I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I coudn't even think of a good chapter title. -makes a face- I'm not saying that it doesn't have its good parts, but I just wasn't entirely sure how to transition the last chapter into the Christmas one (which will be chapter 6). Anyway, this is just something slightly random I came up with. -blinks- I hope you like it anyway.
I do have the character's bios up. There maybe more to come. . .um, replies to reviews at the end as always.
--Chapter 5-Short and Pink--
October wind melted into November rain which in turn froze into December snow. William and I were still boyfriend and girlfriend, but thankfully people had found other things to gossip about. It was quite a relief actually. In fact, the amount of glaring that I had originally gotten from William's fan club (who are now plotting to break us up somehow) had decreased. Slightly.
Now that it was December, James, Sirius, and their friend Dominic started hanging mistletoe all around the school. And I'm not talking the traditional in the doorway-type mistletoe. They put a charm on it so every spring of mistletoe would change places every thirty minutes. Once one appeared over Sharon Minters and Samuel Acosta as they where giving a presentation in my politics class. Much to the professor's dismay, they noticed and gave each other a good snog before continuing like nothing had happened.
The most surprising thing is, both Professors Ackerman and Byrd where found under the mistletoe frequently. They, um, really got into the holiday spirit with it.
"My young eyes!" Maddie cried jokingly one day as we past them in the hall.
"Ladies," Byrd, sounding quite breathless, greeted us in her usual cheerful tone.
"Ma'am," Veronica replied. ". . .Never thought that you and Professor Ackerman were. . ."
"A couple?" Ackerman prompted. Veronica nodded mutely. "It only happened recently."
"Nina will be bummed," I muttered under my breath."Congrats Professors."
"Thanks, Miss Lupin." Byrd chirped. Ackerman tightened his hold around her waist and grinned boyishly. Feeling as though I was interrupting something more intimate than snogging, I looked at my feet, feeling a blush creep up my neck.
"We'll just get going." Maddie said and gave Veronica and me a shove. When we were out of earshot, Maddie started laughing. "That's hilarious!"
"I think it's sweet," Veronica protested.
"Oh, I'm not saying it isn't, Ron. I just it's hilarious. . .using mistletoe as an excuse to snog? Pure genius!"
"Speaking of snogging under the mistletoe, have you caught William yet?" Veronica asked me.
"No, not yet," I shrugged off the question. Honestly, William and I haven't kissed since that morning I had to carry out that dare. We've held hands, sure, but that's it. I'm very shy about this sort of thing, and William, being the gentleman that he is, respects that.
Despite this fact, I've ran into other people under the mistletoe. Quite by accident of course. James and Sirius both gave me an exaggerated kiss on the cheek, Professor Potter (we had literally run into each other when I was late for Herbology) gave me a fatherly kiss of the forehead, and I kissed a third year Hufflepuff by the name Aidan Brown on the cheek. He blushed bright red and rushed off, almost knocking over a suit of armor. Ricky and I have ran into each other about four times already. He awkwardly kisses my cheek each time, and walks away muttering something about an appointment.
Now with December, comes shopping. It took me a whole day at Hogsmeade but I was finally able to get all my friends gifts (Angelique, a blue silk shawl; Veronica, a purple silk shawl; Maddie, hand cream that changes its scent every time you use it; James and Sirius, tickets to their favorite Quidditch team's final match; Ricky, a book; William, a bunch of little things. . .like a book, and a board game. Things like that).
With Christmas Break right around the corner, the professors tried to keep our interest in various ways. One day in Transfiguration, we touched on the topic of human Transfiguration. James and Sirius were naturals at the subject and by the end of class had given most people very unusual hair or eye colors.
"Now you look like your mum," James told me after whacking me harder than necessary on the head with his wand. I gave him a confused look. My head felt very light without all the weight of my braid. I grabbed a lock of hair and pulled it down in front of my eyes. Pink! I had short, bright pink hair!
William, who now had short black hair that went horribly with his blonde eyebrows, laughed at it. "You really do look like Tonks!" he gasped.
I grabbed a small mirror off the desk and peered into it. The resemblance was truly remarkable. A few more changes here and there and I would be a double of my mother. I turned my head from side to side. My head felt remarkably light. It was nice. "So, you think I should keep it then?" I asked no one in particular.
"For the rest of the day at least," Sirius suggested. "See what the rest of your professors think."
"And not to mention dad." James interjected.
"As long as you put it right by the end of the day," I told them. They consented and packed up their books.
"Library?" William whispered in my ear when class ended.
"Sure. Bye guys." I waved and headed out the door with William.
William and I spend most of our free periods in the library together. We either read or did homework. Currently, I was finalizing an essay for my politics class and William had something for Ancient Runes.
"Hello, William. Hello, Enna." I glanced up. Zarah Hunt, a sixth year Ravenclaw, was standing near our table. Zarah and I had become friends since I had began to eat almost every meal at the Ravenclaw table. She's actually one of the few sixth year girls who isn't part of William little fan club. She's incredibly sweet, has a good sense of humor, and an infectious laugh.
"Wotcher, Zarah. Homework?" I pointed the large blue book with golden suns and moons she was carrying.
"Astronomy. Professor Li gives us a ton of homework. I'm really beginning to miss O.W.L. classes." she sighed.
"Why don't you join us?" William asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Zarah. Please, do join us!"
"Thanks," she sank into the seat opposite me. "Nice hair, by the way," she smiled.
"James Potter did it without warning me, the prat. But I've decided to go around looking like my mum for the rest of the day."
"Your mother has pink hair?" Zarah's brown eyes grew wide. "That's so neat! I wish my mother would do something cool with her hair. Dye it a different color preferably."
"My mom doesn't dye her hair," I told her vaguely as I crossed out a word on my essay.
"How in the world is her hair pink?"
"What? Oh, my mother's a Metamorphmagus."
"Wow, that's really interesting."
"Yeah, when I was little, mum use to entertain me by changing her hair color or her nose or something like that," I giggled at the memory.
"Angel freaked the first time Tonk's hair went from pink to orange. Remember?" William nudged me gently.
"How could I forget? It was the first time I ever saw ever-poised Angelique scream like that."
"Mum was so mad at Tonks!" William laughed.
Zarah, William, and I talked until it was about time for our next class. William and I waved good-bye to Zarah and walked down the hall. I had my politics class next and William had Ancient Runes. My class was on the way to William's, so he offered to walk me there. We walked hand-in-hand down one of the less traveled halls.
"I like Zarah," I told William as we turned a corner. "She's really nice."
"She is," William nods solemnly. We continued to walk down the hall silently. William suddenly caught me around the waist and pulled me close.
"William, what—oh." There was mistletoe above us.
William kissed me gently on the lips while running his fingers through my hair.
"You have nice eyes," I murmured when he pulled back.
"You do, too," he chuckled. "You look so different with short hair."
"You don't like it?" I touched my head, suddenly self-conscious.
"No, I like it. . .I just miss your braid."
"I guess I'm not really Enna without it, huh?"
"Not really," he whispered and leaned back in.
"William," I turned my head so he kissed my cheek instead, "We're going to be late."
"Right," he let go of me. "Let's get you to class."
William left me outside the door to my politics class with a kiss on the cheek. Grinning slightly, I walked in. Professor Mason looked up from his book and did a double take.
"Miss Lupin? What happened to your hair!"
"Hey, everyone!" I greeted my Gryffindor friends.
"Enna!" Veronica replied looking surprised.
"Eating dinner with your house for a change?" Ricky snapped. I looked at him in shock. Ricky snapped at me? His best friend?
"Don't mind him," Maddie told me. "He's being an arsehole because he's got no one to snog under the mistletoe."
"Oh, then go and snog Malfoy again," I told Ricky happily and sat down across the table from him. "I'm sure she'll love that."
"Bug off, Enna," he grumbled.
"You're in a good mood," William told him.
"Hello, Will." Sirius said. "Will the delightful Angelique be joining us as well?"
"As soon as she gets back from the 'washroom'," William rolled his eyes. He sat down next to me and got himself some chicken off a nearby platter.
"Boyfriend?" Maddie asks.
"You bet," I grin. "He's a cute guy too. A bit younger for me, but. . ."
"What are you saying?" William pokes me with his fork. "Am I not good enough for you?"
"Of course, m'dear. I was just stating that Angelique has good taste in guys. . .like me!" I patted his shoulder and smiled flirtatiously at him.
"Give me a break," Ricky mumbled and left the table.
"Ricky!" I called.
"Let him alone, Enna," Veronica told me. "If he wants to be all depressed and angry, let him. . .the idiot."
"But—"
"Drop it. We'll be better off not knowing why."
I sighed and let the matter drop. I turned to William and told him about what had gone on during politics. It was a very funny story actually, someone in my class did a report on the political history of a country that Professor Mason didn't realize was a made up one until the end of class.
I finished dinner before anyone else and decided to go back up to the common room to get some work done. Ricky was sitting alone in a chair, staring broodingly into the blazing fire. I watched him curiously for a few moments.
"Ricky, what in the world were you so upset about down there?"
"Leave me alone," he grumbled.
"I—"
"Look, I don't want to talk about it."
I crossed the room and sat in a chair next to his. "You've always told me everything, Ricky. Ever since we were little, I've always been the one that you told everything too. I don't think even your parents know you as well as I do."
We sat in silence for a few minutes. I sighed and leaned back in the chair.
Finally Ricky whispered, "I honestly don't know, Enna."
"You don't know what's bothering you?"
"No. . ."
I sorta grinned at him, "That's happened to me too. Don't worry, it'll pass."
"You think so."
"Of course. Now in the mean time, Maddie's been saying that you need a girl to snog."
"Does she now?"
"Yep," I smiled. "Personally, I don't think you're upset because of that, but how about a nice sing-along to get your mind off everything?" Merlin, I love teasing Ricky.
"Enna, I don't—"
"Ninety-nine bottles of butterbeer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer! Ya take one down and pass it around—" Ricky clapped his hand over my mouth, telling me to shut my trap or he'd throw me—or something valuable of mine—out the highest window in Gryffindor Tower.
"You're mean!" I pouted. "How about if I throw you out the window with my stuff? How would you like that?"
"You and your weak little arms couldn't lift me, Miss Lupin."
"Ah, but I can levitate you!" I pulled out my wand and poked him with it. A thought struck me. "I still need my hair changed back don't I?"
"Why? Your hair's nice short. If it was a bit longer it'd frame your face quite nicely."
"What, are you now a fashion expert like your cousin?"
"No, I just think that'd your hair would look nice short."
I blinked at him. I wasn't expecting actual sincerity from him. I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say, but I was spared from answering because James and Sirius came crashing through the portrait hole at that very second, arguing about who should have come in first and who had the actual password. I hurried over to them, asking James to change my hair back. He thwacked me on the head once more and the weight of my hair came back. I gave James a smile of thanks, wrapping my hand in my braid.
I glanced back over at Ricky, feeling slightly guilty about leaving him like that. but he was just staring into the fire once again.
Aw, poor Ricky's upset and doesn't know why! Poor guy. I really hate that feeling. Heck, I've gone through days were I'm all broody and snappy when people ask me why I'm upset and I can't give them an answer. It totally stinks.
I know it's a bit shorter than normal, but the next chapter will be longer—promise!
So, I'm thinking a bio on Zarah? Don't you just love that name? I found it when I was looking up a name for a paper I had to do for school.
Reviews:
bograt: Of course there's more! I couldn't just leave it like that. . .I'm not really planning on having Ricky date Leonora. I just though it'd be a funny bit seeing as how their parents hate each other. Thanks for the review!
Ginevra lily: Aw, thankies! I thought it'd be an interesting choice. Gotta wonder how Remus felt about it though. . .-shrugs-
The Female Nerd: Thanks!
TrubySCS3: Good try though! I really don't think I gave enough clues. Maybe if I had said Greek. . ? Ah, well, it's in the past. Glad that surprised you! I was going for that, but keep on reading! Thank you for the review!
dancer8428: Glad you liked the cookies! Thanks for reviewing!
chocoholicbookworm: -shifty eyes- Thank you for reviewing!
Nosilla: Thank you and welcome to "The Werewolf's Daughter"!