Suspicions

It was hard knowing she was his sister, because in classes he tended to look around at her, which a lot of people were now becoming suspicious of. Ron never paid much attention where Harry looked, but Hermione was a different story. Every time he returned his eyes from a peek at his sister across the room he would notice her staring at him in a more or less suspicious way. Even a couple of the Slytherins had noticed. So he tried to keep his eyes to himself, but it was so hard. Then one day he received an owl from Sarah telling him to meet her in the Transfiguration classroom at six o' clock the next morning. What she had to say he pretty much expected. "I'm getting a lot of rumors in my House about you staring at me all the time. And though you may think that's only bad for me, it will catch up to you to. Any day now they will start making fun about you fancying me or something," she said. This he did not expect. But she was right; how could he be so dull. Of course he should have seen that coming. "And," she added, "some of my classmates are suspecting me of 'joining the enemy' if you will." She waited for him to reply.

"Well what am I suppose to do; it's kind of hard to pretend you're not there?" he said.

"You just have to treat me like a Slytherin."

"I can't; I mean, to me, you aren't a Slytherin." She gave him a threatening look.

"If you want me to start acting like one, I can and will if you don't start ignoring me," she finished with a serious tone. And then, just like Snape, she turned on her heal and left.

The rest of his Friday was about as horrible as the threatening look his sister had given him. It first started as his sister had said - with the Slytherins. He was in Care of Magical Creatures sitting with Ron and Hermione trying to figure out the diets of a , when Pansy Parkinson came strolling up to him. "Oh, this can't be good, Hermione," said Ron. But it was not Hermione that she addressed.

"So, Harry," she said, "do we fancy a Slytherin?" She said Slytherin slowly and very loudly. All the Slytherin girls giggled except Sarah who looked up at the commotion. Harry noted that the boys didn't think it too funny.

"No he doesn't," said Ron. Her eyes shifted to him.

"Well if it isn't the "ragweed" defending poor Potter's love for Sarah," she retorted wearing a nasty look on her face. Ron was paralyzed, but Harry knew he had the potential to throw himself out at her; perhaps the fact that she was a girl made him stop long enough for Hagrid to come over.

"Everything all right," he said eyeing Pansy, who nodded with a silly grin on her face. She went back to her group, which started whispering immediately.

Harry caught Sarah's eye. He could not tell her emotion; she was neither mad nor happy, but maybe there was a hint of sympathy. She then looked back at her work, and Harry to his. He then glanced at Ron and Hermione who were staring at him. They shifted their eyes back to their work.

Harry hoped that the rest of the day would get better, but that was hardly what happened.

His day with Potions went terribly. Snape came by, right when Harry added the wrong ingredient, and he was given a detention. But the fact that Snape was impressed with his sister's potion made him smile for two reasons. One was that at least she wasn't getting tortured like he was. Two was that Snape didn't know she was his sister; this made him laugh. For he was sure if Snape knew about them being siblings, she would not be getting the praise whether she was a Slytherin or not. When Potions was over he told Ron and Hermione to go ahead of him. He wanted to walk alone; though this was probably a mistake as Draco was walking toward him in the dungeons' corridor. Harry stopped as Draco drew closer. He moved his hand near his wand; he looked around for a Gryffindor but there was no one. Draco drew himself up in front of Harry and looked him squarely in the eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, exchanging looks of hatred before Draco asked, "What's up with you and Sarah." He had a most sour voice when saying this. Harry immediately replied, "Nothing." Unfortunately, Draco wasn't convinced. "Really," Harry continued, "Nothing is between us."

"I know you've been watching her..." Draco started. He was staring at Harry as if he were the nastiest thing in the world, almost as if Harry had barged in on something personal.

"Look," said Harry, "She's in your House, and I do not have anything to do with her; I just wonder about her past because I've heard some interesting rumors, that's all."

Draco looked Harry over pretty well deciding whether his excuse was good enough.

"I have nothing else to say to you," said Harry, and he turned his back and walked away. To his surprise Draco did not stop him.

Harry finally arrived at the Great Hall where Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. "What took you so long?" asked Ron.

"Nothing. I just dropped some stuff," he replied while dishing food onto his plate. They ate in silence until Hermione spoke up on the subject Harry least wanted to talk about. "So assuming you don't really like her," here she gave a chuckle, which made Harry narrow his eyes at her, "Why do you keep staring at her?" Harry was trying to think fast; he had to come up with something to tell them. "She probably told Harry something, like that she would kill us," said Ron.

"Of course she didn't," replied Harry. He immediately scolded himself, for that would have been a great excuse. Well, she...uh... she did say that she knew something about you know what," the excuse seemed to work.

"What do you mean 'you know what?' "asked Hermione confused.

"You know... the 'you know what,' " Harry urged trying to come up with what he would say next. Now Ron leaned in seemingly very perplexed.

"What do you mean?" he asked loud and clear; Hermione was losing her patience.

"It's top secret stuff, and she said she knew something about it. It might be very dangerous if she does, so I've been keeping an eye on her just in case." Hermione and Ron were still very confused. "I can't tell you here in case somebody is eavesdropping." They waited for him to give them a more specific answer, but instead Parvati Patil happened to walk up.

"Ron," she said rather unpleasantly, "Carla wants to have a word with you." She walked off leaving Ron to turn red as a beat.

"What does she want?" he asked nervously.

"I don't know, but you'd better go and find out," Harry pushed Ron out of his seat. At first Ron didn't move, but he began to walk slowly to the other end of the table. Harry couldn't see Ron anymore as he sat down beside a girl with long dark hair.

After dinner, Harry went straight up to bed to avoid his friends in case they wanted to ask more questions. He was afraid how long he would be able to keep the secret from them. He knew Hermione was good at piecing things together, and what if he or his sister slipped up and let out the secret. And then, as if a little light came on, a thought crossed his mind; a thought that immediately put out the light that had come on. His encounter with Draco had been the second in which somebody had asked him if there was anything between him and a girl. Could by any chance Draco like his sister? It was hard for his mind to even think of this scenario. But he supposed it was possible, and as much as he wanted to deny it, it did explain the look on Draco's face when he had asked Harry the question. It had been a look of Harry being somewhere he shouldn't, and it did look personal, too. Determined to get these thoughts out of his mind, he pulled out his Charms book to do a little work on the Minortis Charm.

Ron came in an hour later looking thoughtful. He did not say anything, just sat down.

"So... what did she want?" Harry asked.

"To talk," he answered plainly.

"About what," Harry continued.

"Oh, stuff," he replied.

"Ron will you stop being vague, and just tell me what happened?" Harry almost yelled. Ron looked up; Harry saw that he didn't really want to tell him.

"Um... she asked me if I wanted to take a walk with her tomorrow and stuff," he added.

"That's good isn't it?" Harry asked. Ron smiled.

"Maybe," he said. Harry wasn't sure why Ron had had a doubtful expression, but he didn't have it anymore. Harry put away his book and called it a day.

Harry's trip to the Dursleys' would be in exactly a week, for he would be leaving next Friday. He just had to make it through a few more days. Unlike his previous years, the teachers did not give in to the students' longing for vacation. Flitwick used to just give up on them and let them do whatever, but this time Flitwick was sticking to work. Harry didn't know what had become of Ron that Saturday; he knew that Ron left to go meet up with Carla, but since he did not say anything when he got back Harry decided it best to wait and mention it later.

While Harry was in Charms, he began to wonder where his sister would be during Christmas. He passed her a note while walking down the corridor. She stopped and quickly read the letter without letting anyone else see it. Now she had to give him her answer, but how? She turned around.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Potter!" He turned around.

"What?" he yelled back. She marched up to him.

"How dare you call me a bitch!" she reached up and slapped him.

"I'll be glad when you're gone and I can walk peacefully through the halls during Christmas and not be called upon by a foul mouth!" She walked violently down the corridor pushing anybody in her way. Besides being a little aggressive, she had told him she was staying for Christmas. Harry would have preferred her to be a little more secretive instead of making a big scene. Everyone had stopped to look at him as he stood up.

"Uh, I did not say anything to her. She's... hearing things; it wasn't me," he said. Everyone then ignored him and carried on with their lives. Harry whistled and made his way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry and Ron were about ready to head up from dinner to get their night's rest at Hogwarts. "Well, I think Dumbledore's is gonna have you come over for the last few days, you know to Grimmauld Place," Ron was whispering. "But at least this time when we come to pick you up, I'll know where you'll be." Ron winked. Harry knew he was talking about Julie. "Oh, crap! Here comes that Slytherin."

"Ah, Christmas at last. How will it feel to be getting your usual sappy presents?" asked a haughty Sarah trying to make her way to the library.

"At least I won't have to deal with you. I'll be leaving for a... " he was cut off.

"What? Running off to your prideful poor-house?" she interrogated.

"Well, you can't even go home, because you don't really have a family!" Ron yelled. Her eyes grew real wide and she began to walk forward as she reached into her pocket.

"Okay, okay. You've insulted each other enough," Harry said stepping between them for the second time.

"Move!" she yelled so loud, Harry thought the whole school could have heard.

"Look, please understand..." Harry tried again.

"Get out of my way!" And she grabbed Harry's sleeve and pushed him aside. Finally drawing herself up to Ron she analyzed his figure. "Now, as for you... what would be best? A Vanishing Charm perhaps? I've always wondered where those poor mice, like yourself, go when we vanish them." She smiled and raised her wand. Ron was utterly petrified; he couldn't move.

"Not today," said a confident Hermione. She walked between them. "I know my charms too, Evans." Sarah loosened her grip on her wand. She lowered her arm and weighed her situation before turning to leave.

"What? Am I too good for you?" Hermione asked. Sarah turned back quickly.

"I have no quarrel with you," Sarah said in a hasty, frightening tone that told Hermione not to push her. "But you... " she said pointing at Ron, "We'll finish this." She was now inches from him. She put on a quieter voice, one that made Ron's blood shiver, "And there won't be a Harry or Hermione or anyone else to save your ass." She gave a small laugh and left with a wide smile. Ron was still stuck to the spot.

"All right, team, this is our second game of the year. We won our first, and I know we can win this one. Just remember Hufflepuff's got a really good defense. Let's go." They walked out onto the pitch. Harry shook hands with the other team Captain, and on Madam Hooch's whistle, they were off. Harry wasn't feeling very good that moment, and he hoped he could end this game quickly. But the minutes droned on. Gryffindor was leading sixty to thirty after thirty minutes, and Harry hadn't yet had a glimpse of the Snitch. The new commentator went on and on, and Harry's head was beginning to spin. After another thirty minutes, it soon became apparent that he was having a very hard time concentrating on finding the Snitch. He had a painful ringing in his ears from all the noise. He wasn't sure if he should call a time out of not, so he just continued to wander around the pitch. But after twenty more minutes, he finally decided to call a time out. His team assembled on the ground.

"How's it goin' up there, Harry?" Ron asked referring to the Snitch.

"Not good; I've got this headache..."

"Do you think you can finish the game?" asked Ginny with some concern.

"Yeah," Harry said through gritted teeth. The team looked at him uncertainly.

"Hey, Harry, if you don't find the Snitch soon..." started Kirke.

"It'll be a long game," finished Ron.

"I know," said Harry. "Just hold out for a little longer." And they flew back to their positions. But another hour went by and still no sign of the Snitch. Harry's forehead was practically numb with pain. The scores were now one hundred and forty to eighty, Gryffindor leading. But both teams now were slowing down. Harry had to find that Snitch. For fifteen more minutes Harry circled the pitch. It was odd, for he hadn't even seen the Snitch yet; but he kept searching. Clouds were starting to come in, and the whole sky darkened quite a bit. Small drops of water began to fall. The crowds were turning in and going inside. And finally Harry saw it - a small gold ball against a dark gray cloud. He sped towards it his hand outstretched. His aim was off, and though he had his hand around most of the Snitch, it slipped on the wet, shiny surface. It was now flying to the other side of the pitch, and Harry was not going to let it get away. He chased the Snitch for five minutes straight, looping in and out of goal hoops and around broomsticks; this time, he was going to get it. He gripped the ball firmly in his hand. The match was over. He lowered himself to the ground rubbing his head. He left to go to the changing rooms to get some dry clothes. The whole team was too exhausted to cheer much, but they knew that this win got them closer to the finals.