Chapter 10
By the end of Sunday everyone knew Ron and Daisy had broken up. Only Harry, Hermione and Ginny knew why. Ron and Daisy had calmly talked after breakfast. They decided they could just be friends.
"It might be hard. But at least you won't expect me to tell you everything," Daisy said.
"Oh yes I will!" Ron said. "I just won't get so made when you don't. I'll still worry about you, you know. We all do. Especially Harry."
"What, we just breakup and you're all ready trying to fix me up with someone else? All the school's new Don Juan Demarco, at that."
"Hey, your the one who said we've really been done for weeks," Ron said. "What do you say we were?"
"Best friends with benefits."
"Yes well, no more of those uh?" He asked with a smile.
She shoved him playfully. "No. I've got a bad enough reputation, thanks."
They both laughed. Than Ron got a puzzled look on his face. "Who's Don Juan Demarco?"
************************************
Daisy was on top of the Astronomy tower again. It was sunset on Monday. Daisy always loved sunset. It wasn't quite day and it wasn't quite night. It was one of the 'Tween Times.'
She started listing them in her head. Midnight was between one day and another. Dawn and dust were the time between full light and full dark. Noon was the time between morning and afternoon. A lot of powerful spells were stronger when cast in the tween times. She thought back to what her mother had told her.
If she could just concentrate, she could see it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mama?" the little girl called. "Mama, where's Nana? She promised me a story."
"Aren't you getting too old for stories squirt?" her older brother teased.
"Guy, stop that. And don't be vulgar. Really just because we live in America for now doesn't mean you have to acted American." This was from Belle.
Daisy looked at her older sister adoringly. Daisy remembered Belle used to always be nice like that. Now it was only sometimes. And only when Daisy was getting picked on by Guy.
The little five-year-old turned back to her mother "Mama?"
Annabelle smiled at her youngest daughter. "Nana had to lie down, Little One. She wasn't feeling well."
"Oh," she said.
Annabelle shifted the baby on her hip and sat down, leaving her lap open. "Come here Little One. I'll tell you a story. What do you want to here?"
"Nana, always tells me of the odd ways," she said.
Her mother smiled. "You mean the 'Old Ways.' The ways of our people. Well, I don't tell it as well as Nana."
"Tell her of the Tween Times. That was always my favorite." Belle said.
"The Tween Times are the times when the veils between realms is thinnest. These are the times magic is strongest. If you want to be praised forever cast at high noon between the sun's rise and fall. You shall be as high as the sun. If you want power most potent, cast at midnight. When called forth in darkness, power rushes on unabated. When the sun sets and when it rises are the times to call on the powers of life and death. Destiny can be changed. Hate banished or summoned, love birthed or mourned. It is in the Tween Time that we gypsies change the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daisy could still feel her skin tingle, as it had the first time she heard her mother speak. She was so lost in thought she it was a moment before she realized she had called forth a vision. She had picked a scene and seen it. She also didn't see Harry hovering next to her on his broom.
"Daisy?" he said tentatively.
She gave a slight shiver when he spoke, but she wasn't surprised. She somehow, without seeing him, knew he was there.
As he sat next to her asked, "Is your necklace suppose to glow like that?"
She looked down to see her grandmother's pendant glowing a silver-blue from her neck. She smiled. "I think so. I think my sessions with Trewlany are helping after all." Then her smile faded. "I'd have to talk to my aunt to know for sure."
Harry shivered. "What are you doing up here anyway? It's freezing."
"It's February. It's suppose to be cold. You don't have to stay."
"That a hint?" he asked.
She smiled at her friend. "No, just a fact. Isn't there some poor little girl who's heart you should be breaking?"
He frowned at her.
"Oh don't look like that," she said. "You know my feeling on the matter. We're young, we should be having fun. We shouldn't be looking for our life partners. Most girls would love to say they snogged you."
"Wonder why?" he said dryly.
"Let's see," she answered. "You are incredibly sweet, even to girls you're only with once. You are just too cute. Go on, look at you blush. If that's not cute I don't know what is. Not mention you're actually cute, I mean physically, not personality wise this time. And don't act like you don't know it. You could melt a girl's heart with your eyes and smile. You do, actually. And I heard you're a great kisser."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes. But I'm done stroking your ego," she said. "Its ruining my sunset."
"Terrible sorry," he said with a laugh.
"Not at all. Just be quite or I'll miss it."
He wanted to ask what she'd miss but the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. It just wasn't the time to talk. When the last rays of the sun were gone she turned to him and smiled.
"There. I have said good-bye to the day and mourned my lost love. 'It is now dusk, the time between night and day. The sun had left us, but darkness has not set in. May it never set in our hearts or taint this first love.'"
"That was very poetic," Harry was beginning to wonder if she was taking her brake up with Ron harder than she was letting on.
"Thank you, but it's not mine. It's a gypsy prayer, well spell. For spells like that we call them prayers. Infused with magic in the Tween Time gypsy prayers strengthen us. At least that's what my mother used to say. My grandmother taught me a lot about our people but my mother taught me about the Tween Times." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just in a very contemplative mood."
"It's alright. You're really not bothered by the cold? It's freezing."
She laughed at him. "The Great Harry Potter brought down by a little breeze? I though you were made of stronger stuff, Potter?"
"I am!" He said defensively, but then another gust blew and he shivered. "Burr. Just down by the fire, where I can thaw, my stuff works better."
*****************************************
"It would take forever to explain it!" Daisy said.
"Oh come on, Daze. What's this one mean?" Ginny asked.
"Why didn't you take Divinations?" Daisy said as she looked over the different talismans in the Shop.
"'Cause Ron spent all summer complaining about it. Besides why do I need to know how to tell fortunes when one of my best friends is a Seer?" Ginny smiled at her friend.
"You should know better than to listen to Ron," Hermione said, causing both Daisy and Ginny to give a sudden bust of laughter. "Anyway, you could still learn if you wanted."
"Yes," Daisy said. "Lavender or Pavrati would love to teach you."
"Right. They'd be as bad a Trewlany. What are you buying here anyway?"
"Merlin's Draught, and I'm looking for anything that could help me focus. I can't use Harry as an anchor forever."
"Anchor?" Hermione asked.
"Wow, he really did keep it a secret. Yeah, Harry's a sensitive so he can help me by accompanying me in a vision. He's only done it twice. He shouldn't suffer any side effects, but I still don't want to ask him to go through that again."
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. "And neither of you told us this?" Hermione asked.
"He wanted to help. So I let him on a condition of confidence," Daisy said as she picked up a talisman.
"What else does Harry know that we don't?" Ginny said, little angry.
Daisy just shrugged. "I dunno. Um, oh he knows Professor Blanc is my half brother, but don't tell anyone that. It's bad enough that The Headmaster is my great-uncle." She sighed. "I have too much family."
"Tell me about it!" Ginny muttered. "So you really do keep a ton of secrets." It was stated. Fact. Period, end sentence.
"Yeah, I have to. Well, some I have to. I could tell you how you're going to die, but I don't. Some things are better left unsaid."
"You know how were going to die?" Hermione asked.
"Well, no. I haven't seen that yet. But I could. I have seen whom you'll marry. Harry is going to have the cutest little girl."
"Harry's going to have children?" Hermione asked.
"What's the kid look like?" Ginny wanted to know.
Daisy smiled. "Yes, Harry's going to have kids. Why wouldn't he?" At the looked on Hermione's face Daisy said, "oh the whole 'evil-maniac-who-wants- him-dead' thing? Not a problem. And his little girl has curly black hair and his eyes."
"My head hurts." Hermione muttered.
"That's why Seers take Merlin's Draught," Daisy said, as she tripped and knocked down a mirror. "Oh, good, it's not broke," She said examining the mirror. It looked like a vanity mirror on a stand. "Perfect! 'For concentration and focus...'" she read. "That's all I need here. You guys want anything? No, then, music store next!"
***
Hermione couldn't help feeling like everything was completely surreal, ever since 'The Kiss' as Daisy had been calling it. She was completely confused. She felt so guilty. Daisy had been really great about everything. She had told Hermione that she wasn't angry.
Daisy had even asked if Hermione was going to ask Ron to the Valentine dance, another attempt by the teachers to boost moral. They had opted for a dance again instead of dwarfs in cupid outfits. The younger students would again be entertained in their common rooms.
As a perfect, Hermione thought she might volunteer to stay with the younger students. That way she could avoid awkward questions about the dance. The truth was she just really didn't want to go with anyone. She was angry at Ron for using her as an excuse to brake-up with Daisy. There wasn't anyone else she would go with, as Harry would no doubt have a date.
Daisy had agreed to go with Neville Longbottom, effectively shocking all their friends, and a few other people including Head boy Rodger Davies who had asked Daisy to go with him. And Ginny all ready had a date too. What was his name? Terrain, Terence, well everyone just called him Terry. All day Ginny had been saying Terry this, and Terry that.
But Hermione really didn't want to go with anyone. She had come down to Hogsmeade with Daisy and Ginny like she said she would, but they were talking about their plans for the dance. At some point today they expected her to come with them while they bought new dress robes. She would rather be having a butterbeer with the guys instead.
But then she would be missing Daisy bombshells. Things that Hermione had been trying to figure out for weeks about her friend where suddenly making sense. Hermione had to would if her brake-up with Ron had some effect after all. Maybe not in a heart shattering, earth shaking sort of way, but still.
And she would definitely be having a talk with Harry. How could he be keeping all this stuff from them? How much did he really know?
And where the heck is this music store? They had been walking forever! OK five minutes but still, it was cold.
"Herms?" Hermione was pulled out of her revelry by Daisy. "You Okay? You look a little out of it."
Hermione smiled. "Just thinking about stuff."
Daisy smiled brightly, "Well stop. Were here to have fun and you are being way too serious!"
Ginny laughed, "And this is unusual how?"
The girls laughed together as they entered the music story. And Hermione though to herself, 'well if she's telling so much, maybe I'll finally find out what happen when she was younger.'
**************************
Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus were also checking out the new music store. Harry was looking around and saw the girls as they entered. So, he was able to see Daisy go from the mysterious gypsy witch so many girls at school were trying to emulate, to a virtual three-year-old. She was literally a kid in a candy store. Daisy's eyes light up through her pink tinted glasses, and her face seemed to lift and she just smiled.
Daisy always smiled but not like this. Seeing her smile like this, it was almost like never having seen her smile before. Harry watched her go over to different instruments and pick them up gingerly. Harry walked quietly up next to Hermione.
"Enjoying your girls day out?" he asked.
Hermione was also staring at Daisy. "Not as much as she is."
"I don't think I've ever seen her like this!" Ginny said.
"So you're going to the Ball with her, Neville?" Hermione said as the other Gryffindors joined them.
Neville blushed a little. "Yeah, I was really surprised when she asked me."
"She asked you!" Dean said.
"What's so odd about that?" Ron said distractedly. Then he shook his head and smiled. "Weird girl."
"Oh my God!" Daisy exclaimed as she stopped before a rather fancy looking guitar.
"What?" Hermione asked as she walked over. It's a Fender-strat! It's only like that greatest ax ever!"
"It is nice to see you have not lost your eye, Little One," said a heavily Italian accented deep voice from behind the counter.
"Luigi!" Daisy said. And she ran over and hugged the man. He was tall, about twenty years old and very handsome. "Does Guy know your here? Is this your shop? When did you move to England?"
"Wow, Little One. Stop. Breath." Luigi laughed. "Yes he knows I'm here, who do you think could convince me to leave the Continent, eh? And yes, may my ancestors forgive me, this is my shop. Only opened for two months. I just made the Christmas rush. I even have a few other lost souls here with me."
"Your brother?" she asked as her face fell.
"Yes, Vincent is here also," his voice sobering some. But then he seemed to brighten and reached for the instrument Daisy was just ogling. "But here you must play. Guy tells me you still have that horrid little fiddle. You need some thing more!"
"I like my fiddle, thank you. But my fingers are just itching to play that."
He handed her the guitar and a pick. She strummed a few cords, then she began to play.
Her friends had all heard her play her violin. If any of them had called it a fiddle, she'd have seriously hurt them. But as she played that guitar, they were in awe, even the Muggle-borns who had always heard electric guitars. She played bits of rock, classical, country, folk, and blended it all seamlessly. Then she began to sing.
Harry watched as Daisy began to play:
'I know it's hard for you
to understand what I'm going through
But now I sit here to remind myself
Your always dressed to kill
And you feel like you owe it to the world
But you owe it to your self
And your, your not here
and I can stop pretending that your forever mine, and I'm
I can dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore in your arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
Your better alone anyway
But your always on tour
And your never home
I'm always dressed to kill
And I feel like I owe it to the world
But I owe it to myself
And your, your not here
And I can't stop pretending that your forever mine
And I'm,
I can't dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore, in your arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
And I can't pretending
That your forever mine
Your better alone anyway
And your not here, Not here
I can't dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore, In you arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
"Dressed to kill." Hermione said. She looked at the others, most still in awe of the impromptu concert, so just looked at her. "It's a Muggle song called Dressed to kill by a group called New Found Glory."
But by this time Daisy had started to play again. This time it was Nice Guys Finish Last by Green Day. Harry watched her play.
This was the witch every girl in school wanted to be like. She had taken off her cloak so she could play better. She was wearing black leather pants, and her usually billowy blouse hanging past her hips, this one dark blue. Around her waist was a loose, thick black leather belt that swung down past her knee after it looped through the buckle at her hip. Her shirt had fallen off one shoulder, showing a black bra strap. Her long hair was flying all over the place, but her blue scarf headband kept it out of her face, and just off her neck. Her fingers were just blue blurs and sliver glints against the white guitar as her nail polish and jewelry flashed. She had taken off her glasses, and her eye make-up was a smoldering blue, with black eyeliner.
Harry didn't think anyone else could pull off this look, but then, he had never though about it before. A few people had taken up instruments around Daisy and were playing with her. From the way they dressed and responded to each others movements, Harry guessed they were other gypsies who Daisy has played with before.
After she finished a rendition of Flavor of the Week by American Hi Fi, she made like she was going to stop. Then one of the guys who had taken up another guitar began to play a few cords of a song.
Ba Ba Ban
"No," Daisy said as she shook her head and smiled. "I'm done."
Ba Ba Ban
Then the rest began to play with the. "Come Little Raven, It's your song. You have to," said the drummer.
"It's Joan Jett's song. And I don't have to." They only answered with another cord. "OH fine!"
And she waited until they played to the right part before joining in.
'I saw him dancing there
By the record machine
I knew he must have
Been about seventeen
The beat was going strong
Playing my favorite song
I could tell
It wouldn't be long
Till he was with me
Yeah, with me
And I could tell
It wouldn't be long
Till he was with me
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
Take the time
And dance with me
Ow
He smiled, so I got up
And asked for his name
"But that don't matter," he said
"'Cause it's all the same."
I said, "Can I take you home
Where we can play alone?"
And next we
Were moving on
And he was with me
Yeah, with me
And we were moving on
And singin' that
Same old song
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
So come on take the time
And dance with me
Ow
I love rock 'n' roll yeah
'Cause it soothes
My soul yeah
I love rock 'n' roll
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I said, "Can I take you home
Where we can be alone?"
And next we
Were moving on
And he was with me
Yeah, with me
And we were movin on
And singin' that
Same old song
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
Take the time and
Dance with me
I love rock 'n' roll
(I love rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
I love rock 'n' roll
(Ooh)
So come on
Take the time
And dance with me
(Dance with me)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
(I said)
I love rock 'n' roll
(So dance with me)
So come on
Take the time and
Dance with me
(Dance with me ooh)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
(Oh, ooh)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Ooh)
So come and
Take the time and
(Dance with me)
Dance with me
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
I love rock 'n' roll
(Oh)
So come and
Take the time and
Dance with me!"
Daisy was absolutely glowing when she stopped playing. And she was literally bouncing. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Daisy's moods always seemed infectious. Hermione watched as Daisy bounced on the toes of her black boots.
"That was so much fun!" Daisy said. "I haven't played like that since, well for a while." Her smiled wavered a moment but no one seemed to notice.
"Wow, Daze! I didn't know you could do that!" Ginny said.
Then Luigi came over and put an arm around Daisy. "Yes," he said. "You must keep playing Little One."
"Lu, stop calling me that. I haven't been called that in over two years," Daisy said.
"That's not quite right is it?" said a cold voice from across the room. When Hermione looked she saw a very handsome young man with olive skin and thick wavy black hair. He spoke perfect English, but with just the slightest Italian accent. He was dressed rather inconspicuously for a gypsy. He had on black leather boots and pants, a white shirt, with the top two buttons open showing a fine gold chain, and a black cloak was flung over his shoulder. Hermione, and Ginny, and other girl in the store, which had gotten crowded as people came in to here the music, couldn't help but notice how attractive this guy was. He just smoldered.
But Daisy had a very different reaction. "Hello Vince," she said coldly.
Hermione had very rarely seen Daisy angry. Looking at her now though, well she smoldered in a different way entirely. Daisy wasn't just angry, she was actually radiating hate.
Vince walked up to her, very close up to her, and said, "Well you aren't little any more are you? But than you never acted very little. That was always part of the fun. Isn't ironic, don't you think?"
Vince smiled coldly, his murky green eyes flashed with their own tint of hate. Hermione didn't know if any one else caught it until Harry stepped forward.
"Well," Harry said, coming to stand between the two. "You must be an old acquaintance of Daisy's. We're her friends and classmates. That's Dean, Seamus, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione, and I'm Harry," he said extending his hand.
Vince took it and smiled almost warmly. "Well, if you can be friends with the hell-cat you must be able to walk through fire."
Hermione wasn't quite sure what he meant by that. But she could tell his warmth was a front.
Hermione watched the scene with growing concern. Daisy and Vince glared at each other. Harry was growing visibly uncomfortable between them. He looked to his fellow Gryffindors for help but found none.
The tension was only broken when a deep voice from behind Vince said, "This isn't good for your brother's business, Vince." And a muscular arm came down heavily on his shoulder. Vince winced.
"Um yeah. I guess." He finally managed before turning back to Daisy. "Well finish this another time, Raven."
"Count on it, you flea bitten mutt!" she called to his retreating form.
"Mutt?" The newcomer said, shaking his head. "I though you were the half- ling." He looked at her for a moment. "You aren't little anymore. We will all have to start calling you Raven soon."
"Raven Lunatic." Hermione heard Ron mumble.
Now that Vince was out of the way Hermione had a clear view of the new person in their little group. He stood about 6'2 and was very rugged and muscular. He had long black hair that was silky looking but strait, tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was wearing a dark green silk shirt and black leather pants and boots. Or maybe they were dragon hide. He had a silver chain hanging across his right hip. His black cloak was draped across one shoulder.
But his most startling feature was his eyes, or rather eye. He had a scar going down his right eye that ran from the middle of his eyebrow down to his mouth. His eye changed from Dark blue to bright green. It was constantly changing and never quite the same color twice. And it never exactly matched his other light blue eye.
And he gave off this vibe. It was like cold fire. The only thing Hermione had ever felt akin to was when Daisy was angry. But this was different. It was a constant blaze hid behind a cool smile.
Despite the fact that he was really scary, Hermione couldn't help but like him. Ginny summed it up best when she leaned over and said, "If all gypsy guys are that hot why did Daisy ever leave?"
All Hermione could do was shake her head.
Daisy had a very different reaction. Instead of the hardness lifting from her features, she bristled even more.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
He just shrugged. "Same thing I do everywhere. But specifically, at this moment, I came to visit my friend. You know, Luigi. The guy who's guitar you've been playing for the last half hour?"
Some of the other gypsies came over to them now. "Dar, lay off the kid," one of them said.
Another shook his head, the drummer, and said, "She can still play better than anyone."
Darien Blackrose smiled and answered, "Not me."
Daisy looked at him for a moment and then nodded at his scared head. "That's new."
"Yeah nasty fight, but than you'll know all about it, right?"
"No," she said. "I haven't seen any of what happened to your little group over the past two years. He's never confirmed it, but I think he was blocking me. I nearly killed him when he showed up here."
"He told me. Ask him if you to want know."
"You always have all the answers, don't you Darien?" she said finally letting her glare fade.
"No. But I try to have some answer, even if it isn't the right one. Someone had to look out for us."
"That's what the family is for!" she answered hotly.
"And what am I!" he nearly shouted back. "The larger family, the clan, we looked out for him. Your mother was to buy saving the goddamned world to see what was happen to her kids. Just looked at Belle. Hell, look at yourself!"
Smack!
"Don't you ever talk about my mother. She my not be perfect but at least my mother tried. When did yours leave? You were what, eight? Seven? And I do know who wanted the stronger high. I know who wanted to escape!" Her voice had gone very low. The other customers didn't even notice them now. Darien's face was oddly stricken. She turned to Luigi then.
She hugged him and said. "I'm sorry for the scene I caused. Here," she tried to give him back the instrument she was still clutching.
"Keep it," he said in his heavy Italian accent. "You brought in more people with your playing then come through in a week."
One of the other gypsies gathered there, the drummer again, gave her the guitar's case. "Come back and play any time. You give us a work out."
Daisy gave a short laugh. "Thanks, Tiger. But I don't get out of the castle much."
"Stone walls do not a prison make, and all that. Besides, gypsies don't do well in cages."
Daisy laughed again, the same short, almost forced laugh. "Then it's a good thing Hogwarts has no iron bars. Good bye."
She turned to her friends, keeping her back to Darien. "Gladrags now?" she asked, and Ginny and Hermione nodded. "Good, then will see you guys in the Three Broomsticks?" she said looking at the boys, who also only managed a nod.
Daisy smiled slightly, more of wince maybe. "Then we'll see you there in about an hour." And she pulled her cloak tightly around her as she slight the guitar over her shoulder and picked up her other packages. Daisy walked out followed by the friends she had managed to stun yet again. *************
By the end of Sunday everyone knew Ron and Daisy had broken up. Only Harry, Hermione and Ginny knew why. Ron and Daisy had calmly talked after breakfast. They decided they could just be friends.
"It might be hard. But at least you won't expect me to tell you everything," Daisy said.
"Oh yes I will!" Ron said. "I just won't get so made when you don't. I'll still worry about you, you know. We all do. Especially Harry."
"What, we just breakup and you're all ready trying to fix me up with someone else? All the school's new Don Juan Demarco, at that."
"Hey, your the one who said we've really been done for weeks," Ron said. "What do you say we were?"
"Best friends with benefits."
"Yes well, no more of those uh?" He asked with a smile.
She shoved him playfully. "No. I've got a bad enough reputation, thanks."
They both laughed. Than Ron got a puzzled look on his face. "Who's Don Juan Demarco?"
************************************
Daisy was on top of the Astronomy tower again. It was sunset on Monday. Daisy always loved sunset. It wasn't quite day and it wasn't quite night. It was one of the 'Tween Times.'
She started listing them in her head. Midnight was between one day and another. Dawn and dust were the time between full light and full dark. Noon was the time between morning and afternoon. A lot of powerful spells were stronger when cast in the tween times. She thought back to what her mother had told her.
If she could just concentrate, she could see it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mama?" the little girl called. "Mama, where's Nana? She promised me a story."
"Aren't you getting too old for stories squirt?" her older brother teased.
"Guy, stop that. And don't be vulgar. Really just because we live in America for now doesn't mean you have to acted American." This was from Belle.
Daisy looked at her older sister adoringly. Daisy remembered Belle used to always be nice like that. Now it was only sometimes. And only when Daisy was getting picked on by Guy.
The little five-year-old turned back to her mother "Mama?"
Annabelle smiled at her youngest daughter. "Nana had to lie down, Little One. She wasn't feeling well."
"Oh," she said.
Annabelle shifted the baby on her hip and sat down, leaving her lap open. "Come here Little One. I'll tell you a story. What do you want to here?"
"Nana, always tells me of the odd ways," she said.
Her mother smiled. "You mean the 'Old Ways.' The ways of our people. Well, I don't tell it as well as Nana."
"Tell her of the Tween Times. That was always my favorite." Belle said.
"The Tween Times are the times when the veils between realms is thinnest. These are the times magic is strongest. If you want to be praised forever cast at high noon between the sun's rise and fall. You shall be as high as the sun. If you want power most potent, cast at midnight. When called forth in darkness, power rushes on unabated. When the sun sets and when it rises are the times to call on the powers of life and death. Destiny can be changed. Hate banished or summoned, love birthed or mourned. It is in the Tween Time that we gypsies change the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daisy could still feel her skin tingle, as it had the first time she heard her mother speak. She was so lost in thought she it was a moment before she realized she had called forth a vision. She had picked a scene and seen it. She also didn't see Harry hovering next to her on his broom.
"Daisy?" he said tentatively.
She gave a slight shiver when he spoke, but she wasn't surprised. She somehow, without seeing him, knew he was there.
As he sat next to her asked, "Is your necklace suppose to glow like that?"
She looked down to see her grandmother's pendant glowing a silver-blue from her neck. She smiled. "I think so. I think my sessions with Trewlany are helping after all." Then her smile faded. "I'd have to talk to my aunt to know for sure."
Harry shivered. "What are you doing up here anyway? It's freezing."
"It's February. It's suppose to be cold. You don't have to stay."
"That a hint?" he asked.
She smiled at her friend. "No, just a fact. Isn't there some poor little girl who's heart you should be breaking?"
He frowned at her.
"Oh don't look like that," she said. "You know my feeling on the matter. We're young, we should be having fun. We shouldn't be looking for our life partners. Most girls would love to say they snogged you."
"Wonder why?" he said dryly.
"Let's see," she answered. "You are incredibly sweet, even to girls you're only with once. You are just too cute. Go on, look at you blush. If that's not cute I don't know what is. Not mention you're actually cute, I mean physically, not personality wise this time. And don't act like you don't know it. You could melt a girl's heart with your eyes and smile. You do, actually. And I heard you're a great kisser."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes. But I'm done stroking your ego," she said. "Its ruining my sunset."
"Terrible sorry," he said with a laugh.
"Not at all. Just be quite or I'll miss it."
He wanted to ask what she'd miss but the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. It just wasn't the time to talk. When the last rays of the sun were gone she turned to him and smiled.
"There. I have said good-bye to the day and mourned my lost love. 'It is now dusk, the time between night and day. The sun had left us, but darkness has not set in. May it never set in our hearts or taint this first love.'"
"That was very poetic," Harry was beginning to wonder if she was taking her brake up with Ron harder than she was letting on.
"Thank you, but it's not mine. It's a gypsy prayer, well spell. For spells like that we call them prayers. Infused with magic in the Tween Time gypsy prayers strengthen us. At least that's what my mother used to say. My grandmother taught me a lot about our people but my mother taught me about the Tween Times." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just in a very contemplative mood."
"It's alright. You're really not bothered by the cold? It's freezing."
She laughed at him. "The Great Harry Potter brought down by a little breeze? I though you were made of stronger stuff, Potter?"
"I am!" He said defensively, but then another gust blew and he shivered. "Burr. Just down by the fire, where I can thaw, my stuff works better."
*****************************************
"It would take forever to explain it!" Daisy said.
"Oh come on, Daze. What's this one mean?" Ginny asked.
"Why didn't you take Divinations?" Daisy said as she looked over the different talismans in the Shop.
"'Cause Ron spent all summer complaining about it. Besides why do I need to know how to tell fortunes when one of my best friends is a Seer?" Ginny smiled at her friend.
"You should know better than to listen to Ron," Hermione said, causing both Daisy and Ginny to give a sudden bust of laughter. "Anyway, you could still learn if you wanted."
"Yes," Daisy said. "Lavender or Pavrati would love to teach you."
"Right. They'd be as bad a Trewlany. What are you buying here anyway?"
"Merlin's Draught, and I'm looking for anything that could help me focus. I can't use Harry as an anchor forever."
"Anchor?" Hermione asked.
"Wow, he really did keep it a secret. Yeah, Harry's a sensitive so he can help me by accompanying me in a vision. He's only done it twice. He shouldn't suffer any side effects, but I still don't want to ask him to go through that again."
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. "And neither of you told us this?" Hermione asked.
"He wanted to help. So I let him on a condition of confidence," Daisy said as she picked up a talisman.
"What else does Harry know that we don't?" Ginny said, little angry.
Daisy just shrugged. "I dunno. Um, oh he knows Professor Blanc is my half brother, but don't tell anyone that. It's bad enough that The Headmaster is my great-uncle." She sighed. "I have too much family."
"Tell me about it!" Ginny muttered. "So you really do keep a ton of secrets." It was stated. Fact. Period, end sentence.
"Yeah, I have to. Well, some I have to. I could tell you how you're going to die, but I don't. Some things are better left unsaid."
"You know how were going to die?" Hermione asked.
"Well, no. I haven't seen that yet. But I could. I have seen whom you'll marry. Harry is going to have the cutest little girl."
"Harry's going to have children?" Hermione asked.
"What's the kid look like?" Ginny wanted to know.
Daisy smiled. "Yes, Harry's going to have kids. Why wouldn't he?" At the looked on Hermione's face Daisy said, "oh the whole 'evil-maniac-who-wants- him-dead' thing? Not a problem. And his little girl has curly black hair and his eyes."
"My head hurts." Hermione muttered.
"That's why Seers take Merlin's Draught," Daisy said, as she tripped and knocked down a mirror. "Oh, good, it's not broke," She said examining the mirror. It looked like a vanity mirror on a stand. "Perfect! 'For concentration and focus...'" she read. "That's all I need here. You guys want anything? No, then, music store next!"
***
Hermione couldn't help feeling like everything was completely surreal, ever since 'The Kiss' as Daisy had been calling it. She was completely confused. She felt so guilty. Daisy had been really great about everything. She had told Hermione that she wasn't angry.
Daisy had even asked if Hermione was going to ask Ron to the Valentine dance, another attempt by the teachers to boost moral. They had opted for a dance again instead of dwarfs in cupid outfits. The younger students would again be entertained in their common rooms.
As a perfect, Hermione thought she might volunteer to stay with the younger students. That way she could avoid awkward questions about the dance. The truth was she just really didn't want to go with anyone. She was angry at Ron for using her as an excuse to brake-up with Daisy. There wasn't anyone else she would go with, as Harry would no doubt have a date.
Daisy had agreed to go with Neville Longbottom, effectively shocking all their friends, and a few other people including Head boy Rodger Davies who had asked Daisy to go with him. And Ginny all ready had a date too. What was his name? Terrain, Terence, well everyone just called him Terry. All day Ginny had been saying Terry this, and Terry that.
But Hermione really didn't want to go with anyone. She had come down to Hogsmeade with Daisy and Ginny like she said she would, but they were talking about their plans for the dance. At some point today they expected her to come with them while they bought new dress robes. She would rather be having a butterbeer with the guys instead.
But then she would be missing Daisy bombshells. Things that Hermione had been trying to figure out for weeks about her friend where suddenly making sense. Hermione had to would if her brake-up with Ron had some effect after all. Maybe not in a heart shattering, earth shaking sort of way, but still.
And she would definitely be having a talk with Harry. How could he be keeping all this stuff from them? How much did he really know?
And where the heck is this music store? They had been walking forever! OK five minutes but still, it was cold.
"Herms?" Hermione was pulled out of her revelry by Daisy. "You Okay? You look a little out of it."
Hermione smiled. "Just thinking about stuff."
Daisy smiled brightly, "Well stop. Were here to have fun and you are being way too serious!"
Ginny laughed, "And this is unusual how?"
The girls laughed together as they entered the music story. And Hermione though to herself, 'well if she's telling so much, maybe I'll finally find out what happen when she was younger.'
**************************
Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus were also checking out the new music store. Harry was looking around and saw the girls as they entered. So, he was able to see Daisy go from the mysterious gypsy witch so many girls at school were trying to emulate, to a virtual three-year-old. She was literally a kid in a candy store. Daisy's eyes light up through her pink tinted glasses, and her face seemed to lift and she just smiled.
Daisy always smiled but not like this. Seeing her smile like this, it was almost like never having seen her smile before. Harry watched her go over to different instruments and pick them up gingerly. Harry walked quietly up next to Hermione.
"Enjoying your girls day out?" he asked.
Hermione was also staring at Daisy. "Not as much as she is."
"I don't think I've ever seen her like this!" Ginny said.
"So you're going to the Ball with her, Neville?" Hermione said as the other Gryffindors joined them.
Neville blushed a little. "Yeah, I was really surprised when she asked me."
"She asked you!" Dean said.
"What's so odd about that?" Ron said distractedly. Then he shook his head and smiled. "Weird girl."
"Oh my God!" Daisy exclaimed as she stopped before a rather fancy looking guitar.
"What?" Hermione asked as she walked over. It's a Fender-strat! It's only like that greatest ax ever!"
"It is nice to see you have not lost your eye, Little One," said a heavily Italian accented deep voice from behind the counter.
"Luigi!" Daisy said. And she ran over and hugged the man. He was tall, about twenty years old and very handsome. "Does Guy know your here? Is this your shop? When did you move to England?"
"Wow, Little One. Stop. Breath." Luigi laughed. "Yes he knows I'm here, who do you think could convince me to leave the Continent, eh? And yes, may my ancestors forgive me, this is my shop. Only opened for two months. I just made the Christmas rush. I even have a few other lost souls here with me."
"Your brother?" she asked as her face fell.
"Yes, Vincent is here also," his voice sobering some. But then he seemed to brighten and reached for the instrument Daisy was just ogling. "But here you must play. Guy tells me you still have that horrid little fiddle. You need some thing more!"
"I like my fiddle, thank you. But my fingers are just itching to play that."
He handed her the guitar and a pick. She strummed a few cords, then she began to play.
Her friends had all heard her play her violin. If any of them had called it a fiddle, she'd have seriously hurt them. But as she played that guitar, they were in awe, even the Muggle-borns who had always heard electric guitars. She played bits of rock, classical, country, folk, and blended it all seamlessly. Then she began to sing.
Harry watched as Daisy began to play:
'I know it's hard for you
to understand what I'm going through
But now I sit here to remind myself
Your always dressed to kill
And you feel like you owe it to the world
But you owe it to your self
And your, your not here
and I can stop pretending that your forever mine, and I'm
I can dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore in your arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
Your better alone anyway
But your always on tour
And your never home
I'm always dressed to kill
And I feel like I owe it to the world
But I owe it to myself
And your, your not here
And I can't stop pretending that your forever mine
And I'm,
I can't dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore, in your arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
And I can't pretending
That your forever mine
Your better alone anyway
And your not here, Not here
I can't dream anymore
Since you left
I miss you singing me to sleep
I can't wake anymore, In you arms
I miss you singing me to sleep
Cheer up my friends all say
"Dressed to kill." Hermione said. She looked at the others, most still in awe of the impromptu concert, so just looked at her. "It's a Muggle song called Dressed to kill by a group called New Found Glory."
But by this time Daisy had started to play again. This time it was Nice Guys Finish Last by Green Day. Harry watched her play.
This was the witch every girl in school wanted to be like. She had taken off her cloak so she could play better. She was wearing black leather pants, and her usually billowy blouse hanging past her hips, this one dark blue. Around her waist was a loose, thick black leather belt that swung down past her knee after it looped through the buckle at her hip. Her shirt had fallen off one shoulder, showing a black bra strap. Her long hair was flying all over the place, but her blue scarf headband kept it out of her face, and just off her neck. Her fingers were just blue blurs and sliver glints against the white guitar as her nail polish and jewelry flashed. She had taken off her glasses, and her eye make-up was a smoldering blue, with black eyeliner.
Harry didn't think anyone else could pull off this look, but then, he had never though about it before. A few people had taken up instruments around Daisy and were playing with her. From the way they dressed and responded to each others movements, Harry guessed they were other gypsies who Daisy has played with before.
After she finished a rendition of Flavor of the Week by American Hi Fi, she made like she was going to stop. Then one of the guys who had taken up another guitar began to play a few cords of a song.
Ba Ba Ban
"No," Daisy said as she shook her head and smiled. "I'm done."
Ba Ba Ban
Then the rest began to play with the. "Come Little Raven, It's your song. You have to," said the drummer.
"It's Joan Jett's song. And I don't have to." They only answered with another cord. "OH fine!"
And she waited until they played to the right part before joining in.
'I saw him dancing there
By the record machine
I knew he must have
Been about seventeen
The beat was going strong
Playing my favorite song
I could tell
It wouldn't be long
Till he was with me
Yeah, with me
And I could tell
It wouldn't be long
Till he was with me
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
Take the time
And dance with me
Ow
He smiled, so I got up
And asked for his name
"But that don't matter," he said
"'Cause it's all the same."
I said, "Can I take you home
Where we can play alone?"
And next we
Were moving on
And he was with me
Yeah, with me
And we were moving on
And singin' that
Same old song
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
So come on take the time
And dance with me
Ow
I love rock 'n' roll yeah
'Cause it soothes
My soul yeah
I love rock 'n' roll
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I said, "Can I take you home
Where we can be alone?"
And next we
Were moving on
And he was with me
Yeah, with me
And we were movin on
And singin' that
Same old song
Yeah, with me
Singin'
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox
Baby
I love rock 'n' roll
So come and
Take the time and
Dance with me
I love rock 'n' roll
(I love rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
I love rock 'n' roll
(Ooh)
So come on
Take the time
And dance with me
(Dance with me)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
(I said)
I love rock 'n' roll
(So dance with me)
So come on
Take the time and
Dance with me
(Dance with me ooh)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Rock 'n' roll)
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
(Oh, ooh)
I love rock 'n' roll
(Ooh)
So come and
Take the time and
(Dance with me)
Dance with me
I love rock 'n' roll
So put another dime
In the jukebox baby
I love rock 'n' roll
(Oh)
So come and
Take the time and
Dance with me!"
Daisy was absolutely glowing when she stopped playing. And she was literally bouncing. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Daisy's moods always seemed infectious. Hermione watched as Daisy bounced on the toes of her black boots.
"That was so much fun!" Daisy said. "I haven't played like that since, well for a while." Her smiled wavered a moment but no one seemed to notice.
"Wow, Daze! I didn't know you could do that!" Ginny said.
Then Luigi came over and put an arm around Daisy. "Yes," he said. "You must keep playing Little One."
"Lu, stop calling me that. I haven't been called that in over two years," Daisy said.
"That's not quite right is it?" said a cold voice from across the room. When Hermione looked she saw a very handsome young man with olive skin and thick wavy black hair. He spoke perfect English, but with just the slightest Italian accent. He was dressed rather inconspicuously for a gypsy. He had on black leather boots and pants, a white shirt, with the top two buttons open showing a fine gold chain, and a black cloak was flung over his shoulder. Hermione, and Ginny, and other girl in the store, which had gotten crowded as people came in to here the music, couldn't help but notice how attractive this guy was. He just smoldered.
But Daisy had a very different reaction. "Hello Vince," she said coldly.
Hermione had very rarely seen Daisy angry. Looking at her now though, well she smoldered in a different way entirely. Daisy wasn't just angry, she was actually radiating hate.
Vince walked up to her, very close up to her, and said, "Well you aren't little any more are you? But than you never acted very little. That was always part of the fun. Isn't ironic, don't you think?"
Vince smiled coldly, his murky green eyes flashed with their own tint of hate. Hermione didn't know if any one else caught it until Harry stepped forward.
"Well," Harry said, coming to stand between the two. "You must be an old acquaintance of Daisy's. We're her friends and classmates. That's Dean, Seamus, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione, and I'm Harry," he said extending his hand.
Vince took it and smiled almost warmly. "Well, if you can be friends with the hell-cat you must be able to walk through fire."
Hermione wasn't quite sure what he meant by that. But she could tell his warmth was a front.
Hermione watched the scene with growing concern. Daisy and Vince glared at each other. Harry was growing visibly uncomfortable between them. He looked to his fellow Gryffindors for help but found none.
The tension was only broken when a deep voice from behind Vince said, "This isn't good for your brother's business, Vince." And a muscular arm came down heavily on his shoulder. Vince winced.
"Um yeah. I guess." He finally managed before turning back to Daisy. "Well finish this another time, Raven."
"Count on it, you flea bitten mutt!" she called to his retreating form.
"Mutt?" The newcomer said, shaking his head. "I though you were the half- ling." He looked at her for a moment. "You aren't little anymore. We will all have to start calling you Raven soon."
"Raven Lunatic." Hermione heard Ron mumble.
Now that Vince was out of the way Hermione had a clear view of the new person in their little group. He stood about 6'2 and was very rugged and muscular. He had long black hair that was silky looking but strait, tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was wearing a dark green silk shirt and black leather pants and boots. Or maybe they were dragon hide. He had a silver chain hanging across his right hip. His black cloak was draped across one shoulder.
But his most startling feature was his eyes, or rather eye. He had a scar going down his right eye that ran from the middle of his eyebrow down to his mouth. His eye changed from Dark blue to bright green. It was constantly changing and never quite the same color twice. And it never exactly matched his other light blue eye.
And he gave off this vibe. It was like cold fire. The only thing Hermione had ever felt akin to was when Daisy was angry. But this was different. It was a constant blaze hid behind a cool smile.
Despite the fact that he was really scary, Hermione couldn't help but like him. Ginny summed it up best when she leaned over and said, "If all gypsy guys are that hot why did Daisy ever leave?"
All Hermione could do was shake her head.
Daisy had a very different reaction. Instead of the hardness lifting from her features, she bristled even more.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
He just shrugged. "Same thing I do everywhere. But specifically, at this moment, I came to visit my friend. You know, Luigi. The guy who's guitar you've been playing for the last half hour?"
Some of the other gypsies came over to them now. "Dar, lay off the kid," one of them said.
Another shook his head, the drummer, and said, "She can still play better than anyone."
Darien Blackrose smiled and answered, "Not me."
Daisy looked at him for a moment and then nodded at his scared head. "That's new."
"Yeah nasty fight, but than you'll know all about it, right?"
"No," she said. "I haven't seen any of what happened to your little group over the past two years. He's never confirmed it, but I think he was blocking me. I nearly killed him when he showed up here."
"He told me. Ask him if you to want know."
"You always have all the answers, don't you Darien?" she said finally letting her glare fade.
"No. But I try to have some answer, even if it isn't the right one. Someone had to look out for us."
"That's what the family is for!" she answered hotly.
"And what am I!" he nearly shouted back. "The larger family, the clan, we looked out for him. Your mother was to buy saving the goddamned world to see what was happen to her kids. Just looked at Belle. Hell, look at yourself!"
Smack!
"Don't you ever talk about my mother. She my not be perfect but at least my mother tried. When did yours leave? You were what, eight? Seven? And I do know who wanted the stronger high. I know who wanted to escape!" Her voice had gone very low. The other customers didn't even notice them now. Darien's face was oddly stricken. She turned to Luigi then.
She hugged him and said. "I'm sorry for the scene I caused. Here," she tried to give him back the instrument she was still clutching.
"Keep it," he said in his heavy Italian accent. "You brought in more people with your playing then come through in a week."
One of the other gypsies gathered there, the drummer again, gave her the guitar's case. "Come back and play any time. You give us a work out."
Daisy gave a short laugh. "Thanks, Tiger. But I don't get out of the castle much."
"Stone walls do not a prison make, and all that. Besides, gypsies don't do well in cages."
Daisy laughed again, the same short, almost forced laugh. "Then it's a good thing Hogwarts has no iron bars. Good bye."
She turned to her friends, keeping her back to Darien. "Gladrags now?" she asked, and Ginny and Hermione nodded. "Good, then will see you guys in the Three Broomsticks?" she said looking at the boys, who also only managed a nod.
Daisy smiled slightly, more of wince maybe. "Then we'll see you there in about an hour." And she pulled her cloak tightly around her as she slight the guitar over her shoulder and picked up her other packages. Daisy walked out followed by the friends she had managed to stun yet again. *************