R&R Please!

Chapter 1

Teddy Lupin lay in bed, sick as a dog, no pun intended. He had contracted Dragon Pox from Charlie when he was home visiting. Something seemed amiss. He didn't think that one could get them from dragons, but he really knew nothing about illnesses, wizarding or muggle.

Fluer fidgited over him again, trying to use the muggle thermometer." How deez zis contrapshion work?" She shook it several times in rappid succession.

Mrs. Weasley glared at her. "Give it to me. My husband has been fiddling with muggle devices since before you were born. I'LL do it." She attempted to yank the thermometer away from her daughter in law.

"No, no. I zwill do eet. I am yoonger. You zood zleep. Eet eez past yoor nap time."

"I am not OLD!"

There was an exasperated sigh from the door way and Hermione came in, waved her wand once and left. There apeared above his head a number.

Mrs. Weasley looked smug. "100 exactly. I'll go fix him some soup."

"Turnip een leek zoop." Fluer said, following Molly out.

"Huh?" she cast over her shoulder, screwing with her.

"Zurnups een leek zoop!"

"I'm sorry, hun. Sometimes your accent just gets so thick, I can't understand a word. I'll fix you something soothing for your throat. You've been here 19 years. I know you can speak English."

"EE Do Not need zumting soozing. I vill meek zee zoop."

"But children should have fun. Go find your husband..."

"I eem not a shild!"

"And I'm not old."

Teddy laughed, hearing the arguement. It never seemed to get old.

Ron came in chuckling."That's Flem for ya."

"Ron, I'm board and they won't let me out of bed."

"Sorry man, there isn't much I can do. I had Dragon Pox when I was younger, but I hadn't even started at Hogwarts yet. I wouldn't suggest your pals catching wind of this."

"It's a baby's sickness. I suck..." Teddy whined.

"Yeah, and you're starting your seventh year," came the ever comforting voice of George Weasley and the ghost of his twin. They no longer looked alike. Fred had been drawn back from the edge of 'The Beyond' by Peeves. He didn't want to lose his play mate and didn't think that the world should lose such a great canadate for Poldergeist of the Year. Even if Fred was technicly a spirit and not a Poldergeist, he still liked screwing with people and considered himself to have unfinished business. This business, though, was a joke shop in London, owned, technicly, by his brother, but in reality, by the both of them.

"Yeah, real helpful," said Ginny as she past, not even looking into the room.

"I'm bored."

"Get over it."

"Entertain me," he said pointedly to Ron.

Fred stuck his head through his younger brother, who, by now, looked much older than him.

Ron froze and then jumped. "Don't do that!"

"Entertaining enough?" Fred said, his head still poking through Ron's chest.

George smiled."At least he stopped doing it to Angelina."

"She liked it..."

"Not really, but I thought it was funny. It was as good as having my head in her clevage... and she's MY wife..."

"Only this was IN her clevage." Fred gave a hearty laugh."Let's go find her and screw with her."

George started out of the room."Maybe we can do that thing again where we shag and you give comentary."

"She thinks I stopped watching doesn't she?"

Their voices faded and Teddy just shook his head. "I didn't need to know that."

"Hey, maybe.. I dunno, I could tell you a story." Ron took pitty on the boy, remembering his own boredom.

"Could you?"

"Sure, what do you want to hear?"

"Why does Ginny's back get stiff whenever we talk about Katie Woods?"

"Um... well. You sure you don't wanna hear the one about the Giant and the muggle kid that was stupid and ate te ransid beans. The one that got high and saw beanstalks and harps that play themselves?"

"I don't like it when you tell that story. Hermione always butts in and starts correcting you... on your own story..."

"Um...yeah. I totally wrote it myself."

"It's genius, too, but I really want to know why Aunt Ginny gets so uptight."

"Well, ma boy..."

"Don't call me that."

"But it's funny."

"Only to you... gramps."

Ron scoweled."I don't have to tell you the story, ya know."

"I'll be good," he squeaked.

"Ok..well. It's nothing to do with Katie Woods."

"Is it Oliver?"

"No. It's Katie NiBrian."

"Who?"

Ron sat next to Teddy's bed, on a stool that had set up there. "Maybe I should start from the beginning."

"Right."

"It was a dark and stormy night at Hoggwarts..."

"But that's so playedout..."

"Teddy..."

"I'm shutting up.. I'm shutting up, but really can't you come up with something more original?"

"It was a very bright night. The moon was full and there wasn't a cloud in the sky... There, happy?"

"Very."

"Claudia Stingroy entered the common room to find it empty. "

"I thought her name was Katie Woods."

"It's not Katie Woods. Her name isn't even spelled the same. Her's is a Katy. Like the Irish nick for Kathleen. This doesn't start with her, it starts with Claudia. Now shush.

Sighing, she took a seat in one of the tall leather wing backed arm chairs near the fire, to relax. Closing her eyes, she propped her feet up on the table and let the fires warmth come over her body. She had had a long day. Claudia had failed to get to transfigurations on time four times in the last week, it only being the 6th week of school, and had recieved three detentions over it. Tonights was over, thankfully. She'd shoveled so much Dragon and Lizard dung, the roses would be the best, this year, that they've been in 8. "

"8 what?"

"Years. She opened her eyes to watch the flames dancing in the fire place, until, that is, she heard a noise..."

"Dun Dun DUNNNNNN!"

"Go away, Fred."

"Real nice, Ron. Disrespect the dead, why don't ya." Fred floated from the room to find his twin.

"Someone was aproching. A very blond someone, with misty blue eyes..."

"...the depths of wich a mermaid could drown in," George finished, laughing. "Seen Fred?"

"No."

"Alright... hasta!"

"He had entered the room, thinking it was empty. He hurried down the steps. He had alot of homework and very little time in which to find someone to do it for him.
'Where the bloody hell are Crabbe and Goyle?' he thought furiously to himself.

He took a seat by the fire and peared into the flames, before he realised he wasn't alone.
He looked over, his eyes traveling over her hills and valleys. Her torched red hair was showing brightly in the flame's natural lighting. His depths met her blue puddles."

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to sound romanic here. Now shut up and listen.

He had seen this girl around, but couldn't put a name to the face. She seemed relatively pretty and we all know how big of a complement that is coming from 'The Ever Stuckup and Snot Nosed Draco Malfoy'. He merely nodded, gaining her acknowledgment and looked into the flames once more. The flames danced on a fresh fagit, log not homosexual..."

He added the last when he saw the worried look on Teddy's face. He continued, "She had a crush on him for the longest time. She never told anyone, but her closest friends. She noticed he seemed kinda rushed and a little stressed out. "Busy night ahead?" she asked, smiling.

He shrugged,"Potions..." That summed it up nicely. It didn't give away details that were none of her bussiness and hopefully answered her question enough to stop her where she was. He only glanced at her though..."You?" He was more curious than he sounded, but he doubted she would realize it and rather hoped she didn't. He stared back into the flames, awaitng her answer.

"What's so freaking facinating about the flames."

"It's romanic, shut up."

"Fire had always interested him. It was calming and peaceful and there was somethig about the sparks and embers. They danced and put on a little show. Fire, like him, could be endearing, cherishing and loving. Yet it could be one of the most deadly things on earth and not just anyone could keep it in check." Victoire Weasley explained from the door.

Teddy looked suddenly stupid.

Ron refused to look at her, because she was far too much like her mother and he found it creepy. He continued and she sat on the caounch across te room. "Claudia shrugged. "Nothing. I finished that earlier. I always start working right after classes, so I don't have to deal with it all later," she said calmly. Over achiever..." he mumble before going on."Which was surprising because she was usually flirty, loud and very obnoxious. Noticing he was watching the flames, she watched him. When she realized she was staring, she snapped her head away and said, "I was just skipping detention," and then paused."Again," she added, hoping he didn't realize her lying. She hoped that seeming like a bad girl would make him like her more. "Do you want help with your potions homework?" she asked raising a brow. She could do it for him and be a puppet, or she could help him with it and be a puppet that he had to stick around with for a few moments. "I don't mine helping. Just helping, though."

"No, I'll get Crabbe..."He thought about that for a moment. Crabbe... His homework would be covered in icing and wouldn't have a single answer done. He looked at her..."Yeah, that'd be great." He smirked..."

"Curiosity killed the ferret, but satisfaction brought it back,"Victoire said.

Ron and Teddy laughed."Claudia looked at him with surprise, "You mean those goons you hang out with actually know something?" she asked.

"No, that's why I accepted your offer. So, why skip detention? Who was it with?"

Now she was being more flirty and flipped her hair over her shoulder in a very girley fashion and sat next to him locking eyes. His held a certain seduction that caused her to look away, blushing a little. She answered his question, " I had it with Trelawny,"she lied again, so he wouldn't know she'd been doing hard labor. "She was telling me I wasn't concentrating on the crystal ball hard enough. I hate that class. She is so weird, so, it doesn't matter." She looked at his face again. Those eyes seemed to pull her in. She couldn't help smiling, talking to Draco was surprisingly easy.

"So do you wanna get started?" she asked curiously in a small but sweet sort of whisper, eyeing him as he stared at the flames once again.

He shook his head,"Later..."

They watched as the flames danced of their own accord. There was a ball coming up and he needed to get a date, if he didn't want to go with Pansy, that is. She used to be his old standby, but MERLIN! that girl was annoying! This girl seemed to be the only one that didn't melt at his feet. He contemplated a moment.

Claudia just nodded and leaned back in her seat. She was watching Draco and didn't even realize a smile had spread across her face. After a few moments of watching him, she turned to him and realized that it wasn't the fire that was keeping him from his homework. Either he was stalling or he was thinking about something. Draco? Think? HA!Claudia sat up and asked in a concerned voice, " Are you okay? Is something on your mind?" giving him the beneffit of the doubt. "People don't usually stall on homework to look at a fire," she added smirking at him.

"I'm fine... There's a ball coming up..."He looked at her,"You wanna go with me?" It was less of a question, more of a statement. He was slouching and leaning back...He had his arm draped across the arm of the chair, looking like the lazy bastard he was.

Claudia beamed at him..."

"She beamed Malfoy? COOL!"

"No dear," Victoire said, smirking.

"Not with a two by four...no," Ron said.

"A three by six?"

"They don't come in that size..."

"With what then?"

"Teddy..." Victoire warned.

"Right, sorry, so she 'beamed' at him... what about?"

"The thing. The thing that was happening...ya know...before. But he seemed bored, like it was just cause she was there, and breathing and...like...female.

"Sure, that'd be great," she said as she smiled at him. There was a Hogsmeade trip coming up in two weeks and she could buy a dress then. She sighed with relief because she had wanted a date as well. She leaned forward to watch the flames. "

"Again with the flames?"

"They're romantic."

"Are they?" He looked at Victoire, who nodded.

Ron continued,"The warmth coming across her legs was comforting and she enjoyed watching the way the flames moved and shook. Even though she had had detention just that night and, though she'd lied about it, she had actually skipped class earlier that day. Well, though she had had detention and should have been shaken up, she was beaming. Claudia had figured Draco would've invited Pansy, as usual, but she was glad he didn't. Pansy was an annoying prick who never knew when to quit. Claudia felt that Pansy was always jealous of her and she didn't know why. It's not like Claudia ever did anything to her, but she had always won the snapping contests with Pansy whenever she tried to bug her about something. As she pushed those thoughts out of her mind she became entranced by the flames."

"Again..."

"Again...

Draco smirked,"Course it will. I'll get you money for your dress. No richer family than mine and my date has to reflect that..." he bragged, blowing the smoke out his arse like he always did."What's your favorite kind of flower?" he watched her...

Claudia smiled at him, she came from a wealthy family as well. He didn't need to buy her a dress but it flattered her that he thought so."

"So it flattered her that he thought she was poor and couldn't afford a dress that reflected his status? Was he going to pick it out for her, too?"

"I'm sure he was. Sexist prick!" Victoire stated indignantly.

"You really are too much like your Aunt Gabbi," Ron said, laughing. He went on," You don't have to buy me a dress if you don't want to. My family is wealthy, too, but that was sweet of you," she added winking. For a moment she thought of her favorite flower, and finally came to a decision. "Lillies," she answered nodding."

"Mine too!" Lily called, running down the hall to avoid her father, who ran past next, ready to tickle her.

Ron glanced at the door. He smile, then turned back to Teddy. "Then she thought over their conversation, "Well I obviously know who you are but my name is Claudia, Claudia Stingroy," she said smirking and crossing her arms, as if that made her hardcore or something...yo!"

Hermione walked past,"Don't say 'yo'..."

He made a face at her.

Teddy's face was screwed up a bit,"But why would he ask her out, without knowing her name."

"Power of love..." Fred floated across the room through one wall and out through the other.

"Hm..." was his only answer. He thought for a moment."I'll have Crabbe pick up some for you then."
He smirked."I wonder who Harry..." no he'd call him by his last name...us too..."Potter," Ron corrected," is bringing. Weasel's Baby Sister, no doubt. And Weasley himself is probably bringing Granger..."

"Weasel?"

"Yeah. I called him Ferret, he called me Weasel. Seemed fair enough."

"So Harry and Ginny were together even in school?"

"Yeah."

"Hold on Ron... your math is off."

"How so?"

"Sixth week of school? Why would he be worrying about a date for the Yule ball so soon? Did they even know about it that early?"

"I never said it was the Yule ball. We only had that in our fourth year."

"What year is this?"

"Do you expect me to remember, or do you expect me to finish the story?"

"That sounds stupid..."

"Good night.."

"NONONONONONONO. I'll be good..."

"Now shut up and listen," Ron said and sat from where he'd stood to prove his point. "Claudia had been watching the flames."

"Again."

"She rolled her eyes at his comment about Crabbe picking up her flowers. He was too dense to see it. Claudia had been listening to what he was saying though."

Fred floated through again, adding her dialogue as he saw it, "Yeah, that is the way it usually works. Since Ginny adores Harry and Weasley and Granger can't find anyone else to go with," she said in a rude tone."

Grorge walked in and sat next to Victoire," Although no one can blame her, it was true."

Ron continued, glaring," He adjusted his position in the chair."They're desperate
bloody gits. Need I say more... "

"You're cal..."

"It's what he said, "Now about that homework. I'll go get my potions kit." Cuz of course he was completely stupid and needed a kit."

"So did you," Hermione said from the door.

"He got up and gave her a light kiss, barely brushing her lips, having more meaning in it than one would think, coming from the Slytherin Prince.

Claudia had to admit, she had been getting quite bored. She finally pulled her eyes away from the fire and turned to Draco saying, "No you don't need to say anymo-" but she was cut off."

"Heez leeps lightly brushed hars and she immeedeeately feelt har hart swell and her stumeck tearn into butt-erflies. "

"Fluer!" She came in, setting down a trey with two bowels of soup on it.

"Zee kiss. It was full of..le pasheon!" she gripp the air near her heart with her fist,"AY!" Fluer opted to sit next to her daughter to hear more of the story.

Ron sighed,"He ran off to get his potions kit and she sat there shocked and beaming. "Oh...Merlin," she said slowly but not loudly, more like an excited whisper. She knew she was making a big deal over something so small, but she could tell he meant it. She snapped out of staring at nothing and flipped to the directions in her book needed to make the potion. Once she found the page, she checked her watch, it was 11:25. Wow, time flies, she thought as she sat there clearing off the table and waiting for Draco to come back."

"What potion?"

"It doesn't matter, Draco returned and set down his potions kit. He smiled and looked at her, sitting... "What first?"

Claudia read over the first two instructions, " You need to crush the Scarab beatles and I will cut the ginger root." She picked out the ingredients. She started cutting the ginger root as he was pounding the beatles into powder."

"The band?"

"The bug, Claudia was good at potions but she didn't really enjoy the class, it was just an easy grade for her. She wanted him to crush beatles? He was too stuck up and too much of a pretty boy to do such a thing. He might mess up his perfectly manacured nails... He shook his head and set to work. Crush, crush crush crush... pound pound, beat beat beat. grind grind gr-"

"I get the point."

"Done." He had crushed a few more for something his father had wanted him to make. Probably to poison someone I care about... I dunno. He liked being a jack off like that. He set them aside and put the assigned amount in the center of the table."Now what?"

Claudia laughed...wait Slytherin...snickered at him shaking her head over the beatles, her curls bouncing in every direction. She finished cutting the roots at the same time that he finished with the beatles. Claudia looked over the rest of the potion and dumped the beetles and ginger root into the cauldron. "Okay, measure the armadillo bile into a measuring cup," Claudia instructed as if she were talking to mungo the caveman and grabbed the measuring cup to hand it to him. "Start pouring," she said and she mixed what was already in the cauldron.

He grimaced and followed her directions. He only hoped she realized that getting him to do things like this, made her a VERY special girl.

"What color is your dress going to be?" He asked. He wanted his robes to match her dress, because he couldn't be caught clashing with her. It was an unheard of fashion mistake that a girley boy like him could NEVER make.

Claudia smiled, she knew he didn't usually take orders from people. She thought about the question,"I don't know, why don't you go to Hogsmeade with me when I buy it." But, then she thought about dragging him along and how boring that would be-"

" -for his poor delicate boyish nerves," Victoire interjected.

Ron finished,"Actually, why don't I buy a dress, find you, tell you what color it is and then you can go buy your robes?" she suggested as she read over the directions.

"Sounds good," he nodded."Do you know Pansy? Annoying little..." he didn't finish the sentence.
He looked at his own instructions."Feh...I'm out of Horned Slugs," he commented, looking through his kit.

Claudia rolled her eyes, " Of coarse I know Pansy, I hate her," like everyone else that breaths the same air,"We, like, totally, I dunno, loath each other."

"Fer sure," George finished his brother's poke at valley girls.

"She sighed and stood up, "I'll go get some out of my kit, it's in my dorm." Claudia ran up to her dorm and quickly came down with it. "How much do you need?" she asked eyeing her bottle and walking towards him.

"I"m not sure. How much does it say?" he asked, looking over his instructions. "Goyle had to finish copying, he used my instructions. He didn't get all of them in class and smudged icing on mine." He knew, quite well, that everyone in Slytherin, in Hogwarts-"

"-in the world-"

"-knew how slow Crabbe and Goyle were. "As for Pansy, all of her friends are as annoying as she, that's why I asked." Not that he needed an excuse, he just knew how torturesum curiosity could be. Not that he cared, mind you... Because poor ickle baby Malfoy didn't care about anybody but himself.

Claudia smiled and picked up her direction/ingredients to read over them. "Okay...you need...3 spoon fulls," she eyed her bottle, that was all that was left. She dumped it into the potion and kept mixing it. They added the final ingredients and finished the potion. Claudia was a little tired and checked her watch, it was 11:55. She yawned and helped Draco clean up his supplies and put his kit back together.

"Thank you..."That was a first. He thanked someone. After cleaning up, he told her good night and kissed her again. Horny motherf-"

"RON!"

"Yes Mom..." The room was slowly filling with people..."This time with more passion and
intensity..."

"Le Pasheon! AY!"

"...but it was still feather light, meant to tease and torture. There was something strange about this girl. Normally he would just have his fun, then toss their heart to the side, not certain where it landed, or if it broke, not caring. With this girl, he would have his fun, but, for some reason, he didn't want to hurt her. As Draco pulled away moments later, Claudia pulled him back and started to kiss him lightly and then open her mouth..."

"RON!"

"Yes mom... She wanted to french him and show him that she wasn't just some regular girl, she was different and special. She put all her emotions into her kiss."

"RON!"

Ron sighed,"Claudia had watched Draco's shocked face with a smile as she pulled away, bit her lip, and went up to her dorm."

"That sounds like a good stopping point to me." Ginny walked in."Everyone needs to clear out and let him go to sleep."

"But my soup?"

"Why weren't you eating it?"

"The story was engaging..."

"Yeah... eat your food and get to sleep, Teddy!"

"But."

"Listen to her, Teddy,"Harry said from thr door, a sleeping 8 year old Lily in one arm.

"Everybody out!" Ginny pointed at the door and her mother looked over her with pride.

Fearing for their lives, everyone scurried out.

"Eet zee ternup een leek, eet eez..."

"OUT!"

With that they cleared the room and left Teddy Lupin to his soup and sleep.