Hands of Fate

Title: Hands of Fate

Author: Luna

Feedback: Loved and appreciated…send it to ambersgrrl@yahoo.com

Archive: Full Moon Romper Room, Tainted Fiction, and Luna’s Night Moves…anyone else, please just ask.

Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: NC-17 for graphic sexual situations.

Warnings: Underage sex! (After all they’re still in school!)

Pairings: Aislinn/Draco Malfoy, Abigail/Blaise Zabini, Martika/Viktor Krum, and Kaleaha/Harry Potter

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Publishing, and Warner Brothers Entertainment do not authorize this author. All characters that you recognize belong to J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Publishing, and/or Warner Brothers Entertainment. Nothing is being gained from this work of fiction.

Summary: The fate of an entire race rests on their shoulders. Will they fold to destiny or will they fight it?

Author’s Note: As always with my stories I’m going to be using these characters as I see fit. I will be ignoring anything that I want to and that irritates me. This story qualifies as AU because let’s face it Krum left after GoF. If any of this bothers you save both our sanity and STOP READING NOW!

Anything else: Yes, I’d like to thank Kat for all her help over the little speed bumps in writing and a most awesome banner! Also even though if questioned she would deny it thanks need to go out to my loverly and terrific sister Dayla! Last but certainly not least; I’d like to thank Maggie not only for being a wonderful friend but a terrific beta. I love you girls!
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Chapter Ten

Martika stared around the classroom with bored cerulean eyes. A quill dangled from her fingertips a smirk firmly in place as she listened to Professor Flitwick trying to explain a complex charm to the rest of the class. It wasn’t that the subject didn’t interest her; it was the furtive glances sent her way by the famed Quidditch seeker. It amused her how hard he was trying not to be obvious but doing so anyway.

“Something funny Marti,” Ernie asked from his place next to her. He had watched her throughout the class and the longer it went on the more amused she became.

“Not unless you noticed the same thing I did,” she answered easily.

Macmillan nodded the corners of his mouth twitching. “Krum’s increasingly covert glances over here.”

“That would be it,” Martika said smiling at the other boy. The dark haired young woman sat forward a twinkle in her eyes. Turning to the Hufflepuff on her right she studied him a moment. Laughing on the inside she knew her next move could, in all probability, blow up in her face yet she couldn’t check the words. “Think he’s checking you or me out,” she questioned trying for innocent but failing.

The other boy’s face lit up biting his lip to keep from laughing out right. Ernie figured she was going to say something outlandish just by the look in her icy blue eyes but even so he hadn’t been expecting that. Closing his eyes his chest heaved with silent laughter. Finally opening his eyes he took a deep breath giving his desk partner a thorough once over. “I don’t know that I could compete with you,” he said at last.

Marti eyed the young man sitting next to her lips twitching. She shot a glance across the room to where, it seemed that, Viktor had given up subtlety and was now flat out staring. “I don’t know hun, I think you two would make a handsome couple.”

Ernie’s laughter rang out in the large classroom. Several heads turned in their direction confusion evident on their faces. It only incited more laughter from the young man. A pointed look from the professor convinced most of the class to return to the topic at hand.

When he had finally gathered himself together enough to speak he turned to Martika. “You know,” he said confidentially. “He’s not really my type. Do you think you could let him down gently for me? It just wouldn’t do for me to be running around Hogwarts breaking hearts like that.”

The dark haired princess was immensely grateful that the Hufflepuff seated next to her had a very good sense of humor. Most guys would have been either insulted or offended by the implication that he might be attracted to the same sex. She couldn’t understand that though. Maybe it was her up bringing coloring her view of things. After all not every culture believed happiness should be found no matter what form it took.

Marti snorted at the delicacy of her own thoughts. The only thing delicate about her was her stature though most people forgot about that when she spoke. Sex was sex, she thought to counter the earlier musings. For the fey, all manner of fey, sex was something used for just about every emotion. Sad? Have sex. Need comfort? Sex with a friend was always the thing to chase away loneliness. Happy? Celebrate with that young thing that caught your eye. Of course those who had yet to experience their awakening were exempted from that practice. Thinking about home brought to mind her responsibilities including the one with which they were supposed to be currently undertaking. Her cousins may have forgotten about it in the rush of getting ready for another school year but she had not.

She had been groomed from an early age to realize not only her power but also the power she would wield as the ruler over the courts of Fairie. It was a terrible weight to have thrust upon her shoulders and she coped using her attitude. Not that she thought there was anything wrong with her attitude but she knew that many people thought because of that flippancy she wasn’t fit to rule.

Sighing she ran her fingers through her waist length raven tresses. Some days all she wanted to do was decline the crown but to do that would throw all of Fairie into chaos. There would be those that would love nothing more than to overthrow the young princess.

Actually there were those within each of the courts that wanted to see all the girls fall and fall hard. It had been a millennium since the last time the courts of Fairie had seen all the thrones occupied by women. Most thought that this was a good omen that with the girls taking their rightful places prosperity would once again return to their people. She wasn’t so sure that they would guarantee the continuation of the people but she was loath to say so aloud.

A jolt of electricity shot through the princess. She whipped her head around to find Ernie staring at her with confusion. Her own body still thrummed with that simple touch. It was disconcerting to have the young man looking at her in such a way. There was also something about the entire situation that tickled the edges of her memory but she couldn’t coax that bit of information out of hiding. Realizing that she had been silent for far too long if Macmillan’s expression was anything to go by she said, “I knew you were an electrifying personality I just didn’t realize it was a physical thing as well.”

An easy smile was on his face belied by the shaken look in his expressive eyes. “A real live wire,” he quipped. The young man wasn’t sure what to make of what had just occurred but he couldn’t dismiss it so easily from his mind. He would just have to keep his wits about him. After all, his logical mind reminded him, it could nothing more than that static electricity that one of the muggleborns told him about after a similar shock.

Shaking his head Ernie said, “I was just going to tell you that it is now safe to leave class.”

Martika offered him a watered down grin. “Thanks, my head’s really been in the clouds lately,” she offered weakly.

He waved off the explanation easily. “It happens to us all,” he assured her. “Coming to lunch,” he asked.

“Yeah, maybe if I get something in my stomach I’ll be better able to focus,” she said distractedly.

“Mind some company on the way down? You can safeguard my virtue from the likes of Krum,” he said offering her his arm.

Her musical laughter rebounded across the room as she slung her book bag over her shoulder. Placing her hand in the crook of his elbow she let him escort her down to the Great Hall and lunch. Had she looked back she would have seen a pair of dark eyes staring a hole in her back.

Viktor was shaken to the very core of his being. It seemed like everyone was attracted to the raven-haired beauty. There was a sickening pressure around his heart that made him wonder why she was so at ease with everyone except, it seemed, him.

He had watched the young woman as subtly as possible. He realized it had been a futile effort when both Ernie and Martika had glanced repeatedly in his direction. It had caught him off guard. Part of him wondered if he was the butt of some joke the way they had laughed.

Krum wasn’t used to this tightness in his chest. Being older, and supposedly wiser, shouldn’t he know how to approach a woman? The answer to that was, sadly, no. He had never had to approach a woman before, with the exception of Hermione, so he was out of his element.

Again he wondered why women couldn’t be more like Quidditch. At least there he felt more at home. In Quidditch it was as simple as find and seek. It made sense and was pretty straightforward. With girls he always felt like he was missing some key ingredient that would somehow explain their mystique.

Gone was his previous confidence of this morning. Oh, he hadn’t given up on her; he just had to refine his technique. Now that was something he was accustomed to. Quidditch required a player to be able to change and adapt to what his competitor was doing. He would just have to find something he could use to approach the young woman.

He was on his way down to the Great Hall when the inspiration struck him. His grin could only be called devious as he continued down the tricky staircase. He would just ask for some help with the Charms assignment. A girl couldn’t resist a boy in need, could she? And it had worked with Hermione back in her fourth year. It had to work!

Pausing in the doorway his dark eyes scanned the room instantly landing on Martika. Great Merlin, please let this work, he thought slowly making his way over to her.