By: Gemin16
A/N: LOL, so I guessed ya'll know who the mysterious blue eye kid is by now eh. Well it wasn't like I made it that much of a mystery ^_^;. Fluff in this chapter but for those of you, who are slightly disappointed by the amount, please don't kill me. (*Authoress quickly looks for the number for that really cute bodyguard she spotted the other day*)
Special thanks too all who reviewed
Ferggirl99: Hehe, I'm glad u think so. I find it a little difficult to make him a hero yet keep him in character. Writing this chapter
was kinda difficult.
gilli: Hehe try not to kill me, I put as much fluff as I could fit into this chapter. I admit that blue eyes are pretty but I'm more of a
dark rich color.
CurlsofGold: Not much of a cliffie but hey come on, how many blue eyed beauties are out there.
Pansy Potter: Awww come on, I wou.dn't mind five bucks. I spent over $140 on anime this past Saturday and now I'm broke.
But get this it's a once in a lifetime chance. Make in ten bucks and I'll tell ya a little secret that everyone's been dying
to know. Oh and you have to get that Shakira CD. I highly recommend it.
Jessica B: I apologize for the misconception but yes, in this fic Hermione is from London and well I can't help that I type the
way I speak.
Adnap Nottap: I was wondering where you've been and yes, Gemey was being a meanie by leaving it at that but as a true
author, I love to create suspense within my reviewers. Hehe, don't worry your romance is coming up soon.
And I'm glad you love Kitrina, she's one of my favorite Original Characters that I've ever gave birth to.
Tigerz_Angel, Rebecca Anne, and Xodox: Thank you, I really appreciate the comments.
Chapter Nine: Prophesies
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Hermione was shocked.
And embarrassed.
And ready to float away on heaven's wings, happier than an angel.
Of course if the feelings that she felt weren't soaring through her head she would have seen the exact same look on Ron's face.
"Attention everyone!"
Hermione and Ron snapped out of their thoughts and turned to the stage where the gypsy who sang spoke out to all the dancers. "Now here are the rules for all those that participated in the Dance of Eyes. Rule number one, you and your partner will stay together through out the whole festival. If you are to go with another partner, than a horrible curse will befall upon you. This is the one and only rule so may you follow it and may your celebrating be merry." She smiled and raised her wand and arms in the air. All the other gypsies behind her did the same.
"NOW LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!"
Hermione watched in awe as the sky lit up with hundreds of paper confetti, streamers and ribbons. Pixies flew across the sky creating blue streaks and owls flew around also dropping flowers all over the crowds. Everyone was cheering at the wonderful events unfolding right before their eyes.
Hermione had never seen anything like this before in her life.
A stray flower had dropped right before Ron and he looked at it. Hermione was to busy watching everything unfold to notice.
"Psst. Give her the flower!"
It took all of Ron's strength not to jump in shock. He turned and looked on his shoulder and saw a micro Kitrina sitting there.
"What the hell are you doing there?!" He whispered angrily.
"Making sure you don't screw up!" Kitrina said. "Pick up the damn flower and give it to her!"
"Okay, okay," Ron mumbled as he picked it up. It was a simple flower, a carnation of a simple blue color. It matches her robe, he thought to himself.
"Hey, Mione?" He said, turning a slight pinkish color.
Hermione snapped out of her amazed state. "Hmm? Yes, Ron."
"Here, for you." He handed it to her slowly. Hermione took it and held it in her hands and smiled back at him.
"Thank you."
Kitrina sighed happily from Ron's shoulder. Oh yes, this was going to be one fun festival, she thought dreamily to herself.
***
Hermione sighed as she lay down in her bed. The first official day of the Yule Festival was beyond her wildest dreams. She had fun and got to hang out with Kitrina and Ginny. Not only that.
Her partner was Ron.
"Are we thinking about a certain little red head, Missy?" A smiling Kitrina asked from the windowsill.
Hermione turned red. "Uhhh."
"Didn't your parents also ever tell you that lying is a bad thing?"
"Oh hush up."
Kitrina just giggled and stared out at the stars.
"You've been surprisingly quiet these past few hours," Hermione asked as she sat up in her bed. She used her wand to make the light on the candle brighter.
"Are you trying to say that I talk to much?!" Kitrina said. When Hermione shook her head the vixen sighed. "I was just thinking of the stars."
"What about them?" Hermione asked.
"Well when I was just a kid and master was teaching me scholastics, he used to tell me all sorts of funny tales and sayings. You know, just childish bedtime tales. I was just thinking about one." She looked back out, her eyes containing a hint of forbidden sadness. "It makes me think of all the things he taught me too."
Hermione looked down onto her bed. She knew how much Kitrina missed Merlin, her master and mentor, because she too missed her family and schoolteachers back in London. She wondered what they were doing now? Were they worried about her? Did they know she was gone?
Kitrina sighed and looked at Hermione with a smile, the sadness gone. "Want to know something cool?"
"What?"
"They say that when two people are alone under the stars and they kiss just when a shooting star passes by that it's a sign that they belong together forever and that nothing can tear them apart."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You believe in that type of thing?"
"Of course I do. The festival is a truly magical event in more ways than one. I hope your going to try it-" she said with a wink.
Hermione turned bright red. "KITRINA!"
Kitrina jumped down from the windowsill and looked Hermione straight in the eye. "Admit it. YOU LIKE RON!"
Hermione adverted her eyes.
That was enough for the fox. Her extra set of ears appeared slowly as if creeping up into the scene. Yep, you like him."
"Honestly, Kitrina-"
Kitrina folded her arms across her chest. "Honest nothing. What good does it do to lie to your heart?"
Hermione sat quietly still, while Kitrina looked at her, fox ears listening. "I hit the button didn't I?"
She did just more than that, Hermione thought dryly "SoIkindoflikehimsowhat? Notthathelikesmebackoranything," she mumbled quickly.
Kitrina's highly sensitive fox ears caught every single word. Hermione, if you only knew, she thought wryly to herself. "Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone now BUT when you're ready to spill, I'll always have four ears that'll listen to you." She turned into her fox form and went to go sleep under Hermione's covers with Crookshanks.
Hermione lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes refused to stay closed. She looked out the window and saw a shooting star pass by.
The festival is truly a magical event.
Kitrina's words rang in her mind.
She's right, Hermione thought. I witnessed part of that magic today. She remembered the Dance of Eyes and the feeling she got when she met Ron's eyes at the end. The flower he gave her.
She smiled at her last thought as she fell asleep. She couldn't wait for morning to come.
***
The next morning, Hermione found herself and Kitrina preparing for the second day of the festival. Hermione dressed herself in a soft lavender robe while Kitrina was wearing a green one. Kitrina had put Hermione's hair half up and half down and had woven a ribbon into her hair.
"I'm such a genius," Kitrina said admiring her work.
"……."
"What?"
She can be such a megalomaniac sometimes, Hermione thought to herself. All of a sudden a knock was at her door.
"Coming.' She opened the door to find Ron standing there in some navy blue robes. He smiled. "I'm here to pick you up."
"You mean arrow boy can actually be polite and gentlemanly? That potion must have done something to him besides make him dance," Kitrina said walking towards the door.
Ron growled. "What would you know?"
Kitrina raised an eyebrow and smiled wickedly. "Oh believe me, I know plenty." With that she stared to laugh and walked down the halls, with Crookshanks behind her. She started laughing inwardly as she thought of the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.
"Where are you off too?" Ron called out after her.
"Off for tea and cookies and a quaint little walk in the park. See you two later."
"I swear she gets weirder and weirder by the day," Ron said to Hermione.
Hermione smiled. "She's just caught up in the moment."
Ron shook his head. "Shall we be off then?" He offered her his arm.
"Sure," she said taking it.
The festival was decorated with flowers flying among the wind and pixies flying everywhere. Hermione could have sworn that she saw Anim, the leader of the pixies fly by her, winking.
As her and Ron walked the crowds together, they saw many people also walking by in couples. They even saw Ron's twin older brothers, Fred and George, who were paired up with Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell and their friend Lee Jordan (who was with Alicia Spinnet).
Later on that afternoon, after eating a nice lunch with Ron's parents, he and Hermione walked along Main Street near Diagon Alley.
Ron smiled as he watched Hermione's face change with every new thing that she saw. "You sure seem to be enjoying yourself."
"Well of course I am," Hermione said. "It's really nice and it's only the second day of the festival. What else happens?"
Ron thought for a minute. "Well in the next three days various competitions will be held to determine awards for the Yule Ball on the sixth day. Quidditch, creature fighting, dueling, skills with ordinary weapons."
"Including archery?"
Ron nodded. "Yeah. Archery, sword fighting, pole arms, and all sorts of different skills are tested. Skills that are no longer needed except for in the Forbidden Forest."
Hermione's eyes opened. "No longer needed?"
Ron laughed. "I suppose McGonagall hasn't taught you that history lesson yet. I'm not sure of the details because we haven't fully covered it but over 400 years ago, there was a period where magic could not be used for long intervals of time. People had to rely on weapons to protect themselves."
"How come?"
Ron thought for a moment. "Well back then there was a bog filled with a strange mist. It was forbidden to ever enter the area surrounding the bog for fear of upsetting the balance that kept the magic canceling mist concealed within that area. A group of wizards and witches disobeyed and did something to the fog that set the mist free. It spread all over the land and ruined the lives of many wizarding families. Mystical and magical creatures were set free and without the protection of magic many humans and innocents were killed."
Hermione was shocked. A time without magic? In this world? She could only imagined what chaos ran across the land. They continued to walk, discussing various things. Of course the process of speaking stopped when Ron slowly and hesitantly took hold of her hand as they waked further into the depths of the festival.
Filled with tents, roaming owls, strange music and many demonstrations, the gypsy section of the Festival was by far one of the more popular aspects of the celebration. So many people were buying their mysterious charms and beautifully made robes with their designs all over them.
Hermione stopped to admire a woven blanket with a diagram of the stars all over it. It would be perfect for Kitrina, she thought to herself. "Wow, this is so beautiful. Don't you agree, Ron?"
Ron shrugged. Shopping and looking at things like this weren't really his thing but he didn't mind. It made her happy so he could live with it. He was looking forward to the Quidditch meeting later on that afternoon. He and Harry were going to meet before dinner so that they could arrive early.
"Uhh yeah. It's really nice."
Hermione looked up at him. "Do you want to do something else?"
Ron shook his head. "No that's okay. You wanted to come here so I'll stay."
Hermione smiled and examined the blanket. She couldn't believe how nice Ron was being. He practically did everything she wanted to do. She wondered if it was because she was his partner but deep inside her heart she hoped it was for other reasons.
She turned her attention back on the blanket. It was done so beautifully and they looked so lifelike shining against the onyx black cloth that made up the background. She could tell that no magic had been used in it at all but it still looked like a spell was used to make it so enchanting. The stars were in positions that shaped the constellations and in the top corner was a full moon.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
Hermione looked up to see a gypsy standing above her. Hermione's eyes opened wide. It was the same one who had sung the song for the Dance of Eyes.
"Yes it is," Hermione said quietly.
"My grandmother made it when she was about your age I would think. She was one of the bet weavers in our clan."
"Really, she must make wonderful pieces if they're as beautiful as this."
The gypsy smiled and kneeled across from Hermione. "My name is Linali, what is yours?"
"Hermione."
"Ron," Ron responded when Linali looked at him.
"Well since you're both here and standing in front of my booth. How would the two of you like a crystal ball reading and give you a taste of pure Divination."
Hermione looked at Ron who shrugged. "I would like to."
The booth was filled with all sorts of mysterious looking candles giving the room a mysterious image to it. In the middle sat a small table covered in a silk cloth with long tassels reaching the bottom. In the middle sat a pale orb that reminded Hermione of the moon with the way it glowed lightly.
Linali led Hermione to the middle of the room and sat opposite of her at the small table. Placing her hands over the delicate crystal ball and said a small chant over it making it light up brighter. Linali sat still as she stared deep into the ball. Hermione noted that she seemed to be in a trance of some sort.
"You used to be lonely and trusted those only in books but now you are filled with new emotions unusual for you." Hermione turned a pale pinkish color. "I see in your past connections with the mist that is still in around with you today."
Hermione thought for a second. The mist?
"Happiness is present as so is sorrow. I see that you are on a quest- it will end before the season changes but the journey will not."
"The journey?"
"Your journey. It's far from over; once you find yourself at an end. It will carry on to another beginning. Just like a storybook."
Hermione's eyes widened. Just like a storybook?!
Linali's eyes snapped out of their trance. She smiled. "Well, do you believe me?"Hermione sat still and quiet. Linali had hit the mark about her being lonely and secluded but it was her future that puzzled her. It would end like a storybook? But stories end in all sorts of endings and even different beginnings. Hermione knew that first hand. The shocking part was that everything she was experiencing was so real and she was so happy, that she had completely forgotten that she was in a book. It was only a book and she was most likely dreaming.
When Linali led her out of the booth, Ron immediately noticed that Hermione was upset about something as so did Linali. She had explained to Hermione that the power of foreseeing sometimes enabled the seer to remember what they said. She apologized over and over again.
Hermione smiled softly. "It wasn't your fault. You were only doing what the art of Divination taught to you to do. Don't worry it was nothing horrible in a sense, it just made me realize something important that's all."
Linali still felt bad. She picked up the star blanket and handed it to Hermione. "Here."
Hermione shook her head. "No, I couldn't take that. It belong-"
Linali pushed it towards her. "Baba would have wanted someone like you to have it. Having the natural eye I could see that there's something special about you. Hermione, you truly are a unique person."
Hermione stopped and looked at Linali, who looked at her with a gentle sincere face. She slowly took the blanket. "Thank you, Linali."
"Just be sure that you stop by if you ever want good luck, I'm also great with charms."
Hermione laughed. "I will."
As her and Ron walked down the street Hermione looked at the ground, a million thoughts running through her head.
"Are you okay, 'Mione?"
"I'll be fine, Ron."
Ron knew that she was lying.
***
"Where could he be?" Kitrina sighed sadly as she sat on a park bench with Crookshanks. They were both sharing a mint ice cream cone.
"Meow."
"What do you mean "Who am I looking for?" I told you already, I'm looking for the guy that I met about a week ago. Not event the most anti-social people would miss the Yule Festival."
"Meow."
Kitrina looked at him. "Well I don't know. I guess it's just because he seemed lonely that's all. It hurts me to see someone that sad." She let out a contented sigh. "Not only that but he has gorgeous eyes, hair-"
"Meow."
Kitrina gave him a sour look. "Well I am part human so of course I would act this crazy. It's all apart of being a female."
"Meow."
Kitrina licked her ice cream cone. "Well even if Hermione never reacts like I do I'm still sure that she admit that he's cute. I mean, what girl wouldn't fall for a Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"
Crookshanks rolled his eyes as he took a lick of the cone. Kitrina saw it and pushed the cone up his face covering him in green.
"I thought that you would understand. I mean you are-" Her eyes averted to the crowds walking by and her face lit up in a huge smile. "Come on Crooks, we have our target in sight." She bounded off with Crookshanks following her.
Kalvin walked along the crowds enjoying the scenery. The festival always gave him the chance to discover new techniques and find new clients for his business. He walked up to where his favorite reading spot was, knowing that they would have a book sale going on near there. He already had Lady off on the other side of town buying much-needed items for him.
He was about to proceed along with his business when he felt something run into him, knocking him forward.
"Ouch," Kalvin heard someone say. He turned around to see a teenage girl and a cat standing behind him. He raised an eyebrow as he heard her mumble something to the cat.
"You didn't have to trip me you know."
"Meow."
"Well I can't help it if your full name is too long. Crooks works fine for me."
Is she okay? Kalvin thought to himself. "Umm are you okay?"
The girl lifted her head up and smiled at him. Kalvin had to blink twice. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, definitely younger than him. She had long curly hair and tan skin but what shocked him the most was:
Her eyes.
They were exactly like the little vixen that he remembered.
"I'm sorry to have run into you like that," she said standing up and stepping on the cat's tail. She stuck out her hand. "My name is Kitrina. What's yours?"
Normally Kalvin would have ignored something like this but something about her just made him look down at her and not walk away. "Kalvin," he said.
Kitrina was ready and willing to die happy. Okay so this isn't exactly how I planned we first meet but hey, it worked, she thought to herself happily. Now to proceed to step two.
"Um, so Kalvin, where are you heading off to?"
"Nowhere," Kalvin said and continued walking. He figured it was just another teenager running off somewhere to giggle with her friends.
"Mind if I join you?" Kalvin looked down at her but Kitrina just smiled. He shrugged and continued.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," Kitrina mumbled to Crookshanks.
***
"Hey Ron, over here!" Harry called to his best friend as he and his partner, Lisa Turpin, a Ravenclaw, waited at the ice cream shop. They had had a fun day so far, playing all sorts of games and looking at displays and he had to admit she was slightly more enjoyable than his partner last year, Parvati Patil. Unlike Parvati, Lisa had a strong interest in Quidditch and her and Harry had carried on a very serious discussion on the subject as they ate lunch together. "I see you," Ron said as he and Hermione walked up to the two. "Ready for practice?""Yeah, we better get going before Wood rings our necks for being late." Harry paused and looked at Hermione. "How are you liking the festival?"
"I'm enjoying myself."
"That's good to hear. Well Ron and me better get going. You two don't mind spending a few hours together do you?"
"I don't mind," Lisa said.
"Neither do I. Try not to get yourselves killed, Ron."
She seems to be getting back to normal, Ron thought to himself. He wondered what had made Hermione upset. He hated seeing her like that. He smiled at her. "Well I'll see you at dinner. If you find the fox, tell her to join us. Bye."
Lisa looked confused. "Fox?" she asked Hermione.
Hermione smiled. Even though she had only met her yesterday, she already liked Lisa. She was nice, funny, and smart. Hermione also thought she was very pretty, with shoulder length dirty blond hair and bright hazel eyes. "Oh she's just a friend of ours. You'll meet her soon enough, I'm sure she's up to nothing now."
***
"How old are you?""Eighteen."
"Well since your out of school what do you do for a living?"
"Little things."
"Like?"
"……….."
"Where's your partner?"
"I don't have one."
Kitrina smiled. "Why not?"
Kalvin sighed inwardly. Why would this girl follow him? He wondered. She was starting to get annoying. "Cause I don't." He felt a relief of joy as he reached the book table and started rummaging among the numerous titles and choosing the ones he liked. She'll probably get bored and walk off, he thought to himself. She doesn't seem like the type to sit down and read.
Boy was he wrong.
"Oh my gosh they're still printing out this book!" Kalvin turned around to see Kitrina holding out a book with an old cover. It was titled The Great Wanderings. It was incredibly thick and contained at least one thousand pages. "This is one of my favorite books. Sir, sir, how much is this?"
Kalvin watched as she bought and paid for the book. She turned and looked at Kalvin. "Hey aren't you going to pay for the books you chose too?" Kalvin paid for his books and walked on with Kitrina following him, hugging her book closely. He looked at her and she noticed.
"Have you ever read it? I love it so much that I've read it about ten times."
Kalvin blinked in shock. Ten times? That book was a classic, over five hundred years old, and because of its length he could never find too many people to share the enjoyment with. He himself had read it at least twelve.
Kalvin nodded. "I have."
"Well then, now we have something much more interesting to talk about now, don't we?"
***
Ron watched Hermione as she ate dinner. Even though she sounded better, she still seemed disturbed. He listened as she laughed at something that Lisa had said. Ron frowned. It sounded false, he had heard Hermione laugh before and it sounded much better than that one. Not only that but her eyes seemed sad too.
He thought for a moment as he took a sip of soup. There had to be something that he could do to cheer her up. But what?
Well the archery contest is in three days, he thought to himself. Then he smiled.
I know!