Goodness me. Summer is so incredibly boring sometimes. I think it'll be a chapter per day for now until I run out of pre-written chapters. Which will be sometime soon. But I lack foresight so pooh.
Chapter 4: Sharps, Flats, and Minors
Through the next couple of days, Seraphim found herself pondering the music that seemed to spring from Malfoy's fingertips. He had taken to drumming on his desk in class, or tapping the edge of his quill on his cheek. She found herself paying more acute attention to the way he clucked his tongue at people; rhythm everywhere in everything he did. She was amazed.
When he was sure no one was listening, Seraphim also noticed that his voice took on a different quality. The harsh, commanding tone was replaced by a higher, more lilting tenor voice. The way he spoke, almost as if he were sing-songing but not quite. He spoke more delicately when muttering to himself and taking notes.
She had purchased by mail order a recording of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' and listened to it constantly. The beautiful violin solos stood out vividly each time. Seraphim began trying to transpose them for the flute so she could duet with the recording. She'd filled out sheet after sheet of manuscript paper trying to get it just right.
Seraphim also took to practicing her flute more often. Every once in a while, people would tell her to shut up because they were studying.
One evening, she sat in the common room with Hermione after putting her flute away and beginning on the next week's lesson.
"So, do you think everyone is ready to try some defensive tactics?" Seraphim asked apprehensively.
"Well, you'll probably have to partner people up yourself. If, say, Harry and Malfoy somehow got stuck together, they might kill each other," the younger girl pointed out as she double-checked her Astrology chart.
"True. But do you think the disarming spell is a bit much?"
Before Hermione could answer, Harry and Ron emerged from the portrait hole and sat down. "Bloody hell, Harry, that was some practice," Ron puffed.
"How's everybody doing?" asked Hermione.
"Well, we're off to a bit of a shaky start but I think we'll be in top condition for the first match," Harry mused.
"Ah, Quidditch," Seraphim nodded to herself, enlightened.
"Yeah." Harry leaned back and flopped to the floor. Ron soon followed suit.
"Right, so, expelliarmus?" asked Seraphim, turning to Hermione.
"Mmm, as long as you assign partners yourself it should be fine."
"Okay. I'll do that," she made a note before closing her book and lying down alongside Harry and Ron. Hermione, being the only one left sitting, slid down onto her stomach facing the rest of her friends.
"I'm hungry," Ron said suddenly.
Harry thought a moment and nodded his head, "Yeah. Let's go down to the kitchen," he suggested, looking at Seraphim and Hermione.
"Oh, all right," Seraphim got slowly to her feet.
After some coaxing, Hermione agreed to accompany the others to say hello to the house elves and to get something to eat.
"Hey, you there," came a voice from behind just as they were turning the corner leading to the fruit painting, "what are you doing?"
Seraphim turned around. "Ahh, Malfoy."
The blonde nodded tersely. "What are you three doing out of bed at this hour?" he directed his attention to the other Gryffindors.
"We've every right to be out and about as you Malfoy," Hermione replied hotly.
"You and Weasel, sure. But I'm sure Potter isn't allowed out," he smirked.
"Or wouldn't be if I weren't accompanying him," Seraphim sighed off-handedly. Beautiful music or no, he was being a genuine ass.
"Which leads to the question: where are you going?" he sent a piercing look her way.
"The answer is: none of your damn business," she retorted, one hand on her hip. She seethed 'bite me.'
"Excuse me for looking out for a student's well-being," Malfoy sneered.
"Looking for ways to get us in trouble is more like it," Ron glared. "Why don't you just leave us alone, Malfoy?"
"What, Weasley? Haven't I got a right?" he asked, not waiting for an answer. "I'm sure you've been doing something unworthy of the prefect badge." He sniffed.
"Like you're much better?"
Seraphim shook her head. Even though he was a prat, she wasn't supposed to let them jinx each other if she could help it. "All right you two, stop right now," she glared at both of them. "Malfoy, go away and stop bothering us. Ron, don't provoke him anymore, please."
"How come you say 'please' to him and not to me?"
"Because he says 'please' to me and you don't," Seraphim replied sarcastically.
Seemingly out of comebacks, Malfoy sent her a glare coupled with another piercing look that she couldn't quite decipher and turned on his heels.
Without further ado, the quartet entered into the kitchens and was warmly greeted by Dobby.
"Hello Sirs and Misses. What can Dobby do for you today?" He bounced enthusiastically on his toes while dressed in what looked like a patchwork coat of socks.
"Umm, well not much just-" Ron was cut off by another house elf.
"Sirs, Misses! You haves only to say the word and we's is at your service!"
After much discussion, a small table was set and numerous desserts were brought out along with Winky's famous hot chocolate.
"Thanks," said Harry as they settled down.
There were cookies and cakes and pies and other things they couldn't name but that looked delicious. "Well, dig in," said Ron.
Around a chocolate éclair, they discussed their lessons and gave Seraphim a few tips on how to better her teaching.
"So if you just turned Malfoy into a bug or something, I'm sure it'd make life a whole lot easier," Ron concluded, smiling.
Seraphim laughed, "Aunt Minerva would kill me. And he's not so bad."
Ron gaped. "Not so bad?"
Catching her mistake, Seraphim quickly recovered, "When he keeps his mouth shut."
They all had a good laugh at that one. "But he always has something to say," Hermione sighed pityingly.
"Well, I think we better be getting back. Don't want to run into Malfoy when he does his rounds back this way," Harry said, standing up.
"Right."
They all filed out of the portrait hole to the kitchens and bid the house elves good night.
After a small after-party in which Ron fell over a few armchairs in an impersonation of Malfoy being an idiot, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had to be up the next day for lessons, went to sleep.
In the common room by herself, Seraphim's thoughts began to wander. Mentally cursing the fact that Muggle electronic devices didn't work in Hogwarts and she would not be able to amuse herself with her favorite DVDs as there was no type of television screen to watch them on, she decided to take a walk until she was tired enough to sleep.
Once again slipping out through the portrait, she wandered over to the owlrey. She sat down on a clean spot and called Hedwig over.
"Hello pet," she said softly, gently brushing the feathers nestled against her.
"Why do you think boys are so unreadable?" she asked the snowy owl.
Hedwig just cooed against her cheek.
"You don't know either, huh?" Seraphim sighed, slouching down even further. "I have a feeling he could be nice if someone could just get him to treat them as an equal. I know he thinks he's better than everyone else but he doesn't have a very good home life from what I've heard from Aunt Minerva."
The owl nipped her finger slightly. "Well maybe it is his own fault for never doing something about it. But maybe he's just had it pounded into him so bad that he needs someone else to get it out." Seraphim sighed unhappily and looked at Hedwig.
"Do you have any idea what in the world I'm talking about?" she asked. The owl just nipped her finger again.
Seraphim turned to look out the owlrey window. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish…" she thought a moment, "How should I know what to wish for?"
Hedwig clucked her tongue disapprovingly.
"Oh, all right. I wish…for happiness. How's that?" she asked the owl.
Hedwig did the equivalent of a nod and flew back to her post.
As her company had deserted her, Seraphim got up and walked over to the astronomy tower. Settling down on the edge, she found herself wishing for her flute. The stars were very beautiful and, as there were no lights, she could see just about all of them.
It was so beautiful, so peaceful, up there with no one else, Seraphim jokingly contemplated becoming a hermit. Chuckling to herself and shaking her head, she let her feet dangle over the tower's edge. She would bring someone special up here with her, she decided, when she found her special someone.
Looking at the stars, Seraphim realized that the sun was going to rise in about an hour. Since she still didn't feel up to lying in bed doing nothing, she decided to head over to the best place to watch the sunrise.
Heading back down the tower steps, Seraphim ran into Peeves and, 'just this once', decided to curse him. She giggled at the thought of him turning up in the great hall as a floating pink elephant the next morning.
It was eerie to see the hall so deserted, but Seraphim walked through aided by a small white globe of light she held in her hand.
Slipping out the great double doors of the entrance hall, Seraphim transfigured a bridge of moonlight over the lake. It was a shaky bridge; moonlight wasn't very stable to begin with, but it held until she got across.
Then, after a moment's deliberation on whether or not to go back for a cloak, she began the short hike to the hilltop across from the Herbology greenhouses. That was the best place to watch a sunrise; there was no question. The rays would peek over the horizon until they hit castle's tallest tower and reflected off the lake. It was perhaps the second-most beautiful sight Seraphim had ever witnessed. If she had to be confined to two sights for her entire life, she would choose the night sky and the sunrise.
Seraphim settled on the grass, wet with dew. She didn't mind. She just waited for the sunrise, shivering, a little with cold and a little with anticipation. She felt someone drop a cloak on her.
"You look cold," the voice was familiar, but not familiar.
"It's worth it to see the sunrise," Seraphim turned to see her benefactor and could not control the swift intake of breath that followed.
"It is."
Hmm, I wonder who it is… Haha. Well, please leave a comment of some sort (be it motivational or otherwise). I shall see you all tomorrow hopefully. Bye!