Chapter Eleven
Of Poems, Pranks, and the Voice (hint hint: From the Woods)
September passed into October with little event. Mr. and Mrs.Weasley puzzled that Ron's hand was still on 'home' when he wasn't. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny slowly started to come to normal, and were pretty much there by mid October. Harmony, Ron and Sirius grew very close, so close that they could be referred to as the Marigold Marauders. Ron and Harmony grew especially close, maybe even closer than Ron and Harry had been.
It was the week before Halloween when Professor McGonagall announced that this year, as an expirement, they would be having a dance along with the usual feast for Halloween. She didn't seem to happy about this, but the seventh years were thrilled. Harry and Hermione would, of course, be going as a couple.
It was the tradition in Marigold to have a ball for Halloween. Ron, who had heard of but never been to a royal ball, was looking forward to it. Sirius jokingly called him Cinderella, but Ron shrugged it off. That was Sirius for you.
An hour before seven, which was when the dinner/dance/ball/ whatever-you-want-to-call-it began, Sirius and Ron were plotting the best places to put the exploding cheeseballs, and trying to figure out how these people knew when Halloween and Christmas were if they didn't use a calandar. And getting ready, of course.
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble for the cheeseballs?" Ron asked as they headed for the Ballroom, which was, in Ron's mind, the Great Hall.
"No," Sirius answered nonchalantly. Ron's eyes widened.
"What do you mean, 'no?'" He hissed. Sirius shrugged.
So they started loitering around, waiting for Harmony. Dukes, Lords, and other various nobility came in a steady stream, but there was no sign of the princess.
Half an hour later Ron was getting worried. Where could she be? Were princesses supposed to be fashionably late? Were they supposed to wait for trumpets? Or perhaps--
Ron's speculating was cut off by a tap on the shoulder from Sirius. He turned, his eyes slowly making it to the top of the stairs.
There stood Harmony. She stood radiant and elegant, an almost visible aura around her commanding respect. Harry had this same feild of power, one that made you look up to him, even if he WAS short. Harmony didn't even resemble the fun loving teenager Ron knew. As she started coming down the stairs he got a closer look of what she was wearing: A long emerald green drees with no sleeves that showed off all her curves. Her beautiful golden hair hung around her, kept out of her face by little braids that encircled her head. Just as this hairband stopped, the crown began. It was a real work of art, an elegant, slowly steeping peak carved from emerald. It seemed to melt into her hair. Ron gaped.
"What are you staring at?" Harmony asked as she reached her two companions. Sirius stifled a laugh and Ron was brought back to earth with a crash.
"Uh...um...nothing?" Ron tried. Harmony just laughed and sat down to eat.
Hogwarts seemed to buzz as students walked into the Great Hall for the Halloween Dance. People pointed at unexpected couples, and looked for their friends and partners. Harry and Hermione weren't really paying any attention. They went in, ate, and were having a great time together. They danced until they were out of breath and laughing. Harry plopped down while Hermione went for a couple of butterbeers. This is the way it should be, Harry thought contentedly.
NO, not without Ron! How dare you even think about forgetting him. Esplecially since it's YOUR fault he's gone! Harry conscience screamed. Oh shit, not again. Harry and his concsience silently argued.
Hermione sat down and gave her boyfriend a very strange look. She knew He was beating himself up over Ron again, and she was getting sick of it! She loved Ron, but it was not Harry's fault that he was gone. He could not sit around and mope about it all the time.
"Harry?" She said sternly.
"Hmmm?" Harry replied.
"Quit acting like a child."
"Excuse me?" Harry replied, turning to look at her.
"You heard me. You have to get through this, and stop trying NOT to have fun just because Ron's not here." Hermione replied.
"You're acting like it's no big DEAL that our best friend has mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth!" Harry yelled. Hermione was astonished.
"How DARE you say that?!" She asked. They were starting to attract some looks.
"IT'S TRUE!"Harry insisted.
"IT IS NOT AND YOU KNOW IT!!" She screamed, starting to cry. She ran to the common room.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" Harry demanded of the people around him. He stormed out, and headed for the lake where he figured he could get some peace.
"Care to dance?" Drep asked, extending a hand and a very fake smile her way. Harmony looked at him in disgust, but saw her father looking at her with his eyebrows raised expectantly. Why he liked the Dreps was beyond her.
"Fine," She muttered, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.
"Yuk!" Ron said, sitting down next to Sirius and watching as Harmony and Drep danced.
"Yeah, I bet she's not enjoying that." Sirius replied. Ron wasn't to sure, she didn't look to uncomfortable there, dancing with him.
Ron suddenly stood up and went outside for some fresh air. He went out into the gardens and out to the gazebo. He sat there, listening to the music that wafted out to him and feeling very alone.
Harmony chose to watch her friends as opposed to look at Drep's awful face. As he babbled incessesently, she saw Ron get up and go outside.
"I have to go to the bathroom." She said abruptly, and took off after Ron without further explanation.
She found him in the gazebo, looking very depressed indeed. She sneaked up to it and out of nowhere spoke.
"Hey," Ron jumped about a foot in the air.
"Hi," He said, looking embaressed. Harmony heard the song change. She smiled.
"Dance with me?" She asked. Ron went red.
"I don't dance--"
"You do now." Harmony interrupted, taking his hand. She began to waltz, and Ron caught on relatively quickly. They danced and laughed in the moonlight in the gazibo of the royal garden.
When the song stopped Harmony and Ron stopped dancing, but didn't let go of one another. Suddenly, Ron leaned forward and kissed her.
There was nothing awkard or questionable. It was as if the romantic setting and music disappeared, and there was nothing but her and Ron. She didn't feel herself spinning like in the books.It was just so...right. It was a feeling of invinciblity. A feeling of love.
"Let me show you something," Harmony whispered as they broke apart. She took his hands and led him through the woods. The trees broke apart, and Ron found himself in a familiar clearing. It was the beautiful haven that had led him to be here in the first place. There, away from everything that distracted them, they danced as Harmony sang in Snake, which was somehow suddenly even more beautiful than English.
"Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out to a moonlight grove..."
Harry stared into the lake. He felt very empty, as if he had lost even more than Ron. He knew it was Hermione, but the trace of anger still left in his system was telling him that he shouldn't be worried about it.
Out of the deafening silence came a beautiful sound. Harry could've swore it was a love song. It drifted on the breeze as if it belonged there. Harry breifly wondered if it was an angel, but decided that as long as whoever she was kept singing, he didn't care.
When she did inevitably stop, Harry, while still very upset, felt strangely calm. He walked inside, hoping this could somehow turn out okay.
Sirius was laughing so hard he couldn't breath. It had been the King himself who had discovered the cheeseballs. King Shinra was also laughing, which was what Sirius had been expecting. He calmed down and sat down with some pretzels and a butterbeer.
He glanced up, and he smiled in a way that could be argued paternal. He had been looking at the back door, the one Harmony and Ron slipped through, holding hands. He nodded, knowing exactly what was going on, and he felt a slight pang of sadness.
James and Lily had fallen in love the same way.
Harmony went up to her room as if floating on air, reliving the kiss from Ron again and again in her mind. His touch, his face,. his lips...she almost bumped into her bedroom door. She sat down at her mirror and began to brush her hair, humming softly. Thats when she saw it; the crumpled peice of parchment she had been studying before she left for the ball.
The despised parchment held a destiny that the princess didn't want. She read it again, reveiwing the hated words.
Oh, my precious Snake
Hark my words
A man of stars will come to you
Not of your kind
Yet he is the key to all
Ready for battle
My precious Snake
Yonder lies the lion
Hark his words as well
Relinquish old hate
Above all else
Resist the call of the snakes
Not far away, another ally
Eagle waits impatiently
Ever clever, ever witty
In your soul you sense it
Resurrect old friendships
Helga, Godric, and Rowena
May your heir keep the legacy alive
Anonymity is his middle name
Loyalty is the trait of the badger
Never give up hope
Do not forsake them and
Oh, my precious snake
Ready you shall be
~~Salazar Slytherin
Of Poems, Pranks, and the Voice (hint hint: From the Woods)
September passed into October with little event. Mr. and Mrs.Weasley puzzled that Ron's hand was still on 'home' when he wasn't. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny slowly started to come to normal, and were pretty much there by mid October. Harmony, Ron and Sirius grew very close, so close that they could be referred to as the Marigold Marauders. Ron and Harmony grew especially close, maybe even closer than Ron and Harry had been.
It was the week before Halloween when Professor McGonagall announced that this year, as an expirement, they would be having a dance along with the usual feast for Halloween. She didn't seem to happy about this, but the seventh years were thrilled. Harry and Hermione would, of course, be going as a couple.
It was the tradition in Marigold to have a ball for Halloween. Ron, who had heard of but never been to a royal ball, was looking forward to it. Sirius jokingly called him Cinderella, but Ron shrugged it off. That was Sirius for you.
An hour before seven, which was when the dinner/dance/ball/ whatever-you-want-to-call-it began, Sirius and Ron were plotting the best places to put the exploding cheeseballs, and trying to figure out how these people knew when Halloween and Christmas were if they didn't use a calandar. And getting ready, of course.
"Are you sure we won't get in trouble for the cheeseballs?" Ron asked as they headed for the Ballroom, which was, in Ron's mind, the Great Hall.
"No," Sirius answered nonchalantly. Ron's eyes widened.
"What do you mean, 'no?'" He hissed. Sirius shrugged.
So they started loitering around, waiting for Harmony. Dukes, Lords, and other various nobility came in a steady stream, but there was no sign of the princess.
Half an hour later Ron was getting worried. Where could she be? Were princesses supposed to be fashionably late? Were they supposed to wait for trumpets? Or perhaps--
Ron's speculating was cut off by a tap on the shoulder from Sirius. He turned, his eyes slowly making it to the top of the stairs.
There stood Harmony. She stood radiant and elegant, an almost visible aura around her commanding respect. Harry had this same feild of power, one that made you look up to him, even if he WAS short. Harmony didn't even resemble the fun loving teenager Ron knew. As she started coming down the stairs he got a closer look of what she was wearing: A long emerald green drees with no sleeves that showed off all her curves. Her beautiful golden hair hung around her, kept out of her face by little braids that encircled her head. Just as this hairband stopped, the crown began. It was a real work of art, an elegant, slowly steeping peak carved from emerald. It seemed to melt into her hair. Ron gaped.
"What are you staring at?" Harmony asked as she reached her two companions. Sirius stifled a laugh and Ron was brought back to earth with a crash.
"Uh...um...nothing?" Ron tried. Harmony just laughed and sat down to eat.
Hogwarts seemed to buzz as students walked into the Great Hall for the Halloween Dance. People pointed at unexpected couples, and looked for their friends and partners. Harry and Hermione weren't really paying any attention. They went in, ate, and were having a great time together. They danced until they were out of breath and laughing. Harry plopped down while Hermione went for a couple of butterbeers. This is the way it should be, Harry thought contentedly.
NO, not without Ron! How dare you even think about forgetting him. Esplecially since it's YOUR fault he's gone! Harry conscience screamed. Oh shit, not again. Harry and his concsience silently argued.
Hermione sat down and gave her boyfriend a very strange look. She knew He was beating himself up over Ron again, and she was getting sick of it! She loved Ron, but it was not Harry's fault that he was gone. He could not sit around and mope about it all the time.
"Harry?" She said sternly.
"Hmmm?" Harry replied.
"Quit acting like a child."
"Excuse me?" Harry replied, turning to look at her.
"You heard me. You have to get through this, and stop trying NOT to have fun just because Ron's not here." Hermione replied.
"You're acting like it's no big DEAL that our best friend has mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth!" Harry yelled. Hermione was astonished.
"How DARE you say that?!" She asked. They were starting to attract some looks.
"IT'S TRUE!"Harry insisted.
"IT IS NOT AND YOU KNOW IT!!" She screamed, starting to cry. She ran to the common room.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" Harry demanded of the people around him. He stormed out, and headed for the lake where he figured he could get some peace.
"Care to dance?" Drep asked, extending a hand and a very fake smile her way. Harmony looked at him in disgust, but saw her father looking at her with his eyebrows raised expectantly. Why he liked the Dreps was beyond her.
"Fine," She muttered, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.
"Yuk!" Ron said, sitting down next to Sirius and watching as Harmony and Drep danced.
"Yeah, I bet she's not enjoying that." Sirius replied. Ron wasn't to sure, she didn't look to uncomfortable there, dancing with him.
Ron suddenly stood up and went outside for some fresh air. He went out into the gardens and out to the gazebo. He sat there, listening to the music that wafted out to him and feeling very alone.
Harmony chose to watch her friends as opposed to look at Drep's awful face. As he babbled incessesently, she saw Ron get up and go outside.
"I have to go to the bathroom." She said abruptly, and took off after Ron without further explanation.
She found him in the gazebo, looking very depressed indeed. She sneaked up to it and out of nowhere spoke.
"Hey," Ron jumped about a foot in the air.
"Hi," He said, looking embaressed. Harmony heard the song change. She smiled.
"Dance with me?" She asked. Ron went red.
"I don't dance--"
"You do now." Harmony interrupted, taking his hand. She began to waltz, and Ron caught on relatively quickly. They danced and laughed in the moonlight in the gazibo of the royal garden.
When the song stopped Harmony and Ron stopped dancing, but didn't let go of one another. Suddenly, Ron leaned forward and kissed her.
There was nothing awkard or questionable. It was as if the romantic setting and music disappeared, and there was nothing but her and Ron. She didn't feel herself spinning like in the books.It was just so...right. It was a feeling of invinciblity. A feeling of love.
"Let me show you something," Harmony whispered as they broke apart. She took his hands and led him through the woods. The trees broke apart, and Ron found himself in a familiar clearing. It was the beautiful haven that had led him to be here in the first place. There, away from everything that distracted them, they danced as Harmony sang in Snake, which was somehow suddenly even more beautiful than English.
"Kiss me, beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out to a moonlight grove..."
Harry stared into the lake. He felt very empty, as if he had lost even more than Ron. He knew it was Hermione, but the trace of anger still left in his system was telling him that he shouldn't be worried about it.
Out of the deafening silence came a beautiful sound. Harry could've swore it was a love song. It drifted on the breeze as if it belonged there. Harry breifly wondered if it was an angel, but decided that as long as whoever she was kept singing, he didn't care.
When she did inevitably stop, Harry, while still very upset, felt strangely calm. He walked inside, hoping this could somehow turn out okay.
Sirius was laughing so hard he couldn't breath. It had been the King himself who had discovered the cheeseballs. King Shinra was also laughing, which was what Sirius had been expecting. He calmed down and sat down with some pretzels and a butterbeer.
He glanced up, and he smiled in a way that could be argued paternal. He had been looking at the back door, the one Harmony and Ron slipped through, holding hands. He nodded, knowing exactly what was going on, and he felt a slight pang of sadness.
James and Lily had fallen in love the same way.
Harmony went up to her room as if floating on air, reliving the kiss from Ron again and again in her mind. His touch, his face,. his lips...she almost bumped into her bedroom door. She sat down at her mirror and began to brush her hair, humming softly. Thats when she saw it; the crumpled peice of parchment she had been studying before she left for the ball.
The despised parchment held a destiny that the princess didn't want. She read it again, reveiwing the hated words.
Oh, my precious Snake
Hark my words
A man of stars will come to you
Not of your kind
Yet he is the key to all
Ready for battle
My precious Snake
Yonder lies the lion
Hark his words as well
Relinquish old hate
Above all else
Resist the call of the snakes
Not far away, another ally
Eagle waits impatiently
Ever clever, ever witty
In your soul you sense it
Resurrect old friendships
Helga, Godric, and Rowena
May your heir keep the legacy alive
Anonymity is his middle name
Loyalty is the trait of the badger
Never give up hope
Do not forsake them and
Oh, my precious snake
Ready you shall be
~~Salazar Slytherin