"Someone's here." She turned in a full circle, looking around them, Draco's too-long cloak whispering on the floor. Then she paused, looking to their left. "I know you're here." She reached out and walked forward, and then she paused, her fingers touching silky fabric. She took hold of it and pulled, and there it was.
It was the monster that had been in their room. It had long scaly legs ended in bird-clawed feet. It had a round, furred body with brown fur, yellow-feathered wings that ended in something like a hand that was made of five foot-long claws, and a small head, with round red eyes and almost a beak, which was completely full of shining white razor sharp teeth.
Amelie shrieked in surprise and backed up, Draco with her. The bird-thing stalked forward, it's wings outstretched, and it's claw-like fingers clicking together.
"This is bad." Amelie whispered.
"Very." Draco agreed, glancing behind him. There was nothing but wall…no way out.
"Hey! Bird-face!" there was a shimmer down the end of the hall, and Ginny Wealsey appeared, wearing dark blue satin pyjama pants and a pale blue cotton spagetti-strap top, her red hair loose over her shoulders. At her feet lay the discarded invisibility cloak, and in her hand was her wand.
"Why didn't we think to bring our wands?" Amelie muttered out the side of her mouth.
"We were distracted." Draco replied. The bird-monster glanced at Ginny, where she stood, her hands on her hips.
"Hello? Do you even have a brain?" She demanded "I know ignorance is temporary but stupid is forever and all that, but that only applies if you have grey cells up north. So…are you even listening to me?" she demanded.
The bird-creature looked from the Head-students to Ginny and back again, as though it couldn't make up his mind.
"Rowena and Godric." The bird snarled. It stared at Ginny, "Helga."
"You know, its better to keep your mouth shut and pretend you're stupid, than to open it and remove all doubt." Ginny said knowingly, and that was it. The bird monster lurched at her, running clumsily down the hallway. Ginny stood her ground and shouted spell after spell at it until it crashed the ground at her feet, bat bogeys fluttering around its head. She shuddered, and started walking around it when it lashed out and grabbed her leg. Her wand skittered away across the floor, and Amelie and Draco ran forwards to help her. Ginny grabbed one of the long claws and twisted hard, and the monster shrieked loudly. Ginny twisted harder and pulled, and the claw came right off, dousing Ginny in a spray of purple blood. Ignoring the liquid all over her, Ginny leaned forward and stabbed the monster with its claw straight through its eye. Then it shuddered and lay still. Ginny backed off, before she started rubbing at the blood, trying to get it off.
"Oh, ew. Oh ew!" she repeated again and again.
"Ginny, be still." Draco said, picking up her wand and pointing it at her.
"Are you kidding me? Yuck!"
"No, really. Pause for a moment." Ginny paused dutifully, and Draco muttered a spell, and suddenly, the blood vanished without a trace. Ginny patted herself down, checking she was all in one piece and there wasn't any blood remaining on her. Then she sniffed her shirt.
"I smell of cologne." She complained. She pointed accusingly at Draco. "His cologne."
"And what's wrong with that?" Draco asked, insulted.
"For starters, Blaise's is much better. Secondly, I'm a fricking girl!"
"Yeah, even the monster got that right. He got us mixed up, Rowena." Amelie snickered, bowing to Draco. He glared.
"Godric." He snapped back. She shrugged.
"You really need to work on your comebacks." She said sympathetically.
"Which brings us to the question, why?" Ginny interrupted.
"Why the fuck should I know?" Draco asked, irritated.
"Yeah, everyone knows I'm the clever one." Amelie said with a beauty-queen smile.
"But far too smart to let your intelligence go to your head, of course." Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"Everyone is entitled to my opinion." Amelie said generously.
"And we all know how many of those we get." Draco muttered.
"I am not opinionated!" Amelie protested.
"Oh, really?" Draco asked, folding his arms.
"Really. I'm just always right!" Amelie returned. He groaned in annoyance.
"What. Are. You. Still. Doing. Here?" McGonagall demanded, her lips in such a thin line they were almost invisible. "And why are you out of bed, Miss Weasley?"
"We got sidetracked by that," Amelie gestured at the monster behind them, "And Ginny saved our lives."
"Oh, shit. I'm in debt to a Weasley. Kill me now." Draco muttered darkly.
"10 points from Slytherin for language, Mr Malfoy." McGonagall snapped disapprovingly. "Twenty to you, Miss Weasley, for saving their lives. But that doesn't explain why you were out here."
"I had a dream they were attacked by that." Ginny said. "I went to check on them, because I've had prophetic dreams before, and the portrait was all loony but I managed to understand it was true and they'd gone to talk to Dumbledore. I was going to wait for them, but then they came out and that attacked them."
McGonagall nodded, looking vaguely impressed.
"Uh, guys? Hermione's waking up." Amelie said. McGonagall looked at her.
"Let her have control as soon as she can take it." McGonagall instructed.
"Are you kidding me Minerva? The moment she sees that thing she's gonna scream her head off."
"How do you know?" Ginny asked curiously.
"It's her standard reaction to scary things, weird things, wrong things, and odd things." Amelie said with a shrug.
"She doesn't scream every time she sees any of those." Ginny argued.
"Oh yeah she does." Amelie retorted. "Internally. And while insanity is fun, the screaming gives me a headache."
"Amy…"McGonagall said warningly. Amelie shrugged.
"It's so totally your eardrums." She said depressingly. "Be ready to gag her." And then her eyes rolled up and closed, she stumbled, then steadied and her eyes flicked open. She caught sight of the monster and started screaming.
Draco clapped a hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened, although her screaming stopped.
"Stop screaming." Draco said softly. Hermione nodded, and he slowly drew his hand away from her mouth.
"What is going on?" She asked, her gaze flicking to the monster, her teacher, Ginny and Draco. "Last thing I remember there were trolls, and I was going into the ball. That isnt a troll." She waved her hand in the direction of the monster, then looked down. "And I'm not wearing my dress."
"It's been about four hours since you fainted." Ginny said helpfully. "And I rather doubt you've gotten any sleep at all."
"We haven't." Draco said dully.
"Why? I'm confused." Hermione looked around for someone to explain.
I'll fill you in later. Amelie said,
Have you been in control for the last four hours? Hermione demanded.
Yep. And an active four hours its been too.
Do people know?
Give me a little credit! Amelie said, annoyed. Ron's still on about the voice change, and Harry might ask what's wrong and why you're so stressy, although PMS is always a good excuse. But why they called it PMS, I don't know-
Mad cow disease was already taken
You're hilarious, did you know that? Amelie asked dryly.
Of course, but feel free to boost my ego.
Yeah, like that's necessary.
Would you like to be pot or kettle?
Pot, kettle gets full of itself too often.
And that hurt so much.
Yeah, it hurts to be on the cutting edge, doesnt it?
You would know.
"Girls, please! External conversation!" McGonagall said loudly.
Did she get a humour transplant, because I think that's like the third joke in the last four hours!
"Sorry professor." Hermione said with a little shrug.
"I suppose it would be too much to hope that Amelie was actually telling you what happened?"
"'Fraid so, professor." Hermione said apologetically. "So what has been happening?"
"We're the reincarnations of the founders." Ginny said.
"WHAT?" Everyone turned to look at her.
"Sorry, thinking aloud. But I just worked it out. That's why the monster called us Godric, Rowena and Helga respectively, and –"
"I rather doubt Mr Malfoy is the reincarnation of Godric Gryffindor." McGonagall said stuffily.
I wonder if it gets claustrophobic in that narrow mind of hers?
Oh, stop it. Although she has a point.
Well, she would, except that you're Godric, my dear little Gryffindor.
"Oh no, Draco's Rowena. Hermione or Amelie is Godric." Ginny explained blithely. McGonagall coughed, which was a rather unsubtle cover of a laugh.
"Mr Malfoy as Rowena Ravenclaw?" She asked.
"He's smart enough." Hermione pointed out.
"Should I write down that you said that and note the day and time?" Draco asked.
"Don't bother. I know you're smart, but that might be a little difficult for you." Hermione snapped back.
Incidentally, nothing happened between him and me, did it? It was kind of headed that way in the garden, but then I-
Nothing happened worth talking about. He helped me back to the common room after I flipped out about the trolls, and that's about it. Amelie lied.
Oh good. Amelie didn't reply.
"Anyway." Ginny said pointedly. "If you're okay, and you're okay, I'm going back to bed. It's like, four o'clock in the morning."
"Indeed." McGonagall said. "Off you go."
The three students headed back to their dorms, and Hermione and Draco tiredly let themselves into their rooms. Draco went straight to bed, but Hermione stared at the wreckage of her room for about five minutes.
What the hell happened here? she whispered.
The jewelery Draco gave us contains the ingredients the original three founders used to destroy Salazar. The scary monster thing Ginny killed in the hallway broke in here and was looking for it.
But it didn't find it?
No, because it was with me in Draco's room.
And why were you in Draco's room? Hermione demanded.
Because I'd noticed the jewelery did interesting things in the moonlight. I went to show him, and while I was in there the bird broke in here. I stayed in there and stayed alive. And for the record, nothing happened, apart from the fact we were holding hands so tightly all the circulation was cut off. Hermione flexed her hand, noticing the numb, bruised feeling it still had, even four hours later.
Why were you holding hands?
Uh…'cause we were scared, genius. Amelie said rolling her eyes.
So nothing happened.
No. Look, Hermione, I realise that you love him, and I can tell he loves you too. I'm just an extra in this little theatre production. If anything happens, it wont be because of me. Because he doesn't love me. Not the way he loves you, anyway. People just cant help loving me.
If love is what you want to call it.
It is. There is no need to disillusion me, Hermione, as much as you want to. After all, reality is an obstacle to hallucination.
Did it take you long to work that out? Hermione asked snippily.
Oh, shut up and get into bed with Draco.
What? Hermione sounded shocked.
Unless you're planning on sleeping in that. Amelie added with a shrug. Hermione pulled back her shredded curtains, revealing her bed which had been completely wrecked, feathers and scraps of fabric everywhere.
Good point. Hermione moved quietly back through the rather despoiled common room, and slipped into Draco's room. Again, his curtains were not drawn, not that it would have done much good anyway. He lay again in a patch of moonlight, his steel coloured eyelashes resting in two delicate fans against his ivory skin. He's so beautiful. Hermione breathed, her hand straying to her mouth.
He is. Amelie admitted.
"Hermione?" Draco opened his eyes and sat up, looking at with those piercing grey eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Um…" She was momentarily lost for words. He wasn't wearing a shirt.
Oh god.
"My room is wrecked and I was wondering if I could sleep in yours tonight." She said, struggling for composure.
"Sure." Draco threw back the covers and Hermione climbed in.
God, that's smooth.
You're being ridiculous again.
Yeah. Sure I am. Just be glad he doesn't have an alter-ego like you do. The snarky comments he just passed up on are amazing.
Did it occur to you he might just be nice? Hermione demanded.
Did it occur to you we're talking about Draco Malfoy? Amelie retorted.
Oh yeah.
"What are you two arguing about?" Hermione lay back and looked up at him, since he hadnt laid down.
"How d'you mean?" she asked, trying to sound at least half way in control of herself.
"Whenever you're arguing with her, you get a funny expression on your face."
Like you're constipated. Amelie snickered.
"Is it that noticeable?" Hermione asked, ignoring Amelie.
"Not too much. I'm just getting used to seeing it."
Because he spends most of his free time watching you.
"Well, just be glad she's not stuck in your body. I sure am."
"Why?"
"Because she'd turn you into a monster." He lay back down and turned on his side so he faced her.
"Would she now?" he teased.
"Yeah. You've seen what she's done to me. It's no ruddy wonder Harry and Ron are suspicious." Hermione shifted and out her hand up by her face, only to find Draco's hand was already there. Her gaze met his and his hand closed around hers.
"I don't know about that. You're certainly more interesting."
"Are you implying I've been boring up until now?"
"I'm implying you've been living up to the Wonder Boys' view of you until now." Draco answered with a shrug. Hermione yawned.
"Which would be?"
"The brains behind the operation, and not much else." Hermione shrugged, her eyelids drooping.
"Amelie was annoyed when she found out that was the reputation I had gotten myself." Hermione muttered. Draco chuckled.
"Good night Hermione."
"'Night Draco." And almost instantly, Hermione was asleep. Draco waited about five minutes.
"Amelie?" Hermione's eyes opened.
"Yes?" she sounded tired as well, though not as exhausted as Hermione. Which was ironic, as Hermione had spent most of the last four hours asleep.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her nothing happened. For which she was very relieved, I might add."
"Why?" he asked, curious. Amelie shrugged. "Tell, Amelie."
"She's in love." Amelie said. Draco felt his heart plummet. "With you, fuckwit." She added drowsily, although her eyes denied the fatigue her voice expressed.
"You're being ridiculous."
"That's what everyone keeps telling me. There might be some truth in it." Amelie closed her eyes, though Draco could tell she was still awake.
"Who keeps calling you ridiculous?" he asked.
"Hermione."
"Why?"
"Is this twenty questions?" Amelie asked.
"Sorry."
"I keep telling her you're in love with her. She doesn't believe me." Amelie opened her eyes, and saw Draco staring at her icily.
"You told her that?"
"Why not? I told you she loves you."
"I cant believe you told her that."
"Okay." Amelie closed her eyes again, and curled up, her knees touching Draco's legs.
"Amelie?"
She was asleep.
&
