Paint the Sky with Stars
--by Egon Starcollector
Disclaimer: No, actually, I *don't* own HP, but thanks awfully for asking. :) And the idea of fairy roses belongs to my friend Wendy.
Friday morning, Andromeda landed next to Stacy's oatmeal with a soft "flop." Stacy took off the letter, nuzzled her pet, and gave her a treat. Well, well...another note in that sparkly blue ink.
Dearest Stacy,
If you want to know who I am, meet me by the lake at seven tonight. Always yours,
Your Secret Admirer
"Well, he's getting brave," she said to Hermione.
"Hm?" Stacy showed her the note. "It's about time!"
"That's what I thought!"
Too soon, the day hurried on to her free period--the one she had to waste tutoring Draco Malfoy. She headed up to the library, silently praying for strength not to strangle the spoiled, obnoxious....
He was, to her surprise, waiting for her. "Draco Malfoy?"
"Miss McIvers," he said frigidly.
"Now...where did you want to begin?" Wordlessly, he pushed a parchment towards her. It was the one they'd just finished about World War II--and it was covered in so much red ink that it looked like a graphic rendering of a battlefield.
"Dimity says I have one chance to make it up."
"All right...well, I guess we'll start from the beginning. Now, the main issues in the Second World War were economics and racism--mostly Anti- Semitism."
"Anti-whatism?"
Stacy looked at him rather blankly. This might be harder than she thought. "Anti-Semitism. Prejudice against Jewish people. You see, Jewish people are a popular target of hate groups. As a result...."
"Hold on. You're telling me that they're hated for their religion?"
"Yes."
"That's absurd!"
Stacy was shocked, to say the least. A Malfoy saying bigotry was absurd? But, she didn't dare show it. "I know it is. Some Muggles, though, will hate people for anything: their religion, their skin color, their sexual preference...."
"Mostly for things they can't help, is what you're saying."
"Well...yes."
He looked surprisingly pensive. "So...how is it that this is a factor in this war?"
"Well...Germany at this time was led by a Muggle named Adolf Hitler...."
Stacy fairly staggered to supper. She was amazed by Malfoy's complete ignorance of Muggle ways. He'd asked so many questions it made her head spin! Professor Dimity would never have allowed that...then again, maybe that was part of the problem.
They had shepherd's pie and carrots for supper, with a strawberry trifle for dessert. Stacy was deep in thought, mulling over Malfoy's behavior. He'd seemed shocked--even horrified--to learn about how prejudiced Muggles could be against each other. He'd said he "always thought Muggles stuck together." It all sounded strange coming from the son of a man rumored to serve the Dark Lord.
In fact...if Stacy hadn't known better...she'd almost thought she saw tears in Malfoy's eyes at one point...nah....
"So, are you going to meet your admirer tonight?" Parvati Patil asked, startling her slightly.
"I think so--just to see if he chickens out. He'll probably be too afraid to show up," she said, forcing a smirk. Actually, that was what she was most afraid of.
"What if he doesn't?" Lavender wanted to know.
"I'll enjoy the fresh air," Stacy answered, trying to sound glib.
At five minutes to seven, Stacy sat down on the bank of the lake. She looked around. Nothing. No one. Hm. Okay.
No sign of anyone at seven...or five after seven. Not a good sign. *I knew he'd chicken out.*
At eight minutes after, she heard someone behind her. She turned around. Justin.
"Lovely night, isn't it?"
"Yeah...."
"What brings you out here?"
"I was waiting for someone...but I don't think he's going to show up."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Well...I told you about those notes I've been getting. This morning, I got a note saying to meet him here at seven if I wanted to know who he was. But...I don't think he's going to come."
"Actually...." Justin said softly, "He did." He dropped a small box into her lap. She opened it to find chocolates shaped like moons and stars.
"Wh-what?" Something soft brushed her cheek, and she looked up to see him holding a rose in a pale purply-blue.
"Sorry I'm late. Ernie cornered me about something."
"Justin...you...?"
"Guilty." He blushed and smiled softly. He sat down next to her. He held up the rose between their faces. "But your favorite color's red, isn't it?"
"Why yes...."
He blew very gently on the rose, his peppermint breath brushing her lips softly. To her surprise, the rose suddenly turned a rich shade of red. "It's a fairy rose. The wind makes it change color--and if you put it in sweet water, a fairy will be born."
"Ohhhh...." She watched as he gently ran his fine fingers along the stem. "No thorns."
"No. I made sure of that. You see...to the Victorians, a red rose without thorns meant love at first sight." He reached up and smoothed her brown curls gently back from her face. Ever so carefully, he tucked the stem of the rose behind her ear...then gently smoothed her curls down over it, moving his fingers down to caress her jaw tenderly. "Stacy...there's a dance coming up. I wondered if you'd like to go with me?"
If there was one thing Stacy McIvers was NOT, it was stupid. "S- sure!"
And when Justin leaned over and bestowed one of his supernova kisses on her lips, she knew that for once in her life she'd said the right thing.
Disclaimer: No, actually, I *don't* own HP, but thanks awfully for asking. :) And the idea of fairy roses belongs to my friend Wendy.
Friday morning, Andromeda landed next to Stacy's oatmeal with a soft "flop." Stacy took off the letter, nuzzled her pet, and gave her a treat. Well, well...another note in that sparkly blue ink.
Dearest Stacy,
If you want to know who I am, meet me by the lake at seven tonight. Always yours,
Your Secret Admirer
"Well, he's getting brave," she said to Hermione.
"Hm?" Stacy showed her the note. "It's about time!"
"That's what I thought!"
Too soon, the day hurried on to her free period--the one she had to waste tutoring Draco Malfoy. She headed up to the library, silently praying for strength not to strangle the spoiled, obnoxious....
He was, to her surprise, waiting for her. "Draco Malfoy?"
"Miss McIvers," he said frigidly.
"Now...where did you want to begin?" Wordlessly, he pushed a parchment towards her. It was the one they'd just finished about World War II--and it was covered in so much red ink that it looked like a graphic rendering of a battlefield.
"Dimity says I have one chance to make it up."
"All right...well, I guess we'll start from the beginning. Now, the main issues in the Second World War were economics and racism--mostly Anti- Semitism."
"Anti-whatism?"
Stacy looked at him rather blankly. This might be harder than she thought. "Anti-Semitism. Prejudice against Jewish people. You see, Jewish people are a popular target of hate groups. As a result...."
"Hold on. You're telling me that they're hated for their religion?"
"Yes."
"That's absurd!"
Stacy was shocked, to say the least. A Malfoy saying bigotry was absurd? But, she didn't dare show it. "I know it is. Some Muggles, though, will hate people for anything: their religion, their skin color, their sexual preference...."
"Mostly for things they can't help, is what you're saying."
"Well...yes."
He looked surprisingly pensive. "So...how is it that this is a factor in this war?"
"Well...Germany at this time was led by a Muggle named Adolf Hitler...."
Stacy fairly staggered to supper. She was amazed by Malfoy's complete ignorance of Muggle ways. He'd asked so many questions it made her head spin! Professor Dimity would never have allowed that...then again, maybe that was part of the problem.
They had shepherd's pie and carrots for supper, with a strawberry trifle for dessert. Stacy was deep in thought, mulling over Malfoy's behavior. He'd seemed shocked--even horrified--to learn about how prejudiced Muggles could be against each other. He'd said he "always thought Muggles stuck together." It all sounded strange coming from the son of a man rumored to serve the Dark Lord.
In fact...if Stacy hadn't known better...she'd almost thought she saw tears in Malfoy's eyes at one point...nah....
"So, are you going to meet your admirer tonight?" Parvati Patil asked, startling her slightly.
"I think so--just to see if he chickens out. He'll probably be too afraid to show up," she said, forcing a smirk. Actually, that was what she was most afraid of.
"What if he doesn't?" Lavender wanted to know.
"I'll enjoy the fresh air," Stacy answered, trying to sound glib.
At five minutes to seven, Stacy sat down on the bank of the lake. She looked around. Nothing. No one. Hm. Okay.
No sign of anyone at seven...or five after seven. Not a good sign. *I knew he'd chicken out.*
At eight minutes after, she heard someone behind her. She turned around. Justin.
"Lovely night, isn't it?"
"Yeah...."
"What brings you out here?"
"I was waiting for someone...but I don't think he's going to show up."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Well...I told you about those notes I've been getting. This morning, I got a note saying to meet him here at seven if I wanted to know who he was. But...I don't think he's going to come."
"Actually...." Justin said softly, "He did." He dropped a small box into her lap. She opened it to find chocolates shaped like moons and stars.
"Wh-what?" Something soft brushed her cheek, and she looked up to see him holding a rose in a pale purply-blue.
"Sorry I'm late. Ernie cornered me about something."
"Justin...you...?"
"Guilty." He blushed and smiled softly. He sat down next to her. He held up the rose between their faces. "But your favorite color's red, isn't it?"
"Why yes...."
He blew very gently on the rose, his peppermint breath brushing her lips softly. To her surprise, the rose suddenly turned a rich shade of red. "It's a fairy rose. The wind makes it change color--and if you put it in sweet water, a fairy will be born."
"Ohhhh...." She watched as he gently ran his fine fingers along the stem. "No thorns."
"No. I made sure of that. You see...to the Victorians, a red rose without thorns meant love at first sight." He reached up and smoothed her brown curls gently back from her face. Ever so carefully, he tucked the stem of the rose behind her ear...then gently smoothed her curls down over it, moving his fingers down to caress her jaw tenderly. "Stacy...there's a dance coming up. I wondered if you'd like to go with me?"
If there was one thing Stacy McIvers was NOT, it was stupid. "S- sure!"
And when Justin leaned over and bestowed one of his supernova kisses on her lips, she knew that for once in her life she'd said the right thing.