Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews. Sorry for all delays. I've
been in a production of Noises Off, which I heartily recommend. Peace,
love and CTY!
Disclaimer: Not only do I not own the characters, I don't own my soul. I sold it for my very own puffskein.
Chapter Four - To Catch a Bookworm. . .
Narcissa Malfoy paced inside Flourish and Blotts and checked her watch. According to the intercepted owl, Potter and company should already be here. They were late by one half of an hour. She had known Remus Lupin at school; he was always punctual to a fault. What strange crisis must be keeping him?
~*~*~*~*~
"If you don't all get down here in five minutes we're leaving without you! George. . . or Fred, I can't tell you apart, but I'm not blind,. Stop trying to hex that stair. Harry, watch out! Oh god."
Harry Potter, the Boy who was Terminally Accident-Prone, had stepped right into Fred and George's jinx and was now the Boy with a Strange Assortment of Feathers and Scales. Lupin managed to fix it as Fred and George roared with laughter. "Hermione, Ginny, Ron, GET DOWN HERE! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S KEEPING YOU, BUT IF I HAVE TO COME UP AND GET YOU THERE HAD BETTER BE A CONTIGENT OF DEATH EATERS KEEPING YOU UP THERE!! Well, not literally, of course."
Hermione skittered down the stairs with a half-full knapsack. Ron followed quickly. "Hermione, what do you have all those books for, anyway?" Ron asked, bemused.
"I need something to do while you, Harry, and Ginny drool over broomsticks," she snapped tetchily. "Where is Ginny? GINNY, WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR YOU!"
"Down in a minute, I can't find my diary."
Ron blanched, "Diary, Ginny?"
"Not that one, Ron, you prat! I bought a new one. FRED AND GEORGE, DID YOU TAKE IT?"
"Nope. We thought about it but we read the first few pages and it was really dull, monotonous, dreary. . ."
"And tedious," Fred added gleefully.
Ginny poked her head round the stair, horrified, "You read my diary, and you thought it was dull!"
"And tedious," Fred added helpfully.
"Honestly, Ginny it does seem to follow a bit of a pattern. 'Dear Diary, I spent the day moping about dreaming of Harry.' I will admit, however, your poetry has improved since your first year."
"I have absolutely no poetry in my diary. You're bluffing."
"Ginny, please deal with it later. We're late enough as it is."
"Fine." Ginny hurried downstairs, making sure to hop over the jinxed step.
"Right, everyone. We'll use floo powder. Flourish and Blotts first. Everyone ready? What now Hermione?"
"I ripped my hem on the fireplace. Ron, you should do something about this little death trap here!"
"It's not a death trap, just a bit of twisted metal!"
"We'll fix it when we come back. Just use a safety pin."
~*~*~*~*~
The entire group got through ten minutes later. Narcissa watched the group enter through the door. She felt a temporary misgiving as Remus led the group to the piles of books for students. The four children got their required books. If they didn't explore the rest of the store the plan would be in vain, and the Dark Lord would not be pleased. It was strange that this plan, like so many of her master's plans depended on such minute details. Perhaps this was why so many failed. She brought her mind back to the issue at hand; the Dark Lord did not like those who questioned his plans. Then the brown haired girl led them over to the rest of the store. Just as her Master predicted, the girl couldn't resist the books. She put her weapon in its proper place and pressed herself up against the back of the bookshelf where she could not be seen.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hermione, we really ought to be going. This has to be your last row. Just take one last look and then we'll go," Lupin said. Hermione led the others a little farther up the row as he paused to take a look at Hairy Snout, Human Heart.
~*~*~*~*~
Narcissa waited till the four children had turned their backs before murmuring a quick "Portus." The weapon glowed blue. Narcissa hurried behind them.
5 seconds...
Hermione turned as she thought she saw a bit of light behind her. She scanned the shelf for a moment and saw it. "Look at this," she murmured, "Hogwarts, A History, Volume II."
4 seconds...
Lupin felt someone shove him as she ran up the row. He whipped out his wand and saw a flash of pale blonde hair. "Narcissa" he thought as he ran after her.
3 seconds...
Lupin ran behind her. In a moment he would try to curse her. Narcissa didn't care if she was caught. She had accomplished her job. Her Master would protect her. Still, she'd prefer freedom. "Too late, Remus," she whispered as she Disapparated.
2 seconds...
Lupin whirled around to the children. "Harry, watch out!"
1...
Hermione began to open the book lovingly. It was a beautiful book with a red leather cover, cream coloured parchment, and the title embossed in gold. "Just look at this." She felt a jerk behind her navel as Hogwarts, A History, Volume II pulled her forward. As she rushed through a blaze of colour and wind, she couldn't help but admit, you could call Voldemort evil, deranged, and an egomaniac, but you couldn't call him unoriginal.
Disclaimer: Not only do I not own the characters, I don't own my soul. I sold it for my very own puffskein.
Chapter Four - To Catch a Bookworm. . .
Narcissa Malfoy paced inside Flourish and Blotts and checked her watch. According to the intercepted owl, Potter and company should already be here. They were late by one half of an hour. She had known Remus Lupin at school; he was always punctual to a fault. What strange crisis must be keeping him?
~*~*~*~*~
"If you don't all get down here in five minutes we're leaving without you! George. . . or Fred, I can't tell you apart, but I'm not blind,. Stop trying to hex that stair. Harry, watch out! Oh god."
Harry Potter, the Boy who was Terminally Accident-Prone, had stepped right into Fred and George's jinx and was now the Boy with a Strange Assortment of Feathers and Scales. Lupin managed to fix it as Fred and George roared with laughter. "Hermione, Ginny, Ron, GET DOWN HERE! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S KEEPING YOU, BUT IF I HAVE TO COME UP AND GET YOU THERE HAD BETTER BE A CONTIGENT OF DEATH EATERS KEEPING YOU UP THERE!! Well, not literally, of course."
Hermione skittered down the stairs with a half-full knapsack. Ron followed quickly. "Hermione, what do you have all those books for, anyway?" Ron asked, bemused.
"I need something to do while you, Harry, and Ginny drool over broomsticks," she snapped tetchily. "Where is Ginny? GINNY, WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR YOU!"
"Down in a minute, I can't find my diary."
Ron blanched, "Diary, Ginny?"
"Not that one, Ron, you prat! I bought a new one. FRED AND GEORGE, DID YOU TAKE IT?"
"Nope. We thought about it but we read the first few pages and it was really dull, monotonous, dreary. . ."
"And tedious," Fred added gleefully.
Ginny poked her head round the stair, horrified, "You read my diary, and you thought it was dull!"
"And tedious," Fred added helpfully.
"Honestly, Ginny it does seem to follow a bit of a pattern. 'Dear Diary, I spent the day moping about dreaming of Harry.' I will admit, however, your poetry has improved since your first year."
"I have absolutely no poetry in my diary. You're bluffing."
"Ginny, please deal with it later. We're late enough as it is."
"Fine." Ginny hurried downstairs, making sure to hop over the jinxed step.
"Right, everyone. We'll use floo powder. Flourish and Blotts first. Everyone ready? What now Hermione?"
"I ripped my hem on the fireplace. Ron, you should do something about this little death trap here!"
"It's not a death trap, just a bit of twisted metal!"
"We'll fix it when we come back. Just use a safety pin."
~*~*~*~*~
The entire group got through ten minutes later. Narcissa watched the group enter through the door. She felt a temporary misgiving as Remus led the group to the piles of books for students. The four children got their required books. If they didn't explore the rest of the store the plan would be in vain, and the Dark Lord would not be pleased. It was strange that this plan, like so many of her master's plans depended on such minute details. Perhaps this was why so many failed. She brought her mind back to the issue at hand; the Dark Lord did not like those who questioned his plans. Then the brown haired girl led them over to the rest of the store. Just as her Master predicted, the girl couldn't resist the books. She put her weapon in its proper place and pressed herself up against the back of the bookshelf where she could not be seen.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hermione, we really ought to be going. This has to be your last row. Just take one last look and then we'll go," Lupin said. Hermione led the others a little farther up the row as he paused to take a look at Hairy Snout, Human Heart.
~*~*~*~*~
Narcissa waited till the four children had turned their backs before murmuring a quick "Portus." The weapon glowed blue. Narcissa hurried behind them.
5 seconds...
Hermione turned as she thought she saw a bit of light behind her. She scanned the shelf for a moment and saw it. "Look at this," she murmured, "Hogwarts, A History, Volume II."
4 seconds...
Lupin felt someone shove him as she ran up the row. He whipped out his wand and saw a flash of pale blonde hair. "Narcissa" he thought as he ran after her.
3 seconds...
Lupin ran behind her. In a moment he would try to curse her. Narcissa didn't care if she was caught. She had accomplished her job. Her Master would protect her. Still, she'd prefer freedom. "Too late, Remus," she whispered as she Disapparated.
2 seconds...
Lupin whirled around to the children. "Harry, watch out!"
1...
Hermione began to open the book lovingly. It was a beautiful book with a red leather cover, cream coloured parchment, and the title embossed in gold. "Just look at this." She felt a jerk behind her navel as Hogwarts, A History, Volume II pulled her forward. As she rushed through a blaze of colour and wind, she couldn't help but admit, you could call Voldemort evil, deranged, and an egomaniac, but you couldn't call him unoriginal.