Unexpected Things
KeysCanHurt: You're amazed by how much Hugo managed to put off telling Ron? =)) Dem liking James... ya think? :)) Hahah, I so love Dom too :)) Too bad she's graduating this year :(( oh well :| Thankies :D I think I enjoy writing the Quidditch matches =)) Awww, it's not 100th :( :P I love you and your reviews too :P :))
crazy-wee-cat: Whoo! Love Lily! Ah... well Scorpy's moods this year are purposely annoying xD We'll see if Lily catches the Snitch ;)
MalfoyMaiden: Don't worry =)) I purposely stole the name from the play your class showed :P :)) HAHAH! LOL That is true :P He's younger than you at least =)) Hahah, I love her commentating too :))
mimimi213: Gotta love Lily :))
yellow 14: LOL That is possible xD Hahah, Luna's style inspired Dominique's, although in a more boy-crazed, lovelife-centered way, heheh xD
picklemaniac9: Thanks for fave-ing Times of Change and Story Alert-ing this :D
Guess Who!: Yeah... kinda =)) Here ya'll see ;P
Chapter Twenty
The Wolf
Lily stretched her arm, her fingers coming so close to the little gold ball, she almost had it! The snitch went downwards, Lily followed, trying to grasp it.
She had to win!
Lily ignored Dominique's commentary as Gryffindors and Ravenclaws fought to score. Blocking out everything about the game but the Golden Snitch, she focused on catching that thing.
Grass brushed the toes of her shoes. Bending her knees, she kept her feet above ground. Her feet touching the ground would slow her down, and that would be the last thing she needed.
Iago Blaire was close by her, not even behind her, but almost beside her.
She couldn't let him get the Snitch first!
Lily heard a yelp behind her, but she didn't have time to see what was happening, since something hard and heavy hit the back of her head, sending her off balance and off her broom.
Lily felt the ground hit her shoulder, then her back, then after she felt herself bounce, she landed on her belly.
She lay still as darkness ate at her vision.
"Scorpius, stay still! You're making me dizzy just watching you!"
Al had to admit that James was right. Scorpius's constant pacing was starting to make Al dizzy too. Mumbling an apology, Scorpius sat down.
But even then, he kept fidgeting.
"I should've seen that Bludger coming!" Fred muttered for what was probably the hundredth time.
"It wasn't your fault, Fred." Al tried to reassure his cousin. "At the time, you were protecting Rose from another Bludger."
Lily's hand twitched before her eyes flickered open. "What happened?"
"LILY!" Lily's two brothers crowded over her.
"Are you alright?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Does your head still hurt?"
"Do you want to go back to sleep?"
"Are you hungry?"
"We could get you food. I know how to steal food from the Hogwarts kitchens. If you want-"
"James! Al! RELAX! Let Lily breathe." Rose dragged them away from their younger sister.
Al wanted to know how his sister was feeling right now. He worried that her head still hurt. Madam Pomfrey was a great Healer. Al didn't doubt her abilities. But still, he couldn't help worrying about his precious little sister.
"A Bludger took you out, Lil. I'm sorry I didn't stop it!"
"Not your fault, Fred…"
"See? We told you so, Fred. So just stop blaming yourself, mate." James told their cousin.
"Where's Parvati? Where's the rest of the team? Where's… where's the Quidditch field? What happened? Where am I?" Lily sat up. "Is this the Hospital Wing?"
"Lily, calm down." Al got past Rose and put a hand on Lily's shoulder, gently pushing her back down on her bed. "The match is over."
"When the Bludger came, Blair ducked, but you got hit." James took it upon himself to narrate to Lily what happened. "Both of you hit the ground, but Blair got back up and managed to grab the Snitch." James made an explosion sound while waving his hand in the air. "Game over."
"I'm sorry." Lily looked and sounded so apologetic.
"We don't blame you, Lily." Rose patted Lily's hand. "It's not like you had eyes at the back of your head to see that Bludger!"
That evening Scorpius thought about how things went.
Lily was upset when Madam Pomfrey made her stay there for the night. When the first year worried about her ferret, Scorpius offered to take care of Cookie for the night. Besides, he was starting to miss that energetic little mammal. Maybe he could get her to play a bit more, lose weight so her belly wouldn't be as big as it was last summer.
But what surprised him was when Rose eagerly offered to take care of Cookie.
Lily had looked worried when Scorpius offered, then relieved when Rose did.
Though he didn't show it, Scorpius felt offended.
Before, Rose never showed interest in the adorable little ferret. Scorpius never hid the fact that he was very fond of Cookie. Lily and Scorpius talked about ferrets almost all the time.
Why was it that Lily was more comfortable with Rose taking care of Cookie?
Did she think Scorpius would do something wrong?
"You alright?"
"You're awake?"
"You kept moving, so I assumed you were awake. And you seemed bothered today. What's up?" Trust Al to be ever so observant.
There would have been times that it annoyed him.
But… to be honest… Scorpius was glad!
Al's kind of observation was friendly concern.
Dirk… well Scorpius had spent enough time with Dirk to know that Dirk's observation was rarely ever friendly concern. Though he seemed friendly enough with Scorpius, Scorpius had seen the way Dirk measured up potential members for a gang that Dirk would be forming.
Dirk talked about it once in a while to Mars and Beth, Scorpius overheard often.
That gathering at the Hog's Head was when Dirk finally came out into the open with his plans.
More or less, the central goal was to rule the school.
"Scorpy?"
"I was just… wondering…" How to phrase this without sounding overly, unnecessarily sensitive? Scorpius chose to go for curiosity. "Since when did Rose care about Cookie?"
Al chuckled. "I don't know. I guess she and Lily had more time to spend together, then… Lily got Rose interested... one way or another."
Scorpius thought Al sounded uncomfortable… somehow. But he shrugged it off. Maybe he imagined it or Al was sleepy or something.
"Oh." Rolling into a different position, Scorpius pulled his blanket over his shoulder. "I'm going to sleep now. G'night."
"Night."
A couple of days later, things pretty much went back to normal. Lily was her usual bouncy self, taking care of the ferrets. Hugo still hadn't told his father. Rose and Raph were the same although their friends noted with amusement that the two still hadn't kissed. Scorpius and Jacqui were still doing well. James and Paula bantered about Quidditch, but they were still happy, as usual… maybe happier. The twins… no change there. Al noted though that Demelza was still moody.
When he had free time, Al checked astronomy books and moon calendars. When Al had the time when the moon would be full, he watched Marigold Dursely from a distance since she was still snappy whenever her cousins came near. Scorpius was too content to hang out with his old friends to go around with Dirk and Dirk's companions just yet.
If it was even possible for Marigold to be grouchier, she seemed to have worse moods as the full moon drew near.
"Haff you any plans ov calming down?"
What's it to him? Why would he care if she stayed furious or not? He wasn't going to tell her what to do.
Well… yes.
He was.
He could tell her what to do.
They had a deal.
But whatever.
RESULTS!
Where were the results?
Was he really fulfilling his side of the bargain?
"You know… it is really hard to think vit you snarling like that."
She was still known as a first year with anger issues. Still taunted by that damn bitch Renee Lestrange. Still laughed at by those Slytherin third year twins. Still goggled at by Albus Potter and his clan or Potters and Weasleys.
So what if they were second cousins? Screw it!
They weren't like her and they couldn't understand her!
Oh, and that Malfoy!
That stupid, freakishly pale freak! She didn't like the way he looked at her.
It was sort of like… some kind of… disgust… and pity.
She didn't join forces with Dirk Kron to be pitied.
She wanted to be RESPECTED!
Marigold Dursley wasn't some simple-minded Muggle-born! She also wasn't just a brainless dog. That's what she wanted to show everyone. She wanted them to see her greatness and respect it.
Dirk said he would help her.
Was this help?
Accompanying her to the Forbidden Forest while she transformed into a rabid dog was his way of helping her?
She was so tempted to rip his head off right now!
Baring her teeth, she glared at him and stalked over.
His flesh looked so soft… so easy to rip. Just one bite. One little bite and he'd know just how she felt! He'd know how painful it felt to have his bones reforming themselves against her will, his skin stretching to fit the larger, more muscular structure.
"If I wanted to be a verevolf just like you, I'd ask."
Cocky, arrogant, son of a-
"Vat's it like, anyway? You're more poverful, aren't you?"
Drawling on as if she didn't have the power to rip him apart right now.
Marigold felt her saliva dripping out of her mouth. Her black lupine lips were soaked, the short fur on her chin was spiky after her drool wet it.
She was disgusting herself.
Marigold swiped her tongue over her lips, then her chin. She shut her mouth and glared at him.
"Now that I think of it… it could be a useful power." He tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. "Hmm… but… then… the transformation von't be under my control… perhaps I should be an Animagus instead."
Animagus?
Marigold tried to ask what that meant. Doing her best to control her facial muscles, which was damn hard to do, she tried to put on a look of curiosity. She tilted her head and raised what felt like her right eyebrow as high as it could go.
She let out a soft bark-like sound that started out low then ended high.
Like a question.
Dirk understood.
"Since you finally decided to behave and be a good girl, I'll explain. Ve took it up this year, vhat it is anyway. Then I did a bit of further research. A vizard who can shape-shift into a specific animal is an Animagus. An Animagus's animal form isn't something they choose. It… they just find out.
"Now if I ver to become an Animagus, and it turns out I'm something useless, like a rat or vatever, vasting years on learning it vould have been in vain. Whereas a verevolf, I already know the form, and I don't haff to put in any effort to learn it."
No effort? No effort?
Marigold bared her teeth and growled, feeling her hackles rise.
"Vhat are you saying? That it takes effort?"
She barked.
"Oh." Dirk frowned. Then shrugged. "I'll think about it. I'll let you know ven I'ff made my decision."
Marigold snorted.
Conceited, self-centered brat.
The insults she thought up came out as low growls as she turned around and walked over to the other side of the clearing.
Circling a patch of grass, she lay down on it and sulked.
"Vhat's your problem this time?" he asked irritably.
She was trying his patience.
It was fun.
Marigold wagged her tail, enjoying herself now.
Dirk scoffed then folded his arms across his chest, shaking his head side to side. "You are so veird."
So are you! Her retort came out as a roar while her fur bristled.
"Vatever. Just go to sleep already. It must be two in the morning by now. It's a school night. Ve'll be falling asleep on our desks later if ve don't sleep now." He lay down on his side, resting his head on a tree trunk.
Growling curses and swears that she picked up from her father and grandfather's colorful language and twisted into her own werewolf language, Marigold rested her head on her huge cream-colored paws and closed her eyes.
Grah... slight dilemma- I've been having a bit of writer's block lately, having a hard time writing down ideas I already have... but don't worry much, I don't think it'll really get in the way of my personal chapter a day rule ;)