A/N: So sorry for the slow update, but now that I'm on holiday I'll be able to write and update much faster! Enjoy this chapter!


Anomaly

Chapter 8

The Winter Ball was coming up, and as a method of "making new friends," Professor McGonagall had required Melanie to volunteer in the decoration group. She had very reluctantly agreed on Professor McGonagall's perseverance, despite her insistence that she already had plenty of friends. Out of pity, Rose and Al signed up to volunteer with her, and this caused a massive demand for the rest of the decoration volunteer spots.

"I did not realize just how damn popular you all are," Melanie commented as she craned her neck to look over the crowd of students attacking the sign-up table.

They both laughed lightly. "It's not us. It's our family," said Al.

"And it's us," quipped Rose with a grin.

"And it's us," Al agreed, laughing again.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "So, Winter Ball. Is it any fun?"

"Don't know. You should ask a fifth year," replied Rose. "It's gonna be our first time. But I've heard it's seriously awesome, with really good decorations and music and stuff."

"Are you serious? The cutoff is fourth year for this, too?"

"Yup," replied Al. "The only thing third years get to do that second years don't is go to Hogsmeade."

"Oh, the Wizarding village thingamajig, right?" exclaimed Melanie. "I really, really wanna go."

"Yeah? Next visit is this weekend," Al said excitedly. "We should all go together!"

"Except that I think Melanie would like to go with me," said a cocky voice from behind them, and they turned around to see James Potter standing before them. "You did say I was cute, after all." He grinned broadly.

"Oh?" she flirted, raising one eyebrow. "Are you asking me out on a date? Because you know, these wizard clues are different than Muggle ones. You'll have to be more forward with me."

"Yeah?" His grin widened and he placed a hand on her arm. "Melanie, I'd like it if you would go to Hogsmeade with me on a date." He particularly enunciated the last three words, waiting confidently for an answer.

For a moment, though her intention was to decline immediately, Melanie genuinely thought about it. James seemed like a nice enough guy, someone she'd definitely have a good time with, but if she had learned anything from past experiences it was that cocky boys needed to be put down.

"Sorry, James," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I already have a date to Hogsmeade. Two, actually." And with that, she left the shocked and befuddled boy in the corridor and left with her friends.

"You have two dates to Hogsmeade?" repeated Al, thoroughly confused.

"She means us, moron," said Rose, rolling her eyes.

"Ohh."

"Yeah."

"If you'll have me," added Melanie teasingly.

"I dunno, Melanie," Al joked. "After what you did to my brother there, I'm starting to think you're really a heartbreaker. I'm not sure I can trust you with my vulnerable feelings."

Nonchalantly, Melanie shrugged. "All right. I suppose I can find someone else. It seems like everyone is dying to go for the new girl."

They were. Everywhere she went, Melanie caught random people staring at her. Sometimes it was little girls whispering about her, sometimes it was boys checking her out, and sometimes it was the Miss Prisses and their haughty, vindictive glares. Truth be told, she thoroughly enjoyed it. The attention soothed her resentment and anger towards her father's death. She no longer felt as though fate had decided to hate her; Hogwarts seemed to be the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She hadn't told anyone that her father had died in the car accident that had indirectly made her a witch. Surprisingly, no one asked about the accident, probably because they were more interested in what had happened afterwards. Altogether, people saw it fairly clearly: She had been in an accident, lost blood, and gotten a lot of wizard blood. So nobody wondered about the other details.

For this, Melanie was grateful. She hadn't even come to terms with her father's death by herself, or with her mother, let alone the people she had just met. Everything had happened so fast that she had been forced to abandon her mourning period (which she was all too happy to do) and focus on the many jarring situations at hand.

"No, no, no," protested Al, grabbing her arm. "You're all ours for Hogsmeade!"

A little thrown off by his sudden gesture, Melanie let out a loud laugh. "All right, all right! No need to attack me! Rose, get this maniac off my arm!"

Giggling, Rose pulled her brother, who was now making mock desperate efforts to cling on, off of Melanie's arm.

"So what does one do in this Hogsmeade?" asked Melanie.

"Oh, there are so many things to do and shops to see and we can see the Shrieking Shack and have butterbeer and do all sorts of cool things and get Zonko's pranks and—"

"Whoa, Al, feel free to take a breath somewhere there!" Rose snickered. "He gets really, really excited about Hogsmeade. The only thing he gets noticeably excited about."

"Yeah…I can see that," Melanie replied, eyeing him warily with a joking smile playing on her lips.

"It's really exciting, though," Al whined. "All the good food and sweets at Honeydukes and the ZONKO'S JOKE SHOP—"

"You realize this fanboy drool thing doesn't answer my question at all, right?" drawled Melanie humorously.

"You just shop around and look around at Hogsmeade. There's a few things to see, but really just a lot of shops. There's a sweet shop and some nice pubs, definitely a lot of good food," explained Rose with a chuckle.

"You forgot the joke shop," moaned Al. "You can't just forget the joke shop!"

"I thought Al wasn't as into the jokes and pranks as the others?" inquired Melanie.

"He's not," Rose clarified, sighing heavily. "The joke shop is his only weakness. Uncle George—that's Fred's dad—and his brother ran the joke shop in Diagon Alley. You know, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

She did know. It had been the shop that had stood out the most to her—and everyone else in Diagon Alley. When she'd stepped past the brick wall, the first thing she'd noticed was the huge, purple, flashing building with whatsits and thingamajigs flying out of the door and roof.

"Are you serious? You can't be serious. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? Oh, hell, Mum wouldn't let me go in there! You're related to the owner of that awesome place? Oh, of course you are…Weasley…obviously. Can't believe I didn't make that connection before. Wow, that is awesome. Seriously. Seriously? The owner is your uncle? Bloody hell…"

"Melanie!" said Rose sharply. "You're rambling worse than Al."

"Oh. Sorry," replied Melanie sheepishly. "But still. That's seriously cool. So Fred's dad and his brother run the place?"

Both siblings cringed visibly.

"What? What did I say wrong?" Melanie asked.

"Fred's dad had a twin brother who was equally the prankster he was in Hogwarts," Rose explained cautiously.

"Okay?" Melanie prompted, still confused.

"They went on to start Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes when they left Hogwarts, but then the war started," Al continued quietly.

"Uncle George's twin, Fred, died in the war," whispered Rose.

"And even though Uncle George is mostly okay now, what with losing his other half and all, Fred isn't okay. I mean Fred, like Uncle George's son," added Al.

"Well, why not? He never knew his uncle," said Melanie.

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're all named after dead people. Or like, important people," said Al.

"I'm not," muttered Rose.

"Shut up, Rose."

"Just saying," she defended. "Feels right un-special."

"Un-special to not have to know that somebody's death made your parents name you that way every time someone calls you?" asked Al quietly.

Rose looked slightly uncomfortable. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"Anyway," he continued, turning back to Melanie, "even though we're all named after dead people, we're mostly okay with it. It's a little weird sometimes, when I know that Dad's thinking about his own father when he calls James, or when he's thinking about Albus Dumbledore when he calls me. Mostly, though, we're okay."

"And?" Melanie urged. She was growing increasingly uncomfortable with this topic and beginning to regret mentioning George Weasley's twin in the first place. Death gave her extreme anxiety.

"Fred's the only one out of us who isn't okay with his namesake."

"Why?"

"Because," answered Rose. "Uncle George and his twin were apparently totally inseparable. Mum says that when their brother died, it took George years to even start to speak normally again. And she says he only started making jokes after Fred was born."

"Basically, Fred feels like a replacement. He always has horrible fights with his dad because of it. Believes his dad doesn't know who he is and only sees his dead brother when he looks at his son," said Al.

"It's really sad, because Uncle George doesn't feel that way about Fred at all. He's just named like that to honor his brother. But Fred can't handle it," said Rose sadly.

"So don't mention Uncle George's brother in front of Fred at all," warned Al, a dangerous look in his eye.

"All right," murmured Melanie. "I'm sorry." She'd had no idea that there was so much tragic history behind anybody from the Royal Group. At first sight, they seemed so well-off that there couldn't possibly be even a hint of misfortune in any of their lives. Pondering this new information, she wondered what kind of baggage the rest of them carried.

"How do you think you did on the Transfiguration essay?" Rose asked the two of them, changing the subject.

"I hope I did better than the last one," Melanie groaned as they entered Professor Scroll's classroom.

As usual, she was sitting on top of her desk with her robes open down the front, revealing a very attractive and fitted Muggle outfit. Her black hair cascaded gorgeously down her back, and she was running her fingers through it while smiling exasperatedly at the boy in front of her, Noah.

"Come on, Veronica," he said with a persuading, cocky grin. "Hogsmeade weekend. Think about it?"

"That's Professor Scroll to you, Mr. Prewett. And I don't think I'm going to dignify that question with a response," she replied with a smirk, pushing him away gently as she hopped off her desk.

Noah clutched his heart dramatically and extended his hand outwards to her as Xander Longbottom dragged him away. "You wound me, Veronica. I know in my heart we are meant for each other!" he called over his shoulder.

Professor Scroll chuckled lightly to herself, and then turned to the class with a wide smile. "All right, class," she said. "Today we'll be getting back our essays."

Everybody groaned very loudly.

"Oh, come on, now," she exclaimed. "They were good essays!"

"Easy for you to say," grumbled Mason George from across the room. Melanie looked over at him curiously. Myra had said he'd be too serious for a casual relationship, but he seemed quite easy going. His features were slightly pudgy and boyish; of course, he was a fourth year. Fourteen-year-old boys were all still in that awkward stage.

"Oh, no, Mason," replied Professor Scroll. "Your essay was actually one of my favorites."

"Bloody teacher's pet," teased a boy sitting next to him.

"Shut up, Wilkins," Mason replied, shoving him.

"All right, now, boys, act your age!" cried Professor Scroll, as they started shoving each other more vigorously. "Don't be so childish!" But they wouldn't let up, until Professor Scroll drew her wand and cast a Protego charm between them, almost completely restricting their movements. "Now," she continued. "Let us have our class."

"Er, you're not gonna release them?" asked Melanie uncertainly.

"They'll be able to participate in the class," she reassured them. "Just not with each other. Or, well, with anyone else."

"She's so bloody cool," whispered Al.


Later in the week, Melanie was sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room one night, finishing up a Charms assignment when the majority of the Royal Group sauntered in the room, laughing rowdily, and settled down beside her.

"Whoa," she said, putting her hands up. "Personal space. I'm doing work here."

"If you were doing work," slurred Noah, throwing an arm over her shoulders, "you'd be in your dormitory. But you're down here. In the common room. With us."

"No, Noah," she replied, sliding out from under his arm. "You are here with me. I was here first. Are you all drunk?"

"No," laughed Myra. "Just Noah. I cannot tell you how. It's safer for you if you don't know," she said dramatically.

"Why is Noah drunk?" asked Melanie absently, returning to her assignment.

"Because my love won't return my affections," he moaned pitifully.

"Shut up, Noah!" Myra tossed a sofa cushion at him, hitting him square on the chest.

"Umph," he mumbled. "That hurt, Myra. It really did. But not as much as the pain I feel from the constant rejection."

"Who's rejecting you, Noah?" asked Melanie, bored.

Noah sighed theatrically. "My love Veronica."

"Professor Scroll?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. That's her name."

"He's been moaning about this for the past two hours. That's why we came back so early," groaned Myra.

"Midnight isn't early," chuckled Xander. "Eden's probably expecting me."

"Ooh," teased Myra, Fred, and James in unison.

"Are you going to hug her?" gasped Myra.

"Oh, Merlin!" James whistled.

"Scandalous!" cried Fred.

"A HUG!" shouted Noah, throwing his arms in the air. "A hug is all I ask for! A hug, a mere embrace I would be content with. But she continues to discard me. Like a paper written by one of her pathetic students." He lunged at Melanie's parchment. "IS THIS WORTH MORE THAN ME, VERONICA!?" he bawled.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Melanie shrieked, snatching her parchment away and rolling it back up. "Is he always such a Shakespearean tragedy when he's drunk?"

"Pretty much."

"Yup."

"You are correct."

"Well put."

"My life is a tragedy," Noah moaned softly. Everyone groaned.

"All right!" Xander said loudly. "It's time to get you up to bed, Noah."

"I wholeheartedly agree," said James with a grin.

Xander shot him a dirty look. "You don't have to get him there. You're a fifth year."

"Yeah," said Myra, smirking at him teasingly. "So he and I will just stay down here."

"Please don't," sighed Melanie.

"Why not?" asked James, feigning hurt. "Don't you want to be surrounded by the amazingness?"

"I really just want to finish my Charms work."

"All right, suit yourself," he said with a laugh. "But I'm holding you to a Hogsmeade date, after your cruel rejection last week!" He winked at her.

"Rejection!" wailed Noah. "That's all I have."

"Bloody hell, James," muttered Myra. "You had to start him again."

They cleared off, Myra continuing to berate James under her breath.


It finally turned two o'clock and Melanie packed up her assignment, rubbing her eyes vigorously. She really should not have left the huge Charms assignment for the night before it was due. Next time, she told herself. But deep down she knew next time would be just the same. Hollowly and exhaustedly, Melanie laughed to herself as she stood up weakly. Before she could approach the staircase, her eyes started to close and she felt herself falling…falling…but she didn't hit the floor. Instead she fell into what could only be the arms and chest of a very muscular man. Out of sheer surprise, she opened her eyes.

"Noah?" she said in shock.

"Melanie, hey," he whispered, smiling. A real, genuine smile, not the cocky one he wore during the day.

"What are you doing up?" she asked, still slightly stunned.

"I could ask you the same thing," he smirked.

"Don't you remember?" she muttered sarcastically, rubbing her eyes.

"Probably not," Noah chuckled, shaking his head. There was no way he'd remember much of it.

"I was working on a Charms assignment that's due tomorrow. Practical and theory." She groaned internally. She'd finished it, but she was sure she'd done a horrible job. "You were bothering me," she accused.

Noah cringed. "Sorry."

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, trying to escape from his arms.

"Wait," he said, gripping harder. "I do remember one thing."

"And what's that?" Melanie asked tiredly. She really didn't want to know. All she wanted was to go up to her bed and sleep.

"I remember moaning and whining about rejection."

"Yes, you did do that."

"I said it was about Veronica."

"Yes. You did do that, too."

"I meant it was about you," he said softly.

Melanie stopped short. He had to be joking. He couldn't be serious. It was two o'clock in the morning. She needed to sleep. He had been drunk two hours ago. He had been crying about Professor Scroll. There was definitely something wrong. Something was so, most definitely wrong. But before she could think it through, Noah leaned down and kissed her.


A/N: Whoa! A cliffhanger! Tell me in your reviews what you thought of this turn of events. Do you think Melanie and Noah should get together? Do you think she should get with Al? Also, I know it seems like just some random OC story in here, but I promise that the blood transfusion thing will become relevant later! Please keep reading and reviewing!

~Maya