As promised, the sixth chapter of Mistake brought to you by yours truly.
Standard disclaimer applies.
Chapter 6- First Impressions
"The Malfoy boys? Yeah I know them, handsome aren't they?"
"The older boy, Draco, takes after his father, doesn't he? Reminds me of Lucius when he was still a child."
"The younger child must come from Narcissa's side, with the dark hair and all. He's definitely a Black."
"But why are they here? I though only those seventeen and above are allowed to compete…"
"I know! But yet…"
James growled as the gossip about the two Malfoy princes continued to escalate around him. Most of the gossipers were female members of the staff who were pondering the question everybody has been curious about. And while he wanted to know why the DeathEater brats were here, he didn't enjoy listening to gossip about them 24/7.
"Lighten up old chap!"
Sirius bounded in the staff room and jumped the poor man. "It doesn't do one good mulling over ikkle little boys. Why I must say, it is simply improper!"
James' face turn beetroot red and he sunk into the fluffy red couch. "Sirius, shut up! You're giving out the wrong impression!"
But Sirius remained jolly and grinning. Ever since the capture of that rat, Pettigrew, Sirius has been bouncing all over the place like a kid during Christmas.
"James, Siri has got a point. You need to stop thinking on why the Malfoy boys are here. It really isn't our business anyway." Remus smiled, entering after his friend.
"I'm a professor of this school; it's my duty to keep the students safe. And those brats come from a renowned DeathEater, what if-?"
"James Bartholomew Potter!"
All three Marauders winced as Lily's furious voice echoed through the room.
"You, you scumbag!" she shrieked, stalking towards his husband and his friends, "I cannot believe the gall that you posses to accuse such sweet innocent boys to be one of those horrid DeathEaters! Those are children you are accusing! Fourteen year old children!"
"Lily-flower, calm down, I wasn't-"
"Don't try sweet talking your way out of this James Potter! You-!"
"Well Jamsie-boy, I have to go, duty calls!"
"Goodbye James, Lily. I still have to finish checking the first years' history reports."
And with that the two brave Gryffindors fled the scene and left their hapless friend at the claws of his vicious and tyrannical wife.
"Padfoot you bastard! Moony, I know that you've finished check-!"
"Come on" Pansy whined, "let's go out, I wanna show you the grounds"
"I'm busy Pansy," Aphri stated, "I'm not here on vacation; father still expects a standard average of O."
"You're already getting O's in everything! It's not like you grade will drop that low if you leave your book for a few hours!"
"Yeah, c'mon Aph," Blaise wheedled, "Dray's coming, it's not like you'll be alone. Besides, Hogwarts' quidditch pitch is enormous. "
"If I joined you for an hour, would you stop bothering me?" the younger Malfoy inquired testily. "I would like to finish my essay soon."
"Yes, yes," the blonde girl agreed quickly, "now come on! I only have one hour to show you Hogwarts."
Aphrazeil sighed but let himself be dragged outside by his friends.
"Have you seen Krum?" Ron Weasley whispered excitedly, "Krum, you know, the quidditch star?"
"Yes Ronald, we have." Hermione replied tiredly, "honestly, I have no idea why those silly little girls like him; I mean he's not even handsome!"
"I agree," Ginny inserted firmly, "I mean those Malfoy boys are so much better looking."
"Yeah, especially the blond, he's got such wonderful hair, it almost looks like it was spun from silk. That and his figure ain't half bad." Gem sighed.
"The blond?" the red-headed female questioned, "I actually prefer the other one really, and he's got the dark and brooding thing going on. Oh, and those eyes of his…"
"Malfoy!?" Ron spat incredulously.
"Honestly Ron, get over it!" Hermione reprimanded, "It's not like they've done anything to offend you."
"Their very existence offends me."
"Ronald!"
Hermione, who was too busy scolding the older Weasley didn't see the figure before her and thus colliding ungracefully with the other's frame.
"Hermione!"
"Aphri!"
the bushy-haired girl felt two pairs of arms help her up, vaguely hearing Ron's furious bellowing in the background drowned out by her other friends' worried exclamations. She opened her eyes and saw two Slytherins, the same year as her and Ron, help their fallen companion up.
"This is all your stupid friend's fault," she heard her red-headed friend shout. "If he wasn't just standing there staring stupidly at nothing then Hermione wouldn't have fallen!"
"Are you blind or just daft!?" a platinum blond boy retorted. "My brother did nothing but observe the grounds from a distance, clearly it is your companion at fault for she was the one not looking to where she was heading."
"It wasn't Hermione's fault," Ron protested, "the guy was just standing there blocking the way."
The blond's brother, who had kept his silence until now, spoke up, "What way?" he questioned sarcastically, "If you haven't noticed yet, we are on the grounds, there is no 'way'!"
The older Weasley flushed red, the color clashing horribly with his hair, and opened his mouth to speak when his friend interrupted him.
"It is nobody's fault," Hermione declared, her eyes daring her male friend to object, "There is no reason to start a fight over something like this."
"I disagree," Blaise Zabini interjected, "Draco's right, you clearly weren't paying much attention to your surroundings and thus injuring our friend. You are at fault in this case, no matter how unintentional it may be. Now we demand an apology on his behalf."
Hermione frowned, not really wanting to apologize to a stranger in front of so many Slytherins, she considered just walking away, but in the end her sense of justice won. It was true after all, what Zabini said. She really was too occupied scolding Ron that to look for where she was heading and thus triggering the entire accident. "Fine, I apologize for bumping into you."
The dark haired boy inclined his head, "Apology accepted, no matter how insincere."
The blonde frowned at his brother's easy acceptance and was about to comment when a look his sibling shot him caused him to stop.
"Fine," he grumbled, "Let's go then, Aph and I still have to finish that essay on the properties of unicorn blood used in potions qualified as dark anyway."
Pansy pouted but agreed to take them back.
Severus Snape looked up from the Pepper-Up potion he was brewing at the knock on his door. He considered on ignoring it, Lupin could hurt as much as he could later tonight for all he cared, but all hopes of that were dashed away as his older godson's voice floated through the portrait.
"We know you're in there Uncle Sev, let us in!"
Snape sighed irritated, but let his personal portrait swing open. "What do you brats want?" he scowled.
"Nothing really," Draco said, grinning cheekily, "just wanted to visit our favorite Potions Master."
"Now that you've seen me, scram."
Aphrazeil smiled at Severus' predictable behavior and followed his brother in. "Nice to see you too, Uncle Sev." he greeted pleasantly.
Severus frowned at them but refrained from saying anything as he turned back to his work.
"Pepper-Up?" the older Malfoy questioned, "Why in Merlin's name are you brewing something as simple as that? Can't you get some of your students to do it for you? It's a third year potion after all."
"Unfortunately," Severus answered, adding crushed doxy wings to the concoction, "None of the incompetent students in Hogwarts, aside from Granger are able to brew something on this level without creating a small explosion."
"Then can't you get this Granger to do it?" Aphri inquired.
"I can barely stand that insufferable know-it–all in class; I do not wish to torture myself even further by forcing myself to spend more time than necessary in her presence."
"Well, in that case," Draco stood up from his position on a wooden chair, "Aph and I will help you."
His younger brother nodded and neared the used chopping board their uncle was using, "Draco's right, you shouldn't be wasting your time and talents making third year potions like this, instead will do it for you." he smiled then began chopping the frog liver into small even strip, meticulously them one by one in the cauldron.
"And in exchange," the older continued, "you will let us show-off during your classes when we have free period."
"And teach us more of the complicated potion," Aphri inserted, "Like Wolfsbane and Draught of the Living Dead."
"You will brew the potions carefully and precisely?" the professor questioned, "I do not want Poppy hassling me because one of her brats grew antlers when she gave them a mild sleeping draught."
"You have nothing to worry about uncle Sev," Draco assured, "Aph and I would never think of purposely sabotaging Hogwarts' Infirmary's potions supply. After all, we're stuck here for the rest of the year as well; Merlin knows what might happen to us during the duration of our stay."
"Yes well," Severus sneered, "just make sure that you two won't mess up."
"Yes uncle," the two fourteen year olds chorused.
It was an hour later when Severus' two godsons left him after an impressively brewed batch of Pepper-Up. And just when he was about to relax and take a break from life in general, another knock on his portrait door interrupted him.
"What?!" he snarled angrily.
"Severus, it's me Remus."
The Potions Master grumbled but let the portrait swing open.
Remus entered Severus' quarters, glancing at the noticeably large pile of potions stacked against the corner.
"You're working surprisingly fast today Severus," the werewolf commented, "That is probably the largest bath of Pepper-Up I have ever seen in my entire life."
Snape ignored Lupin's compliments and went to rummage through his liquor cabinet. He apparently found what he was searching for as he pulled out and old bottle of Odgen's Firewhiskey, aged fourteen years, and without warning, tipped his head back and chugged the entire bottle down.
"Quiet Lupin," Severus ordered with a light slur, "I've had a long day, I had both my godsons here the entire day, making sure they don't mess up the Pepper hic Up they were brewing. Those brats are good but annoying, they didn't even have hic the decency to mess up so I could shout at them, I swear, if I hic didn't like them so much I would've hic strangled and thrown their little pubescent bodies down into the lake."
"Godsons?" Remus inquired slowly. His colleague was so obviously roaring drunk, it was the perfect time to find out more about the recluse Potions Master.
"Draco and Aphrazeil Malfoy," Severus hiccupped, "They made most of the Pep, pepper-Up while I scored the fourth year's pathe-hic-tic excuses for essays." He closed his eyes and waved his hand dismissively towards the stacked bottles, "Now quiet, I didn't get myself drunk just for you to interrogate me about my godsons, that's all you're getting from me. And tell Albus that I won't be attending the Halloween feast tonight. "
Remus, bewildered at Severus' sober words, took one last glance at the potions before leaving.
"Remus," Lily acknowledged warmly, "Did you meet with Severus?"
"Yes, and unfortunately he won't be able to attend the feast. The man got himself stone cold drunk, I think on purpose so he wouldn't have to go."
"Just like the filthy snake he is," James inserted, "But its fine, this way I won't have to see Snivellus' enormous honker tonight."
"James!" lily scolded.
"Yes well," Remus cleared his throat, "Have any of you been to Severus' quarters lately? Or maybe Gem?"
"No, I haven't been there for weeks," the red-headed woman answered, "Gem, I'm sure, doesn't even know where his chambers are located."
"I've got no reason to visit the slimy git."
"Is that so?" Remus mused.
"Why Moony?" James inquired, "Is there something wrong?"
The werewolf smiled at him and shook his head. "No, it's nothing but crazy thinking on my part, you shouldn't worry about it."
"If you're sure…"
"Of course."
The Halloween feast was nothing short of a flop, everybody, not counting the illustrious headmaster of Hogwarts, was too excited to find out who the Triwizard champions would be to properly enjoy the food. There was a hovering tension in the air which just made more people lose their appetite. But judging by the way Dumbledore was chattering away to professor Flitwick, he either did not notice or does not care.
But after another fifteen minutes of fidgeting on their seats, headmaster Dumbledore finally took pity on his students and stood up, calling the attention of the entire hall.
"Student's of Hogwarts, teachers and dear guests," he smiled, "Finally, it is time to announce to who the champions are for the Triwizard tournament. Champions, once your name is called, please enter the chamber until you are called." He waved his hand and a hidden door, near the end of the teacher's table, banged open, gaining the entire hall's attention. "And now, let us begin!"
Filch, wearing his horrible suit, carefully carried the goblet towards the teacher's table, setting it in front of the headmaster.
Many of the sixth and seventh years tensed on their seats, their backs rigid and their necks straining to get a glimpse of the goblet.
Dumbledore waved his wand and a singed piece of paper shot out of the goblet and flew onto his hand. He glanced at it and smiled when he read the contents.
"From Durmstrang," he announce in a loud clear voice. Karkaroff tensed on his seat and many of those seated in Slytherin leaned forward in anticipation.
"Victor Krum!"
Loud cheers from the Slytherin table as Draco and Aphri applauded their friend, patting him on the back and giving him identical wide grins. Victor returned the grin and walked confidently into the chamber.
"From Beauxbaton, Fleur Delacour!"
Polite applause from the Ravenclaw table, but Hermione noticed a few girls, also from Beauxbaton starting to tear and one bursting into a crying fit.
A beautiful blonde girl stood from the table and glided gracefully into the chamber, leaving many boys entranced at her wake.
As soon as Delacour entered the room, another burnt piece of paper shot up from the goblet and flew onto Dumbledore's open palm. He read the name, taking his sweet time as the Hogwarts students sat rigidly on their seats, awaiting the name of that who would be representing them for the tournament.
Dumbledore looked up, and smiled, blue eyes twinkling madly.
"And for Hogwarts, our very own Cedric Diggory!"
Hufflepuff (and the rest of Hogwarts) burst into sheers as a handsome light haired man stood up from their table and made him way into the room.
Headmaster Dumbledore stared at the hall contentedly and was about to sit down when another slip of paper shot out from the goblet and landed on his hand. There was absolute silence as the wizen wizard slowly read the name on the paper.
His soft and usually kind voice sounded oddly loud and ominous as he cleared his throat and announced the name of the fourth champion.
"Gem Potter."
Hundreds of eyes shifted to her as the youngest Potter sat frozen on her seat.
"Wha-what?" she choked.
"Please enter the chamber, Ms. Potter." Dumbledore whispered, his voice carrying across the hall.
Gem felt numb as she heard her own footsteps echo slowly as she entered the shadowed chamber.
END OF CHAPTER
I'll try updating my stories more often, starting now, but please remember that I do have a life outside my fics and I have multiple other original novel length stories I'm trying to finish. That, and since it's the end of the year, exams are coming up in a few weeks and different auditions are rushing up to recruit their member for next year. Next year is my third year in HS and I really do need to start joining more activities to help with my college application.
So, I'll try, but no guarantees.
Akira