Sirens

Chapter 4

Avalon

When Seamus got back from Hogsmeade, intent on finding Dean to tell all about his date, he ran into Ginny and another girl.

"Hi," said Ginny, looking amused. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Where's Dean?" asked Seamus.

"Dunno," shrugged Ginny. "This is Avalon, by the way."

"Hi," said Seamus, glancing at Avalon briefly. However he looked back, because not only was she extremely pretty, but she looked oddly familiar. It took Seamus a moment to realise who it was that she resembled.

Her hair was long and very dark, and it was on the curly end of wavy. Her skin was olive and she was short and slim, and although her eyes were a lot darker, she was almost a replica of Isabella Giordano.

"Do you...?"

Seamus was about to ask whether Avalon had any siblings, but was interrupted.

"Yes I have a sister and a brother," said Avalon, looking bored. "Isabella and Roberto. Isabella's a Slytherin and Roberto's a Ravenclaw and I came later because I had Dragon Pox up until a few days ago. Does that answer all the questions you were going to ask me?"

"Er...yes," said Seamus. "I'm Seamus Finnigan."

"Avalon Giordano, as you already know," said Avalon. There was something about Avalon that slightly confused Seamus. She was Ginny's contemporary, he knew, but she seemed older, and she looked like she had been at Hogwarts longer than a day. She had a proud air to her.

"Isabella knows you," said Avalon, matter-of-factly.

"Er...I know."

"She didn't say a lot about you though. Just that you were in most of her classes and you hate Slytherins. You really don't like her, apparently."

Seamus frowned. This was weird. To try and change the subject, he brought up the subject of Avalon's brother.

"I haven't met Roberto. What's he like?"

"A pain," said Avalon. "You're lucky you haven't met him because you'd hate him. He's such a creep. I don't know why he's in Ravenclaw, I really don't. That Sorting Hat thing must be losing its touch because it put Izzie in Slytherin and Robbie in Ravenclaw. It should be the other way around."

"Why?"

"Because Robbie is dimmer than a cheese sandwich and Izzie's really brainy," shrugged Avalon. "I'm not sure where I belong."

She's good in Gryffindor, thought Seamus. She's obviously brave. Or at least confident.

Ginny gave him a look that said very plainly "Don't worry, she's ok, just a bit outspoken". Seamus nodded slightly.

"So, what are you doing for your OWLs?" asked Seamus, casually trying to start up some sort on un-awkward conversation.

"Everything except Divination and Muggle Studies," said Avalon. Seamus was reminded forcibly of Hermione Granger. "Divination's stupid and I don't need to study Muggles as my mother's a Muggle."

"My dad's a Muggle," said Seamus.

"I think it's good to be half blood because you get the best of both worlds," said Avalon. "That's mine and Izzie's theory, anyway." Seamus had never thought of that, but it did make sense now he did. He didn't like the idea of agreeing with Isabella though. It was like the Ministry of Magic saying, "Actually, Voldemort's got some quite good ideas." And then who knows what might happen?

They were suddenly interrupted by Dean, who appeared from the dormitory stairs. He kissed Ginny on the cheek, and Avalon smirked.

"Hey!" he said, clapping Seamus on the back after he'd finished with Ginny, who was looking slightly embarrassed and had noticed Avalon laughing at her. "How'd it go with Clarissa?"

"Callista."

"Whatever. How'd it go?"

"I'll tell you later," said Seamus, trying to nod pointedly at Ginny and Avalon without either of them noticing.

"Oh," said Dean, with a hideously obvious comedy wink. He turned to Avalon. "I'm Dean," he said. "Are you that girl who had Dragon Pox? Adeline? Evelyn?"

"Avalon," said Avalon, looking at him with slight contempt.

"Can I call you Avvie?" asked Dean, jokingly.

"If you want to have your insides pulled out and stuffed up your nose, yes, call me Avvie," said Avalon. Seamus smirked. Dean seemed slightly taken aback.

"My name is Avalon," continued the dark-haired new girl, "and that's it. I must say, Jean is an unusual name for a boy."

"I'm Dean," said Dean.

"I know. I was just commenting. Jean," said Avalon.

Dean looked slightly scared. "C'mon," he said, nodding towards the dormitory staircase. Seamus obediently followed his friend up the stairs, and when they got to the dormitory they sat on their beds to talk.

"Who the Hell is that?" said Dean, looking indignant.

"Avalon," said Seamus, grinning.

"Yeah, I'd gathered that," said Dean, exasperatedly. "I mean...geez she is weird!"

"I liked her," said Seamus. He wasn't lying. He'd quite taken to the outspoken fifth-year.

"Well, anyway, how was it with Clarissa?" asked Dean.

"I've told you, it's Callista, and it went great!" said Seamus eagerly. "First of all she wanted to go into that stupid teashop with the cherubs and the heart confetti, but when we got out we went under the awning of some shop and we saw...snogged."

"Wow!" said Dean. "Wouldn't have thought you had it in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Seamus indignantly.

"Well, you just don't...get girls if you know what I...ouch!"

"You wuss!"

"Those pillows are harder than they look!"

---

"Izzie!"

"Oh goddamn it!"

Isabella turned around exasperatedly. She'd hoped not to see this particular individual a lot, but 'twas not to be, obviously.

"What do you want?" she asked the fifth year that had accosted her for the second time that day.

"Where're the Potions rooms?"

Resisting the urge to jinx her little sister to jelly, Isabella growled through gritted teeth, "They're down in the dungeons and will you please ask some student in your year for help? It's what I did! I didn't plead for help from Robbie!"

"That's because you were in the same boat," said Avalon. "You arrived at the same time. And anyway, he's really thick. He still gets lost."

Isabella's grip around her wand tightened.

"Look, Avvie..."

"Don't call me that!"

"...I'm very busy. I have to go down to the Quiditch pitch for some practise because there is a game on Thursday against Gryffindor and I intend us to win."

"And how will you practising help Slytherin beat us?" asked Avalon.

"Because I plan to join the team, dimmy," said Isabella in her most deadly voice.

"As what?"

"As Beater, what else?"

"You won't get on. You're not good enough."

"Avalon, if you don't shove the Hell off in the next ten seconds I swear to God I'll..."

"What?"

"Do this!" shouted Isabella, whipping out her wand and instead of casting a spell, smacked her sister neatly on the head with it. It was stupid, but it gave her a sense of satisfaction.

"Ow!" said Avalon, rubbing the top of her head and frowning. "You're so violent, Izzie. Anyway, we've got Harry Potter as our Quiditch Captain, and we're totally going to beat you."

Avalon walked away after this, so she couldn't hear the response, but if she had stayed, she would have heard Isabella's whisper of, "Let her think that."

---

Seamus had agreed to accompany Dean down to the Quiditch pitch so he could practise. Dean wasn't actually on the team, but he still liked to fly around for a bit of fun. Seamus enjoyed flying too, but he'd rather hoped he could spend some time with Callista.

As they were walking, Dean pointed towards the pitch.

"Looks like someone's there already," he said. "Look."

Sure enough, there was the distinct shape of a person riding a broomstick in the air, and the hair flying out behind it implied that that was probably a girl. She was good at flying too, by the look of it.

"Maybe she's trying out for the Hufflepuff team?" suggested Dean. "You know what's-her-name left. Their Keeper. Dooley Magoo."

"Julie MacDrew."

"Oh what the Hell are you, Finnigan, Memo the Memory Man? Anyway, maybe she's planning on trying out so she's practising her saves."

"With a Beater's bat?" said Seamus. As they had got closer he could just make out the girl holding a bat and whacking a Bludger.

"Well Hufflepuff don't need a Beater, they've got those two. What are their names?" asked Dean.

"How should I know?" asked Seamus.

"You're Mr Name-Rememberer."

"I don't remember many names, just girls I like."

"What about Julie MacWhatsit? You remembered her name."

"MacDrew...er...I..."

Seamus went a bit pink. He'd always nursed a soft spot for the two-years-older Scottish girl. Remembering her blue eyes and dark hair made his heart speed up considerably.

"Oh per-lease!" laughed Dean, cottoning on. "Julie MacDrew? She wore tartan! She had that irritating accent!"

Seamus scowled.

"Shut up," he said.

Dean laughed but left it.

"So who are the Hufflepuff Beaters?"

"One's Duncan Ingleby but I can't remember the other guy's name," said Seamus. "So Hufflepuff don't need Beaters and neither to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, so that girl must be a Slytherin. You won't find a Slytherin sharing a pitch with a Gryffindor. You'll have a tough job practising with her banging Bludgers around everywhere."

"Oh well, she might leave if we threaten to hex her," shrugged Dean. "Or we could really hex her if she doesn't see it our way and bugger...hey, it's what's-her-name!"

"You really do need to start remembering peoples' names, Dean."

"No, I mean thingy. That new Slytherin. Isabella Thingy. The Italian girl."

Seamus looked. Sure enough it was Isabella Giordano that was hitting the Bludgers around. Carey Briggs - who she appeared to have made good friends with - and Tracy Davis were throwing the Bludgers in the air for her.

"Good evening ladies," said Dean smoothly as he and Seamus approached the pitch. Carey and Tracy scowled, and Isabella landed on the ground.

"What?" asked Tracy.

"I want to practise here," said Dean, "so would you mind moving?"

"Yes we would," said Carey. "Izzie's trying out for our team tomorrow and..."

"Shut up, Carey, I've practised for forty-five minutes already and I'm not getting any better," said Isabella. "It's all yours," she added to Dean and Seamus, and Seamus didn't know if he'd imagined it, but her eyes seemed to linger on him for slightly longer than normal. She must really dislike him.

"She's pretty hot, isn't she?"

Seamus was brought back to Earth by Dean's voice.

"Huh? Who's hot?"

"Izzie. She's hot."

Here we go, thought Seamus exasperatedly. How could any self-respecting Gryffindor boy find a Slytherin girl hot?

Although, she is pretty cute, said a nasty little voice in his head.

Shut up, his conscious told it, sternly. She's not cute, she's just not hideously disfigured.

Oh dear, thought Seamus. I'm having an argument with myself.