Author's Note: I'm afraid I took too long again… but school's back (I admit it), I've been busy… and running out of inspiration. But now I'll skip the author's note and write on my story instead.
Pussin Boots – War of the Buttons? Never heard of it, hm…
Chapter 21 – Sibling Squabble
Classes.
The thought just came over me when silence had fell between Ginny and me, later during breakfast.
What about classes?
"What about classes?" I asked Ginny.
"Well…" her voice died away. "Exams are cancelled."
"But our OWLs?!" I asked.
"I'm not sure. There aren't any classes right now anyway, and I mean… there's just two weeks left to when the exams should be. They can't have us do our OWLs if we haven't had classes during the weeks before the exams, can they?"
"Maybe they'll let us do them next year. You know, in the beginning of the year", I suggested.
"Yeah. Although I'd rather get it over with now."
"Me too."
"Oh – I can't believe I forgot to ask you, I feel so mean – how's Ron doing?"
"I think he's okay. He'll probably get out of the Hospital wing in a little while."
"I am a bad sister! My brother is in the infirmary and I forgot to ask how he's doing!"
"No, Ginny, I think you're a wonderful sister – I wouldn't know, though, but I think…" I trailed off. "Don't get upset, okay? I don't think I can deal with that right now."
"Oh – I'm so sorry, your head, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to…"
Ginny, please. Shut up!
But I wouldn't say that. Guess I'm not brave enough.
"It's okay", I said but rose from the table.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Oh, just out for a walk on the grounds, I need some fresh air."
"We're not allowed outside the castle", she informed me.
"What?!"
Did they lock us in the castle now too?
"There are still Death Eaters lurking around. There were people from the Ministry here, they have put on extra security spells for the castle but apparently doing the same thing for the grounds would take loads of time, time which they haven't got. So, for the moment, we are supposed to stay inside."
"Oh. Um… I guess I'll just take a walk…. inside the castle, then", said I and headed towards the exit.
I really think that girl is just so nice and sweet and everything, but she tend to be just… too much sometimes. I just mean I like having some time away from her when I'm not feeling at top.
I had just reached the exit when I was stopped.
"Hey Tamara, could I talk to you for a minute?"
I looked up. It's fascinating how easy you can just forget about people that in some way are actually close to you. Maybe it just was the concussion, but how come I hadn't thought about Draco for one second since… I don't know when. A week ago.
"Hi, Draco", said I simply.
"So come and join me for breakfast."
"I've already eaten."
"You don't have to eat."
I hate it when he does that. Acts like he can boss over me whenever, wherever and in any way.
"Where are your friends?" I asked suspiciously.
"Why do you care?"
"Um… I like staying away from them, that's all."
"They're not here", he said shortly. I could tell he was losing his patience, and I don't really like it when he does that and lashes out on for example me. "Are you coming or not?"
"At the Slytherin table you mean?"
"No, Hufflepuff", he said sarcastically. "Look I know you had a head injury or whatever and you might be thinking a little more slowly than average but this is ridiculous."
"Oh shut up and I'll come with you."
"Good!"
So I sat down with Draco at the Slytherin table. I couldn't really believe he was brave enough to bring a Gryffindor – that's what I was, although I might be his sister – to the Slytherin table, but obviously he was.
"So how are you doing?" he asked while filling his plate with bacon and eggs.
"I'm doing okay. How are you?"
He looked at me like I had said something totally weird. But what's weird with asking how one's brother is?"
"I'm good! Good", he repeated.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Why? Can't I just want to check upon you? Don't think I'd care about how you're doing?"
"Um… not so much that you'd bring me to the Slytherin table to join you for breakfast. I mean, we got through he 'how are you doing'-bit quite fast."
Silence.
Quite interesting, actually. Silence was fairly unusual when I talked to Draco.
"I'll say this once, and only once-" he started.
"-so listen carefully. Cut the crap."
"Oh shut up", he snorted. "Like a good brother, I tried giving you a word of advice, but of course, you can't listen to anything I say."
"So what's your advice?" I asked although I honestly didn't really care. Like we all know, I had never done anything like he wanted.
"I think you should be careful."
"What do you mean?"
"It's bad enough you're in Gryffindor! Then, you start hanging around with Scar-head & Co. And then you send your own father to Azkaban."
"I thought we were over with that."
"But oh no, that's not enough of course. You have a fight with a teacher, you sneak around the school and almost get killed by Death Eaters."
"So what's the point?"
"The point is", he said slowly, "that you need to be careful. Watch yourself. Don't try to be a hero, it doesn't suit you. But obviously I can see why you are in Gryffindor."
"Look, dear brother", I said while trying to stay calm. "I'm not like you. There's a reason that I am in Gryffindor while you're not. And you know what?" I spat, my voice rising. Several heads turned around to watch us, but at this moment I didn't care. "You can't boss over me either! You haven't got any kind of power over me, I-"
"Oh no? Who stopped mother from throwing you out last year, huh?" he said, his voice rising just like mine had done although he tried to keep it down – probably not to draw attention.
I can honestly say I would rather have been thrown out on the street if I had known that he would use that as some kind of… hold on me.
"You are just…" I began searching for a suiting word, but couldn't find any. But then, I remembered something that Hermione had said once. "Incorrigible."
And with that, I spun around and headed once more for the exit.
"I don't forget, Tamara!" he shouted behind me.
"Neither do I", I mumbled to myself.
I hurried out through the door while looking down into the floor, turned left and bumped into something.
"Wooups!"
In the next second I was sitting on my back on the floor.
"Ow…" I said, rubbing my head with my hands.
It hurt.
I had been told to be careful, take it slow for a couple of weeks… I don't think that would count as being careful.
"Oww!" the person whom I had bumped into moaned.
I looked up immediately.
"Luna?" Obviously she had been 'released' from the Hospital Wing this morning as well as I had been.
She smiled weakly back at me. "Hi, Tamara."
"I'm so sorry", I said while we both got back onto our feet – we both was still rubbing our heads. "I wasn't lookin-"
"No, it's my fault", said she. "I was so happy about that I got out of the infirmary so I guess I was quite careless."
"So how are you?"
"I'm quite okay, actually. How are you?"
"Yeah, I'm okay too. Look, I kind of wanted to talk to you, could we-"
"Join me for breakfast?"
Breakfast for the third time? Sure! I would just have to sit at the Hufflepuff table for a while after this and then I must have some kind of record.
"Yeah, sure", I said and followed her into the Great Hall again.
We sat down at the Ravenclaw table. It's quite an experience; see what the Great Hall looks like from different sides…
Ha!
"Do you know what happened?" I asked as she was making herself a toast with strawberry jam.
"We were hit by the Death Eaters' spell."
"Obviously."
"If you mean about the… rest, yes I know."
"Who told you?"
"Someone next to me in the infirmary", she lied.
The reason why I knew she was lying was that she's a really bad liar. I guess some people just have got the talent and some don't… However, she does this weird movement with her eyebrows when she's lying. Up, down and to the sides. So I would know.
But I didn't want to force her to tell something that she obviously didn't want to, so I pretended to buy it.
"Um…" I started kind of nervously – I didn't know why I was nervous. I wasn't scared of her, more scared of the answer to my question. These kinds of things always freaked me out. "I'm not sure", I said slowly, "but what I remember, I could hear your voice inside my head."
"Yes", she said simply like it was nothing special.
"We could communicate."
"I know."
"Can you do Legilemency?!" I exclaimed. "Because that is really… scary", I finished.
Luna looked quite uncomfortable. I understand her!
"It's not exactly like Legilemency", she said. "I can only appear in your head when it's for a good purpose."
"You mean it's like a good Legilemency?"
"Quite."
"But you can appear in anyone's head?"
"Yes", she said softly.
"Can you read other people's minds and stuff too?"
"Only if they want me to."
This sounded a little confusing, but I believed it anyway (she wasn't moving her eyebrows). At least it felt a little better having an explanation to what had happened.
"Okay", I said and rose from the table. "Thanks, I was just curious."
"You're quite welcome."
"Take care!" I said, raising my hand to wave before I headed towards the exit for the third time that day.
Author's Note: Well that will have to do. I really appreciate reviews and comments and I can handle constructive criticism so if anyone has anything to say, just press Go down there.
Have a lovely day,
Megafreak
