A/n: NO JIBBER-JABBER TODAY!!!! (yes, i too am very proud of myself) LETS GET STRAIGHT TO BUSINESS!!!!!! i have 3 things to say:

1.) thanks for the review dudesss (:
2.) this one is SHORT. well for me, anyway. but i'm planning something for the next one and it'll make this chapter too long and kinda scattered-ish.
3.) ...i forgot.

disclaimer: i don't own harry potter but i AM the only one allowed to offer people crappy asian lollipops only to steal it from them and chuck it as far as i can once they take a lick (:

Chapter 9—Death Eater

As the first Quidditch game of the season—Gryffindor vs. Slytherin—approached, Montague was insisting on almost daily practices. Due to Draco and Ashley's annoying practice schedule, Blaise and I were often left alone to deal with our homework in the common room. This was something I could never honestly say I enjoyed. It's not that I don't like Blaise... but let's be honest here: would you be able to concentrate on Charms if the air was pierced every few seconds by a bloodcurdling scream as the guy next to you (Blaise!) tried to find a way to cut his toenails using magic.

I did finish my essay eventually, though I wasn't sure whether or not I had passed... and sure enough, my bloodstained paper was handed back later that week with a big, fat P. you know, sometimes I really hate Blaise. Charms was supposed to be my best subject. What else am I supposed to be good at?

Oftentimes, I would see Ashley and Draco huddled around a table near midnight struggling—okay; they probably weren't struggling since they're both such goddamned geniuses—to finish their homework. I would smirk and enjoy the look of pain of their faces. But hey, they totally deserved it. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR LEAVING ME WITH THE TOENAIL-CLIPPING BLAISE ZABINI!!!

At breakfast on the day of the match, Blaise and I watched with mild bemusement as Draco and Ashley shoveled everything within their reach into their mouths. They reminded me forcibly of Crabbe and Goyle, who were three feet away, doing the exact same thing. I guess it kind of makes sense since they're both on the Quidditch team as well. Then again, they always eat like that.

"MATCH!" Ashley yelled thickly, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. She was still chewing furiously.

"But I'm not done!" I protested, grabbing a plate of pancakes.

Ashley and Draco hurried into the changing room without a backwards look and Blaise and I headed into the stands.

"Put this one," said Blaise, holding something out to me.

I took it from him and examined it.

Weasley is Our King.

"What is it?"

He ignored me and waved at a third year Slytherin, Astoria Greengrass.

I nudged him in the ribs.

"Ouch—what? Oh, that? It's just some friendly competition between rival Quidditch teams, V. Don't worry about it."

"Well all right, then." I said hesitantly, pinning it above the Slytherin symbol on my robes.

As the match proceeded, I discovered that there was a song that went along with the badge. They really must have put a lot of effort into this. What a waste of time.

Weasley was born in a bin
He always lets the Quaffle in.
Weasley will make sure we win.
Weasley is our king.

I frowned. And the lyrics weren't very nice. Oh well, it's all 'friendly competition' anyway, according to Blaise. I will never understand Quidditch.

Gryffindors won again—I wasn't surprised, though Blaise was really upset. Jeesh, these people get so worked up over a game. I don't really understand it. But then again, I wouldn't expect myself to. Remember: I have the physical capabilities of a five year old cripple.

"I guess Potter saved Weasley's neck," Blaise grumbled as we headed down onto the pitch.

"Ashley saves your neck constantly," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's different. I happen to be stunningly attractive."

I snorted.

"That's what you—what are they doing?"

Harry and George lunged at Draco and began to punch every part of him that he could reach.

I sprinted toward the melee, yelling at the top of my voice. They didn't hear me over all the commotion; girls were screaming, Parkinson probably one of them; George was swearing; Draco was yelling; Fred was shouting and attempting to get free; a whistle was blowing; the crowd was bellowing.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU'RE DOING?! GET OFF HIM, HARRY. GEORGE, STOP IT—"This was when I realized that screaming at them probably wasn't going to help. I whipped out my wand, and hollered. "IMPEDI-FUCKING-MENTA!" but of course, nothing happened. I really need to get my habit of cursing whenever I'm upset under control.

Lucky for me—and Draco—Madame Hooch cast the curse that I had failed to and Harry and George flew backwards. They had stopped fighting, which is exactly what I had wanted to happen, but for a second, I stood frozen, deliberating on whether to check if Draco was okay, or to yell at Harry and George. The noise around me peaked as Madame Hooch began to scold them, so I decided that she could handle it.

I knelt down beside Draco.

"All right, Draco?"

He spit blood out onto the grass.

"Never better," he said sarcastically.

I took his face into my hands and began my examination. There were multiple scratches along his cheeks, blood was still trickling from his mouth, and his eyes showed definite signs of the beginnings of a black eye. They were considered only minor injuries—nothing that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't be able to fix—but still... I looked over at where George and Harry were being led away from the pitch by McGonagall and felt an overwhelming desire to kick them both in a place where they would not like to be kicked.

"Whoa," said Ashley, staring at me with a strange expression on her face. "V, you're scary when you have a murderous look on your face."

"I almost crapped myself just then," said Blaise in the same tone of voice.

I ignored them.

"We should get Draco up to the hospital wing."


I took One Thousand Magical Water Plants from the shelf in the library, sat down at own of the tables, and started my essay on gillyweed for Snape. Why am I in the library at this time of night, you ask? Because Draco is still in the hospital wing—George fractured a rib—and my Potions essay is due tomorrow. Which means, yes, I am screwed.

After I crossed out my lousy attempt at an introduction for the fifth time, I became aware that someone was now sitting across from me. I looked up. And looked back down.

"Be mature, Ness."

"No."

"You're being such a baby."

"Ouch."

He sighed, and I chanced a glance. Harry was still staring at me. I quickly looked back down at my pathetic excuse for a paper.

"Ness, listen to me please."

"Why?"

He misinterpreted my question. Instead of Why should I listen to you? which was really what I was asking, he thought I meant Why did you do that to Draco? which, now that I think about it, probably would've been a good question.

"He was insulting out parents, Ness."

I flipped a page, and copied down the side-effects of using gillyweed.

"So? He does that everyday." I replied, and then groaned in frustration as I misspelled gills.

"This time was different. You should've heard him. Ness, you know I've been given a lifetime ban?"

I didn't answer.

"Honestly, Nessie, why do you put up with him at all?"

"He's not all bad." I said defensively. "Sometimes, he even comes close to being pleasant."

I was joking, but Harry seemed to take me seriously.

"You could do better than someone who 'comes close to being pleasant', Ness. I heard that Terry Boot thought that you were really pretty—"

"Terry Boot is one year younger than me, Harry." I pointed out, scanning my first paragraph. It wasn't too terrible.

"It could work out—"

"No."

There was a pause, in which I turned to the next chapter and began taking notes on the properties of gillyweed.

"Ness, there's something I need to tell you."

"You've got the hots for Ginny Weasley." I said, not taking my eyes off the textbook.

"No—"

"You're gay."

"No—"

"Draco Malfoy is a slimy git."

He hesitated. "Well, close."

I snorted.

"Vanessa, I'm serious."

"Aren't you always?"

"Vanessa."

"Okay, okay. He's a slimy git. Noted."

"And he's also a Death Eater, Vanessa."

I looked up at him, my expression bored. He sighed in exasperation; clearly, this wasn't the reaction he had been expecting.

"He is, Ness. I'm serious."

"Uh huh," I said, my tone reflecting my disbelief perfectly.

"Have you seen his left arm lately?"

"No, Harry. I don't usually go around examining other people's arms, unlike one paranoid someone I know."

He groaned. "Vanessa, please. Just—just be careful around him, okay?"

I grunted noncommittally.

He sighed and stood up.

"Did you want to copy my essay?"

I shook my head.

"All right, then. See you, Ness. And—think about what I said, okay?"

I listened to his retreating footsteps echo down the corridor, my quill hovering above the parchment. When they had disappeared altogether, I snapped the book shut and stalked out of the library, resentful thoughts surfacing in my mind.

Draco a Death Eater? What a load of waffle.


I headed up to the hospital wing, planning to say good night to Draco. This turned out to be unnecessary, as I ran into him—literally... I really need to stop doing that—past the statue of the one-eyed witch. He caught me before I fell.

"You're such a klutz," he said, smiling fondly at me.

I took in his words, then his expression, confused whether or not this was supposed to be a complement.

"Er—thanks."

He smiled again and planted a swift kiss on my lips. We started back to the Slytherin common room.

"Finish your essay yet?" he asked, casually swinging our intertwined hands.

"Yeah. By myself, too."

"Really?"

"Always the tone of surprise," I grumbled.

"Would you rather have me deadpan like you do?"

"Go ahead. But deadpanning is patented to me, so I could legally sue you if you do."

"You amaze me."

"Well, I have been known to quite amazing at times."

He laughed. "Sure you're not getting yourself confused with someone else, V? Like me, perchance?"

"Oh look at you, using big words you barely understand the meaning of."

"Manfried."

"That's your comeback? What the hell is a man-freak anyway?"

"My dad's owl, remember?"

I looked at him, confused. "But that's Man-fried."

"No, it's pronounced man-freet."

"But it's spelled Man-fried."

This argument carried us all the way back to the common room, where Blaise and Ashley were—

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

They sprang apart, looking guilty.

"Oh, um, hi guys," said Ashley in an unusually high voice.

"BLAISE—YOU—I—WHAT—"

Many people were turned toward us, laughing openly.

Draco and I continued to gape at Ashley and Blaise, who were staring resolutely in opposite directions, who had been—a moment ago—snogging.

Blaise cleared his throat. "Well... this is awkward."

"Right well," said Ashley, still high-pitched. "I'll just head down to the dorms, then..."

"I'll come with you," said Blaise quickly.

They hurried down the steps, almost tripping over themselves in their haste to get away from us.

"Did you know?" I asked promptly.

"No, I didn't. Hence this look of complete disbelief and revulsion on my face."

"I thought they couldn't stand each other," I said in wonder, sinking into an armchair.

"Yeah, well you know what they say."

"No, actually I don't. What do they say?"

"How the hell should I know? You're the one that always spouts your clever muggle crap. Aren't you supposed to tell me what they say?"

I swatted at his head in a futile attempt to ruffle his annoyingly perfect hair. He dodged out of the way just in time and laughed.

"Go to bed, V," he said, kissing my forehead once. "You've worked hard today, and I am so proud of you. To think that my darling Vanessa can write her Potions essay all by herself now!"

"Oh, shut it."

A/N: what confuses me is why people think that Blaise is a girl. I mean, JKR makes it perfectly clear that he's a DUDE. Ahaha, but I googled "Blaise Zabini" and there was a bunch of girls, and I was like o__O RETARDS. I mean, do these people not read the books? I mean, even in the movie Blaise is a DUDE. ...he has like 2 seconds of screen time, though. LOL. Like in Half-Blood Prince, where Draco was being all snotty about being not coming back to Hogwarts for 7th year (which he did anyway. LOLOL sucker), Blaise started laughing and he was like "Amused, Blaise? We'll see who's laughing in the end." LOLOL and that's it (: wait, I think he was next to some dude in the Slug Club. But yeah, Blaise has no speaking lines in the movie. YET (: they better do something about that in Deathly Hallows.

Oh, by the way, I looked up Astoria Greengrass. And at the part where I say that Blaise waved at third year Slytherin Astoria Greengrass was totally accurate (:

REVIEWS WOULD BE FUCKN AWESOME, AND EVERYONE LIKES TO BE FUCKN AWESOME SO DROP A REVIEW AND BE FUCKN AWESOME (: