A/N: If you've been reading my story and have yet to leave me feedback it would really mean a lot to me if you did. I'm not the type of person to stop posting just because I didn't get the response (or lack there of) that I wanted but I would absolutely love to know what you think. So please submit a review even if you think this story stinks. I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong. Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: All the characters you see here that are in any of the Harry Potter books belong to JK Rowling and I am not her. I am simply taking them out to play.

Chapter 3: Unexpected News

"Well our marriage of course," Rosier said simply.

Mallory felt her draw drop open as she stared at him, unable to move.

"Don't look at me like that," he said harshly, "you know very well that most pureblood marriages are arranged ones."

Mallory could feel her heart beating in her chest. Yes, she knew one day her father would be searching for a husband for her, but she thought for certain he would wait until after she left Hogwarts. He had waited until Vincent left Hogwarts to look for a wife for him.

"My father thinks our marriage would be a good idea," continued Rosier, "both of us come from very long lines of pureblooded families and we are only one year apart in age."

For the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say. She was completely tongue tied from the shock. Marry Rosier? Sure he had grown up some over the summer, and she had thought he looked good the night before but he was not the wizard for her. She already knew the wizard for her. As stupid as it sounded, she actually believed in marrying for love. The bell sounded signaling they had five minutes to get to class.

"I'm going to be late," she mumbled still deep in thought.

"I'll walk with you," he replied letting go of her arm and walking up the stairs next to her. They walked in silence until they reached the classroom door. "It's not definite," Rosier said, "it's just a possibility. Who knows, maybe next year father will find someone better." She wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "It wouldn't be too bad being married to you." He continued, "If I had my choice, you would be one of my first picks," she simply nodded, "you are the prettiest girl in your year," he added.

Mallory was used to wizards telling her she was pretty. Not that she really believed them. She didn't consider herself any better looking than the rest of the girls in her year. There was a moment of silence between them. Mallory was completely unable to form any coherent sentences in her mind.

"I'm going to class," he said after a moment and walked away down the hall. She slipped into class and took her usual seat in between Sophia and Darcy who both looked thoroughly annoyed.

"What were you and Rosier talking about?" Darcy hissed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Mallory replied in a tone that clearly said the topic was closed.

The rest of the day was frustrating for Mallory. The only person she wanted to talk to was Severus and he was nowhere around. Of course, he wasn't in her year so if she wanted to find him she would have to seek him out and she didn't have the time or energy. He wasn't at lunch which frustrated Mallory more than anything. Rosier wasn't their either, luckily for her, so she sat silently with Darcy, Sophia and Regulus, not eating, then continued to her next class, Potions.

She was one of the last people to trudge into the potion classroom in the dungeons a little while later.

"I saved you a seat," said Darcy. Mallory looked up and walked over to her friend. Sophia was sitting behind Darcy with Rigel Parkinson a fairly intelligent Slytherin whom Sophia knew.

"Thanks," Mallory mumbled and sank into her seat. She placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. This news was draining all of her energy and consuming her thoughts. Why had he told her? Why couldn't he have kept it to himself? She was 16 years old she did not want to be forced to think about who she was going to marry.

"What's up?" Darcy asked. "You've been too quiet today."

"I have a lot of my mind."

"Why don't you share some of the load?"

"I already told you I didn't want to talk about it," Mallory snapped. "Just leave me alone."

"You don't have to snap at me," Darcy replied angrily.

"I will do what I want."

Darcy gave her an icy glare which Mallory returned then turned in her seat to talk to Sophia. Mallory continued to brood all class period.

Ordinarily she would be very engaged and answering all of the questions asked but her mind stubbornly stayed on Rosier and what he had told her. Emily Hart, someone who purposefully put herself against Mallory, fielded all of the questions instead just as she had done in Transfiguration. However in this class Mallory started every time Emily's hand shot into the air, she was sitting right in front of her next to Rachel Prewett. They were reviewing from last year so Mallory was not worried about missing anything.

When the bell resounded Mallory thanked the gods.

"What's the matter Crabbe? Did your brain turn to mush over the summer?" Emily's words cut through Mallory like no one else's could.

"Leave her alone," Rachel whispered, "it's obvious she's upset about something." Mallory said nothing she just followed Darcy out of the classroom.

"You can't ignore me forever!" Emily shouted down the hall to their backs. Mallory was not in the mood for this. She was bound to cry at any moment and another fight was not something she needed.

"Mallory," Darcy hissed, "should I hex her?" Mallory shook her head.

"I told you the plan. No one is to say a word to her."

"This has been going on for five years now," said Sophia, "when are you just going to put her in her place?"

"I don't want to waste any more of my time on the filthy-blood traitor." This seemed to satisfy them because neither said another word about it.

"Girls," Parkinson muttered disgustedly under his breath while shaking his head.

"Don't walk away from me!" Emily's shouts were much closer. They continued down the hall and up the stairs. Then headed out to the court yard to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what the other houses said about them, they did like sunshine.

"Let's go have some fun," said Sophia. Darcy and Mallory followed her to a near by bench with some 2nd year Hufflepuffs sitting on it. Parkinson shook his head and joined Theodore Nott whom was chatting with some 7th year Slytherins. Nott smiled at Mallory as she crossed the courtyard.

"Move," demanded Darcy. The two girls and boy looked up at her terrified. "This is a 6th year and above only bench. You can't sit here." They stood abruptly, gathered their things and began to walk away.

"You're lucky we didn't just hex you!" shouted Sophia after them, "next time we won't be so nice!" Both girls laughed but Mallory sat on the bench and looked around the court yard.

"So are you going to spill it or not?" Sophia demanded sitting next to Mallory on the bench.

"Spill what?" Mallory asked still looking around, Snape was not out here. He was probably still in class.

"What is with you today," supplied Darcy.

"I have told you at least a million times that I do not want to talk about it! Why can't you simply accept that?" Mallory jumped out of her seat, seized her bag and walked briskly away from the other two girls. Tears were already beginning to build behind her eyes. She pushed them back, Slytherins did not cry. She rounded the castle grounds and sat down on the browning grass, facing the lake. Other students were milling about, but Mallory didn't care. None of them would come over to her for fear of being hexed.

Why had Rosier told her? Why hadn't he kept his big stupid mouth shut? Did he really think she would simply accept it and fall in love with him? He probably didn't care about love. He was her brother's friend after all. He didn't know about Eagar, he didn't know that she was already in love. Of course, no one knew about their relationship, not really. It was another thing Mallory kept hidden from everyone. Sure, they knew Eagar and Mallory were friends but no one knew how deep their relationship went.

"Aw look," a familiar taunting voice called, "Crabbe is all alone."

Mallory stayed where she was completely ignoring the voice that cut through her like a knife. Why had their friendship turned out this way?

"I told you, you couldn't ignore me forever. What are you doing out of the dungeons? I thought your lot only came outside at night."

Emily walked around Mallory so she was standing in her line of vision. One thing that Mallory had become adapted to over the years was pretending to completely ignore people. She didn't even so much as flinch when Emily moved in front of her.

"I asked you a question," said Emily, "the polite thing would be to respond. Oh, I forgot who I was talking to, Slytherins aren't polite." Mallory continued to stare into space.

"Oh there you are," Mallory turned and looked up as Sirius Black's voice carried down the sloping lawns. He stopped when he saw her. The sight of him made her mind jump from Rosier. For the first time that day she felt back to normal and suddenly as though someone turned on a faucet her insults came flooding back to her.

"What do you care where I am?" She spat at him.

"I wasn't talking to you," he sneered.

"I am the only one here-"

"You know perfectly well that I am standing here Crabbe!" Emily shouted.

"-so who were you talking to if you weren't talking to me?" Mallory continued over Emily's shout.

"Emily," said Sirius simply.

"My name is Mallory," she spat, "Not Emily."

"No, I was talking to Emily," he had definite agitation in his voice. Mallory looked around straight through Emily and turned back to Sirius. She stood abruptly, forcing Emily to back away from her.

"Oh," she said suddenly, "Potter must have the brain today," she nodded, "I understand."

"Oi!" Sirius barked, "Why don't you go and bother your own mates and leave us alone?"

"You're the one who came over to me," she replied.

"I came here to talk to Emily, not you!" he growled.

"There is no one named Emily around here! I suggest you go back to the castle and get your half of your brain back from Potter!"

"She's-" he began but Emily cut him off.

"It's no use Sirius. Crabbe likes to pretend that I do not exist."

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?" Mallory replied.

"Never mind," Emily said, "let's just go," She walked past Mallory and taking Sirius' hand they walked back up to the castle. Mallory watched their intertwined hands until they were out of sight and she felt more alone and miserable than she could remember ever being before. How she wished Eagar was still with her. She picked up her bag and trudged up to the castle herself. There was no use sitting out on the ground brooding all day. Severus would be out of class soon. She waited in the entrance hall for him to make his way down to the Slytherin common room, but he never came. So she made her way to Herbology in complete silence. They had a new professor this year, Professor Sprout. Consequently they spent the entire class answering questions about what their former professor had taught them. Actually, Emily spent the entire class answering questions while everyone else looked bored. She really was an insufferable little know it all. Mallory stood by herself, completely immersed in her thoughts, and didn't say anything to anyone all lesson.

Later that night after studying in the common room Mallory climbed up from the dungeons to the Great Hall for dinner. Severus had not turned up in the common room and Mallory was getting to become more agitated than usual. She could not keep these emotions inside any longer. She had to tell someone before she exploded. She scanned the Great Hall for Severus, but again he was not there. She marched over to the Slytherin table and sat roughly next to Avery. He looked up at her startled.

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