I'll say it again, yes I'm the worst updater ever. But I had a sudden urge to write tonight after reading an interview with Philip Pullman, he's a dude.
Not quite sure what I'm going to write about though. Hmmm.
Secrets
"It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Wake up Hermione! It's my birthday!" Raid shouted, jumping up and down on the bottom of Hermione's bed.
"Mmmhhwhaa… huh?" Hermione mumbled.
Raid jumped off Hermione's bed now that she had successfully woken her, and the rest of the girls is the dormitory up. Lavender and Parvati gave Raid dark looks as they slouched in to the bathroom. Raid was oblivious, she sat on the floor with her presents around her. Hermione finally dragged herself out of bed to see what Raid had got for her birthday.
"So what have you got then?" She asked, looking curiously at the pile.
Raid began to proceed to explain her way through the odd assortment of items. There was a pile of Mini Disk's from her friends.
"They are all my favourite bands new albums!" Raid said enthusiastically.
A large variety of sweets and chocolate from other members of Raid's family sat on the bed, Raid reached up and pulled out some chocolate frogs, handing one to Hermione she then picked up a football sized box. When Raid took the contents out, Hermione gasped. It was a large black orb that, when touched by Raid, illuminated brightly and then showed a clear picture of the solar system.
"That's incredible," Hermione breathed.
"I'll never need another astronomy lesson again." Raid beamed. "This can show me any star or planet or moon I want it to."
Hermione got up and withdrew a present from under her bed.
"So that's where you keep them," Raid said thoughtfully.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"How old are you today Raid? Six?"
"Actually, I'm sixteen," Raid said proudly, putting her nose in the air.
Hermione rolled her eyes again, and gave Raid her present. It looked conspicuously book shaped. Tearing off the paper, Raid found that it was in fact, a book. She flicked through the pages and Hermione saw Raids eyes begin to shine. She smiled satisfactorily.
The title on the cover said, 'Unicorns: Through the ages and round the world'.
"Wow, it's wonderful! Thanks Hermione." Raid said, giving Hermione a hug as she watched a picture of a silver unicorn gallop across a snowy field followed by its golden foal.
"Come on we'd better get ready for breakfast." Hermione said as she got up. As she turned to walk away she nearly trod on something small and cube shaped.
"Hey what's this? You missed one." She said, handing it to Raid.
Raid looked at the small box curiously. The box was about as big as the palm of her hand. She opened the small catch and her breath caught in her throat as she opened it. A stunning ring was set inside the box. The slim band of silver gleamed in the morning light and the 3 emeralds set diagonally across a gap in the ring joining it together, sparkled dazzlingly. Hermione came round to see what had Raid so speechless. Raid was never speechless.
"Who…?" Hermione began
"I have no idea." Raid whispered.
She drew out the ring and slid it on to the index finger of her right hand, it was slightly too big, but once in place it magically shrank to fit perfectly. Raid once again, was speechless.
"It must be Malfoy." Hermione whispered.
"No." Raid said slowly. "He definitely said he would give me my present after breakfast, and I don't think he would give me a ring. We've only been together two months. But, who it could it be from? I don't have any more relatives who would send me gifts."
"Maybe it's a gift from you dad, sent from someone else." Hermione suggested as she pulled on her robes.
"Perhaps." Raid said thoughtfully as she dragged her attention away from her ring to getting ready.
In ten minutes the girls were ready, Hermione smiled and shook her head as she saw Raid change her hair from bright red to a deep purple.
Raid sat fidgeting the whole time through breakfast, continually looking over at the Slytherin table and then to the door. Draco had not yet come down to breakfast.
"Will you sit still!" Hermione said, exasperated, looking up from her Arithmacy book. "And have something to eat."
"I'm not hungry." Raid said. "Too many chocolate frogs. Where's Draco?" She whined.
At that moment the object of Raids thoughts strolled in to the Great Hall, looking very smug. He quite blatantly ignored Raid and sat down for breakfast. Raid continued to fidget.
"I will not go over there. I will win." Raid muttered to herself.
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed.
Breakfast ended and finally Raid gave up. As Draco left the hall Raid sprinted after him and jumped on him in the entrance hall.
"Good Morning." She said brightly, putting her arms around his neck.
"Morning," Draco said smiling. "You're in a good mood today." He commented.
"Yup." Raid said.
"And why could that be?" Draco teased.
"Because it's my birthday!" Raid squealed, jumping up and down, nearly throttling Draco.
"Ok, Ok! I'll give you your present, just stop strangling me!" Draco conceded, trying to stop Raid bouncing around like a maniac. "Stop bouncing, turn around and close your eyes." Draco commanded.
Raid did, squinting under her eyelids.
"I said close your eyes." Draco reprimanded.
Raid felt something brush her collarbone and she began to bring her hand up to touch it. Draco swatted it away.
"Not yet." He said.
"Ooow, meany." Raid grumbled.
Finally, Draco turned her back around.
"Ok, you can open your eyes now."
Raid immediately opened her eyes and fiddled with what she realised was a necklace. She drew the pendant up to examine it. It was a delicate star, wrought in silver, about an inch across. In the centre of the star was a small black stone that the light danced upon.
"Is this onyx?" Raid asked,
"It is." Draco confirmed. He looked slightly nervous, trying to analyse Raid examining face.
She looked up at him, a broad smile on her face.
"It's perfect Draco, thank you so much!" She said, throwing her arms around his neck again and hugging him.
Draco pulled back a bit it and looked in her eyes.
"You really like it?" He asked.
"I love it."
And Raid kissed him. There were wolf whistles and jeers from the students coming out of the Great Hall but the couple ignored them.
"By the way, that chain is charmed so it won't ever break. I know what you're like with your skateblading and horse riding and being attacked and stuff." Draco said mockingly as they walked slowly to potions.
Raid stuck her tongue out at him.
"You make it sound like I'm always being attacked and falling over and 'stuff'." She accused.
"How many bruises do you have from going out last night?" Draco countered, raising an eyebrow.
"Umm, well. Anyway, it's skateboarding. So there." Raid said, flouncing in to the potions classroom, earning a scowl from Snape.
Draco shook his head grinning. He was glad it was only her birthday once a year, she got way too excited.
Two weeks later and Raid was still catching up on work that she'd missed whilst being in a coma. She was struggling along with some Arithmacy in the library, when Draco appeared at her table suddenly making her jump.
"Don't do that to me." She said absently, going back to her work.
Draco smirked. Then he noticed the ring on her right hand. He gently picked up her hand and examined the ring.
"When did you get this?" He asked quietly. Running his finger over the emeralds.
"For my birthday, I don't know who from." Raid replied.
"Hmm." Draco said, sitting down not letting go of her hand.
He tried to pull the ring off but it wouldn't budge, so he pulled harder.
"Ouch!" Raid said, glaring at him.
"Sorry." He mumbled. "Please can I look at your ring?"
Raid slid the ring off easily and with a smug smile, handed it to Draco. It was his turn to glare.
He examined the ring thoroughly, until he came to the inside of the band when he stopped and started trying to read something.
"What?" Raid asked.
"There," he said quietly. "There's writing here."
He handed the ring to Raid.
"Where?" She asked, looking at the ring closely. "What does it say?"
"It says." Draco began, but stopped.
"Well go on." Raid prompted.
"It says, 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Toujours pur'" He said quietly.
"Oh." Was all Raid could say. She looked mildly shocked.
"Which means.." Draco began.
"Which means that this ring was sent to me by my mother." Raid finished. "Oh dear."
"Your mother!" Hermione said in shock. "But, but she's in Azkaban. How could she send it you?"
"I don't know." Raid said slowly. She gently twisted the ring round her finger as she thought. The two girls were sitting on Hermione's bed with the curtains shut and the silencing spells in place.
"Perhaps. Perhaps you should take it to Dumbledore." Hermione suggested carefully. Remembering all too well the last time she had done something like that, without asking about it.
"Hmm. Maybe" Raid said thoughtfully. "I'm going to go to bed. See you in the morning."
"Ok, goodnight. Think about talking to Dumbledore though."
"Mmm." Raid said absently.
"Fine! Ron, I'll come. Happy?" Hermione snapped.
Hermione stormed over to Raid who was waiting patiently with the rest of the class for their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid, who had recently returned for his secret trip.
"What was that about?" Raid asked.
"Umm, well err." Hermione looked shifty. "You aren't supposed to know really."
"Oh." Raid looked disappointed. "Well, tell me anyway."
Hermione glanced around to see if Harry or Ron were near her.
"It's about Dumbledore's army, our kind of secret group for practicing Defence against the Dark Arts." Hermione whispered.
"Oh, that. I knew about that." Raid said.
"You did? How?" Hermione asked surprised.
Raid suddenly looked like she had given something away that she shouldn't have. She absently played with the ring on her right hand. She still hadn't gone to Dumbledore about it.
"Well, umm. I overheard someone saying something about it." She said quickly.
Hermione wasn't quite convinced that was the truth but didn't press the matter.
"It sounds interesting, do you think I would cause uproar if I came?" Raid asked absently, looking at the clouded sky.
"Probably, but I don't see why you shouldn't," Hermione said. "Come along tonight and see."
At that moment Hagrid appeared and beckoned them in to the Forbidden Forest. The Slytherins started mumbling their disapprovals and Pansy, out of habit started to hang off Draco's arm. Raid saw Draco trying to shake her off. He glanced up at her and she could see he wanted her to help him. She waved and smiled sweetly. Then turned back to the front of the class, who had now stopped at a clearing. They looked around curiously as Hagrid put a huge chunk of meat on the floor.
"T'day we're gona be lookin' at Thestrals." Hagrid said.
"Well where are they?" Draco drawled from the back.
Raid rolled her eyes, Draco could be so obnoxious at times. She saw Harry glare back at Draco.
"Don worry, not all of yer will be able to see em. Does anyone know why?" Hagrid asked.
Hermione hand was instantly in the air.
"You can only see them if you have seem death." She said, without prompting.
"Very good Hermione." Hagrid said.
As he said this there was a shriek from Parvati. A bit of the meat had detached itself and was disappearing itself as well.
"See, there yer are. Hogwarts got a whole herd of tame ones." Hagrid said proudly.
"Wonderful, an animal we can't even see. What's the point? When my father hears about this there'll be some changes made." Draco said lazily.
"Malfoy shut up!" Harry snapped at him.
Hagrid was looking quite put out and Raid felt sorry for him.
"Why shouldn't we learn about them? They are after all, magical creatures Draco." Raid asked Draco.
Draco looked shocked at his girlfriend questioning him. He didn't say anything.
"What's this Malfoy? Speechless?" Harry taunted. "Can't face up to your lying little girlfriend?"
"That's enough Potter!" Raid and Draco both said together.
"Ok, umm well. Anyway." Hagrid interrupted. "Who can see the Thestrals?"
"I can." Harry said.
There were no more disruptions that lesson. Raid moved back to hold hands with Draco. She could tell he was annoyed with her but she figured he would get over it.
As Hermione and Raid entered the room of requirement everyone fell silent as they saw Raid. Harry didn't see her straight away as he was talking to Ron, but the silence made him turn to look at who had come in. He gave Hermione a small smile, but when his eyes fell on Raid he scowled.
"What is she doing here?" He asked Hermione accusingly.
"I, umm invited her." Hermione said.
"Well she's not staying!" Harry snapped. He glared at Raid.
"Harry, if she wants to learn some practical defence against the dark arts, here is the only place she can." Hermione reasoned with Harry.
The rest of the class stood staring at this argument, only Ron and Ginny knew the reason behind Harry's angry outburst. They were looking from Raid to Hermione to Harry, not understanding this argument.
"Well I'm sure she knows enough about the 'dark arts'," Harry said nastily.
"Hey, you know fuck all about me, so why don't you shut the hell up." Raid snapped angrily.
With that she turned to Hermione, "This was a bad idea," Then glancing at Harry. "I didn't come here to be accused of being a dark witch." She said pointedly.
And she stormed out of the room.
Walking quickly down the corridor, she soon realised she was being follow.
"Wonder boy being an ass?" Draco's drawling voice said.
Raid turned around.
"Something like that." She smiled at Draco. "Sorry about earlier in class, I just felt sorry for Hagrid."
Draco shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He said, putting an arm around Raid's waist. "I just can't stand that stupid half breed."
Raid looked at him curiously.
"You know," She said. "Voldemort is actually a half breed…" She quickly looked at the floor.
Draco tensed.
"What point are you trying to make?" His voice was harsh.
"Nothing." Raid said quickly, not really wanting to get in to a debate about Voldemort at that moment. " Anyway, I wouldn't have minded going to that club thingy, I don't get much chance to practice defence against the dark arts."
She felt Draco relax as she changed the topic.
"Well I'm sure we could just practice on our own." He suggested.
Suddenly Raid felt she had to ask about a darker topic.
"Draco, the dark arts, do you…?" She began, but stopped, mid question. Draco had stopped walking. She turned to face him.
"Yes. I do." He stated.
"Oh." Raid said quietly.
"But I want you to know, I would never, ever do anything to hurt you." He said to Raid, who was staring at the floor. He lifted her chin so he could look directly in to her eyes, her black pupils barely discernable form her irises. "I promise. I know its horrendously cliché." He finished, his last statement making Raid smile. "But, it's true."
"One day Draco. I want you to tell me everything." Raid said.
"One day." Draco agreed. "Anyway. I think I know of a broom cupboard that we could practice 'defence against the dark arts'." Draco said cheekily.
"Oh is there now, and what 'defence' would that be?" Raid asked, trying to look innocent.
"Let me show you." Draco whispered, as he leaned in to kiss her.
The week before the Christmas holidays Raid woke up to find that Hermione was already up and had not woken her. Quickly pulling on her robes and making her hair striped with black and white, she began to leave the dormitory, but stopped as she heard a tapping on the window. She let the owl in and undid the parchment from its leg. Instantly the large brown owl flew off. Raid quickly read the letter, her eyes widening in shock as she did so. Finishing reading it she concluded that this was why Hermione was not in bed. Tapping her truck with her wand she pulled out a magically locked box, opening it with her wand she place the letter on top of many others inside. Locking the box again, she hid it away and went looking for Hermione.
She found her sitting in the common room. It was one of the 'ungodly' hours in the morning as Hermione described them, and Hermione looked like she had been up awhile. There were small circles under her slightly puffy eyes, she looked like she had been crying.
"Hermione, are you ok?" Raid asked gently. She sat down on to the couch next to her.
"Yes I'm fine." Hermione said very quietly.
"You're quite obviously not." Raid said.
"Well, no, I'm not fine, exactly." Hermione conceded, looking like she was about to cry again.
"What's happened?" Raid asked. Knowing full well that Mr Weasley had been attacked and was currently in St.Mungo's, the letter had told her the whole situation.
"It's, well its Ron's dad." Hermione said. "He's been.. He's ill and he's had to go to St. Mungo's. Ron, Harry and all the Weasley's have gone."
"Ooh." Raid said, doing her best to look surprised. "I'm sure he'll be ok. St.Mungo's is the best."
"Hopefully." Hermione said quietly.
"Try not to worry." Raid soothed, putting her arm round Hermione. "You'll be able to go and visit him I'm sure. It's the Christmas holidays in a couple of days."
Hermione was too upset to wonder why Raid would assume that she would go and see Ron's father in hospital.
Bad ending to the chapter I know, I'm sorry. It's a bit too cryptic as well. But bear with me. All is revealed in the next chapter. Well some of it, maybe all, depends on how I feel. This chapter does ramble on a bit. But I needed to get to xmas. OOOOO there's a cool bit coming up. Really really cool. Well I think its good, you'll probably hate it. Anyway, review review.