EDITED
June 23, 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 17: Secrets Don't make friends.]
Ron, Harry, and Hermione kept talking about what happened in the woods. I didn't want to think about the events I had witnessed, so when it was brought up in normal conversation, I kept quiet. I still hadn't come clean about anything to anyone, though I was planning on it this morning. It would require special permission from Dumbledore.
I strolled to the gargoyle casually muttering, "Sherbert Lemon."
The passage way opened and I stepped in, waiting to transcend to the door with a Griffin.
I slowly opened the door to see Dumbledore writing in a journal like book.
"Hello, Mrs. Ivory. Why are you up so early?" He asked, "Is something the matter?"
I shook my head no, "No sir. I need to ask a favor." He looked extremely intrigued, and leaned forward a bit, waiting for me to continue. "I need to see someone in Hogsmeade..."
He gave me a look of disapproval, "Acacia, today is a school day. And you know as well as I do that students are only permitted to go on certain days."
"Dumbledore, please!" I begged, sitting back and sighing. "This is important."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with Mr. Crouch, would it?"
I was silent. How could he know? I was still very scared by Mr. Crouch's words. I both wanted and needed some input from Sirius. if nothing else, I just needed someone I could trust to tell.
"Ash." Dumbledore's voice was a quiet rumble, "If something was said in those woods, you need to tell me."
I shook my head solemnly, "Nothing." It physically hurt me to lie to him. Dumbledore had taken me in and taught me things the proper way, when he hadn't had to at all. "Look, I would hate to leave the castle without permission and risk expulsion, but it has to be done."
Dumbledore sighed, "Be back before your classes start."
I thanked him and left the grounds quickly, unwanting to be caught by anh teachers. It was very early, and the only light was a strio of sun on the horizon as it slowly made its way into the sky.
As I was walking, I realized I probably wouldn't be able to keep well on Dumbledore's wishes to return before classes started, but from the twinkle in his eye, I got the feeling that a bit of tardiness couldn't do much harm. I walked through the surprisingly empty streets of Hogsmeade, and turned down the winding dirt path. I stopped at the very foot of a mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. Again preparing for the treacherous hike, I pulled up the bottom of my jeans and began climbing. For nearly half an hour I climbed a steep, winding, and stony path, and beads of sweat began to accumulate on my forehead. At last, I saw the narrow fissure in the rock. Squeezing into it, I found myself once again in the cool, dimly lit cave.
"Acacia?" Sirius asked, sounding alarmed, "What are you doing here? It isn't a Hogsmeade day. Are the others with you?"
"Sirius, I needed to talk to you. This is very important, and quite frankly, frightening as well." I said, a faint quiver in my voice, "I couldn't put what I'm about to tell you in a letter."
He nodded darkly. I went on to tell him in detail about Mr. Crouch's mysterious appearance, his warnings, and then the low hisses exchanged right before he was gone.
"I don't understand what he meant by, 'Do not be fooled by him or his promises.' Was he talking about Voldemort, do you think?"
"His promises..." Sirius trailed off, and began muttering incoherently to himself, "Ash, are you friends with... Oh what's the little Malfoy boy's name--"
My face flushed the slightest, "Draco."
"Yes, him."
"My situation with Draco is a bit complicated." I sighed, "I mean it's not that I like him, but it's not that I don't either."
"This is no time for games. Tell me the truth." He demanded. "Do you care for him?"
I groaned, "What's it matter? I don't see the poin--"
"Answer the question." He said sternly.
"Alright already!" I hissed begrudgingly, "Yes, okay, I have a soft spot for the little twit."
I hadn't expected to--nor had I ever expected to admit this to anyone outloud. I saw something in Draco that reminded me of myself, but I also saw some good in him. It wasn't his fault that he was raised the way he was, and a lot of me believed he was just misunderstood.
"That needs to come to an end at once, Acacia."
I hopped to my feet, bewildered, "Why? Why does it matter so bloody much who I'm friends with?"
"His father, Lucius, runs around with death eaters. For all we know, the boy could easily be one himself!" He shouted.
I stopped right in the middle of my racing mind. I couldn't argue. If Lucius, in fact, was a death eater, and I were friends with Draco, it would not benefit my chances of surviving the 'grave danger' that was impending over my head.
"Okay..." I nodded, choked up on sadness.
Glancing down at my watch, I cursed silently. The story had taken so much time to tell, I would be lucky just to make my divination class.
"I have to go!" I said urgently, running out of the cave, hearing a quiet 'write me!'
I dashed off the mountain, and ran the entire way through the village of Hogsmeade. It was still and hour and a half long run, but by the time I got there, they were already in transition.
...
Walking up the marble staircase, I spotted Hermione on her way to Arithmancy.
"Where have you been?" Hermione shouted as soon as we met eyes. "I've been worried sick!"
"Didn't mean to scare you, Mione." I gave her a sheepish smile, "I'll explain later, I'm running late!"
With that simple reply, I headed toward North Tower, and Divination. Broad strips of dazzling gold sunlight fell across the corridor from the high windows. The sky outside was so brightly blue it looked as though it had been laminated.
I started up the staircase toward the silver ladder and the trapdoor, ignoring the burning in my calf muscles.
Once inside, I threw down my belongings next to Ron, and nearly collapsed from all the consant running. My heavy breathing could be heard loudly and clearly throughout the room.
It didn't help that the dimly lit room was swelteringly hot--I just wanted to sit in some air conditioning. The fumes from the perfumed fire were heavier than ever and my lungs were craving fresh air.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked, reaching over and grabbing my hand.
A blush crept up to my cheeks, and I pulled my hand away slowly, not to hurt his feelings.
"Just a lot of running." I nodded my head to affirm my statement.
"My dears," said Professor Trelawney, sitting down in her winged armchair in front of the class and peering around at us all with her strangely enlarged eyes, "we have almost finished our work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time. If you will all look this way, I will dim the lights...."
She waved her wand and the lamps went out. The fire was the only source of light now. Professor Trelawney bent down and lifted, from under her chair, a miniature model of the solar system contained within a glass dome. It was a beautiful thing; each of the moons glimmered in place around the nine planets and the fiery sun, all of them hanging in thin air beneath the glass. I watched as Professor Trelawney began to point out the fascinating angle Mars was making to Neptune.
Soon, I heard light snoring beside me. Harry had fell asleep on top of the desk. I nudged Ron and pointed.
"Should we draw on him?" Ron asked, with a mischievous grin.
I smiled at Ron fondly. He always was a bit childish, but it was entertaining to say the least.
Suddenly, Harry jolted and fell from the desk, still not awakening. He yelled and was clutching his forehead.
I leapt from my chair on pure, care-taker instinct and got to my knees beside him, shaking his body roughly. "Harry!" I yelled, trying to wake him from the nightmare.
Harry finally opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of Professor Trelawney's room with his hands over his face. The whole class was now gathered around, with both Ron and I kneeling next to him, absolutely terrified.
"You all right?" Ron said.
"Of course he isn't!" said Professor Trelawney, looking thoroughly excited. Her great eyes loomed over Harry, gazing at him. "What was it. Potter? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?"
"Nothing," Harry said. He sat up. He was visibly shaking, and looking around the class suspiciously.
"You were clutching your scar!" said Professor Trelawney. "You were rolling on the floor, clutching your scar! Come now. Potter, I have experience in these matters!"
Harry looked up at her.
"I need to go to the hospital wing, I think," he said. "Bad headache."
"My dear, you were undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of my room!" said Professor Trelawney. "If you leave now, you may lose the opportunity to see further than you have ever--"
"I don't want to see anything except a headache cure," said Harry.
He stood up. The class backed away. They all looked unnerved. Ron and I still sat there like idiots.
I was sure of only one thing. I was sick of secrets. Harry and I were both hiding things from eachother. I knew his headache wasn't real, his scar hurt him, and that only happened when bad things were looming. I believe he's hiding deeper things from me as well. Not that I have an inch of space to complain; I still hadn't told him about the haunting conversation...