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Chapter Ten: Clever

"Clever as the Devil and twice as pretty."
― Holly Black, White Cat

The sun is shining brightly and beautifully and I'm stuck inside. The schedules arrived and this morning I have the pleasure of Transfiguration with Gryffindor. Reagan and Sharise walk next to me while we stare at the backs of Penny and Percy. They are sickeningly sweet in their affections. Sharise looks love struck by it while Reagan appears to barely tolerate it.

"When are you and Oliver going to fall in love?" Sharise asks wistfully. To which Reagan groans and gives a pretend retching sound.

My cheeks heat up and I am just about to say 'never', when an arm wraps around my shoulder.

"Who says we haven't?" Oliver smirks. Sharise's eyes light up like it's Christmas while I try to shrug him off, but he only holds on tighter. "I'm sorry we got into it yesterday, love. I promise I'll make it up to you."

I look at him and I'm certain we'll need to have him committed. I manage to shrug him off before he can do something that will have everyone in school talking. Bloody gossips the lot of them. His arm falls away and my shoulder feels the loss of weight and warmth. I shove those thoughts into the corner with the others.

"For the record, Sharise, Oliver and I are not in love. We never will be and even if he wants to, I would never have him." I hitch my bag higher up onto my shoulder and throw him a look that would kill any lesser human. Unfortunately, the look glances off him and doesn't incinerate him as I had hoped.

Oliver clutches at his heart and pretends to stumble backward. "Dani, you wound me. I know you want to keep me your dirty little secret, but could you at least tell your friends about us?"

Sharise looks between us, amused beyond all reason, while Reagan merely scowls. I'll have to remember to talk to her later about what's gotten her off the Oliver-and-Dani Romance Train. For a long she was the conductor.

I grab Oliver's arm and drag him away from our friends and toward a less public corner. I shove him into the corner before folding my arms. "What are you doing?"

"I needed to talk to you and this has, in my limited experience, always done the trick." He dares to give a devilish wink. My lips curls in response.

"What do you want? I don't have time for this."

"I want to revise our agreement."

"Our agreement is as it stands. You can't make revisions."

"Well, an agreement implies that the bet has equal sides."

"And it does. You keep me from going to St. Mungo's by having your little love affair and I'll not interfere in your attempt at getting a girlfriend."

Oliver narrows his eyes. He stands to his full height and looks down at me. "If I have to make a girl fall in love with me, it's only fair that you have to make some poor bastard do the same."

"And this came about how exactly?"

"I have been trying to talk to you about it since we made the bet. Every time I get close, you run off."

I sigh inwardly. I had been going through great pains to keep him away while I sorted out the things I still refuse to sort – or acknowledge. I suppose I'll give him this. There is still no way he'll be able to hold up his end of the bargain. And being with someone during the year would undoubtedly give me some sort of diversion when I need to relax from all the stress.

I nod my assent and hold out my hand. "Okay. I'll agree to your terms. She'll need to be your girlfriend by November and in love with you by our match. Do you agree?"

"The same goes for you, love. Boyfriend in November and in love by our match. I agree." He puts his hand into mine and shakes it once.

"Fine. And stop calling me 'love'. I have no intention of being your anything."

His smirks crosses his face lazily – beautifully, damn it – as we step away from our sort of secluded corner. I watch him closely and see the look he gives my brother. Had I not seen it, I would have thought Oliver had a thought all his own within his head. If they want to resort to underhanded tactics, I can surely make their lives a living hell. Which isn't much of a stretch, I've been doing this for years.

I link my arm through Reagan's, who glares unabashedly at Jack. Hmm, maybe she was more into him than I thought.

"What's got you a smiley?" Reagan asks.

I smile at her. "What's got you all mopey?"

Reagan suddenly stoops and pretends to tie her shoe. Our group of friends, and the Gryffindors that hang around because one happens to be related to me, move along without noticing. We wait until their out of ear shot before I press further.

"You know I fancy that stupid git you call a brother," Reagan says with a sigh.

"I am quite aware of that, dear."

"Well, apparently he's gotten himself some tart." I can hear the pain in her voice. For four years Reagan has tried to gain Jack's attention to no avail.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Lisa Honeycut."

None of us like Lisa Honeycut and we haven't since she stole away Reagan's boyfriend fourth year. While the relationship didn't last between the stolen boyfriend and the stealing Hufflepuff, we still hated the girl.

"Let me handle that," I say. The plan formulates in my head and I feel so clever. I decide to treat myself at dinner to an extra Cauldron Cake. I deserve it, I think with a small smile.

"What are you going to do?"

"You'll see. Just be ready on Friday at lunch."

I manage to survive the week and the professors doing their best to kill us early. At lunch I steal Reagan away from our table and together we walk out of the Great Hall and the castle to meet with Jack and Oliver. The two boys stand in front of the Quidditch pitch with their arms folded. I can see the scowl on their faces for my making them meet me instead of allowing them to stuff their faces. It makes me smile when I see their unease.

I feel Reagan tense beside me when she catches sight of Jack. I have figured out this evil plan of mine and I know how to make the two men in my life suffer accordingly. As it turns out, I have been thinking about this whole situation wrong. I made the bet with Oliver to take my mind of the stress this year would force upon me. But now, my entertainment would allow another connection to be made.

"Why did you bring us out here, Dani?" Jack asks grumpily when Reagan and I stop in front of them.

"Oliver and I made a bet last week." I watch his carefully guarded look over at Oliver. I know my brother well enough to know that he's trying not to give away his treachery. They're trying to figure out if I know what they did.

"What kind of bet?" Jack asks turning back to me.

"Both of us would try to make someone fall in love with us by the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw match. Whoever accomplishes this first will forfeit the deciding match."

"What?" Jack exclaims. Oliver remains stoic beside him.

"I know you're sick of our little rivalry and so we thought we would end it once and for all."

"And to do this you're going to break someone's heart?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"You do realize that's very cruel of you, right?"

Reagan and I look at each other. It's time to pull out my ace. "It wouldn't have been as cruel had you not conspired with Oliver to get me back."

The looks of horror on Oliver and Jack's faces brings a smile to my face as well as Reagan's. I knew she would enjoy watching my brother squirm.

"We never –" Oliver begins but I cut him off.

I fold my arms and give him my best condescending look. "Oliver, you've never been that crafty. Everyone knows that Jack helps you with your plays."

Two mouths fall open and I resist the urge to laugh. Instead, I settle for a knowing smile.

"That is not true," Oliver protests.

"Then prove it. Leave this whole bet between the two of us. Jack will keep an eye on you and Reagan will keep an eye on me. They'll both be bound to report any foul play or if either of us gives away the truth about the bet to the significant others."

"How do you expect me not to cheat for Oliver?"

I pull out the parchment from my bag and hand it to the two of them. "This is the contract outlining the terms of the bet. I'll put a spell on it that makes Jack and Reagan honor bound to keep the play fair."

"How do we know that you won't put an exception into the spell?" Oliver grabs the parchment and reads over it.

"I'll put the binding spell on right here so you both can hear it performed."

Oliver hands the parchment over to Jack. "Give us five minutes. We'd like to discuss this."

I nod my consent and Reagan and I walk away and out of ear shot.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asks quietly.

"No. I'm only doing this for you. This gives you a chance to have a reason to speak with Jack."

"That wasn't what I meant. What if you start feeling something for Oliver?"

I blanch at the thought. "Why would I feel something for Oliver? He's so annoying."

She rolls her eyes at me. "Dani, you and Oliver flirt all the time. I know there is some buried emotion deep down in your hearts." She sighs and shakes her head. "I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all."

I put my hand onto her shoulder and smile. "I'm not going to get hurt."

A low whistle draws us away from our conversation, thankfully. This discussion was going in a direction I know I wasn't going to like.

Reagan and I approach Jack and Oliver. Oliver speaks up when we get close, "We want to add that if things become personal, you and I will agree to end the bet with no repercussions."

I nod and pull out my quill to add the addendum. "Just sign at the bottom."

"We'll need two copies. I'm not going to let you keep the original contract without having one myself."

I smirk at him and pull a second piece of parchment from my bag, show him that it's a replica of the contract, and add the addendum to it as well. I sign both pieces of parchment and hand them over to Oliver who signs them as well.

He groans as he hands them to Jack who pricks his thumbs and places it down onto each piece. Reagan puts a drop of blood onto the pieces and I cast the binding spell.

"Why do I feel like I've signed my soul over to the devil?" he asks my brother.

Jack throws Oliver an amused look. "Because you have, mate."

"Although, I think the Cup will fit nicely in my hands, don't you?" Oliver holds out his hands and pretends to grip the Cup in them.

"Aye, mate. But I think it'll look even better in McGonagall's office," Jack replies as they walk off with their copy of the contract.

Reagan and I smirk knowingly at each other. Neither of them know what's in store for them.

A/N: I just want to give a huge Thank You to all of you who have stuck with me so far! I love logging on and seeing a new comment, fave, or alert. You guys are so awesome!