-Pirate's Nectar -
Ginny was first to arrive at the front doors of the castle, but before she could touch them, Will reached around her and grabbed the door handle.
"Please, allow me," said Will.
"Thank you," said a startled Ginny. A blush crept up her neck and painted her cheeks a fetching shade of pink. She ducked her head to hide it and went in.
Jack bowed slightly extending his arm out, "After you," he said to Hermione. Hermione gave him an odd once over and walked past. Will stared at his captain with raised eyebrows. Jack slyly winked and followed.
"Ah, there you are," said Professor Dumbledore, approaching slowly. The door softly shut behind them. "I wanted to inform you that we are diligently working on finding a way to get you back to your own place and time," said Dumbledore, giving them a small smile.
"Did --" Jack took a step forward towards Dumbledore as if he had heard wrong, "did you just say time?"
"That I did, Captain Sparrow," Dumbledore said with a grin.
"I need a drink," Jack grumbled.
"Some nice cider does sound like it would hit the spot," said Dumbledore, glancing towards the main hall.
"I was thinking more along the line of blessed pirate's nectar," Jack said under his breath.
Hermione and Ginny shared a confused look.
"Pirate's nectar?" asked Hermione, wrinkling her nose.
Jack turned to look back at her, "Rum, Love," he answered.
"Oh," said Hermione.
"I'm sure Hagrid has some Ogden's Fire Whiskey," offered Ginny.
"Fire Whiskey," Jack repeated, looking interested, "I think I'll be needing to meet this Hagrid."
Dumbledore chuckled. "If you'll excuse me, I believe there is a shepherd's pie with my name on it."
They followed Dumbledore, finding the main hall much fuller this time around. Students stopped eating to stare at the two pirates, quickly putting their heads together to talk in hushed voices. Ginny and Hermione walked down the aisle to an open spot at the center of the tables, the men sat across from them. Students from all over the room craned their necks to get a better look. The entire Gryffindor table sat and openly stared at the men in curiosity.
"Yes, yes," said Dumbledore, standing by his chair at the head table. "We have visitors among us, I will expect you to welcome them warmly and provide them with great Hogwarts hospitality." Saying no more, Dumbledore sat down to eat. This didn't seem to make the students any less curious, but since Dumbledore didn't appear to offer any extra information the students were left to the own devices. Jack glanced around at all curiously staring facing watching him.
"What?" said Jack impatiently. With narrowed eyes, he waved a hand out. That simple act had the desired effect as many of the students to became very interested in their food again. He smirked and reached for a serving spoon. Jack glanced up and caught Hermione watching him closely. He raised his eyebrows at her; and she frowned and busied herself with plating her own food.
Harry and Ron entered the main hall and searched up and down the Gryffindor line of tables. As soon as they spotted Hermione and Ginny, they made their way down the aisle and sat on either side of them, both men glaring across the table at the two pirates.
A short distance away, Dean, Neville and Seamus sat, each looking ready to burst with curiosity.
"So, you're really Jack Sparrow?" Dean finally asked, leaning over his plate to see. Seamus and Neville looked up, waiting to hear the answer.
"Captain," Jack said in exasperation, "Captain Jack Sparrow." Will grinned into his goblet of cider.
"I read all about you when I went to my old muggle school." said Dean, looking closely at the pirate. Jack's interest perked and he sat straighter.
"So you've heard of me," Jack said, giving Dean a genuine smile.
Harry and Ron turned their glare on Dean. It had the desired effect for he slowly sat back and concentrated on his lunch. Seamus and Neville became occupied with a deep discussion over the color of the pumpkin juice in the jug.
"What is this word, muggle?" Will asked Ginny.
"It's a term the wizarding world uses to refer to people with no magical ability," she answered, picking up her fork.
"Like you," Ron shot. Hermione glared at Ron, sharply kicking his ankle under the table. Ron grunted in pain but refused to acknowledge what she'd just done. Jack's eyes danced, watching the exchange across the table.
"Ginny, we have practice this evening," Ron said, turning his attention from the two pirates to look over at his sister.
"That I know, dear brother," she said in aggravation.
"You'll be there, right?" Harry asked. Will glanced at Harry, clenching his jaw.
Ginny turned to Harry and frowned. "Of course I will," she said, sounding surprised he'd think anything else.
A sly grin grew on Jack's face. "Yes, our bonny lass here has graciously invited us to come watch her at this fascinating sport she mentioned earlier," said Jack, watching Ron and Harry closely. "Quidwich is it?"
"Quidditch," Ron growled.
"Fair enough, so we'll be seeing you there then, savvy?" Jack said, smirking. Ron took a deep breath through his nose letting it out slowly. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I very much look forward to watching you in your practice, Ginny," Will said, catching her eye and smiling, ignoring the glare he received from Harry.
Ginny smiled and blushed. She ducked her head to wipe her lips on a napkin.
"Hermione, here, has offered to accompany us and explain the finer points as we watch," Jack said, eyeing her closely. Hermione shot him a look but didn't deny what he said. Ron's face grew increasingly redder as the conversation continued.
"I've lost my appetite, I'll see you later 'Mione," Ron said, jumping up from the bench and storming out of the main hall.
Harry stood as well. "I'll see you at practice, Ginny." He caught her gaze and held it for several seconds. He gave Will another death glare and left the hall. Will frowned, his nose curling in a sneer as he watched Harry walk away.
Jack looked around the table, grinning. He took a sip of his cider and made a disgusted face. "What I wouldn't give for a nice bottle of rum," Jack grumbled.
Seamus perked. "I can help you with that," he said, jumping from his seat and moving to sit next to Hermione.
"Oh no," Hermione moaned.
Seamus thrust his wand out and leaned towards Jack's goblet. Jack and Will watched in apprehension. With a few taps of his wand and several words under his breath, Seamus sat back and beamed happily.
"And I kept me eyebrows this time!" said Seamus, wiggling his fully intact eyebrows to prove his point. Jack furrowed an eyebrow, picked his goblet up again and looked into it.
"Go on!" Seamus urged. Jack sniffed his goblet and looked at Seamus again, who was smiling brightly and nodding his encouragement. Jack took a tentative sip, his eyes growing wide. He took another long pull and closed his eyes in bliss.
"Ah, that be it, lad," he said happily, looking at Seamus. "I can see now how this magic would be a great benefit, I owe you me thanks."
Hermione scowled at Seamus then Jack. Seamus was almost bursting with pride as he went back to his own seat.
Will looked at Jack's goblet before turning his attention to the Ginny, "You can turn cider to rum?"
Ginny nodded.
"That and many other things!" said Seamus, smiling proudly. "I've gotten really good at it. I can turn just about any liquid into rum!"
Will looked impressed and continued on with his meal.
"I be most curious about these 'other things', but for now I'll remain content with me rum," said Jack, savoring his goblet of spirits.
Hermione huffed and stabbed a bite of food with her fork. "Honestly. . . rum. . . What was he thinking?" she grumbled, "Vile stuff."
Jack made a bored face, rolling his eyes heavenward, having heard much the same story before.
"Here, watch this," Ginny said, picking up a raw baby carrot and setting it on the table between her and Will. She tapped the carrot twice with her wand. Will's eyes widened in shock as the carrot glowed bright white. When the light faded, a small heart shaped dark chocolate stood in the place the carrot had just been.
Ginny picked up the chocolate and held it in her upturned palm in offering. "Go ahead," she urged.
Will reached out to take the sweet, letting his fingers linger on her palm before slowly pulling away. Tiny shivers of excitement coursed up her arm. Will hesitantly put the sweet to his mouth. Ginny found herself entranced with his movements, unconsciously licking her lips as she watched him place the decadent candy into his mouth and close his lips around it. She felt a strong desire to be a chocolate at that moment as a flash of heat washed over her. Ginny blinked several times and looked down realizing she was staring and quickly grabbed her cider with shaking hands. Taking a long drink, she tried to look anywhere else but at Will's mouth.
Jack chuckled into his goblet of rum.
Hermione gave Ginny an odd look, "Are you alright Ginny?" she asked, "You look a bit feverish."
Ginny choked into her cider and had to set her goblet down quickly and grab a napkin to blot her lips. "I'm fine," she muttered from behind the linen cloth.
"Thank you, Ginny," said Will, bringing Ginny's eyes back to stare at his mouth as he smiled from across the table, "It was wonderful."
Ginny sat her napkin down hastily and tried to stand on now wobbly legs. She mentally cursed herself for being so weak.
"You're welcome, there is plenty more where that came from," she said, inwardly commanding her legs to work properly. Will rose to his feet, smiling warmly at her. Ginny cringed at how stupid she sounded to her own ears.
This must have been apparent to Hermione, who in an attempt to cover her own giggle ended up choking on a bite of food.
"There, there love," Jack said, setting his goblet down and leaning forward, closely watching Hermione cough into her napkin. "More tour then, shall we?"
Hermione cast a quick look over at Ginny, who at the moment was trying stare at anything but Will.
"Um, yes. Yes I think that is a good idea," said Hermione.
"Lead the way, Love," Jack said, looking forward to the upcoming practice for his own reasons.
Their tour continued for some time along the long winding corridors of Hogwarts with Hermione giving elaborate details of information that she'd learned from her many readings of Hogwarts, A History.
After a particularly detailed telling of the not-very-well known life and times of Joshamee Sykes, Jack let out his fourth forlorn sigh of the day.
"What's the matter Jack?" Ginny asked, for the third time. She side-stepped to allow Will room to stand beside her.
"What?" Jack turned from a rather drab painting of Joshamee Skyes to look at her, "Tis nothing darlin'," he said with a dismissive wave of the hand.
"Well I don't believe you," said Ginny, squaring her shoulders and crossing her arms.
"A fiery lass beneath it all," Jack muttered with a grin.
"So are you going to tell me?" Ginny asked again. Will glanced down at her then over at Jack.
"Alright then," Jack said raising his hands up, "If only to quell the temper I see be risin' in you. I be thinkin' about my ship, Love." said Jack, turning to watch a fair maiden in a portrait smile and wave down at him.
"I am sorry, Jack," Hermione said, glancing up at the portrait of the maiden flirting with the pirate before turning her attention to the corridor again.
"I'm sure the headmaster and other professors will find a way to correct this," Ginny said, giving Jack and Will a sympathetic look.
"It wasn't your fault," Will said, patting Ginny's arm.
Hermione looked to be deep in thought as she walked, fingering her wand in her pocket. Her eyes widened in excitement and she spun around to face them.
"I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier," she said, looking around the hall before settling her eyes on the group. "Jack, I think I might have a solution that I'll run past Professor Dumbledore, but for the moment, I want to show you something that might help a bit." They stood there in confusion, watching Hermione as she paced. "Well -- come on then!" Hermione said excitedly, grabbing Jacks hand to pull him along.
Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked down at the small feminine hand grasping his own tanned calloused one, but kept quiet. Will looked down at Ginny who could only shrug her shoulder before hurrying to follow.
They arrived beside a stretch of blank wall opposite of an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy's foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet. Ginny gasped, instantly recognizing the area.
"Hermione, what are you intending?" Ginny asked. Will and Jack looked around seeing nothing special about this bit of corridor.
"Okay, I'm not sure how well this will work, but I want you to begin concentrating really hard on the cabin of the Black Pearl," said Hermione, her eyes flashing with excitement. "We have to pace back and forth three times with these thoughts for it to work," she said looking at Jack and Will to make sure they understood.
"For what to work, Love," Jack said, turning around to see if he was missing something.
"For the Room of Requirements to work," Hermione said impatiently looking up and down both sides of the hall. "Jack, I need you to concentrate on exactly how the cabin looked when you disappeared from it and ended up here," she ordered.
Jack's lips quirked to one side, enjoying this commanding side of Hermione. "Alright, Love, for you," He said.
"Ginny, I want you to concentrate on wishing for whatever it is that Will and Jack visualize the cabin to be. I'll be doing the same," said Hermione.
Ginny nodded and crossed her fingers that Hermione's plan worked.
The group paced three times, turning at the window just beyond the blank stretch of wall, then again at the vase on the corridor's other side. Hermione stopped abruptly, causing Jack and Will to almost collide into her. She pointed to the same spot of bear wall where now a highly polished door stood.
"Impressive," Jack muttered, examining the door. Will shook his head in amazement.
Hermione stepped forward. "Well, here it goes," she said reaching for the handle of the door.
She took a deep breath, turned the knob, and stepped into the room.