Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything in this story except for two characters.
A/N: Hey Maddie and Akalei! Maddie, we've already written this story and are trying to post one chapter a day. Our goal is to have all of the story up before July the 16th, so don't worry. By the way, in this chapter you will learn what species the OC belongs to. I bet you'll all be very surprised. To any others, you are free to flame us. That's what FFF means. So, be our guests!
FFF
13. Angst
"Harry," Kya murmured, laying a pale, well-manicured hand on his shoulder. Her fingernails were painted purple… purple like her eyes. Her robes were the same colour, as it was Saturday, and there was no need to wear the school uniform. Not that she ever wore it anyway.
Harry awoke with a start. He had been dosing in a chair in front of the common room fireplace. It was snowing merrily outside, and there was a spirit of Christmas in the air, a month and a half before the event. The common room was empty, with the exception of Harry and Kya, and Ron. Ron was to all appearances fast asleep on the couch. In reality, he was hanging on to every word they were saying.
"Harry," said Kya again, giving him a little shake.
"Wha…?" said Harry.
"It's such a lovely morning. You shouldn't be sleeping," she said.
"Yes, it is an exceptionally beautiful winter." Harry agreed.
Ron had to forcefully restrain himself from sitting up and hitting Harry over the head. An exceptionally beautiful winter? Come on. His best friend did not talk like that!
"Oh, it takes me back," Kya said.
"Did you celebrate Christmas with your mentor?"
"No, I meant before that," she said. "When my parents were still alive…"
Harry didn't dare ask what had happened to her parents. The memory of it was obviously torturing her, and the amethyst orbs of her eyes were filling up with glittering tears that threatened to spill over and cascade down her pearly white, perfect cheeks.
He realized he hadn't heard a word of what she was saying to him. Yet he was filled with such an urge to express his sympathy for her in some way. Finally, he said,
"I know how you feel. I never knew my parents, but last year my godfather was killed."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, how awful," said Kya, her tears finally brimming over.
"He's the only parent I've had. Now I've got no-one to talk to," said Harry.
Ron sat up straight, and stared at him. Harry had vehemently refused to talk about Sirius with them. Why was he spilling his guts to her now?
He suddenly realized that he was sitting up, in full view. Kya, mercifully, had her back turned to him. Harry was entirely too focused on her to pay Ron any notice. Ron saw that they seemed to be staring very deeply into each other's eyes.
"You can talk to me," she whispered. "I understand."
Harry nodded.
Ron nearly gagged.
Harry and Kya kept on talking. Ron couldn't very well leave the room, or Kya would realize he had been eavesdropping, so he laid back on the couch. He would have to wait it out.
"He just looked at her intently. It was like he was hypnotized."
"Are you sure?" said Neville.
"He didn't blink," said Ron. "And then he started to get poetic…"
Neville shuddered.
They were walking down the corridor. Somewhere a clock had just struck twelve. Ron had borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak, without asking. He figured it was sufficient payback for having to listen to such a repulsive conversation earlier.
The castle was mostly quiet. They had to be careful, to avoid walking through one of the ghosts that drifted past them unexpectedly every now and then. As they neared their destination, Neville stopped. He jabbed at Ron.
"There's something in that cupboard," he whispered.
They eyed it apprehensively. It was a regular broom cupboard, but sure enough, when they stopped to listen, they could hear it make a faint rattling noise.
"Well, we'll just speak more quietly, that's all," Ron muttered. "We're already late. Come on."
They opened the door to the classroom.
Snape turned around to look at them, and he raised one eyebrow when he saw that there was apparently nothing there.
"Does Potter know you're using his cloak?" he asked them.
They took it off, somewhat belatedly. Snape's scowl deepened. At first Ron was unsure of why, but then he realized he had forgotten to mention to him that he would be bringing Neville.
"Longbottom," Snape hissed. "What is he doing here? Why did you take him along?"
"I…"
"You imbecile," Snape whispered. "I realize it might be difficult for any oxygen to reach your single brain cell through that thick cranium of yours, Weasley, but what possessed you to bring Longbottom?"
"He's on our side!" Ron protested. "He-"
"I thought my instructions were perfectly clear!" Snape burst out. "You must not draw attention to yourself! Have you gone around telling people about this? What were you thinking? And Longbottom, of all people…"
"Hey," said Neville.
"Shut it, you," Snape snapped. He looked at Ron, with the utmost contempt. " How do you know he's not actually on her side? You just took his word for it, didn't you? You've compromised us. I shall have to put a memory charm on him now, and she'll notice the difference in his behaviour after that."
"That is just the thing, isn't it?" Neville cut in. He was by then very indignant. "She doesn't notice me. I don't think we've ever said two words to each other. She's obviously concentrated her efforts on Harry and Hermione. She thinks the rest of us will just tag along."
Ron looked at Neville in awe. He hadn't thought of that. More importantly, he hadn't thought Neville would be thinking of that. And Neville had stood up to Snape. Admittedly, he was now looking as if he would like to sink through the floor, but still…
Snape paused before replying.
"Very perceptive, Longbottom," he said, coldly. "You did say your friends were acting out of character, didn't you, Weasley?"
"Yes, but-" Ron began. He was interrupted by the unexpected entrance of professor Jacobson. The Defence teacher rushed into the room, slamming the door behind her. She looked flustered as she pulled off her hat. Her hair clung to her face and her shoulders, making crackling noises.
"Sorry I'm late," she said.
Ron gaped at her for a moment. Then he turned back to Snape, and looked at him incredulously.
"You told her to come?" he said.
"I, unlike you, have good reasons to trust-"
"Well, maybe I have reasons to trust Neville!" yelled Ron. "He went with us to the Department of Mysteries, for instance. You never thought of that, did you? You never heard me out-"
"If you dare ever interrupt me again, Weasel, I'll-"
"Oh, stop it, you two," said the Defence teacher. "You're just whining. Longbottom's a good boy, so he can stay. He's not affected. You can see it in his eyes."
Snape looked from professor Jacobson to Neville, and then he nodded briskly.
"So," said professor Jacobson, turning to face them. "What's the plan of action?"
They stared at her.
"Um," said Neville.
"We don't really have one yet," said Ron.
"We haven't yet gauged the extent of what she can do," said Snape. He looked at Ron.
"What're you looking at me for?" said Ron. "Oh, right… er… Well. Harry told her it was an exceptionally beautiful winter. And… Hermione's highlighted her hair."
Snape glared at him as if he'd grown an arm out of his head on purpose. Professor Jacobson, on the other hand, seemed to take him seriously.
"Subtle but definite signs," she said. "Mind you, it was beautiful this morning. Pity it all melted away."
"We think she can hypnotize people," said Neville.
"Well," said the professor, "of course she can. She's a Veela. Didn't you know?"
"What?" said Snape.
Jacobson turned to him, frowning.
"Are you sure?" said Snape. "People's reactions to Veelas are usually more extreme…"
"Well, yes, obviously she has learned to control her ability remarkably well," said Jacobson, seeming surprised that Snape hadn't realized this. "She is also an experienced legilimens, if I am not mistaken. There is something hypnotic about her eyes, something about their exceedingly purple colour. It isn't natural. I wonder how it came about."
She was talking about Kya as though she was an interesting scientific experiment. Perhaps she was, in the eyes of the professor, Ron thought.
Suddenly he remembered something.
"This is your classroom, isn't it?" he said to Jacobson.
"Yes?"
"Do you know what's in the broom cupboard outside? We heard something moving in there."
Snape jolted.
"What?" he exclaimed again. "Weasley… why didn't you say there was something in the cupboard?"
"I just did," said Ron, gritting his teeth. "You never let me-"
"Silence!" Snape spat. He pushed Neville out of the way. "You should have told me immediately…"
He walked out into the hallway to investigate.
"Wait," said Jacobson, hurrying after him. "It's only my broom! It always gets a bit twitchy when I leave it here for the night…"
"She keeps her broom in the broom cupboard?" said Ron in disbelief.
"Ron, look," said Neville.
Neville was standing by the window. He motioned to Ron, who walked over.
"What?" said Ron. He looked down at the dark grounds, far below.
Then he saw what Neville had noticed. There was a small, white figure moving down there. It was walking towards the Forbidden Forest.
