Title: The Cinderella Chronicles
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The HarryPotterverse belongs to J.K. Rowling. Cinderella is a French fairy tale.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 3. Sorry for the long wait! I had writer's block for about a week. My mind was totally blank. Really blank. And...I neglected writing because I got too caught up with making a new layout for my site. Also, I changed the rating to PG-13 because of some cuss words.
This chapter is dedicated to the well-being of all those affected by SARS and their families. I wish them speedy recovery and that, hopefully, this storm would pass the world.
Chapter Summary: Hermione basically looks for the gentleman she danced with at the Masquerade Ball, and someone faints because of a revelation.
Chapter 4: Where for art thou, my green-eyed Prince Charming?
It was the day after the most-talked about event of the year, the Masquerade Ball. Most of the people were talking about what went on the previous night. Right after Hermione picked up the mask, she went inside the palace and announced to the crowd that she had already found her groom-to-be, but of course, there was a hitch. The Princess didn't know what his name was, and this presented a problem, don't you think so? So, being the smart person that she is, Hermione announced that she will search for the man who has captured her heart. At his pronouncement, whispers of excitement, anxiety, and gossip started erupting inside the Ballroom. This atmosphere lasted until the whole week. Actually, the atmosphere lasted until the Princess found him, and the details to that will be discussed later in the chapter. Anyway, although they knew that they weren't Hermione's "Chosen One", most of the male population in the kingdom were hoping that the Princess would be coming to their homes and proclaim that they would be her future husband. People everywhere were tidying up their houses in hope that Princess Hermione would visit them, but not everyone's house would be searched, honestly.
While every single person was busy gossiping, Princess Hermione was inside the palace, more specifically inside the parlor. She sat languidly in a chaise longue, trying to think of a way to search for her Prince Charming. She was co-conspirating with Ginny on ways on how to make the search easier and shorter, considering the fact that there are plenty of men with black hair.
"Hermione, what other unique features or qualities does Mr. Mystery Guy have?" Ginny asked thoughtfully.
"Well, I do know that he has the most brilliant green eyes. When I looked at them last night, they looked like deep pools of emerald that emanated a combination of mystery, thoughtfulness, intelligence, and a little...sadness, actually," Hermione answered while fingering the white mask, remembering how handsome and gentleman-like he was.
"Herm, we need UNIQUENESS...DISTINCTIVENESS here...or else we'll be left with a very long list of raven-haired men," Ginny said exasperatedly. "And I don't want to go through all those men and their Y chromosomes."
Hermione thought about him long and hard. She thought about how cute his smile was, even though it was a bit crooked, how charming he looked in his crisp white shirt, and how a good kisser he was. She thought about him more, racking her brains for anything specific while looking at the mask intently as though it would help her. And that was when she found the letters. Hermione gasped and fingered the small letters, H.J.P, on the bottom left side on the back of the mask.
"What is it, Hermione? Is something wrong?" questioned Ginny apprehensively.
"Ginny, come here and look," Hermione said as she straightened up. Ginny then went and sat beside her on the chaise longue. "You see, there are three letters written on the back of the mask. Do you think it's his initials?"
"Maybe, Hermione, but we can't be sure. It could be anything. It could be an acronym, a symbol to remind him of something. It could be a code or initials to a place," Ginny answered.
"But there's the tiniest bit of possibility that these letters could be his initials, right?" Hermione's eyes were sparkling oddly, a glint of adventure in them.
"Fine. There is the smallest bit of probability though our chances are slim."
"Ginny?"
"Yes?"
"Could you stop being a prat and just side with me?" Hermione asked frustratedly. "I think you know that you were the one who pushed me, and because of that one push, I met him and got to know who he is. Of all people, I thought you'd be the one to be the most supportive and helpful."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just...It's just that I had a bad encounter with the worst kind last night," Ginny said tiredly.
"What happened, Gin? Tell me." And at this statement, a blush crept up Ginny's cheeks.
"No-nothing. It's nothing, really," Ginny lied nervously.
"Liar. I've known you for ten years. I can see right through you, m'dear," quipped Hermione with a smirk adorning her delicate features.
"Fine, then. But you better prepare yourself for this-" Ginny took a deep breath, then said, "Draco kissed me last night." (a/n: dundundundun!)
"No way!?!"
"Uh-huh. It was very disgusting. I had to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth for millions of times. It was his revenge because I called him a strutter, and I punched him right in the face after he kissed me."
"Good for you-"
"But that's not what's troubling me," Ginny said, preparing herself for the 'revelation'.
"What then?"
"I liked the kiss. I felt something afterwards. And that's just eww! I don't know, but I'm disgusted with myself," Ginny replied in a distressing manner. "Well...he was a good kisser. I can't deny that fact."
Hermione giggled. It was very funny to see Ginny this distraught because she liked being kissed by Draco. "You're being ridiculous, Gin."
"Fine. Make fun of me. Call it ridiculous!" Ginny replied sardonically. "Honestly! I mean, he's Draco, the haughty, good-for-nothing asshole. We used to, I mean, still are fighting and squabbling about the shallowest things, and he struts!"
"Okay then," Hermione said, trying to contain her giggles. "Let's just get a list of the men with black hair, green eyes, and the initials H.J.P"
"Fine," Ginny scowled.
"And hon? Don't try to think about Draco that much."
It was the day after the Masquerade Ball. Harry woke up with the most charming smile on his face. The sun's gleaming rays were pouring from his tiny window, illuminating his striking features. The birds were twittering their happy, melodious jingles, and there was a cool atmosphere as he woke up. Harry then slowly dressed up in his rags, sighing like a swooning madman. Afterwards, he gambolled down to the kitchens and whistled while he worked and cooked breakfast. He was simply euphoric that day. He was so happy because he had finally met the princess. No, scratch that. He finally kissed the princess, and because of his elation, he looked like a batty, lovesick fool. Of course, someone would have noticed this rapid change of behavior from him. If nobody did, then they must be blind. Anyway, someone did notice and it is most unfortunate that the person who noticed his hyperactivity was no other than Draco Snape. Well, his stepfather noticed too since he was expecting it.
"Good morning!" Harry exclaimed happily as he served the Snapes some delicious scrambled eggs.
"Good morning too, Harry," Vincent replied with much gusto. He then snatched up the plate of eggs, and scooped a huge mound of the said food. He too was having a marvelous morning. [a/n: because of you know...last night...with G.G.]
"Well, aren't we all ecstatic today?" Draco said dryly. He was in low spirits today because of, well, because of...last night. "What is the matter with you two?"
"Nothing, Draco. It's just a beautiful morning. Don't you think so?" Harry replied while pouring milk on Draco's glass.
"No, it is not a beautiful morning. It's a horrendous morning, really. With the stupid birds chirping like broken records and that sun! It's too bright for my liking this morning. And what kind of food are you feeding us? Dung?" Draco stated too frankly. "And would you stop whistling? It's giving me a headache. And why are you so frickin' jolly today? You were never jolly before."
"Okay, okay! I just woke up on the right side of the bed this morning. No need to get your knickers in a twist," Harry said as he went to the kitchen.
"I heard that! What is it with you today, Potter? You bloody wanker!" Draco shouted to Harry. He then turned to his father and said, "You know Father, you should stop feeding that filth. Throw him out, probably? He's getting to my nerves with all that whistling and rambling. Pretty soon he's going to spew out poetry. He's too cheery for my liking. And he's just plain weird. I mean, yesterday he was about to burst when we left him, and now, he's all happy and smiling like a fool."
"I know, Draco. I know," replied Severus with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "He does seem a...bit too happy today, doesn't he?"
"Yes, Father. He certainly is. Why is he even happy? I mean, we left him last night to rot, and he's in high spirits. There's something unusual about him," replied Draco while merrily playing with his breakfast.
"Don't worry. I'll have a little...tête-à-tête with him later," Severus said with too much pleasure.
It was already the third day of Hermione's search for her Mystery Guy or as her father had so aptly named, 'The Search for Hermione's hopefully existent Prince Charming'. Hermione was getting desperate. She didn't know that it would take this long to find him. She had gone to hundreds of houses already and still no sign of him. Her list was actually not as long as she had anticipated, but it certainly wasn't short. She had met dozens of people with black hair, and she was a little tired of seeing all those hair. She had seen lots of pairs of green eyes and yet none of them belonged to him. She had also met men with the initials, H.J.P., and still, she didn't find him. She had met one Henry Jameson Parkinson, a Horace Jonathan Paddington, and a Homer John Pendington, and they had never met her before as she could tell. Indeed, Princess Hermione was getting desperate.
"Ginny, do you think that I'll ever find him?" Hermione asked worriedly. They were inside her carriage and was about to go to another house not far from the town market.
"Of course, dear. You'll find him. Don't worry," Ginny answered supportively. She was also getting tired of all those men. Actually, she wouldn't be tired if she saw someone attractive, however, most of them didn't reach her standards. "Just don't give up because if you do give up, you'll regret it."
"I know." They then became silent for the rest of the trip. Hermione was still thinking about the kiss he gave her. It was a beautiful kiss without the usual awkwardness that one would sometimes feel. She remembered how his hand had caressed her hair, how good he smelled, like a mixture of mint and soap, how his lips felt on hers...and those eyes. Those eyes that seemed to look into her soul. She was looking dazed by the time the carriage stopped.
"Hermione? Hello?" Ginny waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "We're already here."
"Oh! I'm sorry! I was just thinking," was Hermione's reply. Both of the maidens then stepped out of the carriage gracefully, Ginny first then Hermione. When they finally got out of the carriage, they found themselves in front of a shabby-looking house with weeds scattered across the yard. There were various flowering plants also and a narrow path that lead to a dirty-looking, wooden door. They carefully walked on the path, lifting up their long dresses in the process. When they finally got to the door, Hermione softly knocked three times.
The door slowly opened, and a gravelly voice said, "Who's there? What do you need?"
"Um, I'm Hermione and this is Ginny. We're here because we've come across the knowledge that a Mr. Harrison Jack Peterson lived here," Hermione said cautiously. That gravelly voice scared her a bit.
The wooden door then opened wide, and a gravelly-looking old man appeared before them. He was about a head shorter than Hermione. He was bald and a bit plump; he had deep, blue eyes, a pointed nose, and a short beard. He was dressed in old-looking clothes with patches sewn in some places. And there was a pair of thick, pearly glasses perched on his nose. "Ah, I am Harrison Jack Peterson. How can I be of service to you, my dear?" the old man said before slapping his forehead. "Where are my manners? Would you ladies like to come in?" Mr. Peterson said with his yellowish teeth bared in a crooked grin.
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other hesitantly. They were both uneasy at the tone and look of the old man. He was beginning to creep them both out with the way he looked at them. "Uh, sure. Why not?" Ginny squeaked for both of them.
The old man then stepped back and let Hermione and Ginny walk in his humble abode. He then led them to his warmly-furnished living room. There was a fire place on the far side of the room with a quaint-looking painting of a countryside hanging above it. There was a single window on the right side with heavy and dusty drapes adorning it. And then, there was the little bookcase by the window, filled with heavy tomes. There was also a small desk beside the bookcase. It was littered with piles of parchment and some ink bottles. "Sit, girlies, sit while I make tea," Harrison said, and he went to the kitchen to make some tea.
Hermione and Ginny then sat in the plush, maroon couch. They sat closely with each other, both nervous with, well, they were just nervous.
"Gin, I don't like the looks of that man. He seems eerie," Hermione whispered.
"Me too, but we don't really know him, do we? Besides, it seems that you'd go along with him. Look at his books. They're so thick!" Ginny replied.
"Yeah, I suppose so, but I am certain that I didn't dance with him last night," Hermione said silently.
"Of course, he's not the one, but we can ask him if he knows anyone having the descriptions," Ginny replied. After a few minutes or so of waiting, Mr. Peterson finally emerged from the kitchen with a tray clasped in his hands. There were three cups, a pot of tea, and a plate of biscuits on it.
"Would you like some tea? Or some biscuits perhaps?" the old man offered them.
"Thank you," the ladies replied in unison as they accepted their cups of tea.
"How can I be of service?" repeated Mr. Peterson.
"Well, we were wondering if you know anyone with the initials H.J.P. besides yourself or someone who possesses green eyes?" Ginny answered while munching on a biscuit.
"I see," he said. "Still looking for him, Princess Hermione?"
"Yes, Mr. Peterson," Hermione said. "I'm beginning to get desperate, actually. It's been three days already, and we live in a small kingdom with very few people living in it."
"Don't be desperate. You'll find him," Mr. Peterson said after awhile. "I don't know anyone that has the same initials as I have. I'm sorry, my dears, but you can ask down at the market. The people there know almost everyone. I'm sure they can help you."
"Thank you, Mr. Peterson. Thank you," Hermione replied a bit timidly. And after a few minutes of silence and eating, Hermione thanked Mr. Peterson again and left with Ginny. They were going to go to the town market.
Harry Potter has never met a finer and more beautiful lady than Princess Hermione. His mind was full of thoughts of her and only her: how good she smelled (like vanilla), how he drowned in her wide, chocolate brown eyes, how long her eyelashes seem to be, how pink her lips were, how soft her hair was, how beautiful her smile was, how smart she was, how much he liked kissing her....Every thought was about her although three days had almost past. Because of her, a rapid change came over him. It was more like a feeling, actually, and it seemed that this feeling would never leave him. And he still felt that certain feeling when he was cooking lunch one fateful day.
"Let's do the hustle," sang Harry as he chopped up some carrots. "tun tun tun taran taran tun tun..." He then put the chopped carrots aside and moved on with the potatoes. While he was cutting the potatoes, sudden inspiration struck him and began reciting an impromptu poem to the potatoes.
"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione,
I dream of thee, my sweet pea,
I hope to see thine eyes again,
And to kiss thine precious lips."
Harry then put the potatoes aside and decided to chop the onions.
"My Princess, my beautiful Princess,
How I long for thee, thou doesn't know,
If I could only hold thee again,
If I could only dance with thee again..." Harry recited to the onions absentmindedly. Of course, when I say absentmindedly, I mean absentmindedly, meaning Harry didn't notice someone watching him as he recited his poem to the vegetables. Two nearly-black eyes were peeking from the door leading to the dining room. And those eyes glimmered mischievously.
Now, just as Harry was about to put all the vegetables in a pot, the door suddenly burst open revealing a very happy Severus Snape.
"Er, hi?" Harry gulped confusedly.
"Yes, hi to you too, Potter," his stepfather said with a wicked smile plastered on his ugly face. "I need to ask you a question, and you must answer truthfully or you'll find yourself in a very unpleasant position."
"Uh, okay," Harry responded nervously. His mind was racing with thoughts on what the frickin' hell this was about.
"Now, I do believe that we left you locked up in your room before going to the Masquerade Ball, am I correct?"
"Uh-huh. You left me there all right."
"So, how come I saw you dancing with the princess during that same night?" the sadist said unblinkingly. "And when we came back you were still locked up in the attic. Now, tell me, how could that have happened?"
Harry's eyes widened with alarm. 'Oh god! How did he find out?' "What are you-"
"Don't deny it, Potter. I have proof that you were at the Masquerade Ball," Snape said with his pointed teeth bared in a nasty grin.
"No, I wasn't at the palace during that night. I was up there in the attic all by myself," Harry lied, his voice unwavering.
"Liar. Then, how co-." Severus was interrupted as the door suddenly opened again. Draco then entered excitedly, a bunch of clothes in his hands.
"Father, look what I found under the filth's bed," Draco said proudly as he gave his father Harry's clothes.
"My, what are these?" Severus asked amusedly as he showed Harry the clothes.
Again, Harry's eyes widened with alarm though he tried to look confused. "Er, I don't know what those are," he lied yet again.
"You filthy little liar. It was under your bloody bed. And yet you tell us that you don't know what those are," Draco said venomously, his face calm and composed.
"If he doesn't know, Draco, we might as well tell him what these clothes are or rather...who wore them at the Masquerade Ball," Severus said, "but first, we must go to your room, my dear boy. We have a lot of things to clear up, don't you think so?" And as Harry was lead upstairs to his 'room', he gulped nervously, his last thought being 'Oh fuck! I'm in deep shit!'
"This had better work or else I'm going to decapitate someone unmercifully and curse everyone I see until the next millennium," Ron seethed as he straightened his wig. Come to think of it, Ron has every right to be angry, considering the fact that he was dressed in the oddest way possible. He had a gray wig on with a few wisps of white visible, like the hair of old women. He had a huge and billowy dress on with a ragged apron on top of it. Finishing off the look, Ron put on thick, pearly glasses. Ron looked like a grandmother of some sort. "The bloody wanker won't even let me use Polyjuice," Ron grumbled, referring to Sirius. "Well, I might as well get this over and done with."
As I said earlier, Hermione and Ginny were headed to the town market. And Ron, having acquired of this knowledge [a/n: don't ask me how], took the opportunity to help in the slightest way possible, which is why he was going drag. Now, Ron was standing behind a booth with a variety of fruits scattered on top of it. There were some apples, oranges, grapes, watermelons, and some bananas. Hopefully, he'd be convincing enough as a poor, old lady struggling to earn money from selling fruits at the town market.
Evidently, no one really noticed him because both he and the booth were charmed so that Princess Hermione would be the only one to spot him amidst all the other booths. "Fresh fruits! Fresh fruits for sale here!" Ron shouted shrilly in his pathetic attempt at a lady's voice over the market's din. Ron shouted more just as he spotted Princess Hermione coming his way.
Right after leaving Mr. Peterson's house, Hermione and Ginny immediately set off for the town market to ask if anybody knew someone having the descriptions and to grab a bite to eat. Going all through those houses and going around the kingdom famished them greatly. Upon arriving at the market, Ginny detached herself from her friend to hunt for some delicious cakes. Hermione, on the other hand, decided to interrogate some people. She went from booth to booth, asking men, children, and old ladies if they saw or knew anyone with black hair and/or green eyes. Some of them responded eagerly, saying that they knew of a boy with black hair and green eyes though he was a servant of some sort.
"Are you sure he's a servant?" Hermione asked for the nth time.
"Yes, Princess Hermione," replied a middle-aged man with a thick mustache on the gap between his nose and his upper lip.
"Well, thank you for helping," Hermione sighed. This search was getting near to impossible. Princess Hermione was thoroughly tired and exhausted. She was just about to give up on asking when she looked upon an old woman selling fruits at a nearby stand. 'Hmmm. Maybe if I asked one more person. Besides, those fruits look yummy,' Hermione thought as she walked to the booth in question.
"Hello, my dear. Would you like some apples?" the old woman asked nicely.
"Hello, too. Sure, those apples look so delicious," Hermione replied kindly.
"Here, dear," Ron said as he handed a lone, red apple to the princess. "This one's on me."
"Oh, no! I can't accept this for free. Here," Hermione said as she gave the *ahem* old lady some money.
"Well, if you insist..." Ron then pocketed the money and said, "So, I suppose you'd want to ask me something because I saw you asking all those vendors over there, and I'm no different from them."
"Uh, yes. I do want to ask you something," Hermione stated as she took a bite from her apple.
"Well, do go on, my dear. We'll be standing here until the end of the century if you don't ask," Ron laughed nervously while he straightened his wig yet again.
"Er, okay. Well, I was just going to ask if you know anyone with-"
"-black hair, green eyes, and the initials, H.J.P.," Ron continued for her.
"How did-"
"I have my sources, Princess Hermione," Ron cut in. "Well, I don't know...maybe. My memory is a bit rusty."
"Oh, I see," Hermione replied with her eyes downcast. She felt disheartened at what the old lady said.
"I was only kidding you, silly! Of course, I know someone with black hair, green eyes, and the initials, H.J.P.," Ron chuckled in his pathetic attempt at an old woman's voice.
"You do?" the Princess asked excitedly. 'At last, there is a glimmer of hope and light in this infernal tunnel I'm in right now.'
"Yes, m'dear. I believe his name is Harry James Potter," Ron said, "and he lives over at the Snapes's, actually."
"The Snapes's?" Hermione said in disbelieving shock.
After dragging Harry up to the attic, interrogating him, and finally confirming that yes, Mr. Potter was indeed at the Masquerade Ball, dancing with the princess, father and son tied him to a chair, put a gag on his mouth, and locked him once again inside the dusty, spider-infested attic. Now, if you were Draco and you found out that the person that you hated the most was the one who swept your beloved off of her shoes, you'd be angry, right? Wait, scratch that. You'd be livid, and you'd just like to beat Mr. Prince Charming to a bloody pulp. Well, that's just what Draco felt as I blathered on. He was pacing back and forth inside the living room whilst his father was seated lazily at the comfy, leather couch.
"I cannot believe that fucking bastard was the one who pranced idiotically with my dear Hermione at the Masquerade Ball," Draco ranted on as he clenched his hands in palpable fury. "Oh, screw him! I'd just love to cut off his head right now and put it in a stake to be displayed in the town square. Or I could tear his body into pieces and turn his blood into ink. Oh, I'd just love to do something horrible to him."
"Calm down, Draco. Don't fret over that vermin. Besides, I still need to think of what I'm going to do to him after that little stint of his at the Ball," Severus replied.
"Calm down, Father? You want me to calm down? How could I bloody calm down?" Draco almost bellowed. "What if Princess Hermione found out that Potty is her fucking Prince Charming? What will happen then?"
"Don't be silly. She'll never find out because we'll sell the blasted boy to the Count of Steeds tomorrow," his father replied offhandedly while looking at Draco straight in the eye.
Just as Draco was about to reply to his father, a loud bang! was heard as the front door was slammed shut. Vincent then entered the living room, a wide smile on his distorted face.
"Hello, Father. Hello, Draco," Vincent greeted them jovially. He was greeted by incredulous stares.
Having found his voice, Draco said, "Since when were you polite?"
Vincent just smiled. "Oh, I've been polite ever since I was born. You just never noticed. Besides, I always acted dumb before you two," he said in a syrupy voice.
"Whatever," Severus replied as he turned to Draco. "Draco, come with me. We need to make some arrangements for the boy." He then stood up and walked out of the room with Draco behind him, not noticing that Vincent was trying to tell him something.
"Oh, crap! How shall I tell him?" Vincent said to himself as he followed them.
'Just breathe. It's only Draco you're about to face and that horrid father of his,' Hermione thought as she stepped out of the carriage. After the little clue the old woman told her, Hermione went about the market to look for Ginny. When she found her and told her the clue, Ginny immediately went into shell shock. Hermione dragged her to the carriage, much to Ginny's chagrin, and the carriage immediately brought them to chez Snape. Right now, they were standing before the large, oak door, preparing themselves for the worst family ever.
"Okay, you knock, Gin," Hermione said while she faced the door.
"Why me? You knock. You're the one trying to look for the bloke," Ginny responded as she crossed her arms.
"Fine." Hermione then knocked three times. The door opened slowly, and an old man appeared before them.
"Mademoiselles," the servant bowed, "you are looking for ze Master?"
"Uh, something like that, Pierre," Hermione answered. "May we come in?"
"Ah, but of course." The manservant then led them to the living room. "Please wait here. Food will be served shortly, and I will call Master Severus." Hermione and Ginny then sat on the plush, leather couch gracefully and waited. After five minutes of waiting, another servant came in the room with a tray clasped in his hands. He served them some tea and crumpets before leaving. A few more minutes passed the maidens by and Severus Snape and his sons finally entered the room.
"Sorry for the wait, my dear ladies, but we had some previous arrangements to do," Severus said as he sat in a recliner beside the couch. Draco and Vincent then sat beside Hermione and Ginny. "So, as to what honor do we owe this visit?" the head of the house asked in his greasy voice.
"Well, as you probably know, ever since a few days ago, I've been searching for this gentleman-" Draco snorted and at this Ginny stepped on his toe accidentally.
"Hey! What was that for, Virginia?" Draco howled in obvious pain.
"Whatever do you mean, Drakie baby?" Ginny said innocently. Draco was about to give his witty retort when Hermione looked at the two meaningfully, and that shut them up.
"As I was saying, I've been searching for this gentleman who I danced with at the Ball. And, er, someone told me that a person having the same descriptions of that gentleman, lived here. My sources told me that a Harry James Potter lives here," Hermione finally finished. She looked at Severus Snape, waiting for a reaction. When she found none, she said, "And I'd just like to ask if I could meet this Mr. Potter and to confirm if he is the gentleman I danced with."
"Well, my dear Princess, I've never met a Mr. Harry James Potter before," Severus said to Hermione. At this proclamation, a cough came from Vincent, but he became quiet afterwards when his father gave him the look. He then turned to Draco and asked, "How about you, Draco? Have you ever met a Mr. Potter before?"
Draco's eyes darkened at the name, but answered anyway. "No, Father. I have never met a Harry James Potter in all my life," he said in a restrained voice. Again, Vincent coughed a violent cough. "Are you all right, Vincent? You might want to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water," Draco stated as he looked at Vincent suggestively.
"Uh, I don't think so, Draco," Vincent answered.
Hermione was crestfallen and disappointed. This was her last ray of hope, and they crushed it. They crushed it before her eyes. "Well, I suppose we'll on our way then," Hermione said as she stood up from her seat. But just as she was about to thank Severus, a loud crashing noise sounded in the house, and being the curious person that she is, she stayed put and didn't leave yet. She looked up and surmised that the crash came from upstairs.
"What was that?" Ginny said as she stood up.
"It sounded like something falling. I think it came from upstairs," Hermione replied.
Draco's eyes widened. He stood up immediately and decided to take action. "Uh, that was nothing, ladies. Well, it was nice having you both here. I guess you'll both be leaving now," he said in a syrupy voice as he tried to lead Hermione and Ginny to the front door.
"But there was a crash. Someone might be hurt," Hermione insisted, but Draco was pushing her towards the door already. She tried turning back, but Draco had a firm grip on her and Ginny.
"Don't be silly, Princess Hermione. It was probably just the blasted cat," Draco replied nervously as he opened the front door. When he was about to push the girls out the door though, he saw another person standing outside. The person was Gregory Goyle.
"Hi, Draco! Is Vincent in there?" Gregory asked cheekily. Hermione was suppressing her giggles.
"Yes, Goyle. He's in there." Draco pointed his thumb over his back. Gregory then walked past the three and went inside the living room. As his figure disappeared, Hermione started laughing hysterically. Draco and Ginny just looked at her like she was going bonkers, which she probably was. This spectacle went on for a few seconds before Hermione finally gathered her breath and stopped laughing.
"Er, what was that about, Mione?" Ginny asked carefully, hoping that her best friend hadn't gone crazy.
"Oh, it's nothing, but we better go back to the living room. You'll see for yourselves," was Hermione's cryptic answer. She then went back, with Ginny and Draco behind her. Just as they entered the living room, they saw Severus screaming at the top of his lungs.
"YOU'RE WHAT?!?" Severus shouted at Vincent.
"I SAID THAT I'M GAY, I'M IN LOVE WITH GREGORY GOYLE AND THAT WE'RE LEAVING THIS STINKIN' TOWN TO LIVE IN A FOREST TOGETHER!" Vincent bellowed back. And right at that instant, his father paled and dropped to a dead faint on the polished floor.
"Oh my god!" Draco and Ginny said in unison while Hermione stood back stifling her giggles.
"C'mon, Greggy, my love. We're leaving. I've already packed my things. Let's go." And with a quick goodbye to Draco and the two ladies, Vincent Snape and Gregory Goyle walked out of the room and left them there gaping after them. Well, except for Hermione, who was slowly inching her way towards the staircase. Just as she was about to step on the landing, Draco came to his senses and went after her immediately.
"Where do you think you're going?" Draco asked as he ran to the stairs. Hermione ran as fast as she could up the stairs.
"And where do you think you're going?" another voice asked Draco.
"What the-" Draco started but was cut short as Ginny stepped in front of him and punched him dead center in the face.
"OW!?!" Draco growled. "You wench! I'll get you for that!" He then straightened up to his full height and began to advance on Ginny.
Ginny, being herself, was sniggering in an unlady-like fashion, but as she heard Draco growl like a bear, panic surged into her veins. She looked up and saw Draco slowly advancing on her. Ginny's brown eyes widened. "Bloody hell...," she squeaked with only one thought buzzing in her head. 'RUN!' And she ran upstairs, not stopping to look at a thoroughly-pissed Draco.
'Okay, a little more to the left. You can do this, Harry. YOU CAN DO THIS!' Harry thought to himself as he tried to move towards his nightstand, where his trusty pocket knife was placed. Actually, it was usually in his pocket, but his cruel stepfather took it from his pocket and put it on his nightstand far from his reach. And so, Harry tried to edge his way to the nightstand though he was tied tightly to a chair.
'A few feet more, Harry. You can do this. Four feet more, Harry James Potter, and you're a free man.' Harry was still trying in vain to reach the nightstand. He moved a little farther, but then...
CRASH!
"OW!" Harry yelled through his gag. The chair he was tied to fell on its side, facing the locked door. 'Blasted stepfather! And that ass, Draco!' Harry shouted in his head. He was beyond angry; he was seething. And this emotion triggered him to rave and rant on as he glared at the door as if challenging it that things could turn for the worst. Well, things did turn for the worst as a hairy spider neared him and soon climbed his head.
'Oh shit! Now, a spider is on my head and is probably thinking of biting me and spreading poison throughout my body. Great! I'm going to die tied to a bloody chair, with a gag on my mouth. Oh, that's just rich!'
In fear that the spider might bite him if he moved, Harry stayed still on the floor, tied to a chair, with a gag on his mouth. He stayed there grumbling and planning ways to inflict bodily harm and pain to Severus Snape and Draco. Because he was too preoccupied with fuming, he hadn't heard thumps! outside his door. Only when he heard something shaking did he see that someone was trying to open the door.
Hermione was panting heavily as she stepped on the second-floor landing. She was trying to figure out where the crash came from.
"It sounded like it came from the attic," she thought out loud. She climbed the stairs again, but not until she heard Ginny screaming behind her.
"RUN, HERMIONE! RUN!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs as she climbed the stairs. "DRACO IS RIGHT BEHIND US! RUUUUN!" Hermione ran as fast as she could muster. She ran and ran and ran. Without even noticing, she was already climbing the stairs towards the attic. And she still ran like a prey running from a sharp-eyed eagle. Ginny was catching up to her. And so was Draco.
"Ack! I have to run faster!" Hermione said as she ran up the stairs. She had reached a landing, with a lone door in front of her. The door tickled her curiosity, and she found herself walking towards the door. "Maybe this is where the crash came from," she breathed. She tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. In her haste, she hadn't realized that the door had several locks on it, and a set of keys were hanging on the wall beside it. Hermione took the keys and unlocked the door deftly. She took a deep breath and started to open the door, but just as she was about to open it further, Ginny came by her side and pushed the door swiftly, revealing a boy tied up to a chair, a gag on his mouth.
Draco was right behind the two damsels and saw that they had just discovered Harry. "Oh, crap!" he said under his breath.
The door opened a little, but it suddenly burst wide, revealing two ladies gaping at him. Harry's eyes widened at Hermione and Ginny. Draco was beside them, cursing under his breath. All of them stayed still for a couple of minutes, digesting the scene. Then all of a sudden, Hermione snapped out of her shock, and walked to where Harry was on the floor, but then Draco stepped in front of her.
"Don't come near him. He has a contagious tropical disease and there's no cure," Draco lied while he blocked Harry from Hermione's view.
"Oh, move over, you idiot!" Hermione exclaimed as she pushed Draco aside.
"Yeah, move over, Drakie baby," Ginny agreed as she pulled Draco away from the poor boy on the floor.
Hermione then bent down to Harry and removed the gag. Harry sputtered for a bit. "Hello! Are you all right? Did Severus or Draco hurt you in any way?" Hermione questioned, concern etched on her face.
Harry was in shock. 'Oh my god! Princess Hermione is in front of me!' he thought as he stared at Hermione with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Hello? Are you all right?" Hermione repeated. Harry just nodded his yes and just gaped. The Princess then untied the knots deftly and helped Harry stand up. "What were you doing tied up to a chair?" At this point, for a person as smart as Hermione, she can be bit obtuse.
Harry cleared his throat and found his voice. "Well, Severus and Draco tied me up," Harry stuttered as he ran his hands through his raven hair. At this, Draco protested that he didn't tie up Harry.
"I certainly did not tie up the vermin," Draco said without thinking.
"The what?" Ginny asked, suspicion clear in her voice.
"No-nothing," Draco answered back nervously.
"You said he was vermin." Ginny narrowed her eyes slightly. "You did tie him up, you ass!"
"I am not an ass!"
"Okay, okay! You can stop now!" Hermione cut in on a developing argument. She then turned to Harry, who was still raking through his hair nervously. And that was when Hermione realized that Harry had jet-black hair. She slowly inched her way near him and squinted her eyes to see if he had green eyes. Lo and behold, this boy in front of her had the greenest eyes ever. "Great wizards!" Hermione exclaimed with wide eyes. "Are you Harry James Potter?" she asked in barely a whisper.
"Yes, I am," Harry stammered as he looked at Hermione intently.
Next Chapter: The long-awaited wedding...dumdumdum!
Author's Note: Whee! That was a long chapter! Wasn't it? And I'm terribly sorry if this chapter reeked or was hurried in any way! I tried really hard to make it nice, but it was just a shitty chapter. Hopefully, I can finish chapter 5 soon and make it better than this one. I do hope you'll stay tuned. Um, about the whole 'let's do the hustle' thing back there, sorry about that. I was desperate for ideas, and that one just came out of me eating lots of pineapple and chocolate crinkles. ^_^ And please review! I would really love it if you reviewed and gave me some pointers to improve my writing or some critiques. Okay, that was my...er...pathetic attempt to get you to review.