Chapter Seven

McGonagall sends me straight to her office and joins me a few minutes later looking furious.

'Professor, I didn't do anything!' I shout as soon as she arrives.

McGonagall looks furious, 'both you and Miss Thornberry were having a duel in the middle of the school at night. That is not acceptable.'

'I didn't have a duel! She tried to attack me, I blocked it and refused to attack her so she just pretended that I did!'

I can see McGonagall is unsure whether or not to believe me.

'If you weren't duelling, what were you doing down here?!'

'You sent me a letter asking me to see you!'

'I did nothing of the sort,' she frowns angrily.

'It was Emma!' I realise suddenly, 'She sent me a letter to get me here.'

'That is enough!' yells McGonagall, 'I cannot take either your word or Miss Thornberry's as the truth but all I saw was her on the floor seemingly having been attacked. And unless you have the letter or anyone else can prove its real then that's not much use.'

I'm absolutely speechless, 'But Professor-'

Suddenly she looks at me in an almost kind way, 'I'm inclined to believe you, Miss Malfoy, but it's my duty to investigate the matter properly. Return here first thing tomorrow and I'll make sure your and Miss Thornberry's parents are all here to discuss the matter.'

Nooooooo!

I return to the tower fuming and find the common room almost deserted. In the dormitory I briefly explain what happened to a shocked Anna and force myself to go to sleep. When I wake the next morning and head straight off to McGonagall's office I wonder what else can go wrong for me this year. So far I've fallen out my with my best friend, dated a boy who spread rumours about me and been accused of attacking someone. And now my parents are here. Great.

My father's there when I arrive, probably on his way to work. We say an awkward hello and I sit down in an empty chair opposite Emma and her father. McGonagall sits behind her desk looking tense.

She addresses me first, 'Miss Thornberry claims you attacked her, Miss Malfoy and that she didn't retaliate.'

'No! I told you that she sent me a letter pretending to be you to get me there. Then she pretended to have been attacked so I'd get expelled!'

A knock on the door suddenly interrupts me.

'Come in,' says McGonagall irritably.

The door is pushed open and to my surprise, James stands on the threshold clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

'Mr Potter, this is a private meeting-'

'But Professor, this is the letter Emma sent,' he holds out the paper.

'Well,' says McGonagall, 'a simple spell can detect the author.'

She mutters an incantation and then gasps and looks furious.

'Well, Miss Thornberry, this is very troubling indeed.'

Emma pales and James grins triumphantly at me.

'So, Miss Thornberry,' began McGonagall, her voice low and dangerous, 'You impersonated a staff member to lure a fellow student into a duel. Do you realise how idiotic you have been? I'll have to think seriously about your future at this school. Victoria, you're dismissed.'

I jump up happily and hug James, 'Thank you so much! Did you get the letter out of the bin?'

'Yeah, Anna told me what had happened this morning, so I came to rescue you. Noble, huh?' he laughs.

'Haha, very!'

'Victoria, can I have a word please?' says my dad suddenly, who has apparently followed us out of the room.

Ugh, this just gets better and better.

James subtly moves away and heads outside, having got a free lesson.

'I'm very disappointed in you, Victoria.'

'What?!' I exclaim, 'I haven't done anything!'

'This time no, but the situation happened because of your friendship with that Potter.'

I'm too furious to speak for a moment, 'No, it happened because Emma is a psycho. James had nothing to do with it.'

My father rolls his eyes, 'No, of course not, I'm sure everyone thinks he's as blameless as his father always was.'

Anger is boiling up inside me, threatening to explode.

'It's just your prejudices! Don't you get it? Everyone else has moved on, no one clings to the pure blood superiority idea anymore apart from you!'

He looks coldly down at me, 'You've shamed your family, Victoria, that's all I have to say.'

Seething with frustration I turn my back on him and run down the corridor, not stopping until I reach the main doors and run through them. The fresh air has a calming effect but I'm still angry, outraged. Pissed off. I go and sit down by the lake and dangle my feet in it. I feel tears begin to trail down my face and I brush them away quickly.

Someone sits down beside me and I know who it is without having to look.

'Hey James,' I lean my head on his shoulder, utterly exhausted by the morning's events.

'Hey,' he almost whispers.

I look up at him; he meets my gaze and holds it. I don't know how long we stare at each other like that- he has such nice eyes! Then without thinking it through, ignoring potential consequences, we lean in towards each other and the next thing I know I'm kissing James Sirius Potter. Yep, I, daughter of Draco Malfoy, am snogging Harry Potter's son.

Wow.