Unexpected Things

KeysCanHurt: As always :P Hermione wasn't brightest witch of her age for nothing :)) Yesh, werewolf :P Thou shalt see why she's so faithful to Dirk other than the fact that he's got amazing good looks :)) =))

Guess Who: Lol, one way or another, he is :P Here it is ;)

heartshaped-sunglasses: Me neither xP

crazy-wee-cat: LOL. I want a werewolf pet too xD

Since I'll be away Friday and Saturday, I'll upload Chapters 12 and 13 today. After 3 or 4 reviews for Chapter 12, Chapter 13 will come. How's that? ;) While I'm away, review pleeeaaase :D I'll come back with chapters for y'all ;)

Wheee, my birthday is on the 30th! I'm excited xD

Chapter Twelve

Keep a Secret

"They are so adorable!" Lily watched the little babies wriggling next to Cookie. They were so tiny! She was afraid that she'd hurt them if she touched them.

Cookie's eyelids were almost closed over her eyes as she rested her head on Lily's palm. She looked so tired and sleepy. Lily felt immense pride for her baby, her precious, beloved ferret, Cookie.

"Five little babes…" Hagrid's voice was softer than usual. "D'ye already have people who'll help ye care for 'em?"

Lily nodded. "Some of my roommates really liked Cookie and they said they wanted one of her babies."

"Tha's great!" Hagrid grinned and Lily wondered if he was happy for the babies or relieved not to have to take one in.

Maybe he was happy for them.

Lily wondered which ferret to give to Scorpius. She hoped that he wouldn't be mad if she gave him his gift. He still liked ferrets, didn't he? Even if he didn't want to hang out with Rose and Al anymore, right?

Lily missed Scorpius…

"The boy from Durmstrang?" the Hufflepuff was shocked.

"I do haff a name, you know. Dirk Kron."

"What did you do to Marigold?"

Dirk put his hands in the pockets of his robes casually. His eyes went over them one by one, the same critical observation. With a sickening feeling, Al realized that if Dirk wanted to, he could have the werewolf attack them. He wouldn't do that, would he? Dirk shouldn't do that! Dirk wouldn't do that! Al didn't think Dirk would be that heartless. "I made a deal vit her. She liked and accepted my proposal. Do you haff a problem vit that?"

"What proposal?" Al wanted to know why a human being would allow herself to be treated like this guy's pet dog.

"Good question." Dirk walked closer to them and gestured for the werewolf -Marigold- to follow. "I voud rather not go into the details, but the summary is this- ve haff similar… vants… er… desires. Vhy struggle alone, ven ve can vork together to achieve the same goal?"

"What exactly do you want then?" the Hufflepuff demanded.

"That, my friend, is not vor you to find out." Dirk looked at his watch. "Vell, vill you look at the time! Marigold and I haff things to do. Vhile the rest of you should go to your beds or risk losing your House points." Dirk paused, "Oh, and remember- the grounds aren't save at night- a verevolf is among us."

Dirk winked. "Good night!" Chuckling, he strode away from them.

Marigold glanced at them, wagged her tail and bared her teeth in what almost looked like a grin, a very threatening grin. Then she loped after Dirk.

"What the hell? Was that your sister?" Sophia asked the boy.

The boy's brow was furrowed, he looked like he was thinking about what happened, and thinking hard. "I gotta go." shaking his head, the Hufflepuff turned around and walked back to the castle.

That Sunday, the next day, Al was dying to tell Rose, James and Lily what happened. Scorpius was out of the question. Wishing the twins good luck in their practice at the grounds, Al headed for the Quidditch pitch, since Gryffindor tryouts were taking place.

The Gryffindor team was huddled together. They needed a new Seeker, and since Seekers were so important, they ended the game and gave their team a hundred and fifty points, Gryffindor needed a damn good one.

Al noticed that his sister was among the people who were nearby, waiting for tryouts to start. Approaching them, Al, called Lily's name.

"Al!"

"You're trying out for Seeker? That's great!" Al hugged his little sister. "Good luck, Lily!"

"Thanks, Al! I'm soooo nervous! I hope I don't fall off my broom!"

Al shook his head. "You won't! You're an excellent flyer and you know it!"

"Thanks!"

When the Gryffindor team finished talking, Al jogged over to them after wishing Lily good luck again.

"Rose! James!" Al couldn't help but stop and stare at Rose. Her eyes looked so… dull. "Er… uh… remember during the summer, what dad said about werewolves?"

"Hey! What's a Slytherin doing h- Oh. Hi, Al!"

"Hi Fred!"

"Yeah. What about them?" James raised an eyebrow while a small spark of interest glowed from within Rose.

Two pairs of brown eyes looked at Al expectantly. "You won't believe how much more I found out!"

Grinning, James ruffled Al's hair. As if it wasn't already stubbornly messy. "Tell us all about it after tryouts, alright, Al?"

"Alright!" Al made a futile attempt to flatten his hair.

"We'll meet you by the lake, probably after lunch, and we'll bring Lily too. See you later!" James waved before going off to join his team, which was now talking to the potential Seekers.

"See you!"

So Al had some time to wait around.

Deciding to read about a potion they would be brewing for Professor Slughorn on Tuesday, Al headed for the library. So far, Professor Slughorn made no mention of the Slug club. Either he stopped it or was still scouting the school for members. It was also possible that since he was getting old, he'd rather spend free time napping instead of working on the Slug Club.

"Vell hello there, Potter." Al nearly yelled in surprise.

"Kron?" He spun around to face the speaker. Al was right. It was Dirk Kron again.

"Vot are you doing inside on a sunny day like this? The rain and snow vill come soon. Enjoy varmth vhile it lasts."

"Right…" Why did Dirk sound like he was referring to more than just the weather? Or maybe Al was just a little paranoid. Who wouldn't be after that werewolf incident last night?

"Hmm… I notice that among certain groups… or clubs perhaps… there are diverent roles, diverent positions."

"What are you talking about?" Al wasn't part of any club.

"Your club ov people from diverent Houses." It wasn't a club. "Rose seems like… the smart one. Ria Coote, Paula Allen and Katy Timberwood are also intellectuals. The Higgs twins and Demelza Sloper are the clowns… the vunny ones. Scorpius Malvoy and Ravael are the… athletic ones. Are you the leader?"

Leader.

For some reason, Al thought about his dad and Dumbledore's Army. Harry Potter was leader of the DA. They trusted and respected him as more than just a friend, but as their leader too.

"We're just a group of friends." Al mumbled, though bitter thoughts about his father being a leader wouldn't stop flowing into Al's mind. He recalled, two years ago, how he wanted to be like his father, but didn't think of himself as someone who would die willingly. It was most likely what got Al sorted into Slytherin.

"Just friends? Not a club… or a small army?" How did Dirk know the right terms to use? Could he read minds or something?

"No. We're not a club or anything. We're just friends." Al didn't mean to sound disappointed. He wasn't! He was happy with being the friend who will listen and not the leader of a club.

But, admittedly, Al wasn't always content. He sometimes wished he would be like his father, Harry Potter- a leader, a hero.

"You wish to be a leader, don't you? Ambition is your Slytherin trait, isn't it?"

What should he say? Al considered himself someone very honest. He wasn't a liar. But that wish was a secret Al never shared. Al thought of himself as a supportive friend. He preferred putting his friends and his family before his ambition. He was used to listening to their troubles and helping them with their problems.

He was not used to acknowledging his… wishes, which happened to be very ambitious, conceited wishes- Al's ambition sometimes scared himself. "N-No."

"You're sure?" Dirk looked him in the eye.

"I'm just their friend."

"A friend needs a leader sometimes. A hero."

Dirk sounded like he was going to give some kind of offer. Al shook his head side to side. "I'm not that." As mush as the idea was tempting, Al still had some pride. If Dirk offered Marigold keys to her dreams in exchange for being a pet dog, Al would rather take his chances, keeping things the way they were.

"I could help you become a leader, gain power and respect."

"No." He was right. Dirk was offering. But there was something about the boy that was just… wrong. Al couldn't point out what it was… but it was there.

"Very vell." Dirk nodded. "But ve vould appreciate it if you do not spread dear Marigold's secret. Miss Thomas was already warned. As vor you…"

The way Dirk was looking… it's like he saw through Al's lie, saw into Al's secret. Dirk couldn't know… could he? "I can keep a secret. Don't worry." Al found himself answering in a matter that was a little too hasty.

"Good."

"There's a werewolf in school." Al decided to tell only James, Rose and Lily. But he would make them swear to keep it a secret.

"Wow!" Rose's eyes widened.

"Al! No way!" James looked at Al in disbelief

"Are you serious?" Lily looked worried.

Now, three pairs of brown eyes were staring at him. "But don't worry! As far as I know, she's harmless since she takes Wolfsbane Potion." Harmless… somehow, it felt like stretching the truth. But Marigold was harmless, wasn't she? She didn't harm Al, Sofia and her own Hufflepuff brother, right?

"What's Wolfsbane Potion?" Lily asked.

Al opened his mouth to answer, but Rose, slowly regaining her old attitude, spoke first. Intellect and logic where what still kept Rose herself. Her other traits were still… dulled. "Wolfsbane Potion is a potion that is as close to a cure for lycanthropy as can be found. For now anyway. Oh, and lycanthropy is the werewolf's condition. Werewolves normally will attack, even kill, anyone. In wolf form, they will forget who their friends are and who their enemies are. Everyone is prey. Now, Wolfsbane Potion solves that by letting a werewolf keep their human mind, therefore allowing them to retain control over their actions. If they want to, they can just sit and wait for dawn."

"Exactly." Al nodded.

"Ooohhh." Lily's mouth formed an 'O'.

"Do you know the girl's name?" James asked.

"I only know her first name- Marigold… but…" Al frowned. The Hufflepuff boy. He was chubby, with blond hair and a round face. Uncle Dudley's fat son was a round boy with blond hair. Uncle Dudley had blond hair. They had very similar builds and features too. The Hufflepuff boy looked like he could be an older version of the little boy Al's memory showed of Uncle Dudley's son.

Al's eyes widened. Why didn't he figure it out earlier? He gave his own forehead a slap.

"Al, what're you thinking?" James asked.

"I'm stupid! I didn't figure it out earlier! If I paid attention to the Sorting Ceremony, I would have had it so much earlier!"

"What? What?" The three sets of brown eyes were waiting.

"MARIGOLD DURSLEY!"

I wonder how many of you saw that coming... Anyway, those three or four reviews ;) Then Chapter Thirteen will be born :D