Unexpected Things
KeysCanHurt: =)) Hermione and McGonagall would kill him =)) Hurray for chocolate! Demelza sure ate too much :)) and about feelings, yeah! Crushes are so confusing _ Thankies! :D
yellow14: Hurray for hormones! xD Yeah, some people take a while xD
MalfoyMaiden: I told you :P :)) I have very few favored slash pairings =)) Haha, sorry, but he does :P But c'mon, I told you how their relationship will go :P :)) Yeah, you might guess who Dem's based on =)) AHAHAH :P Nice, Maiden, nice :P =))
Aspieturtle: thankya for adding this to yer Story Alerts
Chapter Seven
Omens
"Scorpius. Bread isn't a pillow"
"Whuhh?" Scorpius lifted his head, and then sat up properly. That was a plate? The soft thing was toast? He wondered when he had fallen sleep.
Scorpius couldn't remember.
"Good morning, Scorpius!"
"Welcome to breakfast, Albus!"
Groaning and clattering plates told him Al also just woke up. Scorpius looked to his left and saw that Al wasn't food stained. He probably had not fallen asleep on his plate like Scorpius did.
"Do I have food on my face?" he asked the twins.
"Bacon in your hair." Theo pointed.
Scorpius ran his fingers through his hair. He made a face, disgusted with himself when he felt the small solid bits. Hastily, he brushed them off. "Anything else?"
The twins shook their heads. "You're fine."
Tom elbowed Scorpius's ribs. "Who ya trying to make yourself look good for?"
"Is it a girl?"
"Is she a pretty girl?"
"Theo, Tom, honestly! You two act like you never knew Scorpius. He's always been obsessed with neatness."
"I'm not obsessed with neatness!" Scorpius retorted.
"Yes, you are."
"Thanks for your opinion, Hugo." Scorpius spoke sarcastically as he glanced at the new Slytherin. Hugo seemed to have warmed up to the new House nicely; a few first years were already talking to him and probably befriending him. Scorpius doubted Hugo already told Mr. Weasley about the Sorting Ceremony. Hugo would probably procrastinate.
"You're welcome, Scorp." Hugo replied cheekily.
"But really, Scorpius. The only time we see your hair a mess is during and after Quidditch matches."
"Al's right, Scorpy! Even after Quidditch training, we're already asleep and don't see you-"
"-or you're all neat and freshened up already!"
"Oh, and your things! The stuff in that trunk of yours is very organized." Al was forever the one able to notice little, unimportant things.
"Oh yeah! We noticed that too!" The twins noticed it too? Okay… so maybe he was a bit more organized than they were. But so what? He found things easier to look for if they had their own place. Didn't they?
"And you rarely leave your stuff lying around after doing homework."
"Okay, we get it!" This discussion was not necessary. Who cared if he was neater than they were? "I like stuff having a place and staying in place! They're easier to find that way!"
"You do have a point." Good, Al agreed. Scorpius wasn't going to be outnumbered then. "Keeping things in place will make them easier to find and less likely to be lost."
"Thank you!"
Tom and Theo shrugged at the same time, almost looking like they were mirrors for each other. "We usually find each others' stuff if something's lost."
"Yeah, and it feels weird when things are too… neat."
Scorpius shook his head, but decided not to bother arguing. He was too sleepy to do so anyway.
Just then Professor Slughorn handed them their schedules. Scorpius found that his first class was Divination. He had tried pestering Al and Rose to join him, since it sounded like an easy subject. Or at least it was easier than calculated, numbered Arithmancy and more interesting than learning about Muggles. Al and Rose didn't see it that way. They refused to take the class, Rose insisted that Arithmancy was far more accurate. Knowing how he wasn't as academically gifted as Rose, Scorpius picked Divination over Arithmancy. Care of Magical creatures, Al and Scorpius picked together. Rose expressed her lack of interest in animals and chose not to join them. Ancient Runes was the only elective the three of them had together.
Scorpius tried to remember if Jacqui ever said what electives she picked. His mind was still too slow and clouded, thanks to the lack of sleep. Thoughts of his feelings for Rose and Jacqueline also still drifted in and out of his tired mind. Damn it. How was he supposed to stay awake today?
Scorpius made his way up the long, winding staircase of the North Tower, barely paying attention to who were the students with him. He was too focused on trying to figure out how to actually reach the classroom awake.
"Er… hi, Scorpius."
"Huh?" Scorpius tore his eyes away from his feet and the stairs and looked up at the speaker. The light-skinned face looking at him was dark under the eyes. It seemed she also didn't sleep well last night. "Hi Jacqui." He smiled at her, actually finding himself glad to know they had Divination together.
"How are you?"
Scorpius yawned. "Sleepy."
She laughed a short, soft laugh. "Me too!"
"So that's the girl!" Scorpius remembered that Theo was taking Divination with him. The twins had an argument last year- Tom found Divination impractical because of its lack of accuracy; Theo found it practical because it was easier than Arithmancy, which is what Tom chose. The sandy haired boy winked at Jacqui. "Scorpy was tryin' to look nice for you this morning. Fixin' his hair and everything!"
Scorpius felt his face heating up. He noticed that Jacqui's face had turned red too.
"Bloody hell! Your faces!" Theo could be so very tactless when he happens to notice something.
Scorpius would have hidden his face if it weren't for the fact that he had to be able to properly see where he was going. After all, they were going up a very long staircase. The idea of falling wasn't pretty.
Jacqui so luckily had her long black hair to use to curtain her face.
"Damn…" Theo muttered. "I sit with you and pretty, I'll be a third wheel. I'm sure Marsy and Beth are a couple, so I'll be a third wheel with them too. I got it! I'll sit with Penny! Dad said her mom was ugly, but Penny, I think is an improved version of a Parkinson. Yeah, I'll sit with her. See you lovers later!"
When Theo was gone, Scorpius touched his cheek, it still felt warm. How stupid must he look right now?
He glanced at Jacqui.
Her hair was still hiding her face.
Should he talk to her?
What to talk about?
"Uhh…" Before he needed to find a topic for conversation, the stairs stopped. The Divination class crowded together in a small landing. There were no doors. "Where-"
"Up there!" Raphael McCartney's loud voice caught everyone's attention as he pointed at a circular trapdoor on the ceiling. There was a brass plaque that read 'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher'.
The trapdoor opened and a silvery ladder descended.
The students backed away from the ladder, uncertain.
Scorpius wasn't reckless enough to climb random ladders that came down from nowhere. That's a Gryffindor thing. Not a Slytherin thing.
"Fine, I'll go first." McCartney made his way past students and climbed the ladder first. The show off.
Not wanting to look bad because a Hufflepuff climbed in first, two proud Gryffindors boys went next.
"C'mon, how about we go next?" Scorpius asked Jacqui as Mars Flint climbed up, closely followed by Beth Bulstrode.
"Okay."
Scorpius climbed up the ladder and emerged into what didn't resemble a classroom. There were small circular tables, surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat poufs. The curtains were closed, hiding the windows from view, and giving Scorpius a slightly claustrophobic feeling. Dark red scarves were draped over lamps and there was a fire burning with a sickly perfumed smell as it heated a large kettle. Shelves around the walls looked like unneeded objects were dumped there instead of in trash bins. But among dusty feathers, candle stubs and tattered cards, the shelf also held crystal balls and teacups.
It was decided. Scorpius did not like this room.
"Where's the teacher?" Jacqui wondered.
"Welcome, my dears to Divination!" a very frail-looking old woman surfaced from the shadows. Large glasses magnified her eyes, beads and chains decorated her neck while bangles and rings were on her arms and hands. Her white hair looked dead.
When she walked, Scorpius seriously wondered how she wasn't falling down. She seemed ancient. Or was it just the way she dressed that made her seem like she lived in an entirely different century?
"I am so very pleased to physically see you all at last!" the way she talked made her seem from an entirely different world. "Sit, children, sit! Make yourselves comfortable!"
Scorpius and Jacqui picked a table and sat together.
"I am Professor Trelawney, and in this classroom, you will learn to see with your Inner Eye. But I must warn you- if you lack the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can only offer so much help…"
Rose had chosen not to take this subject for a reason. He would have laughed if it wasn't out of place in this weird room. Rose learned everything from books, she lived and breathed books. Anything else was alien to her.
Except maybe Quidditch. She was a fair Chaser.
But Jacqui was better. She joined the Ravenclaw team last year and could be annoyingly quick on her broom; it was hard to hit Bludgers at her. She was also a damn good scorer.
Scorpius could barely wait for Quidditch practice. The new captain, Mark Montague hadn't said anything yet. He'd have to wait… oh well.
Scorpius wondered if Jacqui would come and watch him train. Bella Baddock did for her boyfriend Gallows Derrick. Scorpius knew he wouldn't mind if Jacqui asked him to watch her practice.
But then… they were both Quidditch players… their teammates might come up with spy accusations.
Professor Trelawney's gasp yanked Scorpius out of his thoughts. She was standing in front of them, her eyes even larger because they were wide open. "My dear! I see darkness and pain ahead of you!"
Trelawney was staring directly at Jacqui, who looked pale.
"Beware!"
Jacqui looked terrified. Scorpius slipped his hand under the table and felt for hers. He held her hand, hoping to comfort her. She stiffened, and he was about to draw his hand away from her, afraid of doing something wrong.
But instead her fingers closed around his palm.
"The ones with hair of blond shall hurt you deeply!"
Great. That's just what he needed. More ideas flying around. Dreading what Jacqui might think, he looked at her. Her eyes were wide and she was still staring at their teacher in disbelief. Scorpius noticed that she had tightened her grip on his hand. He did the same, then put his other hand over hers. He wasn't going to hurt her. That was the message he wanted to give her. Hurting her was the last thing Scorpius wanted to do to Jacqui.
Scorpius wished he could tell her that properly.
But it felt… weird, everyone was staring at them, and he was sure they were thinking of all kinds of ways he could murder Jacqui. Scorpius wouldn't do whatever horrors they were imagining.
"And you!" Professor Trelawney was pointing at Scorpius now. "I fear that you will choose a dark path that will leave pained casualties behind."
Scorpius glared at her. The old insect thought so too?
Without realizing it, Scorpius had let go of Jacqui's hand and had his fists under the table. If he could jinx her, a red bolt of light, right between her great big eyes. Biting back insults he wanted to throw, Scorpius counted backwards from ten in an effort to calm down.
Trelawney went over to another table, predicting something else.
"She's an old fraud. You know she's wrong." Jacqui lightly touched the back of his fist.
Sighing, Scorpius forced his tense body to relax. Did Trelawney really think he would hurt Jacqui? Why?
Hugo!
How's my boy? Are you doing well in class? Rose didn't write to us last night. I was expecting her letter… oh well.
Are you doing well? Rose is looking after you, right?
Oh, and you look after Rose too. She's a teenager now. I don't want any boys harassing her. Let me know if they do. Thanks.
Take care, Hugo! Have fun! Give Professor Smith a hard time!
-Dad
Dear Hugo,
If your father told you to misbehave, you know that you're not supposed to, right? Anyway, I hope you're warming up to Hogwarts life nicely. We miss you! You and Rose take care of each other.
Study hard!
Love,
Mum
In the Gryffindor Common Room, while doing her homework with Ria and Demelza, Rose noticed something. She looked around.
She couldn't find him.
"Where's… have either of you seen my brother? Hugo Weasley? He's-"
"Tall-ish, cute, red hair?" Demelza asked.
"Er…"
"He's in Slytherin."
"He's WHAT?" Rose stared at them. Were they joking? Was this some sick joke? Well actually… it wasn't really a sick joke… just… weird. Something Demelza would come up with. But it was Ria who said it.
"We're serious, Thorny!" Demelza nodded. Thorny. Demelza came up with the weirdest nicknames.
Hugo was in Slytherin?
Then the last feeling she expected to feel was the emotion that came.
She envied him.
Why couldn't she be in Slytherin?
Crap…
I gave Scorpius a mildly OC personality :P
Hugo will be in the next chapter ;)
Let it be noted that I have no problem with blonds xD