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Chapter 3: Toe and Loop
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Susan Bones stared at the flustered girls in front of her with bewilderment.
"Sorry," she said to the amber-eyed girl apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you; I have some questions about the Transfiguration homework."
"Sure, let me just restart my heart," gasped Autumn. "So what's wrong?"
"Well," said Susan nervously. "I don't really understand the transformation between that feather and the orange…"
Two hours later, the three girls left the library, each content with the conversations they had started. "Clockwise," said Autumn tiredly, and the Fat Man rolled his eyes as he said moodily, "there are two young men on the other side who have been badgering me about your whereabouts for well over an hour. You would do well to shut them up."
"Will do. Sorry," she said, walking through the portrait hole and coming face to face with two pairs of deep indigo eyes. Autumn shrieked in surprise and stumbled backwards. The common room was empty, staring at her in amusement as she gasped for air.
"What is with everyone doing this with everyone doing this to me today?!" griped Autumn as she straightened herself. "Well?"
Theodore Nott, who had been off to the side, motioned for her to follow him. "Why should I? I just got an earful from the Fat Man because of you two and Zabini here nearly gave me a heart attack," said Autumn, glaring at them.
"I never knew you hung around with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in your spare time, Harrow," said Theodore wryly and Blaise added, "especially one of the famous Golden Trio."
"Stalker!" said Autumn accursedly. "Besides, we spend most of the time arguing about Ancient Runes."
"But Granger? Of all the- do you have any idea what Malfoy and Parkinson would do to you if they found out?" exclaimed Blaise, and Autumn gave him a weird look.
"Why do you care?" asked Autumn, and the two boys exchanged a glance.
"You're one of the few Slytherins to stand up to Malfoy," said Theodore slowly. "Outcasts stick together."
"We've been watching your back since third year," said Blaise, leaning against the wall behind him. "Trust me when I say you get a lot of hexes and jinxes thrown at you. Malfoy's been tailing you a lot lately; I figured you'd want privacy while you tried to fix that flutz of yours."
Autumn looked at him in surprise. "how-" but was cut off when Blaise said," does the name Caterina Kosilo ring a bell?"
Autumn nodded and Blaise said," she's my cousin. I used to watch her train. She retired this year, so she's been traveling."
"Yeah, I was sad to hear that," admitted Autumn. "I would have been fun competing against her."
"Even if it meant losing the podium?" smirked Blaise. Autumn smiled and said, "I like a challenge. Lord knows, I get a big enough one from Miko and Kim."
Theodore watched the exchange with mild confusion.
"Well, thanks for the help, but I don't see how Granger and Bones are any of your concern," said Autumn, stepping around the taller boy and walking into her dorm.
…The judges are really beginning to crack down on edge-take offs in the jumps. Many skaters such as Miko Taharo and Autumn Harrow have lost up to two points…
"Wands away. Take out your book and read chapter twelve. There will be no need to talk," simpered the toad-like woman. Autumn took out her book with a grimace and opened it to the boring world behind its pages, which were filled to the top with nonsense.
As she began to realize she had read the same line twice, a paper ball impacted the side of her head. She took it out of her lap and looked around. The entire class was struggling not to fall asleep and Umbridge's bright pink bow was the only thing visible over the large stacks of paper on her desk. She opened the note, which read-
You know, it's always healthy to take a mental health day. –BZ
Autumn looked over to the dark-haired boy and smiled. She stood and put on a pained expression as she walked up to the Professor's desk. "Excuse me, Professor?" she said. Umbridge looked up and Autumn winced. "My head is killing me? Can I go to the Infirmary; I feel kind of dizzy."
"Oh very well," said Umbridge, looking greatly displeased. "Ma-"
"I'll take her," offered Blaise, his voice deep and Malfoy glared at him.
"Alright, alright. Go on," said Umbridge irritably. Autumn and Blaise grabbed their bags and Blaise placed his hand on the small of her back as he lead her out of the classroom.
Umbridge frowned and murmured to Pansy, "are those two an item?"
Pansy scoffed and said, "of course not. She doesn't date."
"Now what?" asked Autumn, her face turning pinker by the minute; Blaise hadn't removed his hand.
"How about a skate?" he asked casually, smiling at her, and Autumn felt her heart flutter. His smile was crooked, and Autumn felt her face begin to burn.
"S-sure," she stammered as they headed for the staircase. They quickly made their way to the Room of Requirement , and she felt a rush of excitement as a blast of cool air hit her face. She ran to her locker and grabbed the pair of clothes she always kept handy and looked quizzically at the extra locker next to hers. She opened it and found a pair of slightly worn skates and another pair of sweats.
"You're not the only one who knows how to skate," said Blaise, peering over her shoulder. She shivered as his breath caressed the back of her neck. He grabbed the skates and the sweats and walked into the small changing room.
She stared at the closed door for a moment before grabbing her clothes and walking into the new changing room labeled 'girls.'
Autumn quickly changed and stretched, stepping onto the ice as Blaise came out of the changing room. She grinned at him and skated off. She let out a deep breath and then shrieked as Blaise grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into his arms. Laughing, he began spinning her around in circles. He soon set her down and Autumn, still breathless with laughter, said, "that was fun."
"Yeah," he said, staring at her with a peculiar look. "What's wrong?" asked Autumn, raising an eyebrow and grinning. "Do I have something on my face?"
"Autumn," he said, and Autumn felt her stomach flip at the way he said her name. He was closer now than he had been a second ago, and he stared at her for a long moment. Up close, she noticed his eyes looked almost violet. Autumn felt a burning desire to run from the room and, at the same time, a complete inability to move.
"Yeah?" she asked breathlessly. He moved closer, and she couldn't think. He was much too close, and his eyes seemed to pierce her very soul…
Autumn rushed into the Great Hall, still in her sweat pants and tank top, in shock. She quickly sat in the seat next to Hermione and said, ignoring the glares from around her, "I need to talk to you. NOW."
Hermione stared at her panicked expression with a raised eyebrow and said, "oh alright. I'll see you two at dinner."
Potter and Weasley protested but Hermione ignored them and beckoned to Susan, who was watching them with worry."What's wrong?" asked Hermione as they stepped into the courtyard.
"Zabini," said Autumn, her face turning red.
"Blaise Zabini?" asked Susan in surprise. "You know-" Hermione immediately covered her mouth and asked in a strange voice, "what about him?"
"I don't know!" burst out Autumn hysterically. "He's been doing all this stuff for me, he knows about you-know-what, and he nearly kissed me ten minutes ago!"
"What?!" gasped Hermione and Susan. "So that's why you're still in that," remarked Hermione, pointing to Autumn's tight sweatpants and tank. "The bell for lunch rang just as he was about to kiss me, and I ran," said Autumn thickly, rubbing her arms.
"Wait, what does he know about?" asked Susan in confusion. Autumn hesitated for a moment, before saying quietly, "I'm a figure skater."
Susan looked puzzled for a moment before comprehension dawned on her face. "Is that bad?" she asked.
"I just don't like all the attention I get. I'm telling you, summers are absolute nightmares," said Autumn with a grimace. Susan smiled mischievously and said, "so that's why Justin has a picture of you in his dorm."
"What!" shouted Autumn, mortified.
Hermione entered the common room with a sigh. She had been observing Autumn and working on homework with her in the library. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott had surprisingly dropped by (which resulted in Autumn nearly passing out, she was blushing so much), and Hermione noticed with mild shame he had almost every class with her, and she had never noticed. The term 'Ghost Boy' seemed to follow and apply to him everywhere… though she had noticed in third year how protective he had become of her (not that Autumn noticed.). She remembered last year when he continually followed her around, deflecting hexes and jinxes that were thrown her way because she had refused to wear the 'Potter Sticks' badges. He had never stopped shielding her from her own house, and she hardly paid any attention to the boy.
"Though, she had reacted strangely to the Ghost Boy comment Ron wrote," thought Hermione, walking over to Harry and Ron, who were arguing quietly near the fire.
"Hi," said Hermione, sitting in the empty chair. The common room was sparsely occupied. "Why exactly are you hanging around three Slytherins?" asked Ron irritably. "Especially with Ghost Boy and his girlfriend. I needed help with my Potions homework!"
"Don't call him that!" snapped Hermione. "First of all, Ronald, I can speak to whoever I want to. Second, they aren't dating. The other Slytherins like throwing hexes at her because she refuses to make fun of the three of us, and Blaise helps her. Also, have you even started or tried to do your essay?"
Ron's ears turned purple and Harry asked, "what about Zabini or Nott? What if they try something?"
"Not that they would; they are gentlemen," said Hermione coolly (she said this while looking at Ron). "Autumn has a nice right-hook. Why so think Malfoy is walking around with a black-eye?"
"But they're Slytherins!" exploded Ron. "And Ghost Boy is as bad as Malfoy!"
"He is not and don't call him that!" yelled Hermione, standing up and storming away. "Oh, and Ron, you can finish your essay on your own."
"Var där, på världsmästerskapen!"(1)
"How was that?" asked Autumn breathlessly, and Hermione smiled.
"Clean outside edge!" she said, and Autumn laughed happily. "Yess!" she shouted, pumping both her fists into the air. "Finally! No more flutzing! No more flutzing!"
"What's a flutz?" asked Hermione, who was watching with amazement as Autumn sang and danced on the ice, losing the cool and cynical persona she showed everyone else.
"It's when a person tries to do a lutz ad switches from an outside edge to an inside edge at the last second," said a deep voice from behind her as Autumn continued chanting. "What is she doing?"
"Blaise!" sang Autumn, tackling him into a hug. "I fixed my flutz!"
"Really?" asked the constricted boy, a light blush dusting his face.
"Yep," she said with a smile as she skated off. "Watch!"
She skated around the bend and took her preparation before launching herself into a triple lutz and landing neatly. Blaise nodded in approval and turned to Hermione. "Could you please tell Weasley to stop glaring at me? As flattered as I am, it becomes a bit tiring."
Hermione groaned and said meekly, "sorry about him. He doesn't really approve of this."
"Aa," he grunted, sitting next to Theo, who had pulled out a sketchbook, on the bleachers.
"How do you two run so well, by the way?" demanded Susan with envy, and Hermione blanched. "Figure skating does that to you," said Autumn casually, winking at a relieved Hermione. "The long program is like a two kilometer run with sprints. Trust me, stamina is the best thing a skater can have."
"But you and Blaise did five kilometers! Everyone else could barely do one!" exclaimed Susan.
"Yeah, the wizarding world is painfully out of shape," sighed Autumn, and then smiled wickedly. "I would love to see the other Slytherins in my year run."
"That would be entertaining," remarked Theo, and Hermione smiled. "Autumn, you should start a ruuning club!" said Hermione.
"That would be easy to goad Malfoy and Parkinson into," mused Autumn, glancing at the nodding Theo and Blaise. "I'll put it by Dumbledore."
"Only three days until skaters from around the world with begin to arrive for the World Championships. Unfortunately, Aaron Lysack was forced to pull out due to shoulder injury…"
As the World Championships loomed closer, Autumn felt herself becoming closer to Hermione, Susan, Theo and Balise, and was happy to invite them to the Sweden with her. "Of course we're coming," said Hermione and Susan after Autumn had cleared it with the headmaster.
On March eighteenth, she and her friends boarded a plane at the London Airport (Susan, Theo, and Blaise had at first refused point-blank to enter the 'steel death trap', and boarded only after Autumn and Hermione spent five minutes assuring them it was safe.), and as they landed in Gothenburg, Autumn couldn't help but smile and shout, "Worlds, here I come!"
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A/N: ok, one more chapter and I'm done! I may even have it up by tomorrow afternoon, since my grandmother wants me to show her my first completed work ( even though she probably won't read it).
(1) Swedish for 'Be there, at the World championships!'
