WTF Just Happened?
By
Sugarcult Babe
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, which I don't, why the fcuk (yay for using brand names in substitue of cussing!) Would I be writing on ? Use your brains, people, I know that you have them. But then again...I've been wrong before...
Summary: SBGW-Takes place during OotP. Spoilers for all the books. If you haven't read them, you shouldn't be on this site. Lupin told her not to flirt with him. She ignored his warnings. Now look where that got her. In the bed of one Sirius Black.
Chapter Two:
Number 12
There we were. All sitting around the huge, ancient oak table, eating in a strained silence. None of us could get any information out of our parents, both of whom were barely eating.
Fred and George were muttering inaudible phrases to one another every few seconds, and Bill was there, looking quite pale. His jaw was clenched and He was currently working on chewing the broccoli he had bit into ten minutes ago.
Charlie was sitting beside Bill, the burns on his freckled arms showing off spectacularly. Earlier that day he had been laughing with Ron about how a Norwegian Ridgeback (that he curiously called 'Norbert') had given him the souvenirs when they had tried to move him to a new colony. I was apparently not in on the joke, and when I asked Ron about it he scowled at me and told me to make sure I didn't forget my diary.
I knew he was just trying to piss me off. It actually just made me even angrier that it worked. After the whole Chamber of Secrets incident I had been rather terrified, to put it lightly, and wary (try paranoid) of any and all journals.
But the previous Christmas, of my third year, Hermione had found a beautiful one bound in the skin of a Chinese Fireball. The dragon hide was red and gold, Gryffindor colors, of course, and the paper inside was charmed so that only I, and those few I allowed to read it, could see the writing.
I wrote in it nearly every day, and lately there had been a lot to fill it with. Ron had attempted to steal it on more than a few occasions, but, as there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that I wanted him to see what I wrote, his escapades to view my inner thoughts were in vain.
Several times I had allowed Hermione to read a page or two, when I didn't want to be overheard by Fred or George or some other sneaky eavesdropper. I had also let my dormmate Alyssa Bell, younger sister of Katie Bell, to read some things. But Alyssa and I had a row before the third task (mostly about whether Harry or Cedric was a better champion) and hadn't spoken since.
After we had fought I had caught her once trying to read my journal again btu, since I no longer wanted her to see any of my writings, she flipped through dozens of blank pages fruitlessly.
Lately, just in the last two days, I had filled over fifteen pages, thirty, including fronts and backs, of how Percy had refused Mum's request to come home, insulted our family, especially dad, and Harry. Then I carried on about how Mum had then proceeded to burst into tears at all the overwhelming emotions of late, and how her sobs had been interrupted by Fred and George's window shattering. Then Dad went up and vented his anger by yelling at them. And Dad hardly ever yells.
And later that night I pen into my luxurious diary how we all sat in such a tense silence that it was almost palpable, and how Mum jumped and gave a small, mouse-like squeak when a knock sounded at the door, and how tattered Professor Lupin's robes were when he came in, and how he remembered all our names, and how Mum nearly broke down again when he inquired about Percy's absence, and how-
"Ginny?"
"Huh?" was my intelligent response. Professor Lupin smiled warmly at me, his eyes twinkling.
"I was simply wondering if you would be so kind as to touch the portkey, as it is scheduled to leave in approximately-" my former professor bowed his head slightly, showing off the gray hairs sprinkled among the caramel-colored locks. He glanced up again, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. The lines that were near the outer corners of his eyes were more pronounced as he allowed a half-smile to grace his lips. "-fifteen seconds."
I stared at him a second before processing this information. I felt my cheeks grow warm, and knew I must be blushing bright pink.
"Oh. Oh, um...yeah..." I muttered, stepping forward quickly and scanning for a place to touch the battered box of muggle cereal, in which I was sure the very first ingredient was sugar.
When I couldn't find one, Professor Lupin gently pulled me by the arm towards him, and moved so I could stand in front of him. I hooked three fingers over the top of the brightly colored, slightly dirty piece of cardboard, and bent my head slightly so that my long hair fell in front of my very warm face. I cursed myself for not having gotten over that crush back in my second year...
"Ready, everyone?" Professor Lupin said. "Seven seconds."
I saw everyone mentally counting down the seconds left in their heads. I turned slightly to the werewolf standing quite close behind me, and he gave me a reassuring smile.
"Where are we going?" I asked quietly. He leaned closer to me to speak in my ear, which I was certain was glowing crimson.
"I can't tell you yet," he whispered back. He then hesitated slightly, as if deciding on whether or not to say something. "And-Er...well...Ginny?"
"Yes?"
"Don't flirt with him."
"Who?"
"Just...don't, alright?"
"But-"
Right then, however, the portkey activated, and I felt the familiar pulling behind my navel as we sped towards our unknown destination.
Finally we came to a stop on an overgrown lawn that was dry and in great need of a good weeding. I immediately fell over the second we stopped, and Professor Lupin helped me up in a very gentlemanly manner.
We all stood and stared at the large house in front of us. It was absolutely huge: a mansion with at least three stories and an attic. It was built of black brick stone, with a wrought iron fence and huge, looming gates that kept us inside the unkept front yard. There were huge shrubs, twisting into grotesque, indistinguishable shapes.
The one nearest me almost looked like a serpent, but with a fantastically out-of-proportioned head and fangs of long, thick tendrils. I stepped closer to it, hypnotized by the way the makeshift eyes, two gaping holes in the shrubbery near the top of the colossal head, almost had a glow deep down in the center.
I continued closer, unaware of the fact I was doing so, and reached out a hand to...what? Stroke the unnatural creature-shrub? To give it something? Where did that thought come from? But yes...it was right...that was it! I had to give it something! But what? My gaze (why did everything look so hazy?) Landed on my outstretched left hand. That was it...that was the answer to all my problems! Offer my own left hand as a sacrifice to the waiting mouth, to the forest-green tendrils that were covered in large red thorns, to the-
I was suddenly pulled back from the plant just as the head snapped forward, and the unusually thick sprigs that were covered in the ruby red thorns sprung to life. I was out of its reach now, and I shook my head slightly to clear it. I looked around. Professor Lupin had pulled me back (oh, why did I have to blush every time he was within a radius of five feet?), and the rest of my family had moved up the walkway to the house. I turned back to the serpent-like shrub to see it settling itself comfortably into its previous position.
"Wh-what...?" I managed to gasp out. It was like I had been in a trance. Professor Lupin gave a small smile.
"Better watch out for some things around here."
And that was all he said. He turned and made his way back up to where my family was. I gave the odd plant one last curious glance before hurrying to follow. Professor Lupin motioned for us all to go towards a large wooden, old-fashioned door that had a silver snake embedded about three-quarters of the way up. Old-fashioned was an understatement: this door looked like it was from the 1600s.
Probably was, I observed, noting the rotting wood around the ancient-looking doorhandle. There was a deformed, dead tree on the right of the door, and it stretched its bent branches over the top near the wall. My gaze followed the dry, brittle-looking limbs until they landed on the number above the door: 12.
Professor Lupin reached over and rang the doorbell on the right side of the door.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!!! (I'll update sooner if you do!)