A/N: This is a super-fast update

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Chapter 8: While the Dementors suck your soul

"Like you said before." The blonde looks away.

"No more lies between us." He walks by me, his tall posture making mine look too small for my own liking.

No more lies between the two of us huh? That might be a bit too hard for me.

"So you have arrived Miss Weasley." A tall tanned man at about forty motions a chair as soon as we enter the office.

"Please take a seat so that we can begin the questioning." Oh, great. What can I say?

Bring it on.

********

"Ok, well, where were you Miss the morning of the 27th of August?" The Judge asks.

"Shopping with my family in Diagon Alley till noon." The man takes some notes and nods approvingly.

"I don't like that man." Malfoy mutters annoyed from over my head. Well, yeah, me neither but what can I do?

"Did you stay with your family all that time?" It is quite pointless to be asking those questions since my Dad, who is an Auror, is standing right next to me and I bet he has told them all about it . Nevertheless…

"No. We got separated at about eleven o'clock. My mother , father and younger brother went to see my uncle George and I visited the bookstore." I think that was clear enough.

"Did you go straight to the store?" Trap question or what?

"I walked there, yes." I say dryly and the man seems just a little disappointed.

"Now, Miss did you see the victim any time that day?" It is kinda weird to hear someone refer to Malfoy as a 'victim'. I mean the guy is –or was- the most arrogant, self-centred, bossy person I even met. 'Victim' will never be a word to describe him. No matter how he is killed.

Cause you see death, in my opinion, cannot define the way you live, only the way you leave.

It can't change what you've been.

" 'Victim' my arse you jerk." See what I mean? He is not a victim. Never was.

"Yes, I did." A smirk comes up the judge's face. He really is a jerk. I second Malfoy for that.

"Dead or Alive?" What kind of question is this? Dead or Alive? I mean had I seen him dead I would have called the Aurors.

"Alive of course." I try to sound offended.

"Of course." Irony dripping from his every pore. Disgusted. That's exactly how I feel.

"Did you speak to one another?" Speak…now I wouldn't really call it speaking. It was more like shouting our lungs out.

"Yes." In a way…

"Was it a friendly talk?" What a stupid question! Can't he just ask to know about our fight and be done with it?

"Yes, you idiot, we talked of the weather and our mutual likes and dislikes." Malfoy hisses. Hahaha… Nice one Malfoy.

Oh, dear! Did I just laugh out loud?

"Why are you laughing Miss?" Honestly?

"Well, the conversations I used to share with Malfoy can hardly be considered civil." I blurt out.

"I see. So you didn't like the victim." He states more than asks.

"That would be an understatement." For instance I do not like onions, I do not like horror movies, I do not like stuffed animals. But Malfoy? Him I despise.

"So attacking him would be a normal thing." Now wait a moment that's not what I meant!

"Hey, just wait a minute Vincent, that's not what she said." Thanks Dad.

"Very well then, did you engage in fights with the victim regularly?" Well…

"Yes." Why deny it?

"Verbal ones?" Mostly! I mean I hexed him once a week… or maybe two…or three, but only if he called me a spinster!

"Most of the times." I say resting assured that the question to come would be a tuff one.

" 'Most' ?! Are you kidding me Weasel? You hexed me four times a week." No. It was three.

"Three." I correct.

"What?" The judge snaps like I just offended his mother or something.

"No, nothing." I mumble. Damn it, why can't I keep my mouth shut?

"Very well. Then may I ask if that day the fight you had with the victim was a verbal one?" No. You may not.

"It was." And I repeat only verbal!

"Are you certain?" Do I look unsure?

"She said so already didn't she?" My Dad really knows when to speak doesn't he?

"Ok. Then is it true that during this strictly verbal fight you had you didn't fail to offend the victim's family and the fact that you'd hate to have him as a Head-Boy?" Hey! The family thing, he started it. And the Head's one as well.

But don't mind me. I mean when someone is dead suddenly all he has said is erased and all that remains is what you said to him.

"It is true, but he offended my family first and then he called me ugly and insulted me in very possible way." I say without stopping to breathe.

"Merlin Princess don't be so dramatic." I'm not being dramatic. I'm being realistic.

"So you got mad." Damn right I did.

"Yes, of course." Isn't that the natural thing to do?

"And insulted him back." Duh!

"Yes." What else was there…?

"And you rushed after him when he said those things." Yes, I turned and came closer so that I could glare at him and punch him, if needed.

"Yes." Exactly.

"And killed him." WHAT?

"No!" Hell he fooled me.

"So you just followed him to the path and then…turned back?" The man's ironic expression makes me sick once more.

"I followed him in Diagon Alley, not when he took that road." Merlin!

"Fine. Did you see what road he took?" I think so…

"A small paved path, I believe." It looked quite dark and devoid of all life.

"But you didn't walk that way." My Dad now stands up from his seat and comes closer to the man menacingly.

"She already said 'no' . Now don't you think this questioning has gone too far?" He hisses and I feel extremely happy that at least he believes me now.

"Indeed it has. So I have one last question for you." He turns to me. I guess he will finally reveal his ace in the hole.

"Were your last words to the victim -and I am quoting- 'Why don't you go jump off a cliff Malfoy? The world would probably be a better place without you.' ?" I swallow hard. Right. The ace in the hole.

"If I remember correctly, yes." I reply bitterly. The odds are against me aren't they?

"I have no more questions." The judge says a smile of success fighting to come out.

*******

My Dad did his best to assure me everything will be ok. But what's the point of being assured now?

Things aren't going to be ok, either I believe so or not.

The real question is , what now?

Telling everyone about Malfoy being what he is would surely solve my problem. But you see I can't do that. I promised.

Yet if I don't I won't be able to help him anyway. Because I will be in Azkaban.

I sit heavily on the Heads' Common Room couch. Just what am I going to do?

"Tell them." Malfoy?!

"What?" I ask absent-mindedly.

"Tell them about me." Oh!

"I can't do that. I gave you my word." The boy sighs and crosses his arms.

"Well, you can take it back. I don't mind." Seriously? Wait! Is he in fact being nice? I had no idea death can do that to people.

"It's ok. I can handle it." Now he scoffs annoyingly.

"Yeah, I can see that." He looks at me slightingly.

"You couldn't hold your tongue in front of one judge. Let alone the entire Wizengamot." I-I… Oh, fine.

"But it was you who said, 'no lies' ." The dead guy glares at me.

"I said 'no lies' to me. Not 'no lies' to everyone." Whatever.

"So what?" Ok, I must have said the wrong thing because now he looks furious.

"So what?! You are going to end up in prison. Or even dead. Soul-less. Attacked by Dementors." Ok, Mr Brightside.

"You're dead and you don't seem too miserable." I might have taken it too far.

"I will be if you die." He says simply and I feel a pain in my stomach.

"I won't." I promise. And I always keep my word.

"You can't possibly promise that. You don't get to decide it." He states matter-of-factly.

"Right. But I get to decide if I tell my secrets. And I have decided , thank you very much." I will not make so many people sad just to save myself.

"You'd rather go to prison than tell my secret." You got that one right. I nod without hesitation.

"Why?" How can I explain this to him?

"Because I, too, think it is better if no one else finds out." Just that.

"How come? You used to say my family would be happy to be able to talk to me once more." You see it is hard to talk about this…

"Yes, I still think so. But you do realize that if I did talk about it, nothing would be the same." He has got to know that.

"I don't get it. Why not?" No. No, he doesn't know it...

"You made a decision, right? To return to your body." He nods and I gulp. I have been trying to forget of this since I first saw his ghost. I haven't managed to do it yet. This statement I'm about to make has been torturing me all this time.

"I believe you know, like I do what that means." His eyes darken and he seems tired. He seems dead.

Never before had he appeared to me really dead, till now.

"If I return to my body, I die. For real. Yeah, I know." I start trembling.

"Then do you actually think your parents will ever allow that?" I scream just to release the tension I have been holding in for all those weeks.

"No." He says, so quietly I barely hear him.

"Because, you see, they have that right." I am panting and staring at him challengingly.

"They have that right, that I don't have." Now I am whispering.

"The right that you don't have?" He seems taken aback. Troubled, confused.

"The right to insist that you remain like that, just to be by their side." How hard is it to understand?

Some moments go by and we just stare at each other. Both dumbfounded.

"Because they are your family, they will beg you to stay half-dead and be with them." He sighs.

"They will understand." Fool.

"No. no they won't. I understood, because you seemed utterly desperate when you said you'd rather die than be like this. I understood, they can't. And I can't ask them to." How would I ever dare to ask two people to give up their son?

"But if they love me, they will have to." The blonde points out.

"You got this all wrong." I shake my head while saying this.

"It's because they love you that they won't. Love makes people selfish." I am sure of this.

"So you will go to prison just like that?" He says raising his hands in despair.

"Yes." What else is there to do? I made up my mind. That's the only way.

"Remember you can't grant my wish if the Dementors such your soul." Funny.

"Hopefully things won't go that far." Dad said that if I was called to court, I would probably be released due to lack of clues.

"But if they do?" Agh!

"Since you insist so much, I promise that if they lead me to the Dementors I will confess it." Happy now? He smiles a crooked smile.

"Yeah, while the Dementors suck your soul." Yes, only if the Dementors want to suck my soul I will say this out loud. Precisely then. I cross my arms in a childish position. Stubborn much?

*******

"Rose?" Three hours have passed since I last spoke with the blonde. Three hours have passed since I talked with anyone really. And I bet no one really cares. I mean who wants to talk to a murderer?

"Yes?" Oh, wait! Malfoy doesn't call me by my first name . Ever I mean. So , who is it?

"Can I come in?" Come in?

"Wake up Princess. There's someone at the door." Yeah, I realized that much on my own your Highness.

"Yes, sure. Let me just come and give the password for you." I exclaim and stand up from the couch.

"It's ok. I can come in on my own." Hm? But only the Heads know the password here…

"Colton?" Deandre Colton? So that's how he knows the password. But he in fact requested permission to enter? What is he planning?

"Hi." He simply says and if I am not mistaken, which I might be, he seems …kinder than usual.

"Oh, look the rapist has arrived." Malfoy straightens his body on the armchair he is occupying.

"What do you want Colton? Came to congratulate me for killing Malfoy?" Prat. Worthless git who thinks he is someone. Even the blonde is better than him.

"What? No. No. That would be really awful." Your point being…?

"Awful people do awful stuff." I watch as his face saddens abruptly. Ok, this is not Colton.

"I suppose I am awful right?" Right.

"As a rule, yes." Now his eyes are as dark as his black hair.

"I see. Well, then what I came to say changes nothing really." Wait, he came to announce something?

"I don't know. What did you came to say?" I wonder.

"Let's get together before you get behind the bars." Malfoy mimics the boy's voice.

"That I believe you." Wha-….What?!

"Seriously?" I mean…Hell!

"Yes." He nods. Just like that and I begin to ask myself if he is acting.

"Why?" I inquire incredulously.

"You are not one to kill people and abandon them in the middle of the street. You are way too kind for that . That's why I like you." What, what, WHAT? Likes me? As in fancies me? Colton?

"Is this a joke?" I come near him and hiss.

"How could it be? Do you think I could joke in such a bad time?" Merlin's pants. My heart beats fast. To hear that someone likes you , no matter how you feel about him , is surely unsettling.

"Bad time?" In what way is this a bad time for him?

"You are in trouble." I am, yes, but he is not.

"But I care for you don't you see?" Oh!

"You always harass me, in every possible way. You act like a downright arse to me. How could I see?" Now he seems regretful.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that way." Excuse me? Is that all? He is sorry? Perverted prats like him are not supposed to have feelings. They are not supposed to be sorry.

"But that makes no sense. You coming up and saying all those things now." Is all reason gone ?

"I know, I really messed it all up, my attitude was inexcusable. I am stupid like that you see. I never knew what I had to do to impress you." Impress…

"And don't tell me I just have to be myself. Being who you are is never impressive." True. To say that only if you show how you really are everybody will admire you is a huge lie created with the sole purpose of comforting people.

People's real self is pretty simple and plain-looking. No one would ever be impressed by it. However acting the way you wish to can easily make you happy and comfortable. And being happy and comfortable is quite cool… Maybe not impressive but quite cool.

"I don't care to be impressed." I reply truthfully.

"Sure took me long enough to see that. But don't worry. Now I will do my best to help you." Huh?

"Seriously?" I think I am repeating myself but whatever.

"Yes, I told you, I care for you." Ok, that's going to take some time to sink in.

"Thanks Dean, but I can't promise that I will fall for you after that." Just so that we clear this up.

"To tell you the truth I didn't expect you to. If you felt something for me you would be feeling it no matter how I was." What does that mean?

"Oi, don't get mad. All I meant is that if you actually are in love it doesn't matter how the person really acts like. He might be a real git and still you are attracted to him." Am I getting thicker or is this guy suddenly much cleverer?

"That's rather stupid." Malfoy comments from his armchair.

"Love is stupid." I answer him and Dean doesn't seem to disagree.

"It is. Because otherwise I would have been much more civil to you. I guess sometimes good intentions are not enough so instead of helping our case we end up causing an even bigger mess." Indeed. Sometimes the biggest problems can be caused by good intentions in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use them.

"It's ok now." I say soothingly.

"Good. Now tell me who do I have to bring down in order to drop the charges?" I cannot help but laugh.

"No one yet. But when some one needs to be brought down you will be the first one to know." Dean smiles at me and I begin to see why all those girls find him attractive.

"Deal. I'm gonna go now." He turns to leave.

"Hey, Dean! That really means a lot to me." And then he blushes. Good gracious!

"See ya." The black-haired guy waves and leaves.

"What have you done Princess? Sneaked them a love potion or something? Why is every male in the premises hitting on you?" Cute your Highness.

"He was not hitting on me. He was offering some help. And just so you know he is the first person who believed me at once." I sit back in my favourite spot near the fire and rest my chin on my knees.

"He probably got bored with harassing you and tried a new way to get to your bed." Listen to him. He thinks he is so high and mighty. He is sure he knows everything.

"Just because that is what you would do…" Now Malfoy narrows his eyes.

"Since when is he better than me? I thought that to him you would rather have me." Correction: Malfoy would make a better Head than him. That's all I said.

"That was before he acted so nicely. Besides just because your egocentric personality cannot trust a living soul that doesn't I can't either." I have decided to be trusting. Give this world a chance.

"So damn naïve. You think the world is made of saints. Well hate to break it to you but it isn't. People are mean , problematic and mercenary. The sooner you get that best for you." To have so little faith in mankind is sort of disappointing.

"Did you just give me an advice?" Or are my ears playing games with me?

"Only because you are so bloody hopeless." I guess it can't be helped.

"One day you will realize that there are much more people loving you than there are hating you and then you will change your mind." Right, that guy will surely see how undeniable love is.

"I am already dead. Killed by some thieves and not only that but I was cursed to become a ghost as well. I think mankind has failed me one too many times." Pessimist.

"I am tried for the murder of the person I am doing my best to help. And everyone even my family refuse to believe me. But I still have faith." I say passionately.

"I know. You are so stubborn that you will probably believe in people till the very end. Till the Dementors suck your soul." I believe there is no possibility to change this person's mind. Yet the way he just spoke…Sounded like he did wish I never lost faith.

For one moment there I think he was almost happy that I don't give up on people.

"Till then." That's the plan.

"Good." He closes his eyes and falls asleep.

I knew it! I knew he wanted me to have hope.

It is really late and I am tired. However for some unknown reason I can't sleep. In mind I keep repeating what Dean told me earlier .

Sometimes the biggest problems can be caused by good intentions.

Now can they?

A/N: So… what do you say?

Was it too weird that I made Dean Colton good?

Sure hope not…

So any ideas… suggestions as to how to go on?

Please review and tell me!!!

Lots of love

Sarah