Harry Potter and the Wizards of Narhassa

Chapter 7: Nothing More than Feelings

The next morning, after a fitful sleep at best, Sean donned his robe for his first day of classes. The Gryffindor tower was alive with activity as Sean, clutching his Farley's Fabulous Guide to Strange Phenomena book, made his way down the stairs. Hogwarts was such an amazing place, thought Sean as he passed by a few third year girls in their bathrobes. They smiled at him and waved as they entered their own dormitories.

Despite being the only Muggle in Gryffindor, he had been welcomed with open arms. Growing up, he had always been the outsider, with few friends. After much of a fight, his parents had finally convinced his town's school system to allow him to attend public school, despite his inability to speak. His mind had always been keen and he was a fast learner, despite what people often thought. However, no amount of teaching in the world could show him how to make his own way in a society where he could not communicate very successfully. By the time he was twelve, he had grown bitter and withdrawn. It was so frustrating trying to communicate to those who warmed up to him. No one but Sean's mother and father, as well as Alex had taken the time to thoroughly learn to communicate with Sean. There was only so much he could communicate by writing a message and handing it to someone else.

"Alright there, Sean. Ready for your first day?" asked a sweet voice from behind the small boy.

Sean turned around to see Hermione, making her way down the stairs behind him, with two other lovely girls by her side.

"This is Parvati," said Hermione, pointing to the lovely red head on her right, "And this is Lavender," she said, switching sides to a small, brown haired girl with silky brown hair and too much make-up.

Sean smiled a bit and shook hands with Parvati.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Parvati, with an uninterested look.

Sean was used to this look; a look of pure boredom upon the face of someone he was introduced to. He was aware of his own uninteresting disposition. Being from a Italian/Irish background, he was given a fairly typical Italian last name and common Irish looks; red hair and green eyes. While he was athletic for his size, most girls were not impressed with a fifteen year old who was only 5'2. Parvati herself stood a few inches taller than Sean.

Sean nodded his head to her politely. "Likewise."

Lavender, not looking extremely keen for starting up a conversation with Sean, shook his hand with a very limp grip. "How do you like Hogwarts so far?" she asked, no doubt just trying to be civil.

Sean knew much about people based on how they treated him. While he often wore a neutral expression and even pretended to not understand people as deeply as he did, a sixth sense would always tell him whether or not someone was being sincere. So far, the only true sincere people Sean had met at length were Harry, Hermione...

... and Ron Weasley.

The other three boys Sean had met, Seamus, Dean and Neville, all seemed to have something else on their minds... yet Ron was such an interesting person. From his trip up to Hogwarts and two days ago in Diagon Alley, he knew it would be hard to win him over. Sean had ill-needed Harry to inform him that Ron was all but in love with Hermione. If Sean's eyes made contact with Hermione's body, Ron's eyes bore into him from his flank, his side, his front... or wherever he was in relation to Sean. A very willful soul backed up his words and his actions, but there was a subtle pride in everything he did that was his, and his alone. Some parts of Ron reminded him of Alex. Both were very straightforward individuals and were territorial, not warming up to outsiders that seemed to pose a threat. Yet, while Alex was more ruthless and aggressive, Ron was very passive and even considerate in his reservations. Sean could feel Ron's dislike for him, but out of a strange courtesy the other boy seemed to hold for him, he never told him what he thought to his face.

"Sean?" asked Hermione, prodding Sean's shoulder. "You have a very glazed look upon your face."

"What?" retorted Sean, blinking his eyes and shaking himself out of his own mind. "Oh, right..."

Parvati and Lavender were still looking at him expectantly. They must have asked me a question.

"Yeah," said Sean distantly, as if stepping out onto thin ice.

Lavender and Parvati looked at each other and shook their heads. They stared back at him, as if considering correcting him and asking their question again, but finally they decided against it.

"Hermione, we will see you down at the Great Hall at noon for tea and lunch," said Parvati. "Bye, Sean," she added hastily.

"Bye," said Sean, a bit sadly. Another one of his more annoying traits was a tendency to overanalyze everything. After living for so long without being able to reply to people, he often forgot that he was obligated to answer questions... and often forgot they were asked.

Hermione looked to Sean with a strange, unreadable expression. "Your mind does have a tendency to wander, does it not?"

Sean offered an apologetic sigh. "I guess it kinda shows."

The wavy-haired girl laughed kindly. "What you don't put out into words, your expression shows clearly."

"That's sorta what Alex always says," said Sean coyly.

Hermione's smile faded quickly at the mention of Sean's cousin. "Hey, want to walk with me to breakfast?" she asked. "Harry and Ron have a first block Divination class."

"Sure!" exclaimed Sean, perhaps a bit too eagerly. Sean's schedule was free for an hour. While he only had two classes, History of Magic and the Phenomena class, the latter met for three hours every day starting during second block.

Walking next to Hermione was rather funny indeed. Hermione was an upstanding girl, whose healthy head of hair gave her a few fake inches of height. Sean felt embarrassingly short next to Hermione.

They left the Gryffindor Common Room together, walking down the stairs of the large tower.

"Ok, don't forget about the..."

"Gah!" called Sean as he sunk up to his waist in the trick step for a second time. With dismay, he pushed out his lower lip and blew air across his face, tickling the hair over his forehead.

"... trick step," finished Hermione, her face bright as she began to laugh.

Sean wrinkled his face juvenilely and smirked. "OK, laugh it up. Please, don't help me, just enjoy a nice laugh."

Hermione did just that. "Oh... this... this is just too..."

The girl was not allowed to finish her sentence, however, as Sean reached up, grabbed her arm and pulled. Hermione lost her balance with one foot and, before she could recover it, landed next to Sean within the trick step.

"You were saying?" asked Sean in an energetic voice, with a beaming smile.

Hermione's smile had faded into a nasty scowl. "You... you! How dare you!"

Sean felt his own joyful expression fading as well, replaced by a shocked, stupid look. "You... you were laughing at me."

"You pillock!" exclaimed Hermione, her face red with anger. "I was going to get you out! Now, I'm going to be late for my class!"

Sean frowned now, feeling so extremely stupid. What had he hoped to accomplish by getting Hermione stuck as well? They had been one of the lasts to leave the Gryffindor Common Room; perhaps no one would be coming for hours.

"I lost control of my feelings," he blurted out.

Hermione turned her head to stare at the smaller boy in front of her, not saying anything at first. Good God, what did I just say? thought Sean, with total and complete disbelief.

"What?" she yelped loudly, as if she had just taken a wound to her arm.

Sean felt as though he were trying to swim with anvils tied to each of his legs. What had turned out to be a very positive breakfast with Hermione was now in complete and utter disarray.

"I... just got lost in the moment," said Sean drearily.

Hermione blinked her eyes, processing Sean's words as well as her own feelings. "What moment?" she asked, with utter disgust. "There wasn't any moment! There wasn't even a second!"

Sean knew he had surprised her. This much was clear. Should he say his feelings about her, or was this a bad time? Well, it's a bad time, for sure... he thought. Oh, hell, why not.

"If I tell you something," said Sean nervously. "Promise you won't be mad?"

Hermione's eyes widened with confusion. "Of course I'll bloody well be mad! You are likely going to make me late for my first day of class!" she exclaimed.

Sean swallowed nervously.

"Ever since you left California, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," said Sean, completely amazed that he did not trip over his own words.

It seemed that Hermione's anger softened a bit, replaced by bewilderment. This is a good sign... thought Sean. If she hasn't slapped me yet, she'll listen to me.

"What planet are you FROM!" exclaimed Hermione, though a slight shiver that ran down her body exposed her true feelings. She was exhilarated as much as angry now.

Sean sighed. "You were the first girl I ever met who did not judge me without knowing me."

"This is HARDLY the time for this conversation!" shot back Hermione. "I may not judge you without knowing you, but I'm two steps away from slapping you silly!"

Sean lowered his head. "Go ahead. I guess I deserve it."

Hermione's expression softened yet again. Those words must have stolen much of her glory.

"You do..." she countered weakly.

"I'm usually shy," continued Sean. "But, around you, I'm not afraid to be myself."

Hermione eyed him skeptically. "If you are someone who likes to pull others into your own messes," reasoned Hermione, "perhaps you should keep that part of you locked away."

Sean smiled slightly. "It was a joke."

"It wasn't funny," countered Hermione. "I don't like missing classes."

"It's only the first day," replied Sean. "You are just going to get a syllabus."

Hermione's anger finally seemed to leave her system all together. "I'm still not pleased to be stuck in a trick stair."

"If I get to be stuck next to you," replied Sean, completely amazed that such suave lines were forming in his head, and his own inhibitions about saying them were not present. "I think it is worth it."

Hermione stared at Sean with a sort of impressed arch of her eyebrows. No words came forth, however for a long moment.

"Am I really the only person you've ever met who hasn't judged you, or is that what you Americans use as a pickup line?"

Sean ran his hand through his hair, pushing loose bangs out of his eyes. "Both, I guess. Though, I really do mean it."

"You've never once met a person who didn't judge you before knowing you?" continued Hermione, pressing him.

Sean shook his head. "I've had friends, but they weren't really true ones. I guess they just wanted someone quiet to listen to their problems."

"You talk more than many," muttered Hermione. "You wouldn't be my pick if I had to choose someone to spill my soul to."

Sean felt a slight prong of pain at that statement. Hermione was a very sincere person, and he believed that she meant that.

"When you've been silent for all but the last five months of your life and suddenly find yourself able to speak... you have a lot you want to say."

Now it was Hermione's turn to look stupid. "What?"

Sean explained how mysteriously, right around the same time that his powers had manifested, he had found his own voice.

"You... you never told me that!" stammered Hermione, confused and

dumbfounded. "You mean, back when I first met you...?"

"... I had said my first words only three months before," finished Sean.

Hermione trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.

Perhaps I am laying too much on her, thought Sean as he fell silent, staring at the cream colored goo that made up the trick step, holding them both in place.

"It must have been hard," said Hermione at last.

"Alex kept most people from picking on me," said Sean. "It was just lonely."

At the mention of Alex, Hermione winced again. "That seems most out of character for him."

Sean shook his head. "Please give him a chance," he said, his voice decreasing in volume. "He has changed ever since he developed his powers. Before, he never really pushed people around. But now, he has just become so reckless and volatile that even I don't understand him anymore."

"People say power has a tendency to corrupt," said Hermione brazenly. "I disagree with that," she continued. "I think power brings out who people really are. I don't believe in corruption; I believe in revelation."

Sean fell silent at that for a moment. Hermione stared at him with a hard look, yet one that was all but melted away with compassion. It made Sean feel warm inside.

"Do you think I'm a bad person, then? Just because of my power?" he challenged coyly, with a soft voice.

"No. You are missing my entire point," replied Hermione loftily. "You wield your power lightly. I have not even seen you use it or even mention it... I don't even know if you have any or not. Alex boasted about it brazenly and earned the contempt of both Harry and Ron, two people who are so loving and forgiving that it is a challenge to get them to dislike you. On the other hand, Harry really likes you a lot, and so does Ron... even if he won't admit it."

Sean locked his eyes with Hermione, with as much daring as he could muster. "And what about you? Do you like me?"

Hermione's frown finally began to pull itself out of its depressing fixture; a sort of begrudging smile formed on her face. "You aren't too bad."

Sean leaned forward slightly. "Even after getting you stuck in a fake stair, you think I'm OK?"

This brought a slight nervous look to Hermione's face. Yet, she seemed to push it to the back of her mind. "Yes, I do," she said, softly and kindly. While she did not lean forward as well, she did not make an effort to retreat (though perhaps that was because she was stuck.)

Sean, mustering all the confidence he could, reached out and lightly clasped Hermione's hand. His breath began to come to him in a labored manner has Hermione lightly squeezed back, staring at him with her lovely brown eyes.

And then... Hermione began to lean forward as well. Sean felt his heart skip a beat as he reciprocated the action, closing his eyes. He put his arms around Hermione's waist, and though he could not draw her much closer as a result of the sticking gooey step, he was close enough to feel her shuttering with a strange sort of passion...

Or perhaps, that was just him.

He could feel her breath on his face, smelling of minty toothpaste. All too eager to put his lips against hers, he leaned forward the final stretch.

"Well," hissed a voice, as crisply as acid boring through metal. "I certainly hope I am not interrupting anything."

Sean's eyes flapped open, and he saw Hermione's face no more than three inches from his own. He turned his head slowly in the direction of the voice, and dropped his jaw.

If there was one person in this entire world that he would have traded his own mother to stand in his stead, it was Ron Weasley.

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione, as she pulled back from Sean immediately, and stared at him with shock. "What... you are supposed to be in class!"

Harry also stood behind him, all but hidden from view by the tall boy's frame.

"Trelawney predicted the world would end if she conducted class today," Harry said, with a completely unreadable tone from behind while Ron just stared at the two of them, thunderstruck. "We were going back up to the Common Room."

Sean never felt more humiliated in his entire life. What had just happened here? Did I really talk to Hermione about my feelings, my past and nearly kiss her while trapped up to my waist in a magical step, in the middle of broad view?

"Harry! Ron!" said Hermione, her voice filled with panic. "Please help us! We are trapped."

Ron crossed his arms very dourly. "Seems like the prospect had you most panicked..."

"That... that's not fair!" replied Hermione indignantly. "This is not how it looks!"

It was obvious that Ron was in no mood to listen, however. "I'll leave you two alone. It seems like you two have a lot in common; you both are stuck in a trap and you both want to suck each other's faces off."

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione, with a pleading voice.

The emotional roller coaster that Sean was riding right now was beginning to take his toll on him. Harry stood agape, Hermione was on the verge of tears, and Sean was stunned into silence.

Harry seemed to be the first to recover from the situation, however. He drew close to the step and outstretched his arm. "Give me your hand, Sean."

Sean complied mechanically, and after a moment, Harry freed him. Another few seconds later, the two boys plunked Hermione out of the step.

"Harry, please don't be mad at us," said Sean, finally finding his tongue.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione with a frown.

"I'm not, to both of you," said Harry, his green eyes glistening with understanding. "We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Without another word, Harry sped off after Ron, heading back down the steps, leaving Sean and Hermione looking at each other, both confused and bewildered.