Title: Muggle Music
Author: Tiny Q
E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com
A/N: Hi! I was a little scared that this chapter would never happen. I had the first little section done and like a paragraph then I lost inspiration and left it for like a month. Ooops. I'm still not very happy with it. Oh well, here it is and it's staying. Nothing else to really say. ~shrug~ So please, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I only claim the plot and Booi and Ed and well I think that's about it . . .
Muggle Music
Chapter 3
Ron Weasley and the Bogey Flavored Bean
Professor Severus Snape stormed down the halls towards his residence. As was usual lately, the halls were devoid of students. Not that he felt any loss towards this fact. He liked the halls when they were empty.
He shuddered slightly at the thought of what the students were doing. Sure, Snape liked Muggle music to a certain point, had a small collection of CDs himself. A collection I might add, that was growing. Yet he sure as hell did not want to hear the music butchered by hundreds of pubescent, squeaky voices. He shuddered more violently at that thought.
The Dark Mark on his forearm throbbed uncomfortably. He looked down at it with loathing. 'You can bloody well wait,' he hissed at it in his mind, knowing full well that the Dark Lord could not hear him. He did however pick up his pace.
He had just been to a meeting with Dumbledore and a few other professors. They had been discussing even more Muggle attacks, an airport this time, and their possible actions to stop the Dark Lord. Snape knew Voldemort would be very pleased with this information.
He rounded the corner and saw the door to his room. He stopped. It was slightly ajar. Someone was in there. Pulling out his wand, Snape approached silently, his robes billowing behind him, silent as well.
He had been expecting a Death Eater, perhaps a student. He hadn't been expecting the tall form of Katrina Booi standing by his bookshelf and glancing boredly over at him.
"Interesting place you've got here, Severus," she said smoothly as though it was perfectly normal to be standing in someone else's residence uninvited. Snape's anger rose a degree at her using his first name. He hated when people he disliked used his first name, "I never thought you the type," she added gesturing towards his extensive collection of Muggle philosophy and mythology.
"Why are you here?" he demanded, lowering his wand. He did not put it away.
Booi turned from his bookshelf and faced him. Her eyes flicked up and down him quickly with a look of distaste. He pulled himself up to his full height. Her lip twitched.
"To see if I could discern the nature of the beast," she replied. She glanced around the room, seeming to note every piece of furniture and speck of dust. "Unfortunately, I believe I am at a loss." She flashed him a slight grin. He did not return the gesture. "Actually, I have come to ask you for a favor," she added, face going serious. Her eyes finally settled on his and stayed there.
"What is it?" he asked darkly, narrowing his black eyes.
She reached over to his desk a few feet from her and picked up a worn, dark blue book. It wasn't one of his so he assumed she had brought it with her. She flipped through about half the pages then came to a stop and offered him the open version. After a moment of staring at her, he took it.
"How does one go about making that?" she asked, staying where she was and watching him intently.
He looked down at the old and worn pages of the book to see an exceedingly complicated potion. He read it over and took a moment to calculate how to do it in his head, more out of habit than anything else. He had always done that for as long as he could remember: see the potion process in his head.
He finally looked up at her, a sneer playing across his face. She was now looking at him critically.
"It would only take me a few weeks," he said slowly. Her blue eyes narrowed. "For you though, I believe the process would be beyond your simple mind."
"Only a few weeks?" she asked, her voice and expression going hard. She did not comment on his last sentence.
"Yes, but you will need to come in every now and then to add your," he paused, "Parts."
"Fine," she said with a nod. "When can you start?"
"Tomorrow," he replied, feeling his forearm burn. "But why do you require this particular potion?"
"That does not concern you," she said with a sense of finality. "All that matters to you is that you make the potion. And soon."
With that she turned away from his and strode towards the door. He followed her with his eyes. Before going through the door she stopped and turned to face him once more.
"And Severus," she added silkily. "I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you." A twirl of her robes and she was out the door.
'Yes,' he thought silently. 'I am beginning to realize that."
~*~
After the Game - Quidditch Pitch
The whole of the Gryffindor house waited for the team to emerge from the change rooms. To Ginny everyone seemed to be acting as though they had already won the house cup. She thought it daft. They had beat Hufflepuff. Big deal.
"Ginny!" Harry said cheerfully, walking towards her as the large and noisy group headed back to the Common Room. Colin sent her a thumbs up as he walked away with his brother and Neville. She waited for Harry to catch up. "I thought I heard you cheering for me. Glad you came."
Ginny felt a blush creep up on her face. Not only because Harry was talking to her but also out of guilt. She had been cheering for him to spite Malfoy.
"First game of the year," she said weakly. "Wouldn't miss it." She offered him a smile. He returned the gesture.
They walked the rest of the way back in silence. It was a comfortable silence. Not one of those wring-your-hands-and-whistle-in-your-head silences. Ginny noticed the raven haired boy walking closer beside her than ever he had before.
"It seems like everyone is pretty riled up," Harry said finally, interrupting the silence. They were now approaching the Fat Lady and Ginny could hear a terrible racket from inside.
"I don't see why. It's just a game," Ginny said darkly, staring at the portrait. "No offense," she added hastily as she realized what she had just said and to whom. "But it's just-"
"I understand," he interrupted her, laughing. She looked over at him and felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so cute with tousled hair and cheeks reddened by the wind. She smiled wider. They paused and listened to the noise which seemed to get yet louder. "Let's not go back yet," Harry said suddenly, turning to face her.
"Ok," she said with a slight frown. "Where should we go then?"
"Dunno," he said with a shrug. "Ever seen the lake?"
"Hmm . . . I'm not sure," Ginny said slowly as though she were trying to think if she ever had.
"You'll love it," Harry said with a grin and grabbed her hand and led her back outside.
Laughing, Ginny allowed herself to be pulled along. Inside she was quite surprised by Harry's daring. Just last year he had had the hardest time asking Cho to the ball. She always thought him to be quite shy. And now he was pulling her off to be alone with him. It was a dream come true.
The chilliness was still in the air, but then they had only been inside for about five minutes. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds and it was pleasantly gloomy. The perfect fall day.
"I love days like this," Ginny said cheerfully, walking along side Harry who was still holding her hand. The lake came into view.
"Really?" Harry asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "I don't. I like sunny days better."
"Oh," Ginny said, slightly abashed. "Why?"
"They seem to make people happy," he said offhandedly. "Why do you like gloomy days?"
'Because they make people not all happy and cheery,' she thought sadistically, but did not voice it. "I don't know," she said instead, looking out to the center of the lake. The giant squid seemed to be swimming laps and had an audience of seagulls flying above. "Just do."
"Oh," Harry replied.
They returned to walking in silence. This time it wasn't as comfortable. At least not to Ginny. She had this urge to speak or to simply listen. Anything. Just not silence.
"You like this place, don't' you?" she finally asked him.
"The lake?" Harry asked her, looking at her as though she had just asked if he had a second head of his shoulder.
"Yeah," she nodded, feeling slightly stupid. "I mean, you, Ron and Hermione are always walking around here."
"Oh," he said again, understanding passing across his cute features. "No, not really. I guess it's more out of habit than affection," he explained.
Ginny felt her heart drop slightly. The lake was one of her favorite places. Especially the little cove with all the hanging trees just out of sight of the castle. Harry only liked it out of habit. He had taken her to a place out of habit rather than anything else. 'Stop it!' she said angrily to herself. 'You're out here with Harry Potter! You're crush of five years! Why are you being so analytical?' She never had a chance to answer herself for she was distracted by Harry pointing across the lake, back at the castle.
"Do you see that?" he asked her, frowning at something behind her. She turned to look and saw someone in a black cloak with the hood drawn up walking towards the forest. She frowned.
"Yeah, who is it?" she asked.
"Wish I knew," he responded, looking with squinted eyes at the figure. "If there was only a way . . ."
Ginny's hand fell away from Harry's. He had released it, taking a few steps closer to the edge of the lake in an attempt to see. At her side, Ginny felt something in her pocket and pulled it out.
Ron's Ominoculars.
"Would these help?" she asked, holding the glittering device up.
"What?" he asked distractedly then turned to see what she was offering. "Perfect!" She held them out to him. "Thanks, Gin." He turned to look back at the figure who was almost at the forest and held the glasses to his eyes. After a moment he handed them back to her, a look of excitement in his yes.
"I've got to go," he said, moving to leave. "I'm sorry," he added, almost like an afterthought. With that he jogged back the way they had come, to the castle.
"Don't worry about it," she responded to his retreating back. "No problem at all. A new case to solve have you? Well run along. I'll just wait here shall I?" She knew that she was over reacting and that she was talking to herself, but she was feeling oddly angry. She didn't know why exactly but she was. Perhaps it was fourteen years of being fretted over by her brothers because she was a girl finally catching up with her. "Yes, I'll just wait here."
And with that she stalked off in a dark mood, heading towards her favorite cove.
~*~
Slytherin Fifth Year Boy's Dorm
Unbeknownst to both Ginny and Harry, but Draco Malfoy had just seen the entire proceeding from his bedroom window. Not because he wanted to or was spying but simply because he looked out the window and there they were.
'So I was right about the courtship," he thought darkly, watching Ginny move away. 'Only a fool would walk away though.' He stopped at that. 'Where the hell did that come from?'
Pushing violently away from the window he walked over to his Muggle radio and turned it up. He had only turned it on a bit before to the rock station but couldn't help but make it louder. The music deserved to be played loud. At current the lead singer of P.O.D. was screaming: "BOOM!"
Grinning to himself he turned to see what he had been waiting for: his eagle owl tapping on the window. He opened it and let the beautiful creature fly in. She had been a gift from his mother for receiving his Hogwarts letter. Her name was Ed. Looking back at it, he had been an odd child.
"Hey," he said as she landed on his left shoulder and nipped at his ear. With his left hand he held up a tray of sweets while with his other removed the letter from her leg. It was from his father as usual. His father always sent letters on Saturday. Draco suspected his father had no life.
Ed flew from his shoulder to his bedside table where she poked about his books. Ed always had been an odd bird, much like his mother. He supposed that was the reason they got along.
He looked down at the letter that looked the same as all the others he received. High grade envelope, which inside would hold the same type of parchment, his name neatly written in black-silver ink and the Malfoy crest stamped in silver on the back.
Idly wondering what this week's letter would be about, he opened it.
Draco,
It has recently come to my attention of the type of predicament the Muggle-loving fools have created for you. This contest, if it can even be called that, is a disgrace to the wizarding world. I will be greatly disappointed in you if you participate in this act of idiocy. I look forward to hearing that you, along with your house, will not be involved.
Your mother sends her regards.
Lucius
'Lucius,' Draco thought bitterly, looking down on the letter in distaste. Draco had never been able to call him anything but father or Lucius while all the kids around him called their fathers things like: Dad, Daddy or even Papa. He had tried dad once and to this day has not forgotten the look of sheer disgust he had received.
The parchment in his hands crumpled. The message was no different from the usual Saturday greetings. But something about the way his father was so sure about the contest infuriated him.
"Who is he to tell me what to do?" he asked Ed angrily, throwing the parchment into the roaring fire behind him. "I bet he had never even heard this stuff before." Which was quite ironic for Draco had only begun listening to it himself about twenty minutes earlier.
The song that was currently playing was quite angry, in a pleasant sort of way. He looked at the screen on the radio which showed that the song was called 'Break Stuff' by Limp Bizkit. Perhaps it was the lead singer ranting about packing a chainsaw (Whatever that was) or the part about being treated like shit or the fact that it was rebellious. Hell, it could have simply been the fact that it was playing loud and sounded angry, matching his mood. What ever the reason Draco began to get an idea.
Grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill he sat down and began to write:
Father, (He fought of the urge to write 'Dad')
I would so hate to disappoint you, since you obviously have enough anger to dispense as it is. It seems my house is already in the midst of participating: I am among them if this should mean anything to you. Now I must cut this short. I have to decide on which song I, along with my house mates, will be belting out. I will of course have you in mind when I make my selection.
Send Mum my love.
Draco.
With a satisfied grin he read it over. 'Just right,' she thought. 'All the politeness he requires and enough anger to tell him off. If only I could see his face when he reads it.'
He jammed the letter into and envelope, sealed it and addressed it with shaking hands. He passed it onto Ed and shooed her off before he could think twice about what he was doing. Never before had he rebelled against his father is such an obvious way. He didn't even know what brought it on. He had just been so angry.
'Well it's not like he can do anything to me,' he reassured himself, grabbing his cloak, deciding he needed some air. 'For one, I'm at school, two, I'm his only child and three, well, I'm his son. We're supposed to rebel. And besides, he never does anything more than yell. A lot. Ok, more like rant for hours, but that's beside the point.'
Now he was sure he needed air, so he left.
~*~
Gryffindor Common Room
The Party seemed to have died down. In fact, it appeared that there had been no party at all. It had started out strong with food brought up from the kitchens by the twins and the promised coffee from Lee Jordan. Everyone was ready to have a blast, that is until some idiot, I mean, uh, student, turned on the television. The horde of rambunctious students set their eyes on the TV, simultaneously walked towards it and as one body sat down.
All students that is, except for Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger who for some odd reason seemed impervious to the television's charms.
"I just don't get it," Hermione said quietly, sitting in her usual spot by the fire. Her eyes were fixed on the student body that was Gryffindor.
"It's damned creepy," Ron agreed, eyeing them as well.
"I mean, what do they see in it?" she went on. "Even the Muggle-borns are there. And they all grew up with TVs."
"They must see something we don't see," he replied, eyes going slightly wider as he continued to stare. Perhaps it was to see if he could take in more light and see the rays of control emitted by the TV. Could have just been boredom as well. "What ever it is, it's not natural," he concluded, finally turning away from the students to look at his friend. After a moment she did the same.
"I think they're getting worse," she whispered as though scared "they" would hear, her eyes wide with disbelief. Ron did the only thing he could. He laughed.
"Isn't this all backwards?" he asked her. She frowned. "Aren't I supposed to be all cynical and suspicious while you sit there and tell me that there is no way a television could control a group of students? Cause it's true. It's not magic or anything."
"But Muggles have their own form of magic. There are hidden messages in everything. Propaganda to control the masses," she said in the same tone, eyes going wider.
Warning bells began to go off in Ron's head. Something was wrong. Hermione was acting strange. Rising to his feet, he walked over to her and slapped her across the face.
"OW!" she cried, raising a hand to her face. "Ron! What in Merlin's name did you do that for?!"
"You were tripping out," Ron said going red. "And it seemed like a good idea at the time."
"A good idea at the time?" she demanded, glaring up at him. He smiled to himself. She was back to her Hermioneish self, not the conspiracy girl of a few minutes ago.
He decided not to respond to her question. If he started another argument he would have no one to talk to since both Harry and Ginny were off doing who knows what. Instead he walked over to a chair in the corner and jacked a box of Every Flavor Beans from his brothers' secret stash.
"Berty Botts?" he asked her, returning to his seat.
She glared at him for a moment then to the offered food. "Why not," she said with a sigh.
"I though you didn't like them," he pointed out after opening the box and the thought struck him. He sat down on the ground.
"They're better than nothing," she responded, indicating to the other students who were polishing off the food from the kitchens. She joined him on the ground.
And so they sat, trying different beans, even the unusual colored ones, laughing at the other's reactions to the taste. Hermione's face pinching up as she ate a lemon flavored one. Ron's relief with chocolate. Hers to a strawberry milkshake. Until-
"Ugh, bogey flavored," Ron gasped, spitting the offending bean out onto this hand. They both looked at it wide-eyed.
"I didn't know they made those," Hermione said slowly. "Here, eat a blue one, it should get rid of the taste." She offered him a blue bean which he accepted. (It turned out to be blueberry)
"You pick one," he told her after tossing the half masticated bean into the fire.
"I don't know," she said slowly, warily looking down at the selection spread across the floor before them.
"Come on, what harm could come from this yellow one?" Ron asked, nudging it towards her.
"Could be piss," she responded, staring at it.
"Could be cheese."
"Could be- oh, I don't know. Something else yellow and fowl," she said in exasperation.
"Chicken," Ron hissed. She looked at him appalled.
"I am not," she snapped.
"Then eat it."
"Fine." And she did.
"Well?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Her face remained impassive.
"Banana," she finally responded with a grin.
"You know, I just had a disturbing thought," Ron said with an odd, twisted smile.
"Hopefully not from my eating a banana flavored bean, cause if that's what it is, I don't want to hear it," she said as only Hermione could.
"No nothing like that. But come to think about it . . . "At Hermione's look he stopped. "No. It's just that, I wonder how many people, after eating a bogey flavored bean, ate their own bogies to see if they tasted right?"
"That is pretty disturbing," she agreed, then furrowed her brow in a way that struck Ron as down right cute. "But considering that each body has a different formula for making mucus and each person breaths different air so that the dirt content is different-"
"Are you trying to say that people have different flavored boogers?" Ron demanded, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"I guess so," she agreed. "Here, you wanna try?" Hermione made to pick her nose and offered him invisible boogers.
"Oh that's disgusting!" he howled and they both burst out laughing.
"What's disgusting?" Harry asked, walking towards them from the portrait hole. Ron was about to respond when Hermione gasped.
"Harry! What's wrong? It looks like you ran here!"
"That's cause I did," he panted, plopping down into a chair beside them.
"Why?" Ron demanded , looking up at his friend in concern.
Harry took a breath and began to explain to them what he had seen. In the end Ron's head was reeling.
"But Harry, Snape's on our side," Hermione said reasonably. "He's proven it more than once."
"He could have been going into the forest for any reason," Ron agreed.
"I know," Harry conceded. "I just have this feeling in the back of my head that something's not right . . ."
~*~
By the time Ginny got to her cove, she was pretty much calmed down. She still couldn't figure out why she had gotten so mad in the first place. It really rather scared her.
She was seated on a large rock under a tree and staring out at the lake. The wind was starting to pick up and there were small waves being formed. To her, these were inspiring surroundings and brought about some of her best thinking.
Ginny had a sinking suspicion though that she wouldn't get too much thinking done today. Someone had just walked into her little cove. A someone with silver-blonde hair and a frown.
~*~
A/N: Well yes, wonderful eh? Not! Hmm, the next few chapters should have more D/G action. There has been a definite lack so far and I am quite appalled at myself. Bad Tiny Q. Anyhoo, the bogey conversation really happened between me and a friend of mine while eating Every Flavor Beans. Still makes me giggle just thinking about it. Music suggestions for any character or group would be appreciated. Otherwise your just going to get my odd mix of music. Unless you would like that?!?!? He He He.
Thanks muchly to: Lallie(Yes dear, whatever you say dear. JK! You know I love you!), Milkyweed(~blushes~ Thank you), Pink-Crane, Ayinseetimes 2(Yes, Canada rules! I was under the impression that England was quite open, at least with their gov't. ~shrug~ And I have nothing against feminists. I am one myself. ~grin~ Uh, sounds like you have some pent up anger. I'll be going now . . . JK), bellus-qui, Azalai(There have to be more us out there, I mean how many CDs have they sold?!), BleedingQueen(Noo! Don't condemn me to dig deeper! Everyone already thinks I'm crazy! Crazy they call me! Crazy! Damn cornyness . . .), elen, VirtualFaerie(I totally agree. They're just the perfect match), Laylana Fairyweather(Mosh-pit sounds good! I'll look into that . . .), Jessie Weasley and txt-eva!