Never Again 3 – Pre Beta (since I don't have one)
Discamer: Ok, I know it's been like what, a year, since I updated and I have no excuse. I swear, I suck! Also, every time I read the first two chapters, I felt like stabbing myself. It is SO BAD! And I really don't think I can finish this story with the type of writing that I prefer to write in, for some reason this fic just gets bad writing out of me. So, I have given up. It is either write badly and finish the monster, or not bother at all and stop. I have to say that I really want to finish the idea so it will finally, after 4 years, get out of my damn head. If it comes out badly, then so be it.
Don't ask me when I get the rest, I don't know. It might be a weak before the next chapter, a month, or even several months. Hopefully I will be able to write more when I am in Russia since I will most likely not have Internet and this will be my only connection to English. For those that didn't read my disclaimer for the whole story, this is sixth year, book 6 + 7 didn't happen. I am not putting it in AU because I started writing this before 6 and 7.
I am actively looking for a beta, not only for this story but for the rest of mine. This one only is also acceptable. I have no betas right now and if I get more than one offer, you guys will all be "hired" grins. Also, if I have a beta, especially a pushy one, I might even start updating more often. The deadlines and all that. So, please, please, please BE MY BETA?
Ok, enjoy.
Chapter 3: "Ah, my lovely fork!"
Two stabs, no three! Maybe I can use Crab for cover...
Draco lovingly stroked his fork while glaring at his obnoxious cousin. He had been quickly sorted into Slytherin, which was not really any surprise, and was now seated between Pansy and Zabini, both fawning on him, right beside Crab who was sitting to Draco's right.
Two weeks? Maybe three. The detention will be completely worth it!
His cousin was ignoring him, of course, but that was nothing new. He was not really responding to Pansy's constant chatter either, but seemed to be staring across the table to the Griffindors. Draco's brow furrowed, his hand going up to straighten his face. It would not do, after all, for him to look anything but uninterested. A quick look informed him that Potter was not looking back but was instead staring towards the Headtable.
Draco meant to observe the teachers for only a moment but the sight of the new addition to the table made his moment turn into several longer ones until he was blatantly staring at her. It wasn't her wide grin, which was weird in itself since she was chattering to the potions master who was obviously irritated, nor the wide hand movements accompanying her speech that seemed to pass through the glass and plates in front of her, for how could those movements not have connected with anything, he did not know. It was her hair, skin, and clothes. Her hair and clothes were changing colors so fast, that by the time he decided what color it was, it had already changed. Her skin seemed to be sparkling and hurt his eyes, a bit. No, he was wrong, it wasn't her skin, but the fine hairs on her skin, which seemed to behave the same way as her hair had, that caused the illusion.
Even though the switch of colors started giving him a headache, Draco couldn't look away. He was mesmerized. He didn't know when the teacher had come in, since she hadn't been there at the very beginning or at Dimitree's sorting, but he knew that he hadn't noticed her, and neither had most of the Great Hall. At this though, Draco turned his head, with great difficulty since he could hardly look away from something that magnificent. That is when he also noticed that there were only whispers shared among the students and all their eyes were turned towards the new teacher. All, except his cousin's, who was still staring at the Griffindorks.
A second stare separated the changing colors from the teacher's features, and Draco couldn't help but snort and roll his eyes. It was a matter of course that the woman using something as flashy as this one seemed to to attract attention would not be beautiful or stunning but just average looking. There was nothing special about the way she looked, if someone didn't count the colors. She had a straight nose, high cheekbones, but not too high, and everything about her made her look incredibly ordinary and average to the point of blending in effortlessly to the memory of all other faces Draco had seen around the hall moments ago.
The Headmaster's movement seemed to signal the colorful teacher and she not only stopped babbling to Snape, who at this point looked murderous to Draco, but toned down her colors until they changed much slower and were not as distracting.
"I am sad to say that while we had more than two sortings to get to tonight, the young lady will be a bit late so while we wait, I would like to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Montgomery." At this, Montgomery waved and her grin got even wider, if that was even possible.
Before Dumbledore could continue, though, the great hall doors opened, with a loud sound, and through came a cloaked, short, and very feminine figure. There was a shocked silence in the Great Hall and Draco could clearly hear the clang of chains with every step that the girl took.
"Ah, you made it." Came Dumbledore's excited voice and Draco glanced at him for a second before his gaze moved to the new teacher, who's ever-changing colors had slowed down even more, and finally to the new girl.
She was very graceful, her body swaying with her movements and after a moment Draco was convinced that the chains, which had seemed to make too loud of a noise, were clinging in a rhythm better associated with music. He couldn't see her face, of course, since her hood was too deep. So deep, in fact, that Draco couldn't help but wonder how she could see where she was going. He could remember being a child and stealing into his father's rooms to steal a hooded cloak. The hood had been deep enough to hide his face completely but he couldn't see past his own feet. The girl, however, seemed as if she had no trouble at all, her strides confident if a bit short. When she reached half way through the tables, Dumbledore started speaking again.
"I'd like to introduce Diedre Summers. She is a student from the Americas and she will be joining us for this school year." The girl was almost to the sorting chair and hat. Draco looked around once again and saw everyone's eyes fallowing the stranger, including his cousin's. It felt a bit strange to be looking at the same mesmerized faces for the second time in the matter of minutes but Draco ignored the feeling and concentrated back on the girl, who was now seated on the sorting chair with McGonagal beside her holding the hat, just as her arms moved up and her hands came out of their sleeves. The arms were covered in black, fingerless gloves, obviously expensive dragon hide, that stretched well under the cloak. The tips of her fingers were the only ones exposed, the gloves seemed to be cut off right at the first knuckle of every finger, and her skin was translucently white.
The hood came down slowly and the mostly quiet room burst with sound. The quiet whispers at her entrance were now full blown talk. There was a good reason for it, Draco had to admit. It was not only her skin that was incredibly pale, but her hair was as white as Dumbledore's. It was short, a bob-like haircut, with long bangs that extended to her shoulders. She seemed to have a heavy amount of piercings in her ears and what looked like a snake of chains on her throat. Her lips were full and brightly red, as if she had been biting them for a long time. Her eyes were closed for a moment but then, slowly, they opened and the sound in the room became even louder. There were several gasps from his own table and Draco wasn't sure if one of them was not him. He hoped not. Her eyes were dark red. A second later, Draco had to admit he was wrong. They were not in fact red, but such a deep brown that at the light of the candles right over her they had seemed red. She was beautiful in a striking and a bit dangerous way.
The girl was staring straight ahead, when McGonagal put the hat on her head, and her hands were sitting calmly in her lap. The average amount for the hat to choose the house for the student under it was 30-40 seconds. Draco was, of course, proud to say that it had taken it only two seconds to choose his own house. This time, however, the hat seemed to be standing still and mute for longer than ever before. After about a minute, the hall started quieting down. It seemed that the hat had trouble deciding and it became obvious fast that whoever got the new student will be getting someone special. Draco wrinkled his nose. There were more than enough "special" people in the school and the idea of one more idiot pushing for attention discussed him. It's not like they deserved it, like he did. They didn't work for it, like he did, and neither were they born into it. They just didn't die ONCE and suddenly the whole school was at his feet. His thought was interrupted by the hat's movement. After 3 minutes of complete silence, the hat was finally going to give its decision. The hall was completely quiet.
"Griffindor." There was a subdued cheer from the Griffindor table and polite claps from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Draco's table was the only one not making any sound. That is, until a loud clap sounded from his right and Draco felt anger gripping his body at his cousin's insult and at the claps from his own friends that followed his cousin's.
The girl, Draco could not remember her name, didn't seem to notice her "welcome", however. She had put her hood back on and was heading towards the Griffindor table. It seemed strange, however, that instead of sitting in one of the several empty spaces made for her, she kept walking further and further down the table, until she passed it all together and was out the door and into the hallway in much less time than it had taken her to get to the chair from the door. There was a pause in all sound and then the outraged cries of the Griffindors could be matched only by the laughter coming from the Slytherin table.
Draco felt like his sides would split from laughter, by the time the Headmaster intervened. He could not have dreamed of a better way to dis all Griffindors and not get in trouble.
"That is enough." The voice boomed through the hall and the students quieted down, with the exception of the Weasley twins who were still yelling on the top of their voices. Something about a "re-do" and "honor" was all Draco could catch before their voices disappeared and their still moving mouths made them look like fish out of water. At the loss of their voices and their still moving mouths, the twins didn't seem to even look at eachother but started "pretending" to be screaming and then, grabbing their throats, dying. There were several giggles and snickers from the Griffindor and Hufflepuff tables and at the end of their act, the twins jumped up, bowed show-like, and through body signs were able to convey that they would be here all weak.
"Thank you boys." Came Dumbledore's amused snicker. "Now please, do not be offended, dear Griffindors. Miss Summers has a special condition that does not allow her to interact with a lot of people at a time. That is why she will most likely not be present for most meals and will have her own rooms in a different part of the castle than your wonderful tower." Halfway through the noise had resumed but this time consisted mainly of grumbles and mentions of "special treatment". Draco grinned to himself. As a prefect, he had his own room so he did not care if anyone else did.
At the end of his speech, the Headmaster had clapped his hands and the feast had appeared. Draco was NOT hungry. Especially with the giggles that had now resumed from Pansy's side of the table. Suddenly, Draco's fork seemed once again the most useful, and beautiful, tool he owned at the moment.
Lets make it four stabs. He decided. The new teacher and student completely forgotten.