walked out of the common room to follow Hermione to the library.
When Harry got to the library, he looked around for Hermione. He then spotted her over in the corner next to a big window, reading "Hogwarts: A History", for proabably about the tenthousanth time. She looked so pretty as the sun that shown though the window brought out the lighter browns in her hair. He walked over to her, and sat across from her.
"Hermione." He said. He heard a page flip.
"What is it Harry?" She asked, without putting the book down. She sounded different. Harry leaned over the table, and pushed the book down. He then saw that Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, and a few of them were escaping down her cheeks.
"Hermione! What's wrong?" he asked. Hermione huffed.
"Like you would care." She said, putting her face in her head, and sobbing. Harry got up, and drug his chair over next to her. He tried to put his arm around her, but she just nudged away.
"Hermione, what are you talking about? Of course I'd care." He said. Hermione sniffled, and spoke.
"You haven't lately." She said. Harry looked confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Hermione removed her hands from her face.
"What I mean is," she began." Your always with Isabella. I know she's Ron's girlfriend, but your always doing things with her. Wether it's Quidditch or classes. And today, you guys went on an 'adventure' thing." She said, wipping her tears away with her sleeve. "And…I just feel that she's taken my place…It's like you and Ron replaced me." She said, and a few more tears fell down her face.
Harry just stared at her in confusion and wonderment. He made her cry? He made this angel on earth cry? Harry felt like he didn't deserve to live.
"I…I had no Idea you felt this way Hermione." Harry said. Hermione laughed.
"Of course YOU woulden't. Nobody ever thinks about how I feel. They just think I'm the know-it-all bookworm who only cares about books and studying. Well I'm not Harry! I have all sorts of feelings too! And it hurts a lot to think that you replaced me with someone more pretty, and friendlier, and everything I'm not." She cried. Harry could believe what he was hearing! How could she think so low of herself. He then again put an arm around her shoulders, but this time she didn't push him away. Instead, she cried into his dark blue sweater.
"Hermione," he whispered. "Your all of those things, but more. I swear on my life I didn't know that you felt that way. If I would have known, I would have tried to spend more time with you. I would do anything to make you happy." He said. Hermione then stopped crying, and looked up at him. To Harry, she looked like a little lost girl, who was crying because she coulden't find her mother. She looked adorable. She sniffled.
"You mean that, Harry?" She asked. Harry nodded, and lifted her chin up.
"No one could ever replace you, Mione. Never ever." He smiled. Hermione smiled back, and moved away from Harry, but he keep his arm around her. She dried her tears, and smiled at him. It was weird that when the sun reflected off her, it made a beauiful glow around her. She looked like a priceless jewel.
"Mione?" he asked. Hermione tilted her head and turned to look at him.
"Yes, Harry?" she said sofly. Harry took a deep breath.
"Would you go to the Yule Ball with me?" He asked, afraide that she would turn him down, or laugh in his face. But instead, she smiled warmly at him, and kissed his cheek.
"I couldn't think of anyone else I would want to go with." She said. Harry smiled triumpantly, and embraced her. Nothing could take away that feeling he had. Nothing could ruin what He and Hermione shared. But little did anybody know, what was brewing for the two.
DUN DUN DUN…lol. I HAD to do that! So there! You have your Harry and Hermione moment! But I have another chapter that is better than this one coming up! Muhahahaha. Um…So how was this chapter? Pretty scary eh? I've never written anything like that. So yeah, you know the drill, READ AND REVIEW!
Thanks to my reviewers…
Tess – Here's another chapter! And Harry and Hermione are together now :0)
Alicia – Lol, maybe you should write a story. I'd read it! Hehe, thanks for the review!
Gundamhardcore - Lol. To bad she didn't here him.
Linz – I'm glad you liked the chapter. In the last chapter I said that them sleeping together would become a 'nightly thing', so that's how they wound up sleeping together :0)
Emili Potter – Lol, yeah it was. (* *) yeah, the part at the PTA meeting was funny. Which charater did you model after her?
Ryoko Blue – Here's the next chapter! Now, get out yours! :0)
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Until next time, later babes!