"Harry where were you yesterday, we were really worried," Hermione insisted looking at Harry with a pair of identical brown eyes.
"Well," Harry bent in to whisper in her ear, Ron craning his neck to listen, "when I read about the Veil in the Daily Prophet I went to the Ministry, you know, to see if," he trailed off a lump had suddenly got stuck in his throat.
"Sirius," Ron finished looking dejectedly at Harry before turning to Hermione's red face.
"Harry how could you? Why do you always have to do stupid things?" she looked at him with pleading eyes. "You broke the law, you went against Dumbledore, just stop it Harry please! You put yourself in dangerous situations, Sirius is gone, I know that's hard to except but don't keep chasing after him," and with tears in her eyes she turned on her heel and ran to Gryffindor Tower, she didn't come down for breakfast.
"I didn't know I'd hurt her that much," Harry said regretfully, his face sorrowful.
"Hey Harry, hi Ron," came a bright voice and both anxious boys turned to see Usagi smiling at them, "What's wrong, you both look dreadful."
"Miss Granger just had a go at Harry, that's all Usagi, nothing important," said the casual sounding voice of Hikage, Usagi turned to her as she passed.
"How dare you speak about my friend like that?" Ron growled and Hikage who was now standing next to Usagi stopped and smirked. (Usagi was facing Ron and Harry but Hikage was facing the other way so Usagi's left shoulder was parallel in series with Hikage's own left shoulder.)
"Because I don't care about her," was Hikage's answer and she began to walk away but Usagi grabbed her arm.
"Hikage why are you being so nasty to everyone, will you please stop?" Usagi asked; ocean blue eyes pleading, Hikage sneered.
"No, it doesn't matter anyway, have a nice day Usagi," Hikage shrugged Usagi's arms off her shoulder and headed for the Great Hall.
"Hikage," Usagi gasped, the one she thought to be her best friend had just shrugged her off, hopefully she was just in a bad mood but deep down something told Usagi that that couldn't be.
"Don't worry Usagi, you've still got us," said Ron giving her a thumbs up and trying to cheer the blonde up.
"Yes Usagi," Harry agreed taking her hand in his which made Ron raise and eyebrow and the two led her to the Great Hall for breakfast.
While Usagi went to sit with Lavender and Parvati Ron leaned into his best friend's ear and whispered, "What was that all about mate?"
"What was what about Ron?" Harry asked turning to look at the red head as he ran a hand through his constantly untidy black hair.
"You and Usagi, are you an item or what?" Ron asked nudging Harry in the ribs.
"What?" Harry glanced hurriedly at Usagi who thankfully hadn't heard, "No way! Me and Usagi, we aren't going out. She would never, at least I think," he trailed off at Ron's triumphant expression and proceeded to promptly go bright red from his nose to his ears.
"You fancy her mate," Ron declared and Harry just looked away, had he made it that obvious? As if he'd read his mind, "Don't worry stupid, it's not obvious but you need to work on your defensive," Ron gave him one last grin and began to dig into breakfast.
Harry sighed and although he too ate his fill he couldn't help but keep glancing over at Usagi, her bright face flushed as she laughed along with Lavender at a joke Parvati had said.
Then the post arrived, Hedwig stopped to nip his ear and grab some bacon before flying off again the Owl Tower for some well earned rest. "So what's the update?" Ron asked leaning over Harry's shoulder, quickly reading the first page he turned to Harry, "You saw that mate?"
Harry nodded, the article had two pictures one of the 'Captain' and the guy he'd seen her with, Argon? There was another one of basically the whole room just after the Shadows had come out of the Veil. But there was something that shocked him, 'Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, makes thus statement, 'After being brutally assaulted by the apparent Captain of this raid I was informed that they had planned to attack the ministry and that they were working for Voldemort,''.
Both Harry and Ron turned there heads at the sudden sound of a chair hitting the ground, they could see Hikage standing at the Slytherin table shaking, her shoulders heaving as she clutched a copy of the Daily Prophet. She hurriedly made her way out of the Great Hall which soon cleared as students made their way to lessons.
Harry had Divination first; Ron had dropped it and instead had Arithmancy with Hermione," I'll talk to her mate," he said as they left the Great Hall together, "she'll come round," and with that they parted.
He had a minor headache and his ears rang and blood pounded in his head as he made his way into the overly scented loft that was his Divination classroom. Professor Trelawney decked in all her cloth and beads with her heavy perfume looked up form her desk, "Welcome dears, you few have been chosen to take this class further."
It consisted of Parvati, Lavender, Usagi, Harry, Hikage, Blaise Zabini, two other Slytherin girls and Neville. This was just lovely wasn't it?
"Harry, I see death looming in your near future," Harry who had put up with this since third year just brushed it off, Usagi looked mortified.
"Why don't you kill him yourself Professor Treloony, then maybe that prediction of yours will actually come true," called Hikage arrogantly, Usagi looked torn and Harry just glared at the smirking Slytherin.
"If you are going to insult my inner eye then I will not disclose your future to you, although it appears to be dark and lonely," Trelawney drawled.
"Just a normal day then," Hikage responded but Trelawney ignored her and began to explain about Fire Reading.
"Nice one with the Treloony," someone whispered in Hikage's ear and she turned to see the dark blonde, brown flecked hair of Blaise Zabini. She raised an eyebrow at him but he only smirked, "I like that in a girl," she merely grinned slyly.
"And what, Mr Zabini, was that supposed to imply?" she asked putting her nose to his.
"Just having a little fun," he replied, laying his hand discreetly on top of hers. No one else paid them any attention, Harry was asleep, Usagi had her head in her arms and appeared to be thinking, more likely asleep, Lavender and Parvati were practically drooling over Trelawney and the two Slytherin girls were discussing Slytherin Sex Gods.
"Is that so? What kind of fun Mr Zabini?" she asked smirking as she felt his hand slide up her arm, over her shoulder and to the back of her neck.
"The really bad kind," he said applying a little pressure to the back of her neck, indicating he wanted her to move forwards.
She moved to his ear, "Not today Mr Zabini, but you can keep trying," she teased and drew completely back from him a minute before Trelawney placed what looked like a cat's food bowl in front of them.
"Now," the woman drawled, "using the spell on the board to light your grails try to see into the fire and find out the feelings of your partner towards you.
"This should prove to be interesting," Blaise commented grinning at her and pulling out his wand, flicking it and lighting what Trelawney had called a 'grail'. She studied it intensely briefly; she'd seen something like this before, but where? Then it hit her, but it wasn't a perfect match and Treloony probably didn't even know the full potential of it anyway.
"Depends on what you want and what you expect to see," Hikage replied, she looked into the fire; it flicked and crackled and arched upwards, curling at the tips and dissipating into the air. It didn't come as a vision as she'd expected it definitely wasn't like what she'd thought it had been but she heard Blaise's voice in her head.
"I know Draco likes her, wonder what it would be like to be with her, she looks experienced and that incident with Pansy," then it changed, "She's good looking, no scratch that, fucking sexy but who knows, she'll surrender to Draco eventually, I don't stand a chance."
"Fucking sexy is I Zabini?" she drawled.
"Hell yeh!" he responded and they both smirked before he took his turn, but he wasn't successful, Hikage trying hard to keep her face nonchalant.
Harry and Usagi on the other hand was a different matter, what Usagi had seen had made her gasp and realise something even Harry himself hadn't yet figured out, he was falling for her. She'd gone bright red and looked at Harry with amazement, he was cute, she gave him that and sweet too but what did she feel for him.
That lesson didn't reveal it, when Harry had attempted to decipher the fire it had flared and roared till it hit the ceiling, a swirling wind picked up but the fire didn't go out. All Harry saw was the sign of boys, a circle attached to a NE arrow; it was burning a bright red against the fiery background.
He also saw another sign, glowing gold this time, it was a ring with a line going straight up and ending in a dot, the letter H with al the lose ends dotted was skewered upon those lines. With a final howl the wind died down, the fire lunged toward him before going out completely. All had turned to watch the display but the only ones who had seen the marks were Harry and Usagi.
Harry had no clue what they meant but Usagi kept questioning herself, where had she seen those marks before, she had seen them, she knew it. Two girls flashed before her eyes, one in a pastel red dress with flowing raven hair, she couldn't see her face but on her forehead, glowing red was the symbol she'd seen before.
The other, short cropped flaxen hair, the other sign glowing midnight blue on her forehead and she adorned herself with a sweeping dark blue dress. There were several other silhouettes in the background, six to be precise and she wondered who they could be but she could see nothing of them, perhaps she would never know.
Hikage had felt the twinges of power when Harry had tempted the flames, "Protective aren't they," she whispered to herself, she knew what had happened and why but no one else needed to know that.
"Class dismissed," came Trelawney's shrill voice but not before calling, "The elements of fire and wind call to you Harry, watch your back my dear, your death looms ever closer."
---Dinner---
Hikage leaned back in her chair, she didn't feel like eating, Blaise was sitting next to her, "Hey Hikage, what's up, not feeling good?" he asked.
She turned to him and studied his misty blue eyes, tinted with a hint of violet, "Nothing that concerns you."
"Just wondered," he replied before turning to another Slytherin male sitting next to him.
She sighed and Dumbledore stood up and motioned for silence, she looked up at him not really interested in what he had to say.
"As you know we are nearing the Christmas Season and this year for sixth and seventh years only we are holding a Christmas Ball, you may bring someone younger if you wish however," the old man's eyes twinkled before he continued. "Our Head Boy and Girl have decided that it shall be girl's choice and a boy has to go with one of the first three girls to ask him to the ball."
He sat down and Pansy was all over Draco in a second, "Draco darling, will you go with me? You know you want to," he rolled his eyes in a gesture that clearly said 'No I don't'. Hikage sighed and stood up and left the Great hall well aware that Draco had been watching her as she did so, let alone Blaise.
---Gryffindor table---
Ron had talked with Hermione who was friends with Harry again, he'd also told her about Harry's crush on Usagi. Hermione leaned over to Usagi and whispered to her, "Harry fancies you, did you know?"
"Yes I did," Usagi blushed and Hermione looked confused, "Something we did in Divination."
"Did Trelawney predict his 'looming' death again?" Hermione asked amused, leaning back in her chair.
"Yes, has she done it before," Usagi looked shocked.
"Since third year, don't look so horrified Usagi she isn't worth listening to, as far as I know she's only made two true predictions," Usagi looked comforted, sighing contentedly. Hermione caught Harry watching the blonde out of the corner of her eye; Ron looked at her, begging her to persuade Usagi to ask Harry.
"Hey Usagi," the blonde looked up, "why don't you ask Harry to the Ball?"
Usagi blushed crimson, "Um…well I don't know, I mean, he's really cute and so sweet it's just that," she trailed off dejectedly.
"You don't know how you feel about him yet?" Hermione put in and the Usagi nodded. "Well maybe if you go then you'll find out, come on Usagi, it's worth a try," Hermione coaxed and Usagi looked thoughtful.
"Well, okay," she said and got up, "will you come to Hermione?"
"Alright," Hermione too stood up and they made their way towards the boys.
Meanwhile, while they had been chatting Harry had been telling Ron over and over how he wished Usagi would ask him, Ron had watched with mild curiosity and amusement as his best friend's eyes kept drifting towards a certain, small, blonde, blue eyes girl.
"Hey Harry will you go to the Ball with me?" asked Ginny who beamed at him.
"Maybe," Harry said, one done, he though, only two left.
"Harry sweetie," a Ravenclaw girl in seventh year cooed in his ear, he fought with himself not to shove her off. "Will you go with me to the Ball, it could be really fun," she ran a slender finger up his chest, his ears went back and Ron didn't like the look of this.
"Can I answer you later, I'm busy right now," he said pushing her hand away.
"Alright darling," she blew him a kiss, what did she think they were, an item?
"Um…Harry?"
"What?" he roared turning his head angrily, he blushed when he saw it was Usagi, "Oh Usagi, I'm sorry," he grinned stupidly, "thought you were someone else."
"It's alright," she trailed off and looked at Hermione who was nodded from behind Ron and encouraging her. "I was wondering, well, I was gunna say, I wanted to ask, well," she was tongue tied, lost for words.
"Basically what blubber mouth here is trying to say," Hermione said was but before she could say it Usagi went-
"Will you go to the Ball with me?" she asked.
"Absolutely," Harry said his face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
"I thought you were going with me Harry?" Ginny called indignantly.
Usagi winced, "Oh I'm sorry I," but Harry took over.
"I never did Ginny, go with Seamus or someone," she just glared at him, her cheeks puffed with anger and she flounced off.
"I shouldn't have asked," Usagi said looking regretful.
"Don't worry Usagi, Ginny will cheer up," Ron said winking at her, "she'll probably go with Neville; I think she likes him, just protective of Harry here that's all. He just can't help being a Sex God," Usagi laughed lightly, Hermione snorted and Harry went red from ear to ear.
"Ron," Harry muttered embarrassedly.
---Hikage---
The black haired girl sighed; she'd left the Slytherin common room for a bit of piece and quiet. She didn't intend to go to the Ball, wasn't her thing, she was part of an army, not a member of a Court. Speaking of Courts what of…no, this was no time to be thinking of that, "They won't come," she muttered to herself before heading out to the grounds.
---Draco---
Somehow, miraculously he'd managed to shake Pansy off him and dodged being asked to the Ball, he wouldn't go with Pansy though. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he spun around, his stormy eyes met with the calm and collected ones of none other than Blaise Zabini. "What do you want Zabini," he sneered grotesquely.
"Fiery one isn't she?" he asked, Draco looked nonplussed.
"Who is?" asked he.
"Hikage," Blaise answered smirking.
"Yeh, so what?" he pressed.
"Want to make a bet?" Blaise said nonchalantly, leaning against a nearby wall.
"On what?" inquired Draco smirking after all, he was a Malfoy and he was always up for a challenge.
"You and me, who gets furthest with her by Christmas," Blaise suggested.
"End of Christmas holidays, I'm not going home, are you?"
"No."
"Then it's settled, how far have you got?" he inquired suddenly.
"Kissing," Blaise answered lazily.
"Liar," Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Well, what muggles call Eskimo Kissing, whatever an Eskimo is," he detailed. Draco nodded, "Then that's it, we'll see who she goes for, charmingly flirtatious or dangerously seductive."
"Basically me or you right Zabini?" Zabini nodded and Draco chuckled, "although I would hardly call you charming."
"I wouldn't call you dangerous either Malfoy but still, later," and Blaise turned on his heel and headed off.
"Like she'd ever go for you Zabini," Draco muttered under his breath smirking before making to walk off.
"And what makes you think I'll go for you either Mr Malfoy?" he looked up and there she was, how did she do that, it was like she knew about everything that went on at Hogwarts strangely like…Dumbledore?
"No one can last for ever my dear," he smirked at her and she smirked back, "you'll give in at some point."
"Is that so?" he nodded, "Well, better tell Mr Zabini that hadn't I?"
"Forget about him," he commanded.
"You are in no way my senior Malfoy," she said coming up to him, he was already leaning on a wall and she was pressed against him, how did he get himself into these situations? "So don't start thinking you can boss me around," she leaned up to his ear, "far from it, in fact, I've got you wrapped around my finger, just where I want you." She stepped back, "Nothing more, nothing less," she turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist.
"You really do give a lot for perfection don't you?" she nodded, they smirked, there was a mutual understanding that didn't need to be said. "It's strange..." he trailed off momentarily.
"What is?" asked she, turning to him.
"You're so like me in a way," he replied, not really talking to her and then they parted.
---Later, Slytherin common room---
Hikage was sitting in a corner, doing some research for her Transfiguration essay when Blaise Zabini walked up to her, "Hey you," he said plopping down beside her, she looked up at him briefly before turning back to her page. "You intending to go to the Ball?" she shook her head, "ever been to one?" she shook her head, "want to?" she shook her head.
He raised and eyebrow but she turned and said, "Mr Zabini, I have a very well placed set of orders to follow, I have no need for trivial indulgence."
"Nice to know you're so blunt about it," he grinned and she raised an eyebrow, "and if you're going to be that way," he slipped his arms around her waist and she stiffened slightly, "so will I."
"What do you intend to do Mr Zabini?" she asked smirking, "try and win your little bet with one Draco Malfoy?"
Blaise frowned, "You know about that?" he sounded genuinely concerned.
"Of course," she replied.
"Anyway, back to being blunt, will you ask me to go to the Ball with you?" he asked leaning his face to hers, his arms still around her waist.
"Not even if you paid me all the money you've got," she replied smirking.
"I wasn't intending to, but I can pay you in…other ways," he smirked and she smiled amusedly, this was quiet an amusing situation after all.
"Care to elaborate, or demonstrate?" asked she.
"Demonstrate, obviously," he leaned forward so their noses were touching, "minor case of déjà vu?"
"Absolutely, but what do you intend to do this time?"
"Same as the last time," he replied.
"And that would be?" she asked.
"To kiss you," she drew away from him, he frowned when she removed his arms; he'd been enjoying that.
"Letting you kiss me would be letting you get ahead of Malfoy and that Mr Zabini," she locked eyes with him, "would inflate your ego."
"Then humour my first request? Please?" he asked, rubbing her hand with his thumb.
"I might as well," she shrugged, "Will you go to the Ball with me Mr Zabini?"
"Without question, oh and by the way," she glared at him, "it's Blaise you know."
"I know that Mr Zabini," she smirked and he frowned but still, he grinned once before heading off to bed.
Once he was gone Hikage leaned back and sighed, she closed her eyes and smirked, "Flies on fly paper, flies on fly paper."
Well, that's that, although I will spend some time on Hikage at the Ball, i.e. next chapter, it will mostly be spent on Harry x Usagi action and Ron x Hermione if I feel like it, I have big plans for those to. E-mail me if you want 2 know more, I wont tell you anything that will put the whole story into light but hey....:-)
Anyway, pairing polls stand as follows (baring in mind my friend suggested Hikage x Blaise and that was after I told her the ENTIRE plot) :-
Harry x Usagi - definite
Ron x Hermione -definite
_______________ (Please vote for ones beyond this point, until I get at least ten more votes I ain't posting no more, nope, nadda, no way!)
Draco x Hikage - 2
Sirius x Hikage - 1
Blaise x Hikage - 1
_______________
Draco x Ginny - 1