Puzzle to a Frozen Heart

Chapter 19

(Admitting the truth)

"So 'Ermione, whatz up?" Fleur asked nervously, seeing how mad was her best friend.

"Did Harry give you my wand?" Hermione barked, trying desperately to remain calm. However, she was failing miserably because her Jedi Wizard had just pulled the last straw. He was going to get it.

" 'E took your wand? You don't say!" She tried to appear innocent but, alas, Hermione couldn't have known her better.

"Fine! Two can play this game." Hermione got up the bed and headed for the door, only to find that it was locked. She tried to unlock it, but apparently Harry had done the same spell she had used on the bathroom and as such, the door couldn't be opened without using the counter curse. She picked up the desk chair and threw it at the door; perhaps both out of anger and hoping it would somehow allow her to get out, but it made no difference whatsoever. So, she mustered up whatever patience she had left and addressed Fleur once again:

"Fleur, open the door."

"'Ow about we just stay 'ere and wait for 'Arry? 'Zat seems like a very good idea to me."

"I don't give a damn about Harry! Give me my wand and open the goddamn door! Or else..."

Her patience had definitely run out and suffice to say that Fleur didn't know what to do. If she let Hermione out, she would take Harry's wrath and, if she didn't, she would take Hermione's. So she said the first thing that came to mind rather than deal with Hermione's temper that, when angry, surpassed her own part-Veela temperamental personality.

"I slept wiz Oliver!" But her friend didn't seem to care.

"Good for you! Now if..."Hermione's mouth snapped shut when her brain processed that last bit of information. The rest of her argument came out in mere shrieks. "You what?!"

"Why didn't you tell me 'zat Jedi Wizards were such good lovers?"

This statement made Hermione blush as she started to think back on that night with Harry. But that was beside the point or so Hermione told herself.

"So that's why he's acting all hostile! I knew there was something wrong."

"Don't change 'ze subject 'Ermione!"

"What do you want me to say? You shouldn't have done that. He's a Jedi Wizard and he really respects the rules."

"Not anymore 'e doesn't," Fleur commented with a smirk.

"Do you care at all about what I'm saying?! You're playing with fire!"

"Oh, come on, you should learn 'ow to 'ave fun. You're always so uptight." But Hermione had already changed the subject.

"Listen Delacour, let me out or I will ship you back to France with a whirl of my wand! And you know perfectly well I can make your life miserable."

"You don't 'ave your wand," Fleur pointed out nervously.

"LET ME OUT!"

"Look 'Ermione..." Fleur practically cowered under Hermione's bed sheets. She honestly didn't know what to say to prevent her from getting killed by her wand-less friend. Fortunately for her, a door knock was heard at that precise moment. "Someone's at 'ze door!" Fleur thanked her lucky stars for this one as she made her way to open, her eyes relishing at the sight of her very own Jedi Wizard.

"Quidditch boy, what are you doing 'ere?" Fleur's voice returned to the usual seductive tone as she used the nickname she had given to her now lover.

"I'm your Jedi Wizard, remember?"

"Like I could ever forget. So, are you 'ere for anozer go?

"Pardon me? Oliver's face paled up considerably. He wasn't supposed to do this, so he decided to try on an attemp to change the theme.

"You 'eard me loud and clear."

"I was just outside and I heard Hermione screaming. I know how she can be when she's mad so I thought I'd check on you." You clever boy, you.

"Always 'ze gentleman, Woody." Since that didn't quiet her down, a change of strategy would do and maybe then he would be able to clear for her that they weren't supposed to be together in any sense of the word. And what kind of name was Woody?

"Look, Fleur, we have to talk."

"Oh, come on Woody, too much talk bores me. Besides, why don't you put 'zose lips of yours to good use?" Fleur suggested as she got closer to him. Oliver began to stammer, so she put her finger on his lips before he could buy himself out of this one." 'Zat's not what you were saying last night." With this said, she brushed her lips against his, Oliver's resistance long gone.

He pushed her against the wall as he intensified the kiss. Hermione saw her two friends making out and seized the opportunity to get out. She tiptoed out of the room, stopping behind Fleur and grabbing her wand out of her pocket. Of course, the blonde was far too distracted to notice.

****

"Oliver, what are you doing?" Harry's voice started his fellow Jedi wizard, making him push Fleur away.

"Harry! I didn't see you," Oliver replied nervously. Fleur just sighed. Harry had a great timing indeed.

"I don't suppose so. Where's Hermione?" he suddenly asked, his eyes scanning the room.

"You know Harry, that is a very good question. And I'm sure I can come up with an even better answer." Again the nervousness.

"Oliver, come here for a second. Fleur, excuse us a moment." Harry dragged Oliver to an isolated part of the hall. "What do you think you are doing? You were snogging Fleur in the middle of the hallway! You are a Jedi Wizard! Act like one", he snapped, forgetting he had done his own rule breaking, albeit not in the middle of the hallway."

"You're right Harry. Forgive me."

"Now, onto more important matters, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"What's up?"

"Could you write to Master Yoda? Use Hedwig if you like, and have him send you my father's record? Oh, and Snape's too."

"Sure but why?"

"It's just a hunch. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Consider it done."

"And keep your hands off Fleur." At hearing this, Oliver just chuckled nervously and examined the hall signs of his charge.

He found her still against Hermione's door, looking at him. When she noticed he was looking at her, she blew him a kiss. He blushed as he looked down, noticing a black book in Harry's hand as he did so.

"What's that?" he asked Harry, snapping him out of his reverie. Apparently, he had been lost in his thoughts.

"Oh, it's Snape's. I left the room in such a hurry that I didn't have time to...." he stopped, remembering Snape's words about his father. "Hey, Oliver? Could you watch Hermione for me while I take care of a few things?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"Thanks buddy, I owe you one. I'll see you later." Harry entered his room and closed the door in Fleur's face, much to her dismay.

"Ugh! I don't know what 'Ermione ever saw in 'im. 'E's got a nasty temper, 'e's no gentleman and 'e isn't 'zat 'ot!" Fleur muttered under her breath, cursing Harry.

"What was that?" Oliver asked her.

"Nozing," she dismissed it, thinking that spending her time with Oliver proved to be so much better than arguing with herself. So, where to Quidditch boy? Your room or mine?" she purred seductively.

"Actually, we're going to classes, to keep an eye on Hermione." Oliver took the lead, as Fleur's face fell off.

"Classes?" she whined as she followed him through the corridors of Hogwarts.

****

"I wonder what Snape was talking about. Was he referring to my mother? Then what did he mean by the 'daughter of HE-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Harry reasoned, his eyes not leaving the black book. "I'm sure he won't mind if I take a look at this." He grabbed Hermione's desk chair, since his had been destroyed, apparently by her, and seated, opening the book.

It turned out an old photo album. The first picture showed his mother, dressed in her Slytherin robes, showing off her Head Girl badge.

Harry spent the following hour flipping through the pages of Snape's album, most of the pictures being of him and his buddies. He stopped suddenly at the last picture. Lily Evans was resting against her stomach, just by the lake. She was wearing a bathing suit, exposing her back and looking at James, his dad, who was seated beside her and, just coming out of the lake, was none other than Snape, his face expressionless while looking at Harry's father. As Harry looked closely, he noticed a mark on Snape's arm; the mark of a Death Eater.

"What the..." he stopped dead as his eyes caught Lily's back. On her shoulder, there was a mark too. It was the Slytherin serpent, forming an S, the Heir Of Slytherin's mark...Did that mean...?

"You know Potter, you are really an asshole." Harry jumped as Hermione's voice reached his ears. "You are my Jedi Wizard and, instead, Oliver is doing YOUR job. Care to explain?" she appeared at his side, clutching a bunch of books on one hand and her book bag on the other. "And while Oliver is doing your job, you're here... reading?" she pointed to the black book Harry had so hastily closed. "Since when do you read?"

"God Hermione, you gave me a fright," he admitted, getting up and grabbing the album.

"So? You're supposed to be in constant vigilance. If Voldemort came barging in, would you tell him off too because he didn't knock?" she mocked him, throwing her books on her bed.

"Leave me alone, would you? I've got plenty of things on my mind." He went to his side of the room and shoved the album in his drawer.

"Oh, poor Potty. Tell me, would you like me to call Voldemort and have him make an appointment to kill me, just so you can sort out your 'things'?" But Harry's mood was not on good terms.

"What the hell do you want from me? When I'm with you, you can't stand the mere sight of me and when I send your best friend to watch over you, you still complain. What can I do to make you happy?!"

"Well, for one thing, you can go back to Russia. I don't need a Jedi Wizard! And second, when you want to send someone to watch over me, at least send a qualified Jedi Wizard like Brad, not Oliver, who's afraid of blood!"

"You want me to send a Death Eater to watch over you?"

"Don't you dare insult Brad! He's a better man than you'll ever be."

"Why don't you marry him then? Why bother sleeping with me?! You know, I never wanted this mission in the first place, but they made me do it. I had almost succeeded in getting over you."

"What is the supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means?! I was always thinking about you, you never had the decency to stay out of my mind nor my dreams. I became a Jedi Wizard to forget about you, I tried to date other girls but I would always compare them to you; the 'Out of sight, out of mind' saying did not work with me. It was the 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'. And that isn't supposed to happen. I am a Jedi Wizard! Damn life tricks! I didn't want to see you again, afraid that something like this would happen."

"Something like what?"

"I slept with you, with the Heir of Gryffindor and it changed everything! You'll never be mine. But it doesn't matter now, because you are my charge, nothing more, nothing less and I'll make sure it stays that way."

"Oh! Poor you! Always about you! That's the way it is, you, you , you! But what about what I want? You think that after six years you can suddenly come back into my life and pretend that nothing happened? Did you think I would welcome you with open arms or... that I wouldn't remember you? You were my first love, for heaven's sake! But, I'll let you know that I am happily over you and I do have a boyfriend who...."

"Just wants you? Do you really want to be with a man who just wants to get into your pants?"

"Isn't that what you wanted? Isn't that what you got? What makes you so different from him?"

"I care about you. It wasn't just one quick shag for me and if I remember correctly, it wasn't one sided!"

"Screw you Potter!"

"You did. Speaking of which, didn't you break up with Weasel?"

"Since when is that your business?"

"Call it Jedi Wizard inquiries."

"For your information, I don't need a Jedi Wizard and if it was for me, you could just rot in your goddamn Jedi temple!"

"Sadly, it isn't."

"God, you're still a bastard, an humongous prick, and, damn it! Istillwantyou," she finished in a mere whisper. Suddenly, she brought her hands to her mouth in pure shock. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud. She hoped Harry didn't catch that last statement.

"I still want you too," he answered her softly as he crossed to her room in three strides and attacked her lips. As their tongues dueled, he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. They remained like that until lack of oxygen separated them and Harry seized the opportunity to explore her neck. She moaned as she began to undo his robes. He slowly lowered her to the bed as the last remaining clothes got shed.