Take This to Your Grave and I'll Take It to Mine

Dear Diary,

I just got back from Quidditch practice in the rain. Of course, it stopped raining as soon as we got off the field. Cho (being Cho) attached an umbrella to her broom! Apparently, she didn't want to get wet! What? Is she going to melt?

*************

I had an interaction with my brother today...Lucky me!

I was innocently walking back from Quidditch practice when I saw Blaise moseying on over to me.

"I'll meet you in our dorm Lu. I have to talk to this imbecile first," I told my best friend as I glanced in Blaise's direction.

"Yes, alright. I have some Muggle Studies homework..." Luna floated away from me as Blaise got closer. I tried to run away, but to no avail.

"Amber! Wait up!" Blaise panted as he ran to me. I felt like ducking into the girl's showers, but knowing Blaise, he might have followed me (to look at the girls).

"What Blaise?" I said as I whipped around to face him.

"Mum sent me a letter. She wants you to take Draco to the Halloween Ball in two weeks."

"I know when it is, Blaise. I'm not daft. In case you haven't noticed, I don't care what Bellarosia thinks or wants," I snapped. "Besides, I'm taking..." I scanned the field for eligible bachelors I could ask after I was done with him. "Harry. I'm taking Harry." (By the way, Bellarosia is my mother and Sean is my father.) I continued my walk up to the castle.

"No wonder Mum wanted you outta the house. It's kinda sad when your own mother doesn't want you around. It's VERY sad that no one else would be-friend you but a Mudblood whore!" Blaise said from behind me.

(OH NO HE DIDNT! HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!!!)

"DON'T call Luna that," I said dangerously. NO ONE talked about her like that in front of me.

"What, are you gonna sic your MUDBLOOD friends on me?" Blaise retorted just as dangerously.

I whipped around, and raised an eyebrow. I thought of what I could do to him, then it came to me. I can PK things; that means I can use psychokinesis. Being able to PK is a secret, not even Luna knows. I'm afraid someone might overhear me telling her and spread it around. I'm also afraid Luna might not like me still. I know that's stupid, but I can't help it.

"I'll do this!" I kneed him where the sun doesn't shine. "Aaaand this!" I put a finger to my temple and concentrated on Blaise. I used psychokinesis and threw him into the forest. I smirked to myself as I thought of the centaurs that lived there. Centaurs are nasty part-human, part-horse beings, rather temperamental. I wouldn't want to be Blaise right about now. They are probably ripping him to shreds.

"Miss Zabini. Come with me," I heard McGonagall's crisp voice call. I followed her to the office, which had once belonged to Dumbledore.

"Ms. Zabini, I must say I'm disappointed in you--take a biscuit," she said as she thrust the biscuit tin at me. I took one and set it on the table. "But, I have NEVER in all my years seen psychokinesis used like that. How did you do it?"

I didn't really want to tell McGonagall, but I guess I had no choice. The silence in the room was like a fog, covering the space.

"Like this," I stated and put the same finger to my temple. I focused on the biscuit tin, and made it dance around the room. McGonagall's eyes widened in surprise, but she then pursed her lips in her usual McGonagall-ish way. A small gasp escaped her lips prior to that though.

"How long have you been able to do this?" she asked, still looking at me. I wasn't sure if it was amazement, shock, fear, or what.

"Always, I guess. When I still lived with Blaise and my mother, I used to PK--I mean use psychokinesis to move things around the house. House-Elves, knives, Blaise, the laundry, my dinner, Blaise's dinner, Blaise's knickers..." McGonagall cut me off; she obviously didn't care what I PK-ed, just that I could.

"Ms. Zabini, I'm amazed. I know you aren't exactly the best student, but not all wizards or witches can do that. It's almost as rare as..." I cut her off, before she could say what we were both thinking.

"Parseltongue"

"Yes. I want you to keep this quiet. You can tell Ms. Lovegood," she added, seeing the look on my face. "But, tell no one else. Have you considered being in The Order of the Phoenix?"

"No, but..." McGonagall knew I knew about the Order--I am really good friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione (We aren't as close as Luna and I, but close), so I went to 12 Grimmauld with them in fifth year. That's probably why she asked me to join.

"You'll be of age this summer. Consider it. We could use someone like you." Then she sent me on my way.

I left, before she gave me detention for throwing my brother to the centaurs. I stealthily walked down the hall and up to my dorm.

When I got back to the dorm I share with Luna (no one else wanted to be in our dorm. They thought we were weird, or because all the other dorms were full, Dumbledore gave us our own dorm). I saw her sitting in the windowsill. Luna's silver-blonde hair flirted with the gentle wind, and her blue eyes seemed to twinkle with passion, as she looked down at her poetry notebook. She was sitting with her slender legs up on the windowsill with her, but she couldn't see me the way her head was positioned.

"Luna, I'm back! Sorry I'm so late, I met up with Blaise. We had a nice family talk, and then McGonagall found us...." I didn't elaborate and Luna didn't ask. That's the kind of thing I like about Luna- she doesn't try to pry information out of you, but is always there for you to talk to. I told her my story as we sat on our beds. Luna had an issue of, "The Quibbler," (upside down, as always) in her hands, covering her face as I spoke to her. I was used to her not looking at me while I talked to her, so it didn't bother me.

"And then, McGonagall sent me on my way! Without a detention!" I finished.

"That's good," she said without looking up from the latest issue of, "The Quibbler." "Dad sent you a copy as well. Do you want to come to Germany with us to look for Nargles?"

"Wicked! A new issue! Do I have to wear lederhosen?" I asked, half excited, half not so much. Lederhosen are not too pretty, in my opinion.

"Not if you don't want to," Luna said with a little smile playing on her lips.

"Is Dad? Are you?" My eyes widened as I thought of that. "Bad image!" my mind screamed.

"Quite possibly and NO!" Luna's big, blue eyes widened (if possible) at the thought; she must've had the same scary mental image I did.

"I'd love to go then! I've never been to Germany..." My voice trailed off, as I thought of going to Germany.

"Me either. We're going during Christmas break. Nargles are a plenty then..." It was her turn to trail off. Her eyes were full of passion again, as she picked up her poetry notebook, and sucked on her quill.

"Oh! I need to see Harry real quick! Be RIGHT back! Don't do any quizzes without me," I shouted behind me, as I grabbed my broom and flew to the Gryffindor Boys Dormitory. I flew in one window, hoping it was the right one.

"Amber? What in Merlin's beard are you doing?" I heard a sleepy Ron ask. His voice was groggy, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. The boy's dorm had a funny smell, like cologne and dirty socks. In its own, weird way, it was comforting.

"Never mind that. Is Harry here?" Ron eyeballed me. He was clearly annoyed that I waited until 11 PM to talk to Harry. My run-in with Blaise and then with McGonagall made me forget all about asking Harry to the Ball.

"No, he's in the common room." he looked puzzled, as I bolted (stealthily, of course) towards where I thought the stairs would be. They were there, so all the dorms must've been set up the same.

"Thanks!" I whispered behind me, as I bolted downstairs.

Harry was lying down on a huge red couch. The fire crackled and danced in the hearth; the fire was the only source of light.

"Harry?" I whispered into the darkened room, hoping desperately that my best guy friend was around here somewhere.

"Amber?!" Harry asked as he jumped about seven feet. I'm exaggerating, but he did jump. "What are you doing here?!"

"I was shagging Ron," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. "I'm being sarcastic!" I added, seeing the look on his face. "Well, I came here to ask you...erm, well, you know the Ball is coming up...I was wondering, if you don't already have a date...I can understand if you do..." (SHUT UP, BRAIN!) "Will you go to the Ball with me?" My palms were sweating; I was turning about a thousand shades of red, and I felt as if there was an after-The Quidditch Cup-fiesta taking place in my stomach.

"Well, since you just shagged my best mate..." Harry said playfully.

"Harrryyyyy!" I whined. I didn't think I could wait much longer. I felt like I was going to explode or something!

"Yes, alright. I'd actually love to go with you."

"Thanks," I said. "That saves me from having to go with Draco Malfoy. Mind if I sit?"

"No, not at all" Harry said as he moved his feet. "Malfoy, eh? Why would you have to go with Malfoy?" Harry said "Malfoy" with disgust in his eyes that I could see, even in this dim lighting.

"Bellarosia sent Blaise a letter, telling him to tell me to go with Draco. Which, I flat out refuse to do!"

Silence hit the room. It was a little awkward; I knew Harry liked me, but I never was good with guys. I am confident, once I do something, but before I do, I nearly wet myself.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Let me check my invisible watch," Harry said sarcastically.

I giggled a little bit, and Harry sat up. I moved closer to him, and rested my head on his shoulder. Harry was about six or seven inches taller than I was, so we were perfectly matched. I blushed a little, and noticed he did too. We watched the fire for a moment, letting the silence settle over us.

"Now, I need to find a date for Luna..." I thought out loud. "Do you know anyone who'd go with Luna?"

"Neville might. Have her ask him tomorrow."

"That'd be great! They'd be so cuuute!" I smiled at him.

"Yeah... Do you want to meet Ron, Hermione, Neville and I outside Gryffindor Tower?"

"When?"

"Tomorrow. We could eat breakfast together...but if you don't want to... I understand...It's not like we are dating, or that anyone like you'd ever like someone like me..." Harry rambled. We looked into each other's eyes, reading each other's souls like a book. We both started to lean in--this is usually where the alarm clock goes off, and I pray to Merlin it doesn't. I almost wet myself as Harry leaned in closer, which, I believe means he wanted to kiss me... I noticed something on Harry's cheek, like a crumb or something. I got it off, and Harry looked at me like I had twenty heads or something.

"You had something on your face," I giggled a little.

"Um...Thanks?" He looked a little weirded out, but I didn't care. We started leaning in again: closer, closer, closer. Yes, you get the point. Then, we finally kissed. I felt like Fred and George Weasley just set off a HUGE box of Filibuster Fireworks in my stomach, in a good way though. Thoughts raced through my head, my heart pounded--then I realized, he must be having the same symptoms. But, what if he isn't? What if he doesn't really like me? Shut up, brain, shut up!

"Wow..." Harry's face returned to his normal color, but his ears stayed red. "Was I wrong about you not liking me?"

I nodded in reply. "You were very wrong, very wrong indeed." We both smiled like it was the last time we ever could.

Silence blanketed the room once more. We looked into each other's eyes, and let them do the talking. Then I broke the gaze--it must be very late now.

"I'll meet you and Luna outside Gryffindor Tower around eight thirty?"

"See you then. Goodnight, Harry," I said and snuck back up to Ravenclaw Tower, saving the squeal that had built up inside me for then.

Luna was sitting in the window sill again when I got back, and didn't hear me come in. The moon hit her hair in such a way that it looked like liquid moonlight. Her hair danced with the wind playfully. Luna had a thing about sitting in the windowsill. She always has. She tells me it makes her feel like all her troubles, "Jump out the window and leave her. It's quite a nice feeling." I've tried it, but it doesn't work for me. I really didn't want to disturb her; she must be thinking about something, but I didn't think I could keep the events of tonight in for much longer. I said, "Hi," and she turned around. Luna hopped out of the window and flopped back on her bed. I let out the squeal I had been holding since I left Harry.

"You're glowing! What happened?!" Luna asked me excitedly, similar to the way a child would ask if it was morning on Christmas day.

"Well...I have a date for the Halloween Ball..."

"Aw man! I'm never gonna get a date," she whined.

"Calm down and listen, Lu. I know who you should go with, and I'll bet they'll go with you"

"Who?" Luna looked at me like I had three heads.

"Neville. I'm going with Harry. Ron and Hermione are finally dating, so they are going together."

"I doubt he'll go with me," Luna said moodily.

"Yes he will! I think he likes you!" I said, joining her on her bed, and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"He thinks I'm weird," she sighed. This wasn't going well.

"Well, so do I. That doesn't stop me from hanging out with you, does it?" I smiled goofily.

"I guess you're right," she sighed again.

"I'll be with you the whole time--it really isn't that hard to ask boys to the Ball..." I started, but Luna cut me off.

"No, it's alright. I'll ask him by myself." She was back to her day-dreamy, hopeless-romantic, self again.

"Anyways, be ready by eight-thirty tomorrow morning. We have a breakfast date with the Gryffindors!" I shuffled over to the bathroom, and got into my PJ's. I then flopped into bed, and fell fast asleep.

I'll let you know what happens at breakfast later. For right now, not even I know.

Love,

Amber