Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
Ron snuck back into the common room only to find that Hermione was awake once more. "Where did you go?" She asked, though she could not yet see Ron.
He pulled off the invisibility cloak, "Out." Ron said quickly hoping he would be able to quickly hop up to the dormitories without receiving the first degree from Hermione.
"I don't think it was just out. When you go 'out' you bring people with you, or at least, you bring something back with you." She paused, "It's rather suspicious when you do neither."
"I wanted to talk to Alisa." He admitted.
"Why? What is it about her that draws you to her?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. There's just something about her." Ron stopped for a moment, trying to put his finger on it, but the answer evaded him. "Do you know her, Alisabelle I mean?"
"I... I don't know. I've been thinking about that and I'm nearly certain I do, but I don't know from where. I keep searching my mind, but I cannot grab a hold of it." Hermione said, also thinking.
"She said you knew her once, but she didn't say any more than that. She said you knew each other when you were younger. I don't know when or how, but she said you knew her." Ron said.
"Perhaps I do know her." Hermione thought for a bit longer.
Suddenly Ron became aware of the time. "O my good god, it must be past four in the morning. You'd better get some sleep, Hermione, you've been thinking too much." Ron said, "I'm going to head up to bed myself."
"Alright, you first." Hermione said, smiling.
"Doubtful, Hermione, you first, at least that way I'll know you at least collapsed on a bed." Ron said, pulling her off the sofa and forcing her gently toward the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory.
"Alright, alright." She said, "Good night Ron." She gave him a quick hug and ran up toward her dormitory.
Ron looked around the common room once more for no apparent reason then headed up to his dormitory as well. Sneaking the cloak back into Harry's trunk, Ron looked eagerly out the window. He could see her below, having returned to her post long before Ron had reached the dormitories, she looked up, smile, waved and whispered something at him. He was all the sudden very aware of how sleepy he was and fell into a dreamless sleep until the sun shone outside his window.
***
Harry woke him early and Ron realized he couldn't have gotten more than four more hours of sleep. "Come on Ron! We've got to talk to Dumbledore." Ron dragged himself out of bed and changed quickly into his favourite Saturday outfit, corduroy pants and blue sweater, in which he thought he looked quite dashing. Harry was already dressed, wearing his usual oversized pants and red sweater, waiting impatiently for Ron to brush his teeth before rushing down to the common room to meet Hermione.
"Alright guys, let's go." She said. Ron was amazed that she could look so rejuvenated when he knew she had been up most of the night. It was doubtful she even went to sleep when he did, after all, she didn't have Alisabelle whispering words of sleep in her ear.
The three hurried out of the portal and into the hall. Quietly whispering complaints about having not eaten yet and not understanding, they rushed through the halls, Ron eager to see Alisabelle, Harry eager to talk to Dumbledore, and Hermione eager to have her questions answered. Long before the statue which led to Dumbledore's office was in sight, the three heard someone approach. Without even looking at the Marauder's Map, they knew it was Draco Malfoy from the click of his boots. And he appeared moments later, dressed in black pants and a green sweater, glaring at them.
"And what are you three doing here?" He asked with a sneer on his face.
"That's none of your business, Malfoy." Harry said.
"Perhaps it isn't, Potter." Draco said with a cold look upon his face, "But perhaps I'd like to know anyway."
"I don't think we really want to tell you, Malfoy, so perhaps you should move out of the way." Harry said, his hand ready to grab his wand.
"What if I don't?" Draco taunted.
"Then you may find yourself wishing you did." Harry said, about to grab his wand.
"I don't think that will be necessary." Harry heard a voice say from behind him, Ron smiled as Alisabelle floated toward them wearing, surprisingly, a slim skirt and a silver shirt to match, "I think we can all settle our differences." She smiled and turned to Draco, "Draco, good to see you, very good to see you."
Draco stared at her for a moment, "Belle?" He asked in a whisper.
"You remember. I'm glad you do. I have often wondered about you." She walked around him once, "I must say, you turned out to be far more handsome than I had imagined you would, and that's surprising, because I imagined you would become incredibly handsome."
"It's been..." Draco paused.
"Far too long, I know. Tell me, does your father still hate me?" She asked.
"With a bitter passion." Draco told her.
"I expected as much." She glanced around, "So what are you doing here on this fine morning?" She asked.
"Uh... I go to school here." He said.
"I'm well aware of that, in fact, I was planning on making a visit to the Slytherin common room this afternoon to visit my old friends. But really, why are you here, so close to Dumbledore's office, and so close to my newest friends?" She asked. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were all looking at each other. Alisabelle friends with Draco Malfoy and the Slytherins? What did this mean?
"You're friends with... them?" Draco asked with distaste in his voice.
"I am friends with them as I am friends with you, the house they are in matters not to me, you of all people should know that." She said, "Please, Harry, Hermione, Ron, head on up, Dumbledore is waiting for you."
The three nodded to each other and hurried off past Draco, taking stolen glances backwards and at each other, questioning what was going on.
Ron snuck back into the common room only to find that Hermione was awake once more. "Where did you go?" She asked, though she could not yet see Ron.
He pulled off the invisibility cloak, "Out." Ron said quickly hoping he would be able to quickly hop up to the dormitories without receiving the first degree from Hermione.
"I don't think it was just out. When you go 'out' you bring people with you, or at least, you bring something back with you." She paused, "It's rather suspicious when you do neither."
"I wanted to talk to Alisa." He admitted.
"Why? What is it about her that draws you to her?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. There's just something about her." Ron stopped for a moment, trying to put his finger on it, but the answer evaded him. "Do you know her, Alisabelle I mean?"
"I... I don't know. I've been thinking about that and I'm nearly certain I do, but I don't know from where. I keep searching my mind, but I cannot grab a hold of it." Hermione said, also thinking.
"She said you knew her once, but she didn't say any more than that. She said you knew each other when you were younger. I don't know when or how, but she said you knew her." Ron said.
"Perhaps I do know her." Hermione thought for a bit longer.
Suddenly Ron became aware of the time. "O my good god, it must be past four in the morning. You'd better get some sleep, Hermione, you've been thinking too much." Ron said, "I'm going to head up to bed myself."
"Alright, you first." Hermione said, smiling.
"Doubtful, Hermione, you first, at least that way I'll know you at least collapsed on a bed." Ron said, pulling her off the sofa and forcing her gently toward the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory.
"Alright, alright." She said, "Good night Ron." She gave him a quick hug and ran up toward her dormitory.
Ron looked around the common room once more for no apparent reason then headed up to his dormitory as well. Sneaking the cloak back into Harry's trunk, Ron looked eagerly out the window. He could see her below, having returned to her post long before Ron had reached the dormitories, she looked up, smile, waved and whispered something at him. He was all the sudden very aware of how sleepy he was and fell into a dreamless sleep until the sun shone outside his window.
***
Harry woke him early and Ron realized he couldn't have gotten more than four more hours of sleep. "Come on Ron! We've got to talk to Dumbledore." Ron dragged himself out of bed and changed quickly into his favourite Saturday outfit, corduroy pants and blue sweater, in which he thought he looked quite dashing. Harry was already dressed, wearing his usual oversized pants and red sweater, waiting impatiently for Ron to brush his teeth before rushing down to the common room to meet Hermione.
"Alright guys, let's go." She said. Ron was amazed that she could look so rejuvenated when he knew she had been up most of the night. It was doubtful she even went to sleep when he did, after all, she didn't have Alisabelle whispering words of sleep in her ear.
The three hurried out of the portal and into the hall. Quietly whispering complaints about having not eaten yet and not understanding, they rushed through the halls, Ron eager to see Alisabelle, Harry eager to talk to Dumbledore, and Hermione eager to have her questions answered. Long before the statue which led to Dumbledore's office was in sight, the three heard someone approach. Without even looking at the Marauder's Map, they knew it was Draco Malfoy from the click of his boots. And he appeared moments later, dressed in black pants and a green sweater, glaring at them.
"And what are you three doing here?" He asked with a sneer on his face.
"That's none of your business, Malfoy." Harry said.
"Perhaps it isn't, Potter." Draco said with a cold look upon his face, "But perhaps I'd like to know anyway."
"I don't think we really want to tell you, Malfoy, so perhaps you should move out of the way." Harry said, his hand ready to grab his wand.
"What if I don't?" Draco taunted.
"Then you may find yourself wishing you did." Harry said, about to grab his wand.
"I don't think that will be necessary." Harry heard a voice say from behind him, Ron smiled as Alisabelle floated toward them wearing, surprisingly, a slim skirt and a silver shirt to match, "I think we can all settle our differences." She smiled and turned to Draco, "Draco, good to see you, very good to see you."
Draco stared at her for a moment, "Belle?" He asked in a whisper.
"You remember. I'm glad you do. I have often wondered about you." She walked around him once, "I must say, you turned out to be far more handsome than I had imagined you would, and that's surprising, because I imagined you would become incredibly handsome."
"It's been..." Draco paused.
"Far too long, I know. Tell me, does your father still hate me?" She asked.
"With a bitter passion." Draco told her.
"I expected as much." She glanced around, "So what are you doing here on this fine morning?" She asked.
"Uh... I go to school here." He said.
"I'm well aware of that, in fact, I was planning on making a visit to the Slytherin common room this afternoon to visit my old friends. But really, why are you here, so close to Dumbledore's office, and so close to my newest friends?" She asked. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were all looking at each other. Alisabelle friends with Draco Malfoy and the Slytherins? What did this mean?
"You're friends with... them?" Draco asked with distaste in his voice.
"I am friends with them as I am friends with you, the house they are in matters not to me, you of all people should know that." She said, "Please, Harry, Hermione, Ron, head on up, Dumbledore is waiting for you."
The three nodded to each other and hurried off past Draco, taking stolen glances backwards and at each other, questioning what was going on.