CHAPTER SEVEN

Quidditch and Curses

Torrential storms plagued the school the entire week after the little rain witch was pulled from the lake. An endless assault of wind, rain and lightning waged war against the castle, severe enough that several charms had been placed around the school to protect it from the worst of the damage.

As many of the other students had, the Gryffindor group paused on their way to the dungeons to watch the latest battle between castle and storm from the safety of one of the covered walkways.

"Think she'll wake up soon?" Natsu asked idly from his spot along the wall, looking over the courtyard as one of the shield charms around the castle repelled another bolt of lightning. The blast dissolved in a flurry of sparks that illuminated the courtyard.

"Not enjoying the storm?" asked Loke.

"Well, the first Quidditch game is in a couple of days."

"Enough, Natsu," Erza muttered.

Gray didn't have the strength to echo the sentiment, lack of sleep over the last week wearing him down. The memory kept repeating. Every time he closed his eyes, it replayed in his head. Her scream. The fear in her face. The last view of her as she disappeared into the lake's dark waters.

It never left him. Redfox had hit the water first, and Gray could scarcely see him when he went in a couple of breaths later. Juvia was nowhere to be found. He fought like hell to swim further down into the lake and then fought like hell against the spell that dragged him out again, struggling to get back into the lake until Professor Makarov appeared in a clash of sound. A moment later, a light pierced the lake and then Juvia emerged from it, so still and small and pale. He wanted to erase that image from his mind but it was all he saw when he shut his eyes.

"Think they've figured out who did it, yet?" Lucy asked.

"They aren't going to tell us when they do," Loke snorted.

"It was probably Orland," Natsu said. "Or maybe Laxus."

"That's not an easy jinx. I doubt Minerva could pull something like that off," Erza replied. "I doubt even Laxus could manage it. I think it's far more likely to be an older student or one of the professors."

"That's not a comforting thought," Lucy muttered. "What do you think, Gray?"

Gray felt the eyes of his friends on him. He knew they were worried. He hadn't really said or done much since Juvia had been rushed to the Infirmary, but he didn't feel like saying anything now. "I think it's time for Potions," he replied as he left the wall to head towards the dungeons. The others followed quietly behind him.

Redfox was already in the classroom when they arrived. Gray spared him a glance, the Slytherin boy even more sullen than normal, surrounded by his own notes and what he assumed were Juvia's. Gray didn't bother asking how the blunette girl was as he passed the boy to take a seat behind him. The rain outside was answer enough, and even if it wasn't, the Redfox boy wasn't likely to tell him anything anyways.

Gray took his usual seat next to Natsu, ignoring the pink-haired boy's attempts to prod him into a fight and focusing instead on preparing for class as Professor Precht entered.

Class went on as usual until about half way through when the dungeon door groaned as it announced the arrival of Caretaker Macao. The caretaker quickly approached Professor Precht's desk and spoke a few words in hushed tones to the professor. The older man merely nodded in response and dismissed Macao with a wave of his hand. Once the caretaker had left, the old professor motioned to Redfox who dutifully rose and approached the desk. A couple of seconds and some quietly spoken words later, Redfox darted out the room, Precht calmly returning to the papers he had been reviewing as if nothing had happened.

Gray stared at the old professor, trying to glean some sort of information from the man, but the professor's detached and disinterested demeanor betrayed nothing.

"Psst. Droopy eyes, your cauldron's overflowing," Natsu hissed at him.

Gray ignored him as he stood up and approached Professor Precht's desk. The old man didn't even look up from his papers.

"May I help you, Mister Fullbuster?"

"Where did Redfox go?"

"Been promoted to hall monitor, have we, Mister Fullbuster?"

"Was it about Juvia?"

The man heaved a sigh and looked up at the boy. "Miss Lockser is awake and out of danger. Madame Porlyusica asked to have Redfox sent to the Infirmary to help with the girl. That is all. Now, return to your seat. Your potion's about to ignite."

Whipping around back towards his desk, Gray just caught sight of Natsu as the pink-haired boy was about to add a handful of dragon talons to Gray's cauldron. "Shit, Natsu, not -!"

An explosion cut off whatever else Gray might have said. When the smoke cleared, a slightly singed and soot-covered Natsu grinned at him. "That was awesome!"

Behind him, Professor Precht sighed. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

"Ya didn't eat anything. Yer going to get yerself sick again, ya idiot," he growled.

"Juvia just wasn't hungry," she replied, still so tired. "Juvia did eat some, though." She didn't mention to Gajeel that the little she did eat was now violently waging war on her insides. He'd have her back in the Infirmary in a heartbeat.

"Ya should be resting, not going to class."

"Juvia's been resting for a week now. She'll fail if she keeps resting."

"I took notes," Gajeel protested, the words almost coming out in a pout. She gave him a weak smile.

"And Juvia appreciates it, but she needs to be able to attend class too."

"Just don't overdo it or I'm hauling yer dumb ass back to the Infirmary."

Juvia smiled at him and then entered the History of Magic classroom. She knew Gajeel hated the class - the name Redfox popped up way too often for the boy's liking and usually on the wrong side of conflicts - but to her, it was fascinating. An entire world she knew absolutely nothing about.

They took a desk to the front, Gajeel not complaining for once, and readied for class. Juvia tried to take her book from the boy but he pulled it out of her reach with a glare. He opened it and set it on the desk for her.

"Juvia is not an invalid."

"Ya were twenty-four hours ago," he snapped back.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yer lucky I don't hit sick people."

"You said the same thing about hitting girls."

"Get yer notes ready."

Juvia was flipping through the chapter, trying to speed-read what she had missed when there was a small cough to her right. She glanced over to see another blue-haired girl, shorter than she was, standing next to her. Juvia wasn't quite sure how to react. No one approached her outside of the occasional professor.

"Hello," the girl said quietly.

Juvia tried to place the name. Mc-something. McGarden. That was it. She liked the name. The garden part of it, anyways. "Erm... hi," she said at last, realizing that she hadn't said anything yet. Next to her, Gajeel muttered something.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked.

"She's fine. Now scram," snarled the boy to her left. McGarden flinched back, looking paler. Two Ravenclaw boys standing behind her seemed ready to reach for their wands.

"Gajeel," she scolded the boy with a weak kick that he kindly didn't retaliate against. Yet, anyways. "Juvia is fine now, Miss McGarden. Thank you."

"That's good. If you need any help getting back up to speed, I'm more than happy to share my notes."

"Thank you, but Gajeel has been taking notes for her. Juvia appreciates the offer, though," she smiled. The other blunette smiled timidly back and went to find her seat.

"You can't be mean like that, Gajeel. She wasn't doing any harm."

The boy frowned. "Someone jinxed your broom."

"And Juvia doubts it was the Ravenclaw girl. You told Juvia yourself that the jinx is a difficult one."

"And she's the best student in Charms," he grumbled.

"Out of a bunch of first years. Juvia imagines that even the best first year isn't likely to pull off such a jinx."

He grunted a response, the usual sign that she was winning an argument. Whatever else that Juvia might have said, though, was cut off by Professor Jura's arrival.

"Good morning, class," Professor Jura called out. "Let's turn to chapter twenty-three, the 1746 Redfox Rebellion."

Juvia heard a thud beside her followed by a groan. She turned to pat the face-planted Gajeel's back sympathetically.

"We shouldn't be going."

"It's the first Quidditch game of the year, and it's Slytherin versus Gryffindor," Juvia said. "Juvia thinks it's actually a requirement to go. She heard one of the Prefects threatening to turn some of the students who were planning on staying in the Common Room into skrewts. She's not sure what a skrewt is, but she imagines it's not good."

"Yer cold. Yer sick. And it's a stupid game played by stupid people," Gajeel grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

Juvia smiled softly, knowing full well what was bothering Gajeel. It was hard to miss the trophy case that had pride of place in the Slytherin Common Room, particularly the picture of the Quidditch team celebrating around the Quidditch Cup over fifteen years prior. It was also hard to miss their raven-haired, red-eyed captain who could have almost been mistaken for his son were it not for the hair neatly combed in contrast to the wild mess of hair Gajeel wore.

"It's okay to like Quidditch, Gajeel. Just because your father was on a Quidditch team doesn't mean anything."

"He wasn't just on a Quidditch team, Raindrop," the boy said with a groan. "He was a friggin legend in Slytherin! He was the best Keeper Slytherin's had in a century."

"So?"

"They'll all expecting me to be just like him. Well, screw them and him. They ain't getting a Redfox Keeper this generation."

"For what it's worth, Juvia thinks you'd make a terrible Keeper."

"Thanks, Raindrop," Gajeel growled, flushing slightly.

"Juvia thinks you'd be better as the one that hits those really angry balls -"

"The Bludger.

"Yeah, that one. You'd be good as the person who goes after the Bludgers -"

"The Beater."

"Yeah. Him."

"I know you're not this dense about Quidditch," he said as he glared, red eyes narrowed on her. It was an expression that had many people shrinking back, but all it did was coax a grin onto her face.

"Of course she is. You need to go with her so you can explain it all to her. Or else she'll look like a complete idiot, and you wouldn't want that, would you? Come on, Gajeel, please," she pleaded, pouting.

After a moment, he sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if we're sitting up there, ya need to wear yer scarf properly," he said as he adjusted the aforementioned item around her neck. "Ya get sick again, I'm not visiting yer stupid ass at the Infirmary. First second ya cough, we leave. Got me?"

She nodded and smiled.

"And did ya see the way Denton muscled right through Fletcher and McDougall to score off of the Bludger hit on Rothwell?"

Juvia giggled softly as Gajeel continued his recap of the game, careful not to let the cough that bubbled up in her chest out. Despite his misgivings, Gajeel had been utterly enthralled with the game three seconds after the Quaffle was thrown into the air. All Juvia had to do was keep the urge to cough and scream suppressed, the former proving largely easier than the latter, particularly when a sudden dive by one of the players mirrored her nightmares a little too well. She managed to get through the game mostly silent, save a few small coughs, through sheer will, determined not to spoil the event for Gajeel. It was an effort well rewarded. It was the happiest she'd ever seen the Redfox boy. Even her rain had largely behaved, keeping to only a slight drizzle for most of the game.

"It was brilliant!" he grinned.

"You realize that was a Gryffindor goal, right?" Juvia reminded him.

"Eh, who cares? The Slytherin keeper is trash anyways."

"Best not let anyone hear you. They'll think you're a terrible Slytherin."

"We are terrible Slytherins," he said, draping an arm over her shoulder. "Giihii!"

Juvia smiled. "Juvia likes to think so." Her smile faltered, however, as Madame Porlyusica approached the pair, stern and sober as always. Gajeel tensed as well and stepped away from her.

"She coughed twice when we were at the Pitch," he said before the pink-haired nurse even had a chance to speak.

Juvia glared at the boy. "Tattler."

"She had half a gallon of lake water in her lungs last week, Mister Redfox. She'll be coughing for a while yet. It's nothing to be concerned about. It's also not why I'm here. Headmaster Makarov would like to see you if you feel up to it, Miss Lockser," the woman said. Juvia nodded, and Madame Porlyusica turned and headed towards the Headmaster's tower, Juvia following quickly behind after a wave to Gajeel.

Juvia knew the way to the Headmaster's office well enough by now. She hardly needed an escort. Professor Makarov had been diligent in keeping his promise to her. He sent for her one or twice every week to further refine the spell that would hopefully one day free her from her rain. Progress, however, had remained slow. Though she had become better versed in the spell, the most it had given her was a few seconds longer of patched blue sky before her storm swelled and returned.

Still, she followed Porlyusica obediently. When they were once again at the gargoyle statue with password provided, the woman finally spoke to her. "Have you been coughing often?"

"Not often. Just once in a while."

"How often is once in a while?"

"Maybe a couple of times an hour?"

"Hrm. Stop by the Infirmary once you've spoken with the Headmaster. I'll have you take another dose of medicine."

Juvia grimaced, knowing full well what the medicine would be. She almost preferred the lake water. "You just told Gajeel that it was normal for Juvia to be coughing."

"I can't abide having a second nursemaid hovering around. He needs to focus on his studies and leave your health to me. I want you to stop by after class over the next week."

"Juvia really feels fine."

"Would you prefer that I have you confined again to the Infirmary?"

"No, Madame Porlyusica."

"Then every day, after class, for a week. Understood?"

"Yes, Madame Porlyusica."

"Good." The dour woman paused before the office door at the top of the winding stairs. "In you go, then." Unlike other times where she merely deposited the girl at the door and then headed downstairs, she opened the chamber door herself and called in, "And Makarov, if you distress her, I'll replace your heart medication tonic with vinegar. I won't have you sending her back to the Infirmary. It's a nuisance. Can't get anything done with so many people around underfoot," she muttered as she turned away and headed down the stairs.

"Welcome back, my dear," the Headmaster called out as Juvia entered the room. He wasn't sitting on the desk as he normally was. Instead, he sat behind it in the desk chair that he so rarely used in her presence. And the chair that was normally pulled into the center of the chamber for her was now placed on the other side of the desk, a pot of tea and two cups placed and waiting for them. "Come, sit down." He waited patiently as she climbed onto the chair he motioned to. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, good."

"Juvia's sorry, sir, but she hasn't had a chance to practice the charm this week."

The Headmaster snorted. "I rather think you have an excuse, my girl. That's alright. I didn't bring you here to work on the charm today. I rather think that it'll be a few weeks before you're strong enough to try again. No, I wanted to speak to you about what happened last week. Do you remember me talking to you at the Infirmary?"

Juvia nodded. Not many memories were clear to her from her time in the Infirmary. The few she did remember, she half-believed she'd imagined. The Headmaster's visit, however, was as clear and bright as the memory of the Quidditch game she'd just seen.

"You mentioned to me something about the lake singing to you. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Does it sing to you often?"

"Yes, sir. Every day it sings. The sea used to as well when Juvia lived on Inis Stoirm."

"And how long has the sea been singing to you?"

Juvia paused and thought it over a moment, the diminutive Headmaster watching her intently as she did. There was no disbelief in his expression as Gajeel sometimes had whenever she talked about the singing lake. He just seemed contemplative. Concerned. "Juvia can't remember a time then the sea didn't sing to her. It wasn't always clear what it was singing, but it always sang."

"Is it female? Male?"

Juvia paused again and then frowned, her brow furrowed. "Juvia doesn't know. It doesn't sound like anything."

The old man seemed to be lost in thought as he poured tea into both cups. He handed one of the cups to Juvia. She took it and drank from it quietly while he stirred his cup idly with a spoon.

"Is there something wrong with Juvia?" She asked after a moment's hesitation. "Well, more wrong with Juvia than everyone already knows?"

He looked up at her and smiled softly. "My girl, there's nothing wrong with you. Your rain's just a manifestation of your power. It's natural for children to have less control over their power. You're certainly not alone in it. The Dragneel boy still sets fire to his bedsheets every other week. You just have an unusual amount of strength behind that manifestation, and it takes a form that's harder to hide away."

"But you're worried about the lake?"

His smile faltered.

"Juvia isn't mad."

"I didn't say you were. Magic takes a number of different forms and a number of different paths. Anyone who claims to know all the ways it can manifest is deluding themselves. This may just be another manifestation of your abilities. Perhaps, as you gain more focus, you'll find that you hear the lake less."

Juvia studied the man's countenance, the way his eyes wouldn't quite look directly at her, the way he twisted the cup in his hands, never drinking from it. "You don't believe that. What aren't you telling Juvia?"

His eyes finally met hers, somber, serious. Like Madame Porlyusica trying to evaluate whether or not the tonic was doing Juvia any good. "Magic takes a number of different forms, not all of them good. The Ministry took a keen interest in you when you were younger. As part of their interest, a number of wizards evaluated whether or not you were under some form of curse that might have explained the storms. They all failed to find any sign of a curse."

"Then Juvia isn't cursed?" She asked, more than slightly skeptical of the notion. She had eleven years that quite vehemently claimed the contrary.

"I merely said they never found a sign of one, but I'm concerned they were looking at the wrong symptoms. There are curses that I've heard of that have similar effects to your song. Nothing exact, but similar enough that I think it warrants more investigation."

"What sort of curses?"

He shook his head. "There's no sense in jumping to a conclusion yet. Nothing I could tell you now would be more than idle speculation, and that won't do you any good. I need to find out more. For now, though, promise me you'll stay away from the lake. Will you do that?"

Juvia nodded after a second's pause.

"Good. As I learn more, I will tell you, but as you learn more, you need to do the same. I can't keep you safe when I don't know what I'm keeping you safe from. Deal?"

"Deal."