EDITED
February 16, 2014
If you find any grammatical/spelling errors, please politely let me know. I am not a professional, nor do I claim to be an experienced author. I do make mistakes that I am trying to clean up. Thank you, enjoy.
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[Chapter 13: Hagrid, Hogsmeade, and Honeydukes.]
Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, "but it's way too much bother to do every day," she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.
Lucky for us, Crookshanks and Simba got along quite well. They played together, and in mine and Hermione's absences, they curled up together for sweet little cat-naps.
Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione and I about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did. I already knew he was, based on genetic traits.
"Well, I thought he must be," she said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall."
"Simple genetic patterns." I pointed out, "Have you never noticed Hagrid's temper? He's got a tendency to let that mouth run before his head. Very emotional, that man."
"Sound familiar?" Ron mused, shooting me a pointed look. I glared at him.
"But honestly, all this hysteria about them. They can't all be horrible... It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves... It's just bigotry, isn't it?" Hermione added, though not contadicting my claim.
Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking.
It was time now to think of the homework we had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over-- everybody except me, that is. I was still unbelieveably excited and happy about my new relationship, and Simba seemed to somehow increase the happiness.
The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and Harry still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. Cedric had gave him some sort of clue, but wouldn't tell even me the straight forward way to open it-- he had good morals, which included fairness-- without cheating.
Harry was being rather cold towards Cedric lately, and I was starting to wonder if it was his less-than-friendly feelings toward Cedric were the reason that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it.
And so the first day of the new term arrived, and I set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual.
Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that we couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm us up nicely, either by chasing us, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.
When we arrived at Hagrid 's cabin, however, we found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.
"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at us as we struggled toward her through the snow.
"Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"
"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.
"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.
Soft and unpleasant laughter reached my ears. I turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them seeming surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I followed her, looking back over our shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"Never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy.
"We do mind, though," I replied for Harry, a bit hotly. "What's up with him?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear us, which only added onto my growing fury. She led us past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.
Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn.
"Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"
The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.
"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it...."
She, along with the rest of girls, walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. I didn't really feel like participating, seeing as how I wouldn't be able to touch it with all the girls mobbing it anyway, so I hung back. I hope it chomps Pansy Parkinson's eye out-- she looks enough like a man.
As I strolled back over to Ron and Harry, I smiled at the pair of them, though they looked deeply concerned.
"What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt--?"
"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly, coming over to where we were. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."
"You're one to talk about big and ugly faces, Malfoy," I snapped, "Have you looked at your girlfriend lately?"
I gestured over to Pansy who'd reached up to touch the unicorn; it gave an angry neigh and stood, kicking it's front hooves out and chomping at her fingers. She screamed and fell back to the ground, scooting away from the creature fearfully as Grubbly-Plank tried to soothe it back to a calm state.
"Better sit this one out, Parkinson!" said Grubbly-Plank. Pansy hung her head and stood away, sulking.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Malfoy denied quickly, shooting glares around at Crabbe and Goyle who were unsuccessfully trying not to laugh at my words.
"What d'you mean, too ashamed?" said Harry sharply, ignoring the small exchange between Malfoy and I.
Malfoy broke his glare away from me and put his hand inside the pocket of his robes, pulling out a folded page of newsprint.
"There you go," he said. "Hate to break it to you. Potter...."
He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and I looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty.
DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening."
"I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."
Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.
"I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject.
As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not--as he has always pretended--a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.
While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.
In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power--thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend--but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.
I finished reading, completely dumbfounded and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open, and Harry, whose eyes were bulging.
"How did she find out?" Ron whispered.
;"What d'you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" Harry spat at Malfoy. "What's this rubbish about him"--he pointed at Crabbe--"getting a bad bite off a flobberworm?"
"They haven't even got teeth!" I added, "If you're going to lie at least be intelligent about it!" Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself. "Nevermind, Tweedle Dee, I guess intelligence isn't even an option for you." He stopped his sniggering then.
"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. "Half-giant... and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young... None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all... They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha..."
"You--"
"Are you boys paying attention over there? Darling girl, why aren't you over here?" Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys and I; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it.
"I'm claustrophobic. There are too many people surrounding it." I lied.
She nodded.
...
"I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati when the lesson had ended and we were all heading back to the castle for lunch. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like... proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters..."
"Monsters are creatures too." I noted, more to myself than anyone.
"What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as we went up the steps.
"What about him?" said Parvati in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"
Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. He confessed to me that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention at the ball, but I thought she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she had made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip, and I still hadn't heard the end of it.
Suddenly, I saw Malfoy out of my perephrial vision, "I'll catch you guys later." I said, waving to the trio, and then before I could even hear I goodbye, I began furiously marching over to Draco.
"What the hell's up with you, you smarmy git?" I growled, stopping in front of him. "All of the stuff surg Hagrid was just completely unnecessary! You're a cruel, hearless little boy." He laughed with Crabbe and Goyle; as he moved his hand something on his finger caught the light and glittered. I glanced down at it, surprised to see that he was wearing the ring of the snake I had gotten him for Christmas. "Nice ring, by the way."
He glanced down at it before smirking, "Thanks. Some filthy little unimportant witch gave it to me."
Crabbe and Goyle held their hands up to their mouths, snickering endlessly. Was that really what he thought of me? True colors, I reminded myself, these are his true colors.
"Here's a bit of news for you," I scoffed, "she felt sorry for you, Malfoy."
"Oh, so you're calling me Malfoy again, are you?"
"Yes. Because your no better than your father." I said, my stormy violet eyes holding disgust.
Malfoy was no longer amused, but rather infuriated, "You're no better than Athena!"
"Athena was a great witch!"
He began laughing like he was part of some marvelous inside joke, "She's actually quite pathetic. A fraud, if you will. Inventing charms and potions just to find love? I bet you slipped Cedric some too, eh?"
"Take it back!" I yelled, raising my wand to his face.
"No." He said, sounding the least bit nervous.
"Why do you have to be so bloody evil?" I asked, not bothering to waver my wand.
"That's just who I am." He said superiorly.
"You know..." I paused to take a deep breath and calm myself down, "I really thought there was a bit of good in you. Because that's just who I am. I see the goodness in people, even when it just isn't there."
Draco looked compassionate for a split second, only for his compassion to be replaced with smugness and hate too soon for me to even determine whether or not it had been genuine.
"Get out of my way, you stupid little saint." Malfoy urged, pushing me back a bit.
I was veritably hurt. I truly thought he would see the good side and start being a little more caring. The truth is, Malfoy had never been mean to me, so this was a right bit of a shock. Maybe he was putting on a tough act for his goons, but that didn't help with the hurt any.
I felt like I was going to burst into tears at any given moment, but I certainly didn't want to cry in front of Draco. I didn't want him to think he had any effect on me. I'd be damned if anyone had that sort of power over me.
"Is there a problem here?" asked a voice I knew all too well.
Despite the looming distress, a small smile crept onto my face; Malfoy turned slowly, looking directly at the gorgeous face of Cedric Diggory.
He looked exceptionally handsome today; the Hufflepuff colors had always suited him. His gray eyes shined beautifully, and his tan skin only complimented them. His hair was disheveled, but in a neat kind of way.
"No." Draco replied hotly, turning around, "We were just leaving."
With that, he stalked off, Crabbe and Goyle following close behind.
I began laughing when Malfoy was out of earshot, "You totally scared him!"
"Yeah, well someone had to, right? " He shrugged, wrapping his arms around my waist, as I did so with his neck, "What did he say to you?"
"Nothing of any real importance." I said.
"You promise?"
"Would I lie to you?"
He grinned and shook his head at me, leaning down and giving me a light kiss, we walked slowly hand in hand towards the Great Hall.
I sighed outwardly a bit once we reached the cluttered room, and Cedric noticed. "You okay?" He asked stopping a bit.
"I'm fine. I just never get to see you." I groaned.
He smiled playfully, "Was that you admitting you miss me when I'm not around?"
I blushed furiously, "W-well... that's not exactly a-a bad thi-- oh, don't turn this into a chick flick moment!"
"No it's not a bad thing." He chortled.
Both of our gazes trailed over to the Great Hall's entrance, where we would be forced to part ways.
"I'll see you later." I said sadly.
"Yeah, of course." He smiled, wrapping me into a hug, "You can't get rid of me that easily."
We parted ways, then, him to the Hufflepuff table, and me to Gryffindor.
"Look at this!" Harry was snarling when I walked up; he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose.
Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction had been the same as ours when we first read it.
"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"
"No," said Harry, "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."
"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.
"We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her..."
"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."
"Like you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione.
"We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"
"We've got to go and see him," I butted in. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back.."
"You do want him back, right?" Harry shot at Hermione.
"I-- well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once-- but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare.
So that evening after dinner, Myself along with the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. I knocked on the makeshift mahogany door, and Fang's booming barks answered.
"Hagrid, it's us!" I shouted, "Open up!"
Hagrid didn't answer. I could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. We hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.
"What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione said when we had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"
But it seemed that Hagrid did care. We didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, we didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity.
"Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering to the four of us whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from any of our retaliation. "Missing the elephant-man?"
Oh, but ten points from Gryffindor once because I screamed at him, using words that a lady never should.
There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. I was very surprised to hear that Harry wanted to go. It only seemed fit that I would go with Cedric to Hogsmeade, but he had things to do. Instead of hanging around Harry, Hermione, and Ron, like usual, I promised to go with the twins. I was supposed to be meeting Fred and George in The Three Broomsticks.
"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," said Hermione to Harry. "Really get to work on that egg."
"Oh I-- I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," said Harry.
"Have you really?" said Hermione, looking impressed. "Well done!"
I didn't say it outloud, but Harry's facial expression had 'guilt' written all over it. The boy was clueless.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione and I left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As we were passing the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, we saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.
"He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing, it's January!"
"It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."
"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," said Ron. He didn't sound anxious-- if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.
"He's really nice, you know," she said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me."
Ignoring their usual little argument I yelled out to him, "VIK! YOU'RE GONNA GET A COLD!"
His head shot up toward our direction and he smiled. I returned the gesture, and waved one hand.
I noticed Harry kept his eyes open for any sign of Hagrid. I doubted highly that we'd see him, though. If he wouldn't even show up for meals, why such an open place like Hogsmeade? Eventually Harry suggested that we go to The Three Broomsticks, where I was to meet the twins.
The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around was all I needed to spot the fiery hair of the Weasley Twins.
Sitting down next to the only seat available, the one next to Fred, seeing as Lee Jordan occupied the spot next to George, I couldn't help but to smile. They had that effect on me.
"Hi." I greeted.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't pretty boy Diggory's new girlfriend." Fred teased, elbowing me.
I began blushing furiously, "Shut up. At least I have a boyfriend."
Lee Jordan laughed and pointed at Fred's scornful expression.
"Tell us, Ash. Who takes longer to get ready? You or Prince Charming?" George sniggered, joining in on the jest.
"Actually, this little thing called 'personal hygiene' is very attractive. But, I s'pose you wouldn't know much about that." I shot back.
Spending time with the Weasley twins had many perks. I was one of the only people ever to make them shut up. I for one, enjoyed the normal battle of wits that we exchanged on a day to day basis.
"Someone is extra feisty to day." Lee commented.
"You can stop teasing now. I care about him," I said seriously, "And I'd do the same for all of you."
The trio simply grinned, looking marvelously amused.
"Oh." Fred nodded, biting back laughter, "Now I remember why we keep you around!"
At this, we all erupted into fits of laughter.
"Say, is that Bagman?" George asked, pointing over my shoulder.
I turned my head, and sure enough, the round faced, baby-blue eyed, Department of International Magical Cooperation man, was striking up a conversation with Harry.
"I believe so." I replied.
"We should go talk to them." said Fred, looking to his twin for a response.
"Oh, no..." Lee Jordan shook his head, "You three can, I've got to be going. Hannah Abott and I are supposed to be meeting up."
"Ooh, scandalous," I laughed, winking at Lee.
"You aren't the only one with charm, Ivory." Lee said playfully.
We exchanged goodbyes before walking over to Bagman and Harry. As we approached, I could see that Bagman looked almost affronted.
"Hello, Mr. Bagman," said Fred brightly. "Can we buy you a drink?"
"Er... no," said Bagman, with a disappointed glance at Harry, "No, thank you, boys..."
Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down badly. It seemed a bit strange to me. What had they been talking about only moments earlier?
"Well, I must dash," he said. "Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry."
He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Harry went to rejoin Ron and Hermione, and I looked to the twins, who wore the exact same expression as me.
"Where do you want to go now?" Fred asked, looking at me.
"Well I had this idea..." I trailed off, looking to the slushy ground.
"Out with it then!" George smiled, patting my back.
I looked up at them, their normal curiosity intensified.
"You guys want to start your own joke shop and all... right?" They nodded and I continued, "How about starting off small? Like, say we went to Honeydukes... You could sell your own line of prank candies. Just until you get your own place."
Fred palm-smacked his forehead, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"
George was beaming, "That's brilliant! Come on! Let's go now."
He grabbed my hand, and began dragging me down the path of crushed up snow and ice; we were stopped by the most heinous woman in the wizarding world.
Rita Skeeter was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer.
"Acacia! Darling girl!" She yelled enthusiastically, running to give me a hug, which the photographer took a picture of.
"Get off!" I shoved Rita away, eyeing her evilly.
"Do you know where Harry might be?" She asked.
"I don't keep tabs on him, I have a life." I said shrewdly.
"I see..." She paused to flick her eyes between the twins suspiciously, "How is he taking your relationship with Cedric?"
Her beady eyes held mischeif and curiousity. Either news traveled really fast, or she had been poking her abnormally hooked nose where it did not belong.
"I honestly don't know," I held my hands up, "But let's be real. I'm not going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'd appreciate it if you'd stay far away from me."
She began to smile, her gold teeth glinting, "But my readers love the stories I do on you. You're quite fascinating."
"Well you know what the solution is don't you?" I hissed, "Next time, write a story on me, not one on Hagrid. Honestly, do you have no shame, you bitter old hag?"
Fred and George began laughing at Rita's facial; however, I couldn't see the humor. I was so incredibly angry that I could've spat nails.
"Watch it, Ivory." Rita said in a low mono-tone, "You have no idea what you're playing at."
Still keeping the furious look on my face, "I think I'm capable."
Rita composed herself and began stalking past us, followed by the pudgy male as they entered The Three Broomsticks.
We began walking again, taking long strides across the pathway.
"She actually does make a lot of side notes about you in her articles..." said George, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, as Fred gripped my waist.
"Oh, so you CAN read?" I asked, arching an eyebrow playfully.
George stuck out his tongue at me.
"No, actually, I read to him." Fred smirked.
"And quite pathetically at that!" George shot back.
I began laughing as Honeydukes came into sight.
The three of us walked in to find the normal hustle and bustle of people zipping hyperly around the shop. They bounded back and forth, rushing up and down the isles, weaving in-between other shoppers.
"We're going to go find Ambrosius Flume!" Fred spoke up over the racket.
I nodded, and decided to look around while I waited on them.
I found an isle that had little to no people on it, and began walking down it.
Chocolate Frogs, Liquorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Chocoballs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Fizzing Whizzbees, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Toothflossing Stringmints, Ice Mice, Cockroach Clusters, Jelly Slugs, Blood Lollipops, Acid Pops and Sugar Quills, among others lined the ceiling high shelf. I stared at the different lollies hungrily.
"Having fun?"
Startled slightly, I glanced to my right to see Draco Malfoy.
"I was." I muttered nastily.
He sighed, "I deserved that."
"You did." I agreed with a shrug, "Quite frankly, you deserve far worse than what I've been dishing out lately."
"I just wanted to say--"
I turned my attention back to the Chocoballs, staring as if they held all of life's secrets, continuing my rant, "Malfoy, all you are is an evil little twit. I think you are incapable of normal human emotions. Which I guess I understand... vaguely... your mum must be a real bi--"
"--Acacia I'm sorry."
I froze mid-lecture. Did he really just apologize to me? Or are all of the sickly sweet fumes starting to melt my brain?
"Come again...?"
"I'm sorry. Don't make me say it again." He warned.
I was well aware that we happened to be the only two standing in the shadowed isle that nobody else would enter. Knowing this made me feel a bit awkard.
"Oh, okay." I nodded.
"Okay?" He asked, "Is that all you have to say?"
"What else am I supposed to say, Draco? I had this whole big lecture planned in my head of what I would say to you the next time I saw you... I didn't expect an apology... you kind of threw me off there." I shrugged the slightest bit.
Even being in the most dimly lit part of the store, I could see the smile on his face-- yes a smile. Not a smirk, "You called me Draco."
"So?"
"That means you forgave me."
I opened my mouth and then shut it; I opened it again, but no sounds came out. I looked like a fish out of water. Finally a sound came out, but it sounded like an almost inaudible squeak.
I hated holding grudges. I really did want to be his friend. But some people never change. He apologized. That's got to count for something, right?
"Oop-- I think I heard someone calling me. Got to go!" I said abruptly, rushing out my words, "Real nice seeing you, bye!"
He looked as if he were going to say something, but I tap danced away from the awkward situation as fast as I could.
Fred and George were waiting on me at the front of the store, looking a bit scatter-brained.
"Well?" I asked hopefully, "What'd he say?"
"He said," Fred began.
"he'd discuss it with his wife," George continued.
"and then he'd let us know." Fred finished.
I smiled at them in a quite cheesey manor, jumping up and hugging them both tightly, "That's amazing!"
The rest of that day we spent fooling around in Hogsmeade, and having a great time. It only made me want to be around them a lot more. I was still thinking about Draco's odd appearance. How did he even know I was there? What's he playing at?
I returned to Hogwarts later that evening a very happy, confused girl.