A/N: IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII have nothing to say here…nope…can't think of a thing, I mean, the chapter came out sooner than expected…but I can't think of anything to say. Don't you just hate it when you're mind goes blank? I mean, I had something on mind at one point, but I kind of forgot it. That's really annoying. Ever had that happen to you? Where you thought of something to say to someone and by the time they finish their sentence you forgot it? Happens to me all the time. My brother has this thing where he doesn't like it when people talk over him, but by the time he's finished with his non-too-important-or-understandable point I've forgotten what I wanted to put in. And with Kioko, man, when we start brainstorming on this fic it gets crazy, I mean it, I'll think of something I wanted to put in, and then she'll come up with this really cool idea and we'll talk about that for like, 5 minutes. And by that time I inevitably have lost the train of thought I had before we began that particular discussion. I mean, sometimes we'll be talking about something having to do with Saturn's new fuku, and then we'll start talking about how hairbrushes should be classified as a lethal weapon. And after that I'll completely forget one of the suggestions I was going to make. Like I said before, its annoying. Especially when you look back and wonder, 'how the heck did we get onto this subject?' because you know that you can go from A to Z and skip over 18 letters when dealing with subject matter. It's like doing that 'One, two skip a few, ninety-nine, a hundred' thing. It's crazy I tell you! CRAZY!!! No, I didn't take my medication today, why do you ask?
Journal entry, stuff: Strangely enough, the next Monday Harry wasn't at Occlumancy. Snape told me he had dismissed Harry the day after my last entry, though he wouldn't tell me why. He just said it wasn't important. I feel guilty about this, but I was rather relieved when I found out Harry wouldn't be there. Can you blame me? I only know how to put up so many defenses, in the end I'm always walking out of these lessons with a headache.
Good news and bad news here, good news is the Yule Ball is just before Easter, bad news is several guys have been finding themselves in the hospital wing courtesy of both Kioko and Draco. Well, Kioko isn't going with anyone, she'll go, but not with anyone. And therefore those who try asking her and don't stop feel the wrath of Lady Hex. You can probably guess why Draco has been using more hexes than normal.
"Hi Tomo, listen, the Yule Ball is coming up and I was wondering…" ~Poor guy
"Would you like to finish that sentence?" ~Draco
It's embarrassing really.
Hang on a moment, I just realized something. I haven't seen Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, or Setsuna-mama in a long while. And you'd think with the Yule Ball coming up Haruka would be following me everywhere whenever she could afford it. I CAN'T BELIEVE I ONLY JUST NOTICED THIS!!! I'll bet anything Umbridge has something to do with it. I'll bring it up with Glandria next time I can get to her, I know I'd have noticed her missing because she's one of the teachers. But I haven't been in the Hospital Wing for a while, so Setsuna could still be there just busy. But I've been in the Library, and I can't say I remember seeing Michiru-mama there. I'll ask Madam Pince about it.
"Hey Kioko," Hotaru piped up.
"Yeah?" Kioko asked from her bed.
Hotaru looked up from her book, "Have you seen Haruka, Michiru, or Setsuna around lately?" She asked.
Kioko looked up from her own book, "You know what, I haven't. Geez, you'd think that I would notice the lack of Malfoy-bashing around the time of the Yule Ball!" She then closed her book. "Let's go look for them, I'll bet you anything that if we can't find them Umbridge had something to do with it. We'll check the Informatory first." She said jumping out of her bed.
Hotaru put her own book up and stood up from her chair to follow Kioko out the door.
"Madam Pomphry?" Kioko approached when they had finally made it to the Hospital wing.
"Yes? What is it?" The woman asked.
"Do you know where Setsuna is?" Hotaru put in.
Madam Pomphry looked at her, "Oh, didn't she tell you?" She asked.
Hotaru felt her heart start to pump hard, "Tell me what?" She asked almost reluctantly.
"She, Teiou and Keiou (A/N: Uh, is that Michiru's last name? Not sure…), had to excuse themselves for a time. Are you sure they didn't tell you?" Pomphry answered.
Hotaru shook her head, "Did she say why?"
Pomphry leaned close so she could whisper into Hotaru's ear, "Not sure if I'm suppose to tell you this, but they're off doing something for Dumbledore, don't tell anyone I said that!" She ordered.
"I won't, promise." Hotaru told her.
Pomphry winked at the two of them and went back to the potion she was fixing.
"Well, that explains something." Kioko said as they walked down the hallway. "If you ask me they're taking a bit of a risk, there's still a chance you could end up in the hospital, and what happens when there's no Setsuna?"
"It's probably a necessary risk. I wonder…" Hotaru trailed off. What were they doing? Was it something related to their future? Something related to the Ministry's future? Or could it be something related to Voldemort?
Some things that are hidden are not meant to be uncovered, but eventually they are, they rise to the surface whether they have been willed to do so or not. When the knowledge of these things spread so does the danger in them, or even the good. Some who are wise will uncover these things first and work to hide them from the rest of the world, but who are they to keep it locked up so no one else will know?
These things were meant to be hidden forever, but this does not mean they should have been. All the Mysteries in Creation have their own reasons for being mysteries. Some that become secrets never to see the light will be told one day, it is only a matter of time. And for mortals, time is everything.
It isn't called the Chamber of Secrets for no reason at all.
Hotaru blinked and stopped walking. She shook her head and looked around, confused.
"Ah, you're awake." Kioko said from behind her.
"Huh?" Hotaru questioned, she recognized this hallway.
"You went off into a daze and just started walking, you're eyes looked blank and you didn't respond to anything I said." Kioko explained.
"I-I heard something. I think—I think I know…The Chamber of Secrets." Hotaru said, "The Chamber of Secrets…it might have the answer!"
Kioko just stared at her for a moment, "Um…Hotaru, how do you know this?" She asked.
"I was hearing…something talk to me. Something speak to me in the Silent Language. It told me that some things shouldn't be hidden but were meant to be. And then it told me that it wasn't called the Chamber of Secrets for no reason. Kioko, you said something about the Chamber at the Hogs Head, where is it?" Hotaru asked.
Kioko shrugged, "I never figured that out. We could ask Harry, after we figure out what's down this corridor that Mistress 9 wants." She said moving on past me.
"Kioko!" I gasped.
"What? You told me that the future revolves around all these mysteries, if we figure one out it might lead to more. In fact it normally leads to more." She said with her hands on her hips. "You're currently in control, I doubt you'll suddenly get possessed on us the instant we figure it out."
"But this is a forbidden corridor, what if we're caught? Snape won't excuse it as Mistress 9 if I'm in control when he finds us." She said.
"If he finds us, I know for a fact that Snape is currently in another area helping to set up for the Ball. In fact most of the teachers are preparing the great hall for Saturday." Kioko said. "Come on Hotaru, don't you want to know what's so special about this hallway?" She asked grabbing the senshi's hand.
Hotaru sighed and gave in. It was true that she wanted to know what was so special about the corridor. Fact of the matter was she had to resist going on when there wasn't a threat of getting caught several times before. So she and Kioko moved on down the corridor, farther than the normal area she usually found herself in.
"I'm beginning to regret this…" Kioko commented several minutes later. Hotaru couldn't help but agree with her. The walls seemed to be getting more and more narrow with every step, the torches to light the way became few, but that wasn't all. The entire atmosphere was…grim. The air tasted stale, as if no one had been there for ages, and it seemed the floor was made out of some sort of hard dirt because it no longer made a sound under their shoes. And it felt as though they shouldn't be there.
"Ah!" Kioko gasped nearly tripping, "Watch out, there are some stairs right here." She said in an exasperated voice.
"Hai." Hotaru grunted quietly.
They walked down the narrow stairway for a good while, nearly tripping several times, and lighting their wands when there were no more torches to be seen. It felt like a long walk, Hotaru was sure they'd get caught coming back up because it was taking so long. Someone had to already have noticed them missing by now! Hotaru was dreading the notion of having a detention on her record. It'd probably be on the Daily Prophet that she got detention as well. Hotaru started panicing when she considered that Umbridge might be giving her the detention.
"Oh, let's go back now Kioko!" Hotaru exclaimed.
"What? But we're almost to the bottom of the stairs!" Kioko protested.
"But what if that just leads into another hallway?! What if we get caught going back up? Do you want a detention with Umbridge?!" Hotaru exclaimed.
"Relax Hotaru. The little silver I on my robes will give us the excuse that we were checking out the place for Umbridge. We won't get detention if we come up with something fascinating to tell her about it. I have it all figured out so don't worry." Kioko comforted.
"Still, what if Snape's the one who finds us?" Hotaru asked as they continued on down the stairs.
"Then we'll tell him the truth. You keep wandering down the corridor and we were wondering why. I doubt even he knows what's down here." Kioko answered. "Besides, I doubt anyone will find us, this is obviously one of the less used corri—whoa." Kioko gasped.
"What?" Hotaru came out from behind her and then gasped. "Wha-what are they?" She asked.
They were like gems, different colored gem slates all stuck into a square of the wall before them, which was a very big wall. The room seemed to stretch very wide and far, the gems illuminated the entire area showing them a small alter in the middle of the room.
"I have no idea." Kioko said. The gems were a sight to behold, they were beautiful! And yet…looked a bit deadly at the same time…
Hotaru stepped into the room and then started walking towards the alter. There, inscribed on a slab, was an inscription. "K-Kioko…" Hotaru trailed off.
"Yeah?" Kioko asked, just now walking up behind her.
"This is…this is the Silent Language!" Hotaru exclaimed. 'I am the Messiah of Silence' Hotaru gasped right after speaking the words. Not only because of the words themselves, but because of the gems. They were, spinning. Causing the light in the room to shot around chaoticly, as if they were beams of destruction. Hotaru and Kioko both hit the ground and covered their heads.
"What's going on!?" Kioko exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"I think it's a sort of Pasword!" Hotaru exclaimed. She opened her eyes, but it was dark again.
"Luminos." Kioko commanded, shedding light with her wand again. "That was crazy!" She commented as Hotaru gathered herself back up. "I seriously hope this isn't one of those days where it's just one thing after another, even though I may be too late and I might have just jinxed us, it would be so uncool if something else happened. What's that?" Kioko asked, pointing.
Hotaru was afraid to even look. She just wanted to turn around and go back to their dormitory. But she looked anyway.
It was…a key. A small silver key with very intricate designs and royal blue gems stuck in it. The circle had a chain attached to it, not a thick chain, but one that would normally be worn around the neck. Hotaru cautiously picked it up.
"And I reiterate, this is crazy!" Kioko exclaimed, "A key? A key?! What's it suppose to be for?!" She demanded.
"I don't know…" Hotaru said. Could it be, maybe, could it possibly be the key to the Chamber of Secrets? "Maybe…the Chamber of Secrets?" She suggested.
"No, you just say open in parcel tongue to get in, though it could be to something inside the chamber…" Kioko commented.
Hotaru put the chain around her neck warily and hid it underneath her robes. "Let's not try until after the Yule Ball." She said.
"Good idea, I think I've had enough excitement for today." Kioko sighed.
Pandora? Are you available? Hotaru called with her mind. She had found out that Phoenixes also respond to mental summons from the ones they trust.
Poof, there was Pandora, and Calypso as well. "We'd like to go back to our dormitories please." Hotaru told them holding out her arm for Pandora to pirch. There was another flash and she found herself standing on the foot of her bed. The next minute a rather confused looking Kioko appeared as well.
"Whoa, I didn't know she could do that!!!" She exclaimed. Kioko grinned, "Teleportation inside school grounds, what a handy little trick you have up your sleeve Calypso!" She exclaimed. Calypso chirped with pride.
*********
Journal Entry, Yule Ball: The day started out fine I suppose. I didn't wake up in the Hospital Wing again, that would have been very bad. It was basically an evening thing, but you were given the entire morning to prepare or get last minute dates. I was surprised to find out that Harry didn't yet have a date.
"Aren't you going with Cho?" I asked, then it was Harry's turn to look surprised.
"Er…No." He said a bit off, "We had a little spat about her friend Marietta."
"And I don't blame you! That sneak ratted us out!!!" Kioko exclaimed.
Harry sighed, "I guess it's pointless to ask if one of you would…"
"I flat refuse to go with anyone, I'll go, but I'm going by myself. You should do the same." Kioko stated.
"Hotaru?" He asked hopefully.
I sighed, "Harry you know I'm going with Draco."
"Yeah, but it couldn't hurt to try." Harry sighed himself.
"We can fix that." Draco said dangerously, wand out and pointing it threateningly at Harry, who glared at him.
I sighed again. "How is it you always seem to pop up at just the right moment? I though I was the only one who could do that." Kioko asked.
"So, has Ron asked Hermione yet?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Er, what?!" Harry exclaimed.
"I guess not…" I said, leaning back a bit.
"How'd you—did he—er—why are you—"
"Oh come on, I can't read minds and I can still tell those two are going to get together…eventually." Kioko said, that last word absentmindedly.
"What?" Draco asked, a bit disgusted. "Weasley and Granger?"
"Stuff it, Malfoy." Harry snapped, suddenly remembering that Draco existed.
"Watch it Potter." Draco warned, pointing to the I underneath his Prefect badge.
"Hem, hem." Kioko said, pointing to her own I.
"Oh stop it, all of you!" I exclaimed exasperated. All three of them looked at me. "This rivalry is pointless!" I said to Harry and Draco. "Now I want both of you to tell us the one, real, reason why you hate each other." I ordered.
"I don't like his hair." Draco came in.
"Oh really, so if we dyed his hair you'd be okay with him?" Kioko asked. She pulled out her wand and suddenly Harry's hair was as blond as Draco's.
"Okay that's just…change his hair back." Draco said covering his eyes. I'll have to say I agreed with him, Harry did not look good blond, in fact it looked…wrong.
"Oh my gosh!" Kioko exclaimed, swiftly changing his hair back to black.
"A real reason, Draco." I said sighing.
"I don't like him because he continually insults me and my friends." Harry shot.
"He has a point there. Draco?" Kioko said.
"He's just so…Gryffindor." Draco said grudgingly.
"And you're just so Slytherin, right?" Kioko questioned, "Come now, is there really an actual reason you hate him so much?" she asked.
There was a long pause in which the two boys were thinking hard. A few moments passed, I was starting to doubt that we were getting to them, but then Draco spoke. "I suppose not…"
"Now Harry, do you think that if Draco stopped all his insults and bullying would you have a real reason to hate him?" I asked softly.
"No." The answer did take a good deal of thought, but I finally felt like we were getting somewhere.
"Good, now, is there any way you two could possibly begin to act civil towards each other?" Kioko asked. The two mumbled something under their breaths. "What was that?" she pushed.
"Yes!" They said simultaneously, as if saying 'yes ma'am' to someone you had no choice but to say 'yes' to.
"So now you're going to like each other." It wasn't a question, it was an order. The two looked as though she had just told them to do something they particularly didn't want to do but were going to do it anyway just to stay on her good side. "Now shake hands and give each other one complement." Kioko ordered.
They grumbled something incoherent under their breaths and then reluctantly shook hands.
"You're hair looks better black." Draco mumbled.
"You're hair is very shiny." Harry said.
I was trying my best not to laugh, and trying even harder not to look like I was about to laugh. But let me tell you, it was extremely tempting. Kioko's right, she is rubbing off on me too much because she was over there snickering. "You're talking about hair…" She said, getting glares from the two of them. "Now I want you to agree on something." She instructed.
"Let's get revenge." Harry suggested.
"Agreed, Potter." Draco said.
"See, now that wasn't so hard was it?" Kioko asked sweetly. I sighed again.
When it was about an hour until the time of the Ball Kioko and I decided to go on and get ready. You never know what will slow down that kind of a process. Well, it seemed this was a smart move, because after I got dressed up, put my jewelry on, and brushed out my hair, Kioko of all people handed me some pale lavender lipstick.
"I was just looking through some of my lipstick colors and this looks as though it'd suite you just right." She said.
"You wear makeup?" I asked, a bit in shock.
"No, but I do like lipstick. Try it on." She said putting it in my hand.
"No, that's okay." I said, trying to give it back to her.
"But it would look so good! Just try it!" Kioko pushed, refusing to take it back. Now, this kind of scared me a bit, Kioko isn't usually that…fluffy. She must have eaten something that wasn't safe from the lunch table because she was the last person I'd expect to get me into makeup.
"I don't need it." I said.
"Well I know you don't need it, just try it! Paweeeeeeeeeese?" She said giving me a pouty look. I'm not so sure about you, but I was really started to get scared by this. Well, not frightened scared, more like a 'what are you on?' type scared.
"Um, did they put something in your drink?" I asked backing up a bit.
"No, I'm just feeling uncharacteristically hyper, that's all." She said grinning.
"That's all?" I questioned.
"Oh just try it on!" Kioko shoved.
I sighed and applied it, though after one look in the mirror I rubbed it off so hard it made my lips a bit red. "Hey! Come on Hotaru!!!" She exclaimed. We fought for another 15 minutes until finally she got me to keep it on. How could I tell her that it made me look like…Mistress 9? I could probably tell her…but then she'd probably just shove it off as me merely being paranoid and that looking like Mistress 9 wasn't going to turn me into her. Well…I guess if she couldn't tell it wasn't that bad, of course she might not have gotten a good look before…
Anyway, we were right on time when coming out of the dormitories. Draco was standing there in some nice black dress robes, obviously waiting for me. He was sitting in his normal chair when we came down so he didn't notice us at first.
I think it's just now come to mind that Draco never actually asked me to go with him, it was just presumed that we would do so, almost expected. Rather odd really, I didn't notice that until just now.
Well, Kioko went on with a few other singles (Some of which were guys that were, like Kioko, uninterested at this point in time), and I approached Draco.
"Ready to go?" I asked softly. He nodded and stood up to face me. Oh it was one of those moments that Kioko could use as blackmail, the look on his face was priceless. I was having a hard time resisting the urge to laugh, but I let out a small giggle anyway. "Come on." I beckoned, following the line of Slytherins out the doorway. Draco swiftly came to my side and, to my great surprise, offered me his arm. I took it of course, and we made our way into the great hall.
The decorations were lovely that night. The curtains were intricately designed and in the colors of all four houses, the ceiling looked like the night sky and small stars with many floating candles suspended in the air above our heads.
"Wow, it's beautiful." I breathed as we made our way to one of the tables.
"What is?" Draco asked.
"The Great Hall, don't you think they did a good job?" I asked.
"I suppose."
"You're not even looking are you?" I stated, meeting his eyes.
"No, not really." He answered. Of course he wasn't, he was looking at me. But there was absolutely no way he'd admit to it, well…I bet he would at Kioko's wand-point, but that's besides. "Isn't that Night?" Draco asked as we sat down.
I looked to where he was pointing, "Well, yes it is. And I thought she wasn't going to dance with anyone—oh wait, that's Fred, or George, whichever." I said. Shocking, and yet not so surprising that Kioko was dancing with one of the twins. Though I'd bet you anything that if I got close enough she'd be smirking and snickering at something.
For a good while it seemed as though there was some…awkwardness between the two of us. I'm not sure why though, thankfully it didn't last and we went on to the dance floor, but I'm still wondering why. Dancing itself was okay, I don't think I've ever danced before, but it wasn't hard and it reminded me of my Silence Glaive Surprise attack where I move around, swinging my glaive in difficult patterns so that I hit the enemy while they're stunned. Only this wasn't with a glaive, and I certainly can't swing Draco around. Okay, that is a very interesting mental picture, never mind.
Draco wasn't that bad though, it seemed he knew what he was doing more so than I did. Especially when he commented on my odd style.
"Where did you learn to dance?" he asked.
"I didn't, this is my first time." I answered.
"Really? You have a very interesting style. Are you sure you weren't taught?" He asked raising his eyebrow.
"Unless you count Haruka-papa's physical training dance, then I suppose so." I said in a way of an explanation.
"She taught you how to fight?" He asked, a bit surprised.
"Sort of." I answered.
The night went on like that for a while, we stopped to chat with Kioko and Harry a few times, ate a bit, danced, and talked a little about different things. That is until a certain pair of twins decided to make things a bit more interesting by letting loose around a thousand mini snitches into the hall. And when I say interesting, I actually mean chaotic. The pointless screaming was a bit irritating, and having my glass knocked down several times didn't get any more fun, but all and all, I'd say Fred and George did a pretty good job. Umbridge looked like a bloated red frog balloon, and it was rather amusing to watch her run around angrily, trying to get all the mini snitches. And the other teachers weren't helping her, in fact they acted as though nothing was going on. Okay, once again I catch myself thinking more like Kioko than I use to. Well…had it been anyone but Umbridge I would have felt sorry for them, but like I said, I officially hate Umbridge now.
The night ended when Draco and I decided we'd had enough excitement and went back to the common room. But before we went in I handed him a chocolate easter egg. "Happy Easter!" I said, giving him a small peck on the cheek.
"What's this for?" He asked, a bit surprised, and blushing. Kawaii.
"I'm going to be an Easter Bunny tomorrow and hand out chocolate eggs, I figured I could get started." I told him giggling. "Sayonara, Ryuuza." I said going on into the common room. I went on up to my dormitory to change.
I do believe that the mini snitches are still loose in the great hall even as I'm writing this. Kioko could hardly stop laughing when she got back up in our dorm room. "Did you see Umbridge after the twins released all those snitches?!" She busted. "Oh man, that was hilarious."
"It was, wasn't it?" I agreed. I picked up the silver key we had found in that hallway and looked at it closely. "I wonder, what it's for…"
"Well, we can find out tomorrow!" Kioko exclaimed.
"I suppose. I bet Setsuna could figure it out, if she where here." I sighed. "I'm going to hand out chocolate Easter eggs tomorrow, want to help me?" I asked.
"You are? How?" Kioko asked.
"Oh, just give them to anyone I come across. And hope they don't shove it back into my face." I told her.
"I'll go in case they do, then I'll have a reason to hex someone." She said grinning.
I sighed. That was really not what I meant, but oh well. Kioko isn't the kind of person to put on stubby bunny ears and hand out eggs anyway.
It's late and I'd better go on to bed. For some reason I get the feeling tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day, probably because we'll be going into the Chamber of Secrets…
A/N:
Rhea: Hi yas!!! Well…I was gonna add the part with the Chamber of Secrets, but the chapter got a bit longer than expected and I didn't want to zip through the ball scene too fast. I also just had to make Fred and George do something to get Umbridge upset. I hope you liked it!
Kioko: *looks at Rhea's pills* Um, Rhea…
Rhea: I also just had to make Fred and George do something to get Umbridge upset. I hope you liked it!
Kioko: Um, Rheeeeeaaaaa.
Rhea: What is it Kioko? Can't you see I'm trying to do an A/N here?!
Kioko: Yes, it's as clear as day. But I want to talk to you about these pills you're taking.
Rhea: Huh? What about them?
Kioko: Well…I'm no expert about this stuff, buuuuuuuuut I don't think caffeine is a normal ingredient in medicine.
Rhea: Oh, those aren't my pills. That's just a cover up so FD won't know I'm putting them in his drink.
Kioko: You're WHAT?!