Title: The Malfoy Twins And The Quest For The Amulet
Author: xXNaughty-By-NatureXx
E-mail: dragonslayer_25@msn.com
Summary: A quest into the
past to save their mother leads a pair of twins to another time where they
discover their parents' and their friends' parents' and their Aunt and Uncle's
younger selves. Time is running out as the Dark Lord's forces close in on them.
Numerous events in the past and in the present make for some awkward moments.
What can you do when you're destined to save the day at all costs?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. In other words, I don't claim to own anything I didn't make up! All the original characters are mostly created by me except for those created by Tom, Dyz, Christian or Katie. You four know your characters!
Author's Note: According to Angie J, author of 'Trouble In Paradise', Harry and the rest of the people his age at Hogwarts were scheduled to graduate Hogwarts in 1998. I'm using that reference. 2008 was the year Andrew Potter, the Malfoy twins and all the people in their year were born, so it would be September 2019 when they start at Hogwarts.
And one last thing: the EQA stands for the European Quidditch Association.
Chapter 2: Lies And Deception
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The Malfoy/Hearts Flat
Joey knocked on her older brother's door, all decked out in one of her best sets of robes, a navy blue casual style.
"Hello??? Draco, you up yet?" she called out.
"No, leave me alone!" was Draco's response.
"Well, good morning to you too!" she told him sarcastically as she opened the door.
"What part of 'leave me alone' did you not understand, Bratface?"
Ignoring Draco's foul mood, Joey greeted him, "Happy birthday to you! It's time to get up and smell the coffee! I have something for you that you might just enjoy!"
Draco turned over and was lying on his back. "What may that be?" he asked sharply.
"Tada!" Joey exclaimed as she dropped the envelope on his stomach.
Draco opened it, looked at the pair of tickets and commented, "These are pretty high up…where'd you get them? I thought it was a sold-out crowd!"
"Standing room only but I got these from…" Joey corrected him and paused, slightly wavering, then went on, "…a friend…"
Not having noticed Joey's hesitation, Draco sat up and said, "All right, we'll go…you still on for tonight?"
Joey nodded and said, "Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world! I'll go and let you get ready."
As she left, Draco looked out his window distractedly.
Damn it, Draco! You're doing it again! Joey thought as she headed for the kitchen, Forget about Avalon. She's in America, out of your life…just try to have a good time today, please!
~*~
-*September 21st, 2023*-
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
In a rush getting to the Great Hall for breakfast, Zack dashed out of the Slytherin Common Room and out the Portrait Hole, running head first into his dear older sister Kathryn.
"Zack, I need to talk to you!" she said to her brother firmly.
Zack recognized the tone of voice his sister was using and rolled his eyes. "Really, I don't have the time for another one of your power trips, Kat. I need to have something in my stomach before Potions," he said, imitating her tone to a point as he walked off.
"Fine, then we'll walk and talk," Kathryn decided for him and explained, "I haven't been pleased with you lately."
"Who appointed you Mother Superior?" the irate blond uttered under his breath.
Kathryn told him, "Listen, don't make this hard for me. I have to keep up my marks, keep a handle on my responsibilities as Quidditch captain and seeker, not to mention the fact that I have to keep track of you and the rest of the bunch. I also have to figure out what to do with my life, as if you could ever relate."
"Boo hoo," Zack shot back, the sarcasm dripping full blast.
"Well maybe I'll have to groom someone else to become the Quidditch captain next year," Kathryn threatened.
Zack would never admit it to her face, but he secretly wanted the position but didn't necessarily want to follow in his sister's footsteps. "Well, maybe I don't care," he snapped at his sister, "Listen, I have a life outside the pitch and I don't have to be jus…"
"Well, you won't have one on the pitch if you don't shape up!" Kathryn cut him off.
Zack walked ahead, steaming, and headed for the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Catching up, Kathryn sat next to him.
"Listen, you cannot ignore this. You let four easy goals against Hufflepuff last week. You need to get your head back in the game, where it belongs. What's got you so distracted anyway?"
"Nothing, Kat, just drop it, please!" Zack pleaded as he ate.
Kathryn eyed her brother and replied, "Fine, but this isn't over. I will find out what you're hiding." You can't hide anything from me, little brother, a voice inside of her added as an afterthought.
"Whatever," Zack just mumbled with a mouthful of cauldron cake.
Kathryn turned to one of her male housemates in her year and began her usual socializing.
~*~
Kiara looked up from the letter she was writing to find Kathryn speaking to one of her male housemates.
"Look at that, Kiki," her cousin Rebecca's voice came from her left with a bit of bitterness, "Little Miss Perfect, sitting at the head of the table, talking like she owns the place."
Kiara placed a blank piece of parchment over her letter and put it between her books and placed them in her bag. "Yeah…so how much do you know about the Malfoys' situation?" she asked her. She knew she had to change the subject quickly once Rebecca got that bitter jealous tone in her voice.
"Only that there's been a family emergency and they had to fly out to Canada and that they will be gone indefinitely, pursuing their studies via owlspondance classes."
"Hey, sorry we're late," Andrew's voice came from across the table, "Jayson and I were just finishing up our…owls."
Kiara nodded, acknowledging that she knew what he was talking about.
Jayson asked, "So, Kiara, are you ready?"
"For what?" Rebecca asked, as her right eyebrow rose. As a prefect, she made it her business to know everyone's business, especially when it concerned her cousins and their friends.
"To tell Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron that she has a boyfriend!" Andrew blurted out. Damn it! Think before you speak, Potter! he thought, Why can't you remember that under pressure???
Rebecca's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Who's the guy? Do we know him?" she demanded to know.
Jayson glared at Andrew, who gave him a pleading look.
"Actually, it's me," the blond announced after taking a deep breath, flashing his million-dollar smile, reminiscent of his father's own smile.
"When did this happen?" Rebecca went on.
Thanks a whole lot, Drew! Look what you got me into, Kiara thought as she ate, Becca's going to be at it for a while now.
"Well, it's only been official since yesterday, but we've made it a point of keeping things hush-hush, if you know what I mean," Jayson clarified as Rebecca nodded, smooth-talking his way through, "We don't necessarily want this news spreading around Hogwarts."
Rebecca assured him, "Fine, I won't go out of my way to tell everyone but if people know, they know."
"Right," Jayson agreed.
"Yeah," Kiara chimed in, "We don't want everyone knowing our business."
"So are you going to write home to let everyone know?" Rebecca directed the question to Kiara.
Kiara nodded and replied, "Yeah, soon."
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief as the meal progressed. No one seemed to suspect the real reason he and Kiara had been spending time with Jayson. They had to make sure it would stay that way.
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The Malfoy/Hearts Flat
"HELLLLOOOOOOOO!" a female voice called out, "I'm HOME!"
Draco stepped out of his room in his casual wear and headed for the source of the voice in the living room.
"Hey, Mari," he greeted her with a forced yet genuine smile.
"Happy birthday, Draco!" she greeted him with a hug.
As the pair pulled away from each other, Joey entered the room.
"Hey, Marionie," she welcomed her as Draco headed into the kitchen, "Hey, I heard you were going to be a guest commentator at the Cannons match!"
"Yeah, Lee Jordan's always had a soft spot for me," Marionie explained modestly, shrugging for effect.
"You've always been too modest for your own good," Joey told her, "When you've got it, girl, you've got it!"
"You guys ready for the match?" she asked.
Draco called out from the kitchen, "Yeah but I have to take Joey to Diagon Alley first 'coz she's got to meet her gang."
"Fine, apparate over to the arena afterwards 'coz I have to meet with Lee
Jordan right now. I just wanted to say hi," Marionie said and with that, she
disappeared, apparating out of sight, leaving her cousins behind.
~*~
-*September 21st, 2023*-
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
Kiara, Andrew and Jayson decided to meet in one of the vacant conference rooms in the library before classes began. Since no one could really eat, they had plenty of time to spare.
"WHAT THE BLODDY HELL WAS THAT???" Kiara bellowed at Andrew, her usually pleasant sounding voice taking an angry tone the moment she finished locking the door behind her and charming the walls to make them soundproof.
Andrew shot back, "That was me saving your butt, Kiara! You don't have to act like such an ungrateful spoiled brat!"
"But a boyfriend?" she complained, her voice going from angry to whiny in no time at all, "How am I going to explain this once Becca tells everyone? And don't think she will, Drew, you know that!"
Andrew rolled his eyes at Kiara and said, "Kiki, I wouldn't have suggested to Jayson to go to you for your help if I knew you were going to be bellyaching. You know we're doing this for Amelea and Allegra, right?"
Kiara nodded with a sigh. The sensible part of her, the part most resembling her mother, was telling her she was getting in way over her head and that she would soon get tangled in a web of lies but the part of her most like her father told her to stay by her friends' side no matter what.
"My father is an actor, Kiara," Jayson pointed out, "We can easily fake this."
He paused for effect and smiled appealingly. "C'mon, it'll be fun to play it out," he went on, "I've always thought you were cute when you didn't have your nose buried behind a book."
"Was that a complement?" Kiara questioned him with a grin, "I might have missed it." It's just Jayson, a voice inside her said, No need to freak out. Stay completely calm.
"Kiara Noelle Granger-Weasley, goddess of this green earth, the all-knowing genius of the Weasley family, I beg of you, please! Just play along with this little act!" Andrew begged, making Kiara laugh.
Kiara knew that Andrew really wanted her to go along with the dating story. It's not that she didn't want to help the Malfoy twins but she wasn't the dating type. Despite being boy crazy, she had certain problems with commitment to the opposite sex. Quidditch was the only thing she was ever able to commit to.
"Do you realize that anyone with Weasley blood flowing through his or her veins will not buy the story?" she pointed out.
"Try. You might surprise yourself," Andrew told her.
"Okay, I'll play along," Kiara conceded after a moment of silence, "But if we're going to do this, we're doing it my way."
The guys gave each other a look and shrugged then refocused their attention towards Kiara.
"Let's do it!" the guys said in unison.
"Okay…holding hands is cool when we're walking together but that's it, the only kissing allowed is on the cheek in public…and all the displays of affection are all for show. I'm off-limits when no one's watching…I'll d…"
"Wait just a minute!" Jayson interrupted Kiara, "You can't be serious!"
Kiara gave him a look that clearly said she was.
"You know, Kiki, he's right!" Andrew said.
"Why is that, Mr. Know-It-All?" the bushy haired redhead asked.
"Well…you can't seriously expect people, especially our dear sweet yet annoying cousins, to believe that you're dating Jay if he can only kiss you on the cheek!"
Nodding in agreement, Jayson chimed in and added, "Yeah, there's got to be some tongue! It's not going to be realistic otherwise."
"Who made you two bozos experts on relationships anyway?!" At this point, Kiara was becoming flustered.
"Kiara! Why are you being so stubborn!? Don't you want to help our friends?" Andrew exclaimed in frustration.
"Please, Kiara, we want this to be as convincing as possible," Jayson told her, his baby blue eyes showing a rare desperation, "Just help me help my cousins…they mean the world to me. We can't let people discover what's going on. Help me…"
Kiara was tempted to turn her back on Jayson, Andrew and the Malfoys, but looking into Jayson's eyes for a moment persuaded her not to. Somehow, there was something in the blond's eyes before her that pulled at her heartstrings. She just couldn't say no to him.
"Fine, I will," she told him softly as they continued gazing into each other's eyes.
Andrew was watching them at a table nearby. He admired how easily Jayson got Kiara to change her mind once he turned on the Barringer charm. He decided to keep quiet to see what would happen since neither he or she seemed to have remembered there was a third person in the room at that point.
After a moment of silence, Kiara began to feel uneasy so she looked down at her feet and told Jayson, "Just…don't look at me like that, please…"
"Look at you like what?" Jayson asked quietly.
"Like that, with your blue eyes, looking so sad…" Kiara's voice faded as she spoke. This cannot be happening to me right now! No way! she thought.
"I'm sorry," Jayson told her, his voice fading the same way. Hmmmmmmm, so cute…oh my gosh, am I having a crush sweet little Kiki? he wondered.
As if taken from directly out of a Muggle romantic movie, Jayson began to move in closer to Kiara, who, strangely enough, did not pull away. Soon, both teenagers' faces were so close that their noses were touching. Finally, in the gentlest way possible, Jayson placed his lips on Kiara's and made contact. In a matter of seconds, the pair was engaged in a deep kiss.
"ALL RIGHT!" Andrew blurted out, jumping out of his seat, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
Kiara abruptly pushed Jayson away, causing him to fall over and land on his butt.
"Sorry," she apologized to her cousin, "I forgot you were there."
From the ground, Jayson added, "Yeah, Drew, sorry…"
Temporarily pushing the image of his cousin and his friend kissing to the back of his mind, he said, "Okay, you've decided. That's good. Tonight, everyone know where we're meeting?"
Kiara and Jayson nodded as she helped him up. This is crazy, just totally insane!!! she thought.
"Yeah, gotcha!" Jayson assured Andrew. Did that just happen? he questioned.
The trio left the room and headed for class, deciding that they ought to be early for a change instead of cutting it close like they typically did. They all agreed that too much time in tight quarters wasn't comfortable to say the very least.
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The Leaky Cauldron
Amelea and Allegra were getting ready for the Quidditch match in their room. Allegra seemed on edge while Amelea appeared to be composed, when it was usually the opposite, especially at Hogwarts.
"You ever wonder if this is all just a huge mistake?" Amelea asked her twin as she brushed her hair on the bed she slept in and decided to let it down, "That maybe we weren't the Heirs?"
"Yes, but we're still here, no mistake about it," Allegra replied as she put her hair in two buns, one on either side of her head.
The Awesome Twosome decided to wear some casual robes to the match. Amelea went with different shades of blue while Allegra had a fire motif going on. The two headed down to the dining area. Amelea found Duncan waving at her and gestured for her twin to follow.
"I'm the first one here," he explained as they sat, "The rest of the people should be here soon enough."
"Al, this is U…Duncan," Amelea said, dropping the word uncle just in the nick of time, "Duncan, this is my twin sister Allegra."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Allegra said as she shook his hand.
Duncan spoke up and said, "Please, I assure you, the pleasure's all mine."
"Who are the those hot witches?" AJ said behind Duncan.
As AJ sat down, Amelea said, "Amelea and Allegra Ma…dison." She almost slipped but quickly recovered. "Yeah, I'm Amelea and she's Allegra."
"AJ Stormwilder," AJ introduced himself, then asked, "So you guys going to the match?"
"Yep," Allegra said, "You guys will too?"
Duncan replied, "Yeah! Joey's brother Draco, it's his birthday, and we're all going to hook up at the pitch."
"Oh, that's cool," Amelea said calmly.
Joey and Serena, followed by Lee and Cassie, joined the table.
"So this is your friend Amelea, huh, Dunk?" Serena said, "And she has a twin…AJ, don't even think about it!" She kicked AJ's foot underneath the table to punctuate her sentence.
Duncan nodded and as the introductions went on, everyone had breakfast together. It seemed as though the twins fit in quite nicely with the group despite one person's envy. Joey didn't seem too pleased. Two complete strangers had taken Duncan's attention away from her. It wasn't like they were dating but she was still jealous…
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The London Wizarding Sports Stadium
"Welcome to the Main Pavilion, Miss Hearts," a white-haired wizard wearing silver robes greeting the young Quidditch beater as she entered large building right by the Quidditch pitch and official home of the Chudley Cannons.
"It's quite a pleasure to be here, Mr. Locke, " she assured the middle-aged man as they walked, "It's great to be home. I haven't seen the new building yet and I'm very excited to be here."
Mr. Locke followed Marionie into the elevator and pressed the second floor button. "I guess it's true what they say about you in Quidditch Files! You are so down-to-earth and friendly!" he commented as the elevator door opened before them and they stepped out.
"Well…it's the sport that has helped me come out of my shell. You wouldn't believe how shy I was as a child," Marionie told him. Well…there was something else…but that's not important, she thought.
They stopped in front of a door that had a plaque on it that said, "L. Jordan, Sports Commentator" on it. Marionie smiled brightly.
"Here's Lee Jordan's office," Mr. Locke told her, "He's mentioned that he knows you from school."
"Yes and he'll tell you how shy I used to be," Marionie said with a laugh, "I can't believe he's nailed his dream job and this fancy office!"
"Well, he wanted to go over a few things with you before the match."
"Well, thank you for showing me the way here, Mr. Locke," Marionie told him, "And it's been a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure's all mine, young lady. You're simply delightful!" the man replied, "I hope to see you again."
As the man walked away, Marionie knocked on the door to Lee's office. The door opened to reveal a man sitting at his desk, scribbling furiously, his face furrowed in concentration. The room's white walls were decorated with pictures and posters of the Cannons roster five years back. There were also some pieces of paraphernalia like old brooms and robes hanging around.
Marionie cleared her throat and said, "Nice office, Mr. Jordan! I love what you've done with the place!"
Smiling, Lee stopped his writing, leaned back on his chair, looked up and replied, "Well if it isn't the infamous Marionie Hearts! Come on in and take a seat."
Marionie sat on one of the chairs in front of Lee's desk.
"So what's the plan today?" she asked him.
"Well, the game, you can bring insight and such to the commentary. Casual chatter, questions about you and your career whenever we can fit it in sound okay to you?"
"Brilliant!" she told him, "So how have you been? Are you still dating that girl that used to be in Ravenclaw, Danica Russell?"
"Yep," he informed her with a grin, "We're almost at the three year point, actually."
Marionie took one of the frames on Lee's desk and looked at the picture. It was a picture of Lee with Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Fred and George Weasley and Oliver Wood. They were his favourite people at Hogwarts and they always hung out together. He was particularly a best friend to the twins.
"You still in touch with these guys?" she asked curiously, eyeing Oliver Wood on the picture. She always did have a crush on him, despite what had gone on with him and Katie Bell.
"Uh yeah, the twins are still here with their joke shop at Hogsmead and Diagon Alley, Alicia's gone off to play Quidditch for Italy, Angie's moved to Jamaica to get in touch with her roots…and apparently, Katie and Oliver are living together in Paris. Anyway, we owl each other constantly, yeah, why do you ask?"
Marionie managed to lift the ends of her lips to form a slight smile while biting the inside of her lip. "No particular reason," she managed to say casually.
"So, are there any topics of conversation that are off-limits?" Lee asked, wanting to be sensitive, "I mean, any touchy subjects? I wouldn't want to upset you later."
Marionie thought about it for a moment. She knew she didn't want any focus on her relationship with Scott Barringer, her on-and-off boyfriend since her sixth year at Hogwarts. She wanted to keep her personal life personal, and that wasn't the easiest thing, with her constantly being in the public eye. They hadn't really had anything steady because they were both very career-oriented since he became a popular film star in the wizarding world and she had her Quidditch.
"I guess nothing about my love life…everyone wants to know about that and I'd rather you just leave that alone, you know?" she told Lee.
"Understandable…" Lee replied, "Anything else?"
Marionie shook her head. "Nope, nothing I can of right now…" If he asks about Mika, I'll lie about it…it's not like she'll ever know what I say since she doesn't even follow Quidditch anymore. Miss All-American girl… her conscience justified.
"All right, then…ix-nay on the relationships, right?" Lee said, and after Marionie nodded, he asked, "So is there a special wizard in your life right now? I'm not asking as a member of the press but I'm asking as your friend."
Marionie shook her head casually. "Please," she said, "I'm practically married to Quidditch, in terms of commitment. I can barely take care of myself. I certainly cannot commit to another person."
Lee chuckled and replied, "All right then…that's that. You want a tour of this place? It was built last year and I know you were away with the team all year at the training centre in Wales."
"That would be great!" Marionie exclaimed.
~*~
-*September 21st, 2023*-
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
Kiara stepped out of Potions class angrily. Zack Firecross was getting on her nerves more than usual. He had been bothering her about being a half blood and being a boring nerd. She was steaming and since she had been sent to sit with the Slytherins, none of her friends could comfort her. She didn't even have her make-believe boyfriend Jayson to help her out.
"So what, Firecross? What if she is? I'm tired of telling you she and I are just friends! If you don't shut your face, I'll rearrange it for you," she heard Jayson's voice behind her.
"Am I supposed to be scared? Go ahead and do your worst! I'll make sure you, your girlfriend, her cousins and any of your friends have a miserable existence," she heard Zack threaten.
"Oooh, I'm so scared of you, Firecross," Jayson shot back sarcastically.
"Why do you spend so much time with that low-class witch?" she heard Zack ask.
Kiara turned around and walked towards Zack, his goons and Jayson. "I don't appreciate dimwits like you talking about me like that, Firecross!" she told him, "I've had just about enough of you!"
Before Kiara could put her right hand up to slap the guy in front of her, Jayson grabbed it.
"Don't, Kiki," he said, "He's not worth it."
Kiara pulled her hand away from his grip and replied, "Whatever. He's scum. He deserves more than just me slapping him."
"Answer the question, Barringer," Zack challenged him. They know about the twins…they're trying to help them and I have to stop him… he thought, If I don't, my dad will have it in for me! This is wrong…I enjoy the making the Gryffindors suffer but this isn't the best way to get into Amelea's good graces…damn it!
Jayson raised his left eyebrow at Kiara, who was still angry. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her away from the Slytherins.
"Listen, they're following us to the Great Hall since it's lunchtime," he whispered to his redhead friend, "Just play along. We have to take this dating thing as far as we can go with it."
Kiara nodded and thought, Let the show begin.
"Man, I'm so sorry about Potions class, baby…can I do anything to make it better?" Jayson began.
Kiara replied, "I'm okay now…damn, I hate sitting next to that Firecross prat."
"Oh, sweetie," he assured her as they crossed the dungeons, his arm around her, "I wanted to rip him apart the way he was acting. It's over now, though…you can relax."
"Yeah…" Kiara answered him, slightly flustered. Play along, this isn't real, a voice in her mind reminded her.
As they walked by a statue, Jayson stopped abruptly and pushed Kiara gently against it, keeping an eye to his right using his peripheral vision, waiting for their Slytherin enemy to walk by with his posse. He grabbed her waist and began to kiss her intensely, getting slightly carried away.
Just as he expected, before walking away, Zack said, "Get a room, Barringer!"
Jayson pulled away and said, "I don't have to answer to you! Why don't you get lost before you regret messing with me?"
Jayson stared Zack down and exchanged insults with him until he decided to walk away. When the pair found the coast was clear, they began to walk away hand in hand. Had she not enjoyed it, Kiara would have been telling him off but she remained silent.
"I know it wasn't necessary but…" Jayson ventured.
Kiara simply said, "Don't let it happen again." She didn't seem angry or upset, she just said it in a light, casual tone.
They found themselves crossing the Entrance Hall quietly. When they got to the Great Hall's doors, Kiara decided not to go in immediately with Jayson.
"I've got to head to the loo," she told him.
Jayson just nodded and entered the Great Hall. Kiara went to the girls' toilet.
If that kiss was real, then I've cracked, she thought as she walked off.
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The London Wizarding Sports Stadium
Mika landed in front of the Main Pavilion of the London Wizarding Sports Stadium. As she walked into the building, she found that Ron and Hermione were headed towards her with smiles on their faces.
"MIKA AVALON, I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S YOU!!!" Ron exclaimed happily, "Oh, so things in America didn't work out?"
"Let's just say that there's no place like home," she told him casually, "How are things going with your family?"
"Well, Ginny's just graduated and she went on a trip last month not telling anyone where she was going…and Bill and Charlie have girlfriends!"
Mika smiled at the wonderful news. She didn't really know Ron's older brothers but she had met them before and she enjoyed their company. She was really thrilled to hear that there was happiness in the Weasley family. Ginny's little trip concerned her but only because she thought of the only Weasley girl as the younger sister she never had.
"That's great! Have you guys heard from Harry?" Mika asked.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well…he disappeared at the same time Ginny took her little trip…"
Mika grinned as Ron shrugged, obviously in the dark about things. Way to go, Potter! About time you got some balls! she thought, Ron will understand once you explain it to him. Just get yourself and Ginny back in one piece.
"So, don't you have to get to the locker room?" Hermione prodded Ron.
Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione and said, "It's nice to have you back, Mika. I'll see you later."
Hermione and Mika headed to the outdoor concession stand to buy snacks, avoiding the rich snobbish people at the pub, while Ron walked across the hall and into his team's locker room.
~*~
Draco had been at the Stadium for a while, walking around, trying to clear his thoughts. He had been walking towards the Main Pavilion since he entered the Stadium through the far north entrance, avoiding the crowds of the east entrance closest to the stands. The closer he got, the more he noticed two people heading for the food stands. They were lining up to purchase some refreshments. One of them had thick long curly hair and immediately, he thought of Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor who had been Head Girl two years ago when he was Head Boy. The hair was not as bushy but had a nice curl. The girl with her, however, did not immediately remind him of anyone. She had a short hairdo, just above her shoulders from what he could see. They also appeared to be charm-braided into tiny little micro-braids, although it was hard to tell from a far distance. Her hair was black and the only person he knew that hung out with Hermione back at Hogwarts with that hair colour was Mika Avalon…
No. It's not them. It's not her. She's gone for good…moved to America, a voice in his head was trying to convince him unsuccessfully.
Sighing, he entered the white building before him to look for Marionie at the pub.
~*~
Joey, her gang and the twins landed near the Stadium's east entrance. Each of the girls and Lee had their own brooms while Amelea rode with Duncan and Allegra rode with AJ. They went into the Main Pavilion and rented a locker to store their brooms in. Then, they went to find their seats. Luckily, the twins were in the same section by the Cannons' goal posts, a couple of rows down.
"Wow, there's a lot of people here," Joey commented casually.
Serena replied, "No kidding…" She looked at her best friend with a smile.
Lee and Cassie seemed to be occupied with each other while Duncan and AJ were whispering at each other. Serena decided it was the time to speak to Joey.
"So, Jo, what do you think about the Madisons?" she asked lightly.
Joey scoffed. "Those two blonde airheads? Are you kidding? They're going to come and go, that's that. I don't think they'll be around for too long." I hope, she had an as a quiet afterthought in her mind.
"You're jealous," Serena stated, smiling at her best friend's first comment since she was blonde as well. The statement was intended to be a question but she decided that she knew better than to ask.
"So what if I am?" Joey shot back.
"I thought you didn't like Dunk like that…" the strawberry blonde commented.
Joey sighed and told her, "I don't, we're just friends. You know it."
"So why do I sense jealousy?" Serena prodded.
"It is NOT jealousy, Serena. You wouldn't know jealousy if it bit you in the arse."
"Fine then, have it your way. You can't hide from the truth."
"Well, I can try…and I can tell you this for sure: I won't allow two complete foreigners to turn up in my life and completely take over!"
"Fine, then! Have it your way…" Serena repeated her earlier comment, her voice fading as she stared off into the distance a bit, dropping the subject.
~*~
-*September 21st, 2023*-
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
Kiara was up in the owlry, checking for any sign of any of the Weasley family owls. After her trip to the toilet, she didn't feel much like going down to the Great Hall. She found a white falcon belonging to her American friend Taryn Watercress. Taryn had been writing to her about 'American Idol', which was the American version of her favourite show 'Pop Idol'. She took the letter and read it as she leaned against the window.
"Hey, Kiki, whatcha doin' up here all alone?" someone behind her asked.
Kiara spun around to find Katia Starrwinger behind her.
"Uh, just reading an owl," she replied.
"Kiki…be up front with me, what's been going on with you?" Katia asked as she stood by Kiara at the window.
Kiara replied, "Oh it's nothing, Katia…I'm just busy with all the schoolwork…"
"It's not about that, Kiara, and we both know it. You can handle all that without even sweating…you just haven't been as focused as you've always been. Something's changed and it's because you're spending more time with the boys."
With an attempt at being cool as a cucumber, Kiara explained, "Well, that's because I've been doing some tutoring…helping them out. I'm still on top. Of course, with the help I've been providing, I've been settling for being on time instead of being early all the time and that's not much of a problem, now is it?"
"Well…I guess not," Katia said, buying her act.
Kiara smiled, relieved, but she was afraid she was going to crack. As the conversation took a lighter tone, the redhead couldn't help but wonder how much longer she could handle this dishonesty.
You've been learning way too much from Jay, a voice in her head commented as she spoke to Katia, walking with her to the Great Hall.
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
The London Wizarding Sports Stadium
Mika and Hermione sat in the midsection of the stands, halfway between each team's zones, with their drinks. They both decided they weren't hungry so they didn't get any food.
"You look a bit more relaxed," Hermione commented.
With a nostalgic sigh, Mika replied, "Man, I almost forgot what this feels like!"
"I'm glad you're a bit more able to unwind," Hermione stated, "I'm telling you, I'm starting to see a bit more of the old you, before you ever learned the truth about your mother, before love ever came into the equation…all I see is a fun-loving, Quidditch-loving, happy you."
"Feels like it too!" Mika exclaimed.
Pointing at the top of Mika's head, Hermione asked, "But what's with the sunglasses?"
"Oh these were a gift from Justin!" she explained with a goofy grin.
"Finch-Fletchley?" Hermione asked, looking confused.
As she slipped the shades on, Mika replied with a laugh, "No silly! Timberlake…from the Muggle group NSYNC. See, my college roommate Felicity was his cousin's girlfriend and we got to go backstage at one of their concerts. He was really cool to talk to!"
Hermione shrugged as she looked up at the announcer's booth. "Yeah, Lee Jordan should be due in his booth soon! I hear there's a guest commentator up there with him!" she commented.
"Cool!" Mika exclaimed, "I can't wait! I just have to grab some tissues. I spilled my drink."
~*~
"Mari, you ready?" Lee asked as he led Marionie into the commentator's booth.
Marionie replied playfully, "Babe, I was born ready! It's good to be home again!"
"That's good," Lee said, looking out at the crowd, "It's show time!"
The pair sat down at the desk, gathering some notes.
"Sonorous!" Lee and Marionie said at the same time, turning their wands into microphones.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lee Jordan, live at the London Wizarding Sports Stadium, bringing you another excellent Quidditch match up. It's Liverpool vs. our very own Cannons. But before we bring on the Quidditch, I would like to introduce to you a very special lady. She's one of the beaters on our national team; she's on the cover of every magazine, and she's really quite the example of pure exquisiteness, put your hands together for Marionie Hearts!"
"Oh please, Lee!" Marionie said as the crowd roared, being modest as usual, "You flatter me!"
"Well, it's good to see fame and fortune hasn't changed you!" Lee commented, "You mentioned earlier that you hadn't been home for a while…what are you looking forward to today?"
"Well, the Cannons line-up has drastically changed this year because of the EQA draft…it's practically a brand new team! I'm looking forward to checking out how the acquisition of Sierra Crane and Caroline McIntyre works out for the offence and how the two new girls will come together with veteran Zoë Carmichael. I'm also looking forward to seeing Ron Weasley in action for the first time since he became a free agent last year. And of course, Cole Livingston and Brock Lightstar, the beaters and Ethan Hawthorne, the star seeker…I expect nothing but the best from this team."
"Any predictions for the match?" Lee asked with a smile.
Marionie thought for a moment before saying, "Well…I'm anticipating that Zoë will play a considerable part in the offence, as she did during the past two seasons. I'm looking forward to seeing Cole and Brock really perform as beaters. I've watched them grow as players for a while now and I admire their work ethics. Of course, their seeker, Ethan, can't go unmentioned. I'm also waiting to see that the new additions prove themselves as well."
~*~
Mika couldn't believe her ears as she walked back to the bleachers.
"…yeah, I give her a ring whenever I can. She's been a wonderful friend to me," she heard Marionie say in response to Lee's question about keeping in touch with people during the Quidditch season.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked Hermione in a firm voice once she got back to her seat.
Hermione nodded and explained, "I didn't think you'd mind…it's still Quidditch!"
Mika rolled her eyes as Lee announced that the match was going to start.
"…so let's bring it on! There go the Lions coming at ya! Serenity Windemere is looking mighty good today. Let's hope the Snitch can save itself from her clutches…" Mika spaced out for a moment. "…et ready for your Chudley Cannons!!!"
As Ron and his teammates flew into the pitch, the crowd went absolutely wild!
"And it's on!" Lee exclaimed, "The Cannons have the early control of the Quaffle. Carmichael passes it to McIntyre!"
"Oh wow, and it's a quick give-and-go to Sierra Crane. Wow, those new chasers are quick!" Marionie commented as the girls moved out of a Bludger's way.
"No doubt about it, the girls are giving the Lions a run for their money! And check out Gabriel Redstorm's swift swing, changing the Bludger's direction towards Hawthorne!" Lee exclaimed.
Thoughts ran through Mika's mind like world-class sprinters as she tried to enjoy herself.
~*~
-*September 21st, 2023*-
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
In the cover of the night, Andrew, Jayson and Kiara slipped out of the castle and into the grounds, by the twins' favourite oak tree, which coincidentally was their mother's favourite tree as well when she went to Hogwarts.
"All right," Andrew said, "Let's do this."
"How does this work?" Kiara asked, "Does Jay say it or do we say it together?"
Jayson looked at Kiara then Andrew. "I think we should say it together," he told them, "even if I'm better than you guys at Charms."
The trio stood in a triangle formation and linked hands.
As Kiara put her hand into Jayson's, she said soothingly to him, "Don't worry, I'm right here beside you. We can make it through this. We'll help the twins and everything will be all right again."
At Kiara's touch, Jayson could feel himself relaxing. Something about the girl's touch made him feel like a different person. Her voice made him feel so at ease. The way her eyes sparkled made his heart melt.
Andrew took Kiara and Jayson's free hand and said, "I'm ready."
"Okay, on three," Jayson said as Kiara and Andrew nodded, "1, 2…3!"
"Avaccioflow!" they said loudly at once, concentrating their energy at the middle of their triangle formation.
Just like the letter from Jayson's Mum described, the cloud appeared.
"Wow…" Kiara whispered as they observed the twins, walking into one of the rooms they vaguely recognized from the Leaky Cauldron Inn.
Jayson quickly dropped the envelope into the cloud and it disappeared.
As soon as they relaxed, Kiara jumped into Jayson's arms and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.
"See, they're fine," she assured him, "They'll make it through."
Squeezing her tightly, Jayson replied, "Yeah…thanks for being around. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Kiara pulled away and stared off into the distance, her eyes fixed on the full moon.
As he walked away, Andrew said, "I'm heading in! I'll catch ya later!"
Jayson walked over to Kiara and said, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied, "I just don't want us to get hasty here…"
Jayson looked puzzled. He had no idea what Kiara was referring to.
"Listen, I'm going to go," he said to her as he walked away.
Kiara decided to stay out a while longer before heading in.
~*~
-*August 31st, 1999*-
Paradise Cove Restaurant
Joey sighed as she waited at her brother's favourite table, in his favourite restaurant. After the Quidditch match had finished, Draco told her that he wanted to take care of certain things before dinner so he told her he'd meet her there. Marionie arrived and they engaged in a conversation.
~*~
Just as Draco was about get into the restaurant after apparating onto the parking lot, he noticed the same two girls from the concession stand at the Quidditch match earlier. They were talking by a red convertible and the raven-haired girl had her sunglasses on.
~*~
Mika looked up and noticed a blond guy with from a distance. She decided to calm down in fear of being overheard, despite the fact that she wasn't sure if he was complete stranger or if he knew her.
"Hermione, I know you mean well but I am not hungry!" she hissed through gritted teeth.
Marionie dragged her towards the restaurant without saying another word.
~*~
"Reservations for three, Malfoy," Draco said to the Maitre 'D Jacques.
The older man replied, "Right this way, sir. Miss Joey said you'd be coming a bit late. She and Miss Marionie are at the table, waiting for you."
Draco nodded and followed him to the table.
~*~
Mika noticed Draco's back walking away as Hermione was dragging her. She pulled away from her friend's grip and stood behind the bushy haired girl.
"Reservations for two, Granger," she told the lady who was there.
The hostess replied, "Right this way, Miss Granger."
~*~
"Humph, better late than never, huh, Draco?" Joey commented as Draco sat down between her and Marionie.
"Yeah…" he replied as he glanced over the menu, not really reading it, "So what'd I miss?"
"Nothing much," Marionie said, "Joey was just telling me that you've been distracted…do you really miss her? Why don't you get with Blaise or something? Miss Avalon turned her back on you and on me or did you forget? She's not worth it. Get over it!" She said the last two sentences in a cold tone, very uncharacteristic of her.
"Excuse me, Miss Hearts!" Draco shot back.
The waitress came and took their orders, preventing a fight from breaking out.
~*~
Close by, Mika and Hermione were drinking, waiting for their food to come.
"Okay, I'll admit the match was great," Mika told Hermione, "It almost felt like old times."
"It could have been worse!" Hermione pointed out, "You could have seen Malfoy."
When Hermione said this, Mika began to sense a presence in the back of her mind, a very angry emotional presence.
"Listen, Hermione, I have to go to the toilet so stay here and wait for the food," she said as she got up and walked off.
Hermione nodded, watching Mika walk off.
~*~
Joey's gaze followed the back of Mika's head as she walked off. She had no idea the charm-braided head belonged to Miss Avalon. She was merely fascinated by the numerous tiny braids. Draco's gaze followed Joey's and he jumped up and walked over to her without any warning.
"Excuse me," he said as he tapped her shoulder.
Mika stopped and faced Draco; her back still turned towards his table and her purple eyes unreadable.
"Wow…you're back…oh my goodness…wow…" Draco commented in a hush undertone.
Mika rolled her eyes and replied sharply, "Is there a point to this, Mr. Malfoy? I really have to go…"
"Okay, I'll get straight to the point here…I don't expect you to come running back to me but Mari…she's your best friend. Spending a year without you has really changed her. She's usually playing Quidditch but whenever I do spend time with her, she's different…like something's missing! Just try to mend fences with her…it would be a shame for a friendship like yours to go to waste."
With that said, Draco went back to the table, leaving Mika with her jumbled thoughts as she headed for the toilet.
~*~
-*REVIEWERS!*-
I got reviews! YAY!!! Love y'all!!! *stands and does a lil happy butt dance*
Marionie Hearts: Katie, you rock! I love you! I'm glad you agreed to the whole Scott/Marionie ship I built from the ground up, otherwise, this story wouldn't work. Jayson's just the perfect kid, huh? ;) ;) Isn't it great how he just charms his way into Kiara's heart? You know this is the perfect opportunity for me to write my specialty, romance! I got a new ship…I should have my own harbour for all the ships I got. Lol! Anyway, it's all good!
haydens-sweet-lil-angel: Oy! Dyz, I'm glad you enjoy reading my immensely long chapters! I hope Tom's not too upset there's a lot of Barringer action going on early in the story. Tell him not to worry, though, 'coz Draco Malfoy's going to have his own thing going on. Let me know if he enjoys the birthday dinner surprise. Try to assure him that I would never go Harry/Mika on him; that's Katie's department, really! See, we have the same characters in our stories, but they're two different universes. Draco/Mika's always #1!!! Besides, the twins wouldn't exist without that ship, right? ;) ;)