"Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me"
-Dream a little Dream of me, Doris Day
****
Stay away from us, freak
You're a monster
Disgusting, dangerous!
I thought being a seer was bad enough
Harper shook her head of the voices from the past, looking out at the lake as snow began to fall. There was a tightness in her chest, standing there observing the peaceful scenery.
"Oh look, Marzipan. Our darling was waiting for us!" Astrid gave a fake laugh as she adjusted her fur caplet around her shoulders. Harper turning to give a withering stare, her upper lip curling slightly.
"What exactly do you want now?" Harper sighed heavily. Taking in their appearances, she stifled a laugh when she observed their faces. Both girls were sporting varying degrees of blisters and boils all over their faces, Marz's had calmed down while Astrid's face was still an angry red across her face. "Aw, did we walk into some stinging jinxes ladies?"
"Cute, Nonemacker. But you know exactly how we got these," Marz growled, twirling her wand between her fingers.
Harper gave her best innocent smile, "wasn't me. I would prefer to see you two spewing your guts out across the grounds."
Astrid snorted slightly, "we're just here for a little chat, darling. I was hopeful I'd figure out how exactly you have friends here, but it seems everyone is rather tight lipped and oblivious. Other students mention that you're so sweet! So friendly! Pretty and smart! But they don't know, do they?" The girl took a step closer, she was still an inch shorter than Harper, but she tried to be an intimidating presence. "The sooner you realize you won't ever get a chance at happiness, the better off you'll be in the future. But you just don't seem to understand that simple idea."
Harper frowned, her anxiety skyrocketing as she glared at the two girls, Astrid sneered.
"I'm telling you now, leave me alone. This time I'm not playing around," Harper threatened.
Astrid's eyes flashed with vicious amusement at Harper's glare. "That ginger of yours...when he found out, he ran away...didn't he?"
"I'm warning you...." Harper spoke darkly.
Marz and Astrid grinned, chuckling slightly, "you really think we're scared of you?"
"I've been through enough shit in my life and I'm tired of it all," Harper flourished her wand from her robe pocket, pointing it directly between Astrid's eyes. "I have control over myself, I have friends, I have a boyfriend. I will not stand here and let you threaten me a second longer. So stop being arses and shove off."
"Not until I see some humility on that face of yours," Astrid sneered. "You don't deserve a happy ending."
"Why is that exactly?"
"You got off easy for what you did!" Marz scoffed, all but shouting in her face.
"I got off easy?!" Harper screamed at the top of her lungs, giving a dry laugh. "I lost all my friends, I lost all credibility in my academic abilities, I was expelled. How dare you stand here and tell me I got off easy! I never wanted this god damn curse! Fuck I still don't even fully understand it! I have miniscule control that I work on every single day in a grueling classroom with exhaustive measures," Her blood pressure skyrocketed as her voice continued to go up several octaves, she felt her arms shaking as she stood there, the two girls flinched slightly, taking a few steps back. "I came in as a transfer to third year, all these people already had established friend groups-but I got accepted! I climbed to the top of my year on pure skill, I came to this school to get rid of my ability-this fucking curse. Don't you dare think you can waltz in here and belittle me, intimidate me. I have to live with this god damn curse every single day."
She didn't realize she was crying until her vision blurred, hands were gently placed on her arms as she shook.
"The only thing that keeps me waking up every day are my friends. The real ones who have stood by me through literally the craziest three years imaginable," her voice broke at the end.
Astrid tried to keep her steely glare in place, but even through Harper's tears she could see it was faltering. They had been childhood friends, they had known each other since they were four. If someone was going to show any sympathy and regret their current actions, Astrid would feel the most remorseful.
"You can leave our girl alone now," Angelina's voice was hard, pulling Harper into her side, protectively shielding her. "Harper has been through enough without you two rubbing your noses into things."
Astrid and Marz shifted uncomfortably, losing their resolve to be the bullies of the year.
"If I find you near Harper or any of us again, I will personally make sure you rue the day you ever set foot on these castle grounds," Angelina threatened, Harper wrapped her arms tightly around her friend's midriff as Angelina continued speaking, soaking her robes with her tears as she shook. "She has been through enough. From whatever made her get expelled to the last three years. You will leave her alone. This is your final warning."
Harper heard Angelina pull something from her pocket and toss it at the two girls, a few cracks and sizzles of what sounded like firecrackers made Harper turn her head in time to watch Astrid and Marz being chased away by two fireworks in the shape of small dragons-screaming at the top of their lungs as they trudged through the snow to their carriages.
"Let's get to the kitchens, H...." Angelina's voice was soft, Harper sniffed slightly as she continued to cling onto her friend. "They aren't going to bother you anymore." She patted down Harper's hair as she continued to sob.
"Promise," Angelina whispered, leading them to the kitchens.
"Ange?" Harper whispered when they got to the kitchens and sat at the small table presented to them. "Please don't tell George."
"He already knows," Angelina scrunched her mouth to the side, with a shrug. "Who do you think gave me the fireworks?"
"Where was he then?" She frowned, looking at her tea. George would never abandon her like that, he promised to protect her, why hadn't he been there?
"I thought he might go for blood, so I had him go get the others to meet us here..." Angelina explained, sipping her own cup of tea with a satisfied smile. "I think I handled it pretty well."
Harper smiled slightly, giving a small nod of agreement. "yeah...you did....thanks."
"You're a real badass, you know?" Harper chuckled, shaking her head slightly.
"No...you're the badass, Ange."
It was a few minutes before the scent of match sticks and butterscotch enveloped her in a comforting embrace, George pressing his lips to her temple as he pulled her into his chest. The others sitting around the table and happily accepting the tea before them.
"There's my girl," George muttered in her ear, kissing her cheek hard, causing her to laugh as they swayed slightly.
"You just carry around fireworks, Weasley?" Harper looked at him from the corner of her eye, moving closer to him.
"Never know when you need to brighten a pretty girl's day," he said with a wink.
"Do you like forget people are around or are you just trying to be as nauseating as possible?" Lee asked, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Both," George answered, smiling, he ran his fingers from Harper's hair, his eyes never leaving Harper's, "definitely both."
*****
"Tonight seems a bit too quiet," Cedric commented as they walked the halls.
"I like these nights, we can watch the ghosts for a bit longer," Harper grinned.
"Are you prepared for the ball next week?" Cedric asked, putting his hands in his pockets as they walked.
"Well, I have my dress but....I told George he had to ask me with something romantic and he still hasn't," Harper frowned slightly. "So I might just be going with Freddie as his extra date at this point."
"Give the bloke more credit, Nonemacker," Cedric chuckled.
Ding ding ding ding ding...ding....
Cedric and Harper looked around, a small bell was ringing through the hall.
"That's a new noise..."
"Which way did it come from?" Harper frowned.
"You take east and I'll go west," Cedric nodded before walking the way they came. Harper hurrying the opposite direction.
Bzzzzzzzz
In front of Harper a small horn on robotic legs jumped and screamed as it made a small circle. Harper raised an eyebrow as she went to scoop it up, the small thing lunging away from her hands and running away.
"You little shit," Harper muttered as she ran after the decoy detonator.
"Aha!" Finally catching up to it, one flight below where she'd left her prefect buddy. Turning to head back to Cedric, another set of noises sounded behind her.
Bzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzz
Harper turned to see two new decoy detonators before her, already halfway down the hall, chittering and jeering as their tiny legs rushed them down the hall.
They were at the moving staircases in no time, the detonators disappeared through the vanishing steps as they descended down toward the grand staircase.
"Oh come on," Harper breathed. "Oi! Peeves! Freddie? George!! I've caught you! Give up now and I won't send you to detention for this!" She shouted around, leaning over the railing to see a trace of anyone. Her voice echoed slightly.
"Miss Nonemacker! Keep your voice down this instant," a nearby painting of Mary of France told the girl off.
"My apologies," Harper bowed her head and hurried down the staircase.
"My my the raven girl, did I hear my name?" Peeves appeared, floating beside her with his hands under his chin as he floated on his stomach.
"Did you setup a bunch of detonators on the twins' orders?" Harper held up the first one she'd caught, it still struggling in her grip.
"No ma'am, no ma'am!" He cackled. "But I saw more of those little buggers, down down down!"
"Where?" Harper frowned.
"Hmmmm by the courtyard," he flipped over on his back and began to laugh. "Down down down you go!"
Harper paused for a moment, maybe Cedric could handle finding the rest. She was too tired for this. "There was a banging and clattering there, almost like students out of bed and in trouble." He giggled, "oh raven, pretty raven what will you do?"
Harper scowled and hurried down toward the main courtyard, at the bottom of the grand staircase sat a detonator buzzing about. She picked it up as it blared in her face.
"I'm going to kill those two," Harper whispered.
There was a small giggle and running footsteps and a slammed door down the hall, Harper hurried forward.
"Revelio!" But nothing happened. Harper sighed inwardly as she glared.
Bzzz bzzz
A detonator beelined by her heels and through the courtyard, Harper huffed as it disintegrated just before the doors to the stone bridge.
"Oh come on!" Harper groaned, "you boys are in so much trouble when I find you..."
There was a whizzing noise beside her ear before a firework appeared, bursting into colorful writing.
Open the door H
Harper opened the doors that led to the stone bridge. Hesitantly taking out her wand and silently illuminating her path, Harper begrudgingly walked forward. It was completely dark, the stone bridge was already threatening to her during the daytime, at night it was like a whole other beast.
The scent of roses filled her nostrils as she descended the bridge, going further until she saw little jars of blue flames. She paused, dropping her wand to her side as she studied the blue flames.
"I thought you'd never show," George laughed as Harper jumped a mile in the air.
"These are beautiful," Harper whispered as she looked at the jars with a thoughtful smile.
"Hermione showed me how to make those just right....There's more, come on," George motioned her over, leaning over the side of the bridge. The night air was slightly chilled as George took a small firework from his bag. "I told the girls to make the detonators chase you here...I guess it was a bit harder than anticipated."
"The girls were in on this stunt?"
"Everyone is, Harpsichord, even got Cedric. Got him to make sure you went the correct direction," George winked.
"Hmm, that's why he said to give you more credit...." Harper snorted as she folded her arms.
George smiled, igniting another thread of a firework and tossing it over the bridge. He flicked his wand behind him and a soft song began to play through a record player. Harper trying her hardest to keep her face neutral while her heart thumped rapidly against her ribs.
"Now Harpsichord, you wanted romantic correct?"
"Correct."
Stars shining bright above you
Night breeze seems to whisper...
"George..." Harper listened closely to the soft music, her smile going wide. "Is this...is this the song I always-"
"It took me ages and a lot of help from Joy and Angelina, but yes. This is the song you tend to hum in Herbology," George was smirking as Harper gasped. "Could've asked Trelawney, but that felt like cheating."
George turned to her, holding out a hand as one of the fireworks he'd lit silently exploded, the shimmering light illuminating his features as he grinned. "What's more romantic than a dance under some fireworks and trying to find your girl's favorite song?"
"How did you get them to be silent?" Harper asked, excitedly watching the curtain of stars fall down beside them.
George winked, "that's my secret."
Harper's face flushed as her stomach did a flip, George gently taking Harper's hands in his and slowly twirling her around. The light from the fireworks illuminating them as they laughed. Harper wrapped her arms around George's neck, genuinely grinning for what felt like the first time in a long time.
"Harpsichord, I know I muck things up quite often, but I hope this gesture shows how much you mean to me at the end of the day," George whispered.
Harper smiled, they slowly swayed to the soft music that played around them. "I know." He smiled, his eyes searching hers for something.
Harper smiled back, leaning her forehead against his neck, breathing in the winter air and humming to the music that played. Multitudes of colors sparkled around them. They stayed quiet for a long time, enjoying the music and the silent fireworks. Harper wrapped her arms more securely around him the longer they stayed together, closing her eyes, she suddenly felt weightless.
George had his broom in one hand and was standing on the crossbars, securely holding her waist as they slowly spun.
"George...."
"Harpsichord," He chuckled slightly as they continued to circle inches above the ground. "Did you think fireworks is all I'm good for?"
Harper's face flushed the longer they stood close to each other, George let her down and jumped onto the railing of the stone bridge, holding onto the side.
"You're absolutely mental," Harper laughed.
George rolled his eyes, positioning himself on his broom and kicking off from the bridge, floating beside it as he held out his hands for her.
"Trust me, Harpsichord," Harper tentatively stepped onto the stone wall and fell into George's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her securely with one arm around her waist, George's nose brushing her cheek as he grinned.
"How do I get my leg over like this though?" Harper tried not to look below as they hovered above the dark chasm.
"Are you not comfortable like this?" George asked, she sat sidelong between his arms, leaning close to his chest as she tried to securely hold on.
Harper's face flushed as she averted her gaze, "I never said that....just that I didn't know what you're plotting. And we're up super high, I don't know what's down there!"
George snorted slightly, leaning forward slightly and turning the broom to face the opposite direction so that Harper was now looking at the sky. "Just look at the moon from here for a second," George smiled, leaning up, he wrapped both arms around her, as she turned her attention in front of her.
The moon was a pale yellow and huge, hanging low in the sky above them. Harper felt her breathing hitch slightly as clouds began parting and stars began to twinkle in the night sky.
"Is this romantic enough, Harpsichord?" George chuckled, his breathing tickling her neck and making the hairs standup on end. She turned her head to kiss his cheek.
"I'd say so," Harper whispered.
George smirked, "told you I didn't need luck."
Harper pulled away to look at him with a grin, pausing slightly. Her eyes searched his for something unspoken, leaning forward she gently pressed her lips to his. George's arm tightening around her waist the longer they stayed there. Fireworks felt like they were bursting in her chest the longer the kiss went, reflexively tightening her arms around his neck when her mind reminded her they were floating above a bottomless pit.
"This is perfect," Harper whispered, smiling against his lips.
"Happy to oblige, love," George grinned, leaning his forehead against hers.
***
"I want to hear all about it!" Joy whispered excitedly as the girls sat around the common room with their essays.
"We've already heard the story and I don't want to hear it again," Ginny faked gagged from beside Harper as she continued her work.
"Oh please Harper? For me!" Joy pleaded.
"I've already told you about it like five times," Harper laughed.
"Yeah....but please?! It just sounds so romantic, I can't get enough," Joy gave a breathy sigh, leaning her chin on the table as she pouted.
"Ginny and Hermione don't want to hear it again, right?" Harper looked at the two who nodded, Angelina and Alicia snorted as they rolled up their finished essays.
"Just steal her diary like I usually do," Angelina giggled, nudging Joy slightly.
"Oi!" Harper protested.
"Stealing diaries? Don't tell me you're going to steal our prefect's diary. Probably filled with pages and pages of "today George looked at me and smiled, I almost died," Fred mimicked Harpers voice and pretended to write on his palm as if it were a book. "Today George called me pretty! Can you believe it?!"
Harper shoved Fred off the back of her chair as she flushed.
"Huh. It's like you've read it too!" Angelina laughed.
The group started snickering as Harper hid her face.
"I'd like to go back to France now," Harper muttered aloud.
"Oooooh no you don't," Fred jumped to his feet and squeezed her tightly. "Our ridicule is filled with love, their ridicule is just petty bitchiness."
"Get off me," Harper protested, returning back to her essay as the group continued ridiculing her.
"It was really nice that all of you helped," Harper smiled at the girls and Fred who grinned.
"That's what friends do, they help setup the cheesiest thing I could've ever imagined," Fred began cackling, Harper started swatting away at him as he continued to sit on the arm of her chair.
"It was perfectly cheesy!" Harper protested, George appeared on the opposite arm, patting her hair and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"You didn't say it was cheesy last night, love," George said with a smirk.
Joy gave a dreamy sigh as everyone else made fake gagging noises, Harper's face turning red.
"Oooooo I love this!" Joy said excitedly to see her friends so in love.
"If things keep going this direction, I'm the one who won the pool," Angelina said with a smirk.
"Oh I don't care about the pool anymore, I'm just happy to see Harper happy," Joy grinned at her friend.
"What are the stipulations this year?" Harper placated Angelina with a sigh, shaking her head that a pool on her love life had lasted this long.
"You had to survive two months together and make it official," Angelina said with a smug expression.
Harper blushed slightly, averting her gaze while George pressed his lips against her temple.