Xenith
"It is better to be cruel for love than for hate." --Thomas Burnett Swann
Chapter 20
"Hey, Hermione?" Ron said the next day at breakfast, pushing his hash around his plate and not looking at her.
"Yes Ron?" She asked, turning away from Ginny, with whom she had been speaking with.
"Well, I was . . . er---" he stammered out, unable to organise his thoughts in any sort of coherent sentence. "Do you---I mean, would you . . ." Harry had to turn away from the table as he found himself snorting in an uncontrollable gale of laughter. "Shut-it Harry." Ron kicked him under the table.
"Hermione?" A tall, good-looking boy from Ravenclaw had come up behind her.
"Yes, Malcolm?" Hermione said as she turned to the boy. He crouched down beside her.
"Would you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" Harry turned back to his two friends, immediately sobered.
"Er---" he could see Hermione's big brown eyes dart over to Ron. But Ron was scowling at his plate and stabbing angrily at his biscuit. "Yes. I'll go with you."
"Great! We'll make a real day of it." Malcolm grinned and bounced back to his feet. "See you in class then, Hermione." He waved and made his way back to the Ravenclaw table, whistling.
Hermione turned back to the table, her cheeks only the slightest bit pink (and Harry believed it not to have been because of her newly acquired date).
For a moment the three were quiet, that is until: "Cheating on Vicky now, are you?" Harry winced, closing his eyes against then idiocy of his best mate and the row was undoubtedly in the express post.
"Don't call him that." Hermione said in a calm voice. //Maybe there won't be a fight.//
"Then what should I call him? Your boyfriend? Or your lover?" //Never mind.//
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me."
"VICTOR is not any of those things, and he never was."
"Then what about that kid---that Ravenclaw?" Ron growled.
"His name is Malcolm Anders, and he's my class partner in Advance Transfiguration _and_ Arithmacy."
"And you're dating him now?! How long have you known this one? He looks like a bad egg."
"He is NOT a bad egg!"
They were both standing now and shouting across the table that separated them. Harry caught glimpse Dumbledore shaking his head at the Professors who were standing to break up the argument, his eyes shining in glee behind the half-moon spectacles. The two Gryffindor's had commanded the attention of the entire hall.
"He is if I say he is!"
"Since when are you the definitive authority on the merit of teenage wizards?"
"Since a Ravenclaw asked you out!"
"He is very smart, Ron, unlike SOME boys I know." She growled, folding her arms across her chest.
"You better be talking about Harry."
"Hey!"
"I am not talking about Harry, you great bloody pillock." She spat, turning on her heel and stalking from the hall.
"Well, what's everyone starring at?" Ron snapped at the whole of the Great Hall. "Go on, eat your food. Watch not to choke, Malcolm." He growled, glaring at the Ravenclaw as he stormed out of the hall, slamming the great doors behind him.
Harry hurried from his seat, nodding at Professor Dumbledore in quiet gratitude for not interfering, and hurrying after Ron.
"Ron!" Harry called as he ran after the fast retreating red-head. "Your going the wrong way."
"I'm not going!" Ron shouted. "She'll be there. She'd NEVER miss Care of Magical Creatures. She never misses any classes!"
"Okay," Harry said catching up with him. "Where are we going?"
"We?"
"Yeah."
"She's so stupid!" Ron groaned, throwing his arms in the air in continuation of his rant. "How could she DO that? I know she knew what---I mean, YOU knew, how could she not?
"Maybe she does know but you're not giving her any signs that her thoughts are well founded. Take a right here." Harry instructed.
"What do you mean 'I'm not giving her any signs'? What the hell kind of signs am I supposed to give her?!"
"Under this tapestry," Harry moved the fabric aside for Ron. "Why don't you TELL her you like her for starters?"
"That would _never_ work!" He took the steps up three at a time.
"Ron, she likes you! She's just too---"
"She likes me? She said that?"
"Well, not exactly . . ."
"Then she doesn't? See it's hopeless!"
"I didn't say that! Go left." They were heading down the Charms corridor now, Ron still two steps ahead of him.
"She's so bloody hard to figure out!"
"Shhh, Ron, through that doorway. Of course she's hard to figure out. She's Hermione."
"Oh great," Ron groaned, stepping through the doorway and onto a moving staircase. "`The Hall 'O Moving Stairs and Pictures'. You know, I think I hate this room the most in all the castle." They moved their way slowly from staircase to staircase to the very top, Ron surprisingly quiet the entire time.
"Where are we going?" Ron finally asked as they left the hall of stairs.
"Just wait, we're almost there."
Harry led him around another corner into a corridor that dead-ended at a small dusty wooden door with heavy iron hardware.
"Watch this, Ron. I've been practicing." Harry grinned, and held his hand over the doorknob. Ron watched as Harry's hand began to vibrate and he heard the lock click and the door swung open.
"No wand . . ." Ron gawked, staring at Harry's hand as he let it fall to his side. "Wish I could do that."
"Come on." Harry said.
What Ron wound up finding as he ducked through the short doorway was a circular floor of flagstone with no ceiling or walls and very high up.
"What's this?" He asked, following Harry to its middle.
"It's the old Astronomy Tower, the highest point in the entire castle." Harry explained, turning in a slow circle, his arms stretched wide. "Isn't it wonderful? I found it when I couldn't sleep one night. You know, nightmares."
"It's incredible." Ron breathed, moving to pear over the edge. Why don't we study here anymore?"
"Some kid nearly fell off during a lesson and they thought it better if they closed it off. Harry lay down in the centre of the tower, folding his hands beneath his head and crossing his ankles. Closing his eyes he let the warm fall sunshine wash over him. He could hear Ron begin to pace nearby. "It'll all be okay, Ron. Trust me."
"With Hermione? Or our world?" He could feel, or sense rather, Ron stoop down next to him.
"Both."
"But how do you know?"
"She loves you. She's your lobster."
"What?"
"Nothing, just something I saw on the telly once."
"The what?"
"Never-mind."
"Well what about the other?"
"We'll survive."
"But how do you know?" Ron demanded.
"Because I have to."
Ron lay down a foot or so away from him and gazed into the pale sky. "Yeah . . . we will be."
By the time the two Gryffindors left the tower it was well past dinner and the sun was fading quickly from the sky.
"You know, we're going to be paying for this tomorrow." Ron said, strolling back towards Gryffindor tower.
"Yeah, well what can you do?" Harry shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"You hungry?" Ron asked.
"A bit." Harry's stomach growled just then. Ron laughed.
"Let's go down to the kitchens. Hermione's not with us so the house elves should be happy to serve us." Harry nodded.
---
22 October
"Happy birthday to you!" Fred and George sang at the top of their lungs as they marched into Ginny's dormitory carrying a purple and blue cake that looked very much as if the twins had decorated it themselves. The twins were closely followed by a very drowsy Gryffindor Quidditch team (plus Ron and Hermione). "Happy Birthday to you!" The rest joined in less exuberantly. "Happy Birthday to you!!!" Fred and George dragged out, ripping open the curtains on her four poster.
"Go away." Ginny groaned from beneath the quilt she'd pulled over her head.
"Yeah, go away!" One of the other girls in her dorm shouted from within the shroud of her bed-curtains.
"But, dear sister," Fred said in a sing-song voice, ignoring both girls protestations. "Today is your four-and-tenth birthday!"
"We've come to help you celebrate!" George piped up.
"So upsidaisy!" And with that the quilt was pulled from her face and the eleven pyjam clad Gryffindors squeezed onto her bed.
"Uggg," she moaned, running her fingers through her sleep tangled hair as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes, yawning.
"Six-thirty." Angelina said, pulling her legs up under her."
"It's Saturday, Fred! George!"
"This was all their idea," Hermione said. "Make sure you blame them."
"Blow out your candles, Gin. The wax is getting all over the cake." George said, sucking purple frosting off his thumb.
"Fine." Ginny said with a sigh before taking a big breath.
"Make a wish." Harry whispered from his spot by her headboard the moment she went to blow out her candles, causing her to fail miserably.
"Good job, Gin." Ron laughed. "Try again."
By the time everyone had had their fill of purple cake, and nearly completely awake, Ginny was ready to open her gifts.
"Here, this is from Angelina and I." Katie said, handing her a long slender present wrapped beautifully in the Gryffindor house colours.
"Thanks, but you didn't have to . . ." Angelina argued. "You're part of the team now."
Ginny tore at her gift with Weasley vigor revealing a slim leather wand case. "Oh, thanks." Ginny crooned, running her fingers over the smooth, brown leather.
"Here, this one's from Conner and me." Colin said, handing her another slender box, badly wrapped in an old issue of the Prophet with far too much Spello-tape. "It's not much . . ." Colin said when she'd finally gotten her fingers under a flap and tore through the newsprint.
"Oh, it's wonderful, Colin!" She gasped as the box opened to an elegant blood red quill.
"Ahhh, it was nothing. Conner's dad has connections . . ."
"What's the feather?"
"Veela." Conner said quietly, he wasn't much of a talker.
"What?! Ginny's mouth fell open.
"It's a Veela feather. When they went mad at the last Cup my dad was allowed to go gather the feathers that had been shed on the field. He makes high quality quills for important wizards. Like the Minister." It was the most that they'd ever heard their Keeper say at one time, Ginny's wasn't the only jaw that had dropped.
"This is too much!" Ginny exclaimed.
"We wanted you to have it." Conner said, his quiet tone ending any further arguments.
"Thank-you guys!" She threw her arms around the two boys. Causing Colin to go quite oink 'round the ears.
"This one's from Harry and Ron and I." Hermione said, handing her a large, nearly flat, square box.
"Do you think you put enough tape and ribbon on it?" Ginny asked, trying in vain to unwrap the present.
"Harry and I wrapped it." Ron piped up, grinning wickedly.
"Really?" Ginny said sarcastically. "I couldn't tell." When she finally managed off most of the ribbon she tore off the blue paper and nearly dropped the gift, it wasn't a book, as Ginny had expected coming from Hermione, but Ron's second most prized possession. His second favourite chess set. The one he used to practice with her on before he went to Hogwarts. The pieces had always been quite fond of Ginny.
"Ron . . ."
"Now don't you say anything." Ron interrupted. "That damn set has always liked you more than me, and I need little competition around this place, so we gave it to you."
"It's smashing, Ron." She hugged her brother tightly.
"It was Hermione's idea." Ron murmured, hugging her back.
"Well, you always have been my favourite brother."
"Hey!" Fred said indignantly.
"What?" George asked, stunned.
"That hurts, Gin."
"Right here." Both boys patted their chests over their hearts and bowed their heads, pouting.
"You're right," she sighed. "Charlie's my favourite."
"Hey!" All three Weasley boys snapped.
"Well, let's have your present next then." She put out her hands to Fred and George.
"I don't know if I want to give it to her now, George.
"Well, I dunno. It's a big box and I don't really want to carry it back to our dorm . . ."
"Just hand it over you duffers."
"Fine, Fred said ducking down beside the bed. "Move your legs."
Ginny obeyed, and moments later a massive box was dumped onto her bed. "What the---" The box was at least a metre tall and half as wide. "It isn't going to explode, is it?"
"No!" Fred insisted.
"When have we ever given anyone an exploding gift?"
"To Percy, the summer before his first year. It turned his entire head green."
"She's right about that one, Fred."
"Well, what can we do?" Fred shrugged."
"You promise it won't blow up then?" Ginny asked again.
"Yes." They answered in unison.
Ginny was cautious nonetheless. She leant back as she took the lid off the box. Nothing happened. She peered over the edge to find, what appeared to be, half a joke shop.
"We've been hard at work." George said simply. "You just wait till Christmas."
She reached carefully into the box and pulled out a smaller, yellow box with a picture of a toad on it and the words: 'Toad-in-a-box!' in what looked like George's untidy scrawl.
"Who drew that?" Harry asked at the same time Ginny asked: "What IS all this?"
"Dean Thomas drew it. And it's a self-replicating toad. George's idea."
"Dean's doing all of the art for our stuff." Fred said.
"Don't take the toad out until you're ready to use him, Gin. It starts replicating the moment it touches the floor.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
"It is better to be cruel for love than for hate." --Thomas Burnett Swann
Chapter 20
"Hey, Hermione?" Ron said the next day at breakfast, pushing his hash around his plate and not looking at her.
"Yes Ron?" She asked, turning away from Ginny, with whom she had been speaking with.
"Well, I was . . . er---" he stammered out, unable to organise his thoughts in any sort of coherent sentence. "Do you---I mean, would you . . ." Harry had to turn away from the table as he found himself snorting in an uncontrollable gale of laughter. "Shut-it Harry." Ron kicked him under the table.
"Hermione?" A tall, good-looking boy from Ravenclaw had come up behind her.
"Yes, Malcolm?" Hermione said as she turned to the boy. He crouched down beside her.
"Would you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" Harry turned back to his two friends, immediately sobered.
"Er---" he could see Hermione's big brown eyes dart over to Ron. But Ron was scowling at his plate and stabbing angrily at his biscuit. "Yes. I'll go with you."
"Great! We'll make a real day of it." Malcolm grinned and bounced back to his feet. "See you in class then, Hermione." He waved and made his way back to the Ravenclaw table, whistling.
Hermione turned back to the table, her cheeks only the slightest bit pink (and Harry believed it not to have been because of her newly acquired date).
For a moment the three were quiet, that is until: "Cheating on Vicky now, are you?" Harry winced, closing his eyes against then idiocy of his best mate and the row was undoubtedly in the express post.
"Don't call him that." Hermione said in a calm voice. //Maybe there won't be a fight.//
"Then what should I call him? Your boyfriend? Or your lover?" //Never mind.//
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me."
"VICTOR is not any of those things, and he never was."
"Then what about that kid---that Ravenclaw?" Ron growled.
"His name is Malcolm Anders, and he's my class partner in Advance Transfiguration _and_ Arithmacy."
"And you're dating him now?! How long have you known this one? He looks like a bad egg."
"He is NOT a bad egg!"
They were both standing now and shouting across the table that separated them. Harry caught glimpse Dumbledore shaking his head at the Professors who were standing to break up the argument, his eyes shining in glee behind the half-moon spectacles. The two Gryffindor's had commanded the attention of the entire hall.
"He is if I say he is!"
"Since when are you the definitive authority on the merit of teenage wizards?"
"Since a Ravenclaw asked you out!"
"He is very smart, Ron, unlike SOME boys I know." She growled, folding her arms across her chest.
"You better be talking about Harry."
"Hey!"
"I am not talking about Harry, you great bloody pillock." She spat, turning on her heel and stalking from the hall.
"Well, what's everyone starring at?" Ron snapped at the whole of the Great Hall. "Go on, eat your food. Watch not to choke, Malcolm." He growled, glaring at the Ravenclaw as he stormed out of the hall, slamming the great doors behind him.
Harry hurried from his seat, nodding at Professor Dumbledore in quiet gratitude for not interfering, and hurrying after Ron.
"Ron!" Harry called as he ran after the fast retreating red-head. "Your going the wrong way."
"I'm not going!" Ron shouted. "She'll be there. She'd NEVER miss Care of Magical Creatures. She never misses any classes!"
"Okay," Harry said catching up with him. "Where are we going?"
"We?"
"Yeah."
"She's so stupid!" Ron groaned, throwing his arms in the air in continuation of his rant. "How could she DO that? I know she knew what---I mean, YOU knew, how could she not?
"Maybe she does know but you're not giving her any signs that her thoughts are well founded. Take a right here." Harry instructed.
"What do you mean 'I'm not giving her any signs'? What the hell kind of signs am I supposed to give her?!"
"Under this tapestry," Harry moved the fabric aside for Ron. "Why don't you TELL her you like her for starters?"
"That would _never_ work!" He took the steps up three at a time.
"Ron, she likes you! She's just too---"
"She likes me? She said that?"
"Well, not exactly . . ."
"Then she doesn't? See it's hopeless!"
"I didn't say that! Go left." They were heading down the Charms corridor now, Ron still two steps ahead of him.
"She's so bloody hard to figure out!"
"Shhh, Ron, through that doorway. Of course she's hard to figure out. She's Hermione."
"Oh great," Ron groaned, stepping through the doorway and onto a moving staircase. "`The Hall 'O Moving Stairs and Pictures'. You know, I think I hate this room the most in all the castle." They moved their way slowly from staircase to staircase to the very top, Ron surprisingly quiet the entire time.
"Where are we going?" Ron finally asked as they left the hall of stairs.
"Just wait, we're almost there."
Harry led him around another corner into a corridor that dead-ended at a small dusty wooden door with heavy iron hardware.
"Watch this, Ron. I've been practicing." Harry grinned, and held his hand over the doorknob. Ron watched as Harry's hand began to vibrate and he heard the lock click and the door swung open.
"No wand . . ." Ron gawked, staring at Harry's hand as he let it fall to his side. "Wish I could do that."
"Come on." Harry said.
What Ron wound up finding as he ducked through the short doorway was a circular floor of flagstone with no ceiling or walls and very high up.
"What's this?" He asked, following Harry to its middle.
"It's the old Astronomy Tower, the highest point in the entire castle." Harry explained, turning in a slow circle, his arms stretched wide. "Isn't it wonderful? I found it when I couldn't sleep one night. You know, nightmares."
"It's incredible." Ron breathed, moving to pear over the edge. Why don't we study here anymore?"
"Some kid nearly fell off during a lesson and they thought it better if they closed it off. Harry lay down in the centre of the tower, folding his hands beneath his head and crossing his ankles. Closing his eyes he let the warm fall sunshine wash over him. He could hear Ron begin to pace nearby. "It'll all be okay, Ron. Trust me."
"With Hermione? Or our world?" He could feel, or sense rather, Ron stoop down next to him.
"Both."
"But how do you know?"
"She loves you. She's your lobster."
"What?"
"Nothing, just something I saw on the telly once."
"The what?"
"Never-mind."
"Well what about the other?"
"We'll survive."
"But how do you know?" Ron demanded.
"Because I have to."
Ron lay down a foot or so away from him and gazed into the pale sky. "Yeah . . . we will be."
By the time the two Gryffindors left the tower it was well past dinner and the sun was fading quickly from the sky.
"You know, we're going to be paying for this tomorrow." Ron said, strolling back towards Gryffindor tower.
"Yeah, well what can you do?" Harry shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"You hungry?" Ron asked.
"A bit." Harry's stomach growled just then. Ron laughed.
"Let's go down to the kitchens. Hermione's not with us so the house elves should be happy to serve us." Harry nodded.
---
22 October
"Happy birthday to you!" Fred and George sang at the top of their lungs as they marched into Ginny's dormitory carrying a purple and blue cake that looked very much as if the twins had decorated it themselves. The twins were closely followed by a very drowsy Gryffindor Quidditch team (plus Ron and Hermione). "Happy Birthday to you!" The rest joined in less exuberantly. "Happy Birthday to you!!!" Fred and George dragged out, ripping open the curtains on her four poster.
"Go away." Ginny groaned from beneath the quilt she'd pulled over her head.
"Yeah, go away!" One of the other girls in her dorm shouted from within the shroud of her bed-curtains.
"But, dear sister," Fred said in a sing-song voice, ignoring both girls protestations. "Today is your four-and-tenth birthday!"
"We've come to help you celebrate!" George piped up.
"So upsidaisy!" And with that the quilt was pulled from her face and the eleven pyjam clad Gryffindors squeezed onto her bed.
"Uggg," she moaned, running her fingers through her sleep tangled hair as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes, yawning.
"Six-thirty." Angelina said, pulling her legs up under her."
"It's Saturday, Fred! George!"
"This was all their idea," Hermione said. "Make sure you blame them."
"Blow out your candles, Gin. The wax is getting all over the cake." George said, sucking purple frosting off his thumb.
"Fine." Ginny said with a sigh before taking a big breath.
"Make a wish." Harry whispered from his spot by her headboard the moment she went to blow out her candles, causing her to fail miserably.
"Good job, Gin." Ron laughed. "Try again."
By the time everyone had had their fill of purple cake, and nearly completely awake, Ginny was ready to open her gifts.
"Here, this is from Angelina and I." Katie said, handing her a long slender present wrapped beautifully in the Gryffindor house colours.
"Thanks, but you didn't have to . . ." Angelina argued. "You're part of the team now."
Ginny tore at her gift with Weasley vigor revealing a slim leather wand case. "Oh, thanks." Ginny crooned, running her fingers over the smooth, brown leather.
"Here, this one's from Conner and me." Colin said, handing her another slender box, badly wrapped in an old issue of the Prophet with far too much Spello-tape. "It's not much . . ." Colin said when she'd finally gotten her fingers under a flap and tore through the newsprint.
"Oh, it's wonderful, Colin!" She gasped as the box opened to an elegant blood red quill.
"Ahhh, it was nothing. Conner's dad has connections . . ."
"What's the feather?"
"Veela." Conner said quietly, he wasn't much of a talker.
"What?! Ginny's mouth fell open.
"It's a Veela feather. When they went mad at the last Cup my dad was allowed to go gather the feathers that had been shed on the field. He makes high quality quills for important wizards. Like the Minister." It was the most that they'd ever heard their Keeper say at one time, Ginny's wasn't the only jaw that had dropped.
"This is too much!" Ginny exclaimed.
"We wanted you to have it." Conner said, his quiet tone ending any further arguments.
"Thank-you guys!" She threw her arms around the two boys. Causing Colin to go quite oink 'round the ears.
"This one's from Harry and Ron and I." Hermione said, handing her a large, nearly flat, square box.
"Do you think you put enough tape and ribbon on it?" Ginny asked, trying in vain to unwrap the present.
"Harry and I wrapped it." Ron piped up, grinning wickedly.
"Really?" Ginny said sarcastically. "I couldn't tell." When she finally managed off most of the ribbon she tore off the blue paper and nearly dropped the gift, it wasn't a book, as Ginny had expected coming from Hermione, but Ron's second most prized possession. His second favourite chess set. The one he used to practice with her on before he went to Hogwarts. The pieces had always been quite fond of Ginny.
"Ron . . ."
"Now don't you say anything." Ron interrupted. "That damn set has always liked you more than me, and I need little competition around this place, so we gave it to you."
"It's smashing, Ron." She hugged her brother tightly.
"It was Hermione's idea." Ron murmured, hugging her back.
"Well, you always have been my favourite brother."
"Hey!" Fred said indignantly.
"What?" George asked, stunned.
"That hurts, Gin."
"Right here." Both boys patted their chests over their hearts and bowed their heads, pouting.
"You're right," she sighed. "Charlie's my favourite."
"Hey!" All three Weasley boys snapped.
"Well, let's have your present next then." She put out her hands to Fred and George.
"I don't know if I want to give it to her now, George.
"Well, I dunno. It's a big box and I don't really want to carry it back to our dorm . . ."
"Just hand it over you duffers."
"Fine, Fred said ducking down beside the bed. "Move your legs."
Ginny obeyed, and moments later a massive box was dumped onto her bed. "What the---" The box was at least a metre tall and half as wide. "It isn't going to explode, is it?"
"No!" Fred insisted.
"When have we ever given anyone an exploding gift?"
"To Percy, the summer before his first year. It turned his entire head green."
"She's right about that one, Fred."
"Well, what can we do?" Fred shrugged."
"You promise it won't blow up then?" Ginny asked again.
"Yes." They answered in unison.
Ginny was cautious nonetheless. She leant back as she took the lid off the box. Nothing happened. She peered over the edge to find, what appeared to be, half a joke shop.
"We've been hard at work." George said simply. "You just wait till Christmas."
She reached carefully into the box and pulled out a smaller, yellow box with a picture of a toad on it and the words: 'Toad-in-a-box!' in what looked like George's untidy scrawl.
"Who drew that?" Harry asked at the same time Ginny asked: "What IS all this?"
"Dean Thomas drew it. And it's a self-replicating toad. George's idea."
"Dean's doing all of the art for our stuff." Fred said.
"Don't take the toad out until you're ready to use him, Gin. It starts replicating the moment it touches the floor.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*