AN: All right, this chapter is short. Sorry, but for anyone who likes Lola Palm, this scene revolves around Ginny, Relena and Lola.
"Ouch!" Lola Palm rubbed her head. Those bludgers were really hard.
"Lola, we've got class in ten minutes," Ginny said warily. Once Lola started messing around with a set of bludgers there was no telling where the afternoon would go. Lola looked at the other girl sitting on the bleachers.
"Yeah, I know. Sure was great of Potter to ask Professor Darkhunter if you could sit in wasn't it?" she said with a wink. She then turned to throw another bludger in the air and hit it with a double-handed swing.
"What you did was mean," Ginny scowled.
"Oh, come on, Red. I thought it was great. The way he got all nervous when he first came over. I thought he had bad news. Then when he told you, but ended up fudging all the names," Lola was pretty close to laughing now, "But the best part was when you thanked him. He turned bright red. Redder than that Weasley hair of yours." Lola was now struggling with a fit of giggles.
"Ha ha, very funny," Ginny remarked sarcastically. "Hey, have you gotten any letters from George lately?"
"Yeah, he's in Paris." There was a hit of malice in Lola's voice that made Ginny feel a little nervous. "If even one of those French tarts lays a finger on him. Whack! I'll hit them with this bludger," she declared throw the bludger she was holding into the air. When she hit it Ginny thought for sure that it had made the same whack sound that Lola had produced earlier.
"Good show, Palm!" called out an older female voice. Ginny looked up from her perch on the bleachers to see Professor Darkhunter walk over to them. "Try tilting your bat just a little more. You'll get better distance that way," the professor said smiling. She sat down next to Ginny who had been unconsciously doodling in a notebook. Usually, Ginny didn't mind people looking at her drawings, but since these were little hearts with the name of one particular Gryffindor boy in them, and because her newfound knowledge of the professor's real last name made her nervous, she snapped the book shut.
"Good morning, Ginny," Relena said pleasantly, "Are you well?"
"Um…y… yes very." Relena smiled again.
"You know you two remind me of myself when I was your age," Relena commented looking thoughtful.
"I'm two years older than her," Lola replied. She wasn't a tall girl. She was average, but not tall, and compare to Professor Darkhunter one could almost call her short. Ginny on the other hand was already an inch above the other girl's head and still growing.
"I know that. It's just that I was kind of a mix of the two of you when I was younger. I was athletic and adventurous, like you, Lola, but my personality was much more quiet and reserved, most of the time. I guess I was a lot like Ginny in that respect. So, when I got a note form Madam Pirnce this morning asking me to please use more care with where I put my old class year book when I reshelf it, my mind automatically began to wonder who would be interested in that old thing and why. I started thinking about which students I had and who would be most likely to do such a thing." Ginny saw Lola freeze momentarily.
"My first thought was of you Miss. Palm because you remind me of myself, and I must say I would have done the same thing if I was in your situation," Lola let a breath she had been holding go, "but I was not. At first I thought that Lola was alone in the crime, but then young Harry asked if his friend Ginny Weasley could attend my lecture with the Gryffindor seventh years, well then I understood what was going on. So, what exactly were you looking for in that old year book?" Relena looked a Ginny, who blushed and looked at Lola. Lola had now mounted to bleachers and was climbing to the middle where Ginny and the Professor sat.
"I was looking for my hero," Lola said triumphantly and placed her hands on her hips. Ginny looked at Professor Darkhunter who looked a bit puzzled.
"Your hero? That's all?"
"Yes," Lola replied.
"This hero would be?"
"You, Professor Potter, you are my hero," Lola said looking quite proud. Ginny had to marvel at the other girl's courage or was that stupidity.
"And why is Relena Potter your hero? She did nothing to deserve it," Professor Darkhunter asked looking as if she had just been forced from a very safe place.
"But you did, Professor!" Ginny cried. She could no longer stand to sit as the older woman fell into a scared kind of depression.
"What did I do?" she asked bitterly, "I abandoned my nephew. I could not stop his parents from being murdered. I couldn't even manage to protect him from Sirius Black, Professor Snape had to do that." Relena was almost on the verge of tears. All of her dignity and grace had disappeared as she sat between the two girls who reminded her so much of herself; Ginny with her crush on an older brother's friend and her usually composed, quite mannerisms, and Lola with her mischievous mind and love of Quidditch.
"Professor," Lola said laying a hand on the older woman's shoulder, "I am sorry. It's just that I already knew about Relena Potter. You were the first woman beater at Hogwarts and there have only been four others including myself since then. You led the way for me, and when I first saw you at the Halloween dance I knew it was you, but I had to be sure." Relena looked up from her tears.
"Oh, you two should not idolize me. I shouldn't be anyone's hero."
"Well, it's to late for that now," Ginny said with a nod. Relena looked at her as if that was all that Ginny needed to say to her.
"All right, I admit that I am Relena Potter, Harry's aunt."
"I knew it!" Lola declared with a small jump.
"Yes, but you can't tell him anything," Relena said looking between the two girls.
"You mean he doesn't know?" Ginny asked wide-eyed.
"No, but he will soon. I promise."
"We won't say anything to him," the girls said in unison causing all three to laugh.
"Well, here come your classmates. I have a lesson to teach. We can discuss this more later if you like, but it has to remain our little secret," The Professor said as other students began to gather on the edge of the field. Cho Chang looked at the three suspiciously. "I really don't like that girl," Relena commented.
"Nobody does," Lola commented, and Ginny nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, come on it's time to face the masses," Relena mumbled. "Good Morning class!"
Avalonians:
Singer: Yes, quidditch is awesome. Hmmm, did Remus bite Relena…. I wonder?
Sarah the Goblin Queen: ::Returns the bow:: Great literature, well if that's what you think! ::Grin::