Once again: The plot of this story is based on JKR's Harry Potter series. Our plot weaves in 2 new characters: David Murray and Elizabeth Fawkes. While Lizzy is an addition, Dave replaces Seamus Finnigan. It also incorporates ideas borrowed from the White Wolf storyteller game system. Please also see the disclaimer at the bottom of this chapter (we won't mention which game it is here as it will give away a big surprise, but it is wicked fun to play). Many new characters will appear in following chapters which are our characters based on the game system we played. Our plot weaves around the original plot of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. We own only our own characters and our plot. All other characters and the original plot belong to JK Rowling. Please don't sue us! :) Part 2 of the disclaimer: All gaming terms, references, settings and characters relating to Werewolf: The Apocalypse are owned by White Wolf (Martyn, Macha, Dave, and Lizzy are our own characters however), no copyright infringement is intended. BTW, we are not making a penny off this.
We also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge our good friend, Jason. He created Amadeus and the Werewolf chronicle from which our characters, Martyn and Macha, were based. Without his creative input, Martyn and Macha, and their subsequent development, would never have existed.
Note to all our readers: If you read chapter 2 before the new year, please re-read it. When we originally uploaded it, for some strange reason, part of it was cut off. We've fixed the problem, the chapter's end should make a little more sense now. (If you started reading our story after Jan 1st, please disregard this.) Thanks!
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The Lord, the Lady, and Luna
Chapter 14: Christmas Break
Just before Christmas break, after the last class, Dave entered the common room with what appeared to be an armload of presents.
"Hi Dave," came Lizzy's voice from near the small piano that was in one corner of the room. Earlier that week, she had invited him to spend the Christmas break at her house. Dave however, although he seemed to appreciate the invitation, did not want to be around other families at Christmas, and knowing that he was expected at the Caern, declined.
"Hi Elizabeth," Dave replied. "I have prezzies here. Ok, here's one for Fred and George," he continued as he started handing out the presents. Next, Dave called Ron, Harry, Hermione, Lizzy, and Neville, and handed each of them a present. "Well, open them up," he told them. They grinned and sat down to open their presents. Neville got a small round object that immediately began whirring and whistling.
"Gee, thanks Dave!" Neville said, admiring his new pocket Sneak-o-Scope. The others had, by now, opened their own. They all seemed to get the same thing. Lizzy, however, was somewhat perplexed by her new mirror which didn't show her reflection.
"Um, Dave," she said, "What exactly is this?"
"It's a Foe-Glass," Dave replied. Ron looked at his and said,
"Figures. Taking after your godfather now, are you?"
"Well, never hurts. Anyways, Elizabeth, that shows your enemies. As long as the shapes stay indistinct, you're fine. If one or more ever become clear, you'll know they're close by."
"Thanks Dave," Lizzy replied, smiling at him. Fred and George, meanwhile, had opened their present and were positively beaming at Dave.
"Thanks Dave!" they said in unison. Ron turned to his brothers and asked,
"Hey, what did you guys get?"
"A book," they replied with wide grins on their faces as they showed Ron the book. Ron groaned as he saw the title: A Million and One More Practical Jokes.
"Dave," Ron said, "You realize Mum's gonna kill you. As if they weren't bad enough already!" After a few minutes, Dave turned to go upstairs. Hermione and Lizzy both got up from their seats and caught him before he got to the stairs. Both girls gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Dave seemed rather surprised by their affection.
"Thanks girls," he said, then went up the stairs to his room.
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A few days later, those who were going home for the holidays were getting ready to leave. Hermione had already gone downstairs to talk to Harry and Ron, promising to meet Lizzy by the carriages. Lizzy was dragging her trunk down from her dorm when Dave saw her.
"Hey, Elizabeth," he said, "Need a hand?" Without waiting for an answer, he picked up her trunk and started carrying it down for her.
"Thanks Dave," Lizzy said gratefully.
"You're welcome, Miss Fawkes," he replied with a smile and mock bow. They walked down to the carriages in companionable silence. Dave placed the trunk on the luggage holder.
"Save a spot for me in there," he said as he walked to the front of the carriage. Lizzy was a bit startled to see him seemingly petting something that she couldn't see.
"What are you doing, Dave?" she asked.
"Petting the Thestrals," Dave replied.
"What's a Thestral?" Lizzy asked, "I don't see anything."
"They're kind of like winged horses, but they can only be seen by someone who has seen death," Dave replied as he walked back to Lizzy. Just then, Hermione came out of the school and joined them. Dave put her trunk with Lizzy's and the three of them got into the carriage. The ride to the station was pleasant but cold. Dave seemed unperturbed by the temperature, but Lizzy and Hermione both shivered non-stop. After helping them put their trunks on the train, he stood on the platform and waved goodbye as the Hogwarts Express steamed towards King's Cross. Lizzy and Hermione watched out the window and saw Dave turn with his head down and walk back off the platform.
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When the train arrived at King's Cross, Hermione met her parents while Lizzy greeted her entourage.
"Did Dave come, did Dave come?" Lizzy's little sister Victoria asked excitedly while jumping up and down.
"No Vicky, he didn't come," came Lizzy's reply, "Mom, can we go shopping? I want to get Dave present. He should have at least one thing to open up on Christmas morning."
"Good afternoon, I'm Dr. Granger, Hermione's dad," came a voice from behind Lizzy.
"Good day, I am Pastor Fawkes and this is my family. Lizzy has told us about how nice your daughter is."
"Thank you," Dr. Granger said, "I couldn't help overhearing that you were going to get a present for one of our daughters' classmates. Hermione wants to get him something too, but we have an urgent appointment. Would you mind terribly if she could go with you and we'll pick her up between 6 and 7?"
"Not at all, she is very welcome to join us. We'll have her just outside the Leaky Cauldron at 6:30," Pastor Fawkes replied. With that, Hermione's parents went off, while Lizzy, her family, and Hermione went to Diagon Alley. Lizzy first went to the sweet shop and bought presents for Harry, Ron, Neville, and her brothers. Next, she dragged everyone over to the jewelry shop.
"Are you getting something for your Mom here, Lizzy?" Hermione asked.
"Well, yes, but I also thought I'd get Dave something from here," Lizzy replied, "I sort of have an idea as to what I want to get him." Lizzy browsed for a bit and picked out a set of earrings for her mom and a bracelet for her sister. Next, she went over to where the hair pieces were. "I thought I'd get him a nice hair clip," Lizzy continued, "since he wears his hair long and it's almost always tied back." Lizzy hesitated over some silver clips, but somehow she felt that silver wasn't right for Dave. She finally chose two pewter hair clips. One was the head of a wolf, the other was a stag.
"Why'd you choose those two animals in particular, Lizzy?" Hermione asked, "I'd have thought a lion, for Gryffindor."
"I'm not sure, Hermione," Lizzy replied, "These just seem to suit him better." Hermione decided on a pewter name bracelet for Dave. She had 'David' engraved on it, with 'from Hermione' on the inside. The two paid for their purchases and left the jewelry store. They bought a few more things for their families and by six twenty were ready to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione's parents were waiting on the Muggle side of London when Lizzy, her family, and Hermione came through and, after wishing each other Happy Christmas, they all left to go home.
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Christmas break passed uneventfully. Lizzy sent her owl, Tas, off with her gifts for Dave and the others the day before Christmas.
On the last day of break, Lizzy was waiting on Platform 9 3/4 for Hermione when she was bumped into by a rather large, dark skinned man. The man excused himself and smiled at her.
"Gryffindor, eh?" he said in a low, booming voice, "Always the best come from Gryffindor. Do you know a David Murray? Please say hello to him for me."
"Sure sir, Dave is my best friend!" Lizzy replied, "What is your name?" The large man boomed with laughter.
"That's right you wouldn't know me, anyways if you describe me he'd know who. But where are my manners, I am Kingsley Shacklebolt, I was one of his father's best friends and co-workers. Anyways, I must be off, just had to get a message to another student, take care." And with that, he Disapparated.
"Hi Lizzy," came Hermione's voice from across the crowd, "How was your Christmas?"
"Great, how was yours?" Lizzy replied as she reached Hermione's side.
"It was great. I got some new books from my parents." Lizzy grinned at Hermione's delight over books. As the Hogwarts Express sounded its boarding whistle, they ran to give their families hugs, then got on board. They found themselves a compartment and spent the trip to Hogwarts chatting about their Christmas break. When they got to Hogsmeade Station, they saw a boy on the platform with long grey hair. As the train stopped, Dave got on board to take their trunks off for them.
"Hi Dave," Lizzy greeted him, followed by Hermione's greeting to Dave.
"Hi Elizabeth, Hermione," Dave replied as he entered their compartment. As he reached up to grab their trunks, Hermione noticed that he was wearing the bracelet she got him. As he turned to carry their trunks out, Lizzy saw that he was also wearing the stag hair clip she'd gotten him. The two girls exchanged smiles of delight and followed him off the train. When they left the platform, Dave put their trunks on a carriage. Then he turned and gave Hermione a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for my Christmas present," he said to her, then turned to Lizzy. He gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek as well. "Thanks Elizabeth," he said, then added in a lower voice, "How did you know about the stag?"
"I'm not sure, Dave," Lizzy replied, "It just seemed to suit you for some reason." Dave looked pensive at that but didn't pursue the matter any further. He rode back to Hogwarts in the carriage with them, chatting. Actually, he let the two girls chat while he sat comfortably and listened. As they reached the castle, they saw the glow coming from the Great Hall where the welcome back feast was about to begin. Dave took Lizzy on one side, Hermione on the other and escorted them to their spot at the Gryffindor table. Ron looked incredulous.
"Well, now that their Majesties have arrived, maybe we can eat," Ron said under his breath. Parvati and Lavender giggled incessantly. When the feast was over, Dave got up , walked over to Hermione and Lizzy, bowed and asked.
"Ladies, will you do me the honour of allowing me to escort you up to the dorms?" Hermione and Lizzy looked at each other, Ron, Harry, and Neville sniggered, and Lavender and Parvati giggled madly.
"Oi, Dave, don't you think you are moving too fast with too many girls?" came the twins identical voices.
"What do you two young ladies think?" Dave asked the girls.
Blushing madly, the girls got up and went with Dave before they could be embarrassed any more. After leaving the Great Hall, the girls thought their worries were behind them. Just then, Peeves appeared with a bucket of snow.
"Don't make me mad Peeves!" Dave warned him and before they knew it, they were all covered in snow. The next series of events were somewhat vague. Peeves stuck his tongue out and blew raspberries at them, Dave made a quick and sudden move, and then Peeves went off screaming madly as if he'd been hurt.
"What was that all about?" Lizzy asked.
"I warned him not to make me mad. He didn't listen, so I hit him." Lizzy and Hermione exchanged stunned looks and followed Dave to the dorms in silence.
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Thank you for reading our epic in the making.
Please review and tell us what you think. Lizzy is going to find something out in the coming chapter and fluffiness will ensue in future installments. Oh yes, don't forget the importance of Mushies.