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.
Author's Note: No, we don't know if that's the right time for Orion. If anyone does know, please tell us.
Chapter 11
How to Prevent Kissing
Marcus smiled. Everything was perfect. They had just left the Weird Sisters concert, and Jusea had suggested a walk outside of Hogsmeade. Then it had been easy enough to suggest that they sit and look at the stars. And now there he was, Jusea at his side.
"They really are beautiful, aren't they?" Jusea said.
Marcus nodded, glancing at her. "Yeah."
"Oh, look, there's Orion."
"Where?"
"Right there. See?" Jusea pointed, and Marcus leaned to look where she was pointing. "See the belt? Those three stars right there."
"Oh, yeah, I see it now."
Jusea dropped her arm, but Marcus only partly straightened up. He looked at her, and she turned to meet his gaze. He started to lean forward.
Two paws landed hard against his side, and he sprawled on the ground. "What a cute dog! Oh, Marcus, are you all right?" Jusea leaned over to help him up, and he smiled. As he sat up, his eyes fell on a dark German Shepherd.
It looked straight at him; he glared back. "You are a cute dog, aren't you?" Jusea scratched the dog's ears, and it wagged its tail. "You just wanted to play with Marcus, didn't you?"
The dog looked at Marcus again, and he shivered. 'Get a grip, Flint. It's just a dumb dog.' He forced a smile. "Yeah, sure."
"We should probably head back."
"Yeah, I guess so."
It was far too soon when they entered the Hogwarts castle. Jusea turned to Marcus. "Well, thanks. I had a lot of fun."
"Me, too."
"It's too bad everyone else couldn't make it."
He shrugged. "They'll get a chance."
Jusea nodded, and Marcus breathed deeply. He leaned forward.
Two paws hit him. He stumbled back against the stair banister, and he looked down. The German Shepherd was standing next to Jusea, who was scratching its ears again. It looked at Marcus. He snorted.
"Oh, you're just feeling lonely, aren't you?" Jusea said. The dog looked up at her, its tail wagging. "Maybe it came to play with you, Marcus."
"Great."
"Well, I'd better go. I'm pretty tired. But thanks."
"No problem."
"See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Night."
"Night."
Jusea vanished up the staircase, and Marcus turned to the German Shepherd.
"Dumb mutt." He ran towards it. The dog whirled and raced out the main door. Marcus followed it down the stairs and across the lawn, past the lake. It darted into the woods. Marcus followed.
-----
Beth sat down next to Oliver and sighed. "So what were ye doing?" he asked.
"Following them."
"What happened?"
"Well, they went to the concert, then walked on the hills. Then Flint suggested that they look at the stars, so they sat down. Then...they came back. And they said good night."
"Wait. What was the 'then...they came back'? They kissed, didn't they?"
Beth smiled, her teeth showing. "No."
"Not at all?"
"Nope."
"He didn't try anything? Are ye sure ye were following the right people?"
"Ah didn't say he didn't try anything. They just didn't kiss."
"What'd he do?"
"He leaned. And Ah jumped on him. Both times. It was very amusing."
"What happened?"
"He fell."
"Where?"
Beth sighed. "On the ground?"
"That's it?"
"Well, what do ye expect me to do? Worry him to death?"
"Yes."
"Oliver, Ah can't kill him."
"Why not?"
Beth rubbed her temples. "All right, he didn't get to do anything. Ah did my part, and Jusea didn't even try anything. She was actually very easily distracted."
"Are you saying she's a ditz?"
"No. Ah'm saying she likes dogs. She's very nice."
"So if you weren't there, she would have kissed him. I knew it."
"Oliv-"
"Quickly. Go get the Chasers."
"Don't ye even want to know what Ah did to him?"
"Ah thought ye did nothing."
Beth raised her eyebrows.
"Except jump on him."
"Oh, no. Ah did something."
"Tell me!"
"Calm down. Well, after Jusea left, he tried to catch me, so Ah led him straight outside and into a briar patch."
Oliver laughed. "Good job. Go get the Chasers."
"She didn't kiss him."
"But she would have."
"Oli-"
He pointed at the stairs. "Go get the Chasers."
"Fine." Beth marched upstairs and into the girls' room. She flung back their bed curtains. "Good morning."
"Go 'way," Alicia muttered.
"Oliver wants to talk to you."
"We don't wanna talk 'bout Quidditch right now," Katie said.
"Fine." Beth went back downstairs. "Oliver, they're too tired. Can't this wait?"
"No. This is important. These guys came down here right away."
Beth looked at the twins and Harry, all tousle-haired and bleary-eyed. "Do they even realize where they are?"
"Of course they do. Go get them now."
"They said no. They need their sleep, as do ye all."
"Fine. If ye won't, Ah'll have someone else."
Beth glared at Oliver, then at the twins. "Fine. Ah'll try again." She went back up. "Rise and shine. Your captain calls."
"Shut up," Katie said.
"Are ye sure?"
"Yes."
Beth threw her hands up. "All right." Back downstairs. "They're sleeping."
"Ah don't care. Fred, George, fetch."
Fred and George amazingly were suddenly wide awake. Beth got between them and the stairs. "Oliver, this can wait."
"No it can't. Go get them."
Fred and George looked at Beth, who stared back defiantly. Fred picked her up and dropped her into a chair. "Hey!" Beth struggled up out of the deep armchair. Fred and George had already vanished up the stairs. Beth charged up after them. She entered the girls' room to find the twins shaking Katie and Alicia.
"Go away!"
"You're not supposed to be here anyways."
Fred went to Angelina. "Come on, wake up," he said, shaking her shoulder.
She rolled over, her hand smacking his nose, and she settled into a deeper sleep. "Ow!" Fred held his nose. "Angelina, that was mean."
No response came.
"Fine." Fred dragged her out from under the covers and hoisted her over his shoulder. "I've got Angelina. You guys want her back, you've got to come downstairs."
Beth closed the door and put her back against it. The lock clicked behind her. "Put Angelina down."
Fred sighed. "Don't make us humiliate you."
Beth narrowed her eyes. Fred and George drew their wands. "Move," George said.
"Put her down."
"Now if I did, she'd fall down on the ground."
"But if you want her to get a headache, he can."
Beth snorted. "It's not worth it," Alicia said.
"We can't let them win," Beth said.
"Really, we'll come down. Oliver won't give up," Katie said. She lurched to her feet.
"Yeah, well, Ah'm as stubborn as he is."
"These two are worse," Alicia said.
George jerked Beth away from the door. Before she could do anything, Fred had tried the door, unlocked it, and gotten away with Angelina. George smiled and followed, and the last two girls trooped out after them. Beth sighed and followed.
"Ye're here. Good, good. Sit."
Fred deposited Angelina on the couch and sat next to her, George next to him. Alicia and Katie claimed the other couch. Harry was still in a chair and blinking owlishly from behind his glasses. Beth sat in another chair and drew up her feet.
"Now, we're playing against Ravenclaw next. Here's what we'll have to do to win...."
As Oliver talked on and on, Beth's eyelids drooped.
"Hey, aren't you paying attention?!" Oliver glared at the team. Beth blinked, sighed, and curled up in the chair. They could listen; she was going to sleep. Oliver continued with his game plan.
-----
Oliver smiled. "So, do we all understand?"
They just stared at him or the carpet. "Harry?" he snapped.
"Oh, uh, yeah, I understood it," Harry said.
"Alicia?"
"Every word."
"Good."
"What you say?" Angelina mumbled, trying to sit up from Fred's shoulder.
Oliver could feel his temples pounding. "Weren't-you-listening?" he grated.
"No."
Oliver clenched his fists. "No, she means she was," Fred said.
"You said, 'Weren't you listening,' which means, 'Were you not listening?'"
George added.
"So she meant that she was not not listening."
"So she was listening."
"Wh-"
Fred clapped a hand over Angelina's mouth. "She's in awe of your plan."
George nodded. "It was brilliant."
Oliver smiled. "Good. Now get some sleep. Ye need your rest."
The team just stared at him. Slowly they rose and moved off.
Oliver nodded to himself. Now if only they could practice...
Beth stirred and yawned. She looked around. "Are ye done?"
"Yes. Wait, do ye think Ah should have said more?"
Beth smiled. "Ah'm sure ye did fine."
"Maybe we should get them again."
"No. Ah mean, they need rest. Ye need rest. Okay?"
"Oh, Ah'm fine."
Beth walked over to Oliver and put her hands on his shoulders. "Go to bed.
Now."
"But-" Oliver stifled a yawn. "Ah'm not tired."
"Mm-hmm. Really? Right, go to bed. March."
"Yes'm." He stumbled up to bed.
I'm writing this story with krenyaalenak.
Author's Note: No, we don't know if that's the right time for Orion. If anyone does know, please tell us.
Chapter 11
How to Prevent Kissing
Marcus smiled. Everything was perfect. They had just left the Weird Sisters concert, and Jusea had suggested a walk outside of Hogsmeade. Then it had been easy enough to suggest that they sit and look at the stars. And now there he was, Jusea at his side.
"They really are beautiful, aren't they?" Jusea said.
Marcus nodded, glancing at her. "Yeah."
"Oh, look, there's Orion."
"Where?"
"Right there. See?" Jusea pointed, and Marcus leaned to look where she was pointing. "See the belt? Those three stars right there."
"Oh, yeah, I see it now."
Jusea dropped her arm, but Marcus only partly straightened up. He looked at her, and she turned to meet his gaze. He started to lean forward.
Two paws landed hard against his side, and he sprawled on the ground. "What a cute dog! Oh, Marcus, are you all right?" Jusea leaned over to help him up, and he smiled. As he sat up, his eyes fell on a dark German Shepherd.
It looked straight at him; he glared back. "You are a cute dog, aren't you?" Jusea scratched the dog's ears, and it wagged its tail. "You just wanted to play with Marcus, didn't you?"
The dog looked at Marcus again, and he shivered. 'Get a grip, Flint. It's just a dumb dog.' He forced a smile. "Yeah, sure."
"We should probably head back."
"Yeah, I guess so."
It was far too soon when they entered the Hogwarts castle. Jusea turned to Marcus. "Well, thanks. I had a lot of fun."
"Me, too."
"It's too bad everyone else couldn't make it."
He shrugged. "They'll get a chance."
Jusea nodded, and Marcus breathed deeply. He leaned forward.
Two paws hit him. He stumbled back against the stair banister, and he looked down. The German Shepherd was standing next to Jusea, who was scratching its ears again. It looked at Marcus. He snorted.
"Oh, you're just feeling lonely, aren't you?" Jusea said. The dog looked up at her, its tail wagging. "Maybe it came to play with you, Marcus."
"Great."
"Well, I'd better go. I'm pretty tired. But thanks."
"No problem."
"See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"Night."
"Night."
Jusea vanished up the staircase, and Marcus turned to the German Shepherd.
"Dumb mutt." He ran towards it. The dog whirled and raced out the main door. Marcus followed it down the stairs and across the lawn, past the lake. It darted into the woods. Marcus followed.
-----
Beth sat down next to Oliver and sighed. "So what were ye doing?" he asked.
"Following them."
"What happened?"
"Well, they went to the concert, then walked on the hills. Then Flint suggested that they look at the stars, so they sat down. Then...they came back. And they said good night."
"Wait. What was the 'then...they came back'? They kissed, didn't they?"
Beth smiled, her teeth showing. "No."
"Not at all?"
"Nope."
"He didn't try anything? Are ye sure ye were following the right people?"
"Ah didn't say he didn't try anything. They just didn't kiss."
"What'd he do?"
"He leaned. And Ah jumped on him. Both times. It was very amusing."
"What happened?"
"He fell."
"Where?"
Beth sighed. "On the ground?"
"That's it?"
"Well, what do ye expect me to do? Worry him to death?"
"Yes."
"Oliver, Ah can't kill him."
"Why not?"
Beth rubbed her temples. "All right, he didn't get to do anything. Ah did my part, and Jusea didn't even try anything. She was actually very easily distracted."
"Are you saying she's a ditz?"
"No. Ah'm saying she likes dogs. She's very nice."
"So if you weren't there, she would have kissed him. I knew it."
"Oliv-"
"Quickly. Go get the Chasers."
"Don't ye even want to know what Ah did to him?"
"Ah thought ye did nothing."
Beth raised her eyebrows.
"Except jump on him."
"Oh, no. Ah did something."
"Tell me!"
"Calm down. Well, after Jusea left, he tried to catch me, so Ah led him straight outside and into a briar patch."
Oliver laughed. "Good job. Go get the Chasers."
"She didn't kiss him."
"But she would have."
"Oli-"
He pointed at the stairs. "Go get the Chasers."
"Fine." Beth marched upstairs and into the girls' room. She flung back their bed curtains. "Good morning."
"Go 'way," Alicia muttered.
"Oliver wants to talk to you."
"We don't wanna talk 'bout Quidditch right now," Katie said.
"Fine." Beth went back downstairs. "Oliver, they're too tired. Can't this wait?"
"No. This is important. These guys came down here right away."
Beth looked at the twins and Harry, all tousle-haired and bleary-eyed. "Do they even realize where they are?"
"Of course they do. Go get them now."
"They said no. They need their sleep, as do ye all."
"Fine. If ye won't, Ah'll have someone else."
Beth glared at Oliver, then at the twins. "Fine. Ah'll try again." She went back up. "Rise and shine. Your captain calls."
"Shut up," Katie said.
"Are ye sure?"
"Yes."
Beth threw her hands up. "All right." Back downstairs. "They're sleeping."
"Ah don't care. Fred, George, fetch."
Fred and George amazingly were suddenly wide awake. Beth got between them and the stairs. "Oliver, this can wait."
"No it can't. Go get them."
Fred and George looked at Beth, who stared back defiantly. Fred picked her up and dropped her into a chair. "Hey!" Beth struggled up out of the deep armchair. Fred and George had already vanished up the stairs. Beth charged up after them. She entered the girls' room to find the twins shaking Katie and Alicia.
"Go away!"
"You're not supposed to be here anyways."
Fred went to Angelina. "Come on, wake up," he said, shaking her shoulder.
She rolled over, her hand smacking his nose, and she settled into a deeper sleep. "Ow!" Fred held his nose. "Angelina, that was mean."
No response came.
"Fine." Fred dragged her out from under the covers and hoisted her over his shoulder. "I've got Angelina. You guys want her back, you've got to come downstairs."
Beth closed the door and put her back against it. The lock clicked behind her. "Put Angelina down."
Fred sighed. "Don't make us humiliate you."
Beth narrowed her eyes. Fred and George drew their wands. "Move," George said.
"Put her down."
"Now if I did, she'd fall down on the ground."
"But if you want her to get a headache, he can."
Beth snorted. "It's not worth it," Alicia said.
"We can't let them win," Beth said.
"Really, we'll come down. Oliver won't give up," Katie said. She lurched to her feet.
"Yeah, well, Ah'm as stubborn as he is."
"These two are worse," Alicia said.
George jerked Beth away from the door. Before she could do anything, Fred had tried the door, unlocked it, and gotten away with Angelina. George smiled and followed, and the last two girls trooped out after them. Beth sighed and followed.
"Ye're here. Good, good. Sit."
Fred deposited Angelina on the couch and sat next to her, George next to him. Alicia and Katie claimed the other couch. Harry was still in a chair and blinking owlishly from behind his glasses. Beth sat in another chair and drew up her feet.
"Now, we're playing against Ravenclaw next. Here's what we'll have to do to win...."
As Oliver talked on and on, Beth's eyelids drooped.
"Hey, aren't you paying attention?!" Oliver glared at the team. Beth blinked, sighed, and curled up in the chair. They could listen; she was going to sleep. Oliver continued with his game plan.
-----
Oliver smiled. "So, do we all understand?"
They just stared at him or the carpet. "Harry?" he snapped.
"Oh, uh, yeah, I understood it," Harry said.
"Alicia?"
"Every word."
"Good."
"What you say?" Angelina mumbled, trying to sit up from Fred's shoulder.
Oliver could feel his temples pounding. "Weren't-you-listening?" he grated.
"No."
Oliver clenched his fists. "No, she means she was," Fred said.
"You said, 'Weren't you listening,' which means, 'Were you not listening?'"
George added.
"So she meant that she was not not listening."
"So she was listening."
"Wh-"
Fred clapped a hand over Angelina's mouth. "She's in awe of your plan."
George nodded. "It was brilliant."
Oliver smiled. "Good. Now get some sleep. Ye need your rest."
The team just stared at him. Slowly they rose and moved off.
Oliver nodded to himself. Now if only they could practice...
Beth stirred and yawned. She looked around. "Are ye done?"
"Yes. Wait, do ye think Ah should have said more?"
Beth smiled. "Ah'm sure ye did fine."
"Maybe we should get them again."
"No. Ah mean, they need rest. Ye need rest. Okay?"
"Oh, Ah'm fine."
Beth walked over to Oliver and put her hands on his shoulders. "Go to bed.
Now."
"But-" Oliver stifled a yawn. "Ah'm not tired."
"Mm-hmm. Really? Right, go to bed. March."
"Yes'm." He stumbled up to bed.