Look, look at the lake,
If you have some time to take,
To sit and think and ponder,
And allow your mind to wander,
Think, think of who's been at the lake.
Two lovers at the shore on stones, not wanting to hide their moans,
A group of friends looking for fun,
As they laugh and jump and run,
A family on a lovely outing,
Where the parents won't be shouting.
A fisherman with a net,
Thinking of fish he wants to get.
A teenage girl all by herself, wishing she was somewhere else?
A bird that landed just by chance,
But took some time to eat the plants.
Look, look at the lake,
If you have some time to take,
To sit and think and ponder,
And allow your mind to wander,
Think; think of who's been at the lake.
But as those friends did laugh and run,
They slipped and drowned one by one.
And after when the girl did rest,
Her boyfriend had just got dressed,
He got a knife and slit her throat,
And into the lake her corpse did go.
Then there are the parents, who weren't going to fight,
Just so the children would think they're alright,
Their Dad gave up on this scheme and so their blood did form a stream.
The fisherman went home empty handed,
Except for the bird he shot when it landed.
And finally that teenage lass,
Whose hands sat playing with the grass,
Stabbed herself with a knife she found,
And then lay sleeping on the ground.
Hermione wished these words were not true, she really did. But unfortunately soul expressions couldn't lie, and therefore it was one of the many poems in her notebook that were true. For the past week or so she had sat watching the lake, she had nothing else to do. One by one so many deaths had happened around that lake, so many innocent lives had been taken; it was a magnet for it. She wasn't sure why, it was such a beautiful place but had such a morbid atmosphere to it. Maybe it was what was going on in the place she was being held? Evil was creeping through the hallways, running through the pipes and seeping under her door; literally, it had become clear dementors were outside her room within a few hours of her waking up the first day. She wanted to get out of here, it was all too much for her soul expression, but she had a problem, an obvious one; she didn't even know where she was and it was a disaster.
Every day she sat in the window seat of her new room, a room she didn't know and a room she didn't want to get comfortable in, she knew her friends were coming for her. She was relaying on them to do so because she was sure she couldn't starve herself any longer, she didn't dare eat the food that appeared every morning in fear of being poisoned. But if they wanted to kill her they would have done it by now, they had already had a million chances, whoever they was. So it was highly understandable that she was so confused. Why was she alive? And why wasn't she in a dungeon somewhere? She shook her head a bit her lip thinking deeply to herself, quill and notebook in hand. Hermione stared out below, the distance between her room and the water was horrifying but these past few days had been tempting. She'd stopped crying and screaming, she wasn't getting out until her friends came for her.
Ergo, until then she was trying to keep her mind off the fact she was being kept against her will and tried to enjoy her stay, well as much as someone being held hostage could anyway. The room she was in was hospitable that was for sure and if you cared to look at the décor intently as she had done it was clear she was someone where grand, a manor or castle maybe? She didn't know, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't for a long time. The map would take around 3 weeks to make, then they'd have to go to Snape's and find him, maybe her as well after all she could possibly be in Snape manor. Although she could never imagine the Professor living somewhere like this he seemed very isolated, he probably had a tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere with a library and his basement would have a potions lab… As you can tell Hermione has been really bored the past few days… as well as slightly suicidal.
Our hero's seem to have got themselves into a highly disturbing situation, position actually. They appeared to have flooed into a blocked off fireplace, the only way they could tell was because ash and soot covered them. So the seven of them were trapped in about a meter of space, obviously this seems impossible. I assure you, it isn't.
Pansy's hair was stuck under Blaise's boot heel and Blaise was upside down half on the floor his legs against the wall. Ron had his face in Pansy's cleavage (much to his enjoyment and high embarrassment) and he was being squashed by Crabbe, who's got Draco's foot up his arse even though Draco's laying on the floor with Harry sat on his stomach and Goyle? Goyle was standing and laughing. Ron's words summed this all up nicely.
"Bloody hell."
Hermione decided it was getting late, she wouldn't dare to watch the sunset, it made her pine for freedom and remember 'Summer Love' the song Draco sang to her, she wasn't sure why, but it did and she hated remembering how he was with her. She missed him so much.
She climbed out of the window and closed the curtains. She placed the notebook she'd found in one of the dresser draws on top of her chair and pulled off her uniform, she had been sleeping in her school shirt, her tie had been off for days now. She tried to forget the fact she hadn't showered, used deodorant or changed her clothes for a week, the underwear issue was disgusting it had been off since three days ago, she didn't want to get any embarrassing infections. She was going to bath until the water gave her frostbite when Draco came for her.
"Draco…" Her face softened. She really did miss him. She did miss Harry and Ron as well, and surprisingly everyone else, but it was heartbreaking being away from Draco. She supposed it was the soul expression, 10 times more powerful than what other people feel.
She tried to shake her thoughts off as she climbed into the bed, she tried but failed. The first night she had been here she was exhausted having spent the day screaming and banging the door, fighting the dementor's power had been hard. She's learned to stay away from the door; it made her feel like she was in Azkaban. So by the time night fell she had expected to collapse with fatigue. But she didn't she tossed and turned missing the warm structure she had become accustomed to sleeping behind her. She missed the hard chest against her back, the tickle of his breath in her hair, the strong arms that used to hold her so protectively. It was hell that first night, she cried herself to sleep praying Draco wasn't in this much pain.
Hermione shook her head, there was no point thinking about it. So she forgot about Draco and tried to worry about the school work she was missing, her parents and her friends but she was plagued with dreams of blonde hair and blue eyes.
Draco, Blaise, Ron, Crabbe, Harry, Goyle and Pansy are out of there queer position and are on each other's laps. Goyle was at the bottom, complaining about the weight, Crabbe next, then Harry on Crabbe, Blaise is on Harry saying he's sorry and will go on a diet, then Ron who's telling Goyle to stop complaining and Draco (to his dismay) was on him, then Pansy's at the top complaining she thinks her nail varnish is chipped.
"You know Pansy; your soul expression has made you really obsessed with how you look."
"It's probably the boyfriend thing; I really want a boyfriend you know. Really bad, am I ugly? Oh Merlin, I'm ugly that's why I can't get one isn't it!" Pansy then conjured a mirror and was inspecting her face.
"Hey," choked out Crabbe. "Erm, I'd love to have this conversation but I've got around 70 stone on me."
"Oh, I'm fat! That's it isn't it! Why didn't you tell me Draco! I'm your best friend! Remember when I told you that you were losing your six pack? I'd expect you to return the favour. It's what friends do…." Ron sighed.
"Can we try floo back out before we kill Crabbe." Blaise gasped from somewhere in the jumble of limbs.
"Good idea."
"Who's got the powder then?" Crabbe breathed heavily from the bottom before he passed out.
Hermione felt like she'd been sleeping only a few minutes when she heard an insistent tapping on the door, she sat up shocked. A second later the door creaked open and boy around her age stood in the doorway.
"Miss Granger? My name is Nott, my Lord has been informed you are not eating and has sent up some food. Can I come in?" Hermione didn't really have a choice. She nodded her mouth going dry even though she had been drinking. There was always a pitcher of water on her desk.
Nott walked in hovering a tray of food, and though Hermione hadn't eaten in 7 days and was painfully hungry the first thing she looked at wasn't the food but his wand.
"Don't think about it Miss Granger, you touch this wand it will burn your skin off." Hermione's eyes widened. "Handy little spell deatheaters like me learn." He sat at the foot of her bed and Hermione pulled the covers up higher, she didn't want him to see her naked lower half. He placed the tray in front of her.
"It's not poisoned, watch." He picked up the fork and ate a mouthful of mashed potato. He passed Hermione the fork encouragingly. She hesitantly reached and took it from him, not really sure what was going on.
"Who are you?" She asked as she ate, looking at him nervously.
"I told you, Mr Nott. I've been ordered to stay here until you've eaten that, then I'm taking you to the bathroom down the hall to bathe, get some clothes, then you have plans tomorrow."
"What plans?" She immediately stopped eating.
"If I told you, that would be no fun would it." He said teasing, it wasn't very nice. It scared Hermione.
There was silence until she finished then as promised he took her to the bathroom (after turning away when she got dressed) She showered and he gave her some black and silver dress robes, they were comfortable, obviously expensive; but not what she was used too. He walked her back to her room and he kissed her hand goodnight, she stiffened. What the hell was going on?
"Goodnight, Mr Nott." She said not very politely, looking down at him, a trick she had learned from Draco; normally it intimidated a little, in this case it was useless.
"Please," he smiled. "Call me Theo."
When the seven flooed the second time, they were successful and arrived in the room of requirement, it was a plain white room, Draco supposed it was because they didn't need anything. He was the first to stumble out the fire place when he lost his footing and fell out and straight onto the floor.
"Pansy, are you okay?" Draco turned to see himself running towards himself and looking concerned at him.
"What the fuck?" Came Pansy's high voice. Draco reached out and poked the impostor in front of him.
"Erm… who the FUCK is in my body?" The tone and words sounded all wrong on Pansy but Draco didn't care he jumped up and pushed 'himself' out of the way and stood up looking at pale ringed fingers, slender arms and everything was confirmed when he looked down and couldn't see his feet. This was the most peculiar thing that had ever happened to him.
"AAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!"
"Pansy, please calm down."
"I'M NOT PANSY! I'M DRACO!" The Draco-Pansy yelled. Everyone looked alarmed.
"I'm Pansy!" Blaise said she too was looking down at her body. "I have the strangest urge to hug Ron Weasley." The imposer Draco looked strange at her at she flung herself at Ron.
"Erg, Pansy get off me I'm Vince, Crabbe, whatever, just off!"
"Where's Ron? OH WOE IS ME! MY HEART IS BREAKING! NEED… TO… HUG… RON… LOVE… RON… SPOIL AND CARE AND KISS AND HUG RON!" Pansy-Blaise then bursted into tears.
"You do have a soul expression!" Draco-Pansy said turning to Blaise.
"I'm Pansy."
"Where's Blaise?"
"Here." said Crabbe raising his hand. "This is weird, I feel really… depressed and want to watch theatre…" they all exchanged confused looks.
"Theatre?"
"Depressed?" Came different voices simultaneously.
"Yeah, it's really weird, I just have the strangest urge to dance, nothing unbearable mind you, but it's really weird. I'm depressed slightly, but I want to dance…."
Every one turned to the Crabbe-Ron. He shrugged, "I like dancing, I'm fat, and so I get down sometimes." Everyone ignored the Blaise-Crabbe who had moved into a demi-plea and was reciting a ballet sequence. Pansy tutted and rolled her eyes in Blaise's body, Harry thought it looked adorable in Blaise's body.
"You've never spoken of this before. You're not fat, you're well built." Draco said concerned about the depression.
"Pansy didn't say she fancied Ron." His friend argued.
"OH WHERE'S RON? I'M GOING TO DIE WITHOUT HIM!" She yelled reminding Harry of Nicky from the muggles series of 'Big Brother'.
"Blaise do you feel that strongly when away from Harry? You're not THAT bad."
"Most times, but I was like that before the expression, I'm just more discreet and less melodramatic."
"Pansy be quiet, I'm Ron!" yelled Ron-Draco. Suddenly Pansy-Blaise had flung herself onto Ron-Draco and was kissing him like it was the last she would experience. Pure surprise was etched into Ron's face and it looked absolutely hilarious on Draco, who hardly ever showed emotions like that.
"HEY! Don't abuse my body! Get Blaise off me."
"That's Pansy I'm right here."
"Yeah but, PANSY! It's weird to see myself snogging Blaise, he's my mate it's scarring and it's gay."
"HEY!" Blaise-Crabbe said offended.
"Not in a bad way, it's just weird."
"Right!" Said Goyle, speaking for the first time. "What has happened? This needs to be thought about logically. And get off my boyfriends arse!" This was obviously Harry.
"I'm here." Blaise-Crabbe informed everyone again, now on the floor in the splits touching his toes, he flipped doing clockwork splits and everyone looked surprised as he reached for the opposite toes to stretch and reach.
"BUT THAT'S YOUR BODY!" Harry had continued yelling not worried his boyfriend was actually on the floor doing gymnastics. Ron and Pansy in their Draco/Blaise body pulled away from each other.
"I think I'm going to be sick." The Ron-Draco said before clutching his stomach, for a moment Pansy looked offended, that was until he burst into song.
"You're way to beautiful girl! That's why it will never work! You'll have me suicidal, suicidal, when you say it's over, damn all these beautiful girls, they only wanna do ya dirt, they'll have you suicidal, suicidal, when they say it's over!" Ron-Draco sang defiantly at Pansy-Blaise.
"I ain't falling around, now you see, what's about to get down. You gotta prove to me boy that you got what it takes; now I bet you can't wait, for me to be your fantasy." Pansy sang back smoothly, folding her arms and smirking at Ron's confused expression.
Draco looked confused and turned away slowly; he wasn't used to Pansy's body. "Lets forget them; we need to get this sorted." Everyone else agreed and sat on the hard floor, ignoring Ron and Pansy who were having random song wars at each other, Ron, because he couldn't help it and Pansy, because she could.
"Okay, we must have gone wrong somewhere." Harry stated again trying to run his hand through Goyle's short hair and almost laughing at his stupidity, the hair felt spiky against his fingers, both his and Blaise's were long he wasn't used to that.
"Well, last time it worked we just appeared into the wrong fireplace."
"I know!" Blaise said looking pleased with himself in Crabbe's body. "Last time when we dropped the powder, we did it one after another, this time we did it all the same time."
"That still really doesn't explain much."
"Yes it does." Disagreed Draco. "The flooing system acted for us all as one person, not as seven, do you remember Lupin said if we flooed someone else they had to hold on? It's probably that, we were flooed as one person so it jumbled us together, our minds are in each others bodies." Harry nodded slowly, it did make sense.
They all giggled as Ron grabbed Pansy by the hands and started singing: "'cause every time we touch I get this feeling and every time we kiss I swear I could fly, can't you hear my heart…" it wasn't the song it was just the fact that it appeared to be Draco singing it to Blaise. It was very a very strange experience.
The real Blaise stopped laughing before everyone else and sucked his teeth to get attention, well, Crabbe's teeth.
"What about the expression?" He asked once all eyes were on him.
"The bodies are carrying expressions as well as the minds of people, you've got one on your mind, so that's why you wanted to dance even though you're in Crabbe's body, but that would be Crabbe's expression."
"That is ridiculous."
"Hmm, makes sense though, hopefully Crabbe won't have an expression now."
"He won't, it's not possible." Harry mumbled.
Draco grinned, rubbing his back; he wasn't used to the strange weight at the front of his chest. "Hey, anything's possible; I didn't think I would ever have boobs." Draco stated gesturing to his chest. Everyone laughed.
"I think we should just floo back out, that way Ron can get off my boyfriends body, it's weird." They all stood up and managed to pry Ron and Pansy from each other before flooing back correctly and arriving backing Cronan Tower in their own bodies.
When they got there, they realised it was 2 am, so they called it a night and all departed for bed after they had shoved Crookshanks into Snape's house hoping he got there, but all was confirmed to have went well when the pen hovering over the paper started drawing out lines. They all sighed in relief; Hermione would kill them if they hurt him.
200 miles away, at a small house in the middle of a tiny village, Crookshanks was picked up rather harshly as soon as he arrived and was bought to eye level. Nails were digging lightly into his fur where he was being held by the skin on the back of his neck.
"What do we have here?" Crookshanks scratched the abuser and as soon as he was dropped he ran, planning to hide for a very long time.
Fanfiction is by Faith Valconbridge. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
'The Lake' is written by and belongs to Emma Bowler. Songs included in this chapter are: 'Beautiful Girls' by Sean Kingston, and 'Fantasy' by Appleton. - These were not included in the last chapter, I typed them in by mistake, appoligies.