Walking With A Ghost
Chapter 4
As I clunked down the creaky stairs, I saw that James was now eatng a piece of toast, and Sirius was shamelessly flirting with a waitress. I scowled, and plopped down next to James on the grimy wooden bench, glaring at Sirius.
"If I had a wand, I'd hex him out of existance," I darkly growled, looking so murderous that a few customers stepped away several feet for safety. James tried to say something, but choked on his breakfast. Sirius nearly skipped over and slapped his best friend so hard on the back that James' forehead bounced off the table.
"Oh, sorry mate." he said. Then he looked at me. "What happened to your hair?" Sirius tactlessly asked me, and I felt like I'd been slapped. Nobody insults Mona Lisa Proctor and gets away with it! I immediately fumbled for my wand, remembering once again that I didn't have one. So I settled for something else. I picked up James' hot coffee, and dumped it on Sirius' head, grinning evily to hide my hurt ego.
"Arg! What's wrong with you?" Sirius howled, flushing in humiliation as the entire pub laughed at him. I stalked away angrily, to wait for them in the alley. If anybody said anything remotely insulting to me at that moment, I might have been arrested for manslaughter. I looked up at the blue sky, and I wished that I could just run. Like I always do. How I ran from my family, from my friends, from even myself. Even though I'm standing still, I still feel like I'm running at a hundred miles an hour, but still not getting anywhere.
A few minutes later, they joined me, Sirius looking very upset seeing as the two things he prided himself most on had nearly been ruined by the same person in less than twenty minutes. On the other hand, James was grinning like it was his birthday. I always showed his friend his place, like he sometimes told me mine.
"Let's go wand shopping!" James cheered, leading his grumpy friends down the narrow street to Olivander's. Of course, the bakery was one the way, drawing Mona inside by the aroma of cookies away from her friends who patiently waited outside.
"Hello!" the blonde counter girl exclaimed, and had a name tag that read Chrissy on it. "What can I get you?"
"Three cookies," I decided to give James and Sirius a treat, inhaling the sweet aroma.
"They your friends?" she asked while packaging the sweets. I nodded. "That one's hot. He single?" Chrissy jokingly pointed at Sirius, and I rolled my eyes. Outside, the employee spotted the two teenagers whispering and pointing at me, obviously plotting.
Then Sirius burst through the door, grabbing me around the waist and pushing me into the counter, forcing his mouth onto mine with a passion-filled kiss with tounge and everything. I was too shocked to even slap him, I just sat there! Chrissy the cashier was staring open mouthed at us, just as shocked as I was. Then as fast as he arrived, Sirius was gone. But first he was sure to snatch the cookies from me, leaving us there to drool and pant.
Chrissy stared at me, and I was just staring into space faintly, clinging to the counter since my legs had turned to jelly from post-traumatic shock!
"Good thing he's gone," she told me. "If he'd been in here one second longer, the chocolate would have melted off the eclaires." I whole heartadly agreed with her.
I half stumbled from the shop, my brain reeling and having a conscience battle. One part of me wanted to run and throw myself at Sirius, the other that was winning wanted to punch him on the nose. I settle for eating my cookie and clinging to James so I wouldn't faint. Finally we reached Olivander's, and stepped inside. The shop hadn't changed a bit, it was still dusty and stacked from floor to ceiling with wand boxes of every shape and size. James perched on the stool, and Sirius sat crossed-legged on the floor, staring intently at me.
I turned around and jumped as Mr. Olivander himself had materialized in front of me suddenly. "Hello," he whispered. "Broken your wand, I see."
"Er, yeah." I pulled the remains from my purse, it was snapped clean in two. The old man shook his head, and vanished into the shelves of wands. He returned, bearing a small, velvety box. Mr. Olivander handed it to me, saying "Twelve inches, maple and unicorn hair. Give it a try."
Feeling rather silly, I raised my hand to wave it around. Almost immediately, the old man snatched it from my grip, replacing it with another one.
"Mahogany, sixteen inches. Dragon heartstring, try it." And I waved it, to no avail. I must have tried dozens of wands, but he was never satisfied. I glanced back at my friends, who were still watching. Sirius grinned, and gave me thumbs up. I weakly smiled back, very tired of the small and light-deprived shop. Mr. Olivander had returned from the very back of the store, which must have been his workroom. He carefully unwrapped it, as if he was holding the Holy Grail. Then he handed it to me, with a pensive look on his face. The wand felt good in my hand, and I smiled at it.
"Rosewood, fourteen inches long. Phoenix feather." Olivander stared into my pale blue eyes with his silvery ones, grinning widely. I thought of a spell, and pointed it at James. Silently, his hair turned green! The shop roared with Sirius' and mine laughter, as James frantically tried to turn it back. Even Mr. Olivander may have let out a small chuckle. I finally choked out the countercurse, and paid for my new wand.
"Where to next?" I asked, stepping into daylight. "I finished all my shopping last week."
"I need new robes, and potion ingredients." Sirius said, looking just as happy as I was to be out in daylight again. James also had to pick up his books at Flourish and Blott's. First we stopped at Madam Malkine's, where Sirius was picking through winter cloaks. I was lazily bewitching random objects to fly around the room, and James was reading out school supply list.
"Wait," he said, drawing our attention back. "This says we all need dress robes. Why?" This confused us all, and Madam Malkine gave a soft laugh, and shoved the boys towards the section filled with the weird suits. "You'll find out soon enough," she told me, and dragged me around to look at dresses.
"But I don't want one!" I cried, and she simply filled my arms up with more dresses of all colors and designs. Next I was shoved into a dressing room to try them all on, which took forever! The shop owner just seemed to think there was a dress that would suit me perfectly. Finally, we decided on a black & white satin gown, that had the white layer first with black embroidered flower designs, and a black layer underneath that reached to the floor. Even I had to admit that I looked gorgeous in it.
The rest of the day was uneventful except for Sirius knocking a barrel of newt eyes over in the Apothecary, me trying to shoplift a book in Flourish and Blott's, and James breaking some expensive artifact. I was very glad and exausted once night fell and we returned through the moving brick wall for supper. While we waited for our food, I tried to explain the finer points of switching spells to my two friends. I figured they stood a better chance of learning something from me than from another boring teacher.
"You see," I told them, but clearly realized they didn't. James was looking sort of near me, and Sirius was playing with one of his thick, black locks of hair. "I give up!" I exasperadly told them, and stalked out into the Muggle world to think. I walked down Charing Cross road, passing St. Mungo's. I smiled and winked at the manequin, and I could swear it winked back. Continuing on, I finally reachd a large and empty church, which I entered.
I always liked churches, even though I'm not very religious. I found them comforting that they were always open to anyone, anytime. I walked up the stairs to the balcony, and sat at one of the higher pews. I leaned my head back to stare up the rafters, wishing I could turn into an owl and soar through them.
I was really worried about this last year at Hogwarts. What would I do after? Before I'd rarely given it any thought, to Profesor McGonagall's dismay. She had called me her most talented student at the fifth year career counselling session, but then told me that I was indecisive and lacked direction. Now that seemed startlingly true.
Would I ever do something useful? All through my life, I've drifted. Drifted around durning the summer, trying to be anywhere but with my family. As a child I'd drifted through the slums of London, day and night, sometimes for weeks at a time. But I never found exactly what I was looking for. Then I went to Hogwarts, and met friends. I was rooted for a while in school, but when I got restless I would still roam the corridors and grounds, looking for something that I'm still not exactly sure what it is.
For the past two years, I didn't drift really at all. I stayed with Remus, and I was content. But sometimes, I would still have to aimlessly run towards something that I'm not quite sure of. Or am I running away? Now I was drifting again, not knowing where I am, but not lost either. Why couldn't I just be able to stay put? Forget the unknown that I'm searching for?
"What the hell am I looking for anyway?" I said aloud, not realizing it. I heard my voice echo, which shocked me from my thoughts. I peeked out a window, and it was pitch black. Definately scary, and I raised my hand to look at the digital Muggle wristwatch Lily had given me for Christmas. It read 12:34 PM!
"Oh shit," I muttered. James and Sirius must be worried sick by now! I leaped from the pews, and ran out into the night. I jogged along down the street, and remembered that earlier I had spotted an alley that connected this street to Charing Cross Road, but decided against using it. I turned left into it, desperate to get back to my friends, but then a pair of thick, strong arms reached from the shadows and slammed me into the wall. I felt a huge bruise form on my back, but I paid it no mind.
"Don't scream or I'll shoot," a raspy man's voice told me, holding a Muggle gun to my head, pinning me to the wall with his other arm. I could smell whiskey on his breath, and his eyes were bloodshot from who knows what. "Just gimme the money and you can leave."
I automatically reached for my wand, and my hands met an empty pocket. It was left in the pub! I mentally cursed myself, praying that I could talk myself out of this one.
"Don't got any," I shortly replied, knowing before I finished the sentance it wouldn't work. But I couldn't give him wizard cash!
"Sure you don't," he teased me. I was starting to panic, where were all the annoying Muggle tourists when you needed them! Meanwhile, the mugger locked a bullet into place with a finger. "Now, for the last time, where is it?"
I was clearly out-matched, and decided (rather stupidly) to run. I stomped on his foot, reaching up and sticking my finger in his right eye at the same time, making my attacker howl in pain.
I darted from his grip, like a cafinated squirrel, and shouted for help. I was gonna die! I only got about half a foot before he reached out and grabbed my hair, pulling me back, and smashed my skull into the wall. Stars erupted into my sight as he raised the gun again.
This time, I was more or less prepared. I dropped down, hard on the pavement, hearing my ribs crack as the criminal landed on top of me. Then I tried to roll away, but got tangeled up with the drunk and unbalenced robber.
He tried to aim the gun, but we were hopelessly struggling, so he let three shots in random directions. I was clutching his wrist, trying to keep the gun pointed away from me. Maybe all those years of Quidditch practice weren't to no use, I was much stronger than I looked. I screamed, and finally, pulled myself to my feet and started to run, but now free he could aim, and one of the bullets found its mark. Judging from the sharp pain, it was lodged somewhere in my right leg.
I toppled to the ground, which was slick with my own blood. I clutched my leg in pain, gritting my teeth, trying to fight back my nausea. I was slowly losing counciness. In the distance, I heard shouts of "Call and ambulance!" And briefly felt somebody pick me up before it all faded to a blinding darkness.