"So Madeline, you're going to be joining us tomorrow" I said looking her over, when did she and Wood get so close. 'Wait what the hell do I care.'
She looked at me sheepishly "Only if it's no bother."
"No it's cool, Just making sure" I replied smiling. 'Maybe this girl will be good for him' I thought 'She's nice enough, and she's not sluttish. I'll have to play nice for awhile' "What's your next class?" I ask trying to make conversation.
She looked from Wood to me "History of Magic"
"Same as me" he added
"What about you?" she asked
I made a face "Muggle Studies, we present that stupid project today. If I don't get my eyes clawed out it will be a miracle."
"That bad huh?" Oliver asked
"Well apparently I am a horrible human being, that everyone should hate."
"That's horrible" Madeline responded
"Yea well, Ryan is Mr. Perfect."
"Yea well I don't see it" she replied clamping her hand to her mouth
I started to laugh, " I like you"
She seemed to relax, when I said that.
"Well I need to face the firing squad" I got up and threw the strap of my bag over my head.
"Dinner tonight" Oliver asked
"Of Course" I left the two of them sitting at the Gryfindor table and began my long walk to Muggle Studies. As I entered the room I went directly to my assigned seat, my group was actually residing on the other side of the classroom, but the less time I spent with them the better.
Pulling out my notes for the assignment and carefully rereading them, I needed all the points I could on this one. It was by far the worst project that had ever been done or at least one that I had done.
Genevive sat down next to me. "If we pass this project it will be a miracle."
I laughed, "You don't think, Ryan was the right person to rely on?"
"Not hardly, but apparently the rest of the group did.
"Well at least our individual grades should be good. Even if the group grade isn't"
She smiled at me "I just wanted to apologize for my so called friends" she motioned towards their table "They were just a little jealous"
"And now they are not?" I asked
She shrugged "Well I guess they would have rather seen him with you, then with Alanis."
I dropped the quill that I had been twirling. "Alanis?"
"Yea didn't you see them at breakfast?"
I looked across the room to where Ryan had just taken his seat and he shot me a smug smile. 'Oh how I would love to clock him' "No thankfully I missed that, I probably would have lost my appetite"
She laughed, " Well everyone else did."
"Nah Sam was pissing me off, so I left early. Figured I would cut out before I said something I didn't mean."
"Sam's a really nice guy." she stated
"Sam's a really nosy guy." I responded without thinking
"Oh well I only know him from around the common room" she replied shrugging
"Oh I'm sorry. I'm projecting. He is very nice, He's an amazing footballer." I said apologetically
"Aren't you a pureblood?"
I looked back down at my notes "Well yes, but some of my friends aren't. And my sister, the little stalker, wanted to go, so we went."
"Your sister scares me."
I laughed, "Emily scares a lot of people."
Professor Martingale entered the room "Take your seats with your groups please." Everyone did as they were told, Ryan draping his arm over the back of my chair.
"Don't touch me." I said pulling out of his reach
"Class we have five groups I need one person from each group to come pick the number for the order we will be presenting in" She looked around the room. "Ryan why don't you go first?"
"Of course Professor" he replied ruffling my hair as he pushed past, I pulled forward running me have threw to smooth it back out.
He turned and winked; this was physically turning my stomach. I heard one of the girls hold her breath as he put his hand into the bucket, and pulled out the number 3. The other girls made a noise "That's means that we will be going today instead of next class."
I looked up hopefully "Maybe the other groups will run long?"
"With you in our group she will make sure that we go today" Miranda responded. She smiled at me through so I think all that time in the library must have made a difference. They had all seemed a little nicer then they had been.
"Well at least we are not first" he said sitting down pulled my chair back over to him.
"Ryan touch me again and see what happens to your hand"
He smirked "That's not what you were saying last night"
"I'm sorry, but you must be confusing me with someone a lot fatter, and a hell of a lot uglier."
"Playing in the shallow end of the kiddy pool again are we?"
"Bugger off"
After sitting through one of the most boring presentation on muggle sports that I had ever heard, the second group was about half way through an interesting, and entertaining presentation on muggle entertainment.
The curtain to the classroom was pushed open, and Headmaster Dumbledore stepped in accompanied by Professor McGonagal
"Excuse me Professor, but we have to take Ms. Snow, for the rest of the day." McGonagal said
She looked up from her desk. "I'm sorry but she has a presentation, they are up next and I will not excuse her from it."
Dumbledore cleared his throat "Well it's not your choice anymore Lisa. She has an appointment with someone, it is out of our hands"
I sat completely still in my chair, any sudden movement and she would attack.
"Fine you may take her" she shooed me away with her hand "But you will come in later and present to me."
Dumbledore again cleared his throat, he most not have liked her tone "That will not be necessary, someone else can surely present her material" I walked up to them oddly reminded on the scene in star wars were Obi Wan tells the storm troopers 'These are not the droids your looking for' "Mr. Wood perhaps"
Ryan just stared at the floor and nodded, "It's not as if he did anything else" I whispered as we left the room.
"I thought as much" McGonagal said as we walked down the corridor to her office.
"So with whom am I meeting?" I ask shifting my bag, slightly nervous
"His name is Abiezer Traherne."
"And he would be?"
"The Recruitment Advisor for Aurors"
"I see and will you be in there with me"
"Of course, as long as I'm wanted" She replied
McGongals office showed just how long she had been teaching here, and just how important she was to the school. Her office was the size of Dumbledore's but more octagon shaped then circle. Built in bookcases lined the walls some of them practically overflowing with books. Her desk was in the center of the room, and was half moon shaped. On the wall behind her were pictures of the Quidditch team, from when she became head of the house until now, some were action shots others were the team photos. On a small table in the corner were stacked at least a hundred rolls of parchment, waiting to be graded. The color scheme was very similar to our common room.
But what I was most interested in when I entered the room that sunny afternoon, was a man in his late thirties early forties seated at the half moon desk. He was approximately 6 feet tall (2 meters), average build, with dark blonde hair, and big eyes, which at the moment were one brown and one blue. Not bad for an old guy I thought as I set down my bag.
"Oh you must be Ms. Snow." he looked down at his paper "Miss Amy Snow?"
"Yes sir," I replied offering him my hand.
"I am Abeizer Traherne," He replied shaking my hand.
He motioned for me to sit down as McGonagal excused herself to her second room.
"I'm assuming your Kevin's daughter" I nodded "He has two children, both girls, if I'm not mistaken"
"Yes sir, that's correct." I nodded
"From what I remember of your fathers professional days he was pretty wild" he paused "As anyone would be in his position, I just hope your not as wild, it's not good for keeping a low profile."
I smiled "I don't think I could ever live up to my fathers reputation."
"So you've heard those stories?"
He sat down across from me. "Heard about them, my mother saved all the newspaper articles"
"Well it's good black mail"
"He can never get on my case about anything"
"Well Amy, down to the matter at hand. You were hand selected for this interview by a very secret panel of people. The qualities you have as well as your natural abilities make you an excellent candidate for our Auror program when you graduate."
McGonagal smiled from her spot at the desk, where she had just rejoined us.
"So this was a done deal before I stepped into the room." I ask leaning back into my chair
Mr Traherne looked shocked. "Well no, there will of course be placement tests, and a few psychological exams before we can officially let you in." He smiled "that and you must keep your grades up and graduate as expected at the top of your class"
"But other than that?"
"Other then that if you want it it's yours."
I stood up from my chair "Great when do I report for these things"
"You'll receive owls, I thought you would like to know that you come highly recommended." he said standing an extending his hand for me to shake "It was a pleasure to meet you, I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Thank you, I'm looking forward to it as well." I said returning the handshake
I turned to McGonagal "You've been excused from the rest of your classes" I must have had a shocked look on my face. "We thought the interview would take longer, so we had you excused for the rest of the day. Head back to your tower."
"Thank you Professor" I practically skipped all the way to the tower. Everything was laying out in front of me perfectly, without much added effort. I was not going to have to heal people just because I was given that gift.
Sir Cadogen was having a duel with one of the other paintings as I approached. "On guard" He said before he spotted me "Ah fair maiden, alas I did not know it was someone so fair approaching."
"All is forgiven" I replied, "I would have kicked your tin ass anyway."
The portrait stopped moving and stared at me.
"Fiddlebox" the painting didn't move "Um open now"
"Oh yes" it swung open
I caught site of Brett and Sam by the window "Shouldn't you be in class?"
Sam turned "cancelled"
"Wood here?" I put my bag down "Or is he out with Madeline?"
"Jealous?" Brett asked
"Shut up"
"That's a yes" Sam replied
"I'm not jealous, more curious," I said sitting down
"It's ok not to like it Amy" Sam continued
"Really, you seemed to think differently last week" I replied
"Well his taste has gone down considerably since then" he said
"Why who was he going out with last week?" I ask pulling my book out
Sam met my eye "He didn't tell you?"
"I didn't ask" I shrugged
"Ariadne"
"Ariadne Mitchell?" I ask looking up from the book. They both nodded "Ariadne Mitchell? Slytherin Ariadne Mitchell?"
"That would be the one." Brett answered
I stood up. "Oh hell no" Ariadne was pretty, chocolate brown hair, about my height, and one of the meanest people I knew. She was also only a third year and lusted after by none other than one Draco Malfoy.
"He's upstairs"
I left all my books scattered around and took off up the stairs taking them two by two until I reached the landing.
"Oliver?" I shouted before shoving the door open.
He was asleep or had been before I entered. Percy on the other hand was sitting at his desk "Hey Weasley, can I have moment with Wood, please."
He looked from me to Wood shooting Oliver an 'I'm sorry' look he got up from his desk and went I'm assuming downstairs.
"Ariadne?"
He sat up and I saw anger flash in his eyes. "Don't start."
"Ariadne?" I asked again
"Yes Amy, Ariadne."
"Why?"
"Because she asked and before I had time to think it out, she had started giving me the details."
"Ariadne"
"Would you stop it with that?" He got up off the bed and pulled his jumper over his head. "It was just a casual thing."
"Casual sex thing you mean?"
"No but if it led to that I wasn't going to stop her."
"She's only a third year"
He looked at me "I didn't go so what's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that you were planning on going," I paused "Better yet that you weren't even going to tell me."