Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is JK Rowling's.

Chapter 75: The only thing better than Dumbledore

Ky's POV

I sauntered into the dorm with a blissful smile on my face, flopping onto Bobby's empty bed.

"Have you not been in our dormitory for such a long time that you've forgotten which bed is yours?" Mi didn't look up from the book she was reading but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well, I need to stare you down until you put that ghastly excuse for a book away, I can't do that whilst seated next to you now can I? Speaking of the schematics of this room, how did you and Bobby end up with the beds nearest the door? That's not fair. Who did you pay? How much did you pay? It was Sinistra wasn't it, she always looked like she has a gambling problem, do anything for a bit of gold."

Mi sighed and bookmarked her page, "Ghastly Defensive Magical Theory might be, but it is unfortunately examinable, yet how quixotic of me to think I could get any studying done…You won't stop talking nonsense until I pay you attention, right? You're like a toddler, with the exception that they at least tend to have their cute moments. As to our bed allocations, they're alphabetical and you and Parvati are closer to the bathroom, so there's no short end of the stick. I'm afraid to ask, but what would Sinistra have to do with the Gryffindor room allocations and why would you think she has a gambling addiction?"

"She's always wearing those robes with the lucky number sevens on them-"

"Those are not sevens! That's the constellation of Pleiades! The Seven Sisters! Part of Taurus, her birth month-"

"Still doesn't explain how the cutlery keeps disappearing right under our noses every day, I'm so sure that has something to do with her."

She rolled her big brown eyes and crossed her legs fastidiously, "You're making lame jokes. I hate deliriously happy Ky; she always makes lame jokes. Let me guess, the cause of the delirium concerns Harry but you can't share the details?"

"Well, I won't mind sharing at all." I readjusted my position, letting my head hang off the end of the bed and enjoying the coolness of my exposed neck against Bobby's sheets as my hair flowed down in a dark waterfall. I looked up at Mi, seeing her in invert, "It's you who wouldn't want the details."

"Forgive me for not wanting to know how talented my best friend's kissing skills are." Her nose flared in a peculiar way when she said kissing and her eyes glinted.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "What is it?"

"What is what?"

"That look?"

"What look?"

I tossed myself up and swivelled around to face her. She sighed at my interrogative expression and jumped off the bed, walking towards the book shelf next to the window, "I really don't-"

I scrambled off the bed with a huge smile, "You've kissed someone recently… haven't you?"

"What? Why would you even think that?" She pushed Defensive Magical Theory back on her shelf, her posterior to me.

"The way your face went when you said kissing, so who was it? No wait, let me guess, it was Seamus, wasn't it? He told you?"

She turned around horror struck, "Told me what?"

I batted the question away, "OK, let me have a second go…erm…Terry, I'm so sure it's Terry right. He finally manned up! He did it when you guys had prefect duty right? Oooo did you find a deserted broom cupboard. Was it the one on the second near the library? It was, wasn't it! No wait, was it the library itself? Man, I'm so jealous I always wanted to -"

"Ky! Behave yourself!"

"Me? You're the one that made out with Terry Boot whilst on prefect duty no less, in the Library… on that table near the west wing windows, not the square one, the round shaky one that faces the Lake windows-"

"It was Theodore Nott!"

I stopped my rant and grimaced at Mi, "You made out with Teddy on that table! I eat on that table!"

"I didn't make out with him! I just kissed him, and it wasn't in the library, it was here. Right at this spot actually. And how many times have I told you about eating in the library!"

I grinned at her, "You kissed Teddy! Wow, my estimations were completely wrong."

"What?"

"I thought you'd kiss him next year, considering you don't usually just live in the moment, but good for you Mi."

"Good for me? How is kissing Theodore Nott in a moment of weakness, good for me?"

"Moment of weakness?" I don't like the sound of that.

"I just found out about Ron andJulez." She said the latter's name laced with venom.

I sighed and walked to the window, leaning against the frame, "And you think that caused you to kiss Teddy?"

"I don't think, I know. What? Don't look at me like that. It's Theodore Nott!"

"Am I supposed to be surprised or something? I don't think it's that surprising."

"He's in Slytherin Ky."

"I'd expect that kind of narrow-minded response from Ron, but from you Mi-"

"You know I don't usually judge people by their houses, but in this case, how can I not! He believes in blood supremacy; he believes in everything I am against! He is against everything I am!"

"Has he told you that?"

She stepped towards me red faced with frustration, "Why would he have to say it, he's a pure-blooded Snake."

"And that makes him a blood supremacist?"

"His father is a death eater Ky!"

"Yours is a dentist, are you a dentist?"

"You know what I mean!"

"No, I don't! I really don't! When has Teddy ever looked down on you? When has he ever spoken a negative word about muggleborns?"

She turned away, heading back to the bookshelf, "Well of course he wouldn't do those things in front of you, there must be a reason he's in Slytherin though."

She walked back to her bed, book in hand, ready to dismiss the situation.

"The last time I checked the characteristics of a Slytherin aren't pureblood supremacist, it's cunning and ambitious and resourceful, all of which he is. All of which he used to help Harry double cross the Inquisitorial Squad just the other week."

"I understand your bias-"

"I am not biased Mi. I'm not here to sway your vote."

"Vote? Vote? What are we voting on!" She snapped the book she just opened shut again, "There is no vote as there are no nominees!"

"Why are you so determined-"

"I like Ron! Ky! I have feelings for Ron which I'm sure I don't need to tell you because I'm sure you know." My defensiveness on behalf of Teddy disappeared instantly as the two large drops rolled down her cheeks and I crossed the room in two strides. She wiped the tears out of her eyes in frustration, sniffling. "I was hurt, and jealous, and that's why I did what I did."

I knew there was no use trying to push that topic with her right now, "I know you have feelings for Ron, Mi. And believe me, I'm not here to convince you to date Teddy."

"Well, that's kind of hard to believe." She said sarcastically, wiping her face.

"Mi, all I want is for you to be happy. For you to make lame jokes because you're deliriously happy. And I know you don't need a guy in your life to make you happy, believe me, I know. It's just that, I also know that if it's the right guy, it wouldn't feel like your happiness depends on him, it would feel like your happiness summates with his own. I don't care who it is that you share your happiness with, Ron or Theo or the Giant Squid even, just as long as you're happy."

She didn't respond to my declaration, staring down at her book. I reached over and grabbed her hand. Ours wasn't a friendship of open affection. We rarely hugged or held hands or kissed cheeks like lots of our peers, but I know none of them had even half the bond Mi and I shared.

"I didn't think it would hurt like this." She muttered at the book.

"I know." I remember feeling the same when I saw Harry and Chang kissing. "I'm so sorry Mi."

She looked up at me, her chocolate eyes crinkled and mirrored with a layer of liquid, "I…I thought it would hurt more…much more…I thought I should be in a worse state than you were in after you found out about Harry and Cho…but after the initial shock…I feel angrier. Not at Ron, but at myself."

"Because you didn't tell him how you feel before all of this Juliette stuff?"

She shook her head, "Because I even let myself go to this place…this self-pitying, crying, shameful place. The world is falling apart. Voldemort is back and killing people, and I'm here crying over a boy?"

I sighed and smiled, "Never take your eye off the ball, do you?"

"I may not be good at sport, but yes, I don't. I don't have time to be thinking about all of this. Thinking about it doesn't make sense and it just gets me frustrated and I-"

"Don't have time to be frustrated at the moment. I get it."

"So can we please drop it?"

"Like it's hot."

She shook her head, "Thank you."

"Thankyou." I squeezed her hand back, trying to convey to her just how grateful I was for all that's she's done.

"Ky…"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you guess Seamus…and then Terry!" She laughed out the second name.

I smiled, flopping onto the bed, and tossing my head onto the pillow next to her, "When I was playing Truth and Dare with Seamus last year, he got tired of all my dares and decided on a truth. Dean asked him who he would kiss, from all the fifth year Gryffindor girls, if he had a choice."

She laughed loudly, "And he chose me?"

"I don't see why that's so funny; I would totally choose you. If I was a guy…well even as a girl if I HAD to choose it would be you."

"Oh, shush Ky…and Terry?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice that he has a huge crush on you? You think it's pure coincidence that he gets teamed up with you for prefect duty all the time? The boy was over the moon when he found out I was dating Harry, came and congratulated me. I figured he always thought that you and Harry had something going on. Didn't you notice that he always sits right behind you when we share classes with Claws? He's always trying to make conversation; he even asks you questions about the symbols when I know for a fact that he already completed his work considering his second best at Runes, only to you."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, "No, you must be over analysing the situation, Terry never seems…well he does make a point to talk to me every day…but he's just polite, right?"

"He has ensured he ran into you every day for the past few months. Yeah…that's polite..."

"Well…well, he is very smart, maybe he likes the conversation, I mean…I am quite smart myself."

"Oh sure, Terry is after the conversation…I guess he's also learning to lip read at the way he stares at your lips as you speak-"

"Ky!" She said aghast, "Don't imply that he's…that he-"

"I'm not implying anything; I'm merely stating what I thought would be obvious. Terry WANTS you! Oh, don't play prude! I know you read Lady Chatterley's Lover when you need a break from textbooks."

"I…that…D H Lawrence is a talented writer; it doesn't bring me a bit of shame to have one of his books on my shelf. Speaking about bookshelves, where on Earth did this fascination with doing stuff in the Library come about for you. You usually hate the place.

"Well yes, it's stuffy and boring, but the shelves and tables add for amazing leverage-"

"Why did I even ask!" She hit me in the face with the pillow and turned back to her book, her eyes not moving as she contemplated what I had just told her.

-x-x-x-

I rolled my eyes at Mi, she was literally tripping over herself, trying to eavesdrop on the examiners conversation as they walked through the Entrance Hall. Harry grabbed her before she hit the floor and I started towards the staircase. I really didn't care who would be examining us, not like it would affect the outcome. I had spent the day resting, which probably sent me hurtling back into the magical ability of a third year, but it was worth it, seeing that worry-free expression on Harry's face which was sadly alien in its unfamiliarity.

Ron scowled at Umbitch as she tittered away at the examiners, leading them off to probably the three most boring hours of their life in her company.

"Dumbledore Jr. That there is Dumbledore Jr, isn't it."

I looked quizzically around at the smooth voice, stopping halfway up the stairs. The small group of examiners were staring at me in varying shades of interest, except for Umbitch who was two breaths away from a conniption.

"Well don't just stand there, don't you know how to greet your elders young lady, not all of us are gifted with the clear sight of youth, come closer. Or has Dumbledore failed to instil that lesson into you, won't surprise me though, he was quite cheeky in his youth."

I smiled at the old lady who had the great 'privilege' to have Umbitch's sole attention bestowed upon her. She must be the head examiner.

I walked down the steps and smiled. We were the same height, but she was stooped over, which spoke of remnants of height in her youth, which must have been quite some time ago considering she spoke of Nonno when he was young.

"Forgive me, I didn't know I was in the presence of elders."

I heard Mi gasp behind me and Umbitch took a threatening step forward, the old lady however filled the hall with her strong laughter. Her voice was considerably youthful despite her age.

"Yes, I was right, Dumbledore Jr. Could tell from a mile away."

"And here I thought I was doing such a good job with covering up my greys'."

She laughed heartily, "You can cover up your greys lassie, but there's nothing you can do about that twinkle in your eye. Yes, definitely a Dumbledore. So, I suppose you would know where the old boy has gone."

"Not a clue."

"Ahhhh, well I was hoping to see the boy, one last time, before I retire."

"He should be back soon; nobody can keep him from Hogwarts."

Umbitch swallowed, stopping herself from making a scene in front of the examiners. The lady laughed at my comment.

"Three laughs in one day! Mind yourself Griselda, might just have yourself a coronary."

She rolled her small eyes at the greying man at her shoulder, "I have coronaries for breakfast Tofty, it'll take more than a measly heart pain to put me down. Anyway, fraternising with guests in the entrance hall is rude, your grandfather hasn't taught you a thing at all, has he? Come, we're off to tea."

"Well actually…" Umbitch stepped forward quickly, "Tea is in the staffroom and students are not permitted entry there."

"Is that so? Well, I would hope to have at least a conversation with the girl considering I pushed my retirement a year forward just to meet her."

There was a murmur of agreement, and a few eyes shining with anticipation as if they were waiting for me to pull a rabbit out of a hat right here.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day that I test another Dumbledore." Another murmur of agreement, "Your grandfather, he has spoiled me for the rest of the students he has, he did things with his wand that I have never seen before…well I suppose, that'll change after I test you. My first thought when I found out about you is the only thing better than Dumbledore, is a female Dumbledore."

"Griselda…you mustn't say things like that, it sounds awfully biased."

She scoffed at the old man, "And who was going on about having her do the whole test without a wand to make things fairer for the other students. Anyway, this by no means implies that I am going easier on the girl." She scoffed again, "Quite the opposite."

"Griselda!"

"Oh, hush Tofty…" She gave me a glance of dismissal and turned to the man next to her, nattering at his ears. The grey-haired occupants of the entrance hall made their way to the staff room; the dark-haired monster amongst them turned and gave me a reproachful look, as if it was I who had suggested joining them for tea.

"Ky?" I turned to Harry, he was looking down at me, concern rattling his features. "Is everything OK?"

Ron and Mi were staring at me from behind him, hosting similar worried expressions.

"I've…I've forgotten something in my lab. I'll meet you guys in the common room." I didn't wait for a response and headed straight for the dungeons.

A/N: A slow chapter, but hope you liked it.

Reviews are always appreciated!

Kalina