In The Water

Niffler

"Um it's okay. " I held out my hand to take back the lighter. She reached into a pocket of her dress to pulled out a packet of camels and took one out. She lit her cigarette then handed me the shiny lighter. She stood a couple feet in front me watching me light my cigarette.

"You're different then I imagined." She said as she exhaled a large cloud of smoke.

"How so?" I tried to not stare at her but I know I was failing. Her dress was a little longer then most women wear it as were the sleeves. Her hair was in a braid underneath the large sun hat obscuring the color slightly.It looked like a darker color.

"I expected someone more clean cut, I guess." She was sizing me up and looking disappointed. Her eyes were a deep brown, like smoky quartz in the sunlight.

" Sorry to disappoint doll." I crossed my legs in front of me and crossed my arms. She smirked again.

"Who said I was disappointed."  A playful smile hung on her pale pink lips. " I'm sure my grams loved you." She laughed and took a couple steps towards me. I uncrossed my legs and she reached up to grabbed a lock of my hair twirling the long strands in her fingers before dropping it. Standing there staring me in the eyes she tilted her head to the side in a quizzical manner. "Hmm gray." Suddenly she turned back around walking back to her easel. I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. 

"Um, Yeah.Well umm seven. I'm gonna.yeah." I was stammering like a teenager who just discovered a dirty magazine. She turned back around and raised an eyebrow.The raven made a angry gurgling noise at me.

"Sowerby." She warned the flying demon. I picked up my bag and started heading back to the trail. "You should wear dress robes, my dad believes men should dress appropriately for dinner."  I nodded looking down at my white dress shirt and suspenders,wrinkled from the bus ride.

"Did you get lost." Harry asked when I finally made it to the guest house. I gave him the one finger salute and he laughed. He had put some sandwiches on the counter of the kitchen he was in.

"Your Mum asked me to remind your sister about dinner. Where should I put this?" He pointed toward a door to the left of me and I dropped my bag into the small room.

"Oh so you met Mione?" He had a worried look on his face.

"Yes and the damn creature that guards her."  I sat down at the counter and grabbed a sandwich.

"Ah good old Sowerby, yeah I hate the flying bastard too." He laughed his big laugh as he sat down across from me. "My sister is unconventional to say the least."  I nodded in agreement.

"Do you have some dress robes I can borrow, didn't know there was a dress code." I bit into the sandwich in an aggressive manner. "Mines still wrinkled from the road."

"Yeah you don't have to wear them, my folks will understand." He started but I stopped him.

" I want to make a good impression on them, well as much as I can." I laugh as I run my fingers though my shoulder length hair.

"They just want you to be comfortable, you're their guest." We finished our food in silence after that.

"I'm going to take a shower and try to sleep before dinner." I put the plate in the sink and went to my room. After a quick shower I crawled into the bed and stared at the ceiling. Falling asleep wasn't the problem,it was the dreams that followed. I scrubbed my face with my hands fighting the exhaustion I was feeling. Chocolates colored eyes fluttered across my mind and I felt guilty for finding my friends sister attractive. Though I'm pretty sure a blind man would find her attractive. Finally I surrendered to the sleep I was fighting.

The dream always began the same way I was on the deck talking to Professor Sprout when there was a loud explosion and I drove in the deep lake.

The lake was dark and I knew the bubblehead charm wouldn't last long. The creatures begin attacking me. I reach Cho as the bubble charm wears off. The pressure in my lungs tighten. The small claws dig into my leg causing the water to turn scarlet.

"Who said I was disappointed." Hermione voice hit me like a cauldron of cold water. I sat straight up covered in cool sweat. The dream normally last a lot longer. Great now I'm dreaming of Potters sister. He's going to kill me. I look at the small alarm clock by the bed, it was was six thirty. I groaned and got out of bed. There was black dress robes that hung on the door. Without wasting anytime I got dressed decided to not wear a tie then combed my long hair back off my face. Took a while to jog up the trail but I made it with a little time to spare.

"There you are, thought you were going to sleep though dinner." Harry said as he handed me a fire whiskey.

"You could have woke me up prick." I hissed as him as a man next to Mrs.Potter came up to us.

" Mr. Diggory, welcome to my home." He shook my hand and smiled . Small wrinkles appeared around his blue eyes.

"He prefers to be called Cedric, I told you that darling." Mrs.Potter said she fixed his tie for him.

"Of course, my apologies Cedric. We're just waiting for my mother and daughter to join us. " He took a sip from his glass. "Ah there they are." The elderly woman walked in with the assistance of Hermione. Without her hat he could see her hair. It was an unruly head of brown curls.

"Are you being nice to my new friend,James?" The older woman came towards me releasing her granddaughters arm and taking mine. "Now shall we have some dinner or are you men going to continue to drink. " 

"Okay mother lets go eat." Mr.Potter said in an amused voice as his wife took his glass and put in on a table as they left. Hermione walked up to me maintaining eye contact with me. Without saying anything she took the glass from my hand then finished the last of the fire whiskey and took it to same table. Then she disappears into the dining room.

"My granddaughter is a peculiar young woman." She said with laughter in her voice breaking me out of the trance I was in. "But very beautiful." I hummed in agreement staring at where she walked off too. Realizing I just admitted to thinking Hermione was attractive I started stammering again. I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

"Relax son, I won't tell a soul." She smiled and we went into the dining room.