Status: In very, very, very slow progress
Slythendor
Welcome to the Black Parade
The following morning Vanessa got up at a reasonable time and went down to breakfast with a spring in her step. Mot only had her friends accepted her on to the Gryffindor table, but her sister, Jenifer had promised to buy and sent ‘The Black Parade’ to her as soon as it came out. When Cyanide, Vanessa’s owl came with a package wrapped in blue paper it seemed that Jenifer had delivered. Opening the package from her seat in between Ginny and Hermione she squealed as the paper fell off to reveal…
“‘The Black Parade’!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!” Vanessa screamed.
“It’s gonna get better when we beat Slytherin at Quidditch!” Ron said from his seat opposite her. She smiled and looked thoughtfully over at Gerard, Mikey, Ray, Frank and Bob. They were in a cluster slightly away from her. She promptly took from her pocket a portable CD player and placed the headphones over her ears after warning everyone that she was not going to hear them if they spoke and to only disturb her if it was urgent.
Quite a while later, after listening to the entire album non-stop about three times, Vanessa was buzzing. She ran up to Gerard and Ray in the Charms corridor to congratulate them. Gerard had been telling Ray that Vanessa knew about them being MCR.
Bouncing up and down she squealed very excitedly,
“HOLY FREAKIN’ SHIT!!!! That was… amazing! ‘The Black Parade’, it’s just… wow. Uh! I’m so…exhilarated; it was so mind-blowing, ah! I could kiss you! In fact-” Vanessa stood on tip-toes and kissed both Ray and Gerard on their cheeks, ruffling Ray’s afro as she was near him. She then bounced off to find the other three. Gerard touched the space where he’d been kissed, and smiled wistfully. Ray noticed this and said,
“God, you are so sweet on her!”
“I- no I’m not, I- I mean, yeah, I asked her out but- I’m not totally, like, obsessed about her!”
“Pfft. She’s all you ever talk about, dude, you fuckin’ love her. I think it’s sweet.”
“Oh my God! Dude, that was the most amazing album I’ve heard EVER!!! You guys are amazing!! Seriously, if it wouldn’t be completely weird cuz you guys are like, my best friends, I’d make out with every one of you it was so… exhilarating, mind-blowing, utterly amazing!! THANK YOU!!!” Vanessa gushed to Mikey, Bob and Frank, who were in a corridor near the Gryffindor common room. They smiled and thanked her for the compliment as she hugged them and they walked back to the common room. Vanessa was humming ‘Dead!’ all the way.
Oh, and by the way, Gryffindor did beat Slytherin at Quidditch. Vanessa was glad to see Draco looking defeated.
***
Bouncing into a seat in between Gerard and Frank, Vanessa produced a package wrapped in orange paper and said happily,
“Happy birthday Frankie!” giving the package to him she grinned at his look of happiness when he saw the cover of ‘Gig’ by the Circle Jerks staring back at him. Frank hugged Vanessa and squealed, “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!” as she grinned even more. It wasn’t their most recent one, but it was the only one she had and Frank hadn’t already got it.
Fifteen minutes later Vanessa was waiting by the portrait hole wearing a black skirt with an orange web on it; a long sleeved, black top with a dark purple rose, mist and ‘REST IN PEACE’ written on it; thick black and orange striped tights; her ‘Revenge’ MCR hoodie and some knee-high black lace up boots with tartan underneath the tongue. She had adorned her face with black eyeliner and had magically changed her streaks from green to orange, just for today.
Soon after that Gerard joined her dressed in a black button up shirt, black hoodie, grey denim jeans and black converses. His long black hair was brushing his shoulders as usual.
“Shall we, then?” He asked, smiling.
“We shall.” Vanessa said, smiling even more.
They made their way to the Entrance Hall, where Filch the caretaker was checking off names on a long list. He looked over Gerard and Vanessa disdainfully, and made it clear that he was a believer in the emo/goth stereotype.
“So….” Vanessa said shyly, “Where to first? How about Honeydukes, the sweet shop?” Gerard shrugged and said,
“Fine. You lead; I don’t know where it is.”
After visiting Honeydukes (where they bought tons of sweets), Dervish and Banges and Zonko’s Joke Shop, they strolled into the Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeers. As soon as they went in they were beckoned to a table by Ron and Hermione.
“Hey, Ness, can I have a word with you in private?” Hermione said after a while of sipping Butterbeers and talking.
“Sure.” Vanessa smiled. The two girls made their way to a secluded corner and Hermione immediately asked excitedly,
“How’s your date going?”
“Truthfully? Not so well. Gerard’s been acting cold and distant ever since we left Hogwarts! It’s just not like him, though. He’s been- He’s been exactly like Draco. Arrogant, stuck up, rough- just give him a blonde wig and you’d have him!” Vanessa gushed angrily. “I hope he’ll be back to his old self soon – I’m not giving up on him!”
“Sure he will.” Hermione smiled cheerfully, making Vanessa smile.
On their way back to the Shrieking Shack, Gerard pulled Vanessa roughly into an alley and shoved her against the wall. Vanessa kept flashing back to when Draco had done the same. Gerard did as Draco had, and, forgetting her claustrophobia, he pulled towards her and leant in to kiss her roughly.
For Vanessa, this was the last straw.
She slapped his face hard and stepped out of the alley, saying,
“I hope you’re ashamed of yourself, Mr. Way, and for future reference, force and acting cold and distant will always drive girls away!” with that she stormed back to the castle, shaking, with silent tears running down her face.
Mikey found her crying silently and shaking in a broom cupboard a few minutes later. He had gotten worried when Gerard wouldn’t tell him what had happened, so had gone to look for her. When Mikey saw Vanessa slumped on an upturned bucket looking depressed, confused and angry he fell to his knees so that he was at her level and hugged her tightly. Soon his Anthrax T-shirt was rather wet, but he didn’t care. It pained him to see a great friend of his so sad.
“‘The Black Parade’!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!” Vanessa screamed.
“It’s gonna get better when we beat Slytherin at Quidditch!” Ron said from his seat opposite her. She smiled and looked thoughtfully over at Gerard, Mikey, Ray, Frank and Bob. They were in a cluster slightly away from her. She promptly took from her pocket a portable CD player and placed the headphones over her ears after warning everyone that she was not going to hear them if they spoke and to only disturb her if it was urgent.
Quite a while later, after listening to the entire album non-stop about three times, Vanessa was buzzing. She ran up to Gerard and Ray in the Charms corridor to congratulate them. Gerard had been telling Ray that Vanessa knew about them being MCR.
Bouncing up and down she squealed very excitedly,
“HOLY FREAKIN’ SHIT!!!! That was… amazing! ‘The Black Parade’, it’s just… wow. Uh! I’m so…exhilarated; it was so mind-blowing, ah! I could kiss you! In fact-” Vanessa stood on tip-toes and kissed both Ray and Gerard on their cheeks, ruffling Ray’s afro as she was near him. She then bounced off to find the other three. Gerard touched the space where he’d been kissed, and smiled wistfully. Ray noticed this and said,
“God, you are so sweet on her!”
“I- no I’m not, I- I mean, yeah, I asked her out but- I’m not totally, like, obsessed about her!”
“Pfft. She’s all you ever talk about, dude, you fuckin’ love her. I think it’s sweet.”
“Oh my God! Dude, that was the most amazing album I’ve heard EVER!!! You guys are amazing!! Seriously, if it wouldn’t be completely weird cuz you guys are like, my best friends, I’d make out with every one of you it was so… exhilarating, mind-blowing, utterly amazing!! THANK YOU!!!” Vanessa gushed to Mikey, Bob and Frank, who were in a corridor near the Gryffindor common room. They smiled and thanked her for the compliment as she hugged them and they walked back to the common room. Vanessa was humming ‘Dead!’ all the way.
Oh, and by the way, Gryffindor did beat Slytherin at Quidditch. Vanessa was glad to see Draco looking defeated.
***
Bouncing into a seat in between Gerard and Frank, Vanessa produced a package wrapped in orange paper and said happily,
“Happy birthday Frankie!” giving the package to him she grinned at his look of happiness when he saw the cover of ‘Gig’ by the Circle Jerks staring back at him. Frank hugged Vanessa and squealed, “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!” as she grinned even more. It wasn’t their most recent one, but it was the only one she had and Frank hadn’t already got it.
Fifteen minutes later Vanessa was waiting by the portrait hole wearing a black skirt with an orange web on it; a long sleeved, black top with a dark purple rose, mist and ‘REST IN PEACE’ written on it; thick black and orange striped tights; her ‘Revenge’ MCR hoodie and some knee-high black lace up boots with tartan underneath the tongue. She had adorned her face with black eyeliner and had magically changed her streaks from green to orange, just for today.
Soon after that Gerard joined her dressed in a black button up shirt, black hoodie, grey denim jeans and black converses. His long black hair was brushing his shoulders as usual.
“Shall we, then?” He asked, smiling.
“We shall.” Vanessa said, smiling even more.
They made their way to the Entrance Hall, where Filch the caretaker was checking off names on a long list. He looked over Gerard and Vanessa disdainfully, and made it clear that he was a believer in the emo/goth stereotype.
“So….” Vanessa said shyly, “Where to first? How about Honeydukes, the sweet shop?” Gerard shrugged and said,
“Fine. You lead; I don’t know where it is.”
After visiting Honeydukes (where they bought tons of sweets), Dervish and Banges and Zonko’s Joke Shop, they strolled into the Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeers. As soon as they went in they were beckoned to a table by Ron and Hermione.
“Hey, Ness, can I have a word with you in private?” Hermione said after a while of sipping Butterbeers and talking.
“Sure.” Vanessa smiled. The two girls made their way to a secluded corner and Hermione immediately asked excitedly,
“How’s your date going?”
“Truthfully? Not so well. Gerard’s been acting cold and distant ever since we left Hogwarts! It’s just not like him, though. He’s been- He’s been exactly like Draco. Arrogant, stuck up, rough- just give him a blonde wig and you’d have him!” Vanessa gushed angrily. “I hope he’ll be back to his old self soon – I’m not giving up on him!”
“Sure he will.” Hermione smiled cheerfully, making Vanessa smile.
On their way back to the Shrieking Shack, Gerard pulled Vanessa roughly into an alley and shoved her against the wall. Vanessa kept flashing back to when Draco had done the same. Gerard did as Draco had, and, forgetting her claustrophobia, he pulled towards her and leant in to kiss her roughly.
For Vanessa, this was the last straw.
She slapped his face hard and stepped out of the alley, saying,
“I hope you’re ashamed of yourself, Mr. Way, and for future reference, force and acting cold and distant will always drive girls away!” with that she stormed back to the castle, shaking, with silent tears running down her face.
Mikey found her crying silently and shaking in a broom cupboard a few minutes later. He had gotten worried when Gerard wouldn’t tell him what had happened, so had gone to look for her. When Mikey saw Vanessa slumped on an upturned bucket looking depressed, confused and angry he fell to his knees so that he was at her level and hugged her tightly. Soon his Anthrax T-shirt was rather wet, but he didn’t care. It pained him to see a great friend of his so sad.