Chapter 13: Misconceptions

"So what else is there to see?"

"The world; that should satisfy you for the rest of the day."

"If we start in Venice, we certainly could at least get through Europe by four." Jamie replied, laughing.

"Certainly, but if you were referring to Hogsmeade, there's only Rosmerta's left I believe."

"Oh, and the Shrieking Shack, I've heard every horrible thing about the place, we have to see it."

Not nearly as horrible as what I could tell you, Remus thought poisonously. "Uh," he cleared his throat, "Let's get a butterbeer first, my arms are definitely going numb."

Jamie smiled, but avoided looking him in the eye. The day had been great, really, but she thought it would've been more of a group thing, not one-on-one like this. Remus had showed her everything, including the delight of Fizzing Whizbees, and eventually they had ended up in a small book store off Main Street. There they had spent several hours browsing, swapping titles, and discussing the surprisingly many books they had both read. Jamie was happy to find someone, besides Annie, who had a strange sympathy towards every villainous character, that could argue their point as vehemently as she could. In the end, they had left loaded with parcels. Yet, the nagging feeling that this was a date was still popping into Jamie's head every ten minutes, every time she looked him in the eye. The fact that he was carrying some of her bags didn't help diminish her suspicions either.

Jamie, as mentioned before, had a bad habit of making more out a situation than was there. Eventually she had learned to rein it in and simply dismiss half of her theories. But there was something to be said about a, let's admit it, handsome guy showing her around and being the perfect gentlemen. Jamie was beginning to wish she had dated more so she could define on experience.

"I don't think I've ever had butterbeer." She replied. She shifted the bags for a second and pulled her robes tighter around her.

"You don't know what you're missing, especially on a freezing day like this." Remus shifted the bags he carried too, "Turn left, it's that door straight ahead." With a grunt, Jamie managed to push open the wooden front door. Remus guided the way to one of the booths and carefully put down his packages, as she did the same. If there was one thing they would always agree on, it was a reverence of books. "Be right back." Remus turned towards the bar to get their drinks.

Jamie propped her chin in her hand and looked around. It was the most interesting place, like out of a stinking book it was. It appeared dimly lit and the old leather booth squeaked beneath her, but there was a general tidiness and light that made the place glow cheerfully. The tables were mostly stuffed with Hogwarts students on their weekend, she even waved to someone familiar, but there were also a few locals. There was this wizard puffing on a pipe in the corner, a few gray-haired witches cackling happily, and a couple sitting in the corner with their hands intertwined, not saying anything, like they were simply basking in the mere presence of one another.

Her musings were swept away rapidly as a loud shrieking laugh ripped across the room. Jamie turned to the source of the noise, Madame Rosmerta, and saw Remus trying to get her to stop. Jamie smiled, and bet that Remus was bright red in the face right now. Eventually it stopped, with Madame Rosmerta calling out "good luck" to Remus as he turned away from the counter, shaking his head, and navigated his way back to their booth.

"Here we go," Remus set two steaming mugs and a plate down on the table and taking a seat himself. "Be careful, it's hot." Jamie nodded and carefully sipped the amber liquid, then grinned.

"Ohh, it's good! It's just right" She sipped again and smiled blissfully at him as it warmed her up from the inside out. Remus laughed out loud.

"I think I'd love to re-experience everything with you, you're like a child." Remus faltered, "I mean in a good way, like optimistic, er I mean," Jamie waved it off.

"I know what you mean. I'm not optimistic, I just find everything hilarious. Plus I've always figured that showing my reactions would make sure I still had reactions, if you know what I mean, like things will never be bland because I'll… well it's like… Wow, this is hard to explain!" Jamie said, running a hand through her tousled hair, "It kinda goes back to staying young on the inside, I try to look at everything with the eyes of a child, and I think a lot of it stems from reading. Because you have to pay attention to a book, tune in to the underlying tones, and really let yourself drop into it, it gives me this hyper attention to everything." Jamie grinned mischievously, "Like the fact that you were blushing when you came back with the drinks, maybe a casual observer wouldn't have noticed, but I did." She noted with a hint of pride.

Remus scratched the back of his neck, which was also turning red, "It's just warm in here."

"That's a bunch of crap."

"I can't believe we bought so many books." Remus said, changing the subject. Jamie rolled her eyes, but let it slide. She tugged at the dark green lock of hair that twined through her blonde like a snake. It was a test to see if anyone would switch from pink to green, well, a hope really. The bright pinks and purples were becoming an eyesore.

"I can, what's unbelievable is that I had a partner in crime. Usually I spend tons on books all by myself, quite sad really. Most of these are mine anyway." She replied. Remus smiled to himself. She's so mercurial, he thought, One second she's silly and happy, laughter spilling from her eyes, next she's wise and knowing, reminding me of the old wise woman, then she turns around and says she's going to beat the ever loving crap out of you if you say that again, then she's laughing again because of the look on your face.

"Not until I borrow all yours, then they'll be lost in the dormitories among Sirius's clothes" Remus said.

"No!" Jamie shrieked, "Anything but that, not my precious books!"

"I'm afraid so, it really is quite inevitable." Remus shook his head sadly, enjoying the joke.

"Then I'll come up and get them, you can bet on that."

"You'll dig through James and Sirius's boxers?" Remus said, raising his eyebrows.

"Sure," Remus's eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. "With a ten foot pole I will." Jamie said. They simultaneously burst out laughing, like a dam breaking, and the tavern was flooded with their laughing. As it subsided they just sat drinking their butterbeers and munching on the cookies Remus had also brought. All of a sudden James, Sirius, Vivian, Lizz, and Peter descended on them and pulled up a table and chairs.

"There isn't any actual alcohol in these are there?" Lizz whispered to Jamie as she sat down with her butterbeer.

"I don't think so, I really don't know or care right now." Jamie whispered back, taking another warm sip.

"Oh do tell me what you're whispering about you two, no one likes secrets!" Vivian trilled. She had a hand pointedly on Sirius's lap and was using the other to comb her straight magenta hair.

"I was just asking Lizzabee about your accent Lefleur. It's so very different today!" Jamie trilled back.

"Oh yes," Vivian fluffed her purple hair, "I've been teased for the longest time about my French accent, but just last night I found a potion that can change your accent. It was in one of my magazines."

"Oh yes, but American?" Jamie asked, laughing loudly in her mind that even Vivian's "new accent" still had a British tint to it. "I mean I thought you would have chosen the same accent as your friends. You know, to avoid more teasing?" Something nasty flicked over Vivian's face but was superceded by a dazzling condescending smile.

"Oh I hoped to make you feel more comfortable, for the time that you're with us. You know what I mean?" Jamie nodded, and despite her obvious hate for all girls like Vivian, she gave her silent respect. Vivian was not a dumb blonde, she knew how to fight like a lady, though Jamie had a serious desire to she if she could fight with nails just as well as she could with her tongue.

"Potion my ass" Jamie said under her breath, making Lizz cough hard in an effort not to laugh. Jamie looked at Remus, who gave her a lazy mischievous smile.

"What was that about your ass?" Remus said under his breath so only she could hear. Jamie smiled wickedly.

"You know, it's that amazingly hot thing I sit on." She replied, Remus just kept looking at her in with a grin that showed his Marauder colors. Jamie, for all her boldness, was surely turning red under his cutting stare, but pride held her up until she looked away. If there was one thing she had learned about Remus today, it was that he wasn't shy, just quiet, keeping all of his incredible thoughts to himself. Jamie addressed the group, "So has anyone seen Annie on her hot date?"

-not too far away-

"We can see the Shrieking Shack if you like." Snape said to Annie. He smiled, he thought this was all going rather well. Annie wasn't having too bad a time either, though Snape was incredibly shy and there was more than one awkward silence. She told herself, once again, to not forget to not go after guys that were as quiet as her.

"Sure" Annie smiled reassuringly, Snape nodded and they turned down a side street until they were in a small copse. Then they came upon the Shack. Snape told her some of the rumors and myths surrounding the dilapidated old house.

Annie looked at it with slight wonder, it seemed so dark and horrifying, for no real apparent reason, unless you're the sort of person who finds sloping eaves scary. She began to fancy if it had something to do with one of the theories Jamie loved to talk about. It was how humans give off positive or negative energy in accordance to emotion and how it affects the area around it, so that any person would walk in to an area and feel the same way without having a definite reason for it. Like a house where a child was neglected would suddenly make you feel extremely sad and lonely, even if you painted the walls all sorts of bright colors. "Fear is the strongest" she'd say, "The fact that we look upon something with such fear or hatred affects everything, like poison, damaging people and places around you." Jamie didn't always count these theories as fact, it was just something she'd run across in her books, but it still helped explain why the Shack seemed so terrifying.

"Why if it isn't Severus." A voice, with the British equivalent of a southern drawl, said. Annie turned around sharply and tried not to stare. Lucius Malfoy strode down the slope flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. Her mind couldn't keep off the sweeping black robes, the incredible blond hair, and the handsome features.

"Hello Malfoy, is there something I can do for you?" Snape's voice betrayed a wish to do something to Lucius.

"No, no, not today. I simply was passing by and heard your voice. So this is the Annie Martin you were babbling about, you didn't do her justice Severus I swear." Lucius strode down between them and kissed Annie's hand. "So nice to meet you, I'm Lucius Malfoy."

Annie reclaimed her hand. Was this the same guy she had jinxed yesterday? Talk about smooth, too smooth. "Oh yes, you gave James that black eye last Saturday." She said, trying really hard to see the bad side to him. Lucius's smile didn't falter.

"Yes, well I'm sure you can understand. We've been rivals and enemies for a very long time, our parents don't even like each other. Yet, who would like that bunch, always playing petty pranks on everyone in their path. I'm surprised you haven't had something happen to you as of yet. Unless they did that." Lucius gestured to the green lock of hair that was draped across her forehead. "But I hardly think they would give a Gryffindor Slytherin colors." Annie shook her head and laughed, but it sounded shrill to her so she stopped.

Annie would have said something about the experiment but then another Slytherin slide into their mists and stopped her explanation. "Oh hello Blaise," Lucius said to the handsome sixth year. "Would you believe that this is the Annie Martin Snape was talking about?" Annie was seriously on lavender clouds in the midst as Blaise smiled at her when her mind came to a screeching halt.

"Wait!" Annie turned on Snape, "You're the one that attacked Kelli!" Snape nodded mutely, dumbstruck by the turn in her mood. "You're kidding! I had no idea that was you! What the heck is wrong with you? What the heck made you think it was a good idea to attack people? On school grounds! I hope they took away your badge."

"Um, well" Snape scrambled for words that were desperately fleeing, "I was a little off that night, and uh… your friend hasn't told yet, so I still have my badge, and uh… You didn't know that was me?"

You.. you are… I don't know but I'm leaving. I can't believe that was you! And you can bet that McGonagall knows about this." Annie turned to leave, almost turned to say something to Malfoy and Blaise, thought better of it, and ran back to Hogsmeade.

"You really should shut your mouth Severus, nothing of yours looks good hanging open." Lucius smiled. "Well, should someone go after her?" Looking like he would be pleased to.

"No, she was talking early about finding her friends. She's probably with them now, and that includes the Marauders Malfoy, the one that gave broke my nose is dating Lupin." Snape managed to say, he was still flabbergasted at what had just happened. Lucius shrugged,

"Another time then."

-back at Rosmerta's-

Annie slid in between Jamie and Lizz and ignored the stares. Instead of asking embarrassing questions, Jamie tried to keep the conversation going, but she and Lizz could tell something was wrong. "So are we going to see the Shrieking Shack Remus?" she asked. If the table had been quiet at Annie's entrance, it was dead silent now. Surprisingly, Annie piped up.

"Oh no, Jamie you don't want to go there. It's Just an old house that's hasn't been taken care of."

"Besides it's about time to go." James recovered.

"Really?" Jamie said looking at Annie's watch. "Well then you'll have to excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom before we get in the carriage to go back. Annie, Lizz, what about you?"

"Coming." Annie said with Lizz in tow. They got into the bathroom, Jamie checked the stalls, then turned to Annie.

"Ok, what's wrong, and don't tell me nothing, we know you better than that."

"I was on a date with a complete bastard, that I had defended, and didn't know it! Damn it!" Annie snapped.