Chapter Twenty

UnExpected

by Amerie



First year . . .



Ron was in a bad mood. Pushing down the crowded corridors to reach the outside, he was still bitter over Hermione upstaging him during Charms class.

“It’s no wonder she hasn’t got any friends. She’s a nightmare honestly,” he complained to Harry.

Someone pushed between them as they rushed past. A bundle of books cradled to their chest and tears in their eyes.

“I think she heard you,” said Harry, as they watched Hermione hurry away.

Those insufferable, ungrateful twits. She was only trying to help them. It’s not her fault that they didn’t know what they were doing. That they didn’t bother studying or listening to the teacher. They didn’t have to be so cruel.

Hermione was completely deep into her internal rumbling that she wasn’t aware of where she was going. Unfortunately causing her to bump right into someone she always tried to avoid.

“Granger, you okay?”

Hermione immediately stopped and turned to her right. Her teary eyes narrowing.

“Like you care?” she bit out.

Buffy stood there with a masked look of concern on her face. Her Slytherin crew behind her. She had overhead what Weasley had told her, and couldn’t very well pass up the opportunity now could she. “Is it what Potter and Weasley said?”

Hermione didn’t answer, as she kept her sight to the ground and wiped at her eyes.

“Now Granger, you shouldn’t be upset because of that. After all they were only telling you the truth. It’s not their fault you’re a know-it-all loser, who no one likes to be around. Maybe you should take it to heart and realize that maybe being a complete pain in ass isn’t the best way to cure your leprosy,” Buffy smiled.

The tears gathered more fiercely in her eyes and Hermione stormed away. Pansy shrieking in laughter. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle chuckling heartedly. And Buffy only watching her go, already bored with the situation.

Harry and Ron walked past them, both of them shooting hateful glares in Buffy’s direction.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. You were the ones who told her she didn’t have any friends remember,” she taunted them. Smiling, when she saw their guilty expressions. “And she actually considered you two to be her best mates. Helped you out because she actually cared, and this is how you repay her. So much for all that Gryffindor loyalty.”

“Good job Potter,” Draco smirked. “I guess, unlike you, Granger couldn’t tell the wrong sort for herself.”

Buffy and Draco, along with their Slytherin crew, confidently walked off. The arrogant smirks still firmly placed on their lips.



*****



There wasn’t a single sound in the room. She was alone. Buffy lay motionless on her bed trying to find the strength to move and deal with the rest of the day, but finding it difficult with each passing minute. Pulling up any courage she had, she finally rose up and moved the bed curtains out of the way.

“Hermione,” she pulled back in surprise. Guess her senses weren’t as sharp as she thought.

“I actually gave you a chance,” she said. Her arms crossed protectively over her chest and her eyes hard. “When you came back, I noticed you were different. You weren’t mean. You just kept to yourself. And then I noticed you were helping Neville with his studies, and I believed you had actually changed.”

“I have changed. I’m not the same person I was back then.”

“That’s a laugh,” she snorted. “You haven’t changed at all. This was all some game to you wasn’t it? Luring us into a false sense of security before you stabbed us in the back.”

“Stabbed who in the back? It’s not like everyone welcomed me with open arms. All of you are so willing to see me as the same old Buffy that you won’t even give me the chance to prove that I’m not the same person I was!”

“I did give you a chance!”

“When? When you ignored me? When you dissed me behind my back? When you gave me the stink eye every time I passed by?”

“When I gave you the assignments you missed, when you ran out of Divinations so upset that you couldn’t leave your room for the rest of day!” she snapped.

Physically pulling back, Buffy paused. “That-that was you?”

“Yes, that was me. I heard you leaving that night. I figured you were too upset to sleep, so I didn’t say anything. But I copied down the assignments and left them on your bed, because I actually felt sympathy for you.”

“Hermione, I--”

“People told me you were on the verge of tears that day, and that’s when I started to think that maybe you weren’t the same person anymore. Because the old Buffy Summers wouldn’t show weakness no matter what, but it was all a lie. Another part of your twisted little game.”

“No, that’s not--”

“I can’t stop you from being friends with Neville. It’s his choice if he wants to associate with someone like you. But stay away from Harry. I see the way you look at him. The way he looks at you. I don’t know what kind of history you two have and I don’t care, but I will not let you hurt him. He’s one of my best friends and he’s already been put through too much. So I’m only going to say this one more time. Stay. Away. From Harry.”

Buffy opened her mouth but she was already gone. That was the first time she had ever found Hermione to be scary. Creepy, Norman Bates scary.

Dropping her head into her hands Buffy swallowed her heavy emotions one more day, which was becoming harder and harder to do. Listening to the rain pouring outside her window, realizing it fitted her mood perfectly. Sucking it up once again, she moved off her bed. Stripping out of her clothes, she changed into her uniform, ready to brave the hateful waters ahead.



*****



“Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry. There’s no other explanation,” Hermione said. The three of them currently sitting in an overcrowded classroom during break due to the heavy rain outside.

“You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?” he asked, indignantly.

“I’m certain of it. How else would she have known about Siri– Snuffles?”

“I--”

“Er . . . Harry?”

He couldn’t help it. It was like that uncontrollable anger he felt often. At the sight of him there was an undeniable stinging in his chest.

“Hi Neville,” he replied.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione for a second. Communicating a nonverbal excuse, before following Neville to a spot feet away.

“I just wanted to talk about yesterday. About what happened in the common room,” he said.

“Look, Neville, I know you’re sorry--”

“I’m not sorry,” he interrupted, taking Harry by surprise. “I meant what I said. Every word. I-I just wanted to know if I’m still welcomed in the meetings. I hope that after yesterday, you haven’t changed your mind about letting me join.”

“Oh.” Harry did not see that coming. So much so that it left him tailspinning for a moment. “Uh, yeah. O-of course you’re still welcomed.”

“Really? Thanks Harry,” he smiled. “I-I was worried there for a second, but if you say its all right. Well, that’s just . . . that’s just great. I’ll see you later then.”

Harry stood there for a moment, watching as he exited the room. Noticing that there was something . . . different about Neville.

“What was that all about?” Ron asked him, after he unknowingly walked back to them and resumed his seat.

“Huh? Oh, it was nothing. ‘S not important.”

Ron and Hermione shared a look but let it go. They were getting used to Harry’s ‘nothing’‘s by now.

“So . . . can you actually believe we got Quidditch back?” Ron asked, grasping for a new subject. Which seemed to have worked, because Harry’s face lit up as he delved into the new topic with renewed passion.



*****



Classes for the day were finally over. The rain however, still poured down outside the dry castle. Buffy listening to thick drops hitting the windows in the library as she sat in her usual little corner. Books strewed over the table. Doing her homework and studying for OWL’s.

The day wasn’t as horrible as she originally thought it would be. Sure there were the glares and snubs, but that was cake by now. Then the little thing during charms where she had gotten the ‘Silencio!’ on her bird to work on her third try. Earning praise from Flitwick, and groans and even more scowls from everyone else. But all in all, it wasn’t too bad.

“Hi, Buffy.”

The quill stopped scratching mid-word, as Buffy looked up. Surprised at finding Ginny and a girl she couldn’t remember the name of, standing on the other side of the table.

“Hey, Ginny.”

“Do you mind if we join you?” she smiled.

“Uh . . . ” Buffy quickly glanced over the room, as much as she could from her spot, and realized that of what she could see, most of the tables were full. “Yeah. Sure.”

Putting down her quill, Buffy stacked her books and gathered her stray parchments. Setting them neatly aside.

“This is Luna Lovegood,” Ginny introduced, as both girls sat down. “Luna this is Buffy Summers.”

“Hi,” Buffy smiled in good manner.

“You’re the one everyone’s talking about,” Luna’s airy voice said.

Buffy turned to Ginny in questioning, but the redhead only smiled as though this was very normal behavior for the blonde.

“Er . . . okay,” Buffy responded.

“They think you were the one who told Professor Umbridge about the you know what. But I don’t think that’s true.”

“Why’s that?” Buffy asked curiously.

“Because Ginny told me you didn’t, and I believe her.”

Switching her hazel green eyes over to the redhead, Buffy looked a little more than surprised. “Really?” she asked her, and the girl nodded. “Why?”

Ginny waited for realization to dawn on Buffy, but the blonde really had no idea. As a matter of fact, Ginny had waited since the beginning of the school year for Buffy to say something to her. To give any kind of notice of what had happened, but it never came. And Ginny began to wonder if she really didn’t remember. Which felt a little disappointing, because she never forgot. It’s not exactly the kind of thing a person could forget so easily after all.

“Don’t have a reason not to believe you,” she shrugged off.

There was something she was holding back. Buffy could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. But Ginny had held those qualities ever since Buffy had returned. There was something she was supposed to remember. That was the look Ginny was giving her. It was the same one her mother gave her whenever she forgot to take out the trash. But she doubted that was the reason behind this one.

“So . . . what are you guys doing here?” Buffy asked, turning the conversation another way as she tried to wrack her memory.

“Well I came in here to do some research on my Potion’s essay and I bumped into Luna. Saw you here, and decided to say hi,” Ginny smiled.

“Clean. Clear cut. Totally believable,” Buffy nodded. Making Ginny grin even wider in amusement.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m trying to see how much information I can store before my head pops in a comical fashion.”

“OWL’s?”

“Oh yeah.”

Reaching over, Ginny pulled a book from one of her two piles. “Vampires? Wasn’t this covered during first year?”

“Yeah, it was, but seeing as we’re gonna be tested on just about everything, I decided to brush up on--”

“Vampires are very interesting creatures,” Luna interrupted gently. “Not like a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, mind you, but they are interesting. We have a vampire in our family.”

“You do?” Ginny asked.

“Yes, but my dad doesn’t really know all that much about her. She was from my mum’s side of the family.”

“So it’s a her?” Buffy questioned, her interest here a little more personal than curious.

“Her name was Drusilla I believe.”

“Dru-Drusilla?” Buffy choked out.

“You’ve heard of her?” Luna asked. Noting the shocked look on her face. One that was gaining questioning attention from Ginny.

“Yeah,” she replied quickly and high-pitched, but cleared her throat to control her voice. “Yeah, she was in one of the books I was reading. She was quite famous.”

“I’ve never heard of her,” Ginny said unbelieving. Wondering what had caused Buffy’s strange reaction.

“Depends on where you look.”

Luckily for her, Buffy did actually come across a reference to Drusilla. Something she bypassed because a mention of Drusilla would lead to a mention of Angel, and that really wasn’t looking good for her comfort level.

Pulling out a book from her pile she scanned through the weathered pages.

“Here,” she said. Handing the opened tome over to the two girls.

“Drusilla, sired in 1860. She was known as a seer even before she became a vampire. It says here she was tortured into insanity by . . . Angelus. A master vampire who eventually turned her. He murdered her family and friends, and devised all forms of mental torment on her,” Ginny abridged. “Sounds horrible. And you say you’re related to her?”

“Yes, but we don’t talk about it much. Dad says it was a very dark time in my mum’s family, and those who survived never liked to talk about it again,” Luna answered offhandedly.

As Buffy listened to her explanation, she began to notice some similarities between Luna and Drusilla. The same light airy voice, and childlike quality. The large eyes with their permanent dreamy look. But where Luna was light with her dirty blonde hair and grey protuberant eyes, Drusilla was dark with the eyes and hair to match. Either way it was starting to be creepy.

“This Angelus sounds like a real prince. I would hate to cross him in a dark alley,” Ginny shuddered.

“He’s a regular Sweeney Todd,” Buffy mumbled. Doing her best to keep the memory of those four months where Angelus had been free, out of her mind.

“Who’s that?”

“It’s a muggle reference,” she replied.

Ginny’s eyebrows scrunched together at that. What did Buffy know about muggles? From what she remembered, Buffy had never shown any interest. As a matter of a fact, she used to steer clear of anything related to muggles.

“You’re studying Magical Creatures. I can help you with that if you like,” Luna volunteered. Noticing the open book next to Buffy. “I can even tell you about some of the creatures not listed in the books as well. Like Nargles, and Heliopaths.”

With a confused look, Buffy turned to Ginny who again had that knowing smile on her face. It seems that Luna Lovegood was a lot stranger than she thought, and Buffy found it absolutely charming. Who was she to judge the strange? Look at her life.

The three of them stayed in the library until Madam Pince announced she was closing the doors, sadly. Buffy actually had a good time, a relaxing time. Ginny was a riot and Luna was fascinating and sweet. And she was disappointed when it came to an end.

“I had fun. Maybe we can hang out again some time?” Ginny asked.

Luna had gone her own way to the Ravenclaw tower some time ago, leaving the other two girls alone to head to their own tower of residence for the night.

As Ginny had gotten to know Buffy just a little bit better, she realized how much she actually liked her. She had a sharp mind that was always ready with a quick come back. She was funny and a very warm person. A surprise to Ginny to say the least, but a good one nonetheless.

“You sure about that? I don’t think your brothers, or anyone else for that matter, will be to keen on the idea.”

“So what? It’s not like I need their permission,” she confidently said.

“Look at you, Norma Rae,” she grinned.

“Who’s Norma Rae?”

“Never mind,” Buffy shook her head. “Guess I’ll have to limit my pop culture references, huh?”

“Well . . . you don’t have to, unless of course you don’t want me to understand what you’re talking about.”

“So that’s a maybe.”

With a wide grin on each of their faces, Buffy and Ginny walked into the Gryffindor common room and up to their dormitories. Ignoring every staring and curious face along the way.



*****



He was walking down the windowless corridor again. His footsteps the only sound in the heavy silence. The large door stood heavy at the end. It’s mysterious secrets making his blood pump with excitement. He was getting closer. He stretched out his hand, ready to push through . . .

“Harry Potter, sir!”

And that’s when he woke up.

Harry jumped from the sudden awakened state of his mind. His bleary eyes looking around the soft lighted common room.

“Who’s there?” he croaked out.

“Dobby has your owl, sir.”

The squeaky voice came from beside the table, and Harry found Dobby standing there with Hedwig resting atop the house-elf’s head.

“Dobby volunteered to return Harry Potter’s owl to him. Professor Grubbly-Plank says she is well now, sir.”

Hedwig flew toward Harry. Landing comfortably on the arm chair, he was currently sitting on. Hooting happily as he stroked her feathers.

“Thanks, Dobby,” he smiled, causing the house-elf to get teary in happiness.

“It was Dobby’s pleasure, Harry Potter,” he said adoringly.

Harry sat back in his chair. A small, thoughtful scowl on his lips.

“Harry Potter does not look happy. Is there something Dobby can do? Dobby wishes he could help Harry Potter, for Harry Potter set Dobby free, and Dobby is much, much happier now.”

“Thanks Dobby but . . . ” Harry paused when he realized that Dobby probably knew everything about this castle. House-elves were allowed to come and go as they please, which gave them privily to its many secrets. “Actually there is something you can do for me.”

“Name it, Harry Potter, sir,” Dobby beamed at the idea of helping.

“I need to find a place where twenty-eight people can practice Defense Against the Dark Arts without being discovered by any of the staff. Especially Professor Umbridge,” he requested, cringing in disgust on the last word.

The house-elf absolutely lit up in excitement. His ears wiggling cheerily as he clapped his hands together. “Dobby knows the perfect place, sir!”



*****



Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I loooove them! Helps me to keep the inspiration wheel turning :)