Slythendor

“FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY, I WILL BLOODY KILL YOU!!!!” Vanessa yelled as she went soaring through the corridor the next morning.

Someone had charmed wheels on to her shoes while she was on her way to Transfiguration, and pushed her. They had also put a Sticking Charm on the shoes beforehand, so her feet were glued inside them, as she had found out when she tried to take them off. She assumed it was the twins as they were the master pranksters.

“If you don’t want to get run over, I suggest you MOVE!” Vanessa sighed irritably. A gang of first years screamed and pressed themselves against the wall.

“Ruddy first years…. Is it impossible for someone to help me?” She muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

“Nice way of getting to class on time!” Lee Jordan smiled as Vanessa whizzed past him. As she realised that she was heading towards a hard, stone wall, she cursed under her breath. “This is gonna hurt.” Vanessa muttered. Turning the corner and seeing Vanessa, Cedric Diggory, a handsome, tall, dark haired fifth-year Hufflepuff whipped out his wand – but it was too late.

CRASH!

Vanessa smashed, face first into the wall. Cedric could see that her nose was bleeding and there were cuts on her head, and had heard her swear loudly. Vanessa drew back from the wall, and fell backwards. Luckily Cedric’s quick reflexes as a Seeker enabled him to catch her.

Cedric had seen beforehand that she had no control over her shoes and now that she was seriously hurt. Pointing his wand at the shoes he exclaimed, “Petrificus Totalus!” and the shoes froze.

And that’s when she fainted.

“No… no! Not again! Please not again!” Vanessa murmured.

“Madam Pomfrey, she’s coming to!” Cedric called. The matron came bustling out of her office as Vanessa sat up confusedly.

“What? How did I get in the Hospital Wing, and not to be rude, but who are you?!” Vanessa wondered.

“I’m Cedric Diggory. You fainted after I stopped those bewitched shoes, and-”

“And Diggory here carried you all the way here!” Madam Pomfrey beamed.

“It was nothing really… you were really hurt-”

“Spoken like a true Hufflepuff, always modest! Now, let’s have a look at that head of yours, Herbaceum. Ah, yes… I think a goblet of this and some more bandages and you’ll be fine!” the matron smiled, pouring a goblet of odd blue liquid that tasted like bacon. “And here’s a note explaining you’re absence.”

“Thanks,” Vanessa murmured, swinging her legs of the bed and smoothing her skirt. “Anyway, Cedric, how long was I out for?”

“Well, it takes five minutes to get here from the Charms corridor, and then you were out for… another five minutes, so that’s ten minutes.” Cedric replied.

“Oh, that’s fine then. I’m Vanessa Herbaceum, by the way. And just out of interest, have you ever been called Ricky?” Cedric laughed and replied,

“Umm, no. I have been called Eddy though!”

As Vanessa stood up from the bed, she realised that she still had wheels on her shoes.

“We couldn’t get them off,” Cedric explained apologetically, “but we do know that whoever did put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the wheels – and we haven’t managed to undo the charm sticking the shoes to your feet, though.” He finished, looking up from his feet a bit.

“Okay then. Umm… you wouldn’t mind helping me, would you? Only I don’t want to crash again.” Vanessa asked timidly.

“Sure!” Cedric smiled kindly. “I’ve got a free period anyway!”

“Thanks.” Vanessa grinned, reaching for Cedric’s shoulder. “Damn! You’re too tall, I can’t reach your shoulder to steady myself! Or I’m too short, but anyway….”

“Not to pry, but… when you were out, what was going through your head? I heard you moaning when you came to and….” Cedric asked as they walked carefully and slowly out of the Hospital Wing, Cedric instead with his hand gently placed on Vanessa’s shoulder.

“My father’s murder. And rather oddly the day my mother died – cancer – but that was before I’d even started Hogwarts, why I’d be dwelling on it now I don’t know….” Vanessa replied, her casual tone covering up her pain.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean – forget I said it.” Cedric gasped.

“Don’t worry about it.” Vanessa replied.

~*~

“Professor McGonagall?” Cedric cleared his throat nervously. The Transfiguration teacher turned from the Dean Thomas, whom she had been advising on the incantation they were using, and seemed rather startled at the appearance of a fifth-year helping a third-year who had wheels attached to her shoes and nasty cuts and bruises all over her head.

“Heavens, dear, I wondered why you were…” Professor McGonagall trailed off as Vanessa handed her the note from the matron and said,

“Sorry I’m late, Professor.”

McGonagall’s eyes widened as she read the note.

“My dear girl… and they’re still stuck to your feet? Dear, dear. Well, take your seat, and we shall continue with the lesson. Thank you, Mr. Diggory, for helping her.” With the help of Cedric, Vanessa glided into the only free space, next to Neville.

“Thanks,” she said to Cedric, “See ya,” she winked, “Ricky.”

“Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Vanessa, Vanessa Herbaceum.” Vanessa smiled, turning to Neville. He swallowed nervously and replied,

“I’m Neville. Neville Longbottom.”

“Nice to meet you, Neville,” Vanessa grinned.

~*~

It was a week before Vanessa’s shoes came off.

Over the next few weeks, Vanessa became great friends with both Cedric and Neville. Rumours had started going round that Vanessa and Cedric were dating, and when she heard Lavender Brown loudly say, “I heard that Diggory’s going out with her, you know that Herbaceum girl.” she burst out laughing. Cedric meanwhile was shaking his head and retorted loudly to Lavender, “Actually, my girlfriend’s in Ravenclaw, not Slytherin like Vanessa is!”