…Even Ground…
I was sitting in the courtyard enjoying the fall breeze. "What did my mum send you?" Blaise asked startling me from a daydream. "Whatever could you mean?" I ask with a yawn. I open my eyes and have to stifle a laugh. He was highly serious, and it looked very adorable.
"My mum sent you something the other day. She won't tell me what it was so now I'm asking you." he huffs angrily. "It was a simple thank-you letter." I reply. He gives a snort of derision. "You wouldn't have been skipping and twirling like that the other day if it was an ordinary thank-you letter." he states matter-of-factly.
I stand on the bench tired of looking up at him. I look down at him with a smile on my face. "She knows you very well mister. Since you know things about me, she sent me some things about you. A gift if you will, as thanks for the picture of you. So, now you know things about me, and I know things about you. We're on even ground now." I smile victoriously.
Multiple emotions flicker across his face. He laughs slyly. "Ok! If this is where the game has gone, I'll gladly play along." he says looking at the ground. I jump down and skip around the bench with glee.
He watches me with amusement. "It must've been a great gift." he mumbles. I stop in font of him. "Oh, it was divine. I'll have to thank her the next time I see her." I clasp my hands together. "Oh, no. That's not allowed. You two are not on any grounds but mine allowed to meet." he orders.
I raise an eyebrow at him. "You want to rethink that.", I look at him, my hands on my hips. He smiles and turns to go back inside. "I have to go and figure out what that gift was." he calls over his shoulder.
I wandered around. Umbridge had begun making new rules trying to gain more of a foothold in the school. After our meeting if I wasn't in her class, I went out of my way to avoid her.
I join Harry's Dumbledore's Army. I was quite shocked when he revealed where he'd be teaching us. "The Room of Requirement?!" Izzy and I state in amazement and shock. "You two know about this place?" Harry asked in disbelief.
I scoff. "Mum used to tell us stories about the times her and her friends used to hide out in here to avoid our dad's pranks." "Why isn't it on the Marauder's map?" he continued. "Do you know how much trouble they caused. If they knew about this place, I don't think that even Dumbledore himself could've reigned them in." I joke. Harry nods in understanding. He thought a bit and laughed. "You're right. They would've caused mayhem in the school." he chuckles.
"What can this place do?" Hermione wonders aloud. I turn and walked to center of the room. "It creates any space you need. Mum and auntie Lily used it to vent their anger. Like so." I state thinking and creating a punch dummy. I hit it and fell back. Hermione, Harry, Neville, and Ron's mouths dropped open.
…Guesses…
I giggle to myself in a silent corner of the library. I read over the most recent letter Mrs. Zabini had sent me. I'd told her that Blaise has 'forbidden' us meeting unless it's on his terms. She found his reaction highly hilarious and asked me to keep her updated.
I flip through my sketchbook for pictures of Blaise I'd drawn to send her. I picked out 6 of them. I had animated them so the words he said would pop up on the page. I tucked them inside of the letter I'd written to her about Blaise trying to guess what she'd sent.
I head off to the Owlry. I'd just finished securing the letter and turned to leave when I bumped into a familiar chest. I looked up rubbing my forehead. "Plotting against me with my mum's advice." he sighs lazily. "Why on earth do you think we're plotting something Blaise?" I shake the fuzzies out of my head.
I step around him. "We merely find your responses to be entertaining." I walk slowly giving him time to think. "She sent you something. I know that for sure.", he mumbles. "You're still on that. It was just a small bit of help. However, if you tell me what I said on the train in my sleep I'll tell you what she sent me." I offer as we walked down the steps.
"Wait a second! You sent her that picture of the drawing of me. So, she must have sent you a picture back." he turned to me. I froze. "What picture or pictures did she send you?" he questioned. "Sometimes I forget just how smart you are.", I sigh, "Here, I thought it'd take you at least another 3 months to figure out she sent me some pictures."
"You can tell me now which pictures she sent, or this Christmas break I can find out myself." he demands. I give a mock shudder. "Have I ever told you how adorable you look sometimes?" I asked beaming at him. Puzzlement then shock flickers across his face. I snicker and nod. He puts his face in his hands.
"What'd I say on the train?" I ask trying to pry his hands from his face. "Not much.", he mumbles through his hands, "I was getting up to close the shades and you called me yours and wrapped your arms around me keeping me from getting up." This time the shivers that ran through me weren't fake. I try to say something but can't.
He let his hands fall when I said nothing. I blush and look away. I thought it would have been something lighter than that, but boy was I wrong.
I turn back to him. "What's so wrong about the baby photo's?" I question trying to deflect. "What's so wrong about you wrapping your arms around me? Wouldn't be the first time." he counters. He seems a bit flustered still. I give him a quick once over and keep walking down the stairs.
"You must really like my reaction to you walking away from me, cause you keep doing it." he growls in my ear. I flinch. "What do you mean? I'm just walking. I'm not avoiding you or trying to purposely annoy you." I state. Besides, you seem to think that that type of behavior gives you the right to kiss me, I think with a scoff.
He gives me a look. "Oh, before I forget your mum told me to tell you she says hi, behave, study, and remember to write her often." I snap my fingers as I remember her letter from 4 days ago.
He gives an exasperated sigh. He stalks off down the hall. As he turned the corner he looks back to where I was still standing. I blow him a kiss and he grabs his chest like he's in pain before disappearing around the corner.
I hop into the common room and saw Izzy and Ginny in a corner. "Hey. Where were you? Sending another letter to Mrs. Zabini?" Ginny asks looking up as I join them. I wave her off and pull out my sketchbook.
"Don't you ever study Char?" Ginny sighs as she stretched. I shake my head no. "Sometimes she's as naturally gifted as mum, and the rest of the time she uses dad's tactics to pass her classes." Izzy snickers as she leafs through her tutorial's papers.
"I'd think she'd start studying harder.", Hermione adds as she joins us. Ginny and I looked at her in shock. "Blaise is extremely studious, though he doesn't look it. Professor Snape thinks he's one of the most gifted potions students he's ever had." she states as she cracks open a book.
I go red. I put my sketchbook away and start studying. I heard Hermione and Izzy laugh, and Ginny sighs dramatically. I tap the book with my wand. Both, my sketchbook and class books immediately started flipping by themselves.
Pictures began separating from the sketchbook. They arranged themselves into subject. I look up. People were staring. I turned to Hermione and Izzy. "All my notes are in these here drawings." I point at the stacks. Everyone nodded very impressed. I began to study. I didn't need to study that much, but refreshers.
"Blaise finally found out what his mum sent, and you found out what you said on the train." Luna states as she joins us at breakfast the next morning. "How'd you know?" I ask. The other girls watch in confusion, so I explain what happened. "Seriously Luna how do you figure these things out?" Izzy asked as she reached for a bagel. "They aren't playing eye-tag. I watched as she entered the hall. I didn't know how embarrassed they'd both be though." she murmurs looking at me with her silver eyes.
I busied myself with my fruit salad. Luna was about to say something else, so I stuffed an orange slice in her mouth, causing the others to burst into laughter.
"I'll see you guys later." I say as I finish eating and gather my things. They wave and go back to their bet lists. I walk up the marble steps to my class.
…Ministry Attack…
Everyone was in the holiday spirit. I finish the last of my tests and strolled the wintry Hogwarts grounds. I take out my camera taking pictures.
I went inside to dinner hours later with my nose red from the cold and shivering. I sit by Ginny. "Why didn't you wear a coat?" she gasps dusting snow from my hair. "It interferes with the pictures." I pout as the shivers slowly decrease.
Hermione passes me some hot cocoa and I drink it happily. I eat my fill and rest my head on the table. Izzy reaches over and pinches my cheek "So adorable!"
I awake in my bed hours later. I thought I heard voices in the common room. I put on my robe and slip downstairs. Professor McGonagall was downstairs with Harry and Ron. "Ah Miss Black. Would you be so kind and get Miss Weasley?" she asks spotting me at the foot of the stairs. I nod sleepily and trudge back upstairs.
I fall onto Ginny as she slept. "What the hell Char!" she gasped waking up. I sit up handing her, her robe. I guide her downstairs as she shrugged it on. All the Weasley's were downstairs now. Fred and George guided a confused Ginny through the portrait hole.
Professor McGonagall turns to me. "Go get your sisters and Miss Granger and pack your things and Miss Weasley's as well.", she ordered once the portrait swung closed. I said ok and rushed up the stairs again. I did what she said and once everyone was packed, we headed downstairs. Lucas was already awake and packed sitting in the common room with Harry.
Harry quickly, quietly, and urgently filled us in. Professor McGonagall came back to retrieve the rest of us. We went to Dumbledore's office. "Ah, yes, come in.", he waved us in the room, "I've just sent the Weasley's off. Harry you'll go with Professor McGonagall for a quick lesson with Snape before joining everyone at Grimmauld Place."
He waited until the door had shut and we could no longer hear their footsteps. "The Weasley's weren't the only family to be attacked tonight. I just got word from your parents that your grandparents have been attacked.", he said solemnly, "I'll be sending you home so your parents can explain."
He waved us over to his desk. On the desk was a pincushion. "It's a portkey straight home. Remember to touch it at the same time."
We did and I closed my eyes as we were whisked away. I opened my eyes seeing the familiar scenery of home. Mum and dad were on the couch. Ava jumped into mum's arms. I sat on the floor trying to let the information sink in.
Dad cleared his throat. "I'm sure Dumbledore told you that your grandparents have been attacked. We just found out that they've been working as spies and Voldemort was able to trace and find them. They're still not awake yet, but when they do, we'll go see them at the hospital."
Everyone nodded and dad placed an arm around mum who was crying. Izzy and I went to bed first. Before I got into bed, I sent a quick letter to Blaise. Blue was here before I was, so I sent the letter with her. I collapsed onto my bed and fell into a fitful sleep.
I could hear a tapping at my window. Blue was back. I let her in, and she hooted angrily. "I'm sorry. I know it's cold out." I apologize. I read Blaise's response. I put it under my pillow and went downstairs to try to eat something.
My grandparents still weren't awake by noon, so I went upstairs. I reread Blaise's response. I told him I had a family emergency and that's why I wouldn't be at school until the second term. He wrote back saying he hoped I was ok. I kept reading the letter. He didn't have to write it, but I could tell by the way he wrote he was worried about me.
I curled up on my bed with his letter clutched to my chest and took a nap. I wake several hours later by Ava and Izzy shaking me. "What time is it?" I mumble still tired. "Dinnertime. You slept through the whole day. What's that?", Ava points at my hand. "Blaise was worried. I sent him a letter." I mumble stretching.
I put his response back under my pillow. I follow them downstairs for dinner. It was an eerily quiet dinner. Mum kept picking at her food. Lucas and dad kept shooting worried looks her way. We were just sitting down to breakfast a few days later when mum got some mail. She was shaking so bad that dad had to open it. "They're awake." he croaked. Mum collapsed onto the floor in relief.
