Thanks everyone for reviewing!! Jereni, I think I sort of understood your
review...hehhe.......Quicksilver Fallen, I know that the pranks are getting
a little tiring, that's why I said in the last chapter that Cassie would
restrain from her tricks.....
AN: Sorry that this chapter is coming sooo late! I had finals the past week, plus a major case of writer's block as well.....And I also apologize for having the Christmas Pageant soo late as well....I had it all planned out so that I could post it on Christmas, but school interfered.....oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway!
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter isn't mine......yet.......*cackles evilly*
************************************************************************
Chapter 11
The next couple of months were hectic, to say the least. Harry now had to go to Quidditch practice, show up for rehearsal for the Christmas Pageant, and tolerate Hermione nagging him to study for the OWLs ("They're in nearly 6 months! You simply must start getting ready!"). Harry was too tired to worry about a potential stalker. Besides, it seemed that whoever the person was had at least stopped for the festive Christmas season.
And Cassie was actually helping. True to her word, she did stop pulling pranks. But, something was different about her. Harry kept staring in bewilderment as she actually paid attention in class. No longer did she run around, laying destruction in her path.
She seemed to keep to her books lately as well. Harry noticed her carrying funny books everywhere. To one Quidditch game, she brought some novel about a princess. To another, she brought a scientific textbook about gemstones. Cassie never read her usual Japanese comics anymore. Harry guessed that she had switched into serious school girl mode. He was only grateful that her turning into a bookworm meant she couldn't interfere with their first couple of victories (Ginny was proving to be one of the most excellent Keepers in the history of Gryffindor House).
But something else was different about that girl. The Boy Who Lived sensed something as wrong with her. The way she carried herself, her sudden quietness, the way she would avoid the glance of anyone around her. Something was definitely up.
He tried to ignore it during the first practice for the Pageant, the first Saturday in November.
"Okay, people!" Hermione yelled through her Muggle megaphone. "Time to choose parts for the Pageant! Let's see..." She nodded to a group of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years from all the Houses. "We've already got our shepherds, farm animals, and three wise men....."
Cho stood in a corner surrounded by a load of admiring volunteers from the upper classes of the 5th, 6th and 7th years. The pretty girl nodded to Hermione. The prefect continued, "And we've got the chorus all set....." Hermione scratched her chin.
"Ah, yes.....now we need the main roles. Who's left?" Cassie threw down her book and acted like her normal self, hopping from foot to foot and waving her arm wildly in the air. Harry watched from the newly installed curtains, glad that she was back to normal, for now.
Ginny poked Hermione in the back. Whispering, she said, "Well, there's me, you, Ron, Cassie, and Mr. Loner over there...." The little red head was motioning towards the corner of the Great Hall, where they were practicing. There, Draco rested casually against the wall, his new found stalker bustling about, chattering rapidly in Spanish. Hermione nodded again.
Then, the 5th year Gryffindor gave a whistle. Ron, who was hanging out with Harry by the curtains, jogged over. "What's the matter?"
"Turn around and bend over," Hermione said.
"Gee, dirty mouth Mione," Ron replied with a smirk.
"That is certainly not what I meant!" she quipped, growing red. "All the tables were put away for the practice, so I have nothing to write on! So, I need to use your back as a hard surface." She frowned and squinted her eyes dangerously as Ron obeyed. Hermione whipped out her parchment and quill, and began scratching away on the paper.
"D' ya have to write so hard?" Ron complained. "I can feel it through my robes!"
"Well, that's what you get!" And she pressed into the parchement harder, causing Ron to wince a little bit. "Done!" she announced a few minutes later.
Everyone waited in anticipation as she read out the leading roles that no one wanted to take. "Ginny, you'll be Mary." Ginny smiled broadly. "Draco, you're Joseph." Immediately, the smile on Ginny's face melted.
"Why can't I be a stupid shepherd or something?" he complained.
"Well, duh. Those roles are already filled," Hermione said, waving away the actors. "Besides, you have no lines anyway. All you have to do is sit next to the manger and look holy."
"Fat chance that'll be," Ron remarked. "I mean, Malfoy, a holy person...." Draco raised a fist at the same time Ron got ready to defend himself.
"Stop it, boys, or I'm placing binding spells on the both of you!"
"Granger, you're really gonna pay someday for this," Draco said sullenly, lowering his fist.
"Okay then, Cassie?" Cassie, who had gone back to reading a book about fairies, snapped her head up.
"Yeah?" she said with a small grin.
"You're the angel."
"But, I want to be an angel!" a couple of young girls yelled from the group of animals.
"Fine," Hermione said, rubbing her head exasperatedly. "Any girl from the shepherds and animals can be an angel......
"Why can't a boy be an angel? It's discrimination!" whined one of the three wise men.
"Because, all the boys have to be either shepherds or wise men. Case closed."
Some people groaned as the excited, new angels ran up to Hermione to ask what they should do. "Stand there and look pretty. That's it. But since Cassie is the Head Angel...." Cassie smiled just as broadly as Ginny had done when she had found out she was Mary. "Cassie will have a few lines at the end of the play."
Draco fumed. "But why does she get lies, but I don't? She's just a stinkin' angel!"
Hermione's head was really beginning to ache. "Because her lines will close the play....end it on a nice note."
"I've got a great idea, Miss Director!" Cho yelled from her corner.
Hermione sighed. "Yes, Music Director...."
"Instead of a few lines, Cassie should just sing "Silent Night" as a solo...." Cassie looked at Cho, who was grinning mischievously, to Hermione, and began to shake her head vigorously. Harry looked on, and recognized that conniving look on Cho as belonging to Cassie once.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Can you really do that Cassie? It would be a fabulous ending to our play!" Cassie was still shaking her head, her eyes as wide and round as huge, purple plates.
Cho narrowed her own beautiful eyes. "Oh yes she can.....I've heard her in all the karaoke bars we've been to back home. She's the best singer I know." Cassie started waving her hands, mouthing the words, 'No, she's lying!'
Hermione ignored, and clapped her hands, saying, "Well, it's all settled then. We have a Mary, Joseph, and an angel that will close out the play with a stupendous song." Someone tugged on her sleeve again.
"What about us, Mione?" Ron said, a confused look on his face.
"Oh, don't worry, Ron. We'll just be the narrators."
Ron got a worried look on his face. "Do we have to memorize stuff?"
Hermione sighed again. "No, we just read off the script. You alright with that?" Ron grinned and gave his okay.
Cassie had become subdued again, from Harry's point of view. She sat by herself in the middle of the floor, staring off into space, with a glum look on her face. What is wrong with her?, he thought to himself as he looked on in curiosity. But somehow, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was just so pretty when she was calm and sad. Like a picture of a model, deep in her own thoughts.....
"Harry?" Hermione said, startling him from his reverie.
"Oh, sorry, Mione..." she said, rubbing his eyes a little bit.
"Oh, don't worry about it," she said, looking extremely sly at the moment. Teehee, Hermione was thinking to herself. I think he has a crush...... "Oh, I was just here to tell you that you're in charge of keeping Cassie in the air."
"What?!" he said. "With a spell or something? Isn't that dangerous?!"
"Hehe, I'm afraid we have to resort to a rope. That levitating charm won't be able to keep her floating, no matter how light she is. 'Wingardium leviousa' is just for small objects anyway."
"Oh, I see....."
"During the play, she will sit in the rafters up there...." Hermione pointed upwards at the beams that seemed to float under the clear blue sky. "When I signal to you and her, she will push herself off, and you must support her, so that she doesn't go 'splat' on the ground..."
"Won't the audience see the rope?"
"It will be charmed so that it is transparent, okay?"
Harry nodded, running his fingers through his messy black hair. "And what about the audience? Who exactly is going to see this?" Hermione smiled. "We've invited parents, past alumnae, retired teachers......"
"Ah, a play to impress potential benefactors I see...."
"Yup." Hermione winked and skipped off to the middle of the room. Everyone was already chatting, and Draco was trying to keep his Spanish princess off him. She took out her megaphone again. "Next practice is in a week!" she announced.
The whole cast cheered and rushed out. Hermione, Ron, and Harry brought up the rear of the crowd pushing their way through the doors of the Great Hall. Someone pulled on Harry's shoulder right before they were out.
"We'll coordinate the lights and curtains and all the rest next time, kay Harry?" Cho said cheerily. She gave him a wink and continued out with the others.
"Harry's got a girlfriend!" Ron chanted, before Hermione slapped him in the chest. Harry turned bright red, something he usually didn't do. He knew that Cho wasn't really interested.....or was she?
All of a sudden, he saw Cho rush back inside. Still alone, and now in the darkness of a corner, sat Cassie. Harry stopped in the middle of the doorway.
He now knew something really was wrong with Cassie. From far away, he could tell she was shaking, hugging her shoulders and rocking back and forth. Cho walked up to her and put her arm around her little cousin's shoulders.
Cassie mumbled something, then covered her face with her hands. Harry, who knew it wasn't right to interfere, turned around to walk out, but just couldn't bring himself to it. He wanted to know what was wrong. So, he hid behind the large door, every now and then peeking around to catch a glimpse of the two pretty girls talking. Suddenly, he heard voices and footsteps, and they got louder and louder. Harry pressed himself against the wall, sandwiched between it and the door.
The voices became loud enough to hear as Cassie and Cho emerged out of the Great Hall. Cho was still hugging her cousin, trying to tell her it was all right.
"He won't bother you anymore...." Cho said, soothing the little shivering girl. Cassie shook her head and buried her face in her hands again. Cho stared at the ground, still grasping Cassie by the shoulders.
Harry wanted to do something, but didn't want them to find out he had been spying on them. He hoped they didn't see him in his hiding place.....
Cho's face lit up. She snatched something from her blouse pocket, then reached into Cassie's for something else. The objects ended up being two, seemingly ordinary looking pens. One was dark purple, red, and blue, topped with a star with some kind of zodiac symbol on it. The other was pale purple, pink, and blue, topped instead with a crescent moon halfway encircling a star.
Cassie stopped sobbing and looked confusedly at Cho. "You remember what these are for?" Cho asked.
"But, Cho-chan! Those are only for emergencies!"
"Little Cassie, I know that! But is this not an emergency?"
"I know..." Cassie replied, looking at the ground. "I don't know if I can use mine properly yet..."
"Nonsense, you've had plenty of training. You're the best martial artist in the family!"
"No, I'm not. That's you, remember?"
"You almost did beat me that one time though, didn't you Cassie?" Cho smiled as Cassie's face brightened slightly. "Now, take care of yourself! And don't worry, Cassie-chan.....if you can't protect yourself, you have plenty of wonderful friends to take care of you..." She winked, and hooked her arm into the crook of Cassie's arm. They skipped off happily.
Harry emerged from his hideout, bewildered. Cassie could fight? Cho could too? And those pens....they looked strangely familiar.....
AN: Sorry that this chapter is coming sooo late! I had finals the past week, plus a major case of writer's block as well.....And I also apologize for having the Christmas Pageant soo late as well....I had it all planned out so that I could post it on Christmas, but school interfered.....oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway!
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter isn't mine......yet.......*cackles evilly*
************************************************************************
Chapter 11
The next couple of months were hectic, to say the least. Harry now had to go to Quidditch practice, show up for rehearsal for the Christmas Pageant, and tolerate Hermione nagging him to study for the OWLs ("They're in nearly 6 months! You simply must start getting ready!"). Harry was too tired to worry about a potential stalker. Besides, it seemed that whoever the person was had at least stopped for the festive Christmas season.
And Cassie was actually helping. True to her word, she did stop pulling pranks. But, something was different about her. Harry kept staring in bewilderment as she actually paid attention in class. No longer did she run around, laying destruction in her path.
She seemed to keep to her books lately as well. Harry noticed her carrying funny books everywhere. To one Quidditch game, she brought some novel about a princess. To another, she brought a scientific textbook about gemstones. Cassie never read her usual Japanese comics anymore. Harry guessed that she had switched into serious school girl mode. He was only grateful that her turning into a bookworm meant she couldn't interfere with their first couple of victories (Ginny was proving to be one of the most excellent Keepers in the history of Gryffindor House).
But something else was different about that girl. The Boy Who Lived sensed something as wrong with her. The way she carried herself, her sudden quietness, the way she would avoid the glance of anyone around her. Something was definitely up.
He tried to ignore it during the first practice for the Pageant, the first Saturday in November.
"Okay, people!" Hermione yelled through her Muggle megaphone. "Time to choose parts for the Pageant! Let's see..." She nodded to a group of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years from all the Houses. "We've already got our shepherds, farm animals, and three wise men....."
Cho stood in a corner surrounded by a load of admiring volunteers from the upper classes of the 5th, 6th and 7th years. The pretty girl nodded to Hermione. The prefect continued, "And we've got the chorus all set....." Hermione scratched her chin.
"Ah, yes.....now we need the main roles. Who's left?" Cassie threw down her book and acted like her normal self, hopping from foot to foot and waving her arm wildly in the air. Harry watched from the newly installed curtains, glad that she was back to normal, for now.
Ginny poked Hermione in the back. Whispering, she said, "Well, there's me, you, Ron, Cassie, and Mr. Loner over there...." The little red head was motioning towards the corner of the Great Hall, where they were practicing. There, Draco rested casually against the wall, his new found stalker bustling about, chattering rapidly in Spanish. Hermione nodded again.
Then, the 5th year Gryffindor gave a whistle. Ron, who was hanging out with Harry by the curtains, jogged over. "What's the matter?"
"Turn around and bend over," Hermione said.
"Gee, dirty mouth Mione," Ron replied with a smirk.
"That is certainly not what I meant!" she quipped, growing red. "All the tables were put away for the practice, so I have nothing to write on! So, I need to use your back as a hard surface." She frowned and squinted her eyes dangerously as Ron obeyed. Hermione whipped out her parchment and quill, and began scratching away on the paper.
"D' ya have to write so hard?" Ron complained. "I can feel it through my robes!"
"Well, that's what you get!" And she pressed into the parchement harder, causing Ron to wince a little bit. "Done!" she announced a few minutes later.
Everyone waited in anticipation as she read out the leading roles that no one wanted to take. "Ginny, you'll be Mary." Ginny smiled broadly. "Draco, you're Joseph." Immediately, the smile on Ginny's face melted.
"Why can't I be a stupid shepherd or something?" he complained.
"Well, duh. Those roles are already filled," Hermione said, waving away the actors. "Besides, you have no lines anyway. All you have to do is sit next to the manger and look holy."
"Fat chance that'll be," Ron remarked. "I mean, Malfoy, a holy person...." Draco raised a fist at the same time Ron got ready to defend himself.
"Stop it, boys, or I'm placing binding spells on the both of you!"
"Granger, you're really gonna pay someday for this," Draco said sullenly, lowering his fist.
"Okay then, Cassie?" Cassie, who had gone back to reading a book about fairies, snapped her head up.
"Yeah?" she said with a small grin.
"You're the angel."
"But, I want to be an angel!" a couple of young girls yelled from the group of animals.
"Fine," Hermione said, rubbing her head exasperatedly. "Any girl from the shepherds and animals can be an angel......
"Why can't a boy be an angel? It's discrimination!" whined one of the three wise men.
"Because, all the boys have to be either shepherds or wise men. Case closed."
Some people groaned as the excited, new angels ran up to Hermione to ask what they should do. "Stand there and look pretty. That's it. But since Cassie is the Head Angel...." Cassie smiled just as broadly as Ginny had done when she had found out she was Mary. "Cassie will have a few lines at the end of the play."
Draco fumed. "But why does she get lies, but I don't? She's just a stinkin' angel!"
Hermione's head was really beginning to ache. "Because her lines will close the play....end it on a nice note."
"I've got a great idea, Miss Director!" Cho yelled from her corner.
Hermione sighed. "Yes, Music Director...."
"Instead of a few lines, Cassie should just sing "Silent Night" as a solo...." Cassie looked at Cho, who was grinning mischievously, to Hermione, and began to shake her head vigorously. Harry looked on, and recognized that conniving look on Cho as belonging to Cassie once.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Can you really do that Cassie? It would be a fabulous ending to our play!" Cassie was still shaking her head, her eyes as wide and round as huge, purple plates.
Cho narrowed her own beautiful eyes. "Oh yes she can.....I've heard her in all the karaoke bars we've been to back home. She's the best singer I know." Cassie started waving her hands, mouthing the words, 'No, she's lying!'
Hermione ignored, and clapped her hands, saying, "Well, it's all settled then. We have a Mary, Joseph, and an angel that will close out the play with a stupendous song." Someone tugged on her sleeve again.
"What about us, Mione?" Ron said, a confused look on his face.
"Oh, don't worry, Ron. We'll just be the narrators."
Ron got a worried look on his face. "Do we have to memorize stuff?"
Hermione sighed again. "No, we just read off the script. You alright with that?" Ron grinned and gave his okay.
Cassie had become subdued again, from Harry's point of view. She sat by herself in the middle of the floor, staring off into space, with a glum look on her face. What is wrong with her?, he thought to himself as he looked on in curiosity. But somehow, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was just so pretty when she was calm and sad. Like a picture of a model, deep in her own thoughts.....
"Harry?" Hermione said, startling him from his reverie.
"Oh, sorry, Mione..." she said, rubbing his eyes a little bit.
"Oh, don't worry about it," she said, looking extremely sly at the moment. Teehee, Hermione was thinking to herself. I think he has a crush...... "Oh, I was just here to tell you that you're in charge of keeping Cassie in the air."
"What?!" he said. "With a spell or something? Isn't that dangerous?!"
"Hehe, I'm afraid we have to resort to a rope. That levitating charm won't be able to keep her floating, no matter how light she is. 'Wingardium leviousa' is just for small objects anyway."
"Oh, I see....."
"During the play, she will sit in the rafters up there...." Hermione pointed upwards at the beams that seemed to float under the clear blue sky. "When I signal to you and her, she will push herself off, and you must support her, so that she doesn't go 'splat' on the ground..."
"Won't the audience see the rope?"
"It will be charmed so that it is transparent, okay?"
Harry nodded, running his fingers through his messy black hair. "And what about the audience? Who exactly is going to see this?" Hermione smiled. "We've invited parents, past alumnae, retired teachers......"
"Ah, a play to impress potential benefactors I see...."
"Yup." Hermione winked and skipped off to the middle of the room. Everyone was already chatting, and Draco was trying to keep his Spanish princess off him. She took out her megaphone again. "Next practice is in a week!" she announced.
The whole cast cheered and rushed out. Hermione, Ron, and Harry brought up the rear of the crowd pushing their way through the doors of the Great Hall. Someone pulled on Harry's shoulder right before they were out.
"We'll coordinate the lights and curtains and all the rest next time, kay Harry?" Cho said cheerily. She gave him a wink and continued out with the others.
"Harry's got a girlfriend!" Ron chanted, before Hermione slapped him in the chest. Harry turned bright red, something he usually didn't do. He knew that Cho wasn't really interested.....or was she?
All of a sudden, he saw Cho rush back inside. Still alone, and now in the darkness of a corner, sat Cassie. Harry stopped in the middle of the doorway.
He now knew something really was wrong with Cassie. From far away, he could tell she was shaking, hugging her shoulders and rocking back and forth. Cho walked up to her and put her arm around her little cousin's shoulders.
Cassie mumbled something, then covered her face with her hands. Harry, who knew it wasn't right to interfere, turned around to walk out, but just couldn't bring himself to it. He wanted to know what was wrong. So, he hid behind the large door, every now and then peeking around to catch a glimpse of the two pretty girls talking. Suddenly, he heard voices and footsteps, and they got louder and louder. Harry pressed himself against the wall, sandwiched between it and the door.
The voices became loud enough to hear as Cassie and Cho emerged out of the Great Hall. Cho was still hugging her cousin, trying to tell her it was all right.
"He won't bother you anymore...." Cho said, soothing the little shivering girl. Cassie shook her head and buried her face in her hands again. Cho stared at the ground, still grasping Cassie by the shoulders.
Harry wanted to do something, but didn't want them to find out he had been spying on them. He hoped they didn't see him in his hiding place.....
Cho's face lit up. She snatched something from her blouse pocket, then reached into Cassie's for something else. The objects ended up being two, seemingly ordinary looking pens. One was dark purple, red, and blue, topped with a star with some kind of zodiac symbol on it. The other was pale purple, pink, and blue, topped instead with a crescent moon halfway encircling a star.
Cassie stopped sobbing and looked confusedly at Cho. "You remember what these are for?" Cho asked.
"But, Cho-chan! Those are only for emergencies!"
"Little Cassie, I know that! But is this not an emergency?"
"I know..." Cassie replied, looking at the ground. "I don't know if I can use mine properly yet..."
"Nonsense, you've had plenty of training. You're the best martial artist in the family!"
"No, I'm not. That's you, remember?"
"You almost did beat me that one time though, didn't you Cassie?" Cho smiled as Cassie's face brightened slightly. "Now, take care of yourself! And don't worry, Cassie-chan.....if you can't protect yourself, you have plenty of wonderful friends to take care of you..." She winked, and hooked her arm into the crook of Cassie's arm. They skipped off happily.
Harry emerged from his hideout, bewildered. Cassie could fight? Cho could too? And those pens....they looked strangely familiar.....