Author's Note: You may think this chapter rushes, but it doesn't. The events is this chapter are only a small fraction of the plot in my head.
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is owned by somebody who is much, much cooler than me. I do not hold any responsibilities for any cheesy-ness in the following 2000 and some-odd words.
Susan left charms with a smile, but it quickly turned to a frown. As soon as she stepped out of the classroom, she saw a group of young kids huddled around her portrait. She wanted to shoo them, but they wouldn't listen, she wasn't the most feared person in the school.
"Hey, guys, get away from there before I report you to Umbridge." Ernie yelled from behind her. She smiled, and walked towards the portrait, nothing new about it. Ernie followed her and rested his hand on her shoulder. Hannah arrived shortly after, out of breath.
Ernie kept his eyes fixated on the portrait, as if trying to take it apart with his mind. Hannah seemed deep in thought, as well. Susan was the only one not caring fully about the portrait, her mind kept flicking back to Harry. He would know what to do…
"I still think we should tell somebody." Ernie said, finally, in a know-it-all kind of voice.
Hannah growled. "We're already been over this, Ernie. There's nobody we can tell about this," she told him, which made Susan smile weekly.
'I could always tell Harry…' Hannah thought, but figured it would sound weird to her friends, make them think they aren't valuable. "No, I don't think so…" she did say, though, "We should keep it to ourselves, at least until we can figure out what this thing does, and how it's tracking me." Nobody replied to this.
Susan took a step closer to the portrait and laid a finger on it, dragging it across the painting. "I- I think it's enchanted," she said, shakily, and took her finger off it. "How else could it be tracking me?"
Both Ernie and Hannah shrugged. Susan took a step back and raised her wand, standing perfectly still as if to remember a certain spell, "Specialis Revelio!" She called, and a light emerged from her wand. She took another step back and waited for the light to diminish. When it did, nothing had changed. "Damn it!" She shouted angrily.
"Su, don't worry… I'm sure there's another spell you could use." Hannah comforted.
Susan's eyes shot over to Hannah, she looked angry, but she had a smile on her face, "I know there is… And I'm going to get it off of Harry, tomorrow."
&&
Susan returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room that evening absolutely exhausted. She had Astronomy that evening, at midnight, so she returned around 2 in the morning. By the time she got there, nobody was awake, apart from the other Hufflepuffs in the class. Without saying a word to neither Hannah nor Ernie, she went straight up to the Girls Dorm and lay down in her bed.
That night, despite waking up around 4 times because of constant rolling, she pieced together a dream…
"You have to mean it." Harry said. He held onto my hand, he even flicked my wand. When I felt him touching me, I felt a burning sensation.
'I love you,' was all I could think at that time. I fought back my urge to kiss him. We were only millimeters apart. I could even feel his heat on my face.
"Now you try." He reiterated, after showing my how it should be done. Of course, I wasn't paying attention. I was just so happy – so happy to be so close to him. It was almost overwhelming.
"Expecto Patronum," I said. Nothing more than a little spark came out. He moved a bit closer to me. I began thinking of what it would be like to kiss him –
"Expecto Patronum!" I called – still nothing. His grasp tightened on my hand. He was gripping me to my wand. The urge was almost overpowering…
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I shouted, and out shot the Patronus. My sensations went overboard. He… He made me the happiest girl in the school just at that moment. Then, it all happened.
I kissed him, I hugged him. Nothing big. Then he kissed me – he kissed me on the lips. It caught me off guard. I was in euphoria, but I knew how wrong it was. I pulled away from him. I couldn't take it anymore.
Then she woke up for the fifth and final time. She sat up breathlessly. Sweat was beading down her forehead.The dream was so vivid, so life-like. It didn't help her; of course, she was hoping to have a Divination-esque dream, which showed her exactly what was going on, but a replay of the most amazing thing in her life – ever – came in a close second.
She looked out the window. The sun was already shining brightly, which was not uncommon for a mid-April morning. Susan was very happy it was a Saturday. She stood up, and stretched. Her pajama top cut barely over her stomach when she stretched (luckily, nobody was in the room). She changed almost instantly, hoping to find Harry for help.
When she left the dorm, and entered the common room, she noticed it was unusually full for this time of day. She noticed a bunch of people were standing around anxiously. She picked out Hannah and Ernie in the group, trying to calm down a group of confused first years. Susan pushed passed a few older kids and walked over to her friends.
"What's wrong?" She whispered to Hannah, who was watching Ernie talk to the young kids.
Hannah looked over at Susan with a concerned look in her eyes, "How can you tell me you didn't hear it!"
"Hear what?" Susan asked, kind of shocked now. Had something gone on during the night?
Hannah grabbed Susan's shoulders and pulled her over, away from the young kids, and Ernie. "Somebody was taken last night."
"What!" Susan responded frantically, "How? – Why! – Who was it?"
Susan cleared her throat. She took a bite of her lip before replying. "Charmaine Cleary, You know, the little blonde girl in first year?"
"A Hufflepuff? But – how, when?" Susan stammered.
"I- I- I don't know, Su. I was woken up this morning by a hysteric Sprout; she told me not to let anybody out of the common room… Then prefects and heads were informed a girl was missing. I don't know anything more than you do." Hannah replied, through glassy eyes.
Susan looked absolutely aghast, "Han, you don't think they were after me, do you…?"
This lightened Hannah up lightly. "Susan, you really think there's somebody coming after you? Why would they take her, instead?"
Susan looked in horror at her cheering-up friend, "Hannah, I was in Astronomy until 2 a.m.! For all we know, the person came in looking for me, but didn't find any fifth years, so took another girl… To not get in trouble by…" She started, and her voice grew hoarse, "you-know-who?"
There was a murmur of things being said in the background, neither girl really cared if people were listening to their conversation. Hannah looked skeptical, though, "I don't think so, Su--"
"That's the thing, though! You'd believe it if he took me, instead. Hannah, there's something going on here, and you know it involves me." Susan responded, sternly.
Hannah had no reply for this, because she knew it was true. Luckily, she had no time to fight back, because the door swung open, revealing a rather scrubbed up Sprout (assuming she just took a bath or shower, and then found out about the news), who looked extremely worried.
"Prefects – err, MacMillan, Abbott, come here for a second." She called. Hannah smiled meekly at Susan and turned away, walking out of the room. Ernie left the group of scared first years and followed Hannah. The door closed, and the conversations in the room resumed.
'I have to talk to Harry; I have to talk to Harry…' Susan rang in her head countless times. She reached her hand into her pocket and began fiddling with the Dumbledore's Army galleon in her pocket. She closed her eyes and tried to feel for a new date, but alas, found none. She didn't realize how long her eyes had been closed, because only a few moments after reopening them, the door swung open.
Ernie approached the doorway and clapped his hands twice, attempting to quiet down the room, with no luck. His face grew red (he hated not being listened to), and he shouted, 'Sonorus!', which raised his voice loud enough (he reiterated his statement, and the room shut up.) "Thank you." He snapped, and mumbled 'quietus', "I have received word from professor Sprout that the four houses will be escorted separately to breakfast. Please, if you would all follow me, first years try and stay close to the older kids, please." He mumbled, and the common room emptied out, leaving only Susan, who couldn't bear to move.
She saw Hannah's figure emerge from beside the doorway, she stepped in and walked over to Susan, "Go find Harry." Hannah told her, which kind-of shocked Susan.
"Why?" Susan asked, Hannah was quick to reply.
"Because you won't have the chance, later – they think the person is still in the castle." She responded.
Susan looked dumbfounded, "You- you mean…?"
"He never left." Hannah mumbled, "He may not be in the castle, but he is definitely on the grounds, they say. There's no sign of leaving."
Susan's face swelled up. She looked over at Susan, "You won't – tell anybody, will you?"
"Of course not," her friend promised, "It's Saturday, so there are no classes – they aren't letting people out of the common rooms until they know for sure if they're still in here. You said you wanted to talk to Harry… Well, here's your chance. Just, promise not to get caught, ok? My head'll be hanged…"
Susan smiled meekly, "But – the Gryffindor password, how will I get past the Fat Lady?" she asked, which started to crush her dreams.
"The Fat Lady's fled to her friend, Violet's, picture, according to Sprout. The Gryffindor's are under watch by a group of Aurors from the ministry, until they convince her to come back."
Susan smiled, and hugged her friend tightly, "Thank you…" she whispered into her ear before dashing out of the common room, and up the stairs, and to sneak passed the group of teachers on lookout.
&&
"Miss Bones," Professor Snape snarled at her, she kept a glare on her face while facing him, despite being extremely afraid of him, "where do you think you're going? Haven't you heard? – Oh, of course you haven't. Your aunt tells me you could sleep through a Weird Sisters concert." He said with a quiet snicker.
"You know nothing about my aunt…" She whispered under her breath, and changed her expression before his chance to reply, "I really have to… Go pee!" She spattered, and began dancing around.
He glared at her, clearly seeing through her lie, but not really caring, "Very well. I expect you to be gone no longer than 15 minutes; if you are longer, 50 points from Hufflepuff."
Susan rolled her eyes, and darted passed Snape. She had nearly turned the corner of the grand staircase to the second floor stairs before shouting, "I happen to like the Weird Sisters, Professor…" her voice then quieted down, "loser." She ran up the stairs at top speed to try and get to the 7th floor.
The trip was relatively easy. Nobody, not even Peeves, seemed to be out above the ground floor. Of course, it was still a strenuous run, but her bigger challenge was the Aurors. She reached the tip of the third floor, and saw only the Ravenclaw Ghost, the Grey Lady, floating around where her portrait was. She figured there was no time to check on it, so she continued running.
When she reached the 7th floor, she stopped, staring breathlessly at the Aurors stationed on the outside of the Common Room doors. Neither of them looked familiar, despite Susan's common visits to her Aunt's office, yet she walked towards them, anyway, still thinking of an excuse to get in.
Both Aurors raised their wands when Susan appeared in their line of sight. She quickly said, "Wait!" before they had a chance to attack, "I- I'm here on Dumbledore's orders. I'm here to collect a group of Gryffindor's for, err, interrogation."