Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc. Money was not made in the creation of this story.
Prologue
~October 31st, 1987~
"It's a good thing Snape let you off the hook today," Chris Diamond, a well-respected member of the Gryffindor House and one of the finest beaters to ever play for Hogwarts, laughed as he and his friends left their Potions class.
"I know!" Richard McCormick, the reigning clown and prankster of both the Gryffindor House and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, cried. "You would have missed the Halloween Party in Hogsmeade! Hogsmeade always throws the best Halloween parties and it's not every year we get to go!"
"It would have been awful if you missed the whole thing on account of your usual squabble with Professor Snape," Michael Caplan, the brightest student and a prefect for the Gryffindors, added. "Couldn't you have just let your pride go?"
"I didn't do anything wrong to begin with!" Keung Chang replied defensively. "I did exactly what he instructed us to do. He didn't have to make a spectacle out of me just because I was the first person to finish brewing the potion."
"Nonetheless," Michael sighed as he rubbed his forehead, "you could have kept your composure and ignored him…like you usually attempt to do before you blow up."
"There are times I can stand him and there are times I can't," Keung retorted, "and making fun of me for brewing a potion correctly and quickly isn't something I'm willing to take from him."
"Though if you did get detention tonight," Chris quickly cut in, noticing the tension between Keung and Michael grow to an uncomfortable level, "that would make it your what…173rd detention with him?"
"165th detention to be exact," Keung replied with a firm nod.
"165 detentions with Professor Snape over the course of five years," Richard said with awe. "I didn't know you got that high. I stopped keeping track when you reached 100."
"I've never ever heard of Snape giving anyone that many detentions before," Chris said as the four entered the Great Hall for lunch, "especially to someone from his own house!"
"If I had it my way, I wouldn't be in that horrific house," Keung groaned as he took a seat with the three at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the usual stares that he received from members of his house.
At the start of their first year at Hogwarts, Keung Chang was sorted into the Slytherin House; something he considered to this day as a grave and unfixable mistake made by the Sorting Hat. His best friends, all of which he met on their first trip on the Hogwarts Express, were all sorted into the Gryffindor House, his house's archrivals. Though despite receiving a warm welcome from those in Slytherin, he refused to accept their invitation and during his first year, constantly bothering Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall about allowing him to transfer. Unfortunately, he was never permitted to do so.
Despite being in another house, Chris, Richard, and Michael always accepted Keung as one of them. They would sit next to him in the classes that Slytherins and Gryffindors attended together and would spend their free and study time with him. Their actions were originally questioned by the rest of the Gryffindors, but after time, everyone too accepted him.
For his relationship with the Gryffindor House, Keung was referred to by many as the lion with the hide of a snake. However, as the welcome from the Gryffindors grew, so did the distaste from the Slytherins. None of them have ever witnessed such a friendship between the two houses, and quite frankly, it disgusted them.
Though the revulsion of the members of Slytherin was nothing compared to that of Professor Snape. Never before out of the years that he has spent with Slytherin, both as a student and now the Head Professor, has he ever seen such a strong and friendly bond between the two houses. But, what he resented most of all wasn't the interaction of Keung with the Gryffindors, but the occasions where he overheard Keung mention how embarrassed he was for being sorted into Slytherin.
Keung had made many enemies with the members of his house, majority of which found extreme pleasure in getting him in trouble with the faculty of Hogwarts, especially Snape. They initially tormented him in an attempt to force him to accept being a part of the Slytherin House, but when they realized that he held his friendship with the Gryffindors above everything else, they continued to torment him to satisfy their dislike for him. The only person, who kept the Slytherins from completely vaporizing him, was Magnolia Reins, the daughter of a very powerful and influential family in the Magical World and Keung's only friend in Slytherin.
Magnolia was the only Slytherin who continued to be his friend over the years. Many mistook her friendship with him as a showing of pity; though, through the years of their friendship, she has shown that her care and worries for him were genuine. She was his Slytherin conscience, constantly reminding him to keep in line and to not do anything that would enrage their house; but despite her pleas, Keung never seemed to obey. However, instead of growing tired with his disobedience, she continued watch over him.
"Sorry mates, but I won't be able to stay for very long," Keung said as he pulled out a large handkerchief out of his pocket and started to gather food into it.
"Off for another secret rendezvous, I see," Michael grinned has he took a sip of his pumpkin juice and winked at Chris and Richard.
"It's not a secret rendezvous," Keung replied with a sigh. "Everyone in Hogwarts can see Veronica and me having lunch by the lake almost everyday."
"Good thing too," Richard snickered as he took a bite of his bread roll.
"Exactly," Chris said, giving Keung a sly look. "Best to not stay concealed."
"What do you mean by `concealed'?" Keung asked, not liking the direction Chris' comment was taking.
"Just say…" Richard started to explain, "the last thing you want is for her father, the Great Auror Malcolm Cross, to show up and transfigure you into an eel."
"Our relationship isn't like that," Keung scoffed as he continued to fill the handkerchief with food.
He was being honest with his friends about the matter. His relationship with Veronica Cross, a sweet fifth year student who had just transferred into Hogwarts at the start of the year from a school in Russia, was strictly platonic; but, he would have been lying if he stated that he didn't want a deeper relationship with her. Though deep in his heart, he knew harboring such feelings would bring many more hardships because Veronica was a Gryffindor.
"Say it as much as you like," Chris said, his mouth full of food. "We all know that there is more to your relationship than you'd like to admit."
"You have it written all over your face," Michael continued. "It doesn't take a genius to know that there is a lot more there."
"Listen, I have to go. Please believe me. I promise you all a thousand times that there is nothing between Veronica and me," Keung said firmly as quickly wrapped the handkerchief into a secure bundle and ran out of the Great Hall.
"He's going to get himself bloody killed," Richard sighed as he took a bite out of his chicken.
"Seriously," Michael groaned as he massaged his temples. "He has the Slytherins at one end and Malcolm Cross at the other."
"As much as I tease him about it though," Chris grinned, "I'm happy that he does have someone. He's a lot happier now."
"Yes…but to what extent?" Michael said somewhat worriedly. "He having a romantic relationship with a Gryffindor isn't going to sit well with the Slytherins. I just know that something bad is going to happen."
"I'm sure Magnolia will keep him safe though," Chris assumed as he finished his glass of pumpkin juice.
"Oh you can't be that thick?" Richard asked as he looked at Chris with a shocked expression. "Isn't it clear that she has a…a thing for him."
"What? Can't be…" Chris replied softly.
"Magnolia can be a kind person, but when was she ever nice to us?" Michael pointed out. "What does she have to gain from protecting a renegade Slytherin?"
"Precisely," Richard continued. "What other hidden motive could she really have aside from having some sort of feelings for him?"
"It's just speculation," Chris argued. "She and Keung have been friends since the day he was sorted into Slytherin. Wouldn't you figure that she would have mentioned something about it by now…and wouldn't you figure that Keung would have noticed something?
"Don't forget, Chris," Michael responded as he took another sip from his pumpkin juice, "you are talking about one of the thickest guys in the Magical World. Keung wouldn't get the hint unless Magnolia spelled it out for him."
"I still don't know about all this," Chris sighed, "but I do agree that Keung is one of the thickest guys in the Magical World.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Keung apologized as hurried towards Veronica.
Prior to the start of October, the two were mere acquaintances. The two met each other for the first time on the Hogwarts Express and continued an acknowledgment of each other by usually saying hello when they bumped into each other in the hallways. It wasn't until just a few weeks ago when their true friendship and connection began.
"Oh don't worry about it," she said with a sweet smile. "I haven't been waiting for very long."
Keung smiled back as he took a seat by her on a hill that overlooked the lake.
That hill had become their private spot. During lunch they would often sit there and have lunch together. Their conversation moved around from things they had done in class that day to their dreams and what they wished to accomplish once they left Hogwarts. Despite only knowing her for a month, Veronica was the closest person to him and though he wasn't entirely sure, he felt it were true for her when it came to him.
"So what's for lunch?" she asked curiously as she eyed the bundled up package.
"The usual," he replied with a smile as he unrolled the handkerchief and playfully tossed her a bread roll.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"What do you make of this, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked as she and the Headmaster looked at the two students from behind a window. "This is a sight that I have never seen in all of my years with this school."
"It is a good bond, Minerva…a very good bond," Professor Dumbledore smiled. "It is exactly what his school needs."
"Don't you feel that it's a formula for disaster?"
"It may lead to one, it may not, but one thing is for certain…those two are very special. They will make a very large impact in our school and with time, the world."
"Your optimism is very comforting, but I do worry for the two," McGonagall said with a weak smile as she walked away from the window.
"I, too, sometimes worry about the two," Dumbledore sighed. "Only time can tell what is to be the fate of Veronica and Keung."
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"That was a good meal," Keung yawned as he laid back against the grass, his hands tucked behind his head.
"I must definitely say," Veronica giggled as she took her usually spot next to him, her hands over her stomach. "You ate the majority of it."
"Well…you weren't going to eat it all," he replied sheepishly. "Can't let good food go to waste."
"No, we can't," she said with a warm smile.
A calm silence soon fell over them. The two have talked so much over the past couple of weeks that it was sometimes difficult to come up with a new topic of discussion. However, despite their silence, the two never felt uncomfortable with each other. Whenever nothing came to mind, they simply smiled at each other and enjoyed the other's company.
"Does that cloud look a little bit like Professor Snape?" Keung asked as he pointed to a large white cloud above them.
"I see a pig," Veronica replied somewhat confused.
"Exactly," he grinned, trying to stifle his snicker.
"You are horrible," she giggled as she gently elbowed him in the side.
"I can't help it. You saw what he did to me in Potions."
"Oh come now, he's done much worse."
"Doesn't matter how much worse he's been in the past…" Keung groaned as he sat up and looked towards the lake.
"You love to hate him, don't you?" she asked as she sat up.
"What can I say? He's an easy person to hate," he replied with a lopsided grin.
"Whether you like him or not, he is a good professor…very funny too," she grinned while watching his diminish.
"You're just joking…right?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "Nothing is funnier than you grumbling about him."
"Now that was uncalled for!"
Veronica did her best to hide her laughter, but attempting to hold it in at that point would have caused her chest to explode. Though Keung didn't mind hearing her laugh. On the contrary, he enjoyed listening it very much, even if this instance did seem to be at his expense. Her laugh was intoxicating and if he didn't feel like he would be stepping over any boundaries, he would have started tickling her.
"So, will you be going to Hogsmeade for the party?" Keung asked quickly when he noticed that her laughter was dying down.
"I guess so," she answered as she took in a deep and calm breath. "All the girls say that it's going to be loads of fun and that I shouldn't miss it."
"That was pretty much what the guys were saying too," he said, trying his best to subdue the nervousness that was now building up at the pit of his full stomach.
"I could imagine," she smiled. "I know you four would cause loads of trouble."
"I think we can keep our behavior under control," he smiled back at her. "So…you just going to be going with the girls then?"
"Well…" her cheerful tone dropped to one of uncertainty. "You know that…Hugh Simons…from Hufflepuff?"
"Yeah…he's one of the chasers for their Quidditch team," he answered somewhat hesitantly.
"He sort of asked me to go with him," she said quietly.
"You mean…as in…going on a date?" he asked, trying his best to keep the sudden explosion inside him from bursting out.
"I don't believe so," she replied, noticing his body stiffening. "You know…just as friends."
"Oh," he said, her reply not soothing the explosion. "What did you say?"
"I told him I would consider it --" she replied, but before she could say another word, Keung swiftly got up to his feet.
"Oh, look at the time," Keung quickly said as he turned his attention towards the school and away from her. "I have to run…I'm suppose to meet with the guys before I head off for my next class."
"Keung wait!" Veronica cried as she, too, stood up. "Let me finish! It's --"
"It's okay," he cut her off, stilling refusing to turn and face her. "I really have to go…I can't be late. You have fun then."
Keung sprinted off towards the castle, leaving a very heartbroken Veronica behind.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Keung! What's the matter?" Magnolia asked when she watched him storm through the dungeon entrance of the Slytherin Common Room.
"It's a long story," he replied hotly. "I just want to grab my book for my transfiguration class and go."
"Come now," she said as she maneuvered herself to block his path, "you can talk to me…you know that I'll listen to you."
Keung gave her a quick glare in response, but she wasn't ready to let him go.
"You can't go to your transfiguration class upset," she said with soft tone. "You know that if you don't concentrate, you won't do well. And you and I clearly know that you won't be able to concentrate on anything aside from what you're mad about."
Keung took in a deep breath and looked into her blue eyes again. She returned his gaze with a sympathetic smile and gave him a gentle nod. He released a defeated sigh and with a nod of his own, the two took a seat on the leather couch in front of the large fireplace.
"So what happened to cause you to come stomping through the common room like that?" she asked, almost in a comical tone. "I heard you had a rough time in Potions…does it have to do with that?"
"No," Keung answered with a frustrated sigh. "It has nothing to do with that."
"Something happened with guys?"
"Nope, the guys are their usual selves."
"So what then?"
"Veronica is going on a date with Hugh Simon tonight…at the Halloween Party," he said with a low groan.
"You mean you didn't know?" she asked curiously. "The majority of us heard about that a couple of days ago."
"You mean…everyone in the school was hiding this from me?" Keung gasped as he stood from the couch, his anger growing again.
"I can't say that everyone in the school knew about it," she quickly responded, trying to calm him down, "but those who knew thought that you already knew. I mean…you two are close, so we figured that you would be the first person she'd tell."
"Well obviously I wasn't," he said sarcastically as he plopped back down onto the couch. "I'm such an idiot."
"You are not an idiot," Magnolia replied as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know…and she didn't bother taking the responsibility to tell you."
"But I should have seen this coming. A girl like her…guy like me…we wouldn't have ever mixed well."
"Don't worry about her. She's nothing but trouble. You'll be much better off without her."
"That'll be easier said than done," he groaned.
"Whether it's easy or not, it can be done," she said reassuringly. "You are a Slythering after all…we're crafty. There's always a way."
He didn't quite enjoy hearing her acknowledging him as a Slytherin, but he did appreciate her candor. He stood form the couch again and released another sigh. "Do you have any idea how it feels to have such strong feelings for someone and they never notice them?"
"Yeah…I know exactly how it feels," she answered quietly as she looked up at him, their eyes meeting.
A silence soon fell upon the two, but this was a very awkward silence.
"Well…I have to get going then," Keung said quickly, breaking the silence that felt like it lasted an eternity.
"You don't want to be late," she replied softly.
"I'll see you later then." He gave her a forced grin and started to make his way towards the boy's dormitory.
"Oh…Keung," Magnolia called, causing him to turn and face her. "You going to the party with anyone?"
"I think I'm just going to go with the guys…you know blow off some steam."
"Oh…okay," she said with a depressed tone. Though she quickly covered it up before he took notice. "You go get your book then…I need to run to my Charms class."
"Okay then," he replied with a nod. "Oh…thanks for talking to me."
"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "You know that I'm always here if you need me."
He gave her another nod and quickly made his way towards the boys' dormitory.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Well, hello Mr. Chang," Madame Pince said with a somewhat startled tone. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm returning a library book for Michael Caplan," he replied, understanding her shock of seeing him in the library. For the exception of class projects where he was forced to go to the Hogwarts library, he had never ventured into it. "It's due today and he didn't have time to drop it off himself."
"That's very kind of you," she smiled as she took a thick book from him. "Hogwarts: A History," she read out loud as she placed the book onto her desk. "It's a good read, Mr. Chang. Not may students enjoy reading about history, but some history is worth looking over."
"Maybe another time," he said politely, trying his best to avoid a potential conversation involving his reading habits and school marks. "I must be going…I need to get ready for the Halloween party."
"All right then," she sighed. "Thank you for dropping this off for Michael."
"You're welcome, Ma'am," he replied as he gave her a nod.
He slowly turned and made his way towards the doors that led back out into the hallway. He occasionally looked around at the shelves of books, his attention not particularly drawn by anything.
"Keung," he heard a gentle voice call him from within one of the aisles of bookshelves.
He stopped and looked around for the voice, but he felt a lump fall into his stomach and he realized that the voice belonged to Veronica. He knew leaving her so quickly during lunch was rude of him, and the last thing he needed at this moment is a conversation involving his behavior or her date with Hugh Simons.
"You didn't let me finish during lunch," she said quietly, her eyes looking down towards her feet.
"No, it's okay," he replied as he forced his trembling hands into his pockets. "You have a fun time with Hugh. I don't --"
"I'm not going to the party with Hugh," she cut in as she lifted her head and looked in his eyes, noticing a complete change in them. "I told that I would consider it, but I knew I couldn't go with him."
"Er…why not?" he asked nervously, his hands trembling even more in his pockets. "I hear he's a really good fellow…kind, generous, and all that."
"I was hoping that another fellow would have asked me," she answered, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
"Who?" he asked, completely thrown by her response.
"Michael was right," she grinned playfully at him. "You are the thickest person in all the Magical World."
"What do you mean?"
"You silly," she cried out louder than she should have for she heard Madame Pince's shush. "I wanted you to ask me," she whispered.
"Really?" he asked hesitantly. "This isn't some joke, right?"
Veronica gently shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. Keung's heart felt like it had stopped beating. She raised herself onto her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. His body slowly relaxed and his hands found themselves resting on her hips.
As their kiss ended, he opened his eyes and noticed someone quickly move behind a bookshelf. It seemed somewhat odd at first, but he didn't want to think about it, his mind soon falling back onto the girl of his dreams.
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
~August 28th, 1997~
"Hello Magnolia," Keung said softly as he took a seat on an old dusty chair in front of her cell.
"I can tell when you're coming," she said weakly as she looked towards him, trying her best to rub away the dirt that covered her face. "Her screams disappear when you come and visit me."
"Dementors can be relentless sometimes," he replied with a soft snicker. "Here, I brought you some food," he smiled as he pulled out a few plastic containers and squeezed them through the rusted bars of her cell. "Dobby made roast tonight."
"I love his roast," she admitted as she slowly made her way to the containers, breathing in the delicious aroma.
"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."
He rested against the back of the chair and watched her eat her food.
-->