A/N: Hi there, wow is this a late update but I've had exams and no computer, and then I'm not getting my new computer until the 19th, I hope and pray and plead. Hopefully I can get another chapter up soon; I don't know how as school will be closing soon and I don't have that much money for internet cafés. Then I'm supposed to be spending this summer in New York so I guess I'll look for that café that is supposed to be on 42nd St, anyone who knows if it's still there and can tell me I really need. Thanks for the reviews and for sticking with me. Anyone worried that I would abandon it should now breathe a sigh of relief, I don't plan to. I love this story.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, and given my apparent inability to get going on one original fiction story I won't be backing that boast in the last disclaimer anytime soon. Damn.
*****
Chapter Four
I must have dozed off at some point for suddenly I was waking up to the grinning faces of two Lupins, Aunt Luna, Milo and Mackenzie. And no sooner than had I forced my surprisingly heavy eyelids apart than did Mackenzie launch herself onto me and envelope what she could manage of my upper body-in this case my neck-in a tight embrace. She was still scared; I could feel her trembling slightly in my arms. I had spent the night laughing with Connor, and she and Milo had apparently spent it scared very nearly to death.
When I looked past her thick dark red hair to the others though, they were smiling, and Aunt Luna said, "We were wondering when you'd wake up Nollie, it's nearly noon."
Aunt Luna always called me "Nollie"-like Connor called me "Maggie"-and had since the day I was born. She was looking a bit plump nowadays, but with her waist-length, straggly dirty-blonde hair, wide pale blue eyes and odd accessories, which today consisted of a pair of Lilliputian Christmas tree earrings that actually lit up and a necklace of gold-painted popcorn, she was pretty much the same woman my parents had known at school. And the insanely orange brooch on the left breast of her silver velvet robes identified her as the editor of The Quibbler which was still managed by her dotty father. Of course, popular opinion was currently divided on which of the two of them was the dottiest.
"Really?" I asked, surprised. Automatically my eyes went past her to the window to discover that it was indeed morning. The sky without was now white-grey with the snow piled halfway up the window and still falling slowly.
Milo, who had climbed up onto the bed after Mackenzie, gave me a look that plainly said "Oh please, Magnolia", but Uncle Lupin replied, hoarsely as usual, "Really, and from the yawn that greeted me when I came in this morning, I suppose that you and my son had spent most of the night… talking?"
He gave me a mischievous look too, but it was only in his eyes and I fought a blush, "Yes, there's nothing else to do in here." He was over fifty now, with more natural grey hair, lined features and respectably shabby robes, but he still had much of his boyhood roguish personality. It was no wonder Witch Weekly once said that he'd run off with one of the Weird Sisters, despite being a "dangerous beast".
"Well you won't have to worry about that any more because Madam Pomfrey said that you could leave as soon as you've had breakfast… or in this case, brunch," said a voice from the other side of the room and I turned to see Rigel coming in with a tray. "It's oatmeal porridge, steaming hot for the cold weather-oh hey, Cousin Remus, Aunt Luna… Milo, Mackenzie…? When did you all get here?"
He noticeably ignored Connor, but everyone else, including Uncle Lupin, greeted him warmly, and Uncle Lupin said, "Good day Rigel. I take it that that decision's because you've been pestering her all morning to let her out."
He grinned guiltily, "She said yesterday that she should be fine by this morning, it's morning and I'm bored out there by myself. Do you know there's nothing to do around here during winter break?"
Connor spoke up then, his eyes steely, "Yes, let's not let you get bored, never mind her head injury."
Rigel was deceptively civil when he replied, "She just said she was bored too."
Mackenzie looked up at me and rolled her eyes, then said aloud, "Mum and Daddy sent you a letter, Milo wanted to read it so I had to hide it under your pillow"-she reached under it now and drew it out-"But I think they just wanted you to know that they know you got hurt and that they're going to try to come back as soon as they can."
Happy for the distraction, I took the letter from her and asked, "You and Milo can talk to them in France?"
Milo finally spoke up then, "No, Uncle Lupin brought it when he came to pick us up. When Grandma and Grandpa heard you got hurt they wanted you to come home, but Kenzie explained that you had work to do-you know, so they don't have to hear that you don't really like going to France-and they decided to send us to see you. Of course, you don't look that bad, you're better already."
He was looking me over like Mum sometimes did when we were ill. He'd actually taken a lot of things from her, including brown hair, but his eyes were green like mine, and he loved books and learning more than I ever would. Mackenzie, by contrast, had Grandma Lily's dark red hair and Grandpa James' hazel eyes.
I rolled my eyes and pushed his hands away from my face when he reached to touch what he thought was the mark left by the blow. "That's why it's called `magic' you little… boy, healed overnight."
He looked unimpressed, "No scars?"
"No, I don't want any," I replied.
"Of course you'd say that because you're boring, Dad has a cool one right on his forehead. I wish I had one like that," he said, more to himself than me. Clearly he didn't know what he was saying.
Uncle Lupin laughed, noticeably awkwardly, "I've got even better ones all over."
Milo turned to him and demanded eagerly, "Let me see!"
Once again the door to the Infirmary opened and this time Camilla came in, dressed in a cream-coloured jumper and dark blue jeans, as usual unsmiling but heading briskly in our direction. Uncle Lupin took the distraction as it came, turned to her and asked, "Good morning Camilla, is your father still here?"
She stopped before my bed and replied to all, "Good morning-no, he and Professor McGonagall just left."
"Left?" I asked, looking up at her in surprise. "Where'd they go?"
"Father said she had something to do for the Ministry and he's off to study some rare plant in Albania. I will have to stay here this year," she said with a weary sigh, and then sank unceremoniously, but prettily as ever, unto the opposite bed. "Oh wonderful."
Uncle Lupin smiled sympathetically at her a moment before asking, "So who's in charge until she returns?"
Halfway through a yawn, which Rigel was following closely though he made no show of it, she replied, "Professor Snape."
"What?" Rigel, Connor, Uncle Lupin and I asked in unison.
"He's the next most senior member of staff and Professors Flitwick and Vector have gone home for the holidays," she replied. "Didn't you all know that?"
I shook my head and groaned, "Now I really have detention with him tonight, he's not going to care that someone tried to do me in yesterday."
Uncle Lupin disagreed, "Not if I have a word with him first, as I understand it you broke no rule."
"And why would he listen to you?" I asked, unintentionally a bit rudely.
"Severus and I have a history, don't you know? And besides, even though it is your aunt's and my duty to watch over you while your parents are away, it is his while you are at school," he explained, ignoring my tone.
"He must love that," said Connor.
He shrugged and replied to me, "Your father made him promise on your grandmother's grave, I'll leave it at that."
Not in the least comforted, I asked, "So, did those two girls tell you why they attacked me?"
The room went deathly silent in an instant. Even Milo and Mackenzie, the two who usually could never keep their mouths shut, were. I looked at each of them becoming increasingly unnerved and then asked, "What? What happened?"
Uncle Lupin spoke up at last, "They don't remember a thing… or at least anything after they saw their friends off at Hogsmeade Station. Someone put them under the Imperius Curse and set them after you. I know the Imperius Curse doesn't cause amnesia but whoever did this was smart, as insurance they set an Obliviating Hex on them, that, in the event they were thwarted their memories would be wiped clean. The Ministry of Magic's top Aurors and Mediwizards were attending to them all last night and could do nothing about it."
I suddenly had the urge to cry, but I suppressed it quickly and asked, "Did anyone see them? I know they sent home a lot of students yesterday, probably someone on the train or at the station noticed something…?"
Aunt Luna shook her head, "No Nollie, they've been interviewing students and villagers all evening and well into the night. No one saw a thing. The beginnings of a new conspiracy I suppose."
I couldn't bring myself to ask another question after that, and wasn't really inclined to find out about this "new conspiracy", that was a can of worms if I ever saw one. Instead I remained silent thinking over and over again on how close I came to death and how easily my intended killer had slipped away. Then Nearly Headless Nick's voice floated into my head: … then again, you're Harry Potter's daughter, something would be wrong if something odd didn't happen to you, aye? I stifled a mirthless little laugh that undoubtedly would have confused the others, how right he was.
Seeing my obvious distress, and once again-unintentionally I was sure-revealing his deep concern, Rigel asked, "So what's the Ministry doing about this?"
Uncle Lupin cleared his throat and gave his best impression of Percy Weasley. "Seven Aurors have been despatched at the expense of the Minister for Magic himself to ensure that Miss Magnolia Ingrid Potter is protected from further harm. The Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Minerva McGonagall, has assured us that the school is safe, as the primary attack-that of the appalling use of an Unforgivable on two innocent students-did not occur at the school. For extra security though, she has arranged a special group of house elves-who proved themselves invaluable during the war effort to Miss Potter's father, Harry James Potter-to guard her at all times where possible. I would like to take this moment to personally reassure the public and Miss Potter's family that this shall not happen again."
We all burst out laughing when he finished and Mackenzie clambered off of me, climbed into his arms and once settled in his lap, called in the mocking-childish voice Mum used to use on her, "Again! Do it again!"
"I don't think so, that was longwinded," he said with a sheepish grin. Mackenzie's never-ending entertainment at his expense always embarrassed him, but then she didn't know the dangers of his being a werewolf. Not yet anyway, but I seriously doubted that that would affect her feelings towards him when she found out.
Even Rigel looked like he had enjoyed it, but then he suddenly looked at his watch and pushed the now slightly cooled bowl of porridge before me again. "It's nearly noon, come on and eat up so we can get out of here."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Outside, I want to go for a sleigh ride," he replied.
Camilla suddenly stood behind him, "It's nearly noon? I have to go." Then she was up and gone before anyone could respond and without so much as a "See you later". Of course, Camilla often came and went as she pleased and did not often speak to us so we were hardly slighted.
But then Connor stood too and said, "Oh, I have something to show you, Dad. Can you come over to the library after you talk to Professor Snape?"
This reminded Uncle Lupin of his promise and he stood too. Aunt Luna got up as well and said to my brother and sister, "Come on you two, maybe if we leave your sister alone she'll join us faster for a ride in the sleigh. I never really went on sleigh rides while I was here…."
And one by one they up and left so that I was alone with Rigel and the porridge. As Aunt Luna vanished through the doorway I heard him mumbling, "I never said anything about them going along…."
I gave him a sympathetic half-smile and took up my spoon.
*****
Uncle Lupin and Professor Snape really did have a history. By the time he, Aunt Luna, Milo and Mackenzie had to leave that afternoon he had indeed convinced Professor Snape to let me out of detention. I doubt that the OGB had agreed willingly, but then I couldn't really tell given that he'd gone back to ignoring me again. I couldn't be happier.
Shortly after they'd left me with Rigel that morning though, Madam Pomfrey arrived to check up on my condition and quickly determined that I was well enough to leave. I barely wanted to wait until I'd finished my porridge or listen to her warning that if I experienced any pains that I should return to the Infirmary straight away. I'd been stuck in there the entire night and I'd had enough. Not to mention, though I didn't to anyone, that I desperately wanted to find the two girls who'd attacked me and interrogate them myself. With Rigel at my side I was guaranteed to get answers, Obliviating Hexes be damned.
But Rigel made me wait until every last drop was gone, then as Madam Pomfrey listed all the reasons why I should immediately come see her once she'd released me and then as he checked the halls for suspicious characters before I was allowed to leave. All he found were the few remaining curious students hoping to catch a glimpse of the ugly bruise across my forehead it was rumoured I'd received. They were to be sorely disappointed though. As I dressed to leave, after taking care to secure my parents' letter in my cloak pocket, I'd checked all round my head and found nothing but a small cut that I made sure to cover with my thick hair.
Once out I hurried up the stairs to my dormitory-again waiting while Rigel seriously checked the halls and stairs ahead-where my sole remaining roommate, Kimberly Blount, was lying on my bed reading one of my Fifi LaFolle novels. I didn't have time to argue with her about going into my trunk without permission-she never listened anyway, and using magic on her just made her even more curious-or to respond to her question, "Hey… you-you're all right, aren't you…?" I just flashed a glare at her, found my towel and fresh clothes and went off to the bathroom. Clean and dressed after, I took up my cloak, scarf, hat and gloves and left again to find Rigel now joined by Aunt Luna and my siblings in the hall outside the Gryffindor Common Room.
Well, I could forget talking to the girls as long as they were around. And Aunt Luna confirmed that I wouldn't have the chance when she greeted me, "You didn't tell me that Fawkes was here? I haven't seen that phoenix in so long, do you mind taking us up to see it?"
I looked at Rigel, he shrugged and I replied, "Um… I don't know where it is…."
"Oh that's okay, a tour of the school would be nice too," she said and taking Mackenzie's hand began to lead the way down the hall to the stairs. "I haven't seen the school since I left it either, I wonder how much it's changed?"
As I fell in step with Rigel, while Milo and Mackenzie occasionally slipped glances back at us to make sure we were still behind them and, I supposed, no one was attacking me, I asked, "Do you know where those two girls are, the ones who attacked me yesterday?"
He gave me a wary look and said slowly, "No, they went home."
I groaned, "Really?"
"Yes, their parents came for them late last night, worried about backlash I suppose," he said. "Wait, why did you want to know that?"
We had gotten to the stairs where three Ravenclaw First Year boys were coming up, all trying to read the same comic book. Milo glanced at the cover and asked, "Is that the latest issue of Úlfhéðnar?"
The boys stopped at once, staring at Milo surprised, but then shook their heads, "No, it doesn't come out until Wednesday."
I took the opportunity to reply, "No reason."
Rigel mimicked Milo's earlier "Oh please" look and said, "They wouldn't have let you near them anyway, what if the Imperius wasn't broken and tried to get you again."
"I've got a wand," I replied.
He said nothing to this, but instead, "Hey, let's catch up with your aunt before she gets suspicious. She might be a bit dotty but she's no fool."
We spent the rest of the day on this tour too, while I was unashamedly stared at by every person we passed, be it ghost, student, teacher or animal. Peeves the Poltergeist, who somehow had managed not to get knocked out of the school during the after-war clean up, taunted me for halls. This was halted by Argus Filch, our beloved Squib janitor, who also took a gander at my forehead while chasing him away with his cat, Mrs Norris, at his heels. A number of ghosts criss-crossed our path more than once to snatch a peek, and then, while floating away disappointed, said aloud, "I thought they said she had a scar?" I finally got fed up of it and declared, "Let's go for that sleigh ride, I can't take this anymore!"
That was no better. Once outside those already there sometimes stopped mid-game to watch me as we passed to where Hagrid was, helping set up the sleighs. When they noticed Milo and Mackenzie though they started staring at them too and Mackenzie left Aunt Luna to come to me and held my hand tightly. Milo then allowed Aunt Luna to take his and kept his head down as we walked down to the sleighs and all the while Rigel said loudly, "What are you all looking away for? You're Potters, let them stare, they'll never be like you and are awed by your celebrity, embrace it." Or at least he did until I put Mackenzie on the other side of me to kick him.
Hagrid once again proved why he apparently wasn't my appointed school guardian when we at last got to him for he greeted me with teary eyes and said, "Oh Lillie, I was so worried abou' you. They said someone tried ter drown you in the bathroom. Your father must be so upset abou' tha', we'd promised him we'd keep you safe!"
He then lifted me up and nearly crushed me in his arms-making sure that now everyone had a good reason to be staring my way-before finally, thankfully, setting me down in the first available carriage with the front of my cloak and some of my hair soaked by his tears. Rigel thankfully cleaned it up as he got in beside me and said, "Good day Hagrid, once around the grounds please."
Hagrid stiffened and said sternly, "You're a very rude boy, Mr Weasley."
Aunt Luna, who was climbing in with Milo and Mackenzie after, rushed to his aid. "Don't mind him Hagrid; he's just trying to be funny, to cheer up Nollie. He's just a silly boy."
"But he can be rude," said Hagrid, and then signalled for the Thestrals to begin the ride.
The snowfall had stopped now and as expected had left everything it touched under a blanket of white. I could barely find the evergreen, brown and black that was usually left of trees, rocks and mountains. Professor Dumbledore's tomb was completely lost, and where it should have been some mischievous students had built a family of snowmen. The lake, the sturdiest frozen areas at least, was now an ice rink for wannabe figure skaters and a twisted game of magical hockey. Safely and warmly tucked in the carriage with Rigel, Aunt Luna and my siblings, watching all of it go by I forced myself to forget about yesterday's horror. It was winter, it was Christmastime, it was too lovely to look at and feel glum. And that made me think about being home where it would have been even better, which made me wonder what my parents were up to and it started all over again. I needed a distraction, I turned to Rigel and asked, "How do you think your grandmother reacted when she found out you weren't coming home to her this winter?"
He stopped, thinking about it for a minute and then replied, "I'm not sure… I didn't tell her."
Even Aunt Luna looked at him. I asked, "You didn't tell her yet? But Connor said you told everyone that she would understand…?"
"When she didn't see me she would figure it out," he replied nonchalantly, though he'd twitched slightly at the mention of Connor.
I stared at him disbelieving until I realised that he wasn't lying and said, "You prat, you better write to her as soon as this ride is over."
"I will, I was planning to anyway," he replied.
When the ride ended though, it was time for the others to leave. Uncle Lupin was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs and said, "It's all taken care of, no detention, but I advise you to stay out of his way for a while."
"But of course," I replied.
He smiled at me, then turned to Aunt Luna and said, "Are you ready to go? I'm sure it's getting very late in Nice and it's almost time that these two should be in bed."
Milo protested this, "I'm not a baby, I don't have a bedtime."
Uncle Lupin pretended not to hear him, "Tell your sister goodbye and wish her a Merry Christmas, it's time to go anyway."
They did not refrain from bone-crushing hugs to rival Hagrid's wrench-like grip, any of them, and Mackenzie even kissed my cheek, before giving me sad parting smiles and waves and turning to leave. Rigel and I followed them as far as we could-or I was allowed to anyway-which was the courtyard where a carriage was waiting to take them to Hogsmeade. But then, just as they were about to get into it, Aunt Luna came back out with a large, flat box wrapped in plain brown paper, and said, "I almost forgot, your father sent this." She leaned closer to whisper in my ear, "And don't forget the magic words. `I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' opens the map, `mischief managed' wipes it clean. Don't tell anyone." Then with a kiss and another hug she went back to the carriage, climbed in beside Mackenzie who had the saddest look I'd ever seen on her face, and they went away.
I walked up to the edge of the courtyard and called, "Merry Christmas!"
Just before they vanished from view they called back, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and I grinned. As soon as they were out of sight, Rigel reached for the box. "Alright, what's this?"
I snatched it away from him, "Not to be opened until Christmas. Can we go back in now, I'm hungry and you have a letter to write."
*****
It didn't take long for me to ditch Rigel and once I was in my room, Kimberly. Alone then and with trembling hands I went to the box not quite believing while desperately wishing that it was what I'd surely gotten. I ripped away the paper and opened the box. It was true: my father had sent me my grandfather's Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map.
Neatly folded the map lay above the silvery cloak in the box with a note on the top. Another letter from my parents, I wondered why.
Dear Lillie,
I promised you a long time ago that I would never lie to you. I'd been for much of my life and I swore that I would never do the same to any of my children, and especially you. You're the eldest, the one who's undoubtedly going to bear the brunt of a lot because of me and the things I've done, had to do. I'm certainly not going to start now, but try to understand when I tell you that though I'm sure that what your mother and I are involved in has something to do with what happened to you yesterday, I can't tell you what that something is.
I can tell you that it has nothing and then something to do with our past. Be assured that Voldemort is dead, I saw it happen, I made sure of it, but you're a smart girl, you know that most of his supporters and ideas are not. You're safest at school now, and since I have friends in certain places, I can tell you without fear that your brother and sister are under special guard with your grandparents and are too. Even so you know what to do. Do not leave the school grounds without telling anyone where you're going or without friends. Do not leave unless you're sure of where you're going and that you can find your way out when you get there. If you have no choice then, do not go anywhere without your wand or the cloak. Tell absolutely no one that you have the cloak or the map, even and especially Rigel. I know he's not involved with Dark Wizards but his grandmother was married to one and can get more out of him than he'll ever know.
Take care of yourself; we're going to get back to you as soon as we can.
Love, Dad
P.S. In the event that you see strange things appearing on the map know one thing, though in the wrong hands it can be a dangerous weapon, the map never lies.
What?
I put aside the letter and immediately opened the "map". It was nothing but a blank parchment, but I knew better than that. Drawing my wand, I tapped it gently and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
At once an elaborate set of scribbles appeared that read, "Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs present The Marauder's Map" and then it came alive as the scribbles became lines and halls and rooms and stairs. The more I unfolded it the more of Hogwarts Castle and its grounds emerged and with it dots and with the dots the names of the people they represented.
I quickly found the OGB in the Headmistress' Office with, finally, Fawkes, where the phoenix had apparently gone after all. Too bad I hadn't thought of it earlier, but then I hadn't exactly wanted to meet him. He hadn't been very helpful yesterday, "portent of danger" my foot.
Kimberly was in the library, in all likelihood sleeping, or reading my book for I just knew it wasn't in my trunk. Obviously I was not going to risk putting my grandfather's cloak and the map in there with her around, she was harmless but often unintentionally harmful.
Hagrid, and his aged hound Fang, were in his hut, which appeared on the lower left hand corner of the map just as I got down to the ground floor and the Great Hall. Most of the students were milling about there, as well as Peeves, still being chased by Filch and Mrs Norris. And as they were in the greatest concentration on this floor I stared on in amazement at my schoolmates innocently going about their lives, not knowing that I could, and did, see everything they were up to.
I found many couples in halls, near broom closets, in lonely corners, and various towers, nooks and crannies. I saw some of the known teachers' pets, and detention veterans, on their usual rounds close on the heels of their regular patrons. I watched, with the dirty guilt of a voyeur and not too little curiosity at how my grandfather and his friends had managed it, as they played and talked and studied or just wandered aimlessly about the castle. Looking down on them in fact I felt so close to them, but in the manner of someone with the power to affect their lives with just the wave of a wand, that I was repulsed and forced to sit up and away from the map. It was a useful little thing, I knew it was, it had helped my father on numerous occasions, and there were limits and dangers, for it could not tell me if someone was about to attack me, and someone else could clearly use it to find me, but it was a horrible little invention as well.
For a time I just sat there looking at it, and then I sighed and laughed at myself a little. I was being so silly, overanalysing everything like my mother. I wasn't going to use it to do anything bad to anyone and I certainly wasn't going to let it get into the hands of someone who could. It was just a map… that could, on occasions, tell me useful things that I needed to know.
I leaned forward again and looked for Rigel. Best make sure he was going to write to his grandmother, and there he was on his way down to the Slytherin dungeons. Judging from the length of time that had elapsed since we parted ways he should have been there long ago. Of course, knowing him, he'd probably been distracted by one of his many fans or was dragging his feet. He might have loved his grandmother, she'd spoiled him since the day the court ordered Aunt Ginny to let her see him, but he wasn't the best grandchild in the world.
I shook my head and decided to look for Connor. He hadn't been there when his father left with Aunt Luna and I was beginning to wonder why. I knew and understood that I wasn't going to see him everyday, Hogwarts is a large castle after all, but because of Uncle Lupin's condition Connor very rarely saw his father. If I was in his situation I would have wanted to be around my father every chance that I got. I still do even though I see my father almost every day at home.
At first I couldn't find him though, and unfolding section after section turned up nothing. He wasn't in the library, he wasn't in the Common Room and boys' dormitory (which is another reason why this map is trouble, my goodness!) and he wasn't in the Owlery, any of the teachers' offices or the Great Hall. I turned my attention out of the castle then and immediately located him on the old bridge that ran along the grounds near the lake, talking to someone named `Nike Slytherin'.
I sat up at once with the question on my lips, "Who is Nike Slytherin?" I knew the map did not lie but it was created by pranksters so surely it could play jokes. Or maybe I was looking at it wrong, but why would the map identify the shoes they wore and not the person he was talking to? And why not name the Slytherin?
No matter how I turned the map about though, or prodded it with my wand, it did not change. Connor Lupin's dot was next to Nike Slytherin's dot and they were on the old bridge overlooking the lake apparently speaking to each other.
Well then there was only one way to solve the mystery. I at once gathered up the map, cloak and letter, then took up my hat, cloak, scarf and gloves again, hopped off my bed and hurried out of the room. There went my "not using it to spy on other people for personal reasons" claim, but given that he was speaking to a stranger a day after I had been violently attacked in a bathroom I had every right to find out who this person was.
I managed to get dressed and hide everything away by the time I was downstairs in the Great Hall. If I had unintentionally drawn attention to myself before though, I succeeded in doing so again quite well on my own this time as I stumbled along down the stairs, giving embarrassed yelps when I bumped into people I had just been spying on and nearly falling because I was too distracted putting on something. When I finally stood at the front doors I was dishevelled but otherwise dressed and attracting stares from almost everyone. And then the door opened before my hand and Connor stepped in alone and walked right into me.
I would have fallen over had he not grasped my shoulders and held me upright while the cold blast of air he'd brought in with him swirled about us in the doorway. I yelped again, then grabbed his shoulders to steady myself before finally stepping away with an embarrassed, "Sorry, oh sorry… I wasn't looking where I was going…."
He smiled sympathetically, "I can see that. Where were you going in such a hurry? Didn't you and Malfoy just go in, or did you forget something outside?"
Thinking quickly, knowing I had to lie, I said the first thing that came to my head, "I did, actually."
I should have known then, that he would have responded, "Oh, let me walk with you, two extra eyes wouldn't hurt in that snow."
I was going to say "No", it was on the tip of my tongue, but instead I said, "Sure."
He turned back to the door then and opened it for me to go out, and I did just as Camilla was coming up the steps and going in. She passed me with a "Hi Lillie", I responded "Hi Camilla" and she went on past Connor without a word. But though she did not speak to him I was sure she gave him a funny look, it was so quick that I wouldn't have noticed it if I'd blinked, but it was there. Connor then met me on the top of the steps and asked, "So what are we looking for?"
I was stumped, what was I going to tell him? I knew that I had only been going out to see who `Nike Slytherin' was, but I very well couldn't tell him that. Well, when in doubt fall back on that unfailing problem of girls, or rather, earring-wearers of the world.
"I er, lost an earring," I replied and tried-successfully given the circumstances-to look embarrassed.
He grinned, "That shouldn't be too much trouble."
"In all this snow, does the saying `needle in a haystack' mean anything to you?" I asked, grinning in spite of myself.
He drew his wand and said clearly, "Accio Magnolia's earring!"
Uh-oh.
I couldn't look at him; I didn't dare see his face when nothing happened and for quite a few minutes nothing did. Then, to my absolute surprise, out of a snow bank near Hagrid's hut in the light of the pale yellow sunset it came, a tiny gold and pearl earring that landed neatly in his outstretched black-gloved palm. I turned to him open-mouthed and he took my hand, turned it over and dropped it in my palm.
"There. Hey, don't look so surprised it's just an ordinary Summoning Charm; you'll be learning that in Fourth Year like everyone else," he replied and then blushed-though it could have been the cold-bright red. I struggled to regain my composure, closed my mouth and shoved my hand in my pocket. And the lie came easily this time, though technically it was also the truth.
"It's not that, it's just… thanks, I'd forgotten all about it," I said.
He blushed even more, then took a moment to compose himself too and said, "Don't mention it; you'll give me a swelled head like Rigel." I snorted and he laughed and said, "Well now, since we've found your earring let's go in, I'm freezing…. That is, unless you're still going out."
I gave an internal sigh of relief at having dodged the bullet and replied, "Oh no, this is it for me, it's very cold out and getting dark, I can't be out here in the dark."
"Oh right," he said, and then opening the door again, let me go in before him.
I was right, this map was trouble. Which was a pity, because I would soon very much need all the help I could get.
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