Harry forced his eyes open, as he heard loud knocks at the door. “Harry?” sounded Ron’s voice. “It’s nine in the morning and if you’re not opening the door-”
“Let him get some sleep, Ron, his thigh didn’t feel good last night,” said Ginny’s muffled voice.
Harry sighed as he looked down at Parvati, brushing her hair off his face. She had rested her head on his chest and for the first time in his life, he saw that she was indeed sleeping well. He kissed her forehead lightly, and stroked her hair. How could he get up now? He really didn’t want to wake her up. “Ron?” he called back. “Just do an Alohomora and come in. I can’t get out at the moment.”
Ron didn’t say anything, but Harry heard his friend cast the charm. The door opened slowly and Ron peeked inside. “Are you all right, mate?” His eyes swivelled over to Parvati, and he seemed to understand. “Slept soundly after quite a while, hasn’t she?”
Harry nodded. “She sleeps only when I do, and she wakes up at the crack of dawn for all the housework. I think she was really tired last night.”
“She cried like hell when Ginny and you had the accident,” replied Ron as he came in, shutting the door behind him. “She really couldn’t do anything when you were hit, but wait for us until we came and took you in. Padma and Hermione had a hard time calming her down.”
At that time, the door opened again, and Ginny looked in. “Good morning!”
“Morning,” replied Harry, smiling at her. She looked at him, then at Parvati and smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” replied Harry. “She’s the one who needs rest, though.”
“We need to go and check out on a few other victims and Daisy, today.”
“Yeah, we’ll go,” said Harry. “Let her just wake up. I don’t want to disturb her sleep.”
“I think I’ll leave with Irene, though,” said Ron. “I’ll go and check out on Rebecca and Chris. Anthony can find out about the other victims along with Romilda. You can go to Daisy’s place with Ginny once you leave.”
“That’ll be fine,” Harry said, as Ron left the room. Ginny was just leaving when Parvati woke up. As she turned around, she saw Harry bend over to Parvati and quickly made an exit, hurt and jealousy filling her.
Walking to the living room, she saw Ron wait for Irene at the door. Hermione came down the staircases and handed Ron a file that he had forgotten. He smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. “Hey,” he said. “Come on, you can’t be pissed with me for calling Rebecca ‘charming’. You know you’re more than just ‘charming’ for me.”
“Yes, Ron, and maybe that’s why you’re eager to spend time with Rebecca.”
“Hermione… you always look at things in the wrong way. Who told you that I wanted to spend my time with Rebecca and not you?”
“Actions speak, Ron. If I ask you to stay and spend some time with me now, will you do that?”
“Come on, Hermione, you know that I-”
“And may I add that Parvati is perfectly happy with the time that Harry gives her, even though Harry and you are practically into the same thing?”
“Hermione, you can’t compare us with Parvati and Harry…”
“Why not, Ron? Look at how much Harry cares for Parvati! Both of us know the circumstances under which they got married!”
“Yeah, but if you’re talking of today, then Parvati is very tired. She was healing Harry yesterday, and she woke up at the middle of the night when he had a problem in his thigh… plus Naina…”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Oh yes, Ron, you healed Ginny’s wounds: a fantastic Healer you make. You made soup at two in the morning and of course, you took care of Jessica and Jake when I brought them home from the crèche, didn’t you? I was lounging all the time! Lazy me!”
“And when Ginny and Harry met with the accident, Parvati-”
“Of course, Parvati was worried and I just forgot that Ginny is like my sister and Harry is my friend of seventeen years, didn’t I?”
Ron was silent this time. Then he remembered something. “Wait a minute you put Jess and Jay in a crèche?”
“How else am I supposed to work in the evenings?”
“But you could have said… I’m ready to take care of them!”
“Okay, come at six in the evening today-”
“That’s not possible.”
“Bingo.”
There was nothing more to be said. Ron looked at Hermione helplessly, as tears began to flood her eyes. Ginny came forward and squeezed the other woman’s shoulder. “Hermione,” moaned Ron. “I-”
Hermione sniffed as she wiped away the tears bitterly. “Just- just do whatever you want, all right? I don’t want to listen to you, anymore.” She ran into her room before Ron could say anything, Ginny following her.
Hermione dropped onto her bed, tears streaming down her eyes, as Ginny rubbed her back. “I think Ron is tired of me,” sobbed Hermione, trying to stem the tears that came. “He is so different nowadays… he’s snapped at me a lot recently and he doesn’t seem to care about Jess, Jay or me. He also seems so distant, sometimes… it’s been around a month now, Ginny, I’ve noticed.”
“Have you tried speaking to him?” asked Ginny.
“He’s just very rude to me if I try to ask. I don’t know what to do…”
Ginny pulled Hermione into a hug. “It’s just a phase, Hermione… maybe it’s all the pressure. We’re always on a case, no matter what, see. Maybe he wants to spend time with you, and is frustrated because he cannot.”
Hermione broke away and took a deep breath. “And… and I’m scared, Ginny.”
“For what?”
“I- I think Ron may be having an affair.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know, Ginny, I just-”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ginny couldn’t help but laugh. “Ron cannot have a fling when you’re there for him! He loves you!”
“Ginny,” said Hermione, fresh tears filling her eyes. “He seems to be bored of living with me, Ginny. And I’m not even pretty…”
“Hey,” Ginny said, “don’t say that, all right? You are pretty and for Ron, there’s no one in this world who’s more gorgeous than you. He isn’t the type to leave you and go after other ladies, Hermione. He’s too naïve, loving and loyal. Plus, he cares for you as much as Harry cares for Parvati. Harry won’t leave Parvati and come after me because he won’t ruin her life. And Ron won’t do that to you either because he loves you like crazy, to even think of leaving you.”
Hermione sniffled. “I don’t know, Ginny, and I hope my suspicions are false.”
***
“Now that our Green Dragons have grown into seedlings, we will be adding manure to nourish them. They’ll be fully grown in a week, and then we can juice the leaves.”
Professor Neville Longbottom returned to tending the other plants in Greenhouse Four, as the seventh-years began to work on their class assignment. The Ravenclaws were with the Gryffindors today, which meant that Daisy, Andrew and Liz were working together.
Daisy, along with her friends, grabbed a sack of dried dragon dung and dragged it to their spot, where a box of chalk waited, ready to be reduced to powder. Green Dragons were strange plants, named so because the juice of their leaves contained properties similar to dragon blood.
Liz placed a pot on the table, as Andrew tore open the sack of dung and put some into the pot using a shovel. Daisy pointed her wand at the chalk. “Reducto.”
The white blocks were instantly reduced to powder, and as Daisy scooped some to throw it into the pot, Liz giggled.
“What?” asked Daisy, craning her neck to look at whatever Liz found to be amusing. What she saw was a very ridiculous sight. For there stood Chris Stevens, mangling the chalk blocks with a large stone in his hand. He wore a murderous expression, his hair almost falling into his eyes. Beside him, Rebecca Palmer had raised an eyebrow incredulously and Belinda Spencer was shaking her head.
“Oh… Merlin… he… is… so… cute,” gasped Liz, between giggles. Daisy looked at her, disgusted.
“Not you too, Liz. Not for that brainless git, at least.”
Liz giggled some more. “I know why you’re saying that… you like him!”
“No!” Daisy felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
“You’re blushing, Daisy,” said Liz, stifling her giggles with great difficulty.
“Of course I’m not!” Daisy lied.
“Aw… have a look at that! You look like a strawberry!”
Daisy looked at Andrew. “Say something!”
Andrew just chuckled. “You are blushing, actually.” He reached up to her cheeks and pulled them gently.
“No! It’s a trick of the light! How can I blush without realising it?”
Liz laughed even more. “You like him, don’t you?”
“No, no, no!”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Okay,” said Daisy, flaring up. “Stevens is definitely going to become an executioner once he’s out of Hogwarts. Is that true enough?” Then frowning, she returned to her work.
Daisy smiled as the happy memory came flooding into her mind. Those days had been so great… so peaceful… devoid of worries. Andrew and Liz had started dating around a month after that particular incident. Daisy remembered the countless times she had helped Andrew sneak out of the Ravenclaw Tower to meet Liz after curfew- Daisy had been the Head Girl, with Chris as the Head Boy.
Liz never really had any feelings for Chris; she just thought that he was cute. But Daisy’s feelings for Chris were something she didn’t want to think about. She couldn’t believe what she had felt for him in those days, but now, the feeling had vanished. Daisy only hated Chris now. She hated him more than anyone else.
Sighing, Daisy sat up on her bed. It was already ten. She could do some of her household chores. Her head felt better, though it still throbbed painfully. At least she wasn’t feeling jittery anymore. She pulled open the drawer on her bedside table and read Andrew’s letter again, sadness and pain weighing her heart. But at the same time, she knew that she’d have to do it. She’d have to take on the responsibility, and strengthen herself to handle it.
“Here’s to one of the best friendships of my life; here’s to some of the best moments of my life and here’s to you, one of my best friends ever.” This was what Andrew had said yesterday, when they had had dinner together. Daisy still remembered his words vividly, as he had toasted her in front of the whole restaurant.
Yes Andrew, I’ll never forget what we’ve shared. I’ll never forget what it was like to have a friend whom I could fall back upon; a friend whom I could trust with my eyes shut.
Daisy had a quick shower and put on her favourite Capri pants and a yellow t-shirt. When she was sad, she always wore bright colours to tune her mind to cheer up. This usually worked. Daisy would find her mood better at the end of the day. As she dried her hair with a towel, Daisy opened her wardrobe and retrieved Ryan’s gift from the first drawer. Keeping the package on her bed, she went over to shut the drawer when she noticed a folder inside it. Smiling as she realised what it was, Daisy kept the folder on her bed and walked out of the room along with the package.
Ryan was in the kitchen. He extracted the marmalade and butter from a shelf and kept them on the table along with a stack of toast. He removed two more plates from a cabinet, as Daisy walked to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
He turned around to see her smile at him. “How are you feeling now?”
“Better,” Daisy replied. “You forgot to take your gift, though.”
Ryan smiled and took the package from her. He then tore open the wrappings to reveal a brand new camera. His face broke into a wide smile. “I’ve always wanted one! Thanks!”
Daisy grinned and gave him a small hug. “I thought you might quite like to capture your best moments and keep them with you forever. I got this at a Wizarding shop, so whatever you snap with it turns into a moving photograph.”
“Thanks, Daisy, thank you so much,” said Ryan once again, as the duo sat at the table. They ate in relative silence, finishing off the toast in a few minutes. They then washed their dishes together and Daisy returned to her room. Ryan remained at the dining table with an essay for school.
As she sat on the bed, Daisy took the folder that she had placed there before breakfast and opened it, smiling at the topmost photo. It was one of the best moments… one of the funniest times of her life. But things had changed and Daisy had changed after that.
“Oh, what an arse I am!” Andrew was on his knees with his hands up in the air, at the centre of the Ravenclaw common room.
“Oh, what an arse I am!” he repeated, bending forward and touching his nose to the ground. Another round of giggles and sniggers erupted from the onlookers who circled him.
“Say ‘cheese’!” giggled Daisy, as she snapped a photograph of Andrew. Andrew looked back at her and showed his pearly whites.
“Oh, what an arse I am!” He then returned to his place beside Daisy and looked around. “Max, truth or dare?” he asked, grinning at a tall, dark boy.
“Um… dare,” said Max, smiling eagerly.
“All right,” replied Andrew, looking around for a suitable thing to say. He cast his eyes at Rebecca, who was studying in a corner and smiled naughtily. “Max, I dare you to go and hug Rebecca.”
The doorbell rang, bringing Daisy out of her reverie. As she heard Ryan attend to it, she rushed down the stairs to check on who it was. She sighed as she saw Harry and Ginny enter. Another interrogation… oh no.
***
“So, how long have you been friends with Andrew?”
“Since my first year,” Daisy said promptly.
“You knew him very well?”
“Yes,” replied Daisy. “We were really good friends.” Best friends, in fact.
“And what about the dinner with him last night? Why did he choose you over Elizabeth?”
“He didn’t choose me over Elizabeth…” Daisy said, looking at Harry. “I never dine alone on Wednesdays… personal reasons…”
There was silence, as Ginny wrote down everything that Daisy had said. She looked up and smiled warmly at Daisy. “Just routine interrogations, don’t worry.”
Daisy sighed. “You’re lying. You suspect me, don’t you?”
The Aurors didn’t reply. Harry shook his head lightly. “We need to know what happened last night. When did you leave Andrew?”
“Just after Liz called,” Daisy said, truthfully.
Harry looked up from his notes again. “What happened when the lights went off?”
“I-I didn’t attack Chris.”
There was silence again. Ginny sighed. “Harry, could- could I just talk to her alone for two minutes?”
Harry nodded. “All right. I’ll wait outside.” He walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. Daisy, in the meantime, took a third dose of her alka-seltzer.
“Oh, how are you feeling today?” asked Ginny, eyeing the medicine.
“Better,” Daisy replied. “My head is still aching, though. And as much as the two of you try to convince me otherwise, I know that you suspect me.”
“Daisy-”
“It’s really easy, isn’t it?” Daisy said, interrupting Ginny. “Just because I had a wand in my hand, it had to be me. And of course, Liz would suspect me, too. You might have told Liz of your suspicions by now, I guess… anyway, she isn’t talking to me anymore. No one is, for that matter. Ryan will be off to Hogwarts in a month-”
“Daisy,” said Ginny again, keeping her hand on the teenager’s shoulder. “I believe you.”
Daisy looked at Ginny for a moment, as her lips stretched into a smile. “Really?”
“I can see the innocence in your eyes, Daisy. I just know that it couldn’t be you. I’m going to help you fight this. I can convince Harry and Ron, but the rest… well, I can’t promise.”
Daisy looked at the other woman for a long time. “Thank you so much, Ginny… thank you so much, I-” Her hand knocked over the folder of pictures as she shifted a bit, and a photo fell out of it. As Ginny bent over to pick it up, she saw a tall, dark boy hugging-
“Rebecca?” Ginny asked, amazed. “What is this photo about? I can’t see Rebecca having a boyfriend…”
Daisy chuckled wistfully, as she turned red. “Oh, those were spectacular moments, and I’m not going to forget that day. We had this game of Truth or Dare in our seventh year and this boy- Max took a dare to hug Rebecca. And, well…”
“No!” exclaimed Max, with a horrified. “She’ll kill me if I hug her!”
“Aw, just do it, Max,” Chris said, from the other side of the room. “If she gets too angry, I’ll handle her.”
Rebecca probably hadn’t heard this, because she was still buried in her books. Max stood up nervously and walked over to her. “Uh, Rebecca?”
She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Yes? I can’t join you guys, sorry. I have to read this book today.”
“Yeah… but… y-you know, I feel like a-a brother for you, and, um… you’re great, sis!” Max bent over and hugged Rebecca swiftly.
“SQUISHY!” Daisy sang from behind, as Rebecca looked around, confused.
“Shut up!” said Max. He looked at Rebecca. “Sorry, it was a dare. But you’re still like a sister to me.”
Rebecca frowned and raised her eyebrow. “I’ll not say anything this time, but I didn’t like that at all. I don’t want you people to include me in your dirty-”
“It wasn’t dirty!” exclaimed Max, as he turned red. “We- we didn’t mean anything bad…”
“But you’re notincluding me in any of this nonsense. Do you understand that?”
Max turned redder, if possible. “I’m very, very sorry…”
Rebecca took a deep breath, calming herself. “I forgive you, Max, but just don’t do it again.”
Max nodded as he walked away, still red on the face. Chris grinned. “Aw, look at that! Isn’t it-”
“Shut your trap, Chris, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“So… um… yeah. Who is your latest crush and for how long have you liked her?”
The grin vanished and Chris’s ears were soon a deep pink. “I- I-” he sputtered hopelessly, looking around for help.
“Well go on, Stevens, I’d like to know who the poor lass is,” said Daisy, smirking.
Chris looked directly at her. “Uh… you. And I’ve liked you since-s-s- since my first year.”
Daisy’s smirk disappeared as soon as it had come, as she began to blush, too. She looked at Andrew, as though scared of what she had just heard and turned her gaze back at Chris. “What did you just say?”
Chris squirmed and looked at the floor as he spoke. “I… I have had a crush on you since our first year… right since that Transfiguration class where you helped me, and I, um…Daisy… I…” unable to continue, he hid his face in his hands.
All the occupants of the room were now staring at Daisy, probably awaiting her reply. Andrew had a hand on her shoulder and even Rebecca had looked up from her book to see what was going on. Suddenly, Daisy couldn’t breathe any longer. She had to get out of the room; she had to go out. Hopelessly, she checked her watch. It was still half-an-hour to curfew, but she couldn’t stand facing anyone in the room either. She stood up abruptly. “Um… I’ve gotta go… Head duties…”
And she could have sworn that this was the fastest she had ever run in her life, as she raced out the door of the common room and down the spiralling steps, hearing Andrew’s footsteps follow her.
“I didn’t sleep for the night… I even had to make sure that I didn’t run into Chris when he began his patrol,” sighed Daisy, wondering why she was sharing this experience with someone whom she had known only for a day. But instinct told her that Ginny was, perhaps, going to be a really good friend.
“Chris was like… he was the most popular guy in school. Girls were absolutely crazy about him. I, on the other hand, never paid him attention. He seemed too ordinary to me, and I thought he was really stupid to try and impress girls like that. But finally and very ironically, it turned out that he was crazy about just one person: me. My friends always teased me with him before he even confessed and I told them very clearly that I had absolutely no feelings for him. But I guess I was lying to everyone including myself, because I discovered my true feelings for him on the night that he confessed.”
Ginny smiled. “You mean you were fond of him, too? So what happened after that?”
“I-” Daisy began, but there was a sharp knock on the door.
“Can I come in now?” asked Harry’s voice, sounding exasperated.
Ginny snorted. “Merlin, I forgot! Oh, come in, Harry!”
Harry opened the door and walked in, looking harassed. “Women,” he muttered, sitting down as Ginny grinned apologetically. “I should have known that you two would have started gossiping if I left you alone- even if it is only a day since you’ve met. Let’s get on with the interrogation, now, I’ve got lots to cover…”
Killer Instincts by Ginny Weasley Potter
Chapter Notes: Hello again, readers! Here's chapter nine!
Once again, though it goes without saying, Pauie is the best Beta in the whole wide world!!!
A huge hug and a load of gratitude towards inspirations and Inverarity on the forums, for all their nitpicks on my excerpts from this chapter :).
Readers, let me know of your opinion:
1.Which is the best chapter in this story?
2. What is the most exciting part in the story?
3. Which couple's story do you enjoy the most? Is it Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione or Daisy/Chris?
4. Who is your favourite OC?
5. Whom do you suspect, now?
Oh, and have you guys checked out the character banners on my bio? Do have a look if you haven't!
This chapter is a dedication to all those who lost their lives to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. I salute the brave officers, namely, ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who lost their lives too. Jai Hind!