"DON'T WORRY, I'M SURE HE'LL TURN UP IN A MINUTE." ron shrugged, as he continued to chow down on his dinner.
hermione looked over at paris expectantly, but she too was busy thinking about her stomach, and was dishng out a slice of pie.
"will. you. stop. eating!" she hit them both with her book in irritation.
"never heard that from a girl before." paris mumbled, before going back to her pie.
"paris! ron! your bestfriend is missing!" she scolded.
"oi! turn around, you lunatic." ron rolled his eyes, pointing at harry who was walking towards them, holding tissue at his nose.
"he's covered in blood again." ginny sighed. "why is it he's always covered in blood?"
"dunno, but i'm glad it's not mine." paris said.
"looks like it's his own this time." ron added.
"where have you been?" hermione asked firmly as harry swung his leg around the bench. "and what happened to your face?"
"later." harry dismissed. "what have i missed?"
"the sorting hat has urged us to be brave and strong during these troubled times." ron explained. "easy for it to say, innit? it's a hat."
paris shrugged. "it's right, though."
"very best of evenings to you all," dumbledore began to adress the students, making everyone quieten down. "first off, allow me to introduce our newest member of staff... horace slughorn." everyone began to applaud. "professor slughorn has agreed to resume his old post as potions master. meanwhile, the post for defence against the dark arts will be taken by professor snape."
"i bet he's well chuffed about that." ron said with distaste.
paris hummed. "yeah, but he still looks like a miserable git."
"each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. and you have the right to know why." dumbledore explained. "once there was a young man, who like you, sat in this very hall... walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roof. he seemed like any other. his name?"
tom riddle.
"tom riddle." expectantly, people began to whisper in hush voices about the dark lord. "today of course, he's known all over the world by another name. which is why, as i stand, looking out at you all tonight, i'm reminded of a sobering fact. every day, every hour, this many minute perhaps... dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. but in the end, their greatest weapon is you. just something to think about." he nodded. "now, off to bed! pip pip!"
"that was cheerful." ron mumbled sarcastically.
"yeah, well..." paris shrugged. "i ought to speak to dumbledore, see if i can catch him quickly."
"okay." hermione nodded. "meet me tomorrow for potions?"
"yeah, course." the brunette nodded, getting up from the table and kissing her cheek, before hurrying off after the headmaster.
"what was that?" ron asked.
"what was what?" hermione shrugged.
"that." ginny pointed at hermione's cheek.
"she kissed you." harry added on.
"correct." hermione nodded camly, although, internally, she was malfunctioning. "i don't understand the big deal?"
"are you feeling okay?" harry frowned. "paris— who you've had a crush on for what— two-three years?"
"i have not had a crush on her for three years."
"right. okay, hermione." harry remarked sarcastically.
hermione didn't dare telling them about the kiss on the train, knowing she would never hear the end of it if she did tell them.
"why didn't i know about all this?" ron asked, as they headed up the stairs.
"maybe you were busy eating." ginny suggested mockingly.
"shut up."
"you live in your own hetero-normative society, ronald. i'm not surprised."
"so are you together, or what?"
"well, not exactly. we didn't say the words girlfriend, or anything."
"well you may want to soon, because i heard that lavender brown has a crush on her. parvati's not very happy about it, though."
"HEADMASTER!" PARIS CALLED OUT, running quickly towards the old man who was heading into the direction of his office. "headmaster! professor dumbleore, can i speak to you?"
the man turned around to the girl. "im sorry, miss lovelace, but i really should be—"
"please." paris begged. "it's really important."
the headmaster nodded reluctantly. "come along, then."
the stone gargoyle sprang to life, and spun aside, revealing the stone staircase that spiralled upwards to his office. the pair began to walk up, the stone wall closing behind them with a thud. he pulled open the brass door, revealing the half-dark room, with the walls covered with potraits of the old headmasters and headmistresses.
dumbledore retreated to sitting on the high-backed chair behind his desk, that was covered with strange items and piles if papers. "what is it you wish to talk to me about?"
"well, you see, before the summer, back in the department of mysteries..." she sighed. "i saw a prophecy. about me. and before i could grab it, it smashed... and i was wondering if you knew anything about it, or could tell me anything about it?"
the man raised his head, staring meditatively at the ceiling. "im afraid there's not much i can tell you, miss lovelace. the prophecy can only be acessed by whom it is about—"
"—so there's nothing you can do? i just have to go my whole life, uncertain of a bad curse put on me, and possibly my family?" paris raised her voice in irritation. "if you were such a powerful wizard, surely you could do something? surely you know something!"
despite being yelled at by the student out of her frustration, dumbledore stayed calm. "in order to find our truths, we must look deep down in ourselves or through the divine minds of others." he interlaced his fingers, and paris noticed the black, unknown disease that was spreading along them.
paris shook her head, still aggravated. "thanks alot." she sighed, obvious insincerity coating her voice. she stood up from the seat, her arms moving to her sides. "goodnight, headmaster."