Run Hard, Fly High, Love Deep
Chapter 2
Emma closed the door quietly and sighed as she leaned against it. She couldn't help but giggle. "And where have you been?" A soft light filled the room and Angelina's head stuck out of from behind her curtains. Thinking it was a teacher for a minute Emma froze. She realized who is was and quickly made for her bed. She didn't usually wear much makeup but she was sure the little lipstick she had put on was smeared everywhere.
"No where," Emma said trying to wipe away her smile with her hands.
"Oh, so why is your skirt is tucked up in your knickers?" Emma looked down in horror but her skirt was fine.
"It is not!" she shouted, the outrage disrupted with her own laugh.
"Yeah but you looked!" Angelina teased and four other disembodied giggles filled the room.
Breakfast was an interesting affair. Every time she caught Wood's eyes they both looked away, blushing, and her new friends would giggle. Wood's behavior had of course identified the culprit to them. She leaned over half way through the meal and swore to him she hadn't told them anything. A little while after that Fred demanded to what was so funny but Wood simply asked him if he wanted more pumpkin juice while he poured himself a glass.
As the day went on Angelina, Alicia, and Kate held a kind of honor guard around her. They were taking some perverse pleasure in keeping Wood at bay when they passed between classes. So Emma wasn't surprised when, as she was walking to Charms, a piece of folded parchment suddenly floated out in front of her. Wood hadn't been allowed within ten feet of her since breakfast. But before she could grab it Alicia, to her horror, plucked it out of the air and was reading it softly aloud. She tried to grab it but the female chaser was too quick and danced out of her grasp. She found Wood amongst the crowd and saw the look of dread on his face. She quickly mouthed, "I'm sorry," and he just shrugged back.
"Dear Emma," Alicia began again once she had gotten the blonde's attention. "I enjoyed our moonlit chase." There was a group aww and Emma buried her face behind her book. "Please join me for a late night practice tonight on the pitch at 9. Forever your chaser, Oliver Wood." "Leave it to Wood to use a Quidditch position as a term of endearment," Angelina snorted.
Oliver was eventually allowed to push through the line of chasers and he took her hand on the way to lunch. He was whispering to her the evils of Snape, potions being her next class, making her giggle. A blush was constantly on her face as his breath tickled her ear. They practically glowed as they walked together and were beginning to make a few Slytherins sick. For Emma, she could feel the pain of her mother's death starting to ebb with each laugh and stolen kiss.
After lunch, the Griffindors took their seats in the chilly dungeon and Alicia, having the legible handwriting, handed Emma her notebook to sift thorough. It was mostly stuff she knew and she was grateful she wouldn't be behind. Professor Snape floated into the classroom and stopped suddenly at her. For a moment she thought he was going to reach out to take her hand but he thought better of it and continued. The Griffindors shuttered around her. "Today we will be working on the antidote for the sleeping serum we created yesterday. Get to work," he ordered before gliding back to Emma.
"Ms.?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"White," she supplied and he nodded.
"Please join me in my office," he said in his elegant drawl. She stood up and followed him, choosing to ignore Alicia's comment 'nice knowing you'. The minute the door closed she leapt into Professor Snape's arms.
"Severus I've missed you," she said quietly. The professor released her and held her at arms length.
"I'm sorry I could not be at the funeral. I was too afraid I would be followed," he said sincerely. "You know I loved you mother very much."
"And she loved you," Emma replied. Her smile dropped and she looked at him searchingly. "I have to ask you though. There's a boy here. . .Is he a Malfoy?"
"Draco Malfoy," Snape answered. "He doesn't know. It would be best you stayed away though. It might be noticed."
"It already has, Oliver Wood saw it the first day." Emma couldn't help the twitch in the corner of her mouth.
"You've fallen for that prat," Snape said with a frown.
"I couldn't help it Severus. He's adorable," she cooed half teasing and Snape raised a hand as if to say 'I don't want to know.' He stepped into a fatherly role while he was dating her mother, which had gone on since she could remember. However, he never presumed to give more than advice.
"Here are the potions you'll need to know." He took a list from his desk and handed it to her. "I'm sure you know them all but they will be in your O.W.L.S. If you have any difficulty with them let me know." She took the notes he offered and stepped to the door. "You look so much like her," he said quietly. "And she would be so proud of you." Emma didn't look back but paused before opening the door and stepping back into the classroom. She kept an expression of concentration as she pretended to read over the list. Severus was never an overly emotional person but he never left her in doubt of his affections.
"Angelina those are way too big. It'll turn your potion green. Here." She took the roots Angelina was about to throw into her cauldron and quickly shortened them. They all gave her questioning look as she threw them into the pot. "I had a good tutor growing up," she replied loud enough for Snape to hear as he passed by. It didn't take him long to school the twitching of his lip.
They started out practicing that night, really. . . for about 10 minutes. But Wood 'accidentally' took a Quaffle to the nose; she was aiming at his gut after a cheeky retort on his part. It did, of course, prove she wasn't meant to be a chaser as he had said. They landed and she pulled him into the locker room to get something to mop up the blood. And about ten minutes after that they were sprawled on a bench, making out like Voldemort was beyond the door. Emma's skirt was pushed most of the way up her thighs and her shirt was unbuttoned when suddenly the locker room was flooded with light. The couple looked across the room to see a very stern Madam Hooch standing with her arms folded in the doorway.
"Mr. Wood."
"Madam Hooch." He greeted her as if nothing were amiss. "This is Emma White, she's the new reserve keeper." Emma, who was hiding her face, turned to the Professor.
"Pleased to meet you Madam Hooch," she was blushing profusely but Madam Hooch simply smiled at her and nodded.
"Pleasure to meet you Ms. White," she said pleasantly before turning back to Oliver with a stern expression. "Mr. Wood I will be waiting outside to escort you to your dormitory. I expect this will be your last late night practice." With that the teacher turned on her heels and left Oliver and Emma to a fit of giggles.
After some more making outside the portrait, on the stairway, against her door, in the doorway, she finally returned to her room. Emma tiptoed quite across the floor. She had set a silencing charm on herself so even her feet made no noise, but she could still knock things over. Suddenly she felt her feet brush up against something, a cord. She cursed and looked up as two small objects flew at her from above. She squealed silently, charm still in effect, as quiet splash filled the silent dorm. Sopping wet and. . . well blue, though she didn't know it yet. She marched across the floor pulled back a pair of curtains, quietly mind you, and pulled out her wand.
The next morning there was a large commotion in the great hall. Everyone turned to see the Griffindor chasers glumly trudge in. Green fumes were wafting off of them and they looked as if they were rotting. Their skin was tinged green and there was dark circles under there eyes. Skin also seemed to be pealing off. They probably would have run screaming to Madam Pomfrey but Emma had left a note on the door, saying it would wear off by lunch. First there was a mix of shock and laughter, mostly from the Slytherins, and then when people came within smelling distance they recoiled in disgust. Most of the Griffindor table decided they weren't hungry anymore and left the chasers there own little corner.
Oliver laughed in delight and looked down at his little blue tinted girlfriend. She was still beaming at her roommates. Katie finally looked down the table down and Emma waved.
"Look it worked," Katie cried. The other two girls looked up and their expressions changed to joy. Emma had been gone when they woke that morning and all they found was a blue spot on the floor.
"Oy Emma you look terrible," Alicia called.
"Yes, but you smell it!" she called back.
The Weasley brothers were instantly at her side begging for her secrets.
That afternoon they walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts and took seats near the front. This was the last new class and the professor was supposed to tutor Emma after hours. She squirmed in her seat and Katie asked her what was wrong but she couldn't explain it. There was something wrong, something twitching under her skin. The professor's office door opened and suddenly Emma jumped slightly. It was enough for all three chasers to notice and they looked at her curiously. She assured them it was nothing but was grateful when Katie squeezed her hand. The rest of the lesson when without incident even though she watched Professor Lupin's every movement. Once she barely stopped a soft growl from escaping. Something wasn't right about this professor, he set her hair on edge.
Oliver had taken to sitting in the common room after Quidditch practice and studying with Emma. It wasn't that he didn't usually study; it was that she did it a lot and forced him to abandon his mini Quidditch board. After all who could study with that constant muttering. It had already mentioned by a professor, or two or three what a good influence she was on him. It was during these comments that Oliver noticed something. The teachers always spoke so gently when talking about her. McGonagall even grew a little misty eyed. It was like they knew some terrible secret he didn't. He had already suspected it had to do with her mother but if she didn't want to talk about it he couldn't pry.
Suddenly she straightened next to him. She titled her head slightly as if listening to something far away. He was about to ask when she suddenly stood up and mumbled something about having to go. "What about your books?" he called after her but she didn't seem to hear him as she ran off and out of the portrait.
Her feet made soft clicking marks as she followed the sound. It was calling to her, like a sad song pulling at her heart. She stopped outside a door and suddenly realized where she was, the dada classroom. She nudged open the door and walked in. The room was filled with soft music but that wasn't what she had heard. She quietly stalked up the stairs to Lupin's office and paused for a moment, she could get in a lot of trouble for being out of bed this late. She grabbed the door handle with and turned it. The door creaked open and she looked in. There, curled up in front of the fire was a wolf. It's sad yellow eyes looked at her with curiosity as it lifted it's head to see the intruder.
