Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot, and my plot only.
Thank you to Daughter Of Artemis (again) for following this and your reviews. I am relieved you're fine with it.
Thank you also to Rosanaa, I already wrote most of this chapter when you reviewed, but I tried to add a few details of what you suggested. I'd love to have a suggestion for the next chapter, if you don't mind. To fulfill a little bit of expectations :)
And thank you to the other hundreds of readers who, though haven't reviewed, but still went through the rest of this (unfinished) story. I appreciate it, and am delighted to know you're reading this.
On with the story!
Harry felt elated throughout the whole night. And it was all because he got the flag. Alright, partly because he got the flag. Oh, fine, it had nothing to do with the flag. It had everything to do with a girl that seems too good to be true.
A girl that understands him. (He's nothing without his wand)
A girl that is brave. (She would make a fine Gryffindor)
A girl that is talented. (A sword!)
A girl that doesn't judge him by his name. (Probably because she never heard it before)
But, most of all, a girl that could piss off Malfoy. (And wasn't he pissed!)
A girl that also doesn't mind walking by him even though people stared and who laughed at his every single (lame) jokes. Forget elated, he was on cloud nine.
"…. To have to explain it three times!" He finished. Annabeth laughed again. She really seemed to think that he was humorous (Or was she laughing at his lack of? He hoped not.)
"That-"Annabeth managed to choke out in between giggles, "Was so funny! I mean, seriously?"
He grinned, relief flooding in him. "Yes, Hufflepuffs are generally thought dim, unfortunately."
"Oh, gosh, Harry," she said, tired of laughing, "I haven't laughed so much like this for a long time." Her voice was just above a whisper, but he heard it all the same despite the noise all around them with campers singing campfire songs around the bonfire. He thought there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Why?" he asked softly.
She glanced at him. Just for a second before she abruptly cleared her throat and said lightly, "Nothing, I'm just… stressed for school, that's all. And now summer's here! It's time for fun!" She stretched her arms above her head, and then turned to him, her earlier sad demeanor gone and now a happy smile graced her face.
Even so, he had already seen it. The wistfulness in her eyes, even for just that one second. For what or whom, he didn't know. So instead of pursuing it, he said, "Want to join them?" She smiled, relieved that he didn't push the subject. "Sure."
They headed towards one of the benches, and joined in laughing when one of the Stoll brothers managed to catch Clarisse off-guard, causing her to be now soaked with her punch.
Annabeth saw Hermione and Ron talking not far away from them, and though Ron looked halfway bored, Hermione seemed animated. She wondered if her speculation about her and Harry was wrong after all. She scowled at that, not liking the thought of her ever being wrong, even for just a petty thing. She was being pulled into a memory of perhaps the only time that Annabeth had been wrong, wrong about a boy with sandy hair from her childhood, until Harry placed his hand on hers. "Annabeth? Are you all right?"
She flushed at being caught reminiscing again. "I…"
Before she had the chance to reply, someone else was calling for her.
She looked to her side. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Chiron asked.
Mutely, she released Harry's grasp from her hand and followed Chiron, sad but not regretful of leaving the confused boy that reminded her too much of what she was missing.
Draco was furious. No, he was more than furious; he was boiling with anger, about to burst any second. If Crabbe or Goyle was here, he would've let his frustrations out on them, either screaming like the spoiled brat he is or just randomly turn one of them into a frog. Apparently, that was the highest level of animal transfiguration that he could do, and as soon as he mastered the ferret, there was no bloody way that he'd hold back from turning Granger, Potty and the weasel into them. Oh, the joy.
But that wasn't what he wanted the most right now. Instead of Potty, or Granger, or the weasel, that blonde muggle was the number one on his hit list/people to turn into ferrets.
How dare she humiliate him, a pureblood insulted by a muggle, imagine that! Maybe a frog would do, for now…
He paced around the room some more, rage blinding his senses.
It wasn't until she knocked did Draco notice that the blonde muggle was standing in his doorway. Huh, he should think of a new nickname, the blonde muggle is too long and bothersome. Forgetting his fury for a moment, he asked her, "What's your last name?"
"What?" she replied, apparently expecting him to unleash his wrath instead.
He didn't bother to hide his irritation and rolled his eyes. "Your last name. What is it?"
She frowned at this, but reluctantly replied, "Chase."
Draco mentally wrote down his list. People to change into ferrets, or frogs, should there be any need to do it so soon: 1.) Potty, 2.) Granger, 3.) the Weasel, and 4.) Chase. He then shrugged internally; her name seems to fit with those three… I wonder…"What's the matter, Chase, cat got your tongue?"
Outside, he nodded, accepting that to be her nickname. As soon as he had forgotten it, Draco remembered that he was supposed to be angry.
"You made a fool out of me, Chase," he started, growling, striding towards her surprised self.
Annabeth simply answered, "You don't need my help to do that."
His fury rose. "You-"
"And don't call me Chase. It's rude," her tone was scolding now, expression changing from unaffected to annoyance.
He stopped in front of her, lowering his head so that it was at the same level as hers, which was not much, she was relatively tall than most girls, but the top of her head still barely reached the bottom of his chin. "I'll call you whatever I want to, Chase," he sniffed, "A muggle's first name's not worth knowing."
"It's Annabeth," her tone was still annoyed, "and I am not a muggle."
He raised his eyebrows at this. "Oh, really? So you're a mudblood, then?"
Annabeth shifted. She's read enough books to know what a mudblood is, and how cruel it actually meant. But, still… "I don't know."
He smirked at her. "I knew it. You're a mudblood, the dirtiest scum ever."
"I said I don't know! And I'm not dirty!" She glared indignantly at him, fire burning behind her eyes. Eyes just like mine, he realized. He staggered back a little. How peculiar. She was staring at him, and he was about to spout something like, "Can't keep your eyes off me already, huh, Chase?" until he realized he was the one who stared first. He cleared his throat, and turned around, trying to gain back his regal self. "What are you still doing here? I don't want my only place of solitude to be soiled by someone like you," he spat.
Annabeth huffed. "I didn't come here to hear your obnoxiousness, your royal highness," she crossed her arms, "Chiron wants to see you."
"That crazy horse? No thanks," he huffed back, starting towards his bed.
She followed him, ignoring his death glares. "Believe me, I don't want to be seen with you either, but I've got this." She showed him a cap, with what looks like a Y on it. Y for what? Yes? These strange muggles and their muggle clothing.
"No, I would not hide myself with a cap that carries your pathogens, thank you," he replied.
She rolled her eyes, and then put the cap on. She disappeared.
His eyes bulged. Where in the bloody hell did she go? He turned around, about to walk to his bed again, muttering, "I must be imagining things… crazy horse, crazy mudblood…"
"I'm still here, you know."
He jumped. Turned. Nobody's there. He turned again.
"Draco. I'm here."
His eyes searched around wildly. That confirms it. His screws had gone loose. And then she appeared in front of him, a victory smile on her face, the cap held above her head, just removed. "Bloody hell," was all he said. She grinned and waved the cap around. "Invisibility cap," she said. First Potter's got an invisibility cloak, and now this mudblood's got an invisibility cap? What, were all invisibility items reserved for mudbloods only? Bugger!
He squinted at her. "Where did you get that?" he asked her accusingly.
She turned. "None of your business." Her grin was still plastered on her face.
"I demand-""Time to go." With that, she was invisible again. He snarled, "No way in hell," and turned back to walk to his bed, until he felt his sleeve being pulled. "Come on!" She was still there, pulling him towards the door.
"Let go!" he tried to hit her from the direction where she was pulling him, but his hands hit nothing. She pulled at him again. He swished at her again, and again, still nothing. "You filthy mudblood, I have better things to do!" he said exasperatedly as she continued on tugging, "Actually, I don't, but it's still better than coming with you! So unhand me!"
They were out of the cabin, now, and few campers were starting to stare at him for screaming by himself.
"Would you like it if I guided you there with a knife on your throat instead?" As soon as she asked this, Draco felt something undeniably sharp pressed onto his throat. He gulped. Bad move. The knife pressed more into his skin, probably leaving a scratch now. He felt liquid running down his throat.
He hissed, and tried to restrain himself from strangling the girl, invisible or not.
"I'll go, so remove it before I use a Cruciatus on you instead," his voice was hoarse, so it kind of dampened the effect, but Annabeth had removed her knife. It was difficult, but she had read enough to understood what a Cruciatus was, or at least, what it meant.
He practically heard her skipping as she said, "Come on then!"
"That git," he swore under his breath, whether it was towards Chase or the horse, he wasn't sure, but he was more than sure that both fit into the category. He walked on, his Malfoy air unmistakable to others, except for the invisible girl in front of him trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. She failed when he tripped on one of the Hephaestus cabin's inventions.
I got that wizard joke from Google, of course. It's like this:
A blind wizard walks into a pub. He says to the barkeep, "Want to hear a Hufflepuff joke?" The bar goes completely silent. The barkeep says, "Sir, I am a Hufflepuff. I'm used to handling a rough crowd alone. I have my wand drawn. The wizard to your left is an Auror with his wand drawn. He too is a Hufflepuff. The witch on your right has her wand drawn. She is a dueling champion and also a Hufflepuff. Are you absolutely certain you want to tell that Hufflepuff joke?" The blind wizard says, "Gods, no! Not if I have to explain it three times!"
Although, I laughed at this one:
"Why did Crabbe and Goyle cross the road?"
They were following Malfoy!
Anyways, holidays are approaching soon, I'll try to update as soon as I can! Leave a review please, and tell me what I should approach, and what I should never do ever again.
-NK
