Chapter 2 ~ The Harmless Hex Ward
"Hey Mur." Muriel spun around to find Jolina Avery and her older brother standing behind her. She forced herself not to roll her eyes.
It was cool, but pleasant out by the lake, and she'd been enjoying the view of the sun dazzling the water's surface. It wasn't often that she had a Saturday to herself, but Severus had gotten three detentions in the last week for hexing Potter, and he had a lot of homework to catch up on.
"Hi Jolina. How are you enjoying classes?"
"Oh, I suppose they're alright." Jolina had dark brown hair, darker than Muriel's, but cut short at her shoulders. She was twirling it idly, and Muriel knew the girl was entirely put-out at having to talk to her. Avery had made her come. Muriel focused her eyes on him as Jolina answered, wondering why he'd bothered. It wasn't as if she would be offended if the girl ignored her.
"Congratulations on making your Quiddich team, Avery," she said formally. She had no more interest in a conversation with him than with Jolina, but courtesy dictated at least that much.
To her surprise, he grinned widely. "Thanks Mur!" She ignored the use of her nickname. He was going to continue to call her that no matter what she did to him.
"Beater, I heard?"
"Yeah!" He was obviously very excited about making the house team, and she and Jolina listened politely for several long minutes while he told them all about practices. It wasn't until his team captain ran over and pulled him away, mumbling about giving away team secrets that Muriel was free to look out over the lake again.
Her eyes snapped back quickly, however, when Jolina cleared her throat. She had assumed that the short 1st year would follow her brother, and looked at her expectantly.
"In case you didn't know it, he fancies you," she said simply. Muriel felt her eyes widen involuntarily. She swallowed and stared at Jolina, who gave her a haughty smile and walked calmly back up to the castle. She had, in one swoop, annoyed the blood traitor, and gotten revenge on her brother for making her talk to the girl as well. Not bad for a first year, Slytherin or otherwise.
Suddenly Muriel didn't feel much like being outside. She took off for her common room at a run.
She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't see the group of boys coming out of the castle. She fell hard on top of Peter Pettigrew, who let out a feminine shriek.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, trying to stand up. But before she could get to her feet, she heard the swish of two wands and found herself disarmed, and sprouting an anteater's nose. Sirius Black was bending over to pick up her wand, and both he and James were laughing hysterically. She dashed forward and snatched her wand from Sirius before running upstairs to the hospital ward.
She thrust open the door in panic, and Madam Pomfrey looked up from her desk, the corners of her mouth twitching. "You'll want the next door over, Miss Deesia. We've formed a new ward just for cases like this." Muriel stood still, unable to believe that Madam Pomfrey was sending her back into the corridors with an animal snout.
Seeing the girl's distress, Madam Pomfrey grabbed a book, and looked up the counter curse quickly. When Muriel's face was back to normal, she took her to the next ward. A sign on the door proclaimed it to be The Harmless Hex Ward. Muriel met the nurse who had been hired to watch the new ward, Madam Kinnison. The woman's eyes seemed to shine as Muriel introduced herself.
When she finally got back to the common room, it was nearly time for dinner, and she was exhausted. She threw on some different robes, since hers had gotten filthy rolling on the ground to get away from Peter. She walked quickly passed the marauders, ignoring their jeers. "OOH, Looks like we're having big juicy black ANTS for dinner tonight!"
"I hate them!" she exclaimed, plunking herself down next to Kyle. He had missed the whole episode, but nodded anyway. It was a well-known fact that Deesia hated the Gryffindor boys. It didn't matter what they'd done this time.
Kyle was in his third year now, just like Avery. He, too, had made the house Quiddich team this year, as a chaser. The morning of the first game, Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin, Muriel watched the team leave the common room with a pang of guilt. It was getting harder to root for Slytherin as she got to know the other Ravenclaws better.
Nevertheless, she walked with Severus down to the pitch. Rosier and Wilkes followed them. She caught a glimpse of the teams heading into their locker rooms. Avery turned and waved at them, and only Wilkes waved back. Muriel grimaced, and Severus seemed to pick up on her discomfort. She hadn't mentioned her talk with Jolina.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
He looked over at her sharply. She knew better than to tell him nothing was wrong. Her emotions had always been easy for him to read, almost as if she was unwittingly projecting them to him. She sighed, hearing his thoughts, and told him about Jolina.
"WHAT?"
"Keep your voice down," Muriel mumbled. Avery had turned back to look at them now, and they were just close enough to see the smirk on his face. Severus may not want to discuss how he felt about her, but he certainly didn't want anyone ELSE feeling that way. She shook her head and looked at the ground.
It was a good game. Kyle was a very good chaser, for a third year, and for once the Ravenclaw team really gave the Slytherins a run for their money. Severus watched Avery with morbid fascination, his eyes narrowing every time the beater looked toward their box, which was often. In the end, however, the 6th year Slytherin seeker caught the snitch, and won the game by a good 60 points.
As they walked back to the castle, they realized that the Slytherins had already begun to celebrate. Nasty wretches that they were, they were celebrating by hexing anyone who looked like a good target. It was then that Muriel heard a very upsetting thing.
"Sod off, Malfoy! You're not sending ME to the "Black and Deesia" Ward!" It was Raquel Parkinson, squealing and running from a sneering Lucius Malfoy. Muriel stopped cold and let them rush by her. Normally she would have tried to hex the blond 5th year prefect for bothering someone she liked, but Raquel's words were ringing in her ears.
"The WHAT?" she asked incredulously. Severus stopped as well, looking uncomfortable.
"The Black and Deesia Ward," a voice said behind her. "Or didn't you know that the upperclassmen have re-christened the new ward in the hospital wing in our honor?" Muriel whirled around, her robes fluttering behind her, to see a smiling Sirius Black. Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew were with him. All of them were grinning like idiots.
Muriel looked very angry, however, and their smiles soon faded. "It wasn't my idea!" Sirius said finally. He'd thought it was extremely amusing that the school had put in a ward specifically to handle their pranks, but obviously she didn't agree. He found himself wondering if he would be visiting that ward shortly.
"The only time our names should EVER be used in the same sentence is if they are separated by the word 'despises.'" She said scathingly. She saw Severus trying not to smile out of the corner of her eye. She turned on her heel and went back inside, fully intending to sequester herself in the library while the Slytherins had their victory celebration.
"Snot," Sirius muttered, as they watched them leave. Remus gave him a funny look, but James and Peter were already heading toward the Great Hall. Lunch would be served any minute!
"Hey Mur." Muriel spun around to find Jolina Avery and her older brother standing behind her. She forced herself not to roll her eyes.
It was cool, but pleasant out by the lake, and she'd been enjoying the view of the sun dazzling the water's surface. It wasn't often that she had a Saturday to herself, but Severus had gotten three detentions in the last week for hexing Potter, and he had a lot of homework to catch up on.
"Hi Jolina. How are you enjoying classes?"
"Oh, I suppose they're alright." Jolina had dark brown hair, darker than Muriel's, but cut short at her shoulders. She was twirling it idly, and Muriel knew the girl was entirely put-out at having to talk to her. Avery had made her come. Muriel focused her eyes on him as Jolina answered, wondering why he'd bothered. It wasn't as if she would be offended if the girl ignored her.
"Congratulations on making your Quiddich team, Avery," she said formally. She had no more interest in a conversation with him than with Jolina, but courtesy dictated at least that much.
To her surprise, he grinned widely. "Thanks Mur!" She ignored the use of her nickname. He was going to continue to call her that no matter what she did to him.
"Beater, I heard?"
"Yeah!" He was obviously very excited about making the house team, and she and Jolina listened politely for several long minutes while he told them all about practices. It wasn't until his team captain ran over and pulled him away, mumbling about giving away team secrets that Muriel was free to look out over the lake again.
Her eyes snapped back quickly, however, when Jolina cleared her throat. She had assumed that the short 1st year would follow her brother, and looked at her expectantly.
"In case you didn't know it, he fancies you," she said simply. Muriel felt her eyes widen involuntarily. She swallowed and stared at Jolina, who gave her a haughty smile and walked calmly back up to the castle. She had, in one swoop, annoyed the blood traitor, and gotten revenge on her brother for making her talk to the girl as well. Not bad for a first year, Slytherin or otherwise.
Suddenly Muriel didn't feel much like being outside. She took off for her common room at a run.
She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't see the group of boys coming out of the castle. She fell hard on top of Peter Pettigrew, who let out a feminine shriek.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, trying to stand up. But before she could get to her feet, she heard the swish of two wands and found herself disarmed, and sprouting an anteater's nose. Sirius Black was bending over to pick up her wand, and both he and James were laughing hysterically. She dashed forward and snatched her wand from Sirius before running upstairs to the hospital ward.
She thrust open the door in panic, and Madam Pomfrey looked up from her desk, the corners of her mouth twitching. "You'll want the next door over, Miss Deesia. We've formed a new ward just for cases like this." Muriel stood still, unable to believe that Madam Pomfrey was sending her back into the corridors with an animal snout.
Seeing the girl's distress, Madam Pomfrey grabbed a book, and looked up the counter curse quickly. When Muriel's face was back to normal, she took her to the next ward. A sign on the door proclaimed it to be The Harmless Hex Ward. Muriel met the nurse who had been hired to watch the new ward, Madam Kinnison. The woman's eyes seemed to shine as Muriel introduced herself.
When she finally got back to the common room, it was nearly time for dinner, and she was exhausted. She threw on some different robes, since hers had gotten filthy rolling on the ground to get away from Peter. She walked quickly passed the marauders, ignoring their jeers. "OOH, Looks like we're having big juicy black ANTS for dinner tonight!"
"I hate them!" she exclaimed, plunking herself down next to Kyle. He had missed the whole episode, but nodded anyway. It was a well-known fact that Deesia hated the Gryffindor boys. It didn't matter what they'd done this time.
Kyle was in his third year now, just like Avery. He, too, had made the house Quiddich team this year, as a chaser. The morning of the first game, Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin, Muriel watched the team leave the common room with a pang of guilt. It was getting harder to root for Slytherin as she got to know the other Ravenclaws better.
Nevertheless, she walked with Severus down to the pitch. Rosier and Wilkes followed them. She caught a glimpse of the teams heading into their locker rooms. Avery turned and waved at them, and only Wilkes waved back. Muriel grimaced, and Severus seemed to pick up on her discomfort. She hadn't mentioned her talk with Jolina.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
He looked over at her sharply. She knew better than to tell him nothing was wrong. Her emotions had always been easy for him to read, almost as if she was unwittingly projecting them to him. She sighed, hearing his thoughts, and told him about Jolina.
"WHAT?"
"Keep your voice down," Muriel mumbled. Avery had turned back to look at them now, and they were just close enough to see the smirk on his face. Severus may not want to discuss how he felt about her, but he certainly didn't want anyone ELSE feeling that way. She shook her head and looked at the ground.
It was a good game. Kyle was a very good chaser, for a third year, and for once the Ravenclaw team really gave the Slytherins a run for their money. Severus watched Avery with morbid fascination, his eyes narrowing every time the beater looked toward their box, which was often. In the end, however, the 6th year Slytherin seeker caught the snitch, and won the game by a good 60 points.
As they walked back to the castle, they realized that the Slytherins had already begun to celebrate. Nasty wretches that they were, they were celebrating by hexing anyone who looked like a good target. It was then that Muriel heard a very upsetting thing.
"Sod off, Malfoy! You're not sending ME to the "Black and Deesia" Ward!" It was Raquel Parkinson, squealing and running from a sneering Lucius Malfoy. Muriel stopped cold and let them rush by her. Normally she would have tried to hex the blond 5th year prefect for bothering someone she liked, but Raquel's words were ringing in her ears.
"The WHAT?" she asked incredulously. Severus stopped as well, looking uncomfortable.
"The Black and Deesia Ward," a voice said behind her. "Or didn't you know that the upperclassmen have re-christened the new ward in the hospital wing in our honor?" Muriel whirled around, her robes fluttering behind her, to see a smiling Sirius Black. Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew were with him. All of them were grinning like idiots.
Muriel looked very angry, however, and their smiles soon faded. "It wasn't my idea!" Sirius said finally. He'd thought it was extremely amusing that the school had put in a ward specifically to handle their pranks, but obviously she didn't agree. He found himself wondering if he would be visiting that ward shortly.
"The only time our names should EVER be used in the same sentence is if they are separated by the word 'despises.'" She said scathingly. She saw Severus trying not to smile out of the corner of her eye. She turned on her heel and went back inside, fully intending to sequester herself in the library while the Slytherins had their victory celebration.
"Snot," Sirius muttered, as they watched them leave. Remus gave him a funny look, but James and Peter were already heading toward the Great Hall. Lunch would be served any minute!