Chapter 9
Back Again
'Unheard pleas for help fill the room. Ever soft whimpering can be heard as well. "Please, don't." she pleaded. Black hair sticking to her face.
She sat sitting on the floor, crying. She looks up to notice a boy in front of her scowling. He begins to laugh and than started to slowly walk toward. She became more frightened at every step he took. Thoughts ran through her head. She had loved him so much. She had given up so much. But she had to...
He grabbed her by the shoulders, gripping extremely tightly. Picking her up, he throws her against the wall. Hard. She, already tired & in pain, only lets out a small moan of exaustion. He arm and leg bent the wrong way. They were brocken badly.
Once again, he walks up to her, this time slapping her across the face. "No, please Lou..." he kicked her. There was a crack. Another brocken bone, another tear, another snicker. "It isn't my... I don't want to... I want to..." he hits her again. This time, only a low pain filled moan could be heard.
Suddenly, her eye sight becomes blurry & eye lids heavy. Although, just before fainting, she catches a glimpse of light in the corner of her eye... '
Nia jolted upward, gasping for air. The nightmare again. She was sweaty and sticky and smelly. Her shoulders hurt. Rubbing them, she got up and looked at the clock. 7:09. She had time for a bath, she thought while looking over at Mel.
Mel was asleep, and dreaming happy dreams. There was no need to tell her, she was happy and if she was, so was Nia. She grabbed her uniform and headed to the Prefect Bathrooms to take a bath. A nice long hot comforting bath was all she needed.
'Mel doesn't need to know. I don't want to worry her. I'll just go on like nothing happened. But it had more detail to it then usual. Or was I imagening things? Either way, it was different somehow. Wait! I didn't have the nightmare the whole time I was gone. Why didn't I have it? And why is it that it's worse now that I'm back?'
Her train of thought ended when she say the bathroom portait. Walking over to it, she couldn't help but think aloud. "Oh, who cares. It's just some stupid nightmare that wont go away! Maybe if I work hard enough, I can forget about it for a while." she looked up and stopped as she reached the portrait. Luckily, she was given all the passwords before she left. "Bain moussant." she said. (It means Bubble bath). The portrait swung open.
Nia walked and looked around, same old bathroom and it always would be that way. Though, that was what Nia loved about the bathroom. It never changed, always the same quiet, comfortable bathroom that Nia loved so much. She tied her hair up in a bun and slowly lowered herself in the water. Sitting there and relaxing was what she wanted to do at that moment.
As she sat there, she was thinking about everything that had happened that weekend. How she had met Sirius, James and Remus. Had a great time and how Mel was thinking about inviting them over for a week that summer. How all of it seemed to good to be true. First Mark came back, then she meets a great guy, made new friends, and...
Nia was cut off in the middle of her thoughts when a Bald Eagle landed on her head. "Rocco! What would Shade need to send me now. It hasn't even been a full day." she smiled as she untied the letter from his leg. Wondering how Rocco even got into the bathrooms, she began to read.
Hey Vix,
I know, it hasn't even been a day yet, but I have great news. Mother and Father decided to trow a 'Welcom Back Party' for me. It will be a few days after school ends, so start thinking up an outfit and some guests!
Send the guest list soon, 'cause I want to send them out nice and early. Make myself look good, you know! Minx better be able to come, other wise I might cry...
Either way, see you soon; Send the list sooner!
- Shade
Nia smiled. A Welcome Back Party. This was going to be fun. Already, she could think of five people to invite. She wasn't going to invite more then 10. That was all she wanted to handle for that night. Some close friends and then family. Marks friends and some other guests' from Mother and Fathers work. This was going to be great!
She would write out the list at breakfast with Mel. It was only fair if both of them agreed on every invite. So she sat there, realizing that she should go back and get her her books ready for her long day. Derek, the BIGGEST prat she had ever met, as in almost all of her classes. As she got out and pulled the a towel around her, she smiled at the thought of what to do to him today.
At Breakfast
Nia was sitting next to Mel contiplating who else to invite. Mel agreed on the five Nia already wanted to invite; Sirius, James, Remus, Artimes and Taranee. Artemis and Taranee attend Durmsrtang, but the girls met one summer at the beach.
"Well, what about Hay Lin? She's really cool, and a great dancer! Plus she gets along with almost everyone." Mel asked. "Your right! I'll add to the list, just wait a minute." Nia began to rumage in her book bag for some ink and a quill. Once she found it, she wrote out the names of the invites they had thought up.
Invites
-Sirius Black
-Remus Lupin
-James Potter
-Artimes Grenier
-Taranee Miller
-Hay Lin Rawn
"That makes three boys and three girls. Including us, that makes eight people in total." Nia sighed at that. She wanted at least ten guest. They were basically three away of her simple goal and couldn't think of anyone else. "Well, I'll be dancing with Remus, you Sirius..." Nia glared daringly to repeat that. Mel ignored it and continued. "Who's James, Taranee and Artemis going to dance with. And how in Merlins' name are we going to get Artemis in a dress?" the two began to think. In truth, Mels' logic made sence! They could ask James and the two girls who they would like to go with.
Before Nia could say anything, Mel tore out a peice of parchment, quill and ink for herself. She began to write a letter. But to who exactly, Nia was not sure. Mel realized her friends confusion and responded. "I'm sending a letter to the girls to ask who to invite. Don't worry, I wont give details." she wrote furiously while eating. Once she had swallowed, she added.
"Why not use that handy parchment of yours and ask James?" Nia understood instently and pulled out her collored ink and the peice of parchment. She quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking and once she was sure, scribbled James Potter onto the page.
At Hogwarts
"What the?" James said. Something was becoming very warm in his bookbag. "Oh! The girls!" He pulled the parchment along with scarlet ink and a quill in hand. He unfolded the parchment to see Noami DuBois in Green sprawled across the top.
Quickly dipping the ink, Sirius staired over his shoulder with Remus leaning across the table so that they, too, could see. 'Hey!' James wrote. Suddenly, Pettigrew became curious. "James? What is that, James?" he leaned over to see. "Shove off, Peter! I can't see." Sirius said annoyed. Peter, still looking at the page, saw words in green ink slowly form across the page.
'Hey guys. So did you get our letters yet?' The ink stopped adding. James smiled at Remus and Sirius, letters still in their hands. 'Yeah, can Melanie ever write! I can only imagen how she ACTS when she's hyper, let alone write!' Sirius sniggered at the comment. Remus only hitting James on the arm. "Be nice James, please." Remus sighed as he finished. "Alright mate." James smile became bigger as he looked up at Remus.
'You think that's bad! You should see her after we pull an alnighter. Picture it: Lots of pop, candy, chocolate, movies, and giggling so hard that you get chest and stomach pains. AND people had to put SIX, yes six, silencing charms on the room so that we couldn't be heard! That, our dear Potter, is bad!' The writing ceased once more. Leaving the boys to snigger as what they had a feeling was an under exagurated truth.
'Well, I don't want to picture it. It's way to scary!' He wrote this truthfully. 'Either way... Mel and I would like to know who it is you would invite to a party. And we need you to be purely serious about this.' The green writing ceased once again. 'Simple! That would be Lily Evans! Why?' James finished his short lived anwsered curiously.
'You'll see. Well, I have to go. Breakfast is over and classes are going to start soon. Bye.' Nia finished. James had one last question. 'Wait. What do you have first?' Sirius leant in further, as did Remus. 'Divination, Double I think. If your going to message me, wait about 5 minutes into your class. Bye... again.'
Then the ink swirled and disappeared. The boys sighed. "Remus, what do we have this morning?" Sirius asked curiously. "It's almost the end of the year and you still can't remember the schedual!" he sighed at the patheticness of the situation. "We have History: A Giants Life. I don't even know why we had to take that." Remus looked up to notice Sirius in deep thought.
Back At BeauxBatons
"Well, you better add Lily Evans to your list." Mel said while getting up. It was time they started toward their oh so pathetic class. Nia never did like that particular subject. And so she was happily and patiently awaiting the nice and enteraining conversation with the boys. Mel did like the subject and she was particularly good at it too. She was bound to receive a nice big O on her O.W.L.S. for Divination.
Unfortunately, an unwanted guest decided to make himself known to the girls. "Well, look what the angels dropped on their way to heaven." it was none other then Derek Malfoy and his big blonde head. Nia sighed, sounding very adjitated. "Malfoy, why can't you and those a thousand year old lines of yours just leave me alone for today. I've got someone better to think about without you clouding his handsome memory." she smirked at his obviously stunned reaction.
Nia wasn't talking about anyone inparticular. Just basically any other guy that isn't him, or even like him for that matter. "And who may my new found challenger be? To-Be-Boyfriends always have the right to information such as that." he asked regaining his pig headed thoughts. "Minou. Come here wont you." she waved toward a seeker in their year. "What is Nia? Class is going to start soon and I have Lean." he walked over with a handsome boyish smile that never seemed to leave his expression.
"Nothing much, it's just that Malfoy said To-Be-Boyfriends have a right to know who I've got my eye on. And if anyone's potentail in that catigory it would be you." she smiled. Cody Minou was a good friend of Nia's; and he didn't mind one bit helping to rid Nia of Malfoy. "Well, nice to know. But who's this boy, I reserve total right to punch him if he lays a hand on 'my girl'! If it's Malfoy, oh I'm just going to go and take a direct hit right now!" he did a very realistic scowl. 'He's a really good actor!' Nia smiled at the thought.
"Cody! What in all that Merlin stands for possessed you to even think of a thing like that! Me and... and..." she looked at Malfoy with an expression that says 'Ready to puke; Thank You Very Much!' "And THAT. I'm going to have nightmares for the next month!" she dramatically threw her arms in the air and walked off mumbling things like "Malfoy, DISCUSTING!; Going to be very ill; Never look at another blonde again..." things like that.
Cody walked off, trying very hard not to keel over laughing. He wasn't the only one that could act, that was for sure. Mel was absoloutly shocked and started toward Nia after she slapped herself mentilly. Everyone that had watched the wonderous peformance that Cody and Nia had just put on, began to snigger. Nothing better then putting a git in his place. Expecially when it was a guy that every girl in school despised.
And so, Derek Malfoy continued to stand there, dumstruck, just until the bell rang. He was going to be really late for Divination. The class was all the way on the other side of the castle. He ran as fast as possible, cursing all the way.
9:05; Divination
Once everyone had sat down and pulled out their books; Madame Avril began the class. Nia sat there, on the verge of tears; why did Divination have to be so boaring? Every year Nia didn't want to take the class and every year Mel would annoy her into it. How? No one knew. But one thing was for sure, she wouldn't have to deal with it next year for she was bound to fail.
As Mel was looking through the Divination text book, Nia was absently looking at the parchment she had placed underneath it. The parchment that would save her life at that very moment if it were to do as she hoped it would. And so she silently sat, waiting for her name to appear on it.
"Nia, what page are you on? I can't figure out what this stands for again. You have the better memory, could you see if you reconise it?" she looked at her friend. Nia only sighed and took the cup in responce. Merlin only knew why they were doing 3rd year material at the end of their 5th.
She took the cup and looked into it, stairing at the tea leaves. "It looks like some sort of circualer thing. A sun, moon maybe. And a chinesse sign. Oh, Merlin, what does this one mean. I studied the typical signs a few years back, but... LOVE! Mel, that one means love!" Nia passed the cup back to her best friend, grinning like a madwoman.
Mel looked sceptical at first, then she smiled along with her friend. Merlin wouldn't even know what that ment. What the chinesse symbol for Love was doing in her tea leaves.
"What does yours say?" Mel looked at Nia very curiously. She flipped her cup over and looked in the inside. Nia sat confused, she couldn't queit make them out. It looked like animals. Lots of different animals. "Animals, lots of them. A cat; something with antlers, and that circle thing is in mine too. I can't queit make out the others. Mel?" she looked up at an even more curious Mel.
Before Mel could say a word, the doors flung open. In came a blonde boy that all reconised to be Malfoy. A Smelly, Sweaty, Blonde Malfoy to be a bit more exact. "Mr. Malfoy? Why are you so late. It's..." she looked out the window. Madame Avril could tell the time by the position of the sun and moon. "9:27. 20 points from the 5th year boys. There's no excuse for your tardiness and 10 more for desturbing the class. Understand?" she looked very cross at him. "Yes Madame. Very." he mumbled, quiety walking towards his seat.
Every single girl in the room snickered while the guys groaned. Nia and Mel only held in their laughter; knowing why he was late and actually partly being the cause of it, then seeing the interesting result. How they kept doing that prat in, no one knew.
"Well, what was it that you wanted to say?" Mel asked, looking at Madame while silently whispering this. "Nothing much. Just wanted to know if you thought it strange that the things we're seeing aren't really what one would see in tea leaves. More like the orb, really." she started to watch the partchment again. Only an hour and a half left.
"Your right! Oh, you know that is sort of odd. I wonder why we got things that aren't the actual signs that we usually get. Well, maybe it's just coincidence." Mel started taking down notes. Nia looked at her with a confused expression. 'That's an odd reaction from Mel. Maybe she's just contaning herself for my sake.' Before Nia could stop herself, she yelled.
Everyone, including Mel, turned to her. "Is there a problem Mss. DuBois?" Madame Avril was looking at her too. "Oh, yes Madame. I'm sorry, I just got a sliver from the table, in my finger." she started to suck on her finger.
"Yes, alright. Lots of nerves in the finger, I understand." the professer smiled and continued her lesson. Mel didn't understnad. She could tell when Nia was lieing, and she was now. Once she turned to ask, she saw what it was.
Nia had her green ink and quill out, she was writting furiously. She must have just put her hand onto the parchment. And it must have been getting hot. Mel smiled and decided to just continue consentrating in class so that Nia wouldn't miss anything.
By the end of Divination, Nia was an absolout 'Happy-Head'. She had been speaking to a very boared Sirius throughout their class. The two both had double, Nias' being Divination; Siriuss' being History. Both subjects were greatly hated by the two. Though, the difference was that Nia liked some of the History subjects, but not a lot.
Mel didn't bother asking, she had a feeling it would be a diffacult conversation to explain. And so the girls continued with there day. Attending Tranfigurations, Lunch, History: The Nine Felines, Care of Magical Creatures and Potions.
After, they went right to their bedroom and began to to do the homework they had. The Transfiguration Essay on Animagis' didn't take longer then 8 minutes. Which is surpriseing because it had to be two scoll lengths long. They also had to write an even lengthier revisions essay on The Nine Felines for History, that didn't take long either. Together, Nia and Mel wrote about 18 parchments for that one.
It was one of their specielties, CMC (Care of Magical Creatures) and Potions only had some basics for next year to study up on. Proud of the results the two had accomplished, they sat at their favorite stops infront of the fire in their common room.
Nia was reading a muggle poet; Emily Dickenson, while Mel was reading the letter Remus sent that very day. Libby had waited for a letter in return, and so Remus wrote it at lunch. The funny part was that Mel reseived it during Potions, and also reseived a long lecture from Monsier Mangien. Libby was just a little to persistent, and needed just a little more jugdment on entry time.
"AHHHHH!" Nia fell off the couch, book still in hand. She looked up at her phycopathe for a friend, noticing she was jumping up and down, arms flying everywhere. She was holding the letter in her left hand still, with an expression that said she was going to cry over the happiness she was feeling. "What in Merlins' name are you screaming about, Mel?" Nia got up while rubbing her butt. She fell exactly the way she had that time Mark had dropped her.
Mel was anwsering, but she was giving some people a head ack. "Silencio." Nia smiled as she waved her wrist. Mel stopped suddenly, mouthing curse words Nia's way. "What! You were getting on everybodies nerves." she shrugged. Mel mouthed something along the lines of 'GET THIS WRETCHED SPELL OFF ME! YOUR SPOILING MY FUN!' Nia could only shrug once more. "No way! Not until you calm down. Let me see that letter, or at least the part your so happy about.
She handed the letter over, pointing at the who-knows-what paragraph. In clean, readable writing it said this:
Well, we're still thinking up a way to get ride of him. Sirius is still trying to figure out why you asked James about Lily and James is still drooling over the thought of going out with her. But that part isn't any different, still the same drooling James.
We were curious as to why you two shouldn't come over to James' place for a week this summer. He already invited Sirius, Peter, Lily and I. Though I don't think Lily and Peter will make it. Peter's mother is very strict and, well... strict.
So I just think you two should start packing, the letters of invite are already good and sent out. Maybe you could even convince Lily into coming? James isn't upset about Lily saying that there was no way she would visit some ignorent, intolerable, agrivating, senial, prat such as himself. He says she's just 'playing hard to get'. If there was a course on how to get a girl, James would fail gravely!
I just hope you can come is all...
It said more, but at this point, Nia was to surprised to notice. They both had had the same ideas! Mel was going to invite them to her summer house that summer and James had just done something very simaler. She smiled at the thought, they were going to be good friends, Nia could tell.
Suddenly the two girls noticed that everyone was heading out of the common room. They were heading to Diner. Nia ran upstairs, grabbed the list of invites, Quill and Ink, some extra parchment so that they could make a paking list, and threw them in her purse.
They sat and listened to Madame DeBarbaracs' lecture on how the students weren't doing all their homework because O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S all finished.
"Well, that is all I can think of. Just please, do continue like it was the first month of school, not the last." she finished with a sigh and a wave of her wand. Diner was Served.
Nia bolted for the buns, and the chicken and potatos... Possibly every type of food around her. "I don't know how when you eat like a horse," Mel looked in her friends direction. "you never seem to gain anything. Nia, you may not be fat, but your going to be if you keep eating like that. And what are the boys going to say when they see how you eat?" Mel shook her head. Cody, who was sitting across from them with Derian Démon, responded before Nia could swallow the food in her mouth.
"They're going to say that if she dressed like one of them, she could fully pass as one of them! Please, if these guys are anything like the us, they been in aw the first time they witness Nias' appitite!" Derian began to snicker, and regreted it when Mel gave him a glare that could kill.
Nia was finally able to swallow, so she butted in. "Thanks guys!" she smiled at the boys and turned to her best friend. "And as you already know, Mel, I get my appitite from my father. Shades the same way, and I never hear you nagging him to stop." Nia finished triumphintly, for Mel had nothing to say to that. And to top it off, Nia shoved a big fork full of mashed potatos, with lots of gravy smouthered on top, in her mouth.
"So who are these guys your talking about? I know I have nothing to worry about, 'cause there isn't anyway they're cuter then me." he gave the girls a 'model in training' sitting pose. All three couldn't help but laugh at what used to be their only two guy friends. "Derian, you prat! I'm soorry to report, but only one is beneath your level of," Nia gave this melting look to herself and made it sound like she was going to faint at the closeness between them. "Level Of Good Looks and Dreamy Ways."
This time Mel and Cody couldn't control their laughter. They littarilly collapsed laughing! Cody got up instently, but it took Mel a couple of minutes to do so. Once they both were back on their chairs, Nia leaned back. She was full, of food and answers.
"They're four boys we met in Hogsmead, this just past Saturday. The three that are cuter then... Ow!" an owl had just landed on her head, and three other birds on the table infront of her. "Get off my head! Barn Owls, no respect sometimes." she mumbled the last part.
"Well, looks like your popular." Cody said while taking one of the notes off a familiar birds' leg. "Isn't this Marks eagle?" he added. Nia looked up and noticed Rocco, for the second time in one day. Derian pulled a letter off an eagle owl, and Mel off a snowy owl. "Okay, pass me the letters. Mel can explain about the boys. I'll let you read them if it's something I think it's alright." she reasured her curious friends. She began to read the letter that that wretched Barn Owl brought.
Hey Nia,
Artemis and Taranee here! Nice to know you girls still think about us! smiles Well, we still don't know why you girls want us to chose a guy, but we aren't going to complain. You two always have something good up your sleeves.
Heres who (and with who): -Cody Minou (Taranee)
-Derian Démon (Artemis)
Hope you don't mind that we picked those boys. We just really liked them that week we met, at the Mels' family summer home. They're so interesting, is all.
Have to go! History class is over in a minute,
Artimes Grenier & Taranee Miller
She laughed at the thought of Derian dancing. He wasto much of the bad boy type to be able to picture it. She picked up the letter from Eagle Owl and read it.
Hi you guys,
I don't know why you want to know this, but I guess I can trust you. He isn't anyone you know, we met this year at my a concert! His names Allen Berchard, and get this! We've been dating for 6 months! Oh, I know if you two met him you'd like him.
If your going to send him anything, be nice and attach my name so he doesn't just throw it out. He hates junk mail, but loves to meet my friends.
Hope to See You Soon,
-Hay Lin
She smiled this time, Hay Lins' has a boyfriend. Seems like this one's going to be a longterm thing. She picked up the letter from her brother next.
Hey Vixxie,
Sorry to bug you so much, it's important though. Mother and Father are driving me mad! So can you send the list with Rocco. I told him to wait, knowing you, it's done! I have to go, Mothers calling... AGAIN!
Your big brother,
Shade
Nia snickered and looked up. Sure enough, the owls had left, Rocco still sitting confortably infront of her. He was always the smart one. "Excuse me." she asked the eagle. He hopped onto her shoulder instead. Nia dipped her quill and looked at the list again. Then added the needed names.
Invites
-Sirius Black
-Remus Lupin
-James Potter
-Artimes Grenier
-Taranee Miller
-Hay Lin Rawn
-Lily Evans
-Allen Berchard
-Cody Minou
-Derian Démon
-Melanie LaTiche
-Naomi DuBois
So she went over the limit a little, who cares! She attached the letter to Roccos' leg, pat his head and sent him off. There was still one more letter though. The one the Snowy Owl had brought. She looked at the letter curiously, when, suddenly, she noticed that there were two peices of parchment; not one. And so she began to read.
Noami DuBois,
You have been invited to visit the perfect Mr. James Potter this summer. He and his parents await your visit happily...
Just kidding! Flow by on July 16, around lunch time. We have some things we might need your help with, if you know what I mean. Sirius and Remus are spending the month, and my mum says that if you want, you can stay longer then a week. She loves guests! And I heard her mumble something about having girls around would be nice for a change. Can you write a letter to Lily, Remus told her all about you, and she said something like she would like to meet you. Just send her a nice long letter and she's bound to come too! Owl back with your responce soon, 'cause we want to know what to prepare for. An all guys month or a month with annoying girls too! hehehehe Remus made me attached a separate letter for Mel. Got to go.
James
Nia snickered at the thought; writting a letter to someone she hasn't even met in person. It sounded a bit absurd, and with everything that was going on, she didn't even know if she would have the time. Her and Mel had a lot of non- school related things to take care of and plan.
"If I find the time..." she unknowingly spoke aloud. The three turned and looked at her like she was insane, and Derian peeped in. "Time for what, Nia?" Nia turned in surprise, even slightlty falling off her chair. She shook her head to regain herself and answered. "In the letter, James wants me to right this girl he likes a letter." she looked at there confused faces and handed the letter to Mel.
"Read it first, then let the boys. Bring it back up to the room after, I'm going to go to bed. Didn't get alot of sleep last night, those beds are no were nere as comfortable as the ones at the Inn." she said this and left without a glance at Mel, afraid that she would see right threw her. "Night, Chica!" the boys called, though Mel never did. Nia had a feeling she was going to be questioned in the morning.