Chapter 2 ~ Dating
Sirius was very relieved that Muriel hadn't figured out that he'd helped her get away from Avery. Somehow, he thought that all the fun he had at school would go out the window if she ever knew that. He'd certainly have felt guiltier about hexing her. He sat several rows behind her in Professor Tantry's class, listening absentmindedly to drivel about dementors. His mother had once told him that the foul creatures couldn't be explained, you just had to meet one if you wanted to understand. He shuddered. He'd rather not understand. James passed him something and he glanced at it, suppressing a chuckle. He nodded.
A moment later class was irreparably disrupted when the legs of Marisa and Muriel's desk turned into squirming snakes. Their books scattered everywhere as the tabletop fell, and Marisa screamed, knocking her chair over as she tried to get away. Muriel stood up and turned around sharply. "Nothing poisonous this time, Black? I'm disappointed." She smirked at him as Professor Tantry hurriedly fixed the table legs and turned on the boys in the back. Black had been named, and in spite of the fact that he hadn't done it, he got the detention.
By the time Marisa and Muriel had gathered up all their books from the floor, class was over. Mur shot a victorious smile at Sirius before she and Marisa headed off to dinner, Marisa still breathing heavily.
Severus met them in the hall. "Hey girls," he said quietly, coming up behind them. Muriel jumped and turned around, swearing and drawing her wand. Sirius and James sniggered as they passed them. It was always fun to see the enemy fighting amongst themselves.
"Bloody hell, Sev!" Mur said angrily, putting her wand away. Severus suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He had surprised her. That had NEVER happened before, in all their lives. She could always sense his presence before he could speak. He wondered if she would ask him about it.
Muriel stared hard at her friend. Something wasn't right, hadn't been all summer long. She hadn't been able to hear any of his thoughts since late last term, and now his emotions were becoming harder to feel, too. Just now she knew he was standing in front of her, but it was like his body was an empty shell. She couldn't feel anything at all.
"Are you okay, Severus?" she asked finally, aware that they were the only people left in the hallway. Marisa was looking back and forth between them worriedly.
Severus put on a puzzled expression. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He worried a bit more when she narrowed her eyes again before nodding shortly and turning back towards the Great Hall. For the first time it occurred to him that she might be less than happy that he was denying her access to his mind.
Muriel didn't bother to ask Severus to come with her to her Quiddich team tryout. She'd decided to try for keeper, but it was obvious within the first few minutes that there were at least three people far better suited to the job. She left the field alone and feeling very annoyed. Maybe next year.
Most of the Great Hall was looking raptly at the Gryffindor table when she finally dragged herself back downstairs for dinner. Sirius Black was facing a pretty, black haired Hufflepuff girl, who was turning red and smiling brightly enough to cast shadows.
"You really want to go with me?" he was asking loudly. "That's amazing, I was just trying to get up the nerve to ask you!" Sirius had really turned on the charm this time. Muriel rolled her eyes and walked the long way around to her seat as the girl giggled nervously, and sat down to have dinner with the marauders instead of at her own table.
Mur didn't acknowledge Severus as she walked past him but continued to her own table. He had been leaning over a homework assignment, and she hadn't seen him. As she sat, she watched a more familiar act play out at the Gryffindor table. James got up, practically ran down the table and whispered something to Lily, only to throw himself angrily onto the bench again a moment later. Mur shook her head. One day the girl was going to say yes. She wondered if Potter would have any idea what to do when that day came.
"James just got up to bother Lily again, I take it I missed the announcement about the Halloween ball?" she looked over at Marisa, but it was someone else who answered.
"That IS a pretty good indication, isn't it?" She looked up to see Jeremy Wood, the 7th year Gryffindor Quiddich captain smiling down at her. "I don't think we've met." He held out a hand and she stood to shake it.
"Wood, right?"
"Jeremy," he corrected. "And you're Muriel?" His eyes were a deep brown to match his hair, and he was smiling a very shy smile. Mur looked down and caught Marisa's eye. Her friend was grinning encouragingly.
"Mur," she corrected in the same tone.
"Mur, I saw you at the dance last year, and I'd really like for you to come to the Halloween ball with me." He said this all very fast, and Mur blinked at him in surprise. Her first thought was that she ought to go with Severus. But as quickly as it came she pushed it aside. She'd waited until it was almost too late last year, and she knew he'd never ask her.
"Well, alright then," she said softly. She'd never been asked out before, and it was a rather frightening experience. No wonder Marisa had grabbed her hand last year when Sirius had asked her to the ball. She had a very unnaturally girlish urge to do exactly the same thing. She could hear the girls whispering excitedly to one another at the table.
"Great. Maybe you'll come to a few of our practices in the meantime and we can talk?"
"Sure," she answered, her voice still rather misty. She stood there and watched him walk away. He sat down and started talking excitedly with his friends, as if it was something great to have asked out a 5th year. As her head cleared a bit, she couldn't help but wonder why a Gryffindor would be asking her out anyway, much less one that was two years older than she.
She sat back down slowly, thinking hard. She hadn't bothered to try and read anything out of his head. Well, maybe she'd be able to pick up a little of his reasoning at his first Quiddich practice.
Two weeks later she sat in the top box nearest the goals Jeremy was defending. She was close enough to get his thoughts, and he seemed to think he was impressing her. He was really quite good. The entire team was good, actually. Potter was about the best seeker the school had ever seen. In the two-hour practice, he'd caught the snitch at least 8 times. One of the beaters, a girl she didn't know, was knocking bludgers at the chasers while Black protected them. He hit the bludgers a lot harder than she did, so she was doing a good deal of extra flying to go after them. And his aim was nearly perfect. He sent her careening out over the field to protect James every time he hit the bludger away from the chasers. Muriel could certainly see how the team had learned to play so well. Their practices were very well coordinated.
She waited outside the locker rooms for Jeremy. Potter and Black came out first and started when they saw her there. "Spying on our practices, Deesia?" James asked coldly. He still hadn't forgiven her for laying Black out on the train, and had been having a field day hexing her ever since. She fingered her wand in her pocket.
"Yes, I'm going to tell AVERY all about it later on. Don't be a prat, Potter," she said sarcastically. Sirius looked a little startled. They weren't supposed to know that she didn't like the new Slytherin Quiddich captain.
James just laughed, smooth as always. "I was actually more afraid that you'd tell your own team."
"Oh, you think I'd report to Kyle that you're going to tromp all over his dreams again this year? That poor boy will be devastated enough when it happens. He doesn't need foreknowledge." Her voice was a little sad. She really would have to be cruel to tell Kyle ANYTHING she'd seen here today.
"There's my girl," Jeremy said sportingly as he came out of the locker rooms. Muriel raised an eyebrow. That was taking it a bit far, since she'd barely spoken to him in the four days since he'd caught her in the hall to tell her when the first practice was.
James choked incoherently, staring at his captain with wide eyes. Sirius, however, had caught the look on Muriel's face and was stifling a fit of giggles. "Wood, you'd better watch out for this one. She's a spitfire."
Muriel spared him a withering look. "Sod off, Black." She watched as Sirius led a still sputtering Potter away. Then she turned to Jeremy with a wicked grin. "He's right you know. It'll be a while before I'm your girl. You're a decent keeper, but it isn't enough to make me fall at your feet."
She watched as his mouth fell open. He was about to start saying he'd never thought any such thing. "Honestly, Wood, are all Gryffindors this conceited, or just the Quiddich players?"
His mouth snapped closed and he swallowed hard. "Sorry. I shouldn't have called you my girl. I was just – er –"
"Showing off in front of your team?" she supplied. She laughed when he nodded miserably. "That's okay. If you're half as good a dancer as you are a keeper, we'll have a good time anyway."
'You'll still go with me?" he asked incredulously. Muriel was still smiling at him.
"I hang out with Severus Snape. The boy has an ego the size of the Himalayan mountain range. I think I can put up with yours for an evening. IF you dance."
Jeremy couldn't help but laugh. He even made so bold as to put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the castle. "We'll get along just fine."
Muriel was really pleased to find that Wood actually seemed to enjoy her company. It isn't often that someone asks you out the same day they meet you. She'd been worried that he might want a little more than a good girl ought to give. But she couldn't sense any of that in the handsome 7th year, so she let herself enjoy his company as well. She sat through every Gryffindor practice, in spite of the jeering she took from her own house team.
Sirius was very relieved that Muriel hadn't figured out that he'd helped her get away from Avery. Somehow, he thought that all the fun he had at school would go out the window if she ever knew that. He'd certainly have felt guiltier about hexing her. He sat several rows behind her in Professor Tantry's class, listening absentmindedly to drivel about dementors. His mother had once told him that the foul creatures couldn't be explained, you just had to meet one if you wanted to understand. He shuddered. He'd rather not understand. James passed him something and he glanced at it, suppressing a chuckle. He nodded.
A moment later class was irreparably disrupted when the legs of Marisa and Muriel's desk turned into squirming snakes. Their books scattered everywhere as the tabletop fell, and Marisa screamed, knocking her chair over as she tried to get away. Muriel stood up and turned around sharply. "Nothing poisonous this time, Black? I'm disappointed." She smirked at him as Professor Tantry hurriedly fixed the table legs and turned on the boys in the back. Black had been named, and in spite of the fact that he hadn't done it, he got the detention.
By the time Marisa and Muriel had gathered up all their books from the floor, class was over. Mur shot a victorious smile at Sirius before she and Marisa headed off to dinner, Marisa still breathing heavily.
Severus met them in the hall. "Hey girls," he said quietly, coming up behind them. Muriel jumped and turned around, swearing and drawing her wand. Sirius and James sniggered as they passed them. It was always fun to see the enemy fighting amongst themselves.
"Bloody hell, Sev!" Mur said angrily, putting her wand away. Severus suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He had surprised her. That had NEVER happened before, in all their lives. She could always sense his presence before he could speak. He wondered if she would ask him about it.
Muriel stared hard at her friend. Something wasn't right, hadn't been all summer long. She hadn't been able to hear any of his thoughts since late last term, and now his emotions were becoming harder to feel, too. Just now she knew he was standing in front of her, but it was like his body was an empty shell. She couldn't feel anything at all.
"Are you okay, Severus?" she asked finally, aware that they were the only people left in the hallway. Marisa was looking back and forth between them worriedly.
Severus put on a puzzled expression. "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He worried a bit more when she narrowed her eyes again before nodding shortly and turning back towards the Great Hall. For the first time it occurred to him that she might be less than happy that he was denying her access to his mind.
Muriel didn't bother to ask Severus to come with her to her Quiddich team tryout. She'd decided to try for keeper, but it was obvious within the first few minutes that there were at least three people far better suited to the job. She left the field alone and feeling very annoyed. Maybe next year.
Most of the Great Hall was looking raptly at the Gryffindor table when she finally dragged herself back downstairs for dinner. Sirius Black was facing a pretty, black haired Hufflepuff girl, who was turning red and smiling brightly enough to cast shadows.
"You really want to go with me?" he was asking loudly. "That's amazing, I was just trying to get up the nerve to ask you!" Sirius had really turned on the charm this time. Muriel rolled her eyes and walked the long way around to her seat as the girl giggled nervously, and sat down to have dinner with the marauders instead of at her own table.
Mur didn't acknowledge Severus as she walked past him but continued to her own table. He had been leaning over a homework assignment, and she hadn't seen him. As she sat, she watched a more familiar act play out at the Gryffindor table. James got up, practically ran down the table and whispered something to Lily, only to throw himself angrily onto the bench again a moment later. Mur shook her head. One day the girl was going to say yes. She wondered if Potter would have any idea what to do when that day came.
"James just got up to bother Lily again, I take it I missed the announcement about the Halloween ball?" she looked over at Marisa, but it was someone else who answered.
"That IS a pretty good indication, isn't it?" She looked up to see Jeremy Wood, the 7th year Gryffindor Quiddich captain smiling down at her. "I don't think we've met." He held out a hand and she stood to shake it.
"Wood, right?"
"Jeremy," he corrected. "And you're Muriel?" His eyes were a deep brown to match his hair, and he was smiling a very shy smile. Mur looked down and caught Marisa's eye. Her friend was grinning encouragingly.
"Mur," she corrected in the same tone.
"Mur, I saw you at the dance last year, and I'd really like for you to come to the Halloween ball with me." He said this all very fast, and Mur blinked at him in surprise. Her first thought was that she ought to go with Severus. But as quickly as it came she pushed it aside. She'd waited until it was almost too late last year, and she knew he'd never ask her.
"Well, alright then," she said softly. She'd never been asked out before, and it was a rather frightening experience. No wonder Marisa had grabbed her hand last year when Sirius had asked her to the ball. She had a very unnaturally girlish urge to do exactly the same thing. She could hear the girls whispering excitedly to one another at the table.
"Great. Maybe you'll come to a few of our practices in the meantime and we can talk?"
"Sure," she answered, her voice still rather misty. She stood there and watched him walk away. He sat down and started talking excitedly with his friends, as if it was something great to have asked out a 5th year. As her head cleared a bit, she couldn't help but wonder why a Gryffindor would be asking her out anyway, much less one that was two years older than she.
She sat back down slowly, thinking hard. She hadn't bothered to try and read anything out of his head. Well, maybe she'd be able to pick up a little of his reasoning at his first Quiddich practice.
Two weeks later she sat in the top box nearest the goals Jeremy was defending. She was close enough to get his thoughts, and he seemed to think he was impressing her. He was really quite good. The entire team was good, actually. Potter was about the best seeker the school had ever seen. In the two-hour practice, he'd caught the snitch at least 8 times. One of the beaters, a girl she didn't know, was knocking bludgers at the chasers while Black protected them. He hit the bludgers a lot harder than she did, so she was doing a good deal of extra flying to go after them. And his aim was nearly perfect. He sent her careening out over the field to protect James every time he hit the bludger away from the chasers. Muriel could certainly see how the team had learned to play so well. Their practices were very well coordinated.
She waited outside the locker rooms for Jeremy. Potter and Black came out first and started when they saw her there. "Spying on our practices, Deesia?" James asked coldly. He still hadn't forgiven her for laying Black out on the train, and had been having a field day hexing her ever since. She fingered her wand in her pocket.
"Yes, I'm going to tell AVERY all about it later on. Don't be a prat, Potter," she said sarcastically. Sirius looked a little startled. They weren't supposed to know that she didn't like the new Slytherin Quiddich captain.
James just laughed, smooth as always. "I was actually more afraid that you'd tell your own team."
"Oh, you think I'd report to Kyle that you're going to tromp all over his dreams again this year? That poor boy will be devastated enough when it happens. He doesn't need foreknowledge." Her voice was a little sad. She really would have to be cruel to tell Kyle ANYTHING she'd seen here today.
"There's my girl," Jeremy said sportingly as he came out of the locker rooms. Muriel raised an eyebrow. That was taking it a bit far, since she'd barely spoken to him in the four days since he'd caught her in the hall to tell her when the first practice was.
James choked incoherently, staring at his captain with wide eyes. Sirius, however, had caught the look on Muriel's face and was stifling a fit of giggles. "Wood, you'd better watch out for this one. She's a spitfire."
Muriel spared him a withering look. "Sod off, Black." She watched as Sirius led a still sputtering Potter away. Then she turned to Jeremy with a wicked grin. "He's right you know. It'll be a while before I'm your girl. You're a decent keeper, but it isn't enough to make me fall at your feet."
She watched as his mouth fell open. He was about to start saying he'd never thought any such thing. "Honestly, Wood, are all Gryffindors this conceited, or just the Quiddich players?"
His mouth snapped closed and he swallowed hard. "Sorry. I shouldn't have called you my girl. I was just – er –"
"Showing off in front of your team?" she supplied. She laughed when he nodded miserably. "That's okay. If you're half as good a dancer as you are a keeper, we'll have a good time anyway."
'You'll still go with me?" he asked incredulously. Muriel was still smiling at him.
"I hang out with Severus Snape. The boy has an ego the size of the Himalayan mountain range. I think I can put up with yours for an evening. IF you dance."
Jeremy couldn't help but laugh. He even made so bold as to put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back to the castle. "We'll get along just fine."
Muriel was really pleased to find that Wood actually seemed to enjoy her company. It isn't often that someone asks you out the same day they meet you. She'd been worried that he might want a little more than a good girl ought to give. But she couldn't sense any of that in the handsome 7th year, so she let herself enjoy his company as well. She sat through every Gryffindor practice, in spite of the jeering she took from her own house team.
