WARNING: Please don't kill me for the term used to describe Snape. It is not my fault my friends and I have terrible inside jokes about L'ArcenCiel!!!!!! explodes
Chapter 9: Words of Love
Potions was an interesting class. Prof. Snape was her Head of House; this was the only reason Star could see for why she and Draco did not suffer the same harshness as many of her peers in Ravenclaw had – other than Luci, who seemed to get along just fine with him. Or at least, as fine as one can get along with a cold, icy, militant lesbian boy. Star was pretty sure they were the only three students in the class he didn't openly hate. But Star figured that if she gave it some time, that list would quickly descend to two names...
Lucretia plopped her cauldron on the table next to Draco's and Star's. She looked a little flushed and breathless.
"What's up with you?" Asked Star.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You look all out of breath."
"It's 'cause this thing is so heavy!" She answered. Star thought she caught her friend glancing over at their teacher, but again she passed it off as a trick of the light.
Soon class was underway and Snape was doing what Draco and Luci referred to jokingly as his-usual-first-day-of-school-evil-teacher-"I-hate-my-students"-routine. Star watched him billow about the dungeon classroom, speaking in a low, spooky voice and threatening them with detention and various other unpleasantries, should they do anything to piss him off.
"How many of you actually remembered to complete your summer assignments?" Most of the students raised their hands. Those who did not were each issued a detention. Star's heart ran cold; first day of school and already she was given detention. WTF? But when Snape moved about the room, issuing detention notices, he passed by her. I suppose everyone knows about me...Star thought to herself, feeling a little relieved.
As is true with most first days, the first day in Potions wasn't terribly interesting. Snape spent the bulk of the hour making the students squirm and feel bad about themselves. He assigned them their first homework, which was to find a rather large weed and bring it in the following Wednesday. Then they were dismissed and they were free for the rest of the evening.
But as was always the case when Lucretia was around, Draco informed Star, it took around three years for the them to finally leave that dungeon. Lucretia was somehow extra clumsy that day, Draco explained, as she placed her cauldron in its place at the back of the room. She even dropped her book bag, spilling its contents all over the floor. She had to scoot around Snape's desk on all fours to get all the quills and ink bottles and make up and what have you that she said she always had to have with her. It seemed to take her particularly long to reach her favorite red lipstick that had hidden itself beneath the desk. And then, when she finally had her things together and in her book bag, she went to stand up and "SHLOOP!!" she tripped on the strap of the bag and went plummeting forward. Thank goodness Snape was nearby, or she would have hit the stone floor and hurt herself!
But despite what seemed to be Lucretia's best efforts, she, Star, and Draco finally were out of the room and outside on the lawn where she dropped onto the grass by the lake and took a deep, sighing breath.
"What a rush that was!" She cried, laughing. Star raised an eyebrow at her.
As they sat and enjoyed the last of the sunlight, who should Star see walking alone? None other than their buddy, Silia. Luci called her over. When Silia saw them to skipped merrily into Draco's arms and smooched him on the nose. Star sighed. She'd just have to get used to it.
"So how was your first day?" Luci asked her. Sicilia shrugged.
"It was okay. Boring, but okay."
"Any classes you particularly like this year?"
Sicilia thought for a moment. "Care of Magical Creatures and Potions were a lot of fun."
Luci let out a squeal, "I ADORE Potions!!! It's so interesting! All the plants and mixing!"
"And the teacher's definitely very interesting." Silia gave her a smirk and a wink.
"He's one of the best teachers I've ever had." Said Luci, smirk back at her.
And so went their evening; sitting on the lawn and talking and playing and skipping rocks in the lake until they went back into the castle and gathered with the other students for dinner.
Dinner was uneventful. Draco had to go talk to his lacky buddies, Crabbe and Goyle – a pair of boys Star held no interest at all in becoming aquainted with – so she was stuck sitting all alone. As soon as she'd eaten the little bit of food her stomach could handle, she got up and headed back to the Slytherin Common Room. She hoped it would be empty...Star really wanted to be alone. Maybe she'd even write a letter to Tsu...God, did she miss Tsu...
When Star reached the stone wall that led to her common room she spoke the magical words ("enigmasus ormanus"), she was pleased to find the room entirely empty. Or was it? A quiet giggle came from behind her, but when she turned she heard the door to the dorm rooms close. She was alone in the room, now.
Sighing again (what a habit this has become for her!), Star sat in one of the comfy leather chairs near the fire, hugging her knees. She looked into the fire and recalled something she'd heard someone talking about. Some way to communicate to someone far away through fire. She wished she knew how to do that; she'd appear in Tsu's fireplace and then she'd feel so much happier. Feeling lonely tears prick the corners of her eyes, she pulled out some parchment and a quill. Star felt around inside the breast pocket of her robes, stroking the soft purple fir that covered Nao. What would Tsu think if she were to tell her about creating her own mouse? Smiling, she began to write;
Dear Tsu,
You'll never believe what I did. I made a mouse.
No freaking kidding. I made a mouse. One of my teachers taught
me how to change objects into other objects, it's pretty cool. I made a purple pin cushion
into a purple mouse; I named her Nao. I think you'll like her; she's soft and her voice reminds
me of you. I miss you, Tsu. It's weird to be all alone again after being with you, even if we
weren't together very long. But I did make some friends...Silia, Luci, and Draco. Three
friends in two days, that's a record for me! I wish you could meet them, they're pretty cool.
I met Luci just before I got on the train...she said she saw you and asked me who you were.
I hope you don't mind that I stayed pretty quiet and didn't tell her. I don't know
how wizards and witches feel about stuff like that...I hope Isshi didn't surprise you.
Owls are a source of mail. I figured that out this morning when a million of them
swarmed the big hall where we eat. Tsu, you'd love this place. It's a huge castle with a forest
and a lake and everything you'd read in a fairy tale. I wish you could see it, you'd be really
happy here. I really miss you. I've decided I'm only happy when you're around, and
there's no way you can get me to change my mind. I can't wait til the year is over...
send a note back with Isshi, k? I really miss you.
Love, Star
Looking at the shiny letters drying before her, she realized she didn't really feel like staying in the common room; she wanted to be outside. She folded the parchment up and slipped it in her pocket, stroking Nao's fir as she left the common room. Dinner was over by now, so she asked Draco how to get to the Owlry. He told her and asked if she wanted him to come, but she told him he didn't need to bother.
Opening the doors to the Owlry was breathtaking. The sky shone brightly with stars and not a cloud blocked them. They looked like millions of diamonds scattered upon a blanket of black, blue, and indigo velvet. There was no moon that night and all the world was dark. Star smiled to herself, feeling tears prick her eyes again. The sight was so lovely, the air so crisp and cold, the view so amazing...it made her want Tsu so badly. She wished Tsu could see this, she wished she could take a picture of it to send with her letter. She missed Tsu so badly, she wanted to run to her right then and there. She felt like exploding as emotion welled up inside her. Why did these people have to pull her away when she was finally feeling so happy and content? Tsu made her feel strong and warm and powerful. She made Star feel like she could do anything. She could touch the sky if Tsu said jump...Star pulled open the iron gate to where the owls slept and whistled for Isshi. The gray and black owl flew to her and looked at her with his read eyes. She tied the note to his leg; "Find Tsu." Isshi rubbed his head against Star and leaped from her arms into the sky.
Star lingered there on the Owlry roof for quite sometime before returning to bed...I wonder how long it will be before Isshi finds her...?