That works.Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah, you
get the idea. But if you don't know characters, creatures, or big plot
ideas from the books, the movies, or common Harry Potter grapevines, they
are ours and please do not touch.
I'm writing this story with krenyaalenak.
Beth looked up from her book; Madam Pomfrey had paused in the middle of Oliver's check-up.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Beth said quietly.
The nurse smiled. "I think he's going to wake up today."
Beth sighed in relief. "Great, and about time."
"Yes, that's true. Quidditch is too dangerous . . ." Madam Pomfrey continued muttering about the hazards of common student hobbies as she finished the check-up and left to check on another student, who had only arrived that morning with bat wings in place of his ears.
Beth put down her book. "Jusea will probably want to be here. Ah'll be right back," she said to the prone Oliver. She left the Infirmary. "Let's see, she said she had to do some research in the library today." Beth looked both ways. "We'll try left."
Two hallways later, she ran into Fred...or was it George? "Oh, hi, Beth. Haven't seen you out of the Infirmary." He grinned.
"Yes, Ah know. Can ye tell me where the library is?"
"Why? Did you find someone to study?"
"Uh, no."
"Well, then, you don't need to know."
"Yes, Ah do, and if ye help me, it won't take me all morning, and Ah'll be back in time to see Oliver wake up."
He smiled. "Oliver's up this morning, is he, now? That's very good for us."
"He's not awake yet, but he should be today. And why is it such good news for ye? So ye can practice more?"
"No."
Beth raised an eyebrow. "Where's the library?" she repeated. The red- headed boy gave her directions, and she nodded. "Thank ye."
"See you in the Infirmary!" He ran off.
Beth looked after him. "What on earth? Oh, yeah, he is on Oliver's team. All right, go right down here...."
Beth finally made it to the library. She looked at the large room filled with its numerous bookshelves skeptically. But no fear, there was Jusea, taking notes from a book. Beth went over and tapped her on the shoulder, and the brown-haired girl looked up. "Oh. Hi, Beth. No offense, but what are you doing here?"
"Oliver's supposed to wake up this morning," Beth said quietly.
Jusea started packing her things. "Why didn't you say so?"
"Uh, Ah did?"
"Yeah, but, um-Let's go."
The two girls made good time to the Infirmary, but they entered to find an unusually full room. A group of six people was gathered around Oliver's cot, Fred and George's bright red hair visible above the dark-haired boy and the three girls. The group turned towards Jusea and Beth. The four unknown students looked questioningly at Beth and Jusea, but said nothing. One of the twins spoke up. "About time you got here."
Beth grinned and shrugged, and she and Jusea went to stand near the top of the bed.
There were minutes of almost complete silence, broken only by the fluttering of bat wings, Fred's and George's whispered jokes, and one the black girl's scolding. Then Oliver stirred and opened his eyes. "Did we win?"
The chastising black girl spoke up. "Yes, we did."
"By how much?"
The other black girl answered. "120 points."
Oliver proceeded to question them on every aspect of the game, while Beth and Jusea waited quietly. Finally Oliver stopped speaking; then his eyes rested on Beth. "Does everyone know ye're a Squib?"
Beth's mouth dropped open, and the team looked at her.
Oliver saw Jusea. "Ah'm going to kill Flint. Can Ah kiss ye?" His eyes rolled back, and he fell asleep. Now everyone was looking at Jusea; she started going pale.
One of the twins reached forward and poked Oliver with their wand.
"Fred, be nice. He's probably still tired."
"Oh, cool it, Angelina, he's been sleeping for three weeks. Ennervate."
Oliver opened his eyes. "Did we win?"
Angelina looked questioningly first at her teammates and then towards Oliver. "Yes, we did." She whispered to Fred, "What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "By how much?" he asked.
The other black girl spoke up. "120 points."
Oliver proceeded to ask all the same questions again. Finally George pointed over and said, "Look who's come to see you."
Oliver saw Beth, who simply waited. "Uh, hi," Oliver said.
"Does everyone know Ah'm a squib? Aye."
"Who told?"
"Ye did."
"No, Ah didn't."
"Yes, ye did. It was five minutes ago."
"Ah would've remembered doing something like that, and Ah didn't."
Beth laughed dryly. "Ye did, trust me."
Oliver looked at his team, who seemed less than willing to participate, except for Fred and George, who watched with big grins. "Did Ah?" Oliver asked. They all nodded. "Oh. Sorry."
She shrugged. "It's all right. Three of them already knew."
"Who-"
One of the twins spoke up. "Look who else is here."
Oliver looked at Jusea. "Um.hi."
Jusea gave a weak smile. "Hi. How are you doing?"
"All right. Although a lot of Quidditch practice time has passed."
"Well, I'm sure you can make it up. Not that you need lots of practice. I mean, look, you still won."
"Yes, but to get the cup we need to be able to destroy Slytherin..."
And Oliver was off on Quidditch, as usual, but his gaze remained fixed on Jusea. Beth looked from one to the other, and she turned to the rest of the team. "Ah think we should give them some alone time."
The rest nodded and slowly walked out the door.
-----
It was about fifteen minutes later before Oliver and Jusea realized that they were alone. There was an awkward silence. Then Jusea spoke. "Oh, I have to go...finish my paper. So, I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later."
"Right. Bye."
"Bye."
She walked towards the door and then turned around. "Bye."
"Bye."
She nodded, smiled, and left.
-----
The team headed back towards the Common Room, but they'd only gotten as far as the first corner when the twins looked back. "Hey, Beth, why don't you come with us?"
"Yeah, you can see our Common Room."
Beth smiled. "Okay." She quickly caught up with them and they continued down the hallway.
One of the twins cleared his throat. "This is Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Harry. Guys, this is Beth."
"Pleased to meet you."
Harry spoke up. "I have to go meet Ron and Hermione at the library."
"Yeah, you don't want them studying alone." The twins laughed. Harry just looked at them and left.
When they got to the Common Room, the twins left Beth with the girls and joined Lee in the corner by the fireplace. "We've got a girl!"
Beth looked up from her book; Madam Pomfrey had paused in the middle of Oliver's check-up.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Beth said quietly.
The nurse smiled. "I think he's going to wake up today."
Beth sighed in relief. "Great, and about time."
"Yes, that's true. Quidditch is too dangerous . . ." Madam Pomfrey continued muttering about the hazards of common student hobbies as she finished the check-up and left to check on another student, who had only arrived that morning with bat wings in place of his ears.
Beth put down her book. "Jusea will probably want to be here. Ah'll be right back," she said to the prone Oliver. She left the Infirmary. "Let's see, she said she had to do some research in the library today." Beth looked both ways. "We'll try left."
Two hallways later, she ran into Fred...or was it George? "Oh, hi, Beth. Haven't seen you out of the Infirmary." He grinned.
"Yes, Ah know. Can ye tell me where the library is?"
"Why? Did you find someone to study?"
"Uh, no."
"Well, then, you don't need to know."
"Yes, Ah do, and if ye help me, it won't take me all morning, and Ah'll be back in time to see Oliver wake up."
He smiled. "Oliver's up this morning, is he, now? That's very good for us."
"He's not awake yet, but he should be today. And why is it such good news for ye? So ye can practice more?"
"No."
Beth raised an eyebrow. "Where's the library?" she repeated. The red- headed boy gave her directions, and she nodded. "Thank ye."
"See you in the Infirmary!" He ran off.
Beth looked after him. "What on earth? Oh, yeah, he is on Oliver's team. All right, go right down here...."
Beth finally made it to the library. She looked at the large room filled with its numerous bookshelves skeptically. But no fear, there was Jusea, taking notes from a book. Beth went over and tapped her on the shoulder, and the brown-haired girl looked up. "Oh. Hi, Beth. No offense, but what are you doing here?"
"Oliver's supposed to wake up this morning," Beth said quietly.
Jusea started packing her things. "Why didn't you say so?"
"Uh, Ah did?"
"Yeah, but, um-Let's go."
The two girls made good time to the Infirmary, but they entered to find an unusually full room. A group of six people was gathered around Oliver's cot, Fred and George's bright red hair visible above the dark-haired boy and the three girls. The group turned towards Jusea and Beth. The four unknown students looked questioningly at Beth and Jusea, but said nothing. One of the twins spoke up. "About time you got here."
Beth grinned and shrugged, and she and Jusea went to stand near the top of the bed.
There were minutes of almost complete silence, broken only by the fluttering of bat wings, Fred's and George's whispered jokes, and one the black girl's scolding. Then Oliver stirred and opened his eyes. "Did we win?"
The chastising black girl spoke up. "Yes, we did."
"By how much?"
The other black girl answered. "120 points."
Oliver proceeded to question them on every aspect of the game, while Beth and Jusea waited quietly. Finally Oliver stopped speaking; then his eyes rested on Beth. "Does everyone know ye're a Squib?"
Beth's mouth dropped open, and the team looked at her.
Oliver saw Jusea. "Ah'm going to kill Flint. Can Ah kiss ye?" His eyes rolled back, and he fell asleep. Now everyone was looking at Jusea; she started going pale.
One of the twins reached forward and poked Oliver with their wand.
"Fred, be nice. He's probably still tired."
"Oh, cool it, Angelina, he's been sleeping for three weeks. Ennervate."
Oliver opened his eyes. "Did we win?"
Angelina looked questioningly first at her teammates and then towards Oliver. "Yes, we did." She whispered to Fred, "What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "By how much?" he asked.
The other black girl spoke up. "120 points."
Oliver proceeded to ask all the same questions again. Finally George pointed over and said, "Look who's come to see you."
Oliver saw Beth, who simply waited. "Uh, hi," Oliver said.
"Does everyone know Ah'm a squib? Aye."
"Who told?"
"Ye did."
"No, Ah didn't."
"Yes, ye did. It was five minutes ago."
"Ah would've remembered doing something like that, and Ah didn't."
Beth laughed dryly. "Ye did, trust me."
Oliver looked at his team, who seemed less than willing to participate, except for Fred and George, who watched with big grins. "Did Ah?" Oliver asked. They all nodded. "Oh. Sorry."
She shrugged. "It's all right. Three of them already knew."
"Who-"
One of the twins spoke up. "Look who else is here."
Oliver looked at Jusea. "Um.hi."
Jusea gave a weak smile. "Hi. How are you doing?"
"All right. Although a lot of Quidditch practice time has passed."
"Well, I'm sure you can make it up. Not that you need lots of practice. I mean, look, you still won."
"Yes, but to get the cup we need to be able to destroy Slytherin..."
And Oliver was off on Quidditch, as usual, but his gaze remained fixed on Jusea. Beth looked from one to the other, and she turned to the rest of the team. "Ah think we should give them some alone time."
The rest nodded and slowly walked out the door.
-----
It was about fifteen minutes later before Oliver and Jusea realized that they were alone. There was an awkward silence. Then Jusea spoke. "Oh, I have to go...finish my paper. So, I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later."
"Right. Bye."
"Bye."
She walked towards the door and then turned around. "Bye."
"Bye."
She nodded, smiled, and left.
-----
The team headed back towards the Common Room, but they'd only gotten as far as the first corner when the twins looked back. "Hey, Beth, why don't you come with us?"
"Yeah, you can see our Common Room."
Beth smiled. "Okay." She quickly caught up with them and they continued down the hallway.
One of the twins cleared his throat. "This is Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Harry. Guys, this is Beth."
"Pleased to meet you."
Harry spoke up. "I have to go meet Ron and Hermione at the library."
"Yeah, you don't want them studying alone." The twins laughed. Harry just looked at them and left.
When they got to the Common Room, the twins left Beth with the girls and joined Lee in the corner by the fireplace. "We've got a girl!"