I think that this is entirely new content, or at least the start of it. So can my old reviewers please come back? Please? *eyes well up with tears* I'M A REVIEW ADDICT, OKAY?!?! *sniffle* Can you blame me? Oh well, maybe I'll start getting more reviews soon… (Thanks to dragonwing, cuz you keep reviewing! Luv ya!)
~Chapter Eighteen- Quidditch Rendezvous~
Lindsey walked silently down the empty halls to the dungeons. The second detention on Tuesday had gone like the first, only without the explosion. Snape had kept a much closer eye on what she was doing yesterday. And she still made mistakes; that's why though she had served two detentions already they had only just been able to make the desired amount of Detoxifying Stomach Elixir and Skin Relieving Balsam.
Therefore, as Lindsey came into the potions classroom she was surprised to see that the cauldron was not out and Snape was sitting at his desk, scowling over a pile of parchment. She stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, then cleared her throat slightly.
"Come in," Snape said without looking up from his work. Lindsey walked slowly in to sit in the front row. There she sat, staring at him, still not completely comfortable. Although, she was overcoming her shyness quite a bit. Enough to speak.
"Um… Professor?" she ventured. When he didn't even look up she decided he was listening and went on, "Are we not making a potion today?"
"You're very observant," he answered dryly, still not looking up. "I'm sure you've got schoolwork to get done?" Here he did glance up at her pointedly. She took the hint and pulled out her Charms book to yet again take a useless shot at her homework
For several moments she struggled in silence, several times about to ask for help before thinking better of it and remaining soundless. Eventually she simply gave up on it altogether and decided to practice Transfiguration instead. She pulled out her wand, a very long 16 inch yew with core of dragonwing ashes. However the unique core wasn't helping her whatsoever in changing her inkwell into a fire extinguisher.
After many futile efforts she started banging her wand on the desk in frustration, hoping that maybe that might get it to work.
"What are you doing?" Snape snapped irritably.
"I'm trying to do Transfiguration," Lindsey answered pathetically.
"What exactly are you trying to transfigure?"
"I need to turn this inkwell-" she picked up the aforementioned- "into a fire extinguisher."
"I hardly think that banging your wand on the desk is going to help, Miss Wormtongue. What else have you done so far?"
Lindsey stared blankly back at him.
"Show me how you're performing the spell!"
Now she understood and willingly demonstrated. As usual, nothing happened.
"See?" she asked. "It doesn't work."
"Of course it doesn't work," Snape began, coming out from behind his desk. "You've got the wand motion all wrong. Here-" He produced his own wand and demonstrated. "Now do you see how to do the wrist turn? Try it again, and don't forget enunciate the incantation."
Lindsey did try again, keeping in mind both the enunciation and the wrist turn. And remarkably, she did it! She turned to him, grinning, eyes bright.
"Hey thanks, Professor!" She got out another inkwell and tried again, and again it worked.
"Alright, alright," Snape said, waving his hand to stop her from getting yet another inkwell. "I'll not have my classroom filled with fire extinguishers. What other homework have you got?"
And so for the rest of the detention that night, and the rest of the week, Snape assisted Lindsey with her homework, from potions as well as all her other classes, for which she was very grateful.
* * *
"Hey, where are you going?" Pippy asked in surprise. Classes were over for the day, and they had only been in the commonroom about twenty minutes, and already Cari was heading for the portrait hole.
"I, uh… I'm just going to… th- the library," she answered rather peculiarly. She was a horrible liar. Quickly she scrambled out the portrait hole before anyone could ask her more questions.
As soon as the painting was closed behind her she stopped and breathed a sigh. She hated to lie, to anyone but especially to her friends. She didn't even tell Lindsey she was going anywhere because she knew that she would want to come as well.
And this was just something Lindsey could not tag along to. But she was in the dungeons now anyway, serving her final detention.
Straightening her robes and standing up tall, jutting out her chin slightly, Cari took a deep breath and started down the hall.
Draco should be waiting for her.
And so while Lindsey was receiving homework help in detention, Cari was walking down the hallway to meet Draco.
The two had spoken after Divination the day before while Draco walked her to lunch. Cari didn't feel too bad about ditching Lindsey; she got to walk with Pippy, Lisa, and Kristin after all. Before heading off to his own respective lunch table Draco had asked if she'd like to come and watch the Slytherin quidditch practice the next day and she'd conceded. He agreed to meet her a little way from the library to walk together.
As Cari sauntered down the hallway to the library she tried to control her giddiness. Draco had asked her to quidditch practice! That was pretty much a date, wasn't it?
No, her brain chided. Silly girl.
Of course it wasn't a date. But no matter. She wasn't going to trouble herself about things such as that; she was going to quidditch practice with Draco!
Her heart jumped a little as she saw him leaning casually against the wall of the library with his broomstick, looking the other way. When he turned and saw her he smiled a little and Cari all but died. In her mind however, she reminded herself to keep it cool. Didn't want to scare the boy away, did she?
"Hey Draco," she said calmly as she walked up.
Draco bowed slightly, never taking his eyes from hers, and said genteelly, "Miss Green." Then he made a sweeping gesture with his arm to indicate the way in which they would be going and said, "Shall we?" Oh God, this guy was smooth.
Cari inclined her head graciously and started to walk, Draco coming up to walk beside her. They walked on in silence for a few moments, then started in on simple small talk: school, quidditch, friends, and family.
"Haven't got any," Draco said in answer to the question Cari had asked about his siblings. "I'm an only child."
"Really?" Cari asked, more excited than she should be. "I am too!"
"No kidding?"
"Nope! So do you just live with your parents, then? When you're not at school, that is."
"Yup. My father, Lucius Malfoy," Draco said proudly, "works at the Ministry of Magic. He used to be a governor at the school here, but Dumbledore threw him off," he added vehemently. Then, "Do you live with yours?"
"Just my dad," Cari answered. "My mom's still in America. Couldn't leave her job in Salem; she was the headmistress of the school there."
"What's your dad do?"
"He's an auror," Cari answered. "I really don't see him much when I'm home." After she said this she realized just how depressing that was.
"Me neither," Draco said in the same tone that Cari felt.
Before any more conversation could be pursued the pair had reached the quidditch pitch and Draco had to start practice.
"Now you'll get to see how a real quidditch team practices!" he said, grinning arrogantly. Cari smiled and went to find a seat in the stands.
Cari spent the rest of the evening gazing dreamily towards the heavens, enjoying herself immensely, paying closer attention to quidditch than she ever had before.
Boy, she never realized how great this game could be.
* * *
It was hot, so hot… She could see the flames licking through the door and to the ceiling of the closet. She couldn't breathe; she was crying but didn't know if it was the fear or the smoke. Where was everyone? Why didn't they come for her? Why was she all alone? The door was caving in now, the hinges melted; it was on fire and falling towards her and-
Lindsey sat bolt upright with a start. She couldn't quite remember falling asleep, but she knew she used to be in the armchair in the Ravenclaw commonroom and was now on the floor without knowing how she got there- only that conclusion could be drawn.
She was breathing quickly, and felt her forehead beaded with sweat, though she was freezing cold. She shivered. The fire had long since gone out, and looked beyond being prodded to life with a poker. She stretched and wondered what time it was, then tried to remember her dream. As usual, she couldn't. But she did know that it was The Dream.
Suddenly she heard voices at the portrait hole, one of which she knew to be Sir Andrew's, very cranky at having been woken up. Then a moment later a cloaked figure entered as silently as possible, though this was made less effective when they stubbed their toe and vocalized their frustration. The hood fell back and Lindsey was surprised to recognize who it was.
It was Rupert Render.
"Rupert?" she ventured quietly, her voice hoarse. Rupert jumped nearly a foot in the air, turning a complete 180, his wand at the ready. Lindsey stood up, startled, but he relaxed when he saw her, and put his wand away.
"What are you doing going around at this hour, Rupert?" she asked, stifling a yawn. A glance at the clock showed her it was nearly 3 o'clock in the morning.
"Just… hall monitoring," he said dismissively. "You know, prefect duties. Working late on homework, were we?" Now it was his turn to be inquisitive.
"Yes…" she said vaguely. "I guess I fell asleep." Rupert nodded.
"Well, I suppose the two of us should be off to bed then!" he said cheerfully, heading to the entrance to the boy's dorms. "Good-night," he added with a flash of his charming smile.
"Good-night," Lindsey replied good-naturedly, though she rolled her eyes. He knew exactly the amount of good-looks he had been graced with, and was not shy in putting them to use.
Yawning again, Lindsey followed Rupert's lead and walked up to bed.