Nak425 – About RCiP (Reunited Crushes… etc), I thought so at first too… but I got so many reviews begging for a sequel, and I thought that would be kind of… innovative. Don't you? Plus, I've never gotten so good response on a story than on Crushes in the Past so I kind of didn't wanna let it go yet. P
Thank you also kittycatdudet, Pussin Boots, ViviBlack and Kow it All.
Author's Note: As I assume all of you know… the sixth Harry Potter book is to be released in July 2005. My goal is therefore to finish this story before then, as I then would be able to devote my time to reading, thinking and being frustrated over the character who we have been told will die… And I should be able to make it. I'll do my best!
Chapter 26 – A Mix of Stuff
As OWLs and other exams were over, most of us were kind of… celebrating. The upcoming Monday the Hogwarts Express would leave at eleven o'clock as usual, so we had two days to pack our stuff together and just relax and hang out. Seventh years were depressed as usual – I could understand them, it must be hard to leave the place where you have spent the previous seven years of your life!But I would be back next year, and yet another year after that. Yes, two more years to go. But I was still not very eager to get home, knowing what was waiting. I hadn't spoken to my mother at all during the year; it had felt very weird but nice anyway. Summer would be dreadful. Being around Mother every day for almost three months and having nothing to do. Oh yes, I looked forward to that. Not.
I tried not thinking about that, though, during the weekend. Instead I spent most of it out in the beautiful weather. The sun was shining all through both Saturday and Sunday so almost no one stayed indoors. Let's just say we were happy that we were allowed out by now and that they had secured the whole Hogwarts Grounds (a couple of weeks earlier there had been a whole bunch of well-trained ministry officers here placing different spells).
We had some quidditch practise although the house cup was over long ago. Students not usually playing for the house teams also played and it was a lot of fun. When not sitting on my broom, trying to get the damn quaffle through anyone of the rings, I also spent a lot of time playing Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess with Ginny, Luna, Julianne or basically anyone. Honestly, it felt a little like I was on a camp or something.
Eventually I had to pack my trunk – I kept postponing it but ten minutes before the End-Of-Term 'party' was to start, I realized that I would have to do it sooner or later so I finally got it done before heading down to join the fun which would begin any minute.
There was a free seat between Ginny and Hermione. Opposite Ginny sat Luna (remember; the tables were still mixed), opposite Hermione sat Harry. Neville sat in between (meaning next to me) and Ron had seated himself on Hermione's right side.
"Hi Tamara", Ginny said cheerfully as I sat down.
"Hi", I replied, smiled and nodded to everyone, and they all greeted me back.
"I wish Dumbledore would arrive soon", Ron complained. "I'm getting hungry."
"But honey you're always hungry", Hermione said in a theatrical voice.
"I know, darling", Ron said, "that's because I'm growing."
Hermione giggled and Ron bent down to kiss her.
"Ow come on you guys", Ginny said, "you'll have plenty of time for that later. Right now you're in public."
"Yeah", Harry agreed, "you can scare the shit out of the first-years…"
Ron looked up. "Oh shut up", he said, blushing.
"Don't care about them, Ron", Hermione said. "They're just jealous."
"Now what's that suppo-" Ginny began but was cut off by Dumbledore who had entered the Great Hall and now stood up in his seat over at the Staff Table.
"Silencio!" he said and when the room was silent, he began speaking. "Good afternoon, students", he said out in the room. "Teachers", he added and nodded at the other teachers who were sitting there. "Congratulations on having passed another year. Unfortunately, it has to be the last for some of you. As for the others, we will meet again next year."
"This year has brought several changes", he said in a serious tone. "Things will never be the same again. We won't be the same again. I noticed my speech a couple of weeks again had the effect I had been hoping for. We are united in our common interests. Let's just hope that it will remain over the summer."
Then he smiled. "I like making speeches", he said in a completely different voice, "and I could probably rant on forever. But I highly suspect quite a few of you might be hungry by now, so I won't of respect for those. Tuck in."
I hadn't quite realized I was one of them he had mentioned – the hungry ones – but now my stomach rambled in a horrible way and I was thankful for that food appeared on the tables. I rapidly began filling my plate with all different kinds of food – there were chicken clubs, steaks, potatoes, spaghetti, some sort of lentil casserole, meatloaf, yes I could rant on forever, but I won't as we should proceed with the story.
The dinner chatter subject was surprisingly… happy. We talked about normal stuff; quidditch and such. Ron and Hermione left after a while, obviously up to something. Guess what. When Harry later rose, he signed for me to do the same, and as I had finished eating a while ago anyway, I did.
"Um, yeah, I wanted to talk to you", he said when we had gotten out of the Great Hall. "I don't know really how well you know about, er, your father's… activities-"
"He's in Azkaban", I said shortly. I didn't enjoy the thought of my father at all, and was a tad irritated that Harry had to remind me.
"Yes, but I was wondering, er, your mum?"
"What about her?"
"Was she like, involved too?"
"I dunno", I said with a shrug. "It's not like they told me everything", I added upon seeing his questioning look. "But I don't think so… not as much as dad."
"You know, it's really war now", he said. "So… if you hear anything…"
"I tell you. Of course", I said.
"Thanks." He seemed slightly relieved.
"But I wouldn't count on it", I warned him. "I won't hear anything. Especially not now… after last year."
We walked in silence to the portrait hole.
"Hey… are you okay?" I said suddenly just as we turned around a corner and the Fat Lady became visible.
"Me?"
"Well, yes, who else?" I looked around, but there was no one there.
He made a grimace that should have been a smile… it wasn't, though. "Yeah", he said. "I'm… I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
So I decided to let it be for this time. We got up in front of the Fat Lady, Harry said the portrait and we could enter. I nodded a goodnight to Harry and went upstairs into my room.
The following morning I was woken up by Ginny.
"What time is it?" I asked sleepily while rubbing my eyes.
"Almost nine. The train leaves in two hours. Are you done with your packing?"
"Almost."
She headed off and I… well, I leaned back and returned to sleep.
"TAMARA THE TRAIN LEAVES IN FIVE MINUTES!"
I sat up abruptly. "Bloody hell", I muttered and almost flew out of bed.
Ginny laughed. "I got you!"
"Aaaaaaaw!" I groaned when I realized I had been fooled. "You bloody little…" I looked around for something to throw at her, and my pillow came very handy.
She returned it quickly though… too quickly. She must be the Master of Pillow-War.
"Okay! I give up", I said and ducked for another one of her killer-pillows. "You win."
"I knew I would", she boasted. "Go and get yourself ready and then we'll head off to breakfast."
"Yes sir", I muttered.
11:10 AM
I stared out through the window, watching the last visible bit of the Hogwarts grounds flying by. In the compartment was also Ginny, Luna and Julianne. She had been sitting alone, so Ginny had suggested that we should join her, and it had seemed to be a good idea.
But, as we weren't very close friends and Julianne wasn't exactly talkative, we had nothing to talk about and a uncomfortable silence took place. Ginny tried starting a conversation several times, but always without further success.
"Like quidditch, Julianne?" she tried.
Julianne shrugged. "Not an avid fan."
"We'll need another chaser for next year."
"I'm better as a supporter."
It was obvious that she wasn't in the mood for chatting. Hence, silence fell again and lasted for perhaps fifteen minutes before Julianne rose abruptly.
"I need to go to the bathroom", she muttered and left before anyone had been given the chance to say anything.
"I feel so bad for her", Ginny said when the door had slammed shut.
"Yeah, me too", I agreed. "I wish there was something we could do to help her."
"No one can be helped, who doesn't want to be helped", Luna said wisely.
Ginny and I both looked at her.
"You're right", Ginny said.
"Can I ask you two something?" Luna asked suddenly.
"Yeah, sure", I said.
"Shoot", Ginny added.
"Do you think I'm weird?"
Both Ginny and I was startled by the question. It was definitively not what either of us had expected to hear.
"No", was my immediate response. I mean, what was I supposed to say? Yes, you are very weird.
"Luna", Ginny said softly, "you're different, and that's just good. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone was exactly the same!"
"Exactly", I said.
"So…", she said, very hesitatingly, "you don't think it's… impossible for… someone to kind of… like me?"
Although she hadn't exactly said it out straight, both Ginny and I glanced at each other and smiled knowingly, knowing what she indirectly had meant.
"That's not impossible", I reassured her. "Or what do you think, Ginny?"
"Definitively not", she agreed. "Who is he?"
"What? No one", Luna lied.
"Come on", I said, "tell us!"
"I told you! It's no one special."
"You're lyin-"
We were interrupted when the door was flung open. Julianne was back.
"Hey", she said. "Um… what were you just talking about?"
"Boys", I said automatically. But in the same second as the word left my mouth, I realized that it had been one of the stupidest things I could possibly have said.
The colour disappeared from her face, she looked terrified and literally began walking backwards. "Look, I", she said, "I'm going to go and find an empty compartment, I'm really tired so I need some sleep."
"Are you okay?" Ginny asked.
Julianne nodded frantically. "Yes, excellent. Um… see you."
"Fuck", I muttered when she had disappeared. "Scheiβe. Perkele. Shit."
"It wasn't your fault", Ginny said. "She's just… upset."
"I still shouldn't have said that."
"She'll be okay", Luna said. And she said it in a way that made me really believe her.
I caught sight of mother as soon as I stepped of the train, even though she was standing in the back of the crowd of parents waiting for their children. She saw me too, she showed no sign of it but I knew she did. I didn't want to face her alone… where was Draco? I looked around, but there was no sight of him. Mother was making her way through the crowed and came up to me a minute later.
"Mother", I mumbled.
"Tamara", she said and nodded. "Welcome back."
"Thank you."
Draco came strolling towards us a couple of minutes later.
"There you are", mother said. "Now, let's get out of here."
Author's Note: This will probably be a HP/TM story… just because I have other plans. However, those plans are… missing a suitable… for Tamara so I'm just curious who you think she might be able to be with… Please include your thoughts in the which you send me … won't you?
