A/N: Here's chapter three! Please, please, PLEASE review! Free cookies for everyone (who reviews)!
"Ugh, these beds are horrible! How'd you sleep so long anyways, eh?" Lynk rubbed at his eyes, ridding them of sleep. "Keah found you down at the beach, passed out. Didn't think it would take three days for you to recover."
"Three days?! I've been out for three days?!" Aloria couldn't believe it. She had passed out before, but most of the time she would wake up in a few hours.
"Yeah, three whole days, sleeping. You really take everything to the extreme, don't you? Eating mountains of food, then sleeping more than anyone should. What happened by the lake anyway?"
Aloria pulled her knees up under her chin, wrapping her arms around them. "I'd rather not talk about it." She remembered the voice and her dream vividly. She shuddered. Lynk got up from his cot and sat on the edge of Aloria's, putting his arm awkwardly around her shoulders.
"S'all right. Keah's missed you terribly. Even Malfoy's a bit down; says he doesn't have anyone to pick on. I think otherwise." Lynk waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Aloria rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Thanks, Pawson. That makes me feel loads better."
"No problem. Anything else I can do for you?"
"Actually," Lynk groaned; he meant it as a rhetorical question, "Could you get me some food? I'm really deprived of nutrients after being unconscious for three days." Sighing, Lynk got up.
"Any specific dishes, Mademoiselle?" He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Nope. But make sure you bring some potatoes. And maybe some pudding. Oh, don't forget..."
Lynk was out the door before she could finish.
***
After making up for her three days' worth of missed meals (Lynk had to run to the kitchens four times), Lynk left Aloria in the hospital wing.
"Homework that needs finishing. Snape's a real beast when it comes to homework, even to his own house. I'll talk to you later, Lori." Aloria scowled at the nickname.
"Don't call me that. It's already bad enough with Keah calling me that." Lynk stuck his tongue out childishly and skipped out the hospital wing and into the corridor.
Aloria flopped back onto her feathery pillows, sighing. She had only been here for four days (the three that she had been unconscious hardly counted) and she was already exhausted.
A grey cat with darker grey stripes climbed up onto the edge of Aloria's bed and started licking its paw. Its blue and green eye stared into Aloria's violet ones, teeming with emotion a simple house cat should not have been capable of. Aloria stroked its ears.
"You're special too, aren't you? Are you the same as I am?" The cat sneezed, shaking its head. "No? Oh well. It was worth a try." Aloria murmured, not sure why she was talking to the feline at all.
***
Later in the afternoon Madame Pomfrey gave Aloria the OK to leave the hospital wing. Gathering the sweets that Keah had given her (only 3 chocolate frogs were left; Aloria had eaten the gigantic box of pasties for dessert) she swiftly made her way out of the wing and into the dungeons. She whispered the password softly to the statue that stood protecting the Slytherin dormitories. The common room was empty, the cheery fire extinguished. Aloria sped down the marble corridors to her dormitory and grabbed her things. Her wand was still in her pants pocket.
Aloria arrived at Charms class ten minutes into the lesson, panting slightly from running down the halls. Professor Flitwick smiled warmly at her.
"Ah, Ms. Aloria, is it? Yes, yes, welcome to Hogwarts!" he squeaked. "I'm afraid the only seat left is over there by Ms. Warhald over there...oh, you're already acquainted? Marvelous!" He clapped his hands like a child whose mother just agreed to buy them ice cream, and faced the class again.
Aloria, glad that she didn't have to sit next to anyone particularly nasty, hastily set her books down on the desk she shared with Keah. She pretended to pay attention to the tiny Professor as he demonstrated a Disillusionment charm on a cushion, while passing notes to her friend.
So how are you? Keah asked worriedly, scribbling on a spare piece of parchment.
I'm fine. Have I missed anything important?
No, not much. Lynk's a nice person; got to meet him at breakfast the other day. Glad you two are friends.
Thanks? I'll tell him later.
Hahah. So do you have anything planned for today?
The rest of the lesson went by quickly. Aloria and Keah walked arm-in-arm out into the hall.
"Where are you headed?" Aloria asked, pulling her crumpled schedule from her satchel. "I have Transfiguration."
"I have potions." Keah made a face. "Professor Snape isn't one of my favorite teachers." She sighed and heaved her books to rest on her hip. "I guess I'll see you at lunch then." Keah waved and spun around, heading towards the dungeons. Aloria's smile dimmed just a bit as she watched her friend go. Checking her map, she made a u-turn to go to the transfiguration classroom.
Right outside of the classroom, she bumped into Malfoy.
"Why, hello Mr. Man-whore. I do hope you're not enjoying your day. My day has gone considerably well and I wouldn't want it to be spoiled because your day is going smoothly." said Aloria. Draco dramatically put his hand over his heart.
"You wound me, Aloria dear. However, my day has gone quite well, thank you for asking."
Aloria blinked in surprise, expecting something harsher. She regained composure quickly.
"Well, I'll just have to fix that, won't I?"
Draco promptly grew a handsome set of purple antlers.
***
"Ms. Krym, may I ask again why you made Mr. Malfoy grow purple antlers? I'm sure whatever he did wasn't something worthy of such humiliation!" Professor McConagall stared at Aloria through her spectacles. Malfoy had burst into her classroom sporting a violet set of horns. Although McConagall couldn't say it wasn't enjoyable seeing Malfoy in an uncomfortable situation, she wasn't going to say that out loud in front of Aloria. The girl lowered her head. McConagall interpreted it as a sign of shame, though really Aloria was trying to contain her laughter, and sighed.
"Detention on Friday, Ms. Krym. And, I'll be needing you to apologize to Mr. Malfoy in the hospital wing promptly. Filch will be watching you until you do." Aloria shuddered and began to protest. "No buts, Ms. Krym. You are dismissed." Professor McConagall turned back to her papers.
Aloria burst out laughing in the corridor. The look on Malfoy's face when he saw his reflection in a mirror was priceless. Still giggling, she bumped into Lynk when she passed Great Hall. He grinned.
"I heard you turned Malfoy into a purple Anteeler, but that can't be true." A fresh peal of giggles escaped from her mouth at the outrageous rumor.
"Nope. Only made him grow purple antlers, but close enough."
"I see. So what's your punishment?"
"Only a detention. It wasn't anything Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix. And now Filch is going to stalk me until I apologize."
"Well, aren't you just special?"
"Did I ever tell you you're horrible at making me feel better?"
"I don't think so."
"Consider it done."
Their light-hearted teasing continued until they reached the hospital wing. Lynk stopped hesitantly at the door.
"I don't think I want to be in their when he blows up. I've known him long enough to know his temper." Aloria shrugged, and stepped into the room alone.
***
Draco was pretending to sleep in the farthest bed from the entrance. When he heard the door creak open, he stiffened, afraid that it was Parkinson again. She hadn't left him alone since he was admitted. Madame Pomfrey finally had shooed her away only five minutes ago.
"...enough to know his temper." Draco frowned at the male voice. Had Pansy brought Zabini? It wasn't likely. He cracked open an eye, and saw Aloria slinking towards his bed nervously. He quickly closed his eye and continued feigning sleep.
Aloria sighed when she reached his bed. His body was too stiff to be unconscious, and his breathing was uneven. She poked him twice in the stomach, and he shot upright laughing.
"So the great Draco Malfoy is ticklish, eh?" Aloria chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
"No! Of course not! Y-you just...t-took me by surprise," he stuttered. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"
"To apologize. McConagall said that Filch would follow me around if I didn't, and he's not somebody I want to stalk me."
"The antlers were completely, and utterly unnecessary. Do you know how many girls were fawning over me, not that I minded, worrying about my health? You should learn from them, and maybe--"
"Your ego needs to be checked out. It really could use some deflating. How's the head?"
"It's still a little sore. Want to kiss it better? Or should I ask Parkinson?"
"Pansy probably wouldn't stop at your head, Malfoy. I'm out of here, your presence is making me noxious. Toodles!" She flounced out of the hospital wing, her shiny black hair fanning out behind her. Draco shook his head, and flopped back onto the pillow. A small crumpled up piece of parchment caught his eye. He reached out and picked it up off the marble floor. Unfolding it, he smirked.
A small loopy Sorry was scrawled in the center.
***
Aloria headed out to the greenhouses right after her visit with Malfoy.
Lynk had mysteriously disappeared. She would take care of him at dinner.
She had gone to them on her short tour of the grounds, and yet still had managed to get herself lost. Cursing, she ran around the corridors until she collided with a seventh year.
"Oomph! Sorry," she hastily mumbled, thinking she had been apologizing too much in the past few days. She looked up shyly at the older student.
He chuckled, flashing a pair of pearly white teeth. His caramel colored hair shined in the light, streaks of a lighter, golden hue running through it. Sky blue eyes glittered in amusement under perfectly shaped eyebrows. A long thin nose that belonged on a statue of a Greek god sat above a full, kissable mouth.
"It's okay. I take it you're lost? Only prefects are supposed to be up here." Aloria blushed and nodded, silently giggling and doing cartwheels. He pointed at the direction she had just come from.
"Go down this corridor, then take the second flight of stairs down on your right. Then go to the left and you'll see the door that leads outside. Once you're their you should be able to see the greenhouses, and I think you can handle it by yourself from then on." He smiled warmly at her. "I don't think I've seen you around here before...oh, I know! You're the new girl in Slytherin! A...Aloria is it? I'm Trevor Linwood, a Slytherin too." They shook hands in a friendly manner.
"Thanks Trevor. I'll see you later then?" He nodded and waved as she scampered off.
"Oh, Aloria?"
"Yeah?"
"You're going in the wrong direction." He laughed as she sped by him to go the other way.
***
Aloria was late to class again.
Professor Sprout was nice enough about it, allowing Aloria to sit without punishment.
"Not again though, Ms. Krym." She had warned, before smiling again. "Now, who knows how to pot a Bubotuber?"
Aloria was actually interested in the lesson, paying rapt attention and answering questions. Herbology was one of her favorite subjects, and one she excelled at. The only problem was that no one she knew was in her class.
When Aloria was heading towards Great Hall for lunch, Keah ran up to her excitedly.
"I heard you made Malfoy grow antlers, good for you! But anyway, are you going to try out for the Slytherin team?"
"Huh? What team?"
"You mean you don't know?!"
"Of course I don't know, I've been here for a whole of four days, and three of those I wasn't conscious!"
"Oh. Right. The House Team for Quidditch tryouts are coming up. Are you going to--"
"Quidditch? I love Quidditch! And I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself! I'm definitely trying out." Quidditch was another thing Aloria was passionate about, even more so than Herbology.
"Oh good! I'll be trying out for Ravenclaw's Keeper. I'm incredibly lousy at everything else. But, there's one thing..."
"What?"
"Malfoy's your captain. Do you think he'd let you on the team?"
"...Well then! I'll just have to knock his socks off, and then there's no way he won't let me on the team!" The girls burst out laughing and strolled into Great Hall to enjoy a hearty meal.
A/N: Okeedokee, another chapter! The next few will probably be more lighthearted than the beginning. REVIEW before I let my rabid hamster loose on you. Except I don't have a hamster.
Q. Mika