Melanie Rosen: Year 3 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 12 The Ring

Chapter 12

 The Ring

Naturally, most people’s favorite class became Defense Against he Dark Arts after our first lesson. Of course Draco had bad things to say about Lupin. He poked fun of his robes, though few cared how he dressed. Not even that many Slytherins seemed to go along with him.

At first, I would have said Care of Magical Creatures was my second favorite class, but lately, it has grown extremely dull. Now we were studying flobberworms, which honestly, I don’t understand the point in their existence. I suppose I can understand Hagrid’s reason for not wanting to risk anything after the first lesson. I blamed Draco for ruining the class.

Potions class has become quite miserable for anyone not in Slytherin. Word spread about Neville’s boggart. Now Snape was bullying him ever worse than before, which I didn’t think was even possible. Today, I tried to stand up for him but wound up with detention.

“Thanks for standing up for me today,” Neville said to me after that class. “Sorry you got in trouble.”

I shrugged and replied, “It’s third year, Neville. I’m pretty used to it by now.”

That was the first to a series of detentions I got issued by Snape. I had begun to wonder if he had been holding back the first two years I was actually in his house.

Now that it was October, the hot topic for third years was Hogsmeade. Now that I knew Mum was safe and sound, I could go back to being mad at her. After all, if it were not for her, I was positive Aunt Becky would have signed my permission form. I let out a frustrated huff. No one else’s parents were this neurotic and overprotective.

This evening when I entered the common room after yet another detention with Snape, I immediately heard commotion.

“Get that cat!” Ron’s voice bellowed.

As I walked into the room, the scrambling grew louder. I found Harry and Hermione desperately trying to catch her cat, Crookshanks.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“That cat is after Scabbers!” Ron yelled. “Catch it if you can!”

I saw the little rat scurry under the bed I stood next to. As Crookshanks lunged after him, I bent down and snatched the cat up. Ron knelt down by the bed and grabbed Scabbers.

“Woah, settle down, you” I said, holding the cat away from me. It hissed at me and I hissed back. I have never really been much of a cat person. I always wanted to have a dog, but of course, Mum would never allow it.

Ron and Hermione then began to shout at each other over the incident. Harry and I just looked at each other and shrugged, as neither of us knew what to say.

I then sighed and walked over to Hermione, plopping the cat in her lap and said, “Here Hermione, take your cat.”

Having quite enough, I decided to say goodnight and head over to the girls’ dormitory for bed. Ron and Hermione were still too busy arguing, they did not even notice me leaving.

xXx

The next morning, I woke up and found Crookshanks hovering over me.

“You can leave me alone,” I grumbled groggily. “I’m not a rat.”

He dropped a little cardboard box on my chest. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and opened it. Inside, rested a golden ring. It looked like a wedding ring.

“Eh… Hermione, I think your cat is trying to propose to me,” I said, as both Lavender and Parvati giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes and came over to pick up her cat.

“He’s just trying to be friendly, Melanie,” Hermione insisted. “He knows you don’t like him. Besides, he found that box in your suitcase.”

“Nothing personal,” I muttered to the cat, and then glanced curiously at my bag. “Wait, what would a wedding ring be doing in my suitcase?”

Hermione shrugged and suggested, “Maybe its your aunt’s? It looks like there’s an inscription on the inside. What does it say?”

I held the ring up closer to get a better look. When I saw the words, my eyes froze on them, not expecting this.

This ring, supposedly from my aunt and uncle’s manor, bore the words, Forever yours. Love, Andre.