AN: New chapter. Yay! Okay, so I'm really happy with the response I got from the last chapter. Annnnd- this story is finally up to 50 reviews! Huzzah! A BIG thank you to:
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx (Keep reading and reviewing! Woo!), indigofrisbee (It was bitter-sweet for me, 'cause it's Tom and all, but his character was a real jerk, so yeah. And no worries! I forgive you ;) computers can be so irritating, yet still so amazing), Rayleigh Jane (Sorry, darn writers block! And good luck on your exams!), creativewriter17 (Thanks :) and yes, Tom makes everything better), aannnd Koryu Elric (First time reviewing! Thanks a bunch! For both reviewing and looking past my writers block affected writing!)
I love responding to all of you guys' reviews personally! It helps me get closer to you, my dear readers :)
The Magic of the Night! Gosh, I'll try to respond to your reviews (and keep this AN relatively short.)
Ch1: I'm glad you decided to read this too ;) Thank you so much! Ch2: I love foreshadowing, and felt the need to put that in there, to give the readers something to dwell on, like, 'Ooo, there must be something very interesting coming later on. I'll just have to read more.' Ch4: Yes, in this story, Mr. Weasley isn't attacked. I just felt that they should be at Hogwarts to start off her memories. Plus, that had always been a little iffy for me. Ch5: Thank you! I tried to make the Potions thing different. Gosh, so over-used. And, I also think Snape would pair Draco with Harry, but you know. If it helps my story, it helps my story. Ch7: Yes, they were definitely flirting ;) though, writing it entirely from Jen's POV, we don't get to see into Draco's mind and feelings. Ch8: 'Mione' kinda gets to me too, but, hey, her name is a mouthful. The problem with OCs is that no-one really knows what they look like (except me, of course.) I looked back at this chapter (which I'd written before your review) and saw that I'd put in a comment on her hair color. Go me! And with the Rita interview, I'd almost forgotten about that! So thank you! I wrote that in here to the beginning of this chapter, after you reminded me. I agree, it is important, so I immediately put it in. Ch9: I have seen the original and Tim Burton's remake. I agree, Tom is a very good part of the new one, but the others are still great!
Thank you so much for your helpful advice! I'm so glad that you decided to read this story and review! It's helped me shape this chapter (and my writing) up a bit!
Try to keep AN short- FAIL. Sorry about that, dear readers. And thank you to the people who put this story on alert and added it to their favorites! You don't know how happy all those emails make me :) And a big 'hola' to new readers, you are still valued, don't worry! Okay, one last important thing, then on to the story:
Disclaimer: I still don't own any part of HP *sigh*
Hermione opened the door to the near-empty dorm and found me sprawled out on my bed, head thrown over the side, staring blankly at the wall.
"Come on, Jen. It's almost time for dinner." And my demise, I mentally added. I groaned and curled up into a ball on the bed. Hermione sighed and sat down, "Come on. Get up. You've been holed up here all day."
Exaggeration. It's only been a few… hours. I sighed and reluctantly got up, not even bothering to straighten my robes or smooth down my hair. Hermione followed tiredly, shutting the door and prodding me lightly in the back to keep me moving. I almost felt sorry for her, having to deal with all of my emotional crap lately. But, no use dwelling on it, I suppose.
We made it to the Great Hall and sat in our usual spots on the long benches next Harry and Ron, who were happily chatting about a quidditch game coming up, hungrily loading their plates.
After a few bruise-healing potions and a few stern words, Madam Pomfrey reluctantly let Ron leave. Though, it wasn't until he walked in the Great Hall and was greeted by the overflowing dishes of food, did his face brighten and he finally stop grumbling and threatenign Malfoy to a very bloody death.
I morosely ate my meat and potatoes, gaze flicking half-heartedly between my friends and Malfoy. I felt someone slide in next to me and I looked up to see a smiling Luna.
We all chorused our 'hello's and I noticed a rolled up paper in her hands.
She handed what I assumed to be the February edition of the Quibbler over to a surprised looking Harry, who took it and spread it out on the table. In bold, black letters was the headline, 'Harry Potter Speaks Out At Last: The Truth About He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Night I Saw Him Return.'
"It's good, isn't it?" Luna asked in her dreamy voice, "It'll be out tomorrow. I asked Dad to send me a copy for you before it hit the stands in the morning."
I stared at the paper awe-struck. When did this happen?
Hermione beamed from her seat next to Harry as she read over his shoulder, "I think this will get them convinced, don't you think?"
He grinned, "Let's hope so. Thanks, Hermione."
Ron looked about as confused as I felt. I gaped, saying in a frazzled voice, "What-? Hermione?"
"Hermione set up an interview with Rita Skeeter for me to finally get my account of what happened out to the public," Harry explained, eyes roving the paper.
"Wha-? When?"
He grinned, pushing the paper over for me and Ron to read, "Last Hogsmeade trip."
Understanding trickled over my sluggish mind, "Ahhh." So that's where Hermione had scurried off to after we got out of the Three Broomsticks. I'd been confused but extremely glad, her abrupt departure giving me a chance to escape to my room to clear my mind.
I scanned the article, a smile appearing on my face, "I suppose you'll have a lot of fan-mail in the morning," I teased lightly, closing the paper and handing it back over to Harry, who folded it and carefully slipped it into his bag.
"At least they'll know the truth. And not all will be bad, you know. We could actually get some people to see that I'm not lying."
I glanced over at the table at the head of the Hall, and leaned over the table, saying low, "Wonder how Umbridge will react."
I saw Harry grimace and instinctively reach for his left hand, where the words, I must not tell lies was etched into his flesh. I frowned, instantly regretting bringing up the pink toad.
Harry managed a small smile, "Whatever she does, it won't be anything we can't handle."
I flashed him an encouraging smile before sitting back in my seat, returning to my potatoes. I suddenly remembered my detention. I checked my wristwatch, and groaned. I only had half an hour before I was supposed to be in the dungeons. I stuffed the last potato in my mouth, standing up.
"Detention. I'll see you guys in the common room later," I mumbled, slinging my bag over my shoulder and hurrying from the Hall to my dorm to throw on some more work worthy clothes.
Despite the fact that I almost had to go into a dead sprint to make it down to the dungeons on time, I still managed to arrive 10 minutes late, in comfortable work clothes: a maybe-a-little-tight t-shirt and my favorite worn jeans, pulling my copper-brown hair into a messy ponytail as I walked through the door.
Malfoy was already there, leaning against a desk in similar attire, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked up and his trademark smirk appeared lightly on his pale face, "A little late aren't we, Williams?" I felt my stomach fill with butterflies, but quickly hid it with a deep scowl, folding my arms across my chest.
His smirk slowly faded from his face, and he raised a hand to nervously rub the back of his neck. "Look, Williams. I'm sorry for what Pansy did. She's just… possessive. She just doesn't get that it's over between us…" he had a faraway look in his eyes, but snapped back into it with a cocky grin spreading over his features, "I'm not, however, going to apologize for what happened with the Weasel. He deserved everything he got."
I silently agreed. Even though Malfoy beat the crap out of him, Ron didn't have any right to accuse him outright like that. Even if he did have some good reasoning behind it, he didn't have to blow up like he did. The famous Weasley temper strikes again, I suppose. I looked away, put off by his sudden half-apology and muttered, "Doubtful."
We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes, carefully avoiding looking directly at each other. I breathed a small sigh of relief as Snape swept into the classroom and, without even so much as glancing at us, walked briskly toward his ingredients cabinet.
"Today for your detention you two will be cleaning out and organizing my storage cabinet," he smirked, "without magic," he drawled, and held out his hand for our wands. Malfoy mumbled something, digging in his pockets for his wand as I deposited my own in Snape's outstretched hand.
When Malfoy finally surrendered his wand, Snape turned toward his office, and he flicked his own, making a couple of sponges and a bucket of soapy water appear at my side, before he disappeared into his office with a final snap of the door.
With a side long glance at each other, we immediately set to work, scrubbing the shelves after carefully moving the many bottles of ingredients onto the dirt covered floor. We worked in complete silence, which was completely fine by me.
With the first three shelves scrubbed clean, I flicked my bangs out of my eyes and frowned at the topmost shelf, which was too high for me to scrub. And, of course, because Snape had confiscated my wand, levitating myself was out. So, with a resigned sigh, I began to climb the shelves for a better position to clean.
Malfoy, who was scrubbing furiously at a rather tough spot of a dried liquid substance, looked up at the sound of wood creaking and my grunts and bursts of air in puffs from the effort. "What are you doing, Williams? Trying to off yourself?" he smirked, amusement gleaming in his silver eyes.
I rolled my own green ones, "The top shelf has to get clean somehow, Malfoy. And, since Snape took our wands, this is the only way." I said through gritted teeth as I lost my footing for a few moments, still securing a position to clean and hold on at the same time.
I heard him set down his soaked sponge and come up to where I was. I was about to ask him what he was doing when I felt his hands grip onto the sides of my bottom, keeping me in place. I tried to ignore the light tingly sensation in response to his touch.
Hm, that feels sort of nice... Almost instantly, I stopped these thoughts from taking root. This is Draco bloody Malfoy-the amazing bouncing ferret- we're talking about. He shouldn't make me feel this way; to him, I'm just the filthy mudblood best friend of Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Die. Then another thought shoved its way to the front of my mind. Although, this one is completely sane: Wait, why are his hands on my ass?
"Malfoy? Are you groping me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him, my voice incredulous. Immediately he dropped his hands, sputtering something unintelligible, his pale cheeks turning faintly pink, causing me to almost fall again, and quickly he grabbed my waist this time. I felt my face grow hot, and I was thankful for the semi-darkness of the closet that hid my spreading blush. His touch sent little shocks of energy shoot through my body, but I quickly set to scrubbing the filthy shelf, shoving any thoughts from my mind.
Malfoy quickly recovered from his moment, and replied smoothly, "I'm trying to keep you from falling, Williams. Can't have you getting hurt, can I? Then I would be left to do all the work by myself." He pouted to add effect to his words.
I rolled my eyes. "Merlin, you're the laziest person I know, other than Ron," I muttered. He flashed me one of his signature arrogant smirks.
I finished thoroughly scrubbing the wooden shelf, all the while with Malfoy's hands securing me. I indicated that I was finished, and began my decent toward the stone floor. Malfoy kept his hands on my sides, helping me get down. I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed when he removed his soft hands from my waist, causing me to immediately miss the contact.
I muttered a thanks once I was on the ground again, to which he gave a small smile. It shocked me, but I controlled it quickly, and, surprising myself, smiled lightly in return as we resumed our work and put away the multi-colored vials of ingredients.
I glanced over at him, my hands carefully setting down the glass bottles in their correct places. His back was to me, working on the shelf opposite mine. My eyes roved over his well-toned back, the muscles no doubt abtained from the years of quidditch thrown into stunning relief by the form-fitting muggle t-shirt he wore. His blond hair was slightly tussled from the work, but it actually looked really nice... My hands itched to run my hands through it, see if it was really as silky as it looked... I mentally slapped myself. Come one, Jen. Get a hold of yourself. Work, work, work... I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Malfoy and went back to sorting bottles.
Once we were finished and every bottle was relabeled and organized properly, we walked out into the stone classroom and I tentatively knocked on Snape's door. Almost instantly, the door flew open to reveal the sour-faced professor.
"Professor," I said in a small voice, trying to keep from stuttering, "we're finished."
Once he was almost satisfied with our work, he turned to look at our exhausted and dirt cake faces, amusement dancing in his black eyes, "You wo are free to go. Maybe this will teach the both of you a lesson about the cave dweller-like brutality involved in attacking fellow students," he drawled, looking thoroughly glad to finally be rid of us- or, at least, me.
I sighed with relief and turned, quickly heading out the door and began down the stone corridor, the steady tap of my sneakers hitting the stone floor my only companion. I pulled my hair free of its ponytail and let a smile play onto my lips. Sure, I was exhausted, but I've made it through my first detention, and I didn't end up ripping that stupid smirk off of Malfoy's stupid albino face. I was silently praising myself for making it without even so much as a heated argument. Actually, he was quite nice. While still annoyingly egotistic and sarcastic, he never once even called me a mudblood- a fact I'm still unsure about. And he had apologized. According to his family's reputation, Malfoy's never apologized. The question is, why? Why is he being civil to me?
As I rounded the first corner, still lost in my repetitive thought, I felt a cool hand close around my wrist. I jumped in surprise, and said hand gently pulled me into a small alcove off the corridor.
I quickly looked up to see Malfoy, his expression surprisingly soft, "Can you meet me in the Astronomy Tower in an hour?" His eyes roved over my face, watching my reaction. I was genuinely surprised. Malfoy wanted to meet me in the Astronomy Tower? Why? What does he want with me? I swallowed my questions, for now.
Instead I looked up into his face, cautiously. "Sure," I said slowly, unsure of his intentions, and admittedly a little frightened. For what? I didn't know.
"Great," he grinned, before he leaned forward, and whispered right in my ear, "I'll see you then Williams."
It sent a shiver down my spine as his warm breath tickled my ear. I shuddered at how close he was to me, and immediately thought of the encounter in the abandoned classroom, except the roles are reversed. Using my own tactic against me.
He smirked then disappeared around the corner leading to the Slytherin dorms, leaving me dazed, my wrist still tingling from where he had touched me.
AN: So, there you go! Oooo~ What's gonna happen? Even I don't know yet!
I realized that I made the characters cuss a lot last chapter... Huh. I don't even cuss that much in real life. Guess the emotions were running through me ;)
Questions to ponder on 'til the next update:
Why does Malfoy want to meet Jennifer alone up in the Astronomy Tower?
How will Umbridge respond to the interview? (Just read the books if you're really interested in that one.)
When will I stop spewing used up ideas and attempting to write them differently?
Find out next time on- That's What You Get! Reviews, please! It might inspire me to write (and update) faster!