PyroFly: Hey I think we might just have a fast update here. That's good eh! Now that both of my computers are up and running updates should be coming along faster then what they have been. Anyway please review, it's always nice to leave one. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: See chapter 3.
Chapter Four
Meetings
Shay paced around the room. There was no way she was going to let her walls down. Not to anyone. She was not going to let anyone close to her. But then, Harry did seem different. He was caring and kind. Or so he seemed anyway.
Shay flopped down onto a squishy black leather chair. Soon, she assumed because of the sleeping draft, she fell asleep in the chair.
Harry walking into the room to help Shay prepare for the meeting. In the chair he could the fire creating hues of gold and red against soft red hair. Harry smiled in seeing this girl who had cast such a spell over him, sleeping like she should be. He sighed in regret that he had to wake her up. Slowly and carefully he shook Shay awake. She moaned slightly and her eyes flicked open.
"Sorry." Harry said watching as she stretched.
"It's alright I would have had to have gotten up anyway." She said as she offered a smile to Harry. The prefects all came in at once and plans for the year began.
Dumbledore came in the room and beckoned the two Heads out.
"This year would be a fantastic year to hold a Christmas ball." He said. "You two shall open the dancing by dancing the first dance together."
"But Professor that all sounds grand but with all due respect, I don't want to go. I know it sounds childish but do I have to go?"
"Yes Shaylee. I would indeed like for you to go." Harry watched Shay's face fall.
"Do I have to stay the whole time then?"
"I do not see why you can't leave after the first dance. But for now I would like for you to assign someone to food, music, and decorations. For the music prefects, I would like to have all the music inspected by either me of Professor McGonagall."
"Yes Professor."
"Well go and tell everyone." Dumbledore said disappearing around the corner. Shay was almost about to go back in when she felt two hands on her shoulders.
"Why don't you want to go Shaylee?"
"No one wants me to go so I won't." With that she turned and went back into the room. Harry smiled. She didn't know it, but she had just given him another piece of the puzzle. Just a small hint as to who Shay really was. He walked back into the room and all the prefects looked at him.
"Riley I need you and Ryan at the music. You two know more about music then anyone else I know. Hunter and Colby, I would like you get the food. As for me and Harry we can do the decorations. But Riley and Ryan don't forget to show the music to Dumbledore. Is that okay Harry?" Shay asked.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. But I would like to remind everyone that before the Christmas ball there are 2 Hogmeade days. There are also two other days after that, that I will inform you about later."
"So is the meeting over then?" Riley asked in her small voice. Harry nodded. "Okay, Ryan and I will have the music ready for scan past Dumbledore by Halloween."
Time flew by quickly for everyone. It soon became Halloween, and true to their word Riley and Ryan had finish gathering all the music for the ball.
Harry had been watching Shay very closely, trying to find out all he could about her. Her soft red hair always had a beautiful glow to it when she was anywhere close to fire. She had wonderful deep green eyes and she was the prefect height. Harry couldn't keep his mind off of her no matter how much he tried to.
"Harry can you help me please?" Shay had been trying to carry a particularly heavy box. Harry bolted up and helped her. "Thank you." She said. "Dumbledore gave us this box of decoration's early so we could go through them."
"The Prefects did put up the posters right?"
"Yes they did. 4th years and up."
"Good." Ron, Jemma and Hermione all into the common room. For most of the year no one really had seen Hermione. Between her school work and her boyfriend, both of them had taken up most of her time. Her boyfriend of course was no officially Victor Krum, and she was very happy with that.
"Hermione, we haven't seen you for a while." Shaylee said giving a smile. "You and Victor are really hitting it off then I guess."
"Yea, since he's now in Hogmeade for awhile it makes it easier to see him. Especially with Dumbledore letting me go and study in the library there."
"Well Miss. Hermione, you aren't abusing the privilege that Dumbledore gave you are you?" Hermione gave a shocked look.
"Of course not!"
"I'm happy for you Hermione. You're lucky that you have someone in this world who will love you." Harry realized that she spoke the second part so quietly Hermione didn't even hear it. But Harry also found the last part of what he needed in her words. He watched as she smiled and started going through the decorations.
Later that evening Harry walked into the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. He seen soft red hair in the Gryffindor table, and he immediately went to sit next to her.
"Hey." He said sitting down next to Shaylee.
"Hi." She said sliding some pasta on to her plate. It was all she had but she seemed to enjoy it. After much talking and finishing dinner, all four people walked out of the great hall.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the two mudbloods and their friends."
"Sod off Malfoy." Ron spat.
"So Weasley, do you still want to go out with the bushy haired mudblood. Or have you found yourself a new mudblood or less?" Hermione and Harry grabbed on to Ron's robes.
"No Ron he's not worth it." Hermione said as she always did.
"He couldn't touch me even if he wanted to. Well if it isn't Reynolds." Harry immediately let go of Ron and stood in front of Shay.
"Leave her alone Malfoy." Harry spat venomously.
"Potter, always trying to be the hero. I can't wait for the day you die." Within a flash of movement Malfoy was on the ground clutching his nose. Blood came out through his fingers.
"I don't really care about what you say about me Malfoy. But don't insult them." Shay said lethally. Malfoy and his goons backed off.
"Wow Shay, that was amazing!" Jemma said.
"You just socked Malfoy." Ron said happily. Shay just smiled.
"Oh, I have to go! I have to hand that thing into Dumbledore!" Hermione said looking at her watch and running off.
"Oh Harry..." a voice came from the darkness of the halls. Two blondes appeared out of no where. Both had blue eyes and had extremely skinny almost anorexic bodies.
"Harry, I haven't seen you for so long!" One said whiney. She clung on to Harry's left arm.
"Yea Ron, it has been awhile." The other said doing the same. "Why are you hanging out with filth like this?" She said spotting Jemma and Shay. Shay sighed. She knew they would have to put up with this eventually. Jen and Kassie were the two most idiotic people Shay had ever met.
"Come on Harry; let's go somewhere where we can have some real fun." Jen said sliding one perfectly manicured finger along his chest.
"Yea, you wouldn't want to be seen with these two idiots would you?"
Shay turned and walked away. She had heard enough. She heard Jemma follow closely behind her.
"You know what Jen. I really don't like people who insult my friends. So Jen stay away from Shay or I swear I will hex you out of this school so fast, so help me god." Harry spat. He yanked the blonde off of him and pushed her away. Ron did the same. Both quickly walked off.
"Harry will be mine Kassie. Even if I have to remove a certain mudblood bitch to do it." Kassie smiled.
"Ron will be mine as well. No matter what I have to do to make it that way."
Meanwhile back in the common room Shaylee and Jemma were sitting in front of the fire.
"Why do they have to do that?" Shaylee asked.
"It's in their nature. Must be some code of bimboism or something." Jemma said. Shay laughed a bit and then brought her knee up to her chest. She put her head down in between them. Jemma sighed. She knew this would affect Shay's and Harry's friendship a lot.
"I'll be right back." Jemma said running up the stairs to her dormitory.
"Shay?" she heard Harry call. She didn't look up. She didn't want to. She hated more then anything else the insults that were thrown at her almost daily. She felt the hot tears of anger falling down her cheeks at a rapid pace.
"Shay please..." Harry tried again as he sat down next to her. With his hand he gently managed to pry her arm away from her face. He put his finger under her chin and drew her face to look at him. He felt a tug at his heartstrings when he seen her eyes. They were so full of pain and longing.
"Shay you shouldn't be crying. You're so much better then them. You aren't filth. You're anything but. Those two can't even be compared to you. Everything from your beautiful red hair to your amazing green eyes is entrancing; any guy would want something like you." He said running two fingers along her cheek and into her hair. "Your personality is something anyone can envy. Your so much better then them Shay. Shaylee you are." Harry's face was close to Shay's he could feel her warm breath on his chin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. His lips were just about to touch hers when a voice chimed in.
"Harry, get away from that filthy little bitch of a mudblood!" Jen said coming closer to Harry and Shay. Harry felt that Shay was about to get up and leave but he kept a tight hold on her.
"That bitch doesn't deserve you. You belong to me and only me. If you know what's good for you mudblood, you'll get away from and stay far FAR away form him. Or so help me god for what I'll do to you." Harry had heard enough. He drew out his wand and pointed it at Jen.
"I don't know when and how I became your property Jen, but the last time I checked I wanted sweet shit all to do with you. I've never wanted anything to do with you and I promise you I never will. I remind you that if you ever come near Shay, I swear I'll go to Azkaban for what I would do to you." He nearly yelled at her. Jen backed away, clearly afraid of the 6'4" man in front of her.
"Stupi-"Harry began to say but Shaylee grabbed his arm.
"Harry please stop. I'm not worth all this." Shay whispered so quietly Harry could barely hear her. His head bolted around at her words.
"Leave." He said forcefully at Jen and the other bystanders. From the corner of her eye Shay seen Jemma standing on the stairs, watching everything with her cat in her arms. She watched as her friend turned and went up the stairs.
After everyone had left, Harry turned to Shay. He sat back down on the couch beside her. He brought Shay's body closer to his own.
"Shay it's taken me a good while to figure out all I have about you. But something I don't understand about you is why you barricade yourself from others." Shaylee sighed.
"I suppose you want me to tell about my life right? It's not like anyone really cares at this school about what one person feels. But you seem to actually care about it. So therefore I'll tell you and show you." Harry had done it. He had broken down Shay's walls and gotten to her. She got up from the couch and took her outer Hogwarts robe off. She un-tucked the back part of her skirt and lifted it up slowly. Under it there were many shiny scars that looked like claw marks and cuts that had once been there.
"Shay, what are these from?" Harry whispered. Shay put her outer robe back on.
"Parents are supposed to love you right? Mine did, until I came here." Tears started to fall down her face once more. "Harry, they hurt me. A lot. Because I was different then them. Not in their view of n-normal. People hurt. I learned that the hard way. I sat in a closet for hours just trying to get away from them. I was so scared. I could hear them looking for me. Trying to find me. To h-hurt me more." Be then Shay's voice had become frantic. Her whole body shook with the memories of her past. Her tears turned to sobs as she collapsed back onto the couch.
Harry looked at her. He couldn't believe anyone would have the nerve to hurt someone like her. Just because of her choice to be a little different then them. But then he did understand a little bit. After all he did have the Dursley's to thank for that. He carefully gathered Shay up onto his lap and held her close to him as she cried.
"I'm so sorry Shay. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Please don't tell anyone. My parents got what they deserved. I live with my Aunt now."
"That's good Shay. It's a step forward. I don't want any more pain for you. But I do have just one more question."
"What?" she said tearfully.
"About your sister Lani."
"Oh right. Well Lani takes after my parents you could say. She used to be my best friend until of course I came here." Shay continued her story until she had fallen asleep in Harry's lap. Harry smiled as his head rested on hers. Now he knew everything about Shay. Everything about her past. He ran two fingers along her pale cheek. He readjusted her gently and brought her upstairs to her room. He knocked on the door and wait for someone to answer. Jemma opened the door and looked at him carefully.
"So she told you?" She asked careful of her words.
"Yea. Everything about her makes sense now. I'm happy she found it in her to tell me."
"Me too." Jemma said opening the door more and letting Harry in. As Harry looked in more he seen to people he really didn't want to see. Jen and Kassie. He walked over and set Shaylee on her bed.
"Harry. You can't do this." Jen said giving him the best sad look she could possibly muster.
"Wanna bet?" He said. To everyone's surprised and dismay Harry gave Shaylee a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight Shaylee. Sweet dreams." He whispered in her ear. He looked at her sleeping form once more before he left.
He walked back to his dorm and found Ron was up waiting for him.
"What the bloody hell was that about mate?" Ron asked.
"Nothing, I was just talking to Shay."
"And you kicked everyone out of the common room for that?"
"Look, you didn't hear what she said. She's had a horrible life. For a lot of parts I really didn't wish it would happen to anyone like her. The people at school really make her life hell."
"You're making no sense at all Harry."
"Yea well it makes more sense to me." Ron smiled. His friend was falling in love with Shaylee and he really didn't even know it.