Chapter 13
In which Draco, Pansy and Theo wondered whether they were supervising a detention or chaperoning a date.
After a flurry of activities, finally everyone is ready and waited with bated breath for the happy couple to appear.
Harriet walked sedately to the front door of the castle, the agreed upon meeting point. She raised an eyebrow at her cousin and his friends.
"Hullo Draco, detention too?" she asked with a smile. "What did you do?"
"D…" Pansy stopped talking as Draco trod on her shoes.
"Draco!" she complained. "I'll have you know that this is the newest embroidered shoes from Msr. Christobal La Fountaine!"
Draco coughed as he rolled his eyes. "He'll release a new one soon enough, Pansy." then he turned to Harriet.
"As I was saying, Pansy was rather violent about her aspiration to be a fashion journalist and hexed Theo and I. We have to retaliate, you understand. Professor Quirrell caught us." Draco lied smoothly as the other two looked at everywhere else but them.
"Good Evening children." Professor Quirrell greeted them before Harriet could question him further. "Ready for your detention?"
Draco swiftly distributed the journals his father had sent. "Ready Professor"
Pansy and Theo wondered what kind of date masquerading as a detention, and why they had to go along with this strange drama.
"Oh, Ms. Potter, you didn't bring something to take note with?" Professor Quirrell asked silkily.
"No, Professor, you didn't tell me to bring anything." Harriet replied in confusion.
"Ah, it must have slipped my mind." He pulled a mauve colored, leather covered, journal and a beautiful eagle feather quill and handed it to her. "Here you go, you can keep it after you're done. For future…detentions?"
Harriet stared at the journal and shrugged. "I don't plan to get anymore detentions, but thanks anyways, Professor." She smiled at the cover's color and followed the Professor.
The detention was actually very interesting as they were approached by various different animals that the Professor explained to them in great detail. Harriet was so happy that she even got to pet a baby unicorn. She remembered the Headmaster's speech at the beginning of the year, and wondered why they were forbidden to go to the forbidden forest. So far, they didn't see anything remotely dangerous.
Behind a copse of trees several meters from them, Lucius and Severus panted tiredly after redirecting a group of curious Blast Ended Skrewts. Their hairs sticking up at odd ends and their faces blackened with the ashes from their fight with the creatures. At the other end of the forest, Theodore Nott, Sr. watched the nest critically for any unexpected movement, unaware of the eight eyes watching him from behind. Fortunately for him, Percival Parkinson was just returning from the last check up in the field and quickly stupefied the Acromantula away. The creature wasn't remotely stunned, but it was dazed and the two of them fought together to subdue the creature. Rookwood was in the middle of a centaur's camp, being trussed up a pole and glared at by the centaur Bane. Though, the Unspeakable was well versed in astronomy and ended up discussing the brightness of Mars, how Venus seemed to shine in response and appeared to be in alignment with the aforementioned planet with the centaurs surrounding him.
The date-slash-detention group finally approached the field that had been decorated so beautifully it resembled an outdoor wedding venue. Delighted by the color scheme of the decoration, Harriet went around examining the flowers, followed sedately by Professor Quirrell and further behind, the three chaperones.
"I can't believe I'm fifth wheeling" Theodore muttered in irritation.
"You're not the fifth wheel, Theo, if anything, Pansy's the fifth wheel." Draco drawled quietly.
"I'll have you know that I don't need to be third, fourth or even fifth wheel to anyone. I could date on my own just fine." Pansy sniffed.
"With Weasley? With how you fought each other every weekend, one would have to wonder if there were something else we've missed." Draco retorted as Theo snickered.
"Hands where we could see them!" he announced loudly as he caught Quirrell's hand about to touch Harriet's hair.
Harriet turned back and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is there a reason i couldn't pluck the flowers and bring it back with me to my dorm? I've never seen them before. I want to find what flowers are these." (As the story goes, there's no flower with Mauve color, so Elina Greengrass bought her favorite flowers and charmed them Mauve.).
Draco scratched his neck. "You didn't bring your gloves Harriet, what would you do if they're poisonous and you got stuck with the thorn?" he said lamely.
Harriet tilted her head to the side and sighed. "You're right of course."
"Ready for dinner?" Professor Quirrell asked.
"Yes, Professor, I'm quite hungry." Harriet said and followed the Professor to the biggest tent.
Draco hurriedly dragged his two friends to the tent nearest to the exit.
"I thought we were supposed to chaperone them. We can't see anything from here." Theo said.
"Easy escape Theo. you weren't there when Harriet burned a tree just at the mention of the Dark Lord."
"Oh, is that why this date is called a detention? I was a bit confused." Pansy said.
"Yeah, and the Dark Lord planned to introduce himself properly to her. So, if it looks like it's going to be bad, we run." Draco said.
"What about Harriet and the Dark Lord?" Theo asked.
"What about them?" Draco raised an eyebrow at him. "Harriet can take care of herself just fine and do you honestly believe the Dark Lord would be in danger from the forest inhabitants?"
"It wasn't the forest inhabitants I'm worried about. Also, What about us? We hardly are safe to cross the forest by ourselves." Theo said as he looked at the big tent.
"Don't borrow trouble, Theo, Father and his associates will make sure we're safe. Now, let's enjoy the food and hope for the best." he said as he eyed the food basket.
Harriet looked around the tent with a smile. "I didn't know this kind of place existed in the middle of the forest."
She turned around and noticed that there's only her and Professor Quirrell in the tent.
"Huh? Where's Draco, Pansy and Theo?" she asked the Professor.
"Hmm? Oh, they've chosen that tent over there" the Professor pointed to another tent where the three friends were enjoying their food. "Let's see what we have here."
Harriet shrugged and scampered to the table.
"Oh, Fish and Chips! I love this. And Treacle Tarts!" she exclaimed happily and sat down immediately, swinging her legs in excitement.
Professor Quirrell laughed and served them.
"So, what do you think of the creatures we've encountered today?" he asked as they started eating.
"Oh, they're fun. It's very informative and I like this detention so much." Harriet said after she swallowed a piece of fish.
They chatted as they eaten, and her laughter filled the field with happiness (according to a certain Dark Lord).
"It doesn't seem like she's going to curse him." Pansy said as she enjoyed some fruit tarts for dessert.
"It was only precautions, Pansy. If Harriet's happy enough, there's high hope that she didn't curse him and us." Draco said calmly.
Back to the tent, Harriet almost finished her treacle tart when the Professor coughed.
"My Lady, I wish to introduce someone to you." He said with a placating smile.
Harriet froze when she heard him call her that. Trying to be calm, she asked,
"Oh? Who is it? "
Quirrell stood up and unwound the turban, then sat down backward so his Lord could properly meet his Lady.
Harriet stared at the face at the back of Quirrell's head, at a loss of words.
"Dear Lord, you're old. " She said bluntly after regaining her wits.
Voldemort froze at that response.
"I'm in my prime! I know I'm not as young as Mr. Charles Weasley, but I'm way more experienced. More seasoned. If it was the Dragon Keeper thing, I'll have you know that I'm equally, if more capable of handling much more majestic, legendary creatures. More dangerous too!"
"Alright, alright, Jeez, what's Charlie Weasley got to do with anything?" Harriet raised her hand to stop the ranting.
"Well, I heard that you liked him. As a married woman, you should refrain from admiring other men." Voldemort huffed.
Especially those who are younger than him. He wisely kept this thought with himself.
"I like him alright, but not because he is younger or anything. I just thought that he'd make a good head of Dragon Departments for the Conservatory. Why are you angry about that? It was my Project, and you've got nothing to do with it. Lucius offered to help, so it was nothing to do with the Gaunt or Slytherin's vault either."
"For the Dragon Department? Oh, i thought you find him attractive." Voldemort mumbled in embarrassment.
"What? no. He's way too old for me."
This, apparently, was the wrong thing to say.