And this is where the chapters catch up to me. My posts will start coming in slower seeing as how these were the only chapters I had written up already. I'm sorry to tsukiange, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, and Luna4816 for not getting back to you guys. Tsukiange: Thank you very much, hopefully the reviews will start rolling in but if they don't, I'll be okay. xXMizz Alec VolturiXx:Thank you for being loyal to the story since the beginning, and Luna4816:You'll see *insert wink*
Okay, now to the disclaimer. I own Aubrey and those extra characters the goddess owns the rest.
And now on to the story.
Anastasia leaned against a wall and attempted to catch her breath. Not even 5 minutes ago had she left that dingy closet that Draco Malfoy had chosen to 'take care of business' in, and she'd yet to catch her breath. the fact that she had to flee from the area so Filch couldn't find her probably added to her breathlessness. 'I need to rest' She thought to herself then looked around for a seat. She found nothing but a cool ground. So Anastasia slid down to the floor, closed her eyes and wondered what had gotten her into this mess. The need for approval from her parents, that was the reason. Well, they probably wouldn't approve of her sleeping around, but being with a Malfoy was more than what they'd expected of her. So there she was, in an arranged relationship with the Slytherin Prince. Not that she minded. He was wonderful in and out of bed. "What are you doing out of class?" A throaty voice asked. Anastasia stood up quickly and came face to face with none other than Filch. He looked down to her terribly buttoned shirt then back up to her lipstick stained face and grimaced a bit. He didn't have to ask to know what she was doing. Or more so, what she did.
"No loitering in the halls" Was all he said before going off with a slight limp. Anastasia thanked Merlin he didn't comment on her appearance.
After finding a bathroom and fixing her clothes, Anastasia found herself hyperventilating in one of the stalls. She didn't know why but it'd gotten harder to breathe. An annoying nasally laugh filled the tiny stall and with it, Moaning Myrtle. "Watch where you sit next time" She scolded then sniffled with a smile.
"That was NOT funny. You just about killed me" Anastasia groaned then waved away the ghost angrily.
"I found it rather comical" She said then flew to the air and smashed down into one of the neighboring stalls
"Damned ghosts. Always walking through people and-" Anastasia stopped mid-rant as the bathroom door opened and shut quickly. Shuffling of feet was heard then the sink turning on.
"Seems like you've got a guest" Myrtle commented as she sneaked up on Anastasia. She merely gave the ghost an annoyed glare then attempted to pull herself up from the seat, only to find that she was stuck. Anastasia looked to the ghost who only giggled. "You're stuck in the toilet, aren't you?" She whispered to the annoyed Ravenclaw.
"Dammit" Anastasia cursed and attempted to yank herself from the mouth of the toilet. 'What am I going to do?' She thought to herself as the ghostly girl watched. Quickly peeking through the slits in the stall, she realized that the person washing her hands could help. It was the girl who was friends with Draco. Aubrey Lockwood. How could Anastasia forget that name? In the years before she was kind enough to sit with her at lunch exactly 3 times, lend her notes and books that her father sent for her. She was a kind girl; no doubt kind enough to help Anastasia out of the pickle she was in. Then again, she didn't seem to remember her when they re-met in the classroom. Why would she help someone she barely remembered from a toilet? Asking Aubrey now seemed like a lost cause.
"You are stuck in the toilet!" Myrtle yelled with glee. Darned ghost, always yelling out people's business.
"Myrtle? Is that you?" Aubrey questioned the air. She heard another voice with but didn't acknowledge it aloud. Aubrey hoped it was the whining ghost of the girl's bathroom. If it wasn't, Aubrey planned on leaving and never returning to the haunted room.
"Mhm" Myrtle answered sneakily. Anastasia, still stuck in the toilet, had given up on manually pulling herself out and was searching for her wand. Magic was the best for problems like this. On the other side of the door, Aubrey had finished wiping her hands from the stickiness of the Ghost Cactus's blood from Herbology and began to leave the bathroom.
"Bye, Myrtle" She said then left quickly. Myrtle always scared her slightly. Aubrey, unlike her Ravenclaw counterpart's agenda, was not to get out of a toilet. It was to test out her new bra. So far, Aubrey had gotten lingering looks from boys, even some of the girls, and an offer to go to Hogsmeade. She turned it down, mentally cursing herself afterwards, but offered a study session to the overzealous Hufflepuff 7th year. He took the offer happily and left her in a daze. The power of a push up bra. It seemed to be doing wonders.
"Aubrey, there you are!" A male voice said. Aubrey looked up from her daydreams to see her Ravenclaw Prefect opposite, Sean Hughes. "I was hoping you'd be out of class" He remarked out of breath. She could only stare at his frazzled appearance. Usually Sean was clean cut and orderly, now he was sweaty and panicked. "I have a huge favor to ask of you" He said.
"I'm listening" Aubrey said as he caught his breath.
"Could you cover my rounds tonight? I'd owe you!" He asked. His bright blue eyes seemed to be begging along with the rest of him.
"Oh, Sean, I thought we made a deal. I cover the day you get the night" She argued back. It was true. The first night they made a pact that Sean would cover the night because unlike Aubrey, he wasn't afraid of the dark. "Please tell me you're not serious"
"I am though! I need to study for tomorrow's Herbology test. I don't know the difference between Alihotsy and Gurdyroot!" He whined. Aubrey stared at him in disbelief. How could he NOT know the difference? After a quick glare Aubrey complied. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm not going to fail because of you. I promise you right now, one day when I work at the Quibbler I'll write an entire entry on you. Aubrey Lockwood, the sweetest girl who lived" He ranted then ran off in the direction he came from. Aubrey could only curse under her breath at her kindness.
"And I expect a flattering picture with the entry. And all the details in my life" She went on talking about her expectations for the never to be made entry on herself. At dinner Aubrey attempted to swap jobs with the other Prefects. The 7th years were taking a night off and the 5th year Prefects were staying around the common room, which meant Aubrey had to patrol the school on her own. As she sat on one of the couches in the common room with the other Prefects, all except Sean that is, thoughts of what could be lurking in the dark arose. Monster and ghouls, creatures and fiends swirled about in her head while she prepped herself for the darkness.
"Carrie and Gavin, it shouldn't be too hard tonight. There'll only be two to three students out of bed probably, not hard to handle. If there is a problem, you know where our rooms are" The male 7th year, Clarence, informed while he casually played wizard chess with, Taylor, his significant other and Prefect partner. Taylor was a pretty girl with blonde hair. She didn't seem to need a push up bra. He looked over to Aubrey who was practicing lumos quietly. "You'll be fine too, Aubrey. It's not as bad as you think it'll be" He assured her then went back to his game. Aubrey stood and left the Common room, her wand sending out a bright light, and began her round.
Not as bad as you think? Clarence was a liar.
It was horribly cold in the dark hall and Aubrey wished she would've brought her robes. Light jutted from her wand as she searched the halls for students. Seeing as how she was on school duty, she was only made to cover the part of the school nearest the common room, and didn't have to be out extremely late. 'I'll get through this,' she thought to herself as she maneuvered through the empty hall. 'Before I know it, I'll be back in my warm bed'. "No students here" She said aloud. The silence was creating a buzzing sound in her ears; she needed some type of noise.
"Who's there?" Filch's voice called out from the darkness. He appeared with a sneer and his feline friend at his side in an instant. He smelled even fouler than he did per usual and looked more frazzled. "What're you doin' outta bed?" He questioned Aubrey then looked around to see if anyone was with her. When he saw she was alone, he turned his attention back to the girl.
"My rounds. I'm a Prefect" Aubrey said then pointed to her badge that clung to her shirt. Filch nodded with an eerie smile.
"Find any students outta bed?" He asked. Aubrey shook her head no quickly. Filch only frowned and shook his head. "They must be hiddin' somewhere" He remarked then went off into the darkness. Aubrey let out a cough as his stench plagued her lungs. After pulling herself back together, Aubrey was back on her way to finish her rounds. When she was close to being done, and going back to her room, she heard a sound behind her that made her skin crawl. They were quick footsteps and the sound of a cloth ruffling. She turned to the source and put on a brave face. It cracked as she began to speak.
"I-If you're a student...show yourself. Now" She said with a shacking voice. The blonde haired god, Draco Malfoy walked forward. She calmed herself and dropped her wand to her side. "You scared me" She announced to the boy who seemed more tired than Aubrey herself.
"Didn't mean too. I thought Hughes patrolled at night" He remarked as he walked closer. The closer he did get, Aubrey was able to see how thin and pale he was.
"He does but I'm covering for him" She said. Silence fell in the hall. "You're not supposed to be out of bed so late. It's past curfew" She told him. Draco nodded in acknowledgment. "I don't think your house Prefect would like it" She added.
"Are you going to turn me in, Lockwood?" He asked with a small smirk. How she loved that smirk.
"I don't plan on it. Technically I'm supposed to give you detention." said Aubrey.
"And are you?" He questioned. Aubrey gulped.
"I'm not very sure yet" She joked. Draco shook his head with a smile.
"Goodnight, Lockwood" He said then walked back the way he came. The breath that Aubrey seemed to be holding was let out and butterflies fled to her stomach. She just had a joking conversation with Draco Malfoy. In the dark. The entire walk to the common room, Aubrey replayed the short conversation over and over. When she lay in her bed and curled up under her covers she smiled and the scene played over again.
The next morning, Aubrey woke up, showered, and then went to breakfast with a smile on her face. Today was Friday which meant her study date with the Hufflepuff 7th year, Daniel. Her classes seemed to drag on extremely slow, not excluding Divinations which seemed to be the slowest. She sat on a purple pillow in front of a crystal ball and Kira Barker, the Slytherin girl who seemed to be fond of Aubrey. In the past few weeks, Kira had actually not bothers Aubrey. She came to class, did her work, and left her alone. It was nice but strange for Aubrey who was used to her chatter. Kira ran her fingers through her dark red hair and looked into the crystal ball. "I see nothing. I'm horrible at this" She mumbled to herself then looked over to Aubrey. "Sorry, my mind hasn't been in the right place lately. Personal problems" She confessed then sighed.
Aubrey nodded and attempted to see something in the glass. Nothing appeared. "Is it just me?" Kira asked. Aubrey said no and Kira gave a small smile. "Perfect. I thought I was going insane" They gave it an honest try but couldn't read the future through the glass. At the end of the horrible class, Kira walked out by Aubrey's side. "Could you give me tutoring lessons on Divination? I know you think you're not good at it but you're light years ahead of me. I'll pay you if need be" She asked with a hopeful expression. Aubrey began to wish for when Kira ignored her, but took the offer none the less. The Slytherin girl was ecstatic and tackled Aubrey in a tight hug. "You're perfect" She announced then thanked her again and was on her way. Aubrey was slightly shocked but didn't dwell on it for long. She had a day to finish.
After a day full of answering questions and helping first years, Aubrey was able to get ready for her study date. She was bathed and dressed in her best trousers and shirt, with a little perfume to help, and was headed for the library when she almost tripped over the sobbing form of Pansy Parkinson. 'Ignore her. Ignore her. You have a date to get to' She thought to herself then walked around the girl. She stopped a few feet away when another part of her began to nag. 'Go back and help her. She needs someone' She thought then began to back step to Pansy. 'And the times she taunted you, called you names, sent you to Leslie crying and physically and emotionally abused mean nothing?' The spiteful side asked. Aubrey took two steps forward. Times like this, Aubrey wished she didn't have the conscious of a sweet and heartless person rolled into one. It was rather annoying.
'Help her. Karma has obviously taken its toll' the reasonable side thought. She took three steps back. It seemed as if she was doing her own small dance in the hall. The latter side won. Aubrey walked back over to Pansy who was whining through her tears. She took a seat next to her on the ground and sat awkwardly next to the crier. "Pansy?" she asked. Pansy looked up then began to cry even more.
"He's left me for her" She yelped then laid her head on Aubrey's lap. 'This is what you get for kindness' She thought to herself then patted Pansy's head stiffly. "Draco left me! It's all Manky McIntosh's fault. God, I hate her. Wish she would've stayed away but no-she had to come back. The bitch" She cursed then sniffled. Aubrey began to wish she would've kept going. "And everyone seems to want to be her friend. Tell me you don't want to be her friend, Aubrey. Please tell me you don't" She cried as she looked up to Aubrey. Snot ran down her nose and made her looked like a pitiful puppy.
"I'm not sure" Aubrey confessed which sent Pansy into more fits of tears.
"She's seems so perfect but she's not. Something's got to be wrong with her; I'm going to find out. You can't go from being disgusting to being that over a summer" She contemplated aloud. Aubrey was able to sneak from underneath Pansy's head and crawl farther away. When Pansy seemed to come to her senses, she glared at Aubrey with as much hate as she could muster. "I must be daft for telling you. Of course you'd want to be friends with Manky. The frumpy stick together" She insulted then left the scene wiping her tears.
"And this is why I should've kept walking" Aubrey said to herself then went on walking to her date.
Then a creeping feeling fell on her. She was going on a date with a handsome Hufflepuff. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She must've been daft for even offering the study date. It wasn't like she back out now though. Aubrey pulled herself to the library and to the table that contained Daniel; the sweet boy who had no idea of her current feelings. He stood and ruffled his short cut brown hair. "Was worried you wouldn't have showed" He remarked with a smile then began to rock back and forth on his feet. He wasn't Draco, but he'd do. Despite the fact that Aubrey shook like a leaf the entire time, the date went by fairly well without any mix ups. Daniel, a sweet boy with dark eyes, seemed very interested in Herbology and got lots of information from the study date. On several occasions, he attempted to touch her hand, but Aubrey would pull back nervously and give a shaky smile. Daniel thought it was cute.
"I enjoyed myself" He said as they put the books back on the correct shelves. Aubrey nodded and attempted to concentrate on the book section. "You're a wonderful girl, Aubrey." He complimented then smiled down at her. Aubrey slowly turned to face him then smiled.
"You're a wonderful boy, Daniel" She said in return.
"We should get together again sometime, hm?" He offered as they strolled back to their tiny table. Aubrey smiled and nodded frantically.
"I'd like that" She said. Daniel blushed quickly. He seemed shocked that she would want to see him again. He thought he was a bit of a bore.
"Aubrey, just the girl I was looking for!" Harry Potter said as he rounded a corner and approached her and Daniel. He looked between her and her companion with a grin. "Am I interrupting something?" He questioned.
"Not really. I'll see you around, Aubrey" Daniel said then left the library. At that moment Aubrey wanted to claw The-Boy-Who-Lived's eyes out. He ruined her date's ending. She turned to him with an annoyed look.
"I'm listening" She said then walked from the library with Harry a few steps behind her.
"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me. Well, with the Gryffindors" He offered with a smile. Aubrey stopped and looked at the optimistic boy with a confused face. Why now was he interested in having dinner with her? Was it the bra? Since she bought it, her confidence level had gone up. Granted it was a small amount, but it rose none the less. "If you don't want to, it's fine." He said then shifted the big quidditch bag on his shoulder. He obviously came from practice; sweat slicked his dark hair to his forehead.
"I...I'm not sure. The only people I've talked to from Gryffindor lately have been you, Ronald and Hermione" said Aubrey. Harry waved away her comment quickly.
"Oh it'll be fine. Come on" He reached out and yanked her hand, then dragged Aubrey to the dining hall.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked as they made their way to the Gryffindor table. The only eyes that were on them were Hermione's; she thought Harry had lost it.
"Nothing," Harry answered as they sat down on the wooden seats. "Nothing at all" He placed his equipment under the table and turned to face his two confused friends.
"Hello, Aubrey" Ron mumbled. He didn't meet her shy gaze and looked down at his bronze mug. Hermione gave her a small wave. The other Gryffindors looked at her with curiosity. Why was she at their table, they wondered. Aubrey let out a light sigh then looked down to the table.
It was going to be a long dinner.