Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters.

A/N: I tried to make this chapter flow a little better. Let me know what you think. Again, thanks to all who are reading this. It is appreciated. Abbey

Chapter 16

She woke up and looked at the clock on her bedside table. Star did a double take making sure that what she read was true. It was around 7:30 in the morning. She had gotten nearly five hours of sleep. She hadn't slept for that long in over three years. She had to get up there were things that she had to do.

Star got out of her bed and headed for the showers. She was only in there for about 5 minuets before she walked out, dressed and ready for the day. She noticed the rest of the girls that slept in her dorm were already gone.

Star sat on her bed and pulled out her letter from Terri. She figured she may as well write her something to pacify her. Otherwise she was liable to get at least two if not three letters a day asking why she hadn't responded yet. Star started off her letter with normal greetings. She was about half way through when something occurred to her. If Star asked for help now she knew there was a way for them to get back on time. She asked her friend Terri to send her a couple of things through the post. Star rarely asked for help and when she did her friends were more than happy to oblige.

Star heard the dorm room door open up. She looked up to see Hermione holding her familiar red coffee cup, and walking over to deliver it to its owner.

"I hope that's coffee in there." Star said looking at the cup in Hermione's hands.

"Yes, of course its coffee in there." Hermione said handing the cup over.

"Oh, you're wonderful. Thanks." Star took the cup greatfully from Hermione smiling and taking a large mouthful. "Mmmm"

"You're welcome, but its not from me. It's from Harry. He said he'll meet you in the common room before lunch. He was unusually happy this morning you know. Going on about perfect quidditch weather when it was raining a bit outside." Hermione waited for a reply, but could see she wasn't going to get one. "So, did you and Harry talk last night?"

"No, not much." was the response that Hermione got. Star knew she wouldn't be satisfied with the answer and added "Besides, I was never one to kiss and tell. Well, I'm ready for more coffee. Would you like to come with me?" Star asked her trying to change the subject.

"Oh, I suppose. If it makes you feel any better Harry wouldn't say anything either. He has been sulking less these past few days. It's nice to see him like that you know."

Star said nothing but followed Hermione out of the common room toward the Great Hall. She was thinking of what happened last night. She was so deep in thought that she would have missed the Great Hall altogether had Hermione not steered her in the right direction.

"Oh would you snap out of it please?" Hermione brought her to Earth as they sat down.

"Sorry, not enough coffee." Star said pouring herself some coffee.

"There you go again with those excuses." Hermione said with a voice that did not match her smile. She was gathering some cereal and milk together. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Hermione asked Star when all she got was a cup for herself.

"Not hungry. I rarely eat breakfast any way. Coffee is enough to sustain me."

Hermione was tucking into her bowl of food when Malfoy came over to the table. He looked down at Star and was about to say something to her. Star groaned to herself.

"I don't have the time or patients to put up with you today. You can go back to your table and sit with your friends or I will put you in your place." she said with out looking up at him and pouring more coffee.

"So, it's true what everyone is saying. Potter has a new whore. I wouldn't have put it past him you know..."

Star stopped listening to what he was saying. She was concentrating on him. Star grabbed her cup, brought the cup up to her mouth, and muttered something under her breath before taking a drink looking at Malfoy. He stopped mid sentence. Star cleared her throat.

"Now, you are going to sit with your friends and say nothing more to anyone about what you said to me and Hermione. Right Malfoy?" she said putting down her cup and looking to see if Hermione was done her breakfast. She looked back at Malfoy to see that he was nodding his head. "Are you about ready to go Hermione?"

Hermione nodded her head put down her spoon and got up from the table with Star. They walked out of the Great Hall together. When the way was clear of students Hermione hissed in Star's ear.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. Much." she said looking at Hermione's worried face. Star looked around to make sure there was no one coming down the hallway, "It will wear off in a couple of hours. I just calmed him down a bit. That's all."

"I've never seen anything like that before. I've seen memories modified and the like..."

"It was nothing like that. Look, just make sure you don't say anything to anyone. I have a way of feeling what other people feel sometimes when their emotions are out of check. I also have a way of making them feel what I want them to. What I gave Malfoy was just a small dose of peacefulness. Just enough to make him feel complacent. Like I said it will wear off in a couple of hours."

"You're an empathist? I've only read about that. It's a rare gift. There were only 2 or 3 in the past century. From what I've read it is difficult to get the feeling across that you want. Normally potions are used because they have more of a consistancy. You are sure of what you made him feel, right? Are you sure he'll be alright."

"Yes, I'm sure." she said. "Listen, I have to go to the owlery, then we can go back to the common room. I still have a little bit of work to do. Don't worry about Malfoy. He'll be back to his hateful self by lunch."

Hermione was bitting her lip and thinking about the situation "Yes, but what if he says something to someone about it. He could go to Snape or someone..."

"He won't go to Snape. By the time he comes back to his reality, he'll just wonder what the hell he was thinking. I'm positive."

Star could tell she was about to jump out of her skin. She was obviously apprehensive about this situation. Hermione was right though, if she wasn't careful, she could have sent the wrong impression to Malfoy. Star hadn't sent the wrong feelings in quite some time though. She didn't use it unless she had to. The Great Hall was full of students and she didn't feel like having a duel in front of that many people. It was just easier to do what she did. Besides, with the threat she had given Malfoy already, that should have been enough to make anyone back off.

"Look at me. I'll give you the same dose as I did Malfoy. Then you'll see what its like. Ready?" Star said to Hermione as she waited for Hermione's approval. Hermione nodded and Star and whispered something.

Hermione felt warm all over. She felt as if there was nothing wrong with anything. As soon as she felt it come, she felt it leave. Hermione looked up at Star and felt a little better about the situation. She could take it back as quickly as she gave it apparently. Star felt Hermione relax about everything, nodded and continued up to the owlery.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Hermione asked walking up the stairs to the tower.

"As long as I can remember. Please understand, I have excellent control. If I thought that there was any way that I could have screwed it up any way, I wouldn't have done it." she said as she coaxed an owl down from the nearest rafter and tied the letter on its leg. "It's easier, well I find at least, to send happy thoughts." she took the owl to the window and watched it soar out the window and over the Forrest.

Star turned around and saw Hermione deep in thought. Hermione said nothing as they walked back to the common room. When they got to the portrait to the common room, Hermione seemed to feel better about the situation. Star wondered what Hermione was thinking but thought better than ask. She had just been asked to swallow something big that not a lot of people would normally take in stride. They walked silently into the common room and sat together at a table. Star was getting out some of the work when Hermione decided she would ask what was apparently on her mind.

"Have you told Harry about this?" she asked looking over at Star.

"It hasn't come up to tell you the truth." Star said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You should tell him." she said firmly.

Star looked at Hermione. Did she think she was using it on Harry? "Look, I haven't used it on Harry, if that is what you are thinking. Like I said, I don't like to use it unless I have to."

"I don't want to see Harry hurt in any way. If I find out that you were or are using it against him, I'll tell him. I don't think you are because from what I've read, the effects only lasts for so long, but all the same. He has a right to know." Hermione said with authority. Star looked taken aback for a moment when Hermione said "Look, its just my job to threaten you. Harry is one of my best friends."

"I'll tell him this afternoon. I told him we needed to talk after last night anyway."

"So, what did happen last night anyway?" Hermione asked.

Star knew she wasn't going to drop the subject unless she got some information about the night before. Star also believed that Hermione truly didn't believe that she was making Harry feel the way he felt. Star sighed "We kissed."

Hermione beamed "And?" she asked.

"It was nice. But, I absolutely refuse to go into any more detail than that." she said with a smile.

****

Harry was on the pitch early that morning setting up for the practice and tryouts. He had gotten out the crate and was looking up the pitch for his team mates. He wanted to see how the other team members played together before he talked to the team about who was getting the positions. Harry just hoped that this years team would turn out a little better than last years.

Shortly after he had finished getting everything together for the practice the rest of the Gryffindor team walked onto the pitch. There was also an alarming amount of people that had turned up for tryouts. Harry sighed. He hadn't bargained on that many people turning up. Harry grabbed the quaffle. He called for the team to gather around.

"Alright then, what we're going to do is try to do this as a practice with everyone who has come. I think it would be best if we test on flying ability then move to passing the quaffle. The best ones will make first cut today. We'll decide as a team who fits best later." his team mates nodded their approval.

Harry randomly picked people out of the line of hopefuls, and asked them to fly around the feild. He asked rest to line up and be ready to take off when he made necessary cuts from prospective players. There was a lot of sloppy fliers and cut the number of people to about half.

Harry retrieved the quaffle and passed it to someone on a broom and asked them to pass to one another. Harry watched the players on their brooms and again made more cuts. This left him with six people waiting on brooms. Harry dismissed the ones that had not made it and called the others to him. He asked them to wait until they were called to the pitch.

Harry picked up his Firebolt and asked the rest of the team to get ready. He picked two people out of the six to see how they played with the rest of the team. They were alright but not brilliant. Harry stopped the practice and told the two players named Faherty and Kearney, to sit down and called Lamont and Ahlman. These two had chemistry on the pitch. They could pass with to each other and almost looked like they could dodge a bludger. He asked those two to have a seat and asked Ginny and Crowley. Ginny was a great chaser. She could fly, she could pass and he knew she could avoid a bludger. Crowley didn't seem to fit into the team, but he could play. Harry wondered if he could simply cut someone just because it "didn't feel right".

Harry called for an end to practice and thanked all who came out to play and that they would know by tomorrow if they had made the team or not. Harry knew he wanted Ginny to play chaser. Not because she was Ron's sister but because she could play well.

Harry put the crate away in its proper place. Harry shouldered his Firebolt and was walking up to the castle when Katie Bell walked up to him. She looked at him for a moment then stopped him.

"Who is going to make the cut then?" she asked.

"Well, like I said, I want the rest of the teams input, but I really favor Ginny for the empty space." he said continuing up to the castle.

"Good, she knows the teams strategies. So, when's the next practice?" she asked as they walked up to the door to the castle.

"Well, we should get going with it sooner rather than later. I think we should practice on Monday night. Three nights a week and one day during the weekend. That way we have time to do other things like homework." he said making their way to the Gryffindor common room.