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Chapter 3
When Harry and Ginny walked into Snape's office they couldn't believe their eyes. The walls were painted red, and all the furniture was painted gold. There were very realistic Gryffindor lions on the walls, all of which roared loudly. Suddenly they heard a voice from behind them yelling, "Gryffindor Rules!" They turned around to see that the cabinet where Snape kept his potions ingredients was the culprit. It continued to yell at random intervals. It took all the self control Harry and Ginny possessed not to burst out in uproarious laughter.
"Dumbledore has decided to let your brothers," he said pointing to Ginny, "Get away with this destruction of property. If he had allowed me to report them, I would have had them sent to Azkaban as they are of age now." Snape continued, "But, luckily, you two, are being punished on my terms." Snape said with a cruel sneer. "Your job is to repaint my office, without using magic. Once you have finished that, I will give you your wands back and you can make my cabinet stop shouting. Do I make myself clear?" Harry and Ginny nodded and Snape turned and walked out the door, his cloak billowing behind him.
"We're going to be here all night!" Ginny whined.
"I know, I guess we better get started." Harry replied pointing to the cans of green and black paint in the corner. "I wish I had a camera though, this room really is the funniest thing I've ever seen." Harry added.
"It really is, I wonder how the twins managed to get in here, they're not even students anymore." Ginny said in disbelief.
"I still can't believe they only got 3 OWLS each." Harry said shaking his head, "but it really couldn't have been them, they don't hang around here. Snape just won't let go of old rivalries." Harry said picking up a brush and starting to paint. Suddenly an awkward silence filled the room. A similar conversation had occurred before, and Ginny didn't want to continue it, knowing that it would lead to Sirius, and Harry would just break down and yell. Normally she felt it was healthy for him to let it out, but she decided not to make him mad if she was going to be locked in a small room with him all night. They painted in silence for almost an hour before Harry opened his mouth again.
"So, er...where did you hear the name Zachariah?" Harry asked.
"What?" Said Ginny very taken-aback before she remembered the conversation in the Great Hall that morning.
"Hermione said you had been talking about a Zachariah in your sleep." Harry started cautiously, "And I know you said you don't know a Zachariah, and Ron may not have picked up on it, but I knew you where lying." Harry continued hesitantly, "You know him from a dream, don't you?" Harry finished. Ginny was speechless. She tried to say something, but when she opened her mouth nothing would come out. Finally, she managed to force out a response.
"Yes, I know him from a dream, the same dream as you." Ginny replied looking him squarely in the eye. Now it was Harry's turn to be dumbstruck.
When he finally managed to speak again he said, "How do you know about that?"
"I overheard you telling Ron in the common room last night." Ginny replied.
"So, Lucia is in your dream too then? And they look just like..." Harry trailed off.
"Like us." Ginny finished for him.
"How long?" Harry asked.
"Pardon?" Ginny replied.
"How long have you had this dream?" Harry said, slightly more demanding.
"Years, since before I even met you." Ginny answered. "What about you?" She ventured.
"Only about a year." Said Harry, "They started after I got serious about Occlumency and started blocking out thoughts from Voldemort."
"What happens in your dream?" Ginny said putting down her paintbrush and turning her full attention to Harry.
"Zachariah and Lucia, are er, well having a moment, they're lovers. It's like something out of a muggle romance film, which I know you wouldn't understand but it helps me understand it." Ginny nodded and made a gesture indicating that he should continue. "And well, they say they love each other, then Lucia looks over Zachariah's shoulder and this horrified look comes over her face, but I always wake up before I see what's frightened her." Harry finished. He had been staring down at his hands the whole time, and now he finally looked up at Ginny, who had been trying to look him in the eyes the whole time.
"Mine is exactly the same." Ginny stated, "Except I usually wake up before Lucia gets frightened, I only remember seeing that part once now that you mention it." Ginny yawned, it was very late and they weren't even half done.
"Look, let's get back to painting, I'm tired and I'd like to get out of here." Harry said. He was starting to act a little crabby, and Ginny didn't know if he really was just tired or if she had irritated him. She decided she didn't care either way; she just wanted to get out of detention. At two o'clock in the morning, Harry and Ginny finished painting and retrieved their wands from Snape. Harry quickly put a silencing charm on the cabinet.
"Hopefully he doesn't realize that we didn't actually stop it from yelling." Harry said.
"I don't think he will, as long as he's not hearing it, he won't notice that all we did was silence it." Ginny replied.
"I guess you're right. Come on, let's get to bed I'm exhausted." Harry said
"Me too." Ginny replied yawning. They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. They both headed up their respective stairways, but before she reached the top Ginny turned around to wish Harry goodnight.
"Goodnight, Harry." She said smiling at him
"'Night Ginny." Harry replied sleepily. Harry and Ginny went into their dormitories and collapsed on their beds, falling asleep immediately.
"GINNY GET UP!" Hermione shouted in her friend's ear.
"Ugh," Ginny groaned, "It can't be morning already!"
"Oh, but it is, and we need to go to breakfast!" Hermione retorted.
"Fine." Ginny said sleepily getting out from under the covers.
"Oh, Ginny, you slept in your uniform? That shows such a lack of organization." Hermione said.
"Look Hermy, I got back from detention after 2 AM, don't patronize me." Ginny snapped, emphasizing Hermione's dreaded nickname.
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to help. And never use that nickname again, I'd rather you just beat me up next time you're mad then do that." Hermione said in a sarcastic tone, but Ginny knew she was actually quite serious. Ginny laughed at Hermione as she grabbed her book bag and headed toward the Great Hall. When Hermione and Ginny arrived, Harry and Ron were already there. Ron was shoveling food into his mouth, and Harry would be falling asleep in his breakfast if he hadn't rested his elbows on the table so that his hands would catch his head every time he fell asleep.
"What happened last night, this one's been so tired he couldn't even tell me how late you got in." Said Ron gesturing towards Harry.
"We had to paint Snape's office, we got back after two." Ginny sighed slumping into her seat and resting her head on her arms, which were crossed on top of the table.
"Looks like they're both going to sleep through breakfast." Said Ron incredulously, wondering how anyone could get by with skipping a meal.
"I just hope they're going to be okay for class, they are awfully tired." Hermione commented.
"Class is all you ever worry about. Honestly Hermione, it won't hurt them to miss a day." Ron said, annoyed that she seemed to care about them making it to class, but not about their health.
"Well, you don't take class seriously enough, Ronald!" Hermione yelled. When Hermione called Ron, 'Ronald,' they were having a fight. That was a telltale sign.
"Why are we always arguing?" Ron asked after a long pause. Neither of them had ever said it so bluntly before, and normally Ron was the first one to let his temper flare up and argue right back, which only set Hermione off.
Hermione had never seen Ron react this way to being yelled at. She began to wonder if something was wrong with him. He was, for the first time in his life, keeping his temper under control.
"I don't know." Hermione finally responded. "It's just that we disagree about so many little things and then you have this horrible temper that always starts you yelling, which just sets me off and then..."
Ron cut her off, "I DO NOT HAVE A HORRIBLE TEMPER!"
"WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT LITTLE OUTBURST RIGHT THERE THEN?" Hermione screamed back. He was back to normal all right. She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Ron behind fuming. Ron sat there complaining about Hermione to Harry and Ginny, even though they were both asleep, until it was time to go to class. He woke up Harry and Ginny, who followed him mindlessly. They were both just so tired. This worked out fine for Harry, but Ginny was not in their year. When they arrived out by Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, Ron noticed she was still following them.
"Um, Ginny, you're in the wrong class." Ron said confusedly.
"Oh no!" Ginny shouted. "I'm meant to be in Potions, Professor Snape is going to kill me!" She turned and sprinted back towards the castle. Harry and Ron laughed as they watched her go.
"Honestly, if she's so tired she can't figure out where to go, it's not going to do her any good to be in class, she won't remember anything. Hermione really is too uptight about missing class." Said Ron.
"Well if she took notes she could go over them later and she'd learn the material just the same!" Said Hermione getting annoyed.
"Or, she could catch up on her sleep and borrow someone else's notes!" Ron snarled back at her.
"Ok, this stops right now!" Harry bellowed, stepping between Ron and Hermione and staying firmly planted there. Ron and Hermione both turned to him in surprise. He had always tried to stay out of their arguments before. This argument would probably have gotten a lot more heated, if Hagrid hadn't chosen exactly this moment to start class.
AN: I am out of town and now only have dial up internet, so chapters may not get posted for a while. Or they might I don't really know for sure. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated, flaming is not. I like the detention part of this chapter and then I think it got not so good so I may rewrite later. Or maybe later I'll decide I like it. Anyway I'm babbling so just, please review and thanks for reading!
Chapter 3
When Harry and Ginny walked into Snape's office they couldn't believe their eyes. The walls were painted red, and all the furniture was painted gold. There were very realistic Gryffindor lions on the walls, all of which roared loudly. Suddenly they heard a voice from behind them yelling, "Gryffindor Rules!" They turned around to see that the cabinet where Snape kept his potions ingredients was the culprit. It continued to yell at random intervals. It took all the self control Harry and Ginny possessed not to burst out in uproarious laughter.
"Dumbledore has decided to let your brothers," he said pointing to Ginny, "Get away with this destruction of property. If he had allowed me to report them, I would have had them sent to Azkaban as they are of age now." Snape continued, "But, luckily, you two, are being punished on my terms." Snape said with a cruel sneer. "Your job is to repaint my office, without using magic. Once you have finished that, I will give you your wands back and you can make my cabinet stop shouting. Do I make myself clear?" Harry and Ginny nodded and Snape turned and walked out the door, his cloak billowing behind him.
"We're going to be here all night!" Ginny whined.
"I know, I guess we better get started." Harry replied pointing to the cans of green and black paint in the corner. "I wish I had a camera though, this room really is the funniest thing I've ever seen." Harry added.
"It really is, I wonder how the twins managed to get in here, they're not even students anymore." Ginny said in disbelief.
"I still can't believe they only got 3 OWLS each." Harry said shaking his head, "but it really couldn't have been them, they don't hang around here. Snape just won't let go of old rivalries." Harry said picking up a brush and starting to paint. Suddenly an awkward silence filled the room. A similar conversation had occurred before, and Ginny didn't want to continue it, knowing that it would lead to Sirius, and Harry would just break down and yell. Normally she felt it was healthy for him to let it out, but she decided not to make him mad if she was going to be locked in a small room with him all night. They painted in silence for almost an hour before Harry opened his mouth again.
"So, er...where did you hear the name Zachariah?" Harry asked.
"What?" Said Ginny very taken-aback before she remembered the conversation in the Great Hall that morning.
"Hermione said you had been talking about a Zachariah in your sleep." Harry started cautiously, "And I know you said you don't know a Zachariah, and Ron may not have picked up on it, but I knew you where lying." Harry continued hesitantly, "You know him from a dream, don't you?" Harry finished. Ginny was speechless. She tried to say something, but when she opened her mouth nothing would come out. Finally, she managed to force out a response.
"Yes, I know him from a dream, the same dream as you." Ginny replied looking him squarely in the eye. Now it was Harry's turn to be dumbstruck.
When he finally managed to speak again he said, "How do you know about that?"
"I overheard you telling Ron in the common room last night." Ginny replied.
"So, Lucia is in your dream too then? And they look just like..." Harry trailed off.
"Like us." Ginny finished for him.
"How long?" Harry asked.
"Pardon?" Ginny replied.
"How long have you had this dream?" Harry said, slightly more demanding.
"Years, since before I even met you." Ginny answered. "What about you?" She ventured.
"Only about a year." Said Harry, "They started after I got serious about Occlumency and started blocking out thoughts from Voldemort."
"What happens in your dream?" Ginny said putting down her paintbrush and turning her full attention to Harry.
"Zachariah and Lucia, are er, well having a moment, they're lovers. It's like something out of a muggle romance film, which I know you wouldn't understand but it helps me understand it." Ginny nodded and made a gesture indicating that he should continue. "And well, they say they love each other, then Lucia looks over Zachariah's shoulder and this horrified look comes over her face, but I always wake up before I see what's frightened her." Harry finished. He had been staring down at his hands the whole time, and now he finally looked up at Ginny, who had been trying to look him in the eyes the whole time.
"Mine is exactly the same." Ginny stated, "Except I usually wake up before Lucia gets frightened, I only remember seeing that part once now that you mention it." Ginny yawned, it was very late and they weren't even half done.
"Look, let's get back to painting, I'm tired and I'd like to get out of here." Harry said. He was starting to act a little crabby, and Ginny didn't know if he really was just tired or if she had irritated him. She decided she didn't care either way; she just wanted to get out of detention. At two o'clock in the morning, Harry and Ginny finished painting and retrieved their wands from Snape. Harry quickly put a silencing charm on the cabinet.
"Hopefully he doesn't realize that we didn't actually stop it from yelling." Harry said.
"I don't think he will, as long as he's not hearing it, he won't notice that all we did was silence it." Ginny replied.
"I guess you're right. Come on, let's get to bed I'm exhausted." Harry said
"Me too." Ginny replied yawning. They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. They both headed up their respective stairways, but before she reached the top Ginny turned around to wish Harry goodnight.
"Goodnight, Harry." She said smiling at him
"'Night Ginny." Harry replied sleepily. Harry and Ginny went into their dormitories and collapsed on their beds, falling asleep immediately.
"GINNY GET UP!" Hermione shouted in her friend's ear.
"Ugh," Ginny groaned, "It can't be morning already!"
"Oh, but it is, and we need to go to breakfast!" Hermione retorted.
"Fine." Ginny said sleepily getting out from under the covers.
"Oh, Ginny, you slept in your uniform? That shows such a lack of organization." Hermione said.
"Look Hermy, I got back from detention after 2 AM, don't patronize me." Ginny snapped, emphasizing Hermione's dreaded nickname.
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to help. And never use that nickname again, I'd rather you just beat me up next time you're mad then do that." Hermione said in a sarcastic tone, but Ginny knew she was actually quite serious. Ginny laughed at Hermione as she grabbed her book bag and headed toward the Great Hall. When Hermione and Ginny arrived, Harry and Ron were already there. Ron was shoveling food into his mouth, and Harry would be falling asleep in his breakfast if he hadn't rested his elbows on the table so that his hands would catch his head every time he fell asleep.
"What happened last night, this one's been so tired he couldn't even tell me how late you got in." Said Ron gesturing towards Harry.
"We had to paint Snape's office, we got back after two." Ginny sighed slumping into her seat and resting her head on her arms, which were crossed on top of the table.
"Looks like they're both going to sleep through breakfast." Said Ron incredulously, wondering how anyone could get by with skipping a meal.
"I just hope they're going to be okay for class, they are awfully tired." Hermione commented.
"Class is all you ever worry about. Honestly Hermione, it won't hurt them to miss a day." Ron said, annoyed that she seemed to care about them making it to class, but not about their health.
"Well, you don't take class seriously enough, Ronald!" Hermione yelled. When Hermione called Ron, 'Ronald,' they were having a fight. That was a telltale sign.
"Why are we always arguing?" Ron asked after a long pause. Neither of them had ever said it so bluntly before, and normally Ron was the first one to let his temper flare up and argue right back, which only set Hermione off.
Hermione had never seen Ron react this way to being yelled at. She began to wonder if something was wrong with him. He was, for the first time in his life, keeping his temper under control.
"I don't know." Hermione finally responded. "It's just that we disagree about so many little things and then you have this horrible temper that always starts you yelling, which just sets me off and then..."
Ron cut her off, "I DO NOT HAVE A HORRIBLE TEMPER!"
"WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT LITTLE OUTBURST RIGHT THERE THEN?" Hermione screamed back. He was back to normal all right. She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Ron behind fuming. Ron sat there complaining about Hermione to Harry and Ginny, even though they were both asleep, until it was time to go to class. He woke up Harry and Ginny, who followed him mindlessly. They were both just so tired. This worked out fine for Harry, but Ginny was not in their year. When they arrived out by Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, Ron noticed she was still following them.
"Um, Ginny, you're in the wrong class." Ron said confusedly.
"Oh no!" Ginny shouted. "I'm meant to be in Potions, Professor Snape is going to kill me!" She turned and sprinted back towards the castle. Harry and Ron laughed as they watched her go.
"Honestly, if she's so tired she can't figure out where to go, it's not going to do her any good to be in class, she won't remember anything. Hermione really is too uptight about missing class." Said Ron.
"Well if she took notes she could go over them later and she'd learn the material just the same!" Said Hermione getting annoyed.
"Or, she could catch up on her sleep and borrow someone else's notes!" Ron snarled back at her.
"Ok, this stops right now!" Harry bellowed, stepping between Ron and Hermione and staying firmly planted there. Ron and Hermione both turned to him in surprise. He had always tried to stay out of their arguments before. This argument would probably have gotten a lot more heated, if Hagrid hadn't chosen exactly this moment to start class.
AN: I am out of town and now only have dial up internet, so chapters may not get posted for a while. Or they might I don't really know for sure. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated, flaming is not. I like the detention part of this chapter and then I think it got not so good so I may rewrite later. Or maybe later I'll decide I like it. Anyway I'm babbling so just, please review and thanks for reading!