The Exchange


"Haley!"

The Slytherin didn't turn around at the sound of the voice. She knew that voice perfectly well. She slowed her pace to let the boy catch up.

Draco Malfoy jogged up to walk side by side with the girl. "You hurried off after dinner, last night. Is there anything wrong?"

Haley simply shook her head. She had spent the evening doing her homework in her room. And after she had finished, she just sat on her bed wondering who she should trust. Ethan didn't seem like a bad guy. And he did have a point about Draco seeming to have a darker side. She had seen it herself whenever she as Harry quarreled with the blonde. But she didn't know Ethan enough to thoroughly trust the boy. Because of this, she kept going back and forth between the two boys until exhaustion finally took over sending her into a dreamless state.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, looking a little concerned.

"I'm fine, Malfoy."

Draco cocked an eyebrow in hearing his family name used in such a distant tone. Not at all at how the girl had playfully said it just yesterday. He sighed. "Look, I saw you with Maxwell last night. What did he say to you?"

Haley gave the boy a cross expression. "I don't think that's any of your business, Malfoy."

Draco flinched slightly at how cold she sounded. "Ethan Maxwell isn't one to be trusted-"

"What? And you are?" Haley stopped in her tracks. "I think I can judge for myself who I can and can't trust."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes searching Haley's for her answer.

"Just stop it, okay? I don't want to argue with you." Haley looked highly irritated.

"Okay, fine. But why are you being so cross with me, suddenly?"

"I don't know. I just...ugh..." The girl massaged her temple. "I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me." She pushed past the speechless blonde and hurried towards the nearest restroom.

After finishing her business, she turned around to flush and noticed something. The blood drained from her cheeks as she quickly finished up in the bathroom and started at a dead sprint towards the hospital wing.

"Madame Pomfrey! I'm bleeding!" Haley yelled as she burst through the door.

The woman hurried around the corner towards the girl. "No need to worry, I can patch it up, no problem."

"But-but...I'm bleeding...down there." Haley implied.

Realization struck the elderly woman before she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Madame Pomfrey, this is no laughing matter! What's wrong with me? I'm scared!"

"Oh, my dear, dear, Harry. You've been in this wing many times for many different reasons. I never thought you'd come here for this." The woman said through her chuckling.

Haley responded with a confused look. "What? What is it?"

"Harry, dear. You do know about a woman's menstrual cycle, don't you?"

Haley blinked. "I...um...sorta..."

Madame Pomfrey gained control of her laughter. "Harry, you're on your period. There's nothing to worry about. Every woman goes through this."

The Slytherin girl blushed. "But...now?"

"Unfortunately, we have no real control over it. It comes and goes as your body sees fit."

"Well, what do I do about it? How do I stop the bleeding?"

"I'm afraid you can't. You just have to let it pass." Madame Pomfrey disappeared around the corner for a second, returning with two boxes in her hands. "So, do you prefer pads or tampons?"

"For what?" Haley asked curiously.

The woman bit back her laughter. "Harry, you can't go around with blood-soaked knickers now can you?"

Haley blushed even harder this time. She couldn't believe that she was on her period when it felt like all her blood was in her cheeks.

"I thought you couldn't stop the bleeding. What are those for?"

"You wear them."

"Where?"

"My goodness, boy, didn't you learn this at all from someone or somewhere?"

"I learned about how a boy works. Not a girl." Haley defended.

Madame Pomfrey sighed. She was glad that there wasn't anyone in the hospital wing at the moment to take care of. "With a maxi pad, you line them in your knickers. And with tampons, well...you insert them..."

"Insert them where?"

"For goodness sake, boy, where do you think?"

After realizing where, Haley couldn't believe it was possible to be even redder. "You mean there are girls out there right now with those things...there?"

"Well, yes, if they prefer them to maxi pads."

"What if it gets stuck?"

This time, the blush fell onto the nurse's face. "Then you pull it out."

"You mean you actually go in and-"

"Please, no!" Madame Pomfrey had her eyes shut and her hand out to silence the girl. "Use your imagination, dearie." She sighed and looked at the confused girl. "What'll it be?"

A look of disgust passed over the Haley's face thinking about using tampons. "I'll go with pads." The woman handed the girl the box of pads. "Madame Pomfrey, where do I put it?"

"I told you, on your panty-"

"But I'm wearing boxers." Haley said, matter-of-factly.

The nurse shook her head. "You make this awfully difficult...pads weren't meant to be worn with boxers."

"But I don't want to wear girl's underwear." Haley frowned.

"Well, unless you want to go with the tampons, I'm afraid you'll have to change that little fact."

"But-"

"By all means, child, you can return to your beloved boxers the moment you're period ends but for now, you must switch if you're so inclined towards pads."

"But what do I do now? I don't have any girls underwear."

Madame Pomfrey thought for a minute. "I suppose I could send someone out into Hogsmeade."

"But what do I do until then?"

"Well, you could either wait here or wear a tampon." The elder woman smirked when she saw the girl flinch. "Is there anyone you know of that I could send for you?"

"Well, Hermione knows about my situation. We went shopping the other day as well..."

"Right. I shall send for Miss Granger. Surely she will make the purchase for you."

Minutes later, Hermione entered the hospital wing, a little concerned for her friend from not having heard the story. But once it was told, Hermione couldn't help but burst into laughter, earning a glare from her best friend. The brunette agreed to help and before she left, she offered to buy Haley a thong. This earned the Gryffindor another glare but she appeared to care less as she laughed all the way out of the hospital wing.

Almost half an hour later, Hermione returned with a bag in her hand. She offered to wait for her friend since they could walk to Hagrid's class together. After being shown how to place it most effectively by both Madame Pomfrey and Hermione, Haley ducked into the bathroom wondering if anyone had ever died from embarrassment. If not, she wouldn't be surprised if she were the first. She peered into the bag and immediately spotted the assortment of colors. 'Why would I need so many colors? It's not like I'm going to show the world my undergarments...' Haley scoffed. She pulled one out and prepared herself for the rest of the day, still discomfited by the whole situation. And still feeling self-conscious, she slipped her boxers up over the panties. She instantly felt awkward and swore that anyone who could see her would be able to spot the chunky pad.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. You can't see a thing." Hermione said, assuring her friend as they left the hospital wing together. She found it very difficult to contain her laughter but in seeing the irritation and humiliation in her friend's eyes, she fought the urge.

"Are you sure? It feels all bulky."

"I'm positive. Do you spot it on any other girls when they walk by?"

"No, but that's cause they have their robes on."

"And so do you."

"But I feel like it's sticking out. Are you sure it's not sticking out?"

"Honestly Harry, you should hear yourself. You're paranoid over nothing."

"I'm not paranoid." Haley snapped.

Hermione just regarded her friend with an amused look.

"What?" The Slytherin bit.

"If I didn't know that you were on your period right now, I'd think you were just being a bitch."

Haley gaped at her friend's bluntness. "I'm...I'm sorry 'Mione."

The brunette smiled. "Don't worry about it. Hormones. It happens while you're menstruating. Just relax and try to be more patient with everyone."

Haley sighed. "This girl thing is such a hassle."

Hermione scoffed. "Just be happy you won't have to go through pregnancy."

The green-eyed girl cringed at the idea as they finally reached Hagrid's hut.

Draco immediately spotted the pair and hurried over to Haley as the rest of the class one by one approached a giant dog-like creature called a 'Mastrot'. "Haley! There you are! Are you all right? Where have you been? Are you hurt?"

Again, Haley massaged her temple at the onslaught of questions. "Shut it, Malfoy!" She snapped. She hadn't meant to be cruel but she felt a headache forming at Draco's insistence.

Draco took a step back, a little shocked and a little hurt by Haley's biting words.

"Look, Malfoy. Haley's just not feeling all too well. Just let her be for now, okay?" Hermione said. Draco gave a curt nod before returning to where Crabbe and Goyle were standing. The Head Girl turned to her friend. "That was rather harsh, don't you think."

Haley felt guilt wash over her. Her emotions were on the fritz. "I know. I just..."

"It's okay. Just relax. You'll get used to it, I promise."

"'Mione? Can you keep this from Ron? He'll have a field day teasing me."

"No problem." Hermione smiled. She directed her friend towards the rest of the class as they listened to how the Mastrot was a creature best suited for the harsh winters of the arctic.

---

Throughout the entire day, Draco kept his distance from Haley, not wanting to upset the girl. This just served to make Haley feel worse at how she acted. Draco was her friend despite what Ethan had said. Even though she didn't completely trust the blonde, she did enjoy spending time with him when they weren't mad at each other.

It was already after dinner and Haley wanted to take this time to try to find Draco and apologize for her behavior. She found him in the common room, talking with Blaise.

"Hello, Haley." Blaise smiled at the girl.

She smiled in return. "Good evening, Blaise." She turned to the blonde boy. "Can I talk to you?"

Draco stood and followed the girl just outside the common room.

"Listen, Draco. I'm sor-" She was cut off by the sounds of moaning further down the hall. She looked incredulously toward where the sounds were coming from. "What in the..."

Draco shook his head. "Slytherins..."

"Look, Draco." Haley raised her voice above the moans. "I just wanted to apolo-"

"Oh that tickles!" Came a feminine voice from around the corner.

Haley rubbed her temples again, not liking the fact that some horny teenagers kept interrupting her.

The blonde sighed. "Come on." He held her wrist and pulled her through the halls of the school. Haley didn't recognize where Draco was taking her but followed without question. They soon reached a door and when they passed through, Haley noticed that they were on a sort of nook along the rooftops of the school. Draco pulled the girl onto a nearby bench and sat them down.

"Where are we?" Haley asked, looking around curiously.

"A long time ago, this school used to teach meteorology. Tried to teach methods on controlling weather. The classroom is right through that door." He pointed to the door opposite the one they entered from. "But people lost interest when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named first emerged. Now it's just one of Hogwarts abandoned rooms. I come here to think sometimes."

Haley looked at Draco, wondering what he must be thinking of now. "Oh." Was all she could think to say.

"So, you wanted to talk?"

"Right." She sighed. "I just wanted to apologize to you for being so...off."

A light smile played on Draco's lips. "I knew you would."

Haley gaped at his vanity. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Draco chuckled and threw his arm around Haley's shoulders. "It means that you fancy me. Don't want to hurt my feelings, now do you, Haleykins?"

The girl rolled her emerald eyes. "Get over yourself, Malfoy." Despite her comment, she leaned into Draco's body to shield herself from the cold.

Draco, too, moved in closer to the girl. They were quiet for some time, Haley lost in her thoughts as Draco stared off into the night sky.

'I shouldn't be sitting here like this.' Haley thought. 'This is Draco Malfoy for crying out loud. Not only is he my number one enemy but he's also a boy. I can't like boys. I am a boy.' Haley frowned. 'Wait, who said I like him in the first place? We're just two friends sitting together on a bench. That's all. Draco Malfoy is my friend. For now.' The girl sighed. 'As soon as Professor Snape finds that antidote, it's back to where we started.' Haley felt a sharp pang in her chest, but she dismissed it as being hormones. 'And plus... how can I really trust him? There's a lot to him I don't know...Ethan could be right about having to be careful around him. I mean, Draco doesn't completely trust me, otherwise he would tell me about Ethan, so I guess that means I shouldn't completely trust him.'

Haley blinked. She suddenly pulled away from Draco, sitting upright and staring off into the distance though not seeing. "Too weird."

"What?" Draco asked, shivering a little at the sudden loss of her warmth.

Haley shook her head. "It's getting late. And cold. We should head back."

"No, that's all right. I think I'll stay out here a bit longer. You can find your way back, right?"

Haley nodded. "You sure you don't want me to wait?"

"I might be out here a while."

"Right..." Haley pulled off her scarf and wrapped it around Draco's neck. "Remember to not freeze yourself to death."

Draco smirked. "Gee, Jones, I didn't know you cared."

Haley rolled her eyes again. "Well I do. Just not about you. If they find you out here frozen stiff, I might get in trouble having been the last person to be seen with you. You see, I'm only looking out for my best interests."

Draco scoffed, but smiled at the girl.

"Night, Draco."

"Good night, Haley."

Haley turned and went back into the school. She thought about what just happened. 'Even though I am trapped in this body, I am still Harry Potter. And Harry Potter doesn't sit under a starlit sky with Draco Malfoy's arm around him.' While she was sitting there, she realized how surreal the whole situation was and quickly pulled away. She was afraid of what she would realize had she not. "We are friends. That's all. Nothing more." Haley nodded to herself. "Nothing more."

"Nothing more, what?"

Haley was startled out of her thoughts in hearing Ethan's voice. "Ethan? What are you doing up?"

"What are you doing up?" he countered.

"Well, I was just...I needed to do some thinking."

"Were you with Draco?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yes." She replied before she could catch herself.

"...Did he hurt you?"

Haley halted and stared at Ethan. "What?"

Ethan stopped as well, and looked Haley in the eye. She saw concern there and something else she couldn't recognize. "Did. He. Hurt. You?" He repeated, emphasizing each word.

"No, of course not. Why...why would he?"

"Draco's not entirely trustworthy."

"And you are?" Haley recognized this transaction clearly.

"Touché." The hazel-eyed boy sighed. "I know very well that you can take care of yourself. I don't question your judgment at all. I just don't want to see you get hurt..." He cradled Haley's chin between his thumb and his forefinger. "You're very beautiful, you know that?" He whispered.

Haley blushed, but took a step back, away from Ethan's touch. "Good night, Ethan."

"Good night, Haley." He smiled slightly.

Haley didn't return the smile, but instead quickly walked away. She hurried to her room, feeling more confused now than she had felt last night. She shook her head. Haley didn't want to think any more of Ethan Maxwell or Draco Malfoy. She forced them out of her thoughts as she let slumber claim her for the night.

Ethan had watched the girl go with a feral look in his eyes. He smiled to himself before heading off in the opposite direction, leaving behind a small picture of the girl on the cold stone floors.


Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters. I claim the rights to Ethan. And a half eaten bag of Skittles.

Wow. I'm starting to believe that Haley's thinking too much. Her thinking ruined the rooftop scene. Oh and Ethan's made clear that he finds Haley pretty. OoOoOo...How's that gonna work out? Haha. Not even I know.