A/N: It's been forever since I've updated, I know. I've either been busy or lazy. However my beloved Sue inspired me to write more so I finally have the next chapter for all of you. It's not incredibly long, but you'll like the ending. Hopefully… Chapter 8 will be in the works soon and hopefully won't take as long for me to post.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that I did not make up


Chapter Seven- Filling Time

If you think you need to go
If you wanted to be free
There's just one thing you need to know
And that's that you can't count on me

(You Can't Count On Me by Counting Crows)


My hand was fine after only about 10 minutes of Madame Pomfrey attending it; she really was a miracle worker when it came to injuries. I was rushed out of the hospital wing, however, when she insisted that I get back to class because she needed the cot I was sitting on for a poor boy that had gone and stunned himself. Ah, to be a first year again.

I walked down the corridor at a rather slow pace for me, contemplating on what to do with my time now. I couldn't go back to Potions class, not that I really had any desire to return anyways. I could go back to the common room but I knew that no one would be there; everyone was still in class and would be for the next hour or so. I really didn't want to sit around by myself; that always led to thinking and I didn't particularly want to think right now. Because I knew if I let myself get lost inside of my own head that my mind would simply wander over to the topic of Draco Malfoy (again) and that I most certainly did not want. I was thinking about the snobby, self-absorbed prat too much as of late and it was really starting to get on my nerves.

Do not think of him, I told myself forcefully as I made my way to the library. I figured I'd catch up on some homework and studying while I had the free time. I worked better without distractions; because as much as I loved my friends they always had me procrastinating. And, hopefully, the work would keep my mind off of the blond Slytherin. Hopefully.

I made my way to a table toward the back of the library to avoid the penetrating eyes of the Hogwarts librarian. I pulled out the books from my backpack and laid out everything in front of me, taking stock of what I had with me and what I could get done while everyone else was in class. Unfortunately, I didn't have my Transfiguration homework, which was what I really needed to get done, but I was too lazy to run all the way to the Gryffindor Tower just to get it. I was simply not that motivated about schoolwork. So instead I settled myself into my Potions book –I had missed getting the weeks homework but I knew it would be on the next chapter so I figured I might as well get a head start. So I made myself as comfortable as is possible in a hard wooden chair and buckled down on perhaps actually learning a thing or two about potion making. I even took notes.

I heard the bell ring roughly forty-five minutes later and was quite relieved to be done with the potions textbook I had been grueling over; I had never been fond of the topic. On the brighter side, however, I had successfully distracted myself from thought of Draco Malfoy so I claimed victory but hurried off to the Great Hall where everyone else would be gathering for dinner. I was starved.

"Mercy! Over here!"

I looked around to find Danni waving her arms, beckoning me over to the seats her and Wesley had saved at the Gryffindor table. I made my way past the flow of students and threw myself down onto the bench.

"How's your hand?" Wesley asked, glancing down at said previously injured limb.

"Fine now thank to Madam Pomfrey. I was in and out in 10 minutes and just spent the past hour in the library."

Wesley wrinkled his nose at this statement. "Why?"

"Indeed, Merce, why?" came a voice from behind us. Fred and George approached the table and plopped down to the right of me.

I rolled my eyes. "I was doing a little thing called homework, maybe you've heard of it?"

"Nope, can't say I have," said Fred.

"Sounds awfully unpleasant though," added George.

"Ugh, you guys are ridiculous," said Dani, scooping up a bunch of potatoes and plopping it down on her plate.

"But we're funny," pointed out Fred. Well, no one could deny that.

"Did you have class anyways?" George asked. "Why were you in the library?"

"I hurt my hand in Potions and Snape told me not to come back."

"Oye, what'd you do this time?" questioned Fred, both of the twins laughing. They always got a good chuckle or two over my injuries. Probably because they were so often…

"I smashed my hand on a cauldron," I grumbled. That got a good chuckle from them. How to redeem myself? Make them pity me.

"And I have detention with Umbridge for a week."

I was not teased for the rest of the meal.

So I made the trek to the new and piggish Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's office, hating every step that I took that brought me closer to what could only be pure torture. Needless to say I dragged it out as long as I could; not that being late was going to do me any good. The last thing I wanted was for the hag to extend my punishment. On that thought I sped up a bit to at least a normal pace.

I was so concentrated on the impending doom that I didn't even notice the person walking toward me. And of course my lack of observatory skills led me right into them; literally. I really had to stop colliding with things and people. I was seriously going to harm myself one day.

"Geez, you really don't know how to pay attention to where you're going do you?"

Oh god… it couldn't be… again?

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, looking up at the gorgeous blonde Slytherin. It had to be Draco Malfoy, it couldn't possibly have been anyone else. I was simply not that lucky in my life.

"I'm almost tempted not to give you this," he said, casually waving a piece of parchment in my face.

I quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

He sighed but handed it over. "I thought you might need it." And with that he walked away. Well that was weird, I thought to myself. I looked down at the parchment to find that it was out potions homework –a paper on the moon's role in potion making. And under the assignment was a list of page numbers. Snape did not give helpful pages for us to look at for our work. Which only meant that Draco did.


A/N: So tell me what you guys think. Please PLEASE drop me a review, it keeps me writing -Shadow