Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the ideas.
*** Kudos out to Claire who was the first to review this time! I'm glad you're still enjoying the plot (and the R/Hrness too). It means a lot to me that you guys aren't sick of it yet or anything! HogwartsHoe it's great that you're starting to understand the plot! And I'm pretty excited about the truth potion too! It'll be fun to write, I think. Andie glad to know I answered your question and that you're in the light now! I'm so glad you're back as an awesome reviewer! Princess-Pixie-Sugar-Stix I'm glad I made your day a little brighter! Reading your review made mine a little brighter! EVERYONE READ HER STORIES! THEY ARE GOOD, I promise! And you ARE a wonderful writer and here's a little tip: even if you don't get a lot of reviewers, keep writing and eventually someone will read it. I know that for a fact. The longer it's up the more people it attracts. It works, I promise! Lily Michelle you're right! I am into complex plots and I promise, that last chapter is about as complex as it's going to get…for awhile…now it's on to waking the people! And you DO keep me on my toes! Thank you! Ronaldrose I'm glad this story is your favorite of mine! That's great! And thanks for saying they're all very well written. Mina you're right, the last one was a cliffhanger! I don't mind them and most of the time I don't even realize I've made one! It's so great to see your name as a reviewer! Keep the reviews comin' babe! Hermione Weasley it's great that you're still interested in my story! It means a lot to me that you're still reading! I hope you had a great Easter and thanks for wishing I had a great one too (and I did)! Danidancer I'm glad you're still into my story! That means so much to me! Thanks for the review! Pee Tree a new reviewer! I'm glad you think my story keeps getting better! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you! Americanangel I'm going to read your story tomorrow night because I can't after I post this—I've got to get to bed! But thanks so much for reading and reviewing! It's awesome to have an awesome reviewer like you! Thank you! HpFaNaTiCa I hope your confusion is going away! Remember if you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I'll answer! I promise! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Shaunna I'm so glad you thought the last chapter was brilliant! That really means a lot to me—and Mitch IS a hottie! I hope this chapter lives up to the last one! Sugar Blossom thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as you have the others! Vanilla Baby this chapter is for you! I'm glad you liked the last one and I hope you enjoy this chapter—it has more M. Reed and I just really like his character so, enjoy! Celeste I hope you enjoy this chapter and that things make a little more sense! I too am happy with the way things are going so it means so much more to me if you guys do! Thanks again! Marjojo well for the next couple chapters things are going to slow down and stuff so we can all take a breather from guessing…I hope it still keeps you interested! Thanks for being such an awesome reviewer! Soupcann314 I'm glad you're still enjoying my story and I hope that this chapter makes you smile, although it will probably frustrate some of you…because, well…I shouldn't really say, actually! Thanks for the reviews and everything because they really mean so much to me! Pineapplehead I like … so it's OK if you like exclamation points! Thanks for the reviews! Jenny a long review! Yeah! Thank you so much! It's great to have another dedicated reviewer…you guys who review like every chapter are so great and means a hell of a lot to me so thank you very much! Felicia you ought to get a trophy for analyzing that quote for me! No one else did! LOL! I think they were all confused or scared off by it (I know I was scared off by it!) You gave an awesome analysis and you know what else? It made complete and utter sense so THANK YOU! You're AWESOME! Mela that's an awesome thing you said to me…about your world being a little less boring b/c of this fanfic. That means so much to me! And you are welcome for using some of your ideas! You should be very proud of yourself! Thanks for loving my story…I sure hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thank you everybody! Ya'll are awesome and it means a lot to me that you take time out of your busy days to not only read my story but review it. Thank you.
Chapter 38: The Inner Workings of Natalie Pickett
Mitch had hardly been able to keep his hands off of Katie Bell's diary since he had first started reading it. It was filled with anything and everything she could find to write about, he found.
The diary had started sometime during their fifth year but he didn't read it in the order she had written it. He actually had started reading it from the middle and worked his way to the most recent. Sometimes he would skip around, maybe he'd read something from the previous two years or sometimes he would just keep on reading.
It was rather comforting, he felt.
Today she was talking about her feelings for Lee, something that had become a more common occurrence in her writing. He wouldn't have minded reading it if he hadn't felt as if his heart was being torn in two but as it was, it killed him.
It killed him but he continued to read it.
He laughed with her sometimes and other times, he felt her pain. He touched the tear stained pages of some entries and a searing heat filled his lungs, his heart, and his fingers. It was as if what she felt he could feel too. It was an exciting, scary thing.
Sometimes when he read he compared what was happening at that time in her life to what was happening in his life. Presently she had just learned of her feelings for Lee and Mitch knew that was about the time he had completely…tried to, anyhow…end his feelings for her. He swore off liking any girl, not just Katie, for a long, long time. At least until he had a stable job.
He was trying to get himself to believe that being alone, the way so many of the Hogwarts teachers seemingly were, wasn't a bad thing. Maybe he would become the next Albus Dumbledore, he told himself, although he doubted it.
And so because he was not the next Albus Dumbledore, he sat in his bunk alone and read the diary of a girl who he suspected he was in love with, even though she was in love with Lee Jordan.
Mitch vowed to hex Lee (that is, if Lee ever woke).
***
Ron and Harry were at Quidditch practice late in the evening a week later and so Hermione made her way to the library with a stifling load of books cradled in her arms. If Ron had seen her he would have chuckled at her and she would have yelled at him, that was the way it always went.
Madame Pince barely acknowledged Hermione entering the library, so used to seeing the bushy-haired student witch she was. It didn't matter anyway, she basically had the location of every book in the library memorized. She knew where the books on truth potions were. The pile of class workbooks in her arms was for looks only. Ron would be so proud of her.
At the thought of Ron, Hermione's heart sped up and she felt her cheeks flush. Last night had been good to them. She had really enjoyed him last night. She smiled in spite of herself.
Hermione gently set her books down on the table in the corner and she immediately moved over to the bookshelves she would need to look in.
With an expert finger she searched the titles of spell books as she hoped to find one that would lay out a simple, easy spell for herself and her friends to follow. A wicked, silent grin covered her face. A truth potion on Malfoy would be great. Absolutely wonderful, she told herself.
"Well hello Granger," Malfoy's cool voice floated into her ears.
Hermione turned around easily, grasping the book she had just found in her hand. "Malfoy," she said in an equally cold voice.
His icy stare turned down to look at the title of the book in her hands and he didn't hide reading it from her. "What are you doing with that book Granger?" he asked in an accusatory tone.
"What's it to you?" she returned. She carefully moved around him as she returned back to her table and took a seat.
"I just thought I might be of some help," he snarled.
Hermione could tell it was taking all of him not to hex her for good. She looked up at him and stared him straight in the eye. "Why don't you just call me Mudblood and get it over with Malfoy," she challenged.
He looked at her angrily. "If you aren't careful, Granger, I just might," he threatened. With that he turned and walked away and Hermione shook her head and thought of many a way to kill Malfoy—as soon as Pansy Parkinson (the ugly girl) woke up.
***
They had been practicing down at the Quidditch field for two hours straight. Two long hours of sweat and flying and near injuries. The players all loved it.
Angelina and Fred had landed and immediately, as with the end of every practice they kissed. George and Alicia stayed in the air while Ron and Harry observed from down below.
This time though they weren't alone on the ground for long. The twins shortly landed next to them and winked. Harry and Ron looked at each other worriedly. Why were the twins ignoring tradition to come down here and speak with them?
"Do you want something Fred?" Ron finally asked warily.
They both grinned and leaned in closer to them as the girls swooshed around on their brooms overhead. "Natalie is going to the Infirmary to speak with lover-boy Lee as we speak," they informed them.
"You're shitting me," Ron said flatly. Harry agreed; they must have been kidding.
"No, no, no!" George protested. "My—ahem, our dear brother would never lie," George said and Harry, seeing the glimmer in his eyes knew George had just lied to them. Ron looked on disbelievingly.
"Would we lie to you, little bro and our little bro's friend?" Fred asked making puppy dog eyes their way.
"Yes you would," Ron replied slowly.
Fred laughed out loud. He was so loud, Angelina looked away from where she was going to see what was so funny and nearly ran into one of the goal posts. Alicia pointed at her friend and laughed.
"Alright, alright so maybe, just maybe, we would lie to you, Ronniekins! But never about something so important!" Fred protested.
Ron looked unconvinced and Harry felt his friend had a good reason to look unconvinced. Harry knew he sure wouldn't have believed the twins…he figured he couldn't trust either of them farther than he could throw 'em.
George gasped upon seeing the faces of his brother and his brother's friend. "I am horrified, Ronnie, absolutely horrified that you two think we would lie to you about something so important!"
Ron sighed tiredly. "Are you two done screwing around yet? I've got to go take a shower and I'm sure Harry would like to too."
Both brothers looked as if they wanted to say some entirely witty comment to respond to that but they wisely bit their tongue and allowed the two fifth years to pass, shaking their redheads as the boys did so of course.
***
Natalie didn't know why she was going to the Infirmary to see Lee Jordan. She really didn't. It made no sense whatsoever. She just knew she didn't want him to be in the Infirmary anymore.
She walked fearlessly into the Infirmary, only stopping once to talk a moment with Carmen. Dear, friendly Carmen who once was so full of lifelike features. Now the dear girl still looked lifelike just like she was sleeping. As if she would wake up immediately.
Natalie was of Muggle parents. She knew the fairytales. Never did she imagine as she was growing up that she would be part of a real life fairytale. When she was a child it was all apart of her imagination. Usually, it was part of her overactive imagination. Never once did she truly believe in the sleeping princess (or prince, she supposed).
There were rules in the Muggle world. Rules of what was right and of what was wrong. There was a difference between black and white. There were no hazy middle grounds that said an announcement of feelings would wake a person up. Only medicine did that. Medicine and answered prayers anyhow.
Natalie kissed Carmen's forehead and smoothed away the soft caramel colored tresses. "I've got to go talk to Lee right now Carmen, but I'll talk to you tomorrow. I promise," she vowed. And she meant it: she would talk to Carmen tomorrow.
Then she steadily walked on to Lee's bed. There was a stark contrast between Lee's dark skin and the white of the pillows. The contrast was unnerving and Natalie was once again glad that she opted to come alone. Having a group of friends, a support group in essence, would have been annoying and she would have been quite bashful. She felt very free to say what she wanted.
Madame Pomfrey also wasn't in, which Natalie was happy about. The old nurse was alright with allowing students to visit her patients but Natalie didn't feel like dealing with the old lady at the moment. She would much rather tell Lee a couple of things and then be on her merry way.
Natalie stood over Lee and gazed down at him. She looked at him as if she had never seen him before and perhaps maybe she hadn't, she thought. She remembered Lee easily from the Common Room and from meals. Carmen and she sat nearby the twins and Lee and their friends since their first year so she had always seen Lee.
The thing was; she had never seen this side of Lee, whatever side that was. Whenever she had seen him he was laughing and joking around with his friends. There was never anything odd about that, Natalie thought. Besides, some of the things they'd done were pretty funny, she had to admit.
She had always known they were funny, even when she had tried, and quite successfully too, acted as she was unimpressed by the jokes and stupidity of the three older boys. In reality, their stupidity and jokes and true friendliness had always amazed her.
"Lee, I…" Her voice was failing her now. What was she planning on telling him? She had no idea, she realized. She had no bloody idea what she would tell him. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest.
Natalie inched her way closer to the bed. "I've been…" I've been what? I've been talking to Fred and George. I just thought you might like to know that. Well now, that was quite stupid of her!
She took another baby step toward the black boy on the bed. "I just wanted to say…" Once again she stopped mid-sentence. Well this is bloody stupid.
Then another voice was talking to him in monotone. It took her until long after she left the Infirmary to realize it was her own voice saying this to Lee: "I hope you get better real soon, Lee. It's a shame to go to the Quidditch games when you aren't the announcer."
What did you think of that? Did you like it or did you hate it? There was a little bit of everything going on in this chapter, I know but I hope it made sense. Please, please review! It really does mean a lot to me and I would absolutely hate to have to get down on my hands and knees and beg for reviews! LOL! Thanks so much for reading my story!
*** As a side note, please pray/light a candle/meditate/whatever-it-is-you-do for the Allied forces in light of the war…and not only for the Allied soldiers but also the innocent Iraqi lives that will be lost. Remember, it is not Iraq we are against, but Saddam Hussein. I apologize if this request has offended you.
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
~ Erica Jong
