Disclaimer: The characters of the Harry Potter books are not mine they belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 4
Renee's second quidditch match was almost as much of a disaster as the first, only this time because they lost. The game against Ravenclaw took place towards the end of November. They were flattened, there was no other word for it. Any hope their victory over Griffindor had given them for a chance to win the quidditch cup was completely gone. She got letters of consolation from her family and Jack. Even the twins and Angelina tried to comfort her, though she knew they must have been hoping for Hufflepuff's defeat since it would renew their own chances at getting the cup. Oh well, Renee sighed to herself, as long as Slytherine doesn't win it again.
Christmas time was almost upon them and they began to plot their next big prank on Snape. This time, in the spirit of the holidays, they planed on transforming him into none other then jolly old Saint Nick.
"I got this from a costume book actually. I'm not sure why they put it in the restricted section." Renee said.
"Perhaps one of the professors actually had enough brains to recognize the prank potential." Angelina suggested laughing.
"I managed to get other costume ideas out of it as well, imagine Snape dressed up for Easter and Valentine's day. I've got one for Saint Patrick's day too."
"So what do we need for this?", George asked leaning over the photographed pages
"Well, we need a false beard and wig. A temporary weight gain potion and lots of it. They give us the spell here to enchant his robes." Renee answered examining instructions for the spell.
******
They choose to pull the prank the day before they would leave for Christmas break. Snape's transformation was so complete that nobody would have suspected it was him
dressed as Santa Clause if it hadn't been for his scowl and lack of cheery laughter. It took Madam Pomprey hours to get him back to his normal, oily black haired, self.
With the camera in it's hiding spot, they were able to get pictures of him attempting to teach class in his Santa out fit. All the students, save those in Slytherine, would periodically dissolve into fits of laughter. As a result more than twice the usual number of potions accidents occurred and Snape's classes had to be canceled for the rest of the day until things could get sorted out. It was an unforeseen bonus for which the perpetrators were particularly glad.
******
Renee went home for Christmas break. Fred and George were staying at Hogworts with their brother Ron. At King's Cross she was greeted by her father, all three of her brothers, her aunt, and, much to her surprise, Jack. She had no idea what he might possibly be doing there. He usually spent his Christmas time with his own family in Ireland, except on occasion when his whole family came to visit theirs for the holidays, bur neither his parents nor his siblings were anywhere in sight.
"Hi Jack", she greeted him trying to keep the note of confusion out of her voice.
"Surprised?", he asked bringing her into an embrace that lasted a little too long for Renee's comfort.
"Yes", she answered him frankly.
"My parents decided to visit our relations in America. None of us kids were too keen on going. Your dad invited us to spend Christmas with your family. Beth and Heather decided to stay at school over the holidays though."
"That's nice", was all Renee could think of too say. She didn't know why, but she was a little annoyed at his being there.
Jack insisted on helping her with all her luggage. Only after he was almost crushed under the weight of her trunk did he give in and allow her brothers to assist him. Justin winked and smile at her as he and Jack passed carrying the trunk between them. Renee rolled her eyes in response.
******
By the time they arrived at her home in a respectable Welsh suburb Renee had finally gotten over the surprise of seeing Jack. This time, as they unpacked her things, he allowed her brothers to take charge of the heavy trunk and Hermes' cage and instead walked with her to the door so he could finish telling her stories about his semester, which he had begun in the car ride. She hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise the whole trip. Every time she tried to talk about the new friends she had made, about the dementors that lurked around Hogsmead, or about the attack by Sirius Black, he would interrupt her and go off on a tangent about something that had happened to him. It was very provoking and not something he normally did. She added that to her list of his strange new behaviors.
She was thinking about this as she walked up the drive. Jack was still talking, but she was no longer paying him much attention. Just as she stepped in the door way Allen, who was further down the walk helping Eric haul her trunk, called out to them. "Stop right where you are.", he commanded. Renee had no idea what he was about, but she was not in any mood to deal with it. She turned to face him. "Why", she demanded simply. Allen merely smiled and pointed upwards. Renee let out and exasperated sigh and looked up. When she saw it, she groaned inwardly. There fixed to the door frame was mistletoe and she and Jack were standing under it.
Everyone one was looking at her expectantly, including Jack. "No way. It's a stupid tradition and I'm not doing it.", she declared and rushed the rest of the way into the house. Jack followed after he,r looking somewhat disappointed and a little hurt.
Renee went straight to her room and shut the door, making it clear to all she wanted to be left alone. She opened Hermes' cage and scooped him up in her arms. "Why does he have to act so weird?", she asked her faithful familiar. Unfortunately Hermes did not have to power of speech, so he could not offer her as much comfort as she would like. She thought of sending a owl to one of her girlfriends in Hufflepuff, but she wasn't close enough to any of them to feel comfortable confiding in them. She could tell Angelina, but she had no idea where she lived and she didn't want to make Apollo search all of England for her. Then it dawned on her and she wondered why it hadn't occurred to her before. Who else could she talk to, but her Aunt Tabitha. She would have to wait until after dinner though, after all the men had gone to the living room to talk quidditch. Normally she liked to join them, but this time she would hang back in the kitchen and offer to help her aunt clear up. It was the perfect opportunity.
Just the thought of being able to talk to someone about her troubles made Renee feel better. She wondered why on earth she hadn't thought of it before. This problem had been on her mind for quite a long time. Content, she stroked Hermes until Eric came up stairs to inform her that dinner was ready.
All through out dinner Jack kept giving her odd looks. Renee's impatience for the meal to end grew. She watched her family's plates intensely, but didn't pay much attention to her own. Her aunt gave her a concerned glance and she returned it with a significant one that promised "later". Fortunately, when you live in a house with mostly men, meals are short. In a mere half hour her brothers and Jack had eaten their way through seconds while her father, a more experienced eater, was well into his thirds. Tabitha was finished with her firsts and wanted no more. Renee had barely touched her meal, but was as finished as she was ever going to get.
Finally, a few minutes later, dinner was over and Renee followed her aunt to the kitchen instead of the men. "Need to talk dear?", her aunt inquired.
"Yes", Renee replied as she began to help wash the dishes.
"About what?"
"Jack"
"What's wrong?", Aunt Tabitha asked kindly.
"He's acting really weird."
"Well at his age when a boy start's acting weird around a girl it means they're in love or infatuated more like."
"Oh please, heavens no. I can't believe it, not after we've been friends for so long."
"You know, best friends often make the best couples."
"Yea I know and it does make sense, but not if one of them doesn't feel that way."
"Very true. I take it you have no such feelings for him?"
"Correct."
"Well then you should let him know."
"But I can't. I mean I don't have the guts to do something like that. If he doesn't like me I'll look like a fool or if he does I'll hurt him."
"But in the end you will probably still be friends. Mark my words, if you let this go on there will be trouble in the end."
Renee didn't say anything in response She finished washing the dishes in silence then went to join the boys in talking quidditch. Somehow though her aunt's words stuck with
her. She was right. It was best to find out now. The hard part would be getting up enough nerve to do it.
Chapter 4
Renee's second quidditch match was almost as much of a disaster as the first, only this time because they lost. The game against Ravenclaw took place towards the end of November. They were flattened, there was no other word for it. Any hope their victory over Griffindor had given them for a chance to win the quidditch cup was completely gone. She got letters of consolation from her family and Jack. Even the twins and Angelina tried to comfort her, though she knew they must have been hoping for Hufflepuff's defeat since it would renew their own chances at getting the cup. Oh well, Renee sighed to herself, as long as Slytherine doesn't win it again.
Christmas time was almost upon them and they began to plot their next big prank on Snape. This time, in the spirit of the holidays, they planed on transforming him into none other then jolly old Saint Nick.
"I got this from a costume book actually. I'm not sure why they put it in the restricted section." Renee said.
"Perhaps one of the professors actually had enough brains to recognize the prank potential." Angelina suggested laughing.
"I managed to get other costume ideas out of it as well, imagine Snape dressed up for Easter and Valentine's day. I've got one for Saint Patrick's day too."
"So what do we need for this?", George asked leaning over the photographed pages
"Well, we need a false beard and wig. A temporary weight gain potion and lots of it. They give us the spell here to enchant his robes." Renee answered examining instructions for the spell.
******
They choose to pull the prank the day before they would leave for Christmas break. Snape's transformation was so complete that nobody would have suspected it was him
dressed as Santa Clause if it hadn't been for his scowl and lack of cheery laughter. It took Madam Pomprey hours to get him back to his normal, oily black haired, self.
With the camera in it's hiding spot, they were able to get pictures of him attempting to teach class in his Santa out fit. All the students, save those in Slytherine, would periodically dissolve into fits of laughter. As a result more than twice the usual number of potions accidents occurred and Snape's classes had to be canceled for the rest of the day until things could get sorted out. It was an unforeseen bonus for which the perpetrators were particularly glad.
******
Renee went home for Christmas break. Fred and George were staying at Hogworts with their brother Ron. At King's Cross she was greeted by her father, all three of her brothers, her aunt, and, much to her surprise, Jack. She had no idea what he might possibly be doing there. He usually spent his Christmas time with his own family in Ireland, except on occasion when his whole family came to visit theirs for the holidays, bur neither his parents nor his siblings were anywhere in sight.
"Hi Jack", she greeted him trying to keep the note of confusion out of her voice.
"Surprised?", he asked bringing her into an embrace that lasted a little too long for Renee's comfort.
"Yes", she answered him frankly.
"My parents decided to visit our relations in America. None of us kids were too keen on going. Your dad invited us to spend Christmas with your family. Beth and Heather decided to stay at school over the holidays though."
"That's nice", was all Renee could think of too say. She didn't know why, but she was a little annoyed at his being there.
Jack insisted on helping her with all her luggage. Only after he was almost crushed under the weight of her trunk did he give in and allow her brothers to assist him. Justin winked and smile at her as he and Jack passed carrying the trunk between them. Renee rolled her eyes in response.
******
By the time they arrived at her home in a respectable Welsh suburb Renee had finally gotten over the surprise of seeing Jack. This time, as they unpacked her things, he allowed her brothers to take charge of the heavy trunk and Hermes' cage and instead walked with her to the door so he could finish telling her stories about his semester, which he had begun in the car ride. She hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise the whole trip. Every time she tried to talk about the new friends she had made, about the dementors that lurked around Hogsmead, or about the attack by Sirius Black, he would interrupt her and go off on a tangent about something that had happened to him. It was very provoking and not something he normally did. She added that to her list of his strange new behaviors.
She was thinking about this as she walked up the drive. Jack was still talking, but she was no longer paying him much attention. Just as she stepped in the door way Allen, who was further down the walk helping Eric haul her trunk, called out to them. "Stop right where you are.", he commanded. Renee had no idea what he was about, but she was not in any mood to deal with it. She turned to face him. "Why", she demanded simply. Allen merely smiled and pointed upwards. Renee let out and exasperated sigh and looked up. When she saw it, she groaned inwardly. There fixed to the door frame was mistletoe and she and Jack were standing under it.
Everyone one was looking at her expectantly, including Jack. "No way. It's a stupid tradition and I'm not doing it.", she declared and rushed the rest of the way into the house. Jack followed after he,r looking somewhat disappointed and a little hurt.
Renee went straight to her room and shut the door, making it clear to all she wanted to be left alone. She opened Hermes' cage and scooped him up in her arms. "Why does he have to act so weird?", she asked her faithful familiar. Unfortunately Hermes did not have to power of speech, so he could not offer her as much comfort as she would like. She thought of sending a owl to one of her girlfriends in Hufflepuff, but she wasn't close enough to any of them to feel comfortable confiding in them. She could tell Angelina, but she had no idea where she lived and she didn't want to make Apollo search all of England for her. Then it dawned on her and she wondered why it hadn't occurred to her before. Who else could she talk to, but her Aunt Tabitha. She would have to wait until after dinner though, after all the men had gone to the living room to talk quidditch. Normally she liked to join them, but this time she would hang back in the kitchen and offer to help her aunt clear up. It was the perfect opportunity.
Just the thought of being able to talk to someone about her troubles made Renee feel better. She wondered why on earth she hadn't thought of it before. This problem had been on her mind for quite a long time. Content, she stroked Hermes until Eric came up stairs to inform her that dinner was ready.
All through out dinner Jack kept giving her odd looks. Renee's impatience for the meal to end grew. She watched her family's plates intensely, but didn't pay much attention to her own. Her aunt gave her a concerned glance and she returned it with a significant one that promised "later". Fortunately, when you live in a house with mostly men, meals are short. In a mere half hour her brothers and Jack had eaten their way through seconds while her father, a more experienced eater, was well into his thirds. Tabitha was finished with her firsts and wanted no more. Renee had barely touched her meal, but was as finished as she was ever going to get.
Finally, a few minutes later, dinner was over and Renee followed her aunt to the kitchen instead of the men. "Need to talk dear?", her aunt inquired.
"Yes", Renee replied as she began to help wash the dishes.
"About what?"
"Jack"
"What's wrong?", Aunt Tabitha asked kindly.
"He's acting really weird."
"Well at his age when a boy start's acting weird around a girl it means they're in love or infatuated more like."
"Oh please, heavens no. I can't believe it, not after we've been friends for so long."
"You know, best friends often make the best couples."
"Yea I know and it does make sense, but not if one of them doesn't feel that way."
"Very true. I take it you have no such feelings for him?"
"Correct."
"Well then you should let him know."
"But I can't. I mean I don't have the guts to do something like that. If he doesn't like me I'll look like a fool or if he does I'll hurt him."
"But in the end you will probably still be friends. Mark my words, if you let this go on there will be trouble in the end."
Renee didn't say anything in response She finished washing the dishes in silence then went to join the boys in talking quidditch. Somehow though her aunt's words stuck with
her. She was right. It was best to find out now. The hard part would be getting up enough nerve to do it.
