"Get out."
"Professor, are you okay?" Harry asked standing up and letting the wiry brush drop from his hand.
"I said GET OUT!" Snape fired again, fingers digging deeper into the fabric around his wrist…into what Harry was sure was the brand of the Dark Mark. Lupin nodded at him as to encourage him to go as Snape slipped sharply away from Lupin's steadying grip. Harry let out a rush of air and turned to depart, leaving the bucket of soupy water where it lay.
"And Potter?" He paused, his hand outstretched towards the door handle.
"I suggest you keep this quiet," Snape hissed. "Not a single word to a soul…if you want to survive this term." Harry readily agreed, stepping out of the dungeon classroom, before darting up towards the Entrance Hall and making a mad dash up the stairs, thinking that he needed to tell Ron and Hermione.
"Ron! Hermione!" Harry yelled as he burst through the portrait hole. The several common room dwellers that were still milling about looked at him curiously. Smiling sheepishly, he slipped towards a rather private gathering of armchairs where Hermione and Ron sat waiting for him.
"How was detention?" Hermione asked calmly looking up from her book to find Harry panting, trousers soaked at the knees, and flushed.
"That bad, eh?" Ron said noticing the line of sweat that had darkened Harry's shirt at the nape of his neck.
"Never mind that," he replied hurriedly, sitting down between them and motioning them to move their chairs in. "The Dark Mark…the brand on Snape's arm. It burned tonight." A very obvious shiver shook Ron's lanky frame as Hermione sucked in her breath sharply.
"Are you sure?" he asked quietly.
"He was summoned tonight," Harry replied firmly. "And by Voldemort himself since he's the only one who can call the Death Eaters through the mark."
"But Snape's been gone before," Hermione said evenly though her eyes were wide with fear. "I mean off spying before…what makes it so different now?" Harry's jaw slackened. Why was it different now? Because for the first time he glimpsed a bit of the pain the hated Potions Master was being put through for the good of the wizarding world. Pain…it was the most primal of all sensations, human or animal.
"Because--," Harry began. "Because Snape said it was bad that he hadn't been summoned in a long time to Dumbledore that night. The question is whether or not its bad he's been called now." Hermione and Ron stared at him wide eyed, neither sure what to say. Finally Hermione spoke.
"I think its time for bed," she said.
"What?" Ron and Harry asked together in disbelief.
"Snape knows what he's doing, there's no use in wondering about his duties. It's past midnight and you two have a Quidditch match tomorrow. Besides, I may be your friend, but I'm still a Prefect."
"Match…" Ron murmured suddenly looking a million times more worried. "I nearly forgot." Harry gulped. So had he.
At breakfast the next morning, Harry forced a bite of fried tomato down his throat, making every effort not to choke on it. It was the day of Gryffindor's second Quidditch match of the season, the match set against Ravenclaw. Normally, he'd be nervous, but not ship-rocking nauseous. He was going to be competing against Cho. He didn't even want to imagine how impaired his focus was going to be out on the pitch. At least the weather was welcoming…if you were one for freezing torrents of rain and lashing winds. Harry sighed. It could be worse, right? Playing against a girl he'd been humiliated in front of in a blinding storm wasn't all that horrible. At any rate, at least the snow had melted. It was a little relieving to know that he wasn't the only one whose stomach seemed to be flipping inside out. Beside him, Ron was turning a peculiar shade of green at the sight of food.
"Nervous, Ronnikins?" Fred asked slapping his brother on the back, sending him head first into the table.
"Me, nervous?" he squeaked.
"Come on now," George added cheerfully. "We trained you well enough…at least we hope so."
"There's only one good thing about this game," Ron muttered.
"What's that?" Fred asked through a mouthful of kippers.
"No more morning practices for me."
An hour later they were standing on the field with the Ravenclaw team, everyone already thoroughly soaked. The stadium was nearly completely packed despite the weather. It would take more than torrential rains to stop the stands from filling during a Quidditch match. Angelina stepped forward to shake the hand of a handsome sixth year, Danny Davies, Roger (the former Ravenclaw captain) Davies's younger brother. On Madam Hooch's whistle, they were off, shooting up into the turmoil of twisting clouds. Thanks to Hermione's impervious spell, Harry's glasses repelled the onslaught of rain, making everything, including Cho's zipping form, clear.
"Gryffindor with substitute Ronald Weasley in Keeper Position is in possession of the Quaffle!" Lee's voice boomed through the stadium. "It's sent out and intercepted by Terry Boot of Ravenclaw!" Harry circled the pitch, ducking bludgers as they flew around the players.
"Fantastic block by Ron Weasley!" Lee was yelling over the roar of Gryffindor supporters. The twins whooped and banged their clubs together. Angelina swept past Ron with a look of a proud mother on her face.
"It's sent back out…look's like Johnson's got it and she sends it neatly to Spinnet, and BLOODY HELL!"
"JORDAN!"
"I said BLUDGER, Professor!" Harry turned away from the pitch and began to look for a flutter of wings, brushing his sodden hair out of his eyes. It was then a form came streaking pass towards a point behind him. It was Cho and she had spotted the snitch. Without delay or a conscious troubled by thoughts of his crush, he dived after her. She had only gotten better this year, even faster on an appropriate broomstick. Harry had to struggle to become level with her as they rocketed around the players in pursuit of the elusive ball.
"Looks like both Chang and Potter have spotted the snitch!" Lee said. "Your broom's still better, Harry! Catch it!"
"Impartial commentating, Jordan!" McGonagall's voice magically amplified, hissed.
Whatever Harry been feeling, be it apprehension or humiliation, it was gone. Now there was only the game, in which he had a worthy challenger. The snitch slipped away and Cho blocked him off. Her eyes were narrowed against the darts of rain and before so much as a blush could reach his cheeks, she was gone.
"Spinnet makes a pass to Bell…come on…SCORE! 30 to 20, Gryffindor!" Below, the Slytherins were hissing loudly. Ravenclaw was back in possession of the quaffle and Harry was now completely capable of focusing on his search for the snitch.
"A mad block, by Keeper Weasley, but no! The quaffle's in by Lewinski of Ravenclaw! 30 to 30…what a game!" Ron cursed loudly but was drowned out by a clap of thunder.
Something metallic flew by Harry's face and without wasting a second to register it he was off. Cho spotted his dive and she followed, quickly reaching level with him. Together they dove and leveled off mere feet from the ground.
"Weasley, Fred or George, (I can't tell which) nailed by a bludger!" Lee yelled as the Gryffindors groaned. One of the Weasley twins dropped from his broom and landed on the sodden ground with a splash, spraying both speeding seekers with mud. Harry frantically tried to wipe it from his glasses, but only managed to smear it across the lenses. He could only see out of one side because of it. They were nearing the end of the pitch now, and the snitch had yet to change directions. It was going to soon however, either speeding upwards or to the left or right. Cho's mud-spattered face was contorted with concentration. Harry knew she was thinking the same thing, as she looked over at him, only visible through a clean spot on his glasses. Pick one, Harry thought. Left? Right? He watched the snitch in growing anticipation; if he didn't turn soon he was going to hit the goal posts.
Right, he decided turning in front of Cho with barely enough room to pass her and miraculously, so did the Snitch. She followed but Harry was closer, though not by much. Her thin fingers reached out, as she began to draw level.
"Come on," Harry urged his broom, leaning forward, wishing the rain would wash the mud from his glasses. The Snitch kept diving into his blind spot. He could feel the flutter of wings against his fingertips, along with Cho's hand, which was getting increasingly closer to the golden orb. Sucking in a breath, he lunged forward a bit, his hand snatching wildly in the air, closing around the familiar flicker of wings. He slowed down and raised his arm in triumph.
"POTTER HAS THE SNITCH!!!!" Lee roared his voice drowned out by the exploding cheers from the stands. "Gryffindor wins another game! 210 to 60!!!!" Harry landed in a circle of his fellow teammates, and their peers began to bleed onto the field. Hands rained down on their backs and through the mass of people he could make out Hagrid doing a refrained victory dance.
"Harry, Ron, that was fantastic!" Jade said, momentarily forgetting about her and Harry's differences.
"Thanks," Harry said as Ron managed a lopsided grin.
"Great job, Harry!" Hermione said from beside Jade, before turning to Ron with a grin on her face. "And you were nervous!" She reached up and shook his shoulder excitedly.
"Oy!" Seamus called, struggling through the crowd towards them, Dean beside him
"Bloody brilliant playing, Ron," he said giving the pleasantly surprised redhead a slap on the palm. "Thanks again. You have no idea how much this is helping me." A few feet away, the two teams began to gather to congratulate each other, Madam Hooch nodding her approval at such a good display of sportsmanship.
"Thanks for the game," Angelina was saying unable to keep the beaming smile from her face, as she shook hands with the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. Harry and Ron joined the rest of the team to shake with their competitors, followed by Hermione and Jade. Harry had just finished shaking hands with Terry Boot, when he turned and found himself face to face with Cho. Her eyes were red…and Harry couldn't tell if there were tears mingled in with the rain that was streaking down her face.
"Great game," she muttered, quickly shaking his hand and turning away, joining her teammates. The fingers on Harry's still outstretched hand clenched as the blood rushed to his cheeks.
"Party in Gryffindor Tower," Jade was saying to Ron as Harry turned on her.
"This is all your fault," he said coldly and brushed past her and Hermione, tearing off his soaked cloak as he entered the locker rooms alone.
After a shower, Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindor team trudged back up to the tower, everyone but Harry in a predictably happy mood. Even the weather was clearing up; the clouds were pulling apart to reveal shreds of startling blue sky.
"Harry?" Ron said quietly
"What?"
"You know I'd rather eat bubotuber puss than admit Hermione's right, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, better find me a spoon and a huge bowl of that stuff." Harry stopped and closed his eyes as if suddenly suffering from a migraine.
"Did you see the way Cho looked at me?" he asked simply. "Like I was a pimple on Malfoy or something?" Ron shrugged and dug a toe into the slushy ground thoughtfully.
"If she knows you fancy her and looks at you that way, maybe she isn't worth it," he finally replied, the first words of wisdom ever escaping from his mouth. Harry bristled, knowing Ron was right, but also knowing the anger and mortification was eating away at him…and somehow it was eating away at Cho, too. They walked the rest of the way in silence. A few minutes later, they met Hermione in the Great Hall in time for lunch, and she spent the hour lecturing Harry about Jade and friendship. He barely managed to swallow a few spoonfuls of stew between her epic rhetoric.
"Are you listening to me, Harry?" Hermione demanded as they left the Great Hall an hour later. "I can't believe you are willing to throw away a friendship over one mistake…over one crush. Friendships are built on forgiveness and compromise. You of all people should know that." Harry stopped near the Great Stair and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. He knew he was being stupid, he knew it, and he was about to say so until...
"Oy!" Jade called as she marched towards them from the Great Hall. "I'm tired of this skirting business. I've already said I'm sorry, wallowed in my guilt, and I demand you forgive me. Then I insist you apologize to me for saying what you said two weeks ago."
"What?" Harry asked disbelievingly at Jade's shrewd bluntness.
"You heard me," she replied evenly.
"I don't think this is the time, Jade," Hermione insisted firmly.
"You told Cho I fancied her!" he shot as if she needed reminding.
"On accident!" she retorted in defense.
"Well, if this isn't an unfolding drama," a drawling voice murmured with amusement.
"Go away, Malfoy," Ron hissed. Malfoy didn't budge, just stood near them, flanked by his two henchmen, sneering smugly.
"Oh dear, should I run for the hills?" he asked mockingly.
"Shut up!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Jade spat in unison. A small crowd was starting to gather.
"I swear I'm going to fix this so you'll have to eat your words!" Jade shot tartly.
"Ouch, Potter," Malfoy sneered from the sidelines. Ron growled at him as his friends continued their bickering.
"I already said I'm sorry!" Jade was saying to Harry, her voice rising.
"Calm down—," Hermione insisted, trying to push the two away from each other.
"Well I'm sorry about the fact that you can't remember anything, but that's not fixing a thing, is it?" Harry exploded. Jade's jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed.
"Excellent comeback, Potter!" Malfoy smirked amusedly. "I daresay I'm impressed."
"Stay out of this, you—," Ron snarled scathingly but never finished because of what happened next. In one swift movement Jade had lifted her hand and slapped Harry across the face. The gathering crowd groaned and winced as Harry's jaw dropped. His glasses askew he looked at her in bewilderment, his face stinging. He hadn't been that shocked since Hermione raised her hand to Malfoy. Both Ron and Hermione were goggling, dumbfounded at Jade. A few feet away, the sound of a solitary pair of hands clapping echoed through the hall
"Oh, good show!" Malfoy crowed slapping his palms together while Crabbe and Goyle chuckled away. Ron snapped out of it and turned on him.
"Didn't we tell you to piss off?" he shouted heatedly.
"Try and make me," Draco hissed back.
"I'll make you," Ron snarled, raising his wand, but Hermione reacted quickly and snatched it from his grasp. Malfoy laughed and crossed his arms, while Ron, chest heaving managed to turn his back on him.
"What, Weasley? Jealous your family couldn't have a better row with your brother?" Malfoy asked simply. Ron's face turned maroon to the point that even his hair seemed to darken.
"It's not worth it," Hermione said but the words barely left her mouth when Ron launched himself at Malfoy. "Ron no!"
Just then, Crabbe had gotten to his senses and dived on top of him. Harry burst forward in attempts to pull the boulder-like boy off, before his friend was crushed.
"Get off, you git!" he grunted as Crabbe rounded on him and threw a punch squarely in his face. With a crack Harry's glasses broke away, cutting the bridge of his noise as stars blinked in front of his eyes. Blindly, he swung back with all the strength he could muster, sending Crabbe flying.
"Come on, Harry!" Colin Creevey cheered as he began to snap away with his camera, his brother squeaking with excitement as he danced around the throng of students. They were pressing in with interest now, cheering both Ron and Harry on.
"Break it up! Get a staff member out here, somebody! STOP EGGING THEM ON!" Hermione was yelling at the top of her lungs, sending sparks into the air.
"We've got to do something!" Jade said urgently, grabbing her elbow.
"Well what do you think I'm doing ?!" Hermione growled. Jade turned towards what now looked like a withering dog pile on Malfoy, her face set. Goyle (definitely the slower of Malfoy's bodyguards) was watching the twisting bodies in complete confusion. In quick steps she walked up to him, tapped his shoulder and when he turned around, swung a mad right hook into his chin.
"JADE!" Hermione cried out angrily. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Arms and legs were swinging madly about and Hermione grabbed her badge off her robes.
"STOP! I'LL TAKE AWAY POINTS!" she yelled shrilly brandishing her badge at the group of fighting bodies on the floor. Crabbe reached up and pushed her away, sending her sprawling onto her backside. Gasping in surprise, her face darkened and she lashed out with a solid kick to Crabbe's head before being knocked across the face by Harry's foot.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?" McGonagall shrieked as she burst onto the scene. Quick as mice, the crowd dispersed, revealing seven guilty faces and tangled bodies on the floor.
"In all my years," Professor McGonagall was exclaiming, a fierce, stern look on her face. "Never had I run upon fifth year students brawling like dogs in the halls." She was standing behind her desk; hands pressed flat against the wood, eyeing all seven of them, each of whom was bearing a battle wound.
"Well?" she finally said leaning forward so that her hands began to look like claws. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"We're sorry, Professor," Harry managed wincing as he gingerly fingered the bruising cut on the bridge of his nose. His broken glasses were clutched in his hand in several pieces.
"Oh I assure you, you will be, Potter," McGonagall assured him. "I know of the rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin…but you can not hold grudges, Potter. Look where they get you." At that Jade snorted. The Deputy Headmistress paused, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Did you want to add something, Cordonnier?"
"Just that I agree with you," she replied sheepishly, before glaring at Harry through her good eye. The other was swollen completely shut. McGonagall sighed and stared at them through her spectacles beadily, much like a vulture over a prey near death.
"None of you had the maturity to respond to Granger's command to stop, her being a Prefect and having that authority. You should be ashamed of yourselves."
"She kicked me," Crabbe stated pointing to the icepack on his head. Hermione's face turned magenta, matching the color of her fat lip.
"Is this true?" she asked looking as if she were refraining from messaging her temples.
"Yes, Professor," she murmured straightening a little. She seemed almost a little pleased by her tiny rebellious streak. There was a tick just above the Deputy Headmistress's temple, and she looked as if any more information would set fire to her fuse.
"I'm sure it was in self defense," she completed shortly. "I must say I'm disappointed by the childish behavior you all displayed."
" D'you hear that Harry?" Jade mumbled.
"I'm not being childish," he shot back.
"Will you all please act as if you are being punished?" McGonagall said drumming her fingers on her desk.
"Weaswee stawted it," Malfoy spat, two of his teeth clasped in his hand.
"Get stuffed, Malfoy," Harry inserted rolling his eyes.
"Quiet, all of you," McGonagall said straightening her frame squarely. "Let's get on with the punishments: thirty points from each house…and a detention for each of you, except Cordonnier. You will serve two since you are not affiliated with a house." Jade groaned and stomped her foot
"This ith injustith!" Malfoy said standing up. "Wait until I tell my father!"
"While you're at," Ron inserted wiping blood out of his eye, "you can tell you father to bite me!"
"Bite this!" Malfoy retorted rising angrily in his chair.
"You can't bite anything without those teeth," Hermione said as if making a valid statement in one of their classes.
"There will be NO biting whatsoever!" McGonagall hollered bringing order back to the room. "You all will report to Madam Pomfrey to get cleaned up. Expect to be notified by owl what and when your detentions shall be." She collapsed into her winged armchair folding her hands neatly onto the desk before her. All seven of them stared at her in silence.
"She kicked me," Crabbe mumbled eying Hermione.
"Mr. Crabbe," the Professor said wearily. "It's been said."
* * *
"I can't believe it," Ron groaned. "Scrubbing out the boy's toilet…" His feet were sticking out from one of the stalls. Harry pushed up his glasses, which were sliding down the bridge of his nose on a film of sweat with his forearm. He sighed and ran the brush hard across a stubborn stain in the porcelain bowl he was working on. At this rate, he would need an arm transplant. It wasn't going nearly as badly though, since Filch had left them to chase down Peeves. The resident poltergeist had smeared violet pudding on every wall of the trophy room. Hardships weren't nearly as bad with a friend along for the ride.
"Yuck," Ron groaned throwing himself out of his stall, looking revolted. "We're disgusting!" Harry snorted and threw his brush down, leaning backwards to gripe with Ron.
"Could be worse," he said stretching out his legs.
"How?" Ron asked skeptically.
"We could be doing this with Malfoy and his Neanderthals."
"You gotta a point there." Suddenly Ron stood up and slammed his fist into the door of the stall, sending it crashing into the wall on its hinges. " I can't believe he said that! No one knows about Percy being….you know. His good for nothing father probably told him…as a bed time story no less."
"His family will never have as much dignity as yours, Ron," said Harry reassuringly. "He wasn't worth this detention. He isn't worth a million of them." Ron looked down at Harry appreciatively and lowered himself back down in front of the toilet he had been working on.
"Thanks."
"But it was definitely worth seeing Malfoy without his two front teeth," Harry added. "I mean come on, 'This ith injustith!' Now that was classic." They sniggered and complained for a while, ignoring their toilet duties temporarily.
"Detentions not half bad without Filch breathing down you neck," Ron said between chortles. "Hope Peeves keeps him a while." From a few floors down, a loud crashing could be heard along with gleeful high-pitch laughter.
"He will," Harry answered. "I wonder what Hermione got for detention."
"Cleaning out the records room. She has that next week."
"That can't be nearly as bad as this." Both and he and Ron looked at their respective toilets and wrinkled their noses.
"It's bad," Ron insisted. "You end up sniffing up so much dust, your boogies come out as powder." Harry laughed and returned to scrubbing. Ron followed suite.
"We really are a bad influence on her," he said, voice muffled through the stall wall. "Getting her to join a fight. She could have gotten out of this detention too, but she didn't."
"She's too dignified to lie, Ron," Harry replied dumping more Like Magic cleaning powder into the bowl. "Even if it'd get her out of trouble." They worked silently for a while.
"I feel kind of bad for Jade," Ron finally said. "You know she got two detentions."
"Let's just say one's for slapping me," Harry replied, feeling his face redden at the memory. How many people saw him slapped?
"You kinda deserved it," Ron said before cursing when he dropped his brush with a splash into the bowl. Harry breathed through his teeth and rocked back on his heels.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I know."
"She was just trying to repair your friendship," Ron continued. "I know she wasn't very conventional about it…storming up to you and demanding you to forgive her…but you know she meant well."
"I know," Harry mumbled. "I've been a git, I know. Its just Cho I couldn't bare having her know that I…she was with Cedric and I…I…"
"That wasn't your fault," Ron replied firmly, stepping from his stall. "You know that…but you shouldn't pin Jade for it either." Harry didn't answer.
"Harry?"
"What?"
"Did you hear me?"
"Yeah." They were silent for a while, as Ron moved on to the next stall. He paused a few times as if preparing to say something but didn't. As Harry moved to the next uncleaned toilet, he thought about just forgetting Cho. He could move on, and he'd only have to deal with seeing her for the next year. She couldn't have been crying after the game after all, probably just got mud in her eye. And he never really had a chance with her, not even last year. He didn't kill Cedric, he didn't cause Cho pain, and Jade didn't mean to blurt out his secret.
"We've got to clean the urinals, too," Ron's voice finally said, his words emphasized by the scratching of his brush over the porcelain surface of the toilet he was currently scrubbing.
"I gotta pee."
"What?"
"I said I have to take a pee," Harry repeated.
"Why are you telling me? Just go!"
"Just warning you," he mumbled getting to his feet, his knees popping as if he were an old man. He made his way over to the urinals and unbuckled his belt.
"I wouldn't go any further."
"ARGH!" Harry fell backwards in surprise, fumbling to refasten his belt buckle, staring wide-eyed at a gloomy faced girl who was protruding from the urinal before him.
"Myrtle!" Ron exclaimed having extracted himself from his stall. "What are you doing?! And in a urinal?" Harry scrambled to his feet away from the plumbing, shaking angrily.
"Have you been spying on us?" he exclaimed pushing his dark hair off his forehead.
"Of course not," she insisted looking hurt at the accusation. She floated out completely from the drain and sat in the concavity of porcelain, as if it were a chair.
"How long have you been there?" Ron asked exchanging looks with Harry. How many times they had taken a pee at those urinals….
"You make me out to be some sort of…some sort of," Myrtle sniffled and began morosely picking at one of her phantom pimples. "I'm not a pervert you know, don't flatter yourself."
"So that wasn't you in the prefect's bathroom last year?" Harry asked incredulously. He was still shaking.
"Well I can't stay in my toilet forever!" she wailed miserably. "If I wasn't in the bathroom you'd have never figure out that clue! 'Gee, Myrtle, it'd be great if you help me', but heavens forbid I accidentally see anyone nude!" Her crying became louder as massive tears began to roll down her silver face. Harry and Ron tried to calm her for fear she would flood the lavatory they were suppose to be cleaning.
"We're sorry!" Harry exclaimed. "You just surprised me! I didn't mean it!"
"Really, Myrtle," Ron added thrusting a bit of toilet paper at her. "It's good that you're getting out more." Her wailing turned into a quiet sniffling. She eyed the toilet paper looking insulted, and he quickly hid it behind his back.
"Really though," Harry said. "What are you doing in here?"
"If you must know," Myrtle said pushing her glasses up. "That girl, the one who talks to Nearly Headless Nick a lot; she forced me from my toilet with a spell. And after all, I did warn her not to sit down. Frightfully rude girl."
"Jade?" Ron asked. "She tried to pee in your toilet?" he sniggered despite himself.
"Yes her!" Myrtle exclaimed. "All I did was warn her not to, and she rudely 'magicks' me away. She should know nobody wants their haunt peed on. Nick goes on and on about their chats all the time—"
"Their chats?" Harry asked curiously ignoring her last comment. "About death and such?" Myrtle looked jealous that someone would be more interested in Nick's death than her own.
"Yes, and how he came about becoming a ghost and all that, s'pose she's planning on doing the same." Harry and Ron silently stared at her.
"Myrtle?" Harry asked attempting to sound sympathetic. "How do you become a ghost?"
"Well that's simple," she answered huffily. "You have to die."
"Well, we know that!" Ron said.
"But why do some people end up being ghost and some don't?" Harry rephrased.
"Because some people are lucky enough to be happy with their lives!" Myrtle huffed. "All ghosts are unfulfilled. The Grey Lady died without ever falling in love, Professor Binns never had a life, Nick died feeling like an outcast, and I died…well…"
"Wallowing in your own self pity?" Ron supplied helpfully.
"I DO NOT WALLOW IN MY OWN SELF PITY!" she wailed. "Just because nobody likes me, and I'm ugly, and dead, doesn't mean I pity myself!"
"And I don't want to be rich," Ron muttered under his breath to Harry.
"If you're going to be so rude!" she cried out sinking down into the urinal. "I'm going to go and flood my toilet with that girl on it or not!"
They took one look at each other, before scrambling out the door of the boy's lavatory. They darted through the halls towards Myrtle's toilet, hoping to spare Jade a not so pleasant surprise. However, to there misfortune, they ran straight into Filch. It looked like Peeves decided violet pudding was a good look on the cantankerous caretaker. He stood before them covered in the dessert from head to foot. Bitter and ill tempered, he awarded them an extra hour of detention, which they spent cleaning out the sinks and drains. By the time they actually got back to Gryffindor tower, the common room was deserted. Harry and Ron stumbled as quietly as possible into their dormitory where Ron only managed to take off his shoes before he was snoring. As for Harry, he was asleep as soon as his glasses were deposited on the bedside bureau only barely aware of his mental reminder to apologize to Jade.
"To Lily and James Potter! May both of you have a pleasant retirement at your ripe old age!" A handsome, young Sirius raised his glass in a toast. A small gathering of friends was congregated around him, including Peter Pettigrew, Lupin, Dumbledore, a very familiar-looking couple, and the Potters, each with their own glasses raised. James was grinning broadly beside a content Lily, her belly so swollen it looked as if she were in danger of bursting. They were gathered around a table set beneath a tree. In the distance, nestled in the leaves of an inviting forest was a small, comfortable-looking house.
"Godric's Hollow," Harry breathed watching the scene unfold before him.
"You have served honorably," Albus Dumbledore said, clinking his glass with the Potters's with a twinkle in his eye. Harry couldn't help but grin as the dignified Headmaster was dressed in khaki traveler's shorts and a horribly loud Hawaiian shirt
"May you partake in the peaceful lives you both so deserve," he concluded. "And may your child be spared James's horrifying hair." Everyone laughed clinking glasses round, James even making his untidy hair stand further on end by plunging his hand into it.
Before he could take in anymore of the pleasant party, the images changed and resurfaced like the ebbing of the sea, and it was hard for Harry to keep anything straight. It seemed that these images happened after his parent's trek for the Guardian.
Soon a new scene was formed, Lily speaking quietly to Dumbledore.
"I don't know how," she was murmuring running a slender hand over her belly. "But I still feel the Guardian, even though we've destroyed the pendent. The Headmaster looked as if he was going to reply but Harry couldn't hear it.
The figures faded quickly leaving him confused and curious. The Pendent has been proven destroyed…that's what Snape said. He wanted to know more, desperately wanted to understand, but before his curiosity could be further fanned, a new image appeared…one that made him catch his breath.
"He looks just like you, James," Lily whispered cradling a tiny bundle in her arms.
"He has your eyes," James replied kissing his wife on the temple. "All right there, Harry?" The baby within the bundle yawned and stretched as if acknowledging his comfort.
"It's hard to believe you could love someone so much without even knowing him yet," she murmured running a finger gently across the unmarred forehead of the baby. Harry moved closer, throat constricted, watching his parents. Watching them smile and laugh…watching them love him.
"Mum. Dad," he said quietly desperately wanting to seize them and hug them, to feel the happiness radiating from them. But all too soon the image was gone.
Harry rolled over blinking away tears. Though the images confused him, even angered him a little, he couldn't help but enjoy the life-like memories of his parents. It was only too bad they wouldn't last longer. It seemed that dreams were short, like life itself—he swallowed uneasily—or like temperament.
"Jade! Wait!" Harry hollered jostling through the crowd between classes a few days later.
"Sorry! Didn't hear you!" Jade called back which was completely infuriating. He saw her stop Angelina Johnson for a split second before disappearing down the hall.
"Isn't going to well, is it?" Ron noted.
"Good call."
"You can't just expect her to be all chummy with you, Harry," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Not after the way you've been acting."
"I haven't been that awful," he said in mild defense. Both Ron and Hermione raised eyebrows at him.
"Just give her a little time," Hermione said ignoring his comment and patting him on the arm. "Maybe she's just waiting for the right moment."
"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," she said simply, stuffing a quill back into her bag. Raising an eyebrow, he
turned his gaze to Ron who shrugged impartially.
They had just come back from Care of Magical Creatures where they took their first real samples of silk from the morders. Hagrid commented that they would become pretty solitary soon, meaning the silk would soon reach it's paramount and allowing room to focus their attention on other beasts, just in time for a creatures O.W.L review.
After lunch they had their weekly Flying lessons. The weather was fantastic, showcasing a fast-approaching spring, and the grounds were quickly turning green again. Despite the handful of lessons now under their belt, Hermione still wobbled uncontrollably. Seamus had regained much of his confidence, diving around his peers and participating in every task. Most of the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors needed no help, so Harry spent the lesson hovering about and keeping an occasional eye on Hermione. He watched as Jade tossed a wooden hoop at Seamus who dived through the ring effortlessly. She clapped her hands and swooped beside him to tell him something, before darting off again. Harry had tried earlier to talk to her during the lesson but Madam Hooch had told him off for not paying more attention to a couple of Gryffindor boys who were horse playing.
"Great to see you back in the air!" Cho sang out as Seamus shot by her. Harry's stomach had knotted itself. It's over, he thought, you never had a chance…so concentrate on fixing your friendship instead. But he couldn't ignore Cho laughing merrily with a group of Ravenclaws. He just couldn't ignore her. He sighed dramatically, urging himself to remember Hermione and Ron's words about Jade.
"Oy! Harry!" Seamus called sweeping up towards him. "Did Angelina tell you that practice has been moved to five tonight?"
"No," he replied. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, we switched practice times with Ravenclaw. I think Fred and George talked her into it so they'd get most of Friday evening off." At that Harry grinned.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the class descended towards the ground. Hermione who had only been several feet above the grass, jerkily lowered herself, nearly toppling when she landed.
"You're improving, Hermione," Harry heard Mandy Brocklehurst say good-naturedly, tossing her golden hair over her shoulders. "I bet Ron could help you with that landing though." Hermione forced a quick smile that looked more like a grimace. Maybe it was the fact she managed to bare all her teeth at once that did it, but there was no mistaking it.
"Just a tad overworked," Ron explained to Mandy helpfully.
After the class was released, Harry walked with Ron and Hermione back up to the castle. He hurriedly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater when they reached Gryffindor tower, before darting back out through the portrait hole, nearly running Seamus over in the process.
"Hurry up," Harry said. "Angelina will have our heads if we're late."
"Yeah, okay," Seamus replied. He had one foot through the hole when he let out a loud groan.
"Blast! I promised I'd meet with Professor Sprout about my Herbology marks," he sighed. "Listen, you go first, and tell Angelina I'll be there in a jiffy." He grunted and disappeared into the hole. Harry shrugged and hurried out of the castle, taking long strides down the corridors and stairwells. He passed the Weasley twins on the way out, and they promised to meet him and the rest of the team as soon as they retrieved their brooms from their dormitories. Back out on the grounds, Harry walked quickly towards the pitch, knowing Angelina wasn't going to be happy about nearly half her team being tardy. He entered the stadium, shouldering his Firebolt to find it completely empty save one figure flying lazily about the stands.
"Jade?"
She spotted him and landed on the pitch a little harder than necessary.
"You're right on time," she said simply as Harry walked towards her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
"You're not suppose to be flying on the pitch unless you're on a team," he said dully.
"No worries, I'm just on my way out," she said, turning and walking towards the exit.
"Wait!" She stopped in her tracks; turning around so he could see her raised eyebrows.
"Have you seen Angelina?" Harry said. "The team's practice got moved up."
"Oh, didn't you know? Gryffindor doesn't have the pitch until after dinner. Ravenclaw has it now."
"What?" Harry asked, utter confusion written on his face. "But Seamus told me—,"
"Well, I best be off," Jade interrupted making her way towards the exit again. "Got to meet Hermione."
"Jade! Wait!" he called at her back, suspicion creeping into his voice. She was up to something…whatever it was, he was sure he deserved it…but he wasn't going to let her off that easy.
"I don't won't to talk, Harry," she replied, turning to reveal a wicked smile. "But I'm sure Cho does." She pointed to a girl making her way onto the opposite side of the pitch. In that moment, Harry thought his internal organs had plummeted into his shoes.
"Just talk to her," Jade said winking.
"Jade!" he exclaimed exasperatedly. He couldn't talk to Cho…. all alone. Not now. Before he could dart out of the stadium, or even make attempts at fleeing, Cho had spotted him.
"Harry?"
"Er…Hi Cho," he replied shakily, struggling to regain feeling in his face. He managed a quick grin.
"What are you doing here?" She asked curiously, avoiding any eye contact. "Gryffindor doesn't have practice for three hours."
"I…er…I…" he was choking up now. Just say something,he thought.
"You see, Seamus told me…erm….the practices switched. But they really weren't and I think Jade did it to make me mad because I've been stupid." Harry mentally kicked himself.
"Oh, okay," Cho said, blushing deeply. He could feel his own face reddening.
"I'll…I…" Harry said turning away. "I'm going to leave now." He began trudging away, embarrassed and guilt-ridden towards the exit.
"Harry, wait!" she called. He stopped so quickly he could feel his lungs crash into his ribs.
"You shouldn't be so mad at Jade," she said. "I know that she said…you know—but it was an accident…and the problem isn't her telling…no, it's really me—but really it's all…you know?" Even if the words had been remotely intelligible, it wouldn't have mattered. Harry didn't hear one word—he was to busy realizing that for the first time in weeks, Cho was looking at him. She was still stuttering a reason for Harry to forgive Jade when he cleared his throat a few minutes later.
"You wanna race?"
"Yeah," Cho said, her face brightening. "Okay." Grinning, they rose into the air and whipped several times around the field. They raced best out of five laps. Cho won. They laughed when she did her victory lap.
"We weren't really together," she said uneasily as their chortles died down. "Cedric and me." The corners of Harry's mouth fell. He didn't say anything, afraid he'd throw up if he opened his mouth. She had brought up Cedric…no matter how many people told him Diggory's death wasn't his fault, it still sat like an overly large bezoar stone in his stomach.
"Maybe it would've been more had he not—," she struggled for the words. "But he did... and really, I think calling it a 'relationship' would be too much." She sighed and her shoulders sagged.
"But he was my friend…he was an awfully good friend." Harry hovered there in the air facing her, unsure of what to say, unsure of his capabilities to say anything.
"I'm sorry," Harry managed uneasily. She looked at him, her eyes fired up.
"I never blamed you, Harry," Cho said almost vehemently. "His death was a product of You-Know-Who's return. That's what I know." Harry didn't know where she was going with that. He supposed he should have felt a good deal better knowing she didn't blame him for Cedric's death, but he didn't."
"And when I found out you may…have feelings for me," she said quietly, breaking the silence. "I just thought about how bad that must have been for you, and I didn't know how to react. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Harry replied, clearly not wanting to talk about any of this. He couldn't bear to look at Cho now, whose eyes were getting misty.
"Harry, I feel like I don't have the capabilities of being with anyone right now," she said. "But I've been thinking maybe if I stopped being selfish and told you so, I could stop hurting you and your friendship with Jade." He nodded. It wasn't fair. He never had a chance, and in the process of fancying someone he had not only hurt himself but a friend. Suddenly the sounds of voices floated onto the pitch. The rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team had arrived, and luckily, Harry thought.
"You've got practice," he said forcing a quick smile onto his face before descending.
"Harry!" Cho called, flying towards him. He stopped reluctantly and turned to face her.
Great, he thought, she's going to tell me to never talk to her again…all for my own good, of course.
"I know it seems a while off," she said. "But if you didn't have anyone in mind as a partner…for the Promenade I mean—I wouldn't say no if you asked."
A/N: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and review. I hope you guys liked this chapter, and 'yay' I got it up way early. Thank you thank you to Erin, my best friend and beta reader…if it wasn't for you avoiding your homework, this never would have been uploaded. To Veronica Lupin: At last you got ch. 8 up! It was fantastic. Anywho, thank you for your advice on choosing your major, sorry I misunderstood what you were studying, but anyway, you'd be great at writing if you ever decide to do it. I'm going to take your advice…and major in art. Wish me luck! To Pete: Thank you so much for your awesome reviews. Sirius-ly, I love the way you highlight your likes and dislikes, they really help me when I'm in a writing jam. Also thanks to nabz, fae, taracollowen, Rachel (I laughed so hard at your review), ginny potter, and kay…thanks for checking in! by the way, my aim screen name has been changed, so if you'd like, check that out on my bio. Hopefully ch. 19 won't take to long…I'm cracking down on finals this week…so we'll see. Just 2 more weeks to spring break…I think I'm going to need an IV of a sugar/caffeine mixture. Peace out!