Chapter Twelve
The whole lot of them had a brilliant time at Hogsmeade Village. They came back with butter-beers, Zonko's products, Honeydukes, and everything. Once they got back to the school, Heather and everyone went up to the owlery to send letters home. Draco, Pansy, and Candie, were the only ones who didn't go to the owlery. So they headed back to the common room.
"So Draco, is Gus as bad as you thought he was?" Candie asked holding up her hand as if there was a microphone in it, pretending to be a reporter.
"No, he is okay. I guess I just needed that extra help." He smiled lovingly at Candie, "Oh! And please, no pictures. I haven't fixed my hair yet." He smirked as he stroked his blonde hair.
Pansy joined in pretending to be a photographer, "Draco over here!" She said as she held an imaginary camera. He looked over and she made a clicking noise and set off a spark with her wand, (as the flash from the camera).
"Hey! I said no pictures." Draco played along. Candie and Pansy annoyed him, playfully, doing this. They finally got to the common room door. There was a painting of Salazar Slytherin hanging from the entry. The painting asked for the new password.
"New password? I didn't know you changed the password." Draco said in a mean voice.
"Well if you don't know this password you can't get to the common room."
"We know the password that was before this one." Candie said, "Can we tell you what that one is, so you can let us in?"
"Alright! You have the Slytherin robes anyway." The painting said still a bit annoyed.
"Green eyed basilisk." They mumbled.
"Thank you and the new password is "Silver-blood." The painting opened the door for them and they hurried inside. They put their things away in their dorms and met up on the couch next to the fire. They had just started a conversation about the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Mrs. Umbridge, when Heather and everyone returned to the common room.
"The stupid painting wouldn't let us in." Gus said frustrated.
"Yes, the same happened to us also." Pansy replied.
"Did you get your letters sent correctly?" Candie asked.
"Yeah, you didn't tell me to be careful of the big owls. They bite!" Gus cried, showing Candie the marks on his hands and arms.
"What did they do? Attack you?" Draco teased.
"No, I was trying to find an owl that wouldn't eat my brothers. While I was looking for one the right size, they would bite my hands." Gus said irritated.
"Here, let me help you those." Candie said as she pulled out a handkerchief from her bag, "this might hurt a bit." She dabbed the cloth on his wounds, while he winced in pain. She cleaned, and bandaged them.
It seemed as if the weeks had just flown by. In two days, Candie's muggle friends would be on their way back to California. Candie helped them all pack their bags, (she used a small spell). She told them to get a great night sleep so they could have the best last day.
"I have a Quidditch game tomorrow. You all have to be there." Candie said a bit nervous.
"Yeah, you have to protect me from getting hit by bludgers." Draco said matter-of-factly.
"I could just let one hit you over the head. It might knock come sense into you. Either that or…" Candie said as Professor Snape strutted in. They all turned around, Gus made a small quivering movement. Snape looked as if he were to turn someone into a ferret. He spoke, but it was a very strict order.
"I want all of the girls who are in Slytherin House to come with me to my dungeon. Quickly now, this is very important." The girls followed him out, everyone but heather and her gang. Candie was a bit curious; she wanted to know what was so important that Snape had to separate the boys from the girls.
"I have an announcement to make." Snape jerked, "There is to be a Slytherin Ball. This ball is only for the Slytherin House. So you may not invite anyone from a different house." Snape continued, "You lady's must be dressed appropriately for this Ball. You must wear a black dress-robe that is no shorter than the middle of your knees. The dress-robe may not be strapless; it must have straps that are at least 2⅓ inches or more. You must wear heeled shoes that are not so high that you will trip down the stairs. You may wear a formal cloak, dark colors, if you wish. I will be checking to see if you are dressed correctly exactly 5½ minutes before the Ball begins. Thank you." Snape made a small bow, and escorted the girls back to the common-room.
He later did the same with the boys form Slytherin. When the guys came back Heather, Lindsay, and Caitlyn were talking to Candie quietly about something. Candie was whispering answers to their questions. Heather looked serious about the subject that they were talking about. Gus and Draco slowly approached the girls, (who were oblivious that they were there).
"Is it really that serious?" Candie asked in a hushed voice.
"I don't know what I am going to do. I don't know how I will…" Heather stopped and looked frightened for a second. Candie turned around to see Draco and Gus leaning over her shoulder.
"Exactly how long have you been standing there?" Candie looked horrified.
"Long enough to know that something is wrong, Heather, what is all the talk about not knowing what to do?" Gus pushed.
Heather was silent. Her lip trembled and her eyes were bloodshot. Candie tried to calm her down. Lindsay ran to the dorm to get some chocolate, (it makes sad people happy). Caitlyn went and got a few handkerchiefs, and a cold washcloth. By the time Heather sobbed, everyone was ready for it. Candie suggested the guys to stand back a little to give Heather room. After a long, twenty-five minutes, Heather stopped crying; she laughed at Lindsay's funny comments and even teased herself about how she was crying for practically no reason.
"I was crying because my parents thought I was beginning to pick up on the magical stuff. You see, they weren't all that happy about me going into another world. They were all worried I was going to get lost or something, but I told them I was going to be with you." Heather said as she nodded to Candie, "They sent mail to me saying that if I brought back home anything that wasn't muggle, I would be forbidden to come back home."
"We gave you those things for Christmas, would those be forbidden?" Candie asked hopefully.
"Oh, no, I told my parents about those. They mean wand waving magic. They don't think that's too great." Heather reassured.
"So you were crying because…why?" Gus butted in.
"I was crying because I thought that I would never see my parents again. I thought they meant that I would never be able to come back home even if I didn't have any magical stuff." Heather said annoyed.
"Oh, I see, that's why you were saying that you were crying for nothing, Right?" Gus asked.
"Exactly, I am so glad you finally got it!" Heather said in a high sarcastic voice.
Draco, Candie, and Pansy told everyone about the ball. They said the ball wasn't until tomorrow night. They were sad to say that only Slytherin's were aloud to the ball.
"We are leaving tomorrow though, so it wouldn't matter any ways." Caitlyn
"You have to write to us after the ball though, so we know what it was like." Lindsay said hopefully.
"I will write. Just because you are leaving doesn't mean that I am not going to write to you anymore." Candie said.
"Don't you have a Quidditch game?" Gus reminded.
"Yes, I almost forgot!" she said as she looked at her watch. Her eyes grew huge; she ran up to her dorm, grabbed her broom, and hurried down through the common room. "I will see you all at the game!" she yelled over her shoulder. They could hear her footsteps through the halls and down the stairs as she ran to the Slytherin dressing room. She got dressed and ready to listen to the captain's lecture.
"Today is our first game. We are going up against Gryffindor. There isn't a doubt that we are going to loose. Everyone! We have a new member to our team, Candace Melt." The captain said
"Please, call me Candie." She said shyly. She was in her uniform and was fiddling with her beautiful Beater's bat.
"That looks pricy. Who gave that to you?" Draco asked.
"I don't know?" she lied, "I got it for Christmas; it didn't say who it was from on the package. It just said that it was to me." Candie said with a straight voice.
"Are you nervous?"
"A little bit." Candie managed to murmur. They mounted their brooms and heard the announcer call their names. They all flew out of the dressing room in the order they were called.
"…and the team's newest member is… Candie Melt." The announcer said. Everyone applauded for her and the team. Madam Hooch gave them a short rule and started the game. Candie had only had a few practices, and was still learning how to play. A bludger came straight for her; she aimed for a Gryffindor, and hit the bludger with all of her strength. The bludger hit the broom of one of the chasers. She got comments from both teams.
"…and Melt hits Bells broom with a bludger, that one must cost a bit." the announcer said.
"Draco, watch out!" Candie called to him. He was the team's seeker, and was only because his father bribed the team. Candie didn't mind though. There was a bludger coming for him and he missed it by inches.
"Thanks Candie, that one could have been bloody."
"Bloody brilliant!" said Fred and George Weasley at the same time.
"Hush it!" Candie said as a bludger came towards her. She hit it hard at one of the boys, (who were also beaters). She succeeded again and knocked one of them off their broom.
"Wicked! Candie where did you learn to hit a bludger like that?" Draco cooed.
"I learned in my Physical Education class in the muggle world. I had to play baseball for a few weeks." She said as she dodged a bludger hit by George.
"Baseball?" Draco asked confused. He was squinting, trying to find the snitch.
"It's kind of like being a beater, just the whole game based around it, and a bit more…on the ground." Candie laughed.
They played the rest of the game, Candie hitting beautifully. She knocked almost everyone off there brooms except the Keeper and the Seeker on the Gryffindor team. She didn't hit anyone on her own team either, (that was an accomplishment for her, and usually she would hit her team instead of the other). Draco caught the snitch, because Candie hit the seeker. The Slytherin team was in great shape. No one except two of the chasers ended up in the hospital wing. They all celebrated on the field and in the common room.
"That was so much fun to watch!" Candie's muggle friends said. Caitlyn and Gus showed her the pictures that they had captured. They both immediately went to develop them. Candie and Draco were both praised for their excellent work out on the field. They threw a party and finally, the common room calmed down enough for everyone to get some sleep. The next morning Candie and Draco took Heather, Gus, Lindsay, and Caitlyn to the platform. They told them how to get back into the muggle world, and to not be afraid. They said good-bye, and gave away hugs.
"I will miss you so much!" Candie whispered into Gus's ear.
"I will miss you to." Gus said lovingly. "Iloveyou." He said quickly, and slurred.
"And I you!" Candie laughed. She said good-bye to Heather, Caitlyn, and Lindsay and showed them to the train.
"Bring Allyson next time." Candie said to Heather. "Of course, bring Lindsay, Caitlyn, and Gus too."
"Caitlyn can't come next time; she has to go camping with her parents."
"Okay, that stinks. Okay anyways see you!"
"Bye!" They all yelled after her and Draco. The two of them headed back to the Castle.