Hello all! Thank you all so much for those of you that reviewed and favorited this story! I know it's been since like...October but I finally got a writing buzz back! So sorry it's been so long, thanks for hanging in there! Enjoy!


CHAPTER SIX: STRANGE FRIENDS


The cold weather seemed to turn colder with my mood. I couldn't shake the disgusted, vile, feeling that kept running through my veins as I recalled Montague's beady eyes staring at me through the charmed wall in the tent. Chills grew on my skin as I thought of it. It truly made me sick to think about.

How dare he.

Who did he think he was? He had no right to my body or anyone else's for that matter.

I had yet to see him; he'd been chalked up in the hospital wing last I'd heard. But I knew that when I did eventually see him that he was going to come to a very unhappy end.

It was the middle of the week, Wednesday, and Professor Snape was currently talking about something that was going in one ear and out the other. My mind was too jumbled with thoughts of how I was going to mutilate Graham Montague to focus on the dull words that were spilling from my Professor's mouth. I almost felt bad not listening to him but that guilt didn't override my burning desire for revenge at the moment so Snape's lecture would have to wait.

Draco was next to me dutifully taking notes in his elegant script-I'd have to copy them later. On my other side I saw Theodore also taking notes but in a much more frantic way. Snape always talked too fast for his liking and his messy scrawl was the result. He'd told me once he wished he could charm Snape into talking slowly at least for one day just so he could get a good set of notes.

The newest page in my notebook was empty save for the date on the top right hand corner.

I knew that I should've at least pretended to be taking notes-Snape would start to ask questions if he saw that I was this distracted-but I didn't bother. I'd thought many times about telling Snape what had happened in the boys dressing room but the scenario in my mind always ended the same: Snape getting sacked due to the fact that he murdered one of his students.

No, telling Snape wasn't an option.

I sighed heavily as I glanced at the clock-ten more minutes until we were free.

"I'm sorry Miss Malfoy, is my lecture boring you?"

Snape's voice was louder now as I was sat in the back and he wanted to make sure the whole class heard him speak to me. I glared at him and felt my face pinch in annoyance. Apparently he had heard me sighing and found it rude enough to be called out on.

"No, Professor. I apologize for breathing too loudly, though." I continued to glare.

"Try to keep it down, will you? Some of your class mates are trying to learn-though, I'm not entirely sure it's not slipping through some of your daft minds already," He said and gave a pointed look to the table of Gryffindor's off to the far right.

A table of Gryffindor's that held signature bushy curls of a know-it-all brunette accompanied by a redhead and a spikey mess of black hair. I glared at them too.

I was already completely engrossed with how painful Montague's death was going to be; I didn't need to be tormented by my bitterly conflicted feelings towards how I've been treating Potty.

Which was poorly; I'd been treating him poorly.

And this was not new but I'd never felt guilty about it before so it made it even more confusing.

"You alright?" My brother whispered to me as Snape went back to his lecture.

I sighed and looked at him, shaking my head no. He gave me a look, I'm not sure exactly what it meant-a look between him hating how I was feeling but also telling me I needed to hide it better. As Malfoy's we were expected to remain cool, calm and collected at all times.

I'm not even sure I qualified as a Malfoy anymore.

"I need to get out of this class room, I have a headache," I mumbled.

My brother didn't say anything but gave me the same look as before. Theodore, next to me, gave me a sympathetic look. He'd been hovering a lot since the whole Montague thing. He made sure he didn't leave my side during breakfast and he walked me to each class and made sure he was sat next to me every time. He kept giving me those look of pity that I loathed so much but I let it slide this time. I was more focused on what I was going to inflict on Graham instead of arguing pointlessly about me not being a damsel in distress-since they didn't seem to care that I put up a fight about it anyway.

"Few more minutes, Cessy." Theodore spoke softly to me like he was afraid I would explode any minute which would've offended my normally but I wasn't in the mood to argue. I sighed again, catching Snape's attention but he didn't berate me this time. Instead he gave me a look that clearly said I'd have to stay after class to have a chat with him. I rolled my eyes but nodded nonetheless.

He continued with the lecture.

And then finally, after what seemed like hours, he dismissed the class. Draco and Theodore got up next to me, gathering their things in their book bags. My brother noticed my lack of movement and raised an eyebrow.

"Snape wants to talk to me, I'll see you guys at dinner?" I asked them.

"Sure, we'll save a seat for you." Theodore winked and I chuckled.

I couldn't remember a time when they hadn't saved a seat for me.

As they were leaving I caught a glimpse of the black haired nuisance looking at me and I quickly looked away from him; I didn't want to deal with him now, or ever, for that matter. He seemed like he took the hint and left with his friends. I looked back over at him when his back was to me and saw what looked like him shrugging his shoulders when his Mudblood friend asked him something I couldn't hear. I furrowed my brows together in concern.

For the love of Salazar they aren't discussing my attitude toward Potter, are they?

I internally groaned and the irritation I'd already harbored for Montague grew even more for Potter. I glared at the Potions door when it closed behind them and angrily crossed my arms over my chest.

When it was just me and my mentor in the classroom he came over to me and looked at my empty notebook and all thoughts of Montague and Potter left my mind and were now focused on the irate look my Professor was giving me.

"Sorry, I've been distracted, Professor." I mumbled, not feeling too badly about not taking notes but also feeling like a small child under angry his gaze.

He took a long moment for speaking-probably to torture me.

"You're brother's notes are likely to get you a high grade, see to it you get them from him," He said finally. "What seems to be bothering you, Miss Malfoy?"

I sighed in relief at being able to copy Draco's notes without punishment and bit my bottom lip at the word vomit that was threatening to come out. I wanted to tell him everything that was bothering me!

From the fact that Montague peeped on me, to him wanting to drug me; for me being extra snotty to Potter for no good reason, for feeling guilty about being rude to him; from Draco and I sharing an unexplained and very vague vision; from Umbridge torturing Potter and myself through our detentions; from the bloody Dark Lord's return!

But of course I couldn't explain any of that to him so I painfully remained silent. He didn't look like he had expected an answer right away but he did look a bit surprised that I wasn't telling him something, at least. Usually he was the first one, besides my brother, that I confided in. I could see on his face that he expected me to do so now.

Perhaps I could try explaining things to him without giving away anything too detailed?

It wasn't the best plan I'd thought up but without many other options I gave it a shot.

"Professor…hypothetically speaking…say there was someone you loathed going about telling people they were going to do something horrible to you…" I started, avoiding his gaze and keeping my voice light.

There was no need for him to be too concerned with my hypothetical story considering he absolutely knew it would be a real story if it was coming from me.

"What kind of horrible thing?" He asked, his voice low and threatening.

Yes, he definitely knew this story was real. I couldn't even imagine what he would do to Montague if he found out he wants to drug me with a love potion.

"That's beside the point, Professor," I said and flicked my hair over my shoulder, keeping my composure cool. "I just want to know what you would do? Would you confront them?"

"I would," He paused. "But not positively."

I waited for him to continue but he left it at that. I raised an eyebrow for him to elaborate but he gave me one of his looks; the kind that said I had to figure it out for myself.

I glared a bit at him and he simply gave me a small smirk; he absolutely loved letting me solve things by myself however I think he enjoyed watching me struggle more so than actually solving things.

"Well that's perfectly helpful, Professor." I rolled my eyes at him and huffed a sigh, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Think for a moment, stop assuming you don't know what I mean," He said.

I sighed again and with another exaggerated eye roll at my lovely Professor I thought about it. He said he would confront the person but not positively. The word "positivity" is supposed to mean optimism, and more loosely a root to the happier things in life. Maybe he meant he wouldn't confront them on a good note? I didn't see why anyone would confront someone that was threatening them with a smile and a cup of tea though, that just seemed completely foolish. So what was the opposite of positively?

Wait!

I shot up in my seat as an idea popped into my head. Snape raised an eyebrow at me as I came to my revelation. I laughed at his curious face and shook my head.

"Thanks, Professor, this actually was helpful." I smiled again and started gathering my still empty notebook and put it in my book bag.

"Well I'm pleased by the news," He said but didn't bother asking what conclusion I had come to. The beauty of Snape not caring enough. "Not so fast Miss Malfoy…"

He called after me as I reached the door to leave. I had been ignoring my grumbling stomach indicating my hunger but suddenly all I wanted to do was go to the Great Hall and see my brother and Theodore.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Out of curiosity…" He looked toward my wrist. "Have you done any type of research on the meaning of a crescent moon birthmark?"

I dropped my hand from the door and looked at my mark. It seemed as though the light pink color kept getting darker as the days past and the weather got colder. I hadn't really thought much of it since the whole incident with the Orbs. I traced it lightly and looked back at my Professor. His facial expression was neutral but his eyes held a dangerous curiosity in them.

That could never be good.

All of my previous nerves swam back into my subconscious and I again feared the worst.

Maybe my birthmark is an omen of an early grave? Maybe it really does mean death is coming for me?

Snape's face surely wouldn't look so grave if that wasn't the case.

Would it?

"No, Professor…" I said, the fiasco with the vision in Divination on the tip of my tongue. "You said it wasn't anything I had to worry about…was I wrong?" I asked.

He paused only a moment before answering almost too quickly.

"It isn't, but perhaps it's something you should look into in your spare time? Instead of sulking around the common room, whining about things as you've been known to do."

"I haven't whined about anything-," I paused, rethinking that statement recalling many-if not all-of my conversations with my fellow Slytherin's. He was right, I always seemed to complain about something. "Much!"

He didn't say anything but simply smirked and shook his head.

"On your way, Miss Malfoy."

I rolled my eyes at his clever tactic to distract me and did as he said, leaving the Potions classroom with a mind full of questions about my curious little birthmark.


"Why is everyone staring at me?"

It had been at least twenty minutes into dinner and it wasn't like I hadn't noticed everyone occasionally slipping glances toward me but I had chosen to ignore it until someone at my table told me what was going on.

No one had.

Theodore glanced at my brother with what was supposed to be a casual but none too subtle look before he looked at me.

"Well, Cessy, there's something we've got to tell you…" He said slowly, as if I was a child that wasn't ready to hear what he said. I was really getting sick of him acting like I was some delicate flower that was going to crush under the slightest of pressure.

Theodore should know me better than that.

I waited for him to finish his thought but he didn't which annoyed me further. The look on his face made it seem like the words he would say to me would surely be his last. I looked at my brother across from us; he was never known to hold back bad news from me up until recently. He held an angry look on his normally handsome face and it reminded me of our father. It made me irritated; I couldn't stand when he looked like him.

"Montague's been released from the Hospital Wing, Cessy." He spoke softly but without hesitation as Theodore had.

I felt my jaw clench and my hands ball into fists, dropping the fork I had previously brought up to my mouth.

It made an awful clanking sound when it fell.

"So…" I started eyeing the Great Hall and the rest of my classmates. "Where is he then?"

I hadn't seen him nor any of his vile friends yet. The fact that people were looking at me indicated that most likely a rumor had been started of why he was put in the Hospital Wing in the first place and why it had to do with me. Who knew what kind of gossip people were thriving for between Cecily Malfoy and Graham Montague. I hoped there was at least a lick of truth in the rumors…like the fact that he is a peeping tom.

"Don't know, probably hiding from me," Draco said with a shrug of his shoulders but the tense look on his face told me he wanted to hunt Montague down and give him the beating of his life.

But this was between Montague and myself; I wasn't about to let my brother have all the fun. I thought about what Professor Snape had just told me about confronting the person who was threatening you but not positively. The news about Montague's release may have just given me my chance to try out my method of negative confrontation that I had so cleverly thought of when I left Snape's classroom.

I tried to hide the smirk that wanted to make its way to my face as I thought of my plan and politely excused myself from dinner. Draco gave me a curious look but didn't bother telling me to stay. Theodore was a little harder to persuade to let me go.

"Wait, Cecily, where are you going?" He asked, his voice hinting at him already knowing where I was headed.

"I'm a bit tired-," I lied. "And Montague's release has made me angry so I'm going to bed."

He gave me a skeptical look and his deep blue eyes didn't look like they believed me until my brother spoke up.

"Let her go, Nott." My brother's voice was annoyed and the look he was giving Theodore almost made me feel bad for leaving him. Draco wasn't a fool and he could tell Theodore's care for me ran deeper than just friendship alone; plus, Theodore's eyes lit up every time I was around so it wasn't like he was being subtle about it.

Poor love struck fool.

So without another word, but a sympathetic look to Theodore, I exited the hall and feigned turning toward the dungeons when really I began my hunt for Montague.

I searched nearly the entire castle without a hint of him around. There were a few students lurking about the hallways playing with their friends or snogging their partners in the corners of the corridors. I politely kept myself away from those students. It had been nearly forty minutes of searching and there was still no sigh of Montague so I decided to call it a night; besides, I had homework that needed tending to. I was leaving the seventh floor, heading toward the moving staircase when I heard the commotion. Loud voices shouting down the hall with violent ugly words being tossed back and forth.

I just knew it had to be Montague.

I quickly backtracked and followed the voices. I turned the left corner slowly keeping myself hidden from the two figures in front of me. What I saw only half shocked me.

I was not surprised that Montague was already trying to grope a different female student as soon as he was released after peeping on me and facing the consequences. What I certainly was surprised to see was who his victim was.

I spotted Granger, of all people, with her wand pointed at the vile boy as he tried to pry at her robes while she struggled and shouted for him to let go.

Montague was disgusting and crude and he prayed on basically anyone that categorized themselves as female however, even he admitted he would never go for someone with "dirty blood" as the so called better half of the wizarding world liked to call muggle born wizards and witches. The fact that he was currently trying to molest Granger said otherwise.

All of this took me about half a second to register before I stepped out of view, fuming from the boiling heat that bubbled in my chest at the sight of this disgusting boy try to violate yet another girl in this school. I could barely believe it-was he really so foolish as to think he'd get away with peeping on me and then just move on like he wouldn't suffer?

Didn't matter if Montague had set his eyes on someone new-he wasn't going to be tormenting anyone any longer.

"Hey!" The word ripped through the air like a sharp sting and both Montague and Granger turned toward me and their eyes widened at my fast approach.

It looked as though Graham was about to say something but, unfortunately for him, he didn't get the chance.

I punched him square in his face.

It sounded as though someone had dropped a book onto the stone ground when my fist collided with his nose and after that it sounded much like a twig breaking in the woods. I didn't feel the pain in my hand from the collision quite yet and I took it as a small blessing. Being able to break his nose and not feel the pain afterward were surely on the top ten best things to happen to me. He groaned from the impact and fell to the ground with a loud thud and I smiled at the sight of him on the ground, whimpering and holding his nose. Granger squealed from shock but I ignored her. Montague's face had gone red and his nose was bleeding. He groaned again and tried to get up.

He tried in vain.

I kicked him in his stomach so hard I was positive I heard him lose his breath. He began to cough violently and I kicked again and again-wanting him to feel the shock and humliation that he put not only me through, but any girl he'd ever tried to take advantage of. He moaned from the pain and held out his hand for me to stop, his voice pleading.

"What's this, Montague? Already had enough?" I mocked, my voice pleasantly sweet.

He nodded his head and moaned again. He clutched at his stomach and his bleeding nose with his other hand. The crimson color on his pale skin made me a bit queasy but the painful look on his expression made up for it.

"You bitch!" He said, though his voice was muffled through his hand.

"You're right, how cruel of me. Well, I guess we're square now, aren't we? Call it a truce?" I asked and offered my hand to help him up.

He rightfully looked skeptically at my peace offering but he grabbed my hand nonetheless. I helped the vile boy up to his feet as best he could-he was still bending slightly from the kicks in his abdomen.

"Thanks-ah!"

I punched him again in the same spot, my fist colliding with soft flesh and slippery blood. It was a less precise punch than last time, considering he was doubled over and it wasn't a clear shot. However, that didn't mean it was any less painful for Montague.

"You-you fucking hags! You'll pay for this! Both of you!" He cried out at me as he retreated. I saw more blood spilling from his nose and tears leaking from his eyes. I smirked at him as he ran off but didn't bother responding.

No one would be giving him any aid when they found out a girl bested him. But something he said startled me; I had nearly forgotten Granger was behind me.

I turned to the shaking girl behind me-she still had her wand tight in her hand and aimed toward where Montague had retreated. She was flushed and her eyes were wide with the adrenaline pumping through her. It wasn't until I approached her that she turned her wide gaze toward me. She lowered her wand, her eyes were still cautious, but she seemed a lot more comfortable with me next to her rather than with Montague.

Which was odd, considering I was a Malfoy.

"You alright?" I asked, looking at the sleeve of her robe where he had managed to tear the seams. Other than that she seemed relatively unharmed.

"Yes, thank you." She nodded her head toward me and her dark eyes rested on my right hand which only now started to throb.

The stinging pain in my knuckles was like the ringing bells of justice to my ears-it hurt but it was absolutely worth it. I took a quick glance at them and saw a couple of them had split open and my own blood was mixed with Montague's.

Ew! Disgusting!

"Gross," I said aloud, mostly to myself but Granger heard my words.

"Here, let me-," She moved forward toward me with her wand pointed at my hand and before I could even voice my protest, let alone move my hand out of the way, she had already muttered a quick and quiet Episky and with the slight burning sensation of the spell my hand began to heal before our eyes.

"Uh-," I hesitated speaking. "Um.." It was never easy getting a 'thank you' from me. Potter would know. My pride was too damn strong.

"You're welcome," She said, with a shy smile. I nodded my head at her, grateful I didn't have to say the words.

"Montague's disgusting, I would've done it for anyone so don't take it personally," I said with too much annoyance that I didn't mean to let slip in my tone.

I couldn't help it; it was just how I was wired. My defenses were linked with my anger.

"Where did you learn to punch like that?" She asked.

"My brother," I said, recalling she had once punched Draco himself and even he had admitted she'd had a wicked right hook. Not that he'd ever admit it to her, though.

"Well, it was excellent," She said. "Thank you, again."

"Like I said, don't take it personally, Mudblood," I snapped.

Granger didn't seem bothered by my harsh words; in fact, she seemed pleased which was even more had a small smirk on her face which annoyed me even more and I glared at her. She still wasn't fazed.

Salazar's spit, am I losing my touch?

"You have a good night…" She said and started backing away from me. "Cecily."

I snapped my eyes to her face and felt my cheeks grow hot from the spark of anger that lit in me at her use of my name.

Not ever, ever, in my short period of knowing Granger had she ever called me by my first name.

And I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.

Actually I was sure how I felt about it and I wasn't pleased. At all.

"Don't call me that, Granger." I snapped. "You have no right to that name."

She faltered a bit, her expression softening a bit at the offense in my tone but she simply nodded and went on her way.

You save one person from some git and suddenly they're your best friend. Merlin's beard. The nerve.

"Those Gyrffindor's are so strange," I said to myself.

I shook my head and soon headed back toward the dungeons where I'm sure my brother and Theodore were getting ready to shout at me for not doing as I said I would.

But what else is new?


"What did you do, sweet sister?" My brother's voice sounded as I stepped through the portrait.

I rolled my eyes at his immediate question and was about to answer him when I heard a moaning coming from across the common room. The tables near the book shelf on the far right side held a very familiar figure, moaning and groaning about his broken nose.

"Oh, save it Montague, you're a quidditch player stop acting like such a pansy over a broken nose!" I shouted.

He looked over at me with angry eyes and his group of friends that had been tending to him glared at me as well. Draco stood up immediately and stood in front of me, eyeing anyone that dared come close to his little sister in a threatening manner.

"You did that?" He asked, nodding toward Montague.

I smirked and nodded, proud of my work and the admiration I heard in my big brother's voice.

"Job well done, Cessy," He said and smiled at me, patting my cheek lightly as I beamed before turning around to Montague who looked as though he wanted to send me to my grave. "She's right, Montague, I've seen you get worse on the pitch, and from boys too. A punch from a girl shouldn't be so bad."

"Fuck off, you prick!" He managed to shout at my brother and the two of us laughed at his obviously hurt pride that was evident in his tone.

He stood up from his chair, still hunched over from where I had kicked him multiple times, but instead of coming at me with a fist like I had earlier, he had his wand pointed at my face.

Before anyone could move, me, my brother, Theodore from across the room, or any bystander, I heard the lowest of growls come from my right as my wonderful half kneazle sprinted toward Montague with opened claws and vicious hisses.

She latched onto him before any spells could leave his vile mouth.

"Get 'im Jojo!" I laughed as Montague tried, hopelessly, to pry my furious cat off of him.

She wasn't having it.

Instead she clawed so viciously at his face that Theodore ended up telling me to call her off. I let her maim him a bit longer before calling her. She immediately snapped her head toward me and unlatched herself from where she'd previously dug her claws into Montague's chest and face. He was on the ground again, making noises I could only imagine someone on the verge of death would be making. It made me incredibly proud of her. He had terrible claw marks on his face, leaving bloody vertical lines on each sides of his cheeks and nose. I could see the holes from where her claws were in his chest and I could imagine she'd left some bite marks as well.

She hadn't gone easy.

Well that's what he gets for pointing his wand at me!

"Good girl, " I said and scooped my large, purring, cat into my arms. I stroked her fur as she nuzzled my face and looked at my brother.

He didn't look as happy as I was at Montague's mauling but he wasn't giving me his normally disapproving look he did when Jojo did something that could get us in trouble. It raised my spirits even more.

"Salazar's shit, Jojo, you really fucked the bloke up," Theodore came over to her and she purred and let him pet her.

Montague was being escorted out of the common room by his friends-they kept very far away from Jojo which she looked pleased at. I chuckled and looked around at my brother and the rest of my house mates.

"I did tell you all he was going to pay, didn't I?"

No one responded but I did hear a harty laugh come from my twin.

At least someone thinks I'm funny...


Author's Note: Hi again! Hope you all liked this chapter! And again, I'm sooooo sorry it's taken so long to post again. Couldn't get my writing juices flowing ya know?

Anyways...were you surprised Montague ended up harrassing poor Hermione? How about Cecily coming to her rescue? Good stuff? Should we transfer Cecily over to the Gryffindor's already or what!

And not to worry! I promise Cecily and Harry will be speaking next chapter! They definitely have some things they need to chat over...

Thanks again! Hope you enjoyed!

~Alyssa~