My Dark Star

Chapter 9: Serpent Servant

Mariana returned to the Slytherin dormitories feeling the urgency to bathe. She felt dirty in every possible way. As she stood in the shower, scrubbing feverishly, she felt the soap sting her knuckles. They were still raw from punching the mirror. That's odd, she thought as she rinsed her hand in the trickling water. After the shower, she snuggled into her pink bathrobe and fished in her pockets absent-mindedly. The thing she was so used to pulling out from the pocket wasn't there – her silver bracelet. Mariana only removed it when she showered, and always put it in the pocket of her robe. As she racked her tired brain trying to think where she could have misplaced it, it dawned on her that she had never taken it off to begin with. That son of a bitch stole my bracelet!

At breakfast the next morning, Draco was gloating his victory in obscene detail for the boys at the Slytherin table, conveniently leaving out the part about jinxing and holding the girl captive. As Mariana walked up behind him, he was concluding his torrid tale with, ". . . and she moans like a bitch."

Adrian high-fived him as he said, "You lucky devil. I knew she'd be the type who liked it rough."

She was mortified. The whole school probably knew what a slut she was by now. It was bad enough that he'd humiliated her last night, but Draco was now rubbing salt into the wounds. She felt so used and wondered for a split second if this is how she made him feel after the love potion incident.

"Speak of the bloody devil," said Blaize, catching sight of the "bitch" in question.

Any fraction of remorse that threatened to surface was soon squashed when the blonde boy looked up and smirked like a smug, evil, bastard. Mariana remembered that honey attracts more flies than vinegar. Looking bright and cheery, as if last night was a typical teenage tryst, she said sweetly, "Mr. Malfoy. I should have known you were the type to kiss and tell." She giggled and tossed her hair. "Don't let him fool you, boys. Draco's my bitch."

The Slytherin boys erupted into a chorus of ooh's, reacting to her playful jibe. One of them said under his breath, "I'll be your bitch any day, Mariana," and gave her a lewd smile. The boys laughed.

"Seriously, now. I'd like a word with you, Mr. Malfoy, in private," she requested, still with a pleasant voice masking the intense hatred she felt beneath her forced smile.

He asked with a cocky drawl, "Only a word? Or is that a euphemism for something more sorted?" He nudged the boy to his right and raised his eyebrows implicating lasciviousness.

Mariana purred seductively, "Why don't you come find out?"

Draco rose from the table, his gaggle of sex-crazed Slytherin boys whooping and whistling at the prospect of 'something more sorted' occurring. Their hero of the boudoir followed his latest conquest out of the Great Hall, but not because he was stupid enough to think she was really a glutton for punishment. He needed to talk to her too, and spoke before she could when they reached the stairwell leading down to the dungeons.

"You better not have told anybody about last night," he threatened in a harsh whisper, boxing her in against the wall with his arms, his hands propped on the stone.

"Why bother? Seems like you already took the liberty of spreading the good news yourself," she retorted.

He shot her a scathing look. "You know what I mean."

"Maybe I did. Maybe I told Daphne just now. Maybe I told Dumbledore," she taunted.

"I think you're bluffing. If you really told Daphne, the story would already be in the Daily Prophet by now. If you told Dumbledore, I wouldn't be here graciously granting you an audience."

Mariana scowled. He was right. She didn't want to tell anybody because she knew the consequences. Sure, Draco would probably get expelled. But her father would yank her out of school to keep the scandal from ruining the family name. The thought of having to leave because of Draco was all too humiliating.

"Let's keep this our dirty little secret, shall we?" he said sinisterly. "You don't want me to use those connections I told you about in order to keep you compliant." Mariana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What did you want to talk to me about anyway?" he asked. "Or do you really have a hidden agenda? Because I have 10 minutes before Potions, if you fancy a quickie." He leaned in to kiss her.

"Fuck you, Malfoy," she spat and ducked under his arm to escape his close proximity. "I want my bracelet back," she demanded.

Draco raised his right hand and let the loose cuff of his robe fall to his elbow, revealing the silver bracelet around his wrist. "You mean this piece of rubbish?" Mariana moved forward to grab his wrist, but the boy jerked back. "Hey. Finders keepers, losers weepers," he chided with more malice than childishness behind his infantile words.

Mariana fought to keep her temper in check as she accused, "You didn't just find it, you stole it from me when I was sleeping."

"You snooze, you lose," he responded with a smart grin on his pale face.

"Enough with the nursery rhymes and give it back! You had no right to take it from me." She realized how poignant those last words were. Draco seemed to have also, for he paused and shifted around uncomfortably, unable to look her in the eye.

He regained his composure. "Is it expensive?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"It has sentimental value. Its been passed down in my family from witch to witch for over a century." Mariana thought this would appeal to his appreciation for pure blood wizard ancestry. However, she was altering the truth. In fact, the bracelet was her grandmother's, on her father's side. She didn't know much about that side of the family.

"So you're not a mud blood then?" he asked with mild surprise.

"Mine is one of the oldest and purest wizard families in Spain," she declared haughtily.

"How come I've never heard of the Pagans, other than in regards to quidditch?" he challenged.

"The line is on my mother's side. I'm sure you've heard of the Morenos."

"Yeah, it rings a bell." Draco removed the bracelet from his wrist and inspected it for a painfully long time. "Have you heard of the Nacks-cah serpent?"

"It's pronounced Naz-cah, you ignorant twit. And that's" she pointed to the bracelet, "not it." Mariana continued in a patronizing voice sounding a little like Hermione, "The Naxca Serpent originates from the Mayan sorcerers of Mexico. My family is from Spain." She really had no idea what the Naxca Serpent was, but she remembered reading about Naxca in relation to Mexico in a Wizard Archaeology text.

"Same difference," he snorted arrogantly.

She huffed at his racist remark. "Mexico and Spain are two completely different countries on opposite sides of an ocean that happen to speak the same language but have vastly different cultures." She paused to take a breath after her lecture. "Anyway, why do you care?" she snapped.

Draco answered nonchalantly, "I just wanted to know how much I should ask for when I hock it."

Mariana asked bitter-sweetly, "What happened? Did your family squander all their galleons trying to bribe Lucius out of Azkaban?"

The boy's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed with contempt at her audacity, both for her allegations and for showing little respect for his family's patriarch. "Maybe I'll just keep it, then. As a souvenir," he snarled.

"You little wanker," she snapped as she lunged at the boy. Draco was slick like an albino ferret and escaped her wrath, shooting a disarming spell for good measure, as he bolted down the stairs to the dungeons. Mariana recovered her wand and ran after him. When she reached the dungeon level, he was nowhere to be seen. She ran up to the entrance of the Slytherin common room, shouted the password, and flung the door open with her wand at the ready. Draco was standing just inside the door with his own wand raised. They scowled at each other, panting and sweating.

"I'm willing to make an exchange for your stupid trinket," said the boy with as much disdain he could muster while still trying to catch his breath.

"That bracelet is mine. I'm not giving you anything for it," she said defiantly.

Draco smirked as he took off the bracelet and dangled it between his fingers. "Then, obviously it doesn't matter to you that much. In which case, you wouldn't care if I did this to it." He pointed his wand at it and was about to incant the obliteration charm.

"No!" Mariana screamed in horror.

"Drop your wand," he ordered her while still pointing his own wand threateningly at the bracelet. She stood her ground, but with a look of desperation on her face. "Do it, or I'll destroy it!"

She couldn't help but betray her emotions. She looked trapped, even as she continued to spit insults at him. She lowered her wand. "You sick bastard. Why the hell are you doing this to me?"

"Why? Because I can. Because it's so easy it's pathetic, actually," he drawled.

"What the fuck do you want from me Draco? Do you want me to apologize for the stupid chocolate incident? Is that what this is all about?"

"Please, Mariana. Don't embarrass yourself."

"Then what?! Haven't you tortured me enough in one day?"

Draco shrank an almost imperceptible fraction, but pressed on with his agenda. He put the bracelet back on his wrist and said, "You will meet me outside the Room of Requirement every night at eight o'clock for a week. And then I might consider returning your stupid, little trinket."

"Meet you where?"

"The room we used last night. Seventh floor, across from the tapestry of dancing trolls," he reminded her then explained, "It's a hidden door that only reveals itself to those in dire need."

She gave a maniacal chuckle, "And we know how desperately you need to make up for your lack of sexual experience."

Her remark wiped the smirk off of Draco's face. "Oh, get over yourself, Pagan. I have other uses for you. Now do you want your fucking bracelet or not?"

Mariana shut her eyes, fighting back the urge to tear his face off with her manicured nails. She inhaled slowly then looked up, focusing on keeping calm as she said through gritted teeth, "Fine. I'll be there tonight." She made to storm away, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back towards him.

Their eyes met with equal animosity. "And you better learn to play nice from now on. You're my bitch. Is that understood?" he whispered menacingly.

"Well, if it isn't the happy couple," came a voice from the entranceway of the boys' dorms. Draco released his death-grip on Mariana's arm, but remained close to her. Theodore walked into the common room to meet them. "I thought we were best friends, Mariana. How come I'm always the last to know?" he asked without any real hurt in his voice. "Anyway, I'm sure I'll get all the juicy details nobody else is privy to."

"Let's go, Theo. I'll talk to you on the way to class," she said, sliding past Draco.

"I wouldn't go into too much detail, darling," Draco said with mock endearment. "To do so would diminish how special it was." Mariana realized he was trying to impart how important it was not to reveal the true nature of their encounter.

Theodore scoffed. "Special? Malfoy, you obviously don't know Mariana that well. To her, sex is as banal as brushing her teeth."

"Get fucked, you poofter," Draco shot back.

Theodore crossed his arms and pouted. "I don't like your new boyfriend, Mariana. He seems like a bit of a prat."

Mariana took her friend by the arm and glared at Draco. "Don't worry, sweetheart," she said with the same mock endearment. "I'll only tell Theo how fantastic you were."

"And how well endowed he is. I mean, he is a Malfoy after all. I bet he's rich where it counts, right? You'll tell me if he's big or not, won't you?" Theodore asked like a giddy schoolgirl.

Draco made a face of disgust. "Don't you dare! I don't want that fucking ponce thinking about me that way."

"Your boyfriend is such a potty mouth. Where do you find these heathens?" asked Theo as he surveyed the boy with disdain. "Come, let's ditch class and go to the lake," he said, pulling Mariana away swiftly.

Draco shouted after them, "I'll be expecting you at eight o'clock tonight."

Mariana didn't bother turning around and answered spitefully, "Of course, darling."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Theodore implored with excitement, "Tell me everything. Who approached whom? Was there romance, or did you just get down to it? Was he any good? I bet he's an absolute devil in the sack."

"Would you calm down? I'm willing to tell you. Just not here." She hurried their pace as they walked briskly out of the castle and down the hill to the lake. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure they weren't followed.

It was an unseasonably chilly day in May. The two friends huddled close as they sat on a large, flat rock on the banks of the icy water. Mariana wished she had a delightfully sinful tale of debauchery to divulge to her friend, but sighed somberly. "Do you really want to know everything?" Theodore nodded. "I'm sure the story circulating around Hogwarts leaves out some major details. For starters, Draco asked me to meet him at our old snogging spot, then he jinxed me. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in some hidden room, tied to a bed."

Theodore gasped with a scandalized grin, "Ooh. That kinky bastard."

As much as she didn't want to relive the humiliation, she admitted, "It was sort of fun at first, but then things turned really ugly, and he wouldn't stop." As Mariana's tone turned grave, so did Theodore's mood. She pulled her legs up close to her body and hugged them for warmth as a chill came over her. He put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her and listened silently, respecting the long pause she had to take in order to keep herself from bursting into tears. She continued to tell him everything in detail using every explicative she knew to replace Draco's name. When she told him about the bracelet bargain, Theodore looked confused.

"Why in Merlin's name would you subject yourself to his cruel games again for a family heirloom? You don't particularly care for your family," he said.

"I hate to admit this, but Draco made me realize that this thing might be more than just my gran's old bracelet. Look at this." She showed him her scarred knuckles on her right fist. He examined it thoughtfully. "I can't make this go away," she said with worry in her voice.

"So you think your bracelet is the key to your remarkable healing power?" he asked. She nodded. "Let's experiment," he suggested as he pulled his wand from his robes.

"Nothing too severe, now. I don't want either of us to wind up in the hospital wing," she said and eyed him nervously as he removed his gloves.

"Just a pin prick." Theodore touched the tip of his wand to his left index finger, which then yielded a bead of blood. Mariana took his hand and rested it in her palm. As the blood drop rolled off his fingertip, all traces of the tiny puncture wound had already disappeared. They looked at each other, knowing they shared the same realization. "How peculiar," he remarked as he examined his unscathed skin. "Now you try doing it to yourself, just to be sure." She obliged, and as they had suspected, Mariana's pinprick did not heal by magic.

Mariana declared as she held her finger tightly to stop the bleeding, "So I can still heal others, but I can't heal myself. I wonder if the power of the bracelet can be transferred to anyone."

Theodore suggested with a sadistic grin, "We could slice up Draco and see what happens."

"No. If he really knows what kind of power that thing has, he'll never give it back, no matter what I give him in return."

Theodore put his glove back on and shoved his cold hands into his pockets. "And what do you suppose he wants in exchange?"

"Oh, I don't know. Light conversation? Homework help? Maybe he wants me to brush his hair," she said sarcastically. "I guess I'll find out tonight."

Theodore's jaw dropped. "Mariana, he raped you! And you're going to meet him? Are you mad?"

She shuddered at his words, but tried to remain stoic. "I don't know if it can really be considered rape." Mariana didn't want to put a label on what happened last night. Doing so would make her a victim, and that would make her feel worse than she already did.

He counted the offenses on his fingers. "He kidnapped you, tied you up, and had sex with you against your will. I don't know any court of law that wouldn't call that rape."

"But I sort of consented," she said weakly, unable to look him in the eye out of shame.

Theodore admonished her, "Yeah, but you changed your mind and he did it anyway. That's rape, my friend. And if I were you, I wouldn't meet him in any dark corners anymore and I would definitely tell Dumbledore."

Mariana said stubbornly, "I don't want to involve anybody else in this. I can handle it myself."

"Then I'm coming with you," he said determinately.

"Theo, for as long as we've been friends, you have never stood up for me in the face of Draco," she shot back at him angrily.

"Yes, well, he's never raped you before," he snapped.

Mariana sat silently brooding for a while before caving in. "Alright then. If you're so keen to get yourself mixed up in this, then you're going to help me get revenge."

"Revenge? All you have to do is tell Dumbledore and he'll toss Draco out of Hogwarts," Theodore proposed. "We already got him into trouble for sexual assault before. There will be no question about his guilt. The whole scandal will ruin the Malfoy name more than Lucius already has. I couldn't think of a sweeter revenge."

She shook her head and said spitefully, "No, its too easy. I want to bring about his downfall with my own hands and watch it with my own eyes."

Theodore thought about it and an evil smirk began to creep across his face. "I like the way you think, Mariana. No wonder why we get along so well." The two friends giggled sinisterly together as thoughts of vengeance filled their heads, sending them into a frenzy of plotting and scheming.

Draco stood in front of the Room of Requirement with Crabbe and Goyle (sans polyjuice, since they were dangerously low on their supply.) He leaned against the wall where the door would appear and looked at his watch. It was ten past eight. He exhaled slowly as the realization hit him. Mariana wasn't coming, she hadn't taken his threats seriously, and he would have to do something about that. On the same wrist as his watch dangled the silver bracelet. He twiddled it between his fingers, feeling the smooth metal scales. This bangle was important enough to Mariana to make her shriek at the thought of it being destroyed. Why? Did it hold some sort of power? Maybe she was lying and it was the real Naxca Serpent. In which case, it was a good thing she blew him off. A bracelet with healing power could be useful to him. Draco checked his watch again. It was a quarter past eight, and still no sign of the girl. The prospect of having to discipline Mariana was not pleasant at all, despite his penchant for sadism. He knew he had to back up his threats with something real, or she would blab to somebody about what they did last night. Maybe she was blabbing right at this moment. Draco panicked and snapped into action.

"Goyle, search the castle for Mariana. Crabbe, I'm going to write a letter and I want you to bring it to the owlery straight away. If either of you happen to see Nott or Daphne along the way, tell them I want a word."

Draco took a quill and parchment from his bag and quickly scribbled a note. He folded the parchment and sealed it magically with the Malfoy insignia on his ring. "Send my owl to the Carrows," he instructed Crabbe. He then ran down to the dungeons as fast as he could and was relieved, for the first time in his life, to see Daphne Greengrass sitting in the common room reading the latest issue of The Quibbler on the couch. After taking a moment to catch his breath and collect him self, he sat down next to her casually and whispered, "What have you heard about me and Mariana?"

The gossip queen looked up from the tabloid and smiled. "Why? Is it true?"

"Is what true?" he asked guardedly.

"That you and Mariana hooked up last night," she said rather matter-of-factly.

"Is that all you've heard?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, some people are saying, present company excluded of course, that you took advantage of her while she was sleeping. Some third-years saw Crabbe and Goyle carrying her up the stairs while she was passed out." Daphne whispered scandalously.

"That's a lie. Don't you dare go around spreading bollocks like that," he said indignantly. He then began to plant his own seeds of fictitious gossip. "She's my girlfriend now and I don't want her hurt by ridiculous rumors." It was difficult to convey real concern for Mariana's emotional wellbeing, or anyone else's for that matter, in his cold voice. But Draco tried nevertheless, attempting to look wounded for an added effect.

"How very . . . sweet," Daphne replied with doubt weighing down her irritatingly high-pitched voice.

Mariana and Theodore were serving detention with Slughorn for skipping Potions. When the pair returned well after curfew, they looked haggard from cleaning out the dusty supply cupboards. Mariana, being as vain as she was, felt thankful nobody of importance caught her in such a disheveled state. After a quick shower, she collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

She was dreaming about eating cake with gluttonous abandon. It was a tall, multi-tiered cake with smooth, white, fondant icing and pale yellow sugar flowers on top. Theodore was staring at her longingly, licking his lips. She bade him to join her, and together they devoured the cake. It was the best thing she'd ever tasted, and she savored it. Suddenly, an imposing masked figure in a dark cloak appeared. The figure seemed to come from outside her mind. It was like somebody had invaded her dreams.

"You're prettier than I expected," said the figure in a raspy male voice. He reached out a gloved hand to lift her chin and surveyed her face. Mariana could feel him as if he were really there, and not just something in her subconscious. "I understand why the boy couldn't help himself." He gave a wheezy giggle. She recoiled, feeling like she'd been soiled with the mysterious man's slight touch. He nodded to Theodore. "Young Mr. Nott. Your father sends his regards." Mariana grasped her friend's arm protectively. "As for you, my sweet thing," the man returned his attention to her with too much enthusiasm for her liking and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I bear tidings for you as well. Young Mr. Malfoy would like to remind you to keep quiet and to play nice." His hand slid down the side of her face and then to her neck. He began to close around her throat as his voice turned more sinister, if that was even possible. "Or else, you may just get a visit from me outside your dreams." Mariana could feel asphyxiation as he tightened his grasp. Wake up! Wake up, damn it! It's just a dream!

Mariana awoke with a jolt, gasping desperately for air and clutching her neck. It was too real. The heat of the man's hand lingered on her throat. She coughed and tasted the coppery flavor of fear in her mouth. She had sweat soaking through her negligee, but felt cold as ice despite the fire still crackling warmly in the room.

Maybe she underestimated the boy.

The blonde boy was sitting at the crowded Slytherin table in the Great Hall, drumming the armrest of his chair anxiously with his fingers, when Mariana arrived at the tail end of breakfast. She couldn't help but notice him sitting there, for his grey eyes flung daggers at her.

"Darling," he drawled, feigning sweetness, "Did you sleep well last night?" He remained seated and tried his best to stay calm and courteous. He noticed people in the room turning their attention to him and Mariana expectedly. Some of the students looked like they believed the rumors. How could they not? He'd already been found guilty of manhandling her in the corridor earlier this term. Draco wanted to thwart those rumors and keep the ugly truth hidden. He could exercise his power over her. He was confident he could get Mariana to play along with his charade. She glanced at him with a hint of unease, and kept walking to her usual end of the Slytherin table. "Won't you join me, Mariana?" he asked cordially.

She reluctantly sat in the empty space beside him, completely silent, looking edgy. He remained impassive with his hands folded on the table. "I don't like to be kept waiting, Mariana. I have better things to do, you know," he said with animosity escaping ever so subtly. Somebody standing behind them suppressed a laugh, not so subtly.

Draco turned around and glared at the stringy boy standing before him. Theodore had one hand leaning effeminately on his hip and was pretending to be occupied with his fingernails. "Tell your girlfriend to bugger off," Draco said to Mariana.

Theodore continued to look away from the couple, but addressed the girl with haughty defiance aimed at the boy. "Tell your boyfriend to kiss my deliciously firm arse."

Draco screwed up his face with disgust. "Ugh! Tell him to stop being so gay in front of me. It's making me sick."

"Tell your boyfriend that he's rather sexy when he's angry," Theodore taunted. Both he and Mariana laughed as Draco flinched like he'd tasted something bitter.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. I'm sure you have a lot of snogging to catch up on." With that, Theodore left.

"Shall we, then?" Draco asked with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

Mariana whispered, imparting as much spite as she could in a hushed voice, "I'll put on a brilliant show for everybody watching if you give me back my bracelet."

He replied loud enough for everyone to hear, "You really do have only one thing on your mind. Don't you, naughty girl?"

She looked around with embarrassment and then hissed in his ear, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Putting on a brilliant show," he whispered with a devious smile as he placed his hand on her leg and slowly moved it up her skirt.

"Give it back, Draco," she demanded in a low voice through gritted teeth as she grabbed his hand and moved it away.

"I'll consider it if you . . . play nice," he imparted such evil in what would normally be innocuous words. Mariana winced slightly. "Now kiss me and make it look real," he demanded.

She seethed with anger and resentment. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

He ignored her comment and drawled seductively, "Let's play then, shall we?" He began to kiss Mariana with enough fervor to make the onlookers feel like they were intruding on a very intimate scene. She kissed back as hatefully as she could, more with her teeth than her lips.

"Oi! Get a room!" said a boy from the other table, garnering giggles from people nearby.

Draco barked, "Don't you all have classes to get to or something?" though he relished the attention they were getting. He leaned back in to continue kissing Mariana, but she placed a finger on his lips to halt him.

"Speaking of classes, I really need to get going. I've been in detention all night for skipping Potions, and I don't fancy any more," she said, and then rose from the chair, relieved to be presented with the opportunity of escape.

"Tonight," said Draco possessively, "Don't keep me waiting again."

That evening, Mariana showed up outside where the Room of Requirement was supposed to be, but there was no door. She didn't know how to make the door appear, so she just stood there waiting . . . and waiting . . . staring at the tapestry of dancing trolls idly. Curfew was approaching, and she was sent away by Gryffindor prefects. When she reached the dungeons, Draco was stalking through the corridor.

"And where were you tonight, my darling Draco?" she asked, though she really didn't care.

"Prefect duty. I always have prefect duty on Wednesday nights," he replied dully, imparting that he purposely made Mariana show up for the appointment knowing he wouldn't be there.

She declared blandly, "This counts as day one. I'll see you tomorrow."

But their meeting was once again thwarted by circumstances. Mariana and Theo managed to earn detention again with Slughorn. Since they had already cleaned out the potions cupboard in the classroom, the Potions professor sent them to dust all the bottles in the storage closet under the supervision of one of the Slytherin prefects while he presided over a Slug Club gathering.

On Friday night, Mariana and Draco managed to show up at the Room of Requirement, both exhausted from a hard week. She watched him stride past the doorless wall three times, concentrating on something. The stone morphed into a doorway, and they entered. The room was quite different from when she had been there before. It was cavernous, with piles of junk creating high walls, almost like a maze. He led her to an area next to a cabinet. On top of the cabinet was a chipped marble bust wearing a wig and a tiara. Beside the cabinet was a cauldron and stacks of library books.

"I assume you know how to make polyjuice potion," said Draco.

"Of course. Can't you?" said Mariana.

"Certainly," he affirmed.

"Then why don't you just make it yourself?" she asked, almost defiantly.

"I'm too busy," he said simply.

"Busy doing what?"

He snapped, "None of your business. Now get to work."

"Wait a minute," Mariana crossed her arms at her chest and furrowed her brow. "Our deal was that I'd work for you for a week. It is already day two. It takes a full seven days to make polyjuice potion, and that's not including the twenty one days to stew the lacewing flies."

"I know," Draco said wryly.

Mariana wanted to smack that smug grin off his face. She surveyed the clutter around the cauldron, looking for supplies. There were a few bottles, mostly empty, and others nearly depleted of their contents, but at least there was a jar of already-stewed lacewing flies. Thank Merlin for that! However, she couldn't work with the few materials available. She thought maybe there were more ingredients in that cabinet, and went to open it.

"Don't touch that!"

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I can't ruddy well make polyjuice potion if I don't have the materials to do so."

"That's not my problem," he said dully and began to leaf through one of the books.

Mariana looked at him incredulously.

"I give you permission to leave in order to obtain what you need," he said distractedly, as he took a quill from his pocket and poised it on a piece of scrap parchment.

"And how do you suppose I do that? I can't just go waltzing into the Potions storage room and take whatever I want," she said, becoming more impatient with the boy.

"You're a Slytherin. I trust you know how to circumvent the school rules with little effort," he said blithely, still not looking up from his book and parchment.

Mariana stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. As soon as she was safely away from Draco, she stopped feigning anger and burst into giddy laughter. As she walked down to the dungeons, she smiled unabashedly. Polyjuice potion! Of all the things he could have asked her to do, Draco wanted her to make polyjuice potion! She couldn't believe her luck.

At a quarter to nine, she returned to the Room of Requirement with small vials clinking in her robes pockets.

Draco looked up from his work and said, "Took you long enough."

"Yeah, well, Slughorn finds me so charming, he couldn't stop blithering on," Mariana said with a hint of triumph.

"Slughorn? You actually asked him for the ingredients and he gave them to you willingly?" he asked.

She replied, "Of course. What? Would you rather I had stolen them?"

He continued his inquiry. "What did you say to him?"

"I said I was sorry for skipping Potions class this week and I wanted to make it up to him by doing extra credit."

"Exactly what kind of extra credit?" he asked insinuatingly with a lascivious grin.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Malfoy. I said I would make a bottle of valor tonic. It has many of the same ingredients as polyjuice."

"Oh, well, get on with it then. You haven't much time."

On Friday, Mariana reported to the Room of Requirement and diligently brewed the polyjuice potion without any biting remarks or cheek. She even offered to help Draco in his research as she enchanted the cauldron to stir itself. Of course, he had to decline, though he appreciated the gesture. Draco knew she would come to her senses one day and join his gaggle of Slytherin lackeys. At breakfast Saturday morning, Draco decided that he rather enjoyed owning Mariana like an exotic pet and wanted to flaunt his possession in front of everybody. She was already sitting next to Theodore, but rather than taking a seat beside her, he bade her to sit with him at the other end of the Slytherin table. She obliged begrudgingly and rose from the table taking his offered hand. To Draco's dismay, Theodore followed. The boys sat on either side of her, trying to pretend that the other wasn't there while carrying on separate conversations with the girl. Draco had his arm draped heavily around her shoulders and looked around to see if anybody had noticed this sensational coupling. The jealous stares from her would-be suitors fed his healthy ego along with the pats on the back from his friends. He didn't know which felt more satisfying: to be the envy of every boy in Hogwarts with Mariana on his arm, or to know he could control her so completely.

Owl post began to swoop into the Great Hall. Pico, a little barn owl, delivered a letter to Mariana. The girl squealed with excitement, "Its from Oliver!" Draco's good mood cooled and he took his arm off of her. Theo sneered at him with a look of triumph. As Mariana read the letter, a huge smile stretched across her face connecting her flushed cheeks.

"Don't keep the good news all to yourself. Read it out loud," Theodore implored her.

Mariana appeared reluctant to do so in front of Draco, who looked annoyed. Theodore snatched the letter from her and read aloud while she half-heartedly tried to stop him.

"To my dearest Mariana," he began in a breathy melodramatic voice. "I miss you so much. Not a day goes by when I don't think of you. I want to see you again so badly so that I might hug you and kiss you and do rather naughty things to you." Theodore smirked while Draco rolled his eyes and Mariana giggled. He continued to read. "I'm playing a match in a town near Hogsmead soon. Instead of staying with the rest of the team, I've booked a room at the Hogshead Inn. Can you get your father's permission to leave school to watch the match? If so, I'd like to invite you to a romantic evening in town after the game. Send me an owl as soon as possible. Love, Oliver."

The two friends sighed and swooned. The blonde boy sulked and looked cross until an owl dropped a small package in his lap. He eagerly opened it. Inside was a long, rusty, old nail. He examined it as if it were treasure. Mariana peeked at it with curiosity. "Is that some kind of joke?" she asked.

He simply replied, "Yeah, an inside joke," and laughed victoriously. Draco gathered his things and got up from the table saying, "I'll be expecting you tonight, Mariana. You know where and when." He leaned down to bring his face uncomfortably close to hers. He looked at her expectantly, but she was either too proud or his gesture did not clearly convey his request. Finally, after an awkward silent stare, he commanded, "Kiss me."

Stubbornly, she said, "No, you kiss me."

He grit his teeth and growled softly, "Just do it."

She pecked him on the lips as if it was a huge chore to do so.

That night, Mariana arrived at the wall opposite the tapestry of dancing trolls. Before she could walk back and forth in front of it, the door appeared and opened. Draco peeked through the door from the inside of the Room of Requirement and said, "Go away. I don't need you tonight."

"But I need to add the powdered bicorn horn to the polyjuice potion and stir it a bit," she said with more concern for the potion itself than for the boy's need for the potion.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll do it. Just go away," he shooed her off.

"Gladly. But this counts as day four," she declared. She was relieved, since she had much better things to do than brew potions on a Saturday night.

On Sunday night she found Draco in particularly good spirits for some reason, holding a bottle of champagne and wearing a smug look on his face.

"Where did you get that from?" Mariana asked as they entered the Room of Requirement.

Draco answered proudly, "Alouette's in Diagon Alley. They import it from France. This is one of their best bottles." He used a charm to open it and bubbles fizzed over the top onto the floor. He held the bottle at an arms length and stepped back to avoid getting any on his perfectly polished shoes.

She looked at him skeptically and asked, "How did you manage to get that into the school?" She kneeled on the floor before the cauldron and added a vial of purple liquid, then charmed it to self-stir.

"I have my ways," he answered simply then conjured up two crystal flutes. He filled both glasses, handed one to Mariana, and raised his own. "To my absolute brilliance," he toasted and tipped the champagne into his mouth elegantly.

She scoffed, "And to your modesty as well," then drank the glass quickly.

"Easy, there. Not so fast. A fine champagne like this must be savored," Draco said with an air of civility that only comes from being brought up in high society.

"Whatever. Hit me again," she motioned him to fill her glass.

As he did so he remarked, "I hope I won't have to mop you off the floor later."

She sipped the champagne this time, appreciating the flavor. "No. When you're friends with Theodore Nott, you need to be able to hold your liquor if you want to beat him at a drinking game."

"Drinking game?" he asked curiously.

Mariana answered with a rhetorical question, "Yes, well, what do you think we do on weekends? Study? We're Slytherins, Mr. Malfoy."

She finished her second glass as Draco was polishing off his first. The girl wasn't exaggerating about her high tolerance to alcohol. Ever since they learned how to transfigure water into rum, she and Theo spent many weekend evenings drinking in an unused dungeon chamber. The pair became so adept at the charm that they could make all manner of spirits and even create cocktails. When they were feeling rather competitive, they would do shots of fire whiskey to see who could drink whom under the table. For such a lightweight boy, Theo could put away quite a bit before getting sloppy, thus forcing his opponent's tolerance higher. Tonight, she was at an advantage and decided to exploit it. After downing a couple more glasses each, she proposed that they play a game called, I've Never, in which one would state something they'd never done before. If the other person has done what the challenger hasn't, that person must take a drink. Draco was feeling playful and tipsy, so he agreed. They got comfortable on the floor, lounging against the walls of discarded objects opposite one another.

"I'll start," said Mariana, "I've never cheated in quidditch."

"That's not fair. You've never played quidditch."

"Bottoms up, Mr. Malfoy," she teased. The boy did so spitefully.

It was his turn now and he didn't need much time to think up a good one. "I've never had to go on a diet," he spat.

Mariana reddened, glared at him scornfully, and drank the glass down in one shot.

By the time the bottle was three-quarters empty, they were amicable enough to sit next to each other and the statements inevitably turned to a sexual nature.

"I've never performed oral sex on a girl," said Mariana.

Draco didn't drink. She looked at him incredulously and he shrugged. "Why should I? That sort of thing is for wussies."

She snorted, "You're so one-sided when it comes to sex. You'll never give a girl an orgasm with that attitude."

"Like I care," he brushed off her comment. "My turn now. I've never snogged my best friend."

Mariana paused and smiled. Draco took her hesitation as a "no", but then she took a sip of champagne, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "What?" she asked defensively. "We wanted to make sure he was really gay," she admitted, and then took her turn. "I've never been involved in an orgy." Mariana was trying to come up with outlandish things to see if she could dig up any useful dirt on the boy.

He must have been drunk because his normal composure was failing him now. He bowed his head, trying to stifle a grin and to hide his embarrassment. He looked to the side and bit his lip, unwilling to meet Mariana's eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy? Are you hiding something?" she asked flirtatiously.

He couldn't help smirking as he drank, causing her to gasp with shock and intrigue. She knew he wasn't lying by the way he was blushing.

"Really? With whom? When?" she inquired with scandalous excitement that would rival Theo's.

"None of your business," he replied, clearly enjoying the rise he got out of her. It was his turn again. "I've never been in love," he drawled.

"You're such a liar."

"I swear. I haven't. Lust, yes. But never in love," he admitted with alarming candor. He was definitely drunk.

Mariana thought it was interesting how his sentiments about love mirrored her own. She held her head proudly and didn't drink.

Draco reacted, "Now we both know you should be downing that glass right now."

Mariana huffed, "Don't flatter yourself."

"Come of it, Mariana. Do you have selective memory or something?" He was referring to something she tried so hard to forget, buried deep in her inner psyche. She didn't feel much like playing anymore.

However, Draco was completely hammered and apparently a touchy-feely drunk, rather than the angry drunk she would have expected. He leaned in close to Mariana, his cheek brushing hers and purred, "Maybe you need some reminding, then." He kissed her with the sloppy swagger of somebody who had lost all inhibitions and self-restraint due to alcohol. She could taste the sweet champagne in his mouth as it threatened to engulf her. Mariana felt flushed with both intoxication and unwelcome arousal. Their kiss deepened, becoming more eager and passionate. Draco went to take her face in his hands to better command the kiss, but she grabbed him by the wrists and looked at him with disdain.

"That was a very long time ago. I was young, stupid, and obviously interpreted the meaning of the word love too liberally," she said scornfully.

"Whatever. Let's have sex." Definitely, absolutely, unquestionably drunk.

"Okay." Maybe I've had a little too much to drink myself.

Their lips locked once again as they pulled at each other's clothes wildly. They could have used magic to charm themselves naked, or into more sexy attire, but they took pleasure in undressing one another. Each removed layer of dowdy school uniform revealed a little bit of flesh, heightening anticipation. In their haste, Mariana kicked over the cauldron. They were too enraptured to care that five days of work lay waste on the floor.

When the two of them returned to the Slytherin common room, they both had the unmistakable look of being thoroughly shagged. Draco made a point to strut like a proud peacock before Crabbe, Goyle, and the few homework procrastinators left in the room, though his lingering intoxication made him look more like an injured peacock. Their conspicuous after-hours arrival grabbed Pansy's attention, who was copying Milicent Bulstrode's Transfiguration essay. Mariana took the opportunity to show off in front of her. She walked Draco to the entrance of the boys' dorms on the left side of the common room, making sure to grasp his hand as they walked by Pansy. She returned the pug-nosed girl's venomous glare with an exultant smile. The couple paused in front of the door in an embrace, purely for show. She had her hands around the back of his neck while he had his around her waist.

"Tell me how great I was," Draco said conceitedly.

"You were fantastic tonight, Draco," Mariana said in a sarcastic tone then added facetiously, "It was the most exhilarating five minutes of my life." She giggled and brushed his fringe out of his face to get a better look at his grey eyes, which were luminescent with remnants of desire and champagne.

He responded, drawing out some of the syllables more than usual, "What, you wanted more? I know I'm irresistible, but you're wearing me out, girl," then kissed her ever so tenderly. He had never kissed her so gently before. His lips were soft and warm against hers, and she could feel how deliciously supple they were for the first time. This gesture felt almost genuinely affectionate and startled them both. Mariana bit her bottom lip and shot him a look that said, what the hell was that? Draco cleared his throat and looked down uncomfortably. He drawled in a low voice for her ears only, "Just so we're clear, I granted you a pity fuck."

"Excuse me?" she said incredulously and then proceeded to go off on a condescending tirade, "Pity? Which one of us gets booty owls monthly from a certain international quidditch star? Based on your lack of sexual prowess, which you have proven to me once again, I would say you're the one who needed a pity fuck. And I'd suspect your alleged orgy really involved you in the middle of a circle jerk in the boys' changing room."

Draco looked drunk and angry enough to betray his proper upbringing and hit her. But he didn't and settled on using words instead of fists. "If I were you, I'd watch my tongue . . . if I valued a good night's sleep." He glowered at her menacingly before entering the boys' dorms.

On Monday, Draco had a miserable hangover and avoided Mariana, who looked radiant for someone who'd spent much of the previous evening drinking. It was humiliating knowing she'd seen him drunk and with his guard down. What embarrassing things did he admit to last night? What secret thoughts did he betray to her while his lips were loosened by champagne? He vaguely remembered that they'd had sex, but couldn't recall if it was any good. Draco had his answer when Mariana finally caught up with him at supper. She sauntered up to him, batting her long lashes and looking smitten with her doe eyes.

"Draco, darling, I don't understand why you're trying to avoid me. I thought we both had a good time last night," she said as she languidly hung onto the back of his neck.

"Did we?" He honestly wasn't sure.

She gently traced her finger down his chest and said coyly, "It was brilliant. Don't you remember? The sex was so hot we knocked over the cauldron."

"Oh, shit. The polyjuice potion." Draco smacked his forehead with his palm.

"No matter. I can start over. It will be my pleasure. I rather enjoy spending time alone with you in that room." Mariana nuzzled her head on his shoulder.

Why was she being so lovey-dovey? Did he really give it to her so well last night that he'd won her over? Oh, god forbid, did he say something stupid and sentimental!? Draco gently pushed her away and said coldly, "I don't really need the polyjuice anymore." He vainly smoothed his uniform and his hair then added, "And I don't need you hanging around me all the time, Pagan. Its embarrassing."

Mariana looked unaffected by such a cruel brush-off. "Alright then. We're finished with this stupid charade. Give me back my bracelet." Draco should've known she had alterior motives for her sweetness.

Draco knew he couldn't give it back and stalled. "You still owe me a day."

"Come on, Malfoy. I thought you were sick of me already. Just give it to me," she said impatiently.

"No. You'll get it back after you write my Defense Against the Dark Arts essay tonight."

"Mr. Malfoy, this game is boring me," she sighed haughtily and turned on her heel to leave with her nose in the air. "I'm quite through with you."

"It's not over until I say it's over," Draco barked at her as she continued to walk away slowly.

Without turning around she said, "I thought you already did. Make up your mind, Draco."

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story. Keep on the lookout for updates. The holidays are coming, so I won't have much time to work. Be patient. I promise I have lots of devious fun in store. As always, thanks to John for your beta services. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, and if you have time, go back to the other chapters and review them if you haven't already. I greatly appreciate your input.