Chapter 6:
Sometimes the prospect of a being child again really just brought down her mood, she couldn't drink, not that she did a lot before she had to keep her wits about her, she just didn't have that intimidating stature that came with being older than someone. you know when an adult looks at you dissappointed and you just feel bad because you let them down.
She really wished that she had the ability to look at someone like that, darn her cute looks.
"You mean to tell me that you said that about a girl who was only trying to help you, really Ron." She looked at him with this just sad look, a bit frustrated, but all accusing. He shifted uncomfortably under her stare, "She was being a super stuck-up, and I didn't aske her for help! I didn't know she was listening!"
He looked at the girl frustrated, but already feeling bad, he looked to Harry, and the boy looked neutral about the discussion at hand.
She sighed, "How would you feel if someone you were trying to befriend or get along with treated you like that, Ron? Doesn't matter, do you know where she ran off to?"
Lavender Brown overhearing the conversation spoke up, "She's in the girls bathroom, saw her running there tears streaming."
She spoke simply apathetic to the situation, Renata smiled in thanks, 'Kids are still developing the whole empathy thing, right now they really kind of like little sociopaths, though I guess it's better than five-year-olds at least now they have some semblance of right or wrong.'
"Thanks a bunch, Lavender right? I love your hair, how'd you get it to stay in ringlets like that, my hair is so heavy and straight that if I try to style it, it just you know falls."
The girl's eyes sparkled and spoke eagerly about these charms she had read about in Witch Weekly, Renata smiled and nodded along.
"Thanks, oh jeez we have to get going or we'll be late to the feast, you guys go ahead I'm going to get Hermione." Lavender waved to her happily and went to join the Gryffindor Patil, Harry looked at her a bit worried, but agreed all the same, "Get back quickly or you may not eat."
"Yeah, yeah, oh wait," she pulled the boy close he looked at her confused, she looked worried, "The magic in the air is staticky, something's gonna happen I don't kow what, but be careful."
He looked at her surprised, but nodded, "I think you should be careful this time, I'll be with a lot of people."
She grinned, "Don't worryI'll be fine."
He waved to her goodbye and joined Ron, "At least I hope, gotta be quick don't wanna die by troll."
She quickened her pace into a run, 'Which bathroom, which one, which why did I choose to do this, I have a horrible sense of direction-'
"If you're looking for the girl with the funny hair she went that way."
The blue eyed girl looked at the painting, it was a of a boy about 114 wearing a straw hat, it was a tranquil piece with a cute dog and nice view of a river and forest, she grinned and bowed slightly "Thanks a bunch."
He looked at her critically his crystalline blue eyes sharpening into shards, "You should hurry, that man with the weird purple thing on his head was here not too long ago, whispers say he's bad news."
The dog barked, she looked grimly at the boy, "Thanks."
He nodded sternly and went bac to petting the dog, "Don't thank me, just talk to me can't get out of this piece unless I'm moved closer to another one. It gets lonely here."
She looked confused, but grinned, "Sure, if you want maybe I can move you."
He smiled slightly, "Maybe another time, now go."
She started running to the direction which was pointed to, "Wait, how did you hear-"
She looked back and saw the boy gone, she shrugged it off and went off to get Hermione back to the Great Hall before she got hurt. She reached the supposed bathroom and entered, "I really hope I'm in the right one, Hermione you in here." Her voice rising at the end, she listened and heard sniffling, "Go away."
"No way, you're gonna miss the feast."
"Why did you even come to find me, we're not even in the same house, what does it matter if I'm not at the feast. It won't take any skin off your nose."
Renata leaned against the sink, "Doesn't matter, can't let you miss your first feast at a magical school. Besides I thought we got along just fine, we're friends right, so if your friend is gone then you go and find them if they're seen crying."
Hermiones sniffled, "I'm your friend?", "Well yeah, if you want to be. I mean if you don't want to I'll still drag you back with me, I've got a feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen."
The frizzy-haired girl snorted, "A feeling, that makes no sense."
Renata pouted, "Hey you know that feeling at the pit of your stomach that something shitty is gonna happen, well it's stirring up real hard right now."
There was shuffling heard inside the rest room, "You know I always wanted to ask this, but why do you sound like an american. Also language!"
Renata grinned, "What are you the Captain, anyway my pops is american, well his accent isn't really like mine, but this is more my preference."
Hermione raised a brow, "Your preference, and what do you mesan that something bad is going to-"
Suddenly there was loud steps heard in the distance,
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
"I think we should head out of here before whatever is making that noise get's to us." Hermione looked pale, the ground shook slightly as it got closer, and just as they made to move the wall was struck down.
The girl shreiked as Renata threw her to the ground covering her with her cloak and self, "Hey, shit, wha-what are we gonna do?!" Her voice was urgent as she moved the girl into a corner, hoping to whatever higher beins existed that the troll hadn't seen them.
Hermione looked at her wide-eyed, "Your bl-bleeding?" She spoked as if she had asked, Renata looked at her confused, "What?", "Renata your bleeding, and o-oh my..." Her voice was breathy and coming out fo her in a panicked wave.
Renata looked down at the girls chest, "Shit, your hyperventilating. Hey, hey calm down, I need you to stay calm and looke me in the eye, ok."
Renata looked at her, but the girl just wouldn't stop looking at the gash near her eye, 'Shit she's not listening, c'mon, c'mon think I could try to use that, but it could be dangerous.'
The girl started breathing faster, shallower, "Okay, okay, I'm going to try something okay. I need you to calm down, if you don't you won't be able to breathe and may pass out, I can't carry you around."
Hermione just kept looking at the gash above the girls eye, 'It's so close, she could have lost her eye, what about the troll- Wha-what's she saying, I can't hear her, what's happening, I can't beathe... What's going on...'
Renata took the girl's hand and hope to high heaven that this would work, she looked down deep, deep down and thought of the calmest she had been. Bringin forth the emotion broughht on by the thought she enveloped the girl in cacoon of magic on the same wavelength.
Calm.
Warm.
Reassuring.
And then it was broken.
The troll had found the two girls, but it was enough to snap the frizzy-haired girl out of her panicked state.
She pulled Renata to the side quickly in order to dodge, the girl's eyes were unfocused and hadn't even felt the troll coming. hermione looked at teh Ravenclaw in confusion an cuiosity, what had she doen to her to make her feel so calm, for even a second.
Then in came the two, no the three Gryffindor boys, times had changd and Neville being worried about both Hermione and Renata being gone had followed the two other to help. Though he had enough sense in him, though he would think it cowardice, to tell the teachers, they were preceeded by the staff.
With quick thinking and some quicker spell work the two girls were saved from an untimely demise.
"So I think the better question here is how we're not dead, thanks again for that Professor's. Good job on getting adults Neville Ten points to Gryffndor!"
Harry looked at the girl as if she were insane, "What my natural state of panic, is slightly racaus humor, and sarcasm."
He came closer and winced at the cut, "Do you not even feel that?"
She shook her head, "Nah man I feel great, though I do think that's more having to do with the whole adrenaline thing than actually being great, how was the feast by the way? Was the food good? hey do you ever think Oliver wod wonders if his entire existence is just ineuendo based. I mean Seriously his name Oliver Wood, and he also rides as hi favorite thing and he's a keeper, huh, huh."
She winked obviously with a leering grin, and Harry just sighed, and looked at the professors who were still silently watching, Ron was a getting a bit too red, and so was Hermione, Neville cutely oblivious.
Ah, the innocence of youth.
"Don't mind her, this is her natural state, she's actually worse back home,", "I think my dear friend you mean better, I was on fire last year. Remember Mrs. Ruben, she was so red and stuttering she couldn't even speak, you'd think a 30 year old would know about these things, then again catholic teacher born and bred."
She shrugged and h sighed and rubbed his forehead, looking at them with a 'I have to deal with this too often to be surprised look', "Come on Rena, let's get you checked out by Madame Pomfrey, you got a pretty nasty gashed and I think you still hav some shrapnel in your back."
He looked pale as he looked at her back and forehead, she looked confused, but reached to touch her brow and winced, and then looked down to the floor where blood from her back pooled a bit.
She grimaced at the sight, and looked back at the teachers, "I'm not gonn have to pay for that am I, blood's a bitch to get out."
McGonagall spluttered, "My word! Why we would never- 20 points from ravenclaw for innappropriate language and misconduct in a grave situation, I would have expected more from you Miss Vermillion."
Renata grinnd widely, it looed disturbing on the girls bleeding face, Harry was looking at the teacher in slight shock and so did the others, "Hah, I made the Proffessor splutter, 10 points to me for good effort, now I think I realy need medical attention, and you can continue to take away points once I'm n the infirmary becaue right now- right- right I'm going to sleep."
The girl fell forward with a sickening crunch, Harry winced, "I think her nose broke and maybe her sanity. Can we- umm... move her to the infirmary please!"
He looked at the teachers urgently his face clouded with worry, he turned her on her side so she wouldn't suffocate on her own blood.
Snape sighed, he waved his wand and the girl floated softly, "Come along Miss Granger I trust you can still walk. It seems, Miss Vermillion took the brunt of the attack, and also what were you two doing here?"
He spoke to the girl with a deep and hypnotic voice, frighening and intimidating his stance exuding discontent, and looking down at her with that beak of a nose.
His imperious posture making the girl look down in shame.
"Mah, Mah, I can walk to sir, this feel really uncomfortable can I be let d-d-down please."
She looked at the man more panicked than even when shewas being attacked by the troll, Harry took her heand, "Hey, hey you'll be alright okay, can you please let her down sir, she doesn't much like the feeling of not having her feet on the ground. Also terrified of heights, so if you could just."
Snape sighed, and let the girl down, she let out a relieved breathe, "Thanks my four eyed compadre, now let me lean on you cause I think I may fall over again, also what happened to my nose."
The boy answered dryly, "Stupidity."
She looked at the boy sheepishly, "So basically the usual."
He looked at her with intense eyes, "Don't do that again you dingus, you could have died, an where would that have left me, without a sidekick and voice of reason."
Ron yelped, "She's the voice of reason!", Hermione elbowed the ginger, and Neville looked at teh girl worried,ly, "Are you sure your alright Hermione?"
His sotto voice barely reaching her already working mind, 'Wht was that feeling and how did she do that?"
She nodded and smiled kindly to the boy "Yeah I'm fine Neville."
And so the bathroom was left to whomever it is that fixes these messes in Hogwarts and the Gryffindors a bit richer in points and Ravenclaw just barely breaking even.
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Dancing was something Renata's mama had her learn, she taught the girl herself saying that a lady must hold herself with elegance and poise.
A lady must walk with deliberate motions, knowing exactly where she was going, and being sure of what was behind her.
Her steps must touch the ground firmly, you must stand with your head held high, and your back straight. Eyes firmly ahead, with a charming and kind, but reserved smile.
A lady is to be sure of her place and she must not ever, let anyone push her down.
Yet here, in the stands of the old and venerable Hogwarts, the girl was yelling wildly nearly falling off of the stands. Harry looked at the girl expecting it, yet still amazed that she could brave through her fear of heights to get on the stands.
Then again losing feeling to his arm seems to be the only trade off, well that and also hearing in his right ear.
"BEAT THOSE SHITTY GARDEN SNAKES INTO THE GROUND! DON'T LET'EM BREATHE HIT'EM, AND KEEP HITTING'EM, RIP OUT THEIR THROATS, STOMP ON THEIR DREAMS, LEAVE NOTHING LEFT NOT EVEN THEIR HOPE! RAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
She was yelling so loudly and so enthusiastically, that even some of the students had stopped cheering to watch the spectacle.
Not only was it peculiar that the blue and black of the Noble and Private House of Ravenclaw to be in the Gryffindor stands, it was also a sight to see the one of the houses occupant's be cheering so ferally.
Harry groaned slightly and Neville shifted uncomfortably under the stares, Ron joined in the cheering, adding his own loud and rather scratchy voice.
In the end though the rest of the student body turned back to the game at hand and kept watching. "C'mon Rena, must you be so loud I'm gonna be deaf from one ear if you don't stop, also I'm losing feeling in my arm." renata smiled nervously, "Oops! Sorry tiger, I kinda got lost in the feeling ya'know, this is kind of exciting to watch. Even if the game is kind of pointless, and also slightly insane, I hope they charmed the pitch so that if someone falls they don't end up dead or paralyzed."
Neville paled slightly at the prospect of death by quidditch, Harry grinned his eyes sparkled with anticipation, "Next year, that's gonna be me, I'll make the team though I don't quite know what position I should play."
"Chaser." "Seeker!" These two answers came from the both Renata, and Hermione who had just joined them in the stands, Hermiones looked at the girl in a slightly moody fashion, and Renata just smiled at the girl slightly confused at the girl's stormy expression.
"Chaser would be better, your father plyed it while in school, and you probably have his same build." Renata nodded along, "Right, but like seeker, why not, right? It's seems like the easiest and hardest position, all you have to do is avoid being bludgered, and catch the golden snitch, easy, breezy beautiful. Plus I know you'll succeed."
She looked at the boy with intense blue eyes, which were quickly distracted by Gryffindor scoring, "Seeker huh... it sounds cool." the boy mumbled.
Hermione looked at the cheering Ravenclaw, with slight jealousy, oh she wasn't jealous about not getting the boy-who-lived attention, she was jealous about how the girl acted. She was smart, insanely so, but not like her, not bookish and logical to a fault. Her thinking was more free flowing, she made insightful leaps here and there, and when she spoke people listened.
Maybe it was they way she stood, or maybe it was the way her voice carried a soft, but firm tenor.
All she knew was that she was jealous of the girl, and yet the girl still treated her with a kind and mischevious smile, when she looked at her with stormy eyes. She still looked at her with easy, half-lidded eyes, when she walked briskly away from her wave.
She still wanted to be with her even though she knew that she was a bit bossy, and annoying and uptight, and completely the opposite of the girl at her side.
So she could not hate the girl, but she could damn well be annoyed by the girl's overt exuberance.
Hermione grimaced at the loud yelling, and felt pity for the green eyed boy, who's arm was looking slightly bluish from the girl's tight grip.
Then her eyes widened, a bludger had veered of it's course, unnaturally so, she noted. It was coming right at her.
The girl was frozen, her eyes wide and frightened, a slight scream started to escape her when suddenly she was quickly tackled to the ground.
Renata Vermillion.
She was a girl who annoyed and puzzed the bushy haired bookworm, but damn was she glad she was there.
"You alright Hermione, SHIT STAY DOWN!" the bludger got back up shaking off debris, and ready to charge once again this time a different target in mind.
It headed toward Harry, luckily the boy was able to move quick enough to get out of the way.
"ROUGUE BLUDGER, OFF THE STANDS! CAREFUL OR YOU'LL FALL!"
The girl's yell echoed, and quickly enough the students started evacuating, "Huh they actually listened, weird. Kid's don't usually listen to other kids-"
"Now is really not the time to think about that, I ALMOST GOT KILLED BY A DAMN BLUDGER!" Harry dragged away Neville, and Renata, who in turn each dragged Ron and Hermione respectively.
Renata grimaced, "Sorry- LOOK OUT!" She pushed Harry down, and in turn also the rest of the kids. "Shit! Where the hell are the professor's!" 'What the hell Quirrel, I guess maybe since no quidditch, no broom, equals bludger to fuck with.'
"We should stay low." Harry yelled so the kids stayed closer to the ground making it to the steps without much trouble.
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"What do you think that was, I heard there was some strong spellwork on the equipment which make them stay on the field. Whoever did that had to be strong, or if not someone then the supervisor has obviously not done her job in maintaining the equipment to satisfactory levels." Hermione huffed, still a little pale from the ordeal, she sat in the common room in front of the group of boys.
"You know I kind of agree with Hermione." Renata spoke up from behind the girl, stepping out of the shadows, "How are you in the Gryffindor common room, actually how long have you been standing there?" Harry looked at the girl already expecting it.
"I got in with the confusion, also cute password. Anyway, no offense Harry, but it seems that someone is gunning for you. Those attacks were rather centralized, only attacking where you were. Then again it could be Neville, pureblood scion of the wealthy Longbottom family, it just seems like someone really wants you hurt or dead." The girl quieted by the end of her words, her intense eyes opened wide and staring at the people before her scrutinizingly.
Neville had paled, Harry looked highly uncomfortable and a tad green, Hermione looked as if a million things were passing through her mind. The uncomfortable silence was broken by Ron, "So what are we gonna do? If someone is really after you guys, how are we going to protect and or avoid certain doom."
Renata grinned widely and swung an arm across the gingers shoulder's, "That my friend, is a wonderful question that has yet to be answered. Well I'll leave it to you guys, I have to head back to my common room, apparently meeting for the first years to see how they're adapting to their new enviroments and all that."
She waved to them as she exited the gold and red common room, never turning back to look at the young group of friends.
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Hey there readers sorry about the almost nonexistant updates here's something though comment if you hate or like. I kind of want to hear both, but please ry not to detray me in the comments.