Disclaimer: No I do not own any of the characters, they belong to J.K.
Rowling. I do own Erica, Voula, and brief characters mentioned during the
sorting though. Oooh! I own the plot too!!!
"__" Speech '__' Thoughts ~__~ Song
Chapter 7
Monday had been pretty uneventful but for the fact that Neville had blown up a squid he was supposed to be transfiguring into a clock. By Tuesday Harry was very irritable and had been mumbling things like, "Just had to be Snape." He was not looking to the Occlumency lessons at all. For Erica, on the other hand, the day couldn't pass by fast enough. She desperately wanted to feel in control.
When it was time they left for the dungeons. They were five minutes early, only because Erica had insisted they be, and Snape was not yet there.
"I told you we shouldn't have come this early."
"It's better than being late and getting a detention, Harry."
"Still, it means more time with Snape than needed."
"Get over it. We'll be doing this till we get a hold of it."
"We'll never get it with Snape teaching."
"Just stating the facts."
"How about this, whoever gets it first, helps the other finish. That way, we will not have to see Snape so much."
"Alright, deal."
They heard a noise at the door and turned to see Snape stalk through it. His cloak swirled as he turned his ever-present coal black glare onto them. Harry glared back and Erica just smiled. "Well, let's get to it."
They spent an hour or so trying to get it right. Harry's scar had hurt a bit attempting it, which cause Erica's forehead to hurt in return. Erica did feel a bit more confident afterwards though.
When their time was up, Snape let them go with a few more of his famous sarcastic comments.
"Do try and practice this before bed, Potter. Surely you can do even that, this year."
"Yes, Professor," he said painstakingly holding back any sour response.
"Thank you, Professor," Erica said pulling Harry, yet again, out of the room. What does he have against Snape? "You would think, Harry, that if you hate your time there so much, you would leave more willingly."
"Sorry, wanted to beat his stupid nose in."
"I know. That's why I dragged you out, can't afford a detention," Harry laughed.
"I still think you're a bit like Hermione in our first year," he tried to look serious and talked in a high-pitched voice, "We could have been killed! Or worse, Expelled!" He couldn't hold it in anymore and broke into laughter.
"At least we have already established that I am better looking," she said staring at him.
A voice came from behind Erica, "Well, well. Seems like Potter has a sense of humor after all. What do you see in him anyways, Kohle? What does he do for you?"
"What are you talking about Draco?" She said, even though she knew fully well what he was talking about. "Harry is my friend."
"Friends with benefits? Can I be your friend?" he sneered and she wanted to slap the smile right off his face when Harry stood up.
"Shut it Malfoy," he drew his wand.
"No, Harry," she slowly advanced on Draco, fingering the want in her pocket. "You want to be friends Draco?" she was about an inch from his face now.
"Erica! What the bloody hell do you think you are doing!?"
"Erica was staring Draco down, she saw his Adam's apple bounce, he was nervous, even though it didn't show on his face. "That what you want Draco?" she said using a feathery lightness with his name.
His voice was soft when he spoke, "Question is, Erica, what do you want?"
Harry was dreadfully baffled, "What the HELL?"
"Do you want to know what I want then?"
"That was my question," Draco stated.
"Ok, I. want. you. to stop being such a jackass," she said the final part with malevolence and drew her wand up under his chin. She whispered in his ear, "you know, I wonder what you looked like when Moody turned you into a ferret?" Then she spun around and walked back to Harry, the meanness gone from her face, shining with only happiness. "Shove off, Malfoy." He just stood there stunned. Had he, a Malfoy, just been turned down? He watched as Harry took her by the arm and led her away.
"You heard her, Malfoy."
When they were out of Malfoy's range of hearing, Harry took Erica and turned her to face him. "What the hell was that Erica?"
"I was only playing with him, Harry."
"Do you know how dangerous that could have been? He's bound to be a damn future deatheater. His father's one. He could have hurt you."
"Harry, you forget, I'm an empath. I would have known if he was going to do anything before he did it. I would have drawn my wand before he did. All he was feeling was lust, it was clouding his mind," she said in disgust.
"I don't care, it was still dangerous. Anything he did to you, I would have done something ten times worse back." She could tell that he was feeling love for her and told herself that he just wanted to be friends. It was a friendly love; that was all.
"It's nice to know I have such a good friend, Harry. Thank you."
"Don't thank me Erica. Oh, hey the first Hogsmeade trip is this Saturday," gee, was this tough. He wanted to ask, he truly did, but after Cho. Well, it was just tough. "Are you going?"
"I was thinking of going with Voula but then Chris Johnson (A/N: He's a character I created, he is a 7th year Gryffindor) asked her to go with him. I would have gone with Hermione but she's going with Ron, finally. Don't you think it took them a bit long? Anyways, I guess I'm all alone. Whom are you going with?"
"No one. I'm alone too."
"Don't you like someone?"
What to say? He did not want to lie. "Well, yes, I don't know if she's interested though. I'm not exactly lucky with girls. My date with Cho, fourth year, went so bad that I have pretty much avoided dating since. I'm terrible with girls."
"I could beg to differ. You're great with girls. You might just get nervous on the date. No biggie. You just have to be comfortable with the person you are with."
"I'm not going to ask her, maybe next time. But in the mean time, my lady, would you join me on the Hogsmeade trip?" he gave a great sweeping bow.
Erica giggled and held out her hand, "I would be honored fine sir. Now let us hurry, I need to beat you in chess quickly."
"You wish. Is that a bet Potter?"
"Sure," they raced down the corridor to the common room.
******
Ok, that was a bit of a shorter chap than I'm used to, but I had to stop there. More will be in the next chap. I have about half of it written now. Next time we are off to Hogsmeade!! I hope you at least like this chap. I don't know. anyways, I will try and update soon!!
~Esgalhothwen~
"__" Speech '__' Thoughts ~__~ Song
Chapter 7
Monday had been pretty uneventful but for the fact that Neville had blown up a squid he was supposed to be transfiguring into a clock. By Tuesday Harry was very irritable and had been mumbling things like, "Just had to be Snape." He was not looking to the Occlumency lessons at all. For Erica, on the other hand, the day couldn't pass by fast enough. She desperately wanted to feel in control.
When it was time they left for the dungeons. They were five minutes early, only because Erica had insisted they be, and Snape was not yet there.
"I told you we shouldn't have come this early."
"It's better than being late and getting a detention, Harry."
"Still, it means more time with Snape than needed."
"Get over it. We'll be doing this till we get a hold of it."
"We'll never get it with Snape teaching."
"Just stating the facts."
"How about this, whoever gets it first, helps the other finish. That way, we will not have to see Snape so much."
"Alright, deal."
They heard a noise at the door and turned to see Snape stalk through it. His cloak swirled as he turned his ever-present coal black glare onto them. Harry glared back and Erica just smiled. "Well, let's get to it."
They spent an hour or so trying to get it right. Harry's scar had hurt a bit attempting it, which cause Erica's forehead to hurt in return. Erica did feel a bit more confident afterwards though.
When their time was up, Snape let them go with a few more of his famous sarcastic comments.
"Do try and practice this before bed, Potter. Surely you can do even that, this year."
"Yes, Professor," he said painstakingly holding back any sour response.
"Thank you, Professor," Erica said pulling Harry, yet again, out of the room. What does he have against Snape? "You would think, Harry, that if you hate your time there so much, you would leave more willingly."
"Sorry, wanted to beat his stupid nose in."
"I know. That's why I dragged you out, can't afford a detention," Harry laughed.
"I still think you're a bit like Hermione in our first year," he tried to look serious and talked in a high-pitched voice, "We could have been killed! Or worse, Expelled!" He couldn't hold it in anymore and broke into laughter.
"At least we have already established that I am better looking," she said staring at him.
A voice came from behind Erica, "Well, well. Seems like Potter has a sense of humor after all. What do you see in him anyways, Kohle? What does he do for you?"
"What are you talking about Draco?" She said, even though she knew fully well what he was talking about. "Harry is my friend."
"Friends with benefits? Can I be your friend?" he sneered and she wanted to slap the smile right off his face when Harry stood up.
"Shut it Malfoy," he drew his wand.
"No, Harry," she slowly advanced on Draco, fingering the want in her pocket. "You want to be friends Draco?" she was about an inch from his face now.
"Erica! What the bloody hell do you think you are doing!?"
"Erica was staring Draco down, she saw his Adam's apple bounce, he was nervous, even though it didn't show on his face. "That what you want Draco?" she said using a feathery lightness with his name.
His voice was soft when he spoke, "Question is, Erica, what do you want?"
Harry was dreadfully baffled, "What the HELL?"
"Do you want to know what I want then?"
"That was my question," Draco stated.
"Ok, I. want. you. to stop being such a jackass," she said the final part with malevolence and drew her wand up under his chin. She whispered in his ear, "you know, I wonder what you looked like when Moody turned you into a ferret?" Then she spun around and walked back to Harry, the meanness gone from her face, shining with only happiness. "Shove off, Malfoy." He just stood there stunned. Had he, a Malfoy, just been turned down? He watched as Harry took her by the arm and led her away.
"You heard her, Malfoy."
When they were out of Malfoy's range of hearing, Harry took Erica and turned her to face him. "What the hell was that Erica?"
"I was only playing with him, Harry."
"Do you know how dangerous that could have been? He's bound to be a damn future deatheater. His father's one. He could have hurt you."
"Harry, you forget, I'm an empath. I would have known if he was going to do anything before he did it. I would have drawn my wand before he did. All he was feeling was lust, it was clouding his mind," she said in disgust.
"I don't care, it was still dangerous. Anything he did to you, I would have done something ten times worse back." She could tell that he was feeling love for her and told herself that he just wanted to be friends. It was a friendly love; that was all.
"It's nice to know I have such a good friend, Harry. Thank you."
"Don't thank me Erica. Oh, hey the first Hogsmeade trip is this Saturday," gee, was this tough. He wanted to ask, he truly did, but after Cho. Well, it was just tough. "Are you going?"
"I was thinking of going with Voula but then Chris Johnson (A/N: He's a character I created, he is a 7th year Gryffindor) asked her to go with him. I would have gone with Hermione but she's going with Ron, finally. Don't you think it took them a bit long? Anyways, I guess I'm all alone. Whom are you going with?"
"No one. I'm alone too."
"Don't you like someone?"
What to say? He did not want to lie. "Well, yes, I don't know if she's interested though. I'm not exactly lucky with girls. My date with Cho, fourth year, went so bad that I have pretty much avoided dating since. I'm terrible with girls."
"I could beg to differ. You're great with girls. You might just get nervous on the date. No biggie. You just have to be comfortable with the person you are with."
"I'm not going to ask her, maybe next time. But in the mean time, my lady, would you join me on the Hogsmeade trip?" he gave a great sweeping bow.
Erica giggled and held out her hand, "I would be honored fine sir. Now let us hurry, I need to beat you in chess quickly."
"You wish. Is that a bet Potter?"
"Sure," they raced down the corridor to the common room.
******
Ok, that was a bit of a shorter chap than I'm used to, but I had to stop there. More will be in the next chap. I have about half of it written now. Next time we are off to Hogsmeade!! I hope you at least like this chap. I don't know. anyways, I will try and update soon!!
~Esgalhothwen~