CHAPTER NINE: Moonlit Broomstick Ride
Harry just finished his thrice-a-night Quidditch practice with the rest of the Gryffindor team when he ran in to Mystyk carrying a broomstick after her looking inconspicuous wearing a black hooded robe that covered her from head to toe, but oddly enough Harry knew it was Mystyk sneaking out of the castle. How did he know?
He read her mind, of course.
His ability to read Mystyk's mind--and hers only for some odd reason--is soon becoming like second nature to Harry that whenever he catches snippets of her runaway thoughts, he couldn't help himself from grinning. One time when he was about to fall asleep locked up in his shared dormitory room with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean he heard Mystyk thinking out loud. At first he thought he was just dreaming, but he focused his attention more closely and listened attentively to what she was thinking about and couldn't help himself from talking to her.
Needless to say he didn't get a good night's sleep that night. He spent hours chatting with Mystyk telepathically. He got to know her even more that evening. And since they rarely get together during the day (she still have to take classes in private with Professor Dumbledore) they update each other on her progress in each level of lesson she is taking.
Approaching Mystyk quietly, Harry made sure he didn't make not even a small squeak and addressed the scurrying Mystyk.
"Where are we off to, Ms. Rydel?"
Mystyk must've jumped a good two feet when she heard Harry's voice. She quickly spun around, clutching her broomstick behind her and the hood of her dark robe falling to reveal her shiny (as always) jet-black hair. She gave out a nervous chuckle and tried to thinking rapidly of excuses to give him, belatedly realizing that it would be a futile attempting considering Harry could read her mind.
"Come off it, Mystyk. You're sneaking out. I caught you. Now either you tell me why you're sneaking out with a broomstick in tow or I report you to Dumbledore." he threatened.
At the mention of the headmaster's name Mystyk's violet eyes widen.
"Please Harry, you're not really going to tell on me, are you?"
"I'll think about it."
"Harry!"
He grinned. "C'mon Mystyk, it's probably close to nine o'clock--what are you doing out of your dormitory? Shouldn't you be locked up in Slytherin House along with the others doing whatever it is you do at night?" he frowned.
"I should be. But when I gazed outside my bedroom window and saw the moon...it just beckons me to go outside tonight and fly on my broomstick!" she looked very animated as she explained herself to Harry. Her face lit-up like the full moon he saw outside during Quidditch practice, and Harry couldn't help his heart from skipping a beat as he looked at her pretty face.
"Ahh...or you just saw us practicing Quidditch out by the stadium and decided to try it out, hm?" Harry said teasingly.
Mystyk made a face at him and shook her head, chortling as she did so.
"Whatever, Mr. Potter. I wasn't paying attention to you practicing Quidditch--what is it anyway?--I was concentrating on the moon."
Harry grinned and with a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw the rest of his teammates disappearing up the stone stairway. He turned back to Mystyk, "Well if you're really antsy to have a broomstick ride, mind if I tag along?"
He surprised himself as well as Mystyk with his offer. He knew that his life is still in some sort of great peril, what with Voldermort and his cronies on the loose and are looking for him, but his instinct told him to stick with Mystyk and protect her as much as possible.
Protect her from what? He doesn't know yet, but somehow deep in the pit of his stomach some unknown force draws him to protect her as best as he could.
"But aren't you going to breaking some sort of Hogwarts rule if you sneak out with me, hm?" Mystyk couldn't help herself from teasing him.
"Nah. I've broken one too many rules since I started school here. What's one more, hm?" he replied haughtily.
"I guess it doesn't really matter much." she shrugged and turned her back to him, "C'mon, the moon awaits!" she added gleefully as she scurried out the Entrance Hall with Harry not far behind her.
Neither one spoke until they reached the lake. Both Harry and Mystyk were nearly out of breath, but excitement bubbled up from her throat as she gazed at the starlit night sky and the large moon beckoning her to soar up to the night sky and be one with the moon and stars.
"Ooh, this is exciting!" she giggled, whipping the hood of her robe off her head and tilting her head back, her eyes transfixed on the sky.
Harry was practically panting when he caught up with her, but Mystyk's enthusiasm was too contagious that he too felt giddy too.
"Is this the first time you're going to ride a broomstick?" he inquired, propping his Firebolt beside him and leaning against it.
"Awake, yeah." she nodded, not looking at Harry's direction.
Harry's face contorted into an unreadable expression.
"What do you mean?"
Mystyk tore her gaze from the night sky and smiled at her companion, "Since I was a child I've had this recurring dream of me flying under the full moon perched on a broomstick. I never thought that day will come when I can actually ride a broomstick!"
"Do you think you can manage on your own?"
"We'll see. I think Madam Hooch has taught me how to handle a broomstick during one of our private Flying lessons."
"Hmm...in that case I better stay down here and watch you first. See how well you can handle a broomstick."
"Oh come now, Harry. Please tell me you have some faith in me at least!" she looked crestfallen at Harry's obvious distrust of her ability to fly a broomstick.
"For safety." he winked at her.
Mystyk lifted an eyebrow but didn't bother to question him. Setting her broomstick down on the grassy ground, she put her hand out and with a stern "Up!" the broomstick flew up to hand.
"Impressive." Harry smiled appreciatively, "Now you have to climb on to your broomstick and hover a little."
"Oh shush-up, Professor Potter. I think I've dreamt one too many times of flying and listened to Madam Hooch's careful instruction so I'll be alright." she answered haughtily, climbing her broomstick and pushed off the ground.
Harry watched Mystyk fly up to the night sky. The full moon above was enough light to illuminate the petite raven-haired girl's figure zooming here and there above Harry. He remained watching her on the ground for at least a couple of minutes before deciding to join her in the air. He could hear her cackling and couldn't help himself from grinning from ear to ear.
"Having fun yet, Ms. Rydel?" Harry asked when he came level with her above the lake.
Mystyk glanced to her side, her smile reaching the stars above as she yelled over to her companion, "Never had this much fun since...oh, since my first camping trip!"
"That's good then." he nodded, "One more round around the castle then we have to go back. I believe we've been out here long enough." he added, looking nervously down at the castle. Some of the rooms were still aglow with lights while other rooms were clothed in dark. He only wished none of the teachers spotted the two of them having fun flying above the lake enjoying the stars and the full, beckoning moon.
"Oh, don't be too uptight, Harry Potter!" Mystyk scolded when she flew above him and turned herself upside-down on her broomstick.
"Mystyk!" Harry exclaimed in horror as he came nose-to-nose with an inverted Mystyk.
"Oh Harry, you're so uptight. You know, for a guy who plays a deadly sport such as Quidditch, you're a sissy when it comes to a girl showing off on her broomstick." she winked and rightened herself before moving to hover on her broomstick beside Harry.
"I thought you don't know what Quidditch is?" he frowned, remembering her asking him what it was when he first mentioned the game to her.
She gave him a sheepish smile, "So I said a little white lie. Am I going to be punished now?" she batted her eyes like an innocent six-year-old.
"Oh you bet you are." Harry replied menacingly.
Mystyk let out a gleeful shriek and sped up on her broomstick with Harry not far behind her. They raced back and forth across the inky black sky filled with stars and the large full moon, with Harry gaining fast behind Mystyk. Her delighted shrieks filled the quiet night sky. She zoomed back and forth, bobbed up and down, swung left and right to avoid Harry's determined speed. He nearly grabbed her fluttering robe once, but she was quick enough to duck out of reach.
They continued their game of cat and mouse, unbeknownst to them that they were being watched by three pairs of eyes from one of the dark rooms of the castle.
"Look at them, Albus. They sure do get along quite well, don't they?" Professor McGonagall commented as she fixed her eyes on the two students zooming back and forth on the night sky.
"Yes, they do." Professor Dumbledore sighed, his eyes darting back and forth from Harry to Mystyk. "Alas but their destinies are clouded with dark forces working to ruin them both." he added almost mournfully.
"Yeah. A complete waste of friendship if you ask me." muttered Professor Snape who stood on Professor Dumbledore's other side.
"But we can prevent that friendship from going to waste." Professor McGonagall said hopefully, turning to look at the school headmaster, "Can't we, Albus?"
"It's going to be a tricky feat, Minerva. After all it's in both their destinies to become enemies one way or they other."
"But look at them now," she pointed a hand at the direction of the two fifteen-year-old students racing across the sky before them, "they look so comfortable in each other's company. We did our best to keep them apart from one another, but they still found ways to get together and become good friends."
"Give them time, Professor, give them time and you'll see. They won't be chummy with one another soon enough." hissed Professor Snape, turning his back to the window and stalking into the middle of the dark room.
"Oh Severus have a heart." Professor Dumbledore said over her shoulder at his Potions teacher, "You might be surprised at what might happen next."
Professor Snape quickly turn and faced the headmaster, "Surely after what happened on Halloween--"
Professor McGonagall cut him off, "The ghosts were the once who brought menace to those two. In case you have forgotten, both Ms. Rydel and Mr. Potter were injured when the ghost suddenly went haywire."
Professor Snape was rendered speechless. That was true of course, he couldn't deny that odd twist of fate that occurred during Halloween.
"But their destinies were already plotted, Minerva. She is who she is--there's nothing we can do to change that." he left the room them after those parting words, leaving a disturbed Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"He's right, of course." Professor Dumbledore agreed after Professor Snape left. "There is a chance that she will turn against him when they both least expected it."
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath and gazed out the window once again, watching the giggly teenagers chase each other on their broomsticks.
"They look so perfect for each other."
"That's how Voldemort wanted it." Professor Dumbledore mentioned the Dark Lord's name without flinching, but Professor McGonagall did. A slight shiver passed down her spine as well as she continued to watch Harry and Mystyk enjoy their moonlit broomstick ride.
~*~
Harry and Mystyk snuck quietly back into the castle after their hour and a half broomstick ride, each were out of breath and their faces a blotchy red color due to the cold wind that whipped their faces as they raced across the night sky trying to out-fly one another.
At the first landing leading to their houses secret passages Harry and Mystyk bid each other goodnight.
"Thanks for riding with me tonight, Harry. I really enjoyed it." Mystyk said in a low voice.
"No problem. You're a good flyer, Mystyk. A born natural." Harry smiled.
"Your broomstick is way too fast for me. You almost caught me thrice!"
"But you're good a ducking away."
Mystyk smiled at him. Harry smiled back. They stood at the bottom of the first landing staring at each other, holding their broomsticks and neither moved.
Hidden in the shadows three pairs of eyes were watching the couple stare at each other. Hermione kept on squeezing Ron's arm as she contain herself from giggling out loud. Draco couldn't stop glaring at Harry for being the receiver of Mystyk's smile. As the trio watched, Harry and Mystyk started to close the distance between them slowly until they were just an inch away from each other.
"Oh they're going to kiss! They're going to kiss!" Hermione chanted under her breath as she tugged on Ron's arm.
"Ouch! Hermione, do you mind?" Ron hissed, trying to retrieve his arm back from Hermione's death grip.
"Oh, I'm sorry." she apologized and quickly let go of her other best friend's arm.
"Thank you."
Draco, meanwhile, couldn't stop himself from clenching and unclenching his fist. Don't kiss her, Potter. Don't even think of kissing her!
But neither Mystyk nor Harry were listening to Draco's train of thought. On their own accord both their heads tilted to the side and their lips slowly inched their way towards each other's.
Fireworks lit up the dark stairway (as far as Harry and Mystyk were concerned anyway) as soon as their lips touched. It was their first kiss. And it was perfect. It took them a while from pulling away from each other, but once they did their eyes were misty.
Harry couldn't think of what to say. He was too shocked about what just happened to think coherently right at that very moment.
Mystyk meanwhile seemed to have gathered her wits. Squaring her shoulder she took a deep breath and met Harry's eyes, "I definitely enjoyed tonight, Harry. Thanks...for everything." and then she turned to head back to where the Slytherin House dormitory is located.
"Yeah. Me too." Harry said under his breath, his green eyes fixed on Mystyk's departing back.
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~*~ okay, i hope you all liked this chappie...a bit longer than my previews ones, but i just want to show the attraction building up between Harry & Mystyk--and also to reveal more of what's in store for Harry & Mystyk's doomed relationship...or is it indeed doomed? please R&R!!! thanks. ~*~