Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters.
Note: Remember the italics are Damon talking/thinking. (SiobanPhelps-Really surprised but happy with your last review. I'm glad you like Damon's sense of humor. And yes, dear sweet little Abby...her death really messes Matt up later.) As for the other story, that one is over, that whole engagement bit happens in the last "big" story which I won't be starting til January. lol. Wasn't planning on writing this chapter but since you asked for it here it is.
5TH YEAR- MATT KNACKS
Matt and Fred are Detention
I knew getting to the trophy room was less than ten minutes from the Gryffindor Tower, but I still made my way there as slow as possible. You just don't wanna see Freddie. Damon reminded me as I sucked in air, preparing myself to face time with him and Fred. Sucks for you. Damon chirped as I gritted my teeth and pushed open the trophy room door. To my surprise Fred was leaning against the wall, seemingly alone. Lee and George are probably just waiting to shank you with their wands. Damon suggested as I went over to Fred.
"Hey" I said but before he could respond the door opened again, Professor Snape in the doorway. And you're night gets even better! Damon teased as Snape had us sign something and then motioned for our wands before disappearing just out of sight. Ten gallons he throws the first punch. Damon said after a good five minutes. Don't you ever shut up? I asked him as I heard him give a hardy laugh as I polished another award. Nope.
"Did you find out anything on the tea shop mayhem?" Fred asked as he stood on my other side polishing another award.
"No, but, Melinda's pissed" I said as Fred rolled his eyes.
"Of course she is, some chick out of the blue is moving in on Draco and throwing it in her face, I know I'd be pissed" Fred said as he continued polishing the same award. Yeah, really shows, all that rage, poor trophy.
"Well, Melinda is dating someone" I said, my words slow. "She's with George, she's happy, that should be all that matters" I concluded.
"Yeah, weird, Tammie is happy but it doesn't seem like that's all that matters to you" he said as Damon snickered. Fred: 1.
"You two are dating, fine, I get that. I can still have a crush on her" I snapped at him.
"No you can't" he countered as I shook my head and laughed at him.
"Charity still likes you and Tammie doesn't even know about her" I countered as Fred instantly stopped polishing. Fred: 1, Matt: 3—bonus points for his speechless expression. Damon teased as Fred narrowed his eyes at me.
"How do you know about that?" he asked in a low voice.
"Why doesn't Tammie know about it? It was nothing, right? Why can't she know? I mean, you know about Oliver and Lee and that was really nothing, short-lived too, not even off and on." Wow, and here I thought you were a wimp.
"Lee and Oliver were actual guys in her life, she was with them, it ended, they're not psycho or vengeful, they wouldn't hurt me or Tammie" he said simply.
"Okay, so, shouldn't you tell Tammie that you're psycho ex may be out to kill her?" I asked, my annoyance hitting a high note.
"No, the less she knows the better" he said more so to himself.
"When has that ever worked? Come on Fred, she deserves more than that. What do you think is going to happen when she finds out and makes her own assumptions?" I asked. This is seemed to make Fred freeze, had he really forgotten Tammie would assume something if she ever did find out about Charity. "She might think she messed up and tell you to go back to Charity" I added though I knew the chances of that actually happening were slim to none.
"You make it sound like you know her" Fred said picking up another trophy. He doesn't but he sure as hell wants to. Damon said with a wiggle of the eyebrows. "I don't like you Matt" he said after a moment's pause. Thank god for captain obvious. Damon said with a roll of the eyes. "Not just because you can't screw off" he paused, I imaged to really think of his wording, Damon was cracking up in the back of my mind. "Not just because of Tammie, but because," he paused again. Was he really about to make a confession to me? Was he really going to say something he'd probably later regret? "If you love her you'll let go" he said instead, everything about him moving in the opposite direction I was hoping though I didn't want to know any personal secrets or fears of Fred. Not that Fred Weasley is scared of anything. Damon snorted. "Why do you even like her? She's not your type" he said, At first I wanted to make the typical comment that she wasn't exactly his type either but I reckoned he heard that too many times and it would simply go in one ear and out the other.
"We have a steady reliable bond" I said with a short glare. He had to know that and it wasn't like it was something I could stop or prevent. It just happened. "Give me some slack, I've had a shitty upbringing, I haven't been in a community like this, ever and I'm not exactly on good terms with my family. If I can find one person who doesn't gawk at me I want to be their friend" I said, the words coming out faster than I thought they would.
"Bullshit" Fred replied as I felt even Damon raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"You think I actually liked the way I was brought up? You think I'm lucky or something?" I asked him. Of course he does, he doesn't know you're a half-vampire, remember? Damon reminded me as the realization finally sank in. Realistically though, that was the only thing preventing me from going after Tammie. Oh please, you'd be with her in a heartbeat if she really wanted you like that. "I know she likes you, trust me, I've been told repeatedly. But I'm not gonna stop crushing on her. She's the first person that's made feel…normal" I said as Fred snickered and moved to the other side of the room.
"What is so abnormal about you really Matt?" V-a-m-p-i-r-e. What does that spell? Damon said though we both knew I wasn't going to say anything aloud.
"You'll be sorry you asked" I mumbled as I moved even further away. Fred snorted, or laughed or whatever he did. But little did he know I was actually serious.
As we continued to work I let my thoughts wander, well, hit Damon. What was the big deal about liking Tammie? Everyone is afraid she's gonna fuck up and forget she loves Fred and go to you. Yeah, but why is that is that really a bad thing? Because she doesn't actually want you and you're a half-vampire. Maybe I should just tell. Yes, wonderful idea and then you'll have no friends and I'll emerge sooner than you thought. I shuddered at the thought, Damon taking over me. Me being him, locked away in my own head until I just, disappeared. If people thought I was bad now wait til they seen me later. Damon finished as I finally moved to the second to last case. Just don't hurt her, please, that's the only request I will ever make. Don't hurt Tammie.
I could see the wheels turning in Damon's eyes, why he had to debate this I wasn't sure. It was a simple request. Yes but you have to think about the underlying request. Not hurting Tammie means I can't kill Fred—and we know I want to snap his neck—it also means Melinda goes untouched and the stupid ferret Draco and all their little friends. Tammie tangos with a lot of people. Besides, her friends get themselves in trouble and get hurt, causing Tammie to somehow get hurt, that's a whole separate thing, I can't be responsible for their actions—or stupidity. I know, but. I paused and looked over at Fred who was shinning the trophy but he seemed to haves stopped putting in the effort. I know you don't care about humans, about them, but I do, they're my friends, if I lose them I'll stay human just to spite you.
Touché. Please Damon; your one good act. I'll do it. If. And only if you tell Fred and Melinda what you are. If they don't murder you, or anything drastic or dramatic I will make sure your friends go unharmed as long as we both shall live. But like I said, her friends have the power to make their own stupid decisions. I knew Damon didn't repeat anything just to hear himself talk, unless he found it funny or if he was "being nice" and hinting at something. I thought for a minute, trying to think who would act irrationally.
"Melinda" I hissed, everything coming together. What was that bit Professor Snape was saying about letting them taking the frustrations out during the game tomorrow? Of course. Of course Melinda would've reached her breaking point.
"What's that?" Fred asked, still from the other side of the room.
"During the game, Melinda's gonna be pissed at Courtney" I told him as he turned around but kept his eyes on polishing.
"Yeah, so?" he replied. I reckon he don't know Courtney is a willing vamp in training. Damon pretended to whisper.
"If you don't like me, then I know you must hate Courtney" I said as he wrinkled his eyebrows at me.
"She's your sister" he said as I felt as if I should feel guilty.
"She's changed a lot, we don't really get along, it's complicated. The point is, Melinda is going take her anger out on Courtney tomorrow but Courtney will react, she's not the sweet and innocent person you know Fred, she's nothing like that, she never has been" I explained, the guilt still not hitting me.
"So you're the lesser of two evils huh?" he asked setting the trophy down.
"I'm not evil" I half wined as Damon laughed. I am.
"Okay, so tell Melinda to lay off your sister" Fred said simply as he started to turn away but must have noticed my expression. "I get it, sisters can be scary, I have one too, but, really, just be quick about it and then lay low for a few hours" he said with a hint of a smile.
"Fred, it's not like that, she doesn't listen to me, not in the normal type of way. She's playing Draco so she can get a rise out of Melinda" I explained.
"Why?" Fred asked. Question of the year. Damon said, though I was pretty sure he already knew.
"For kicks, Fred. Everything she does is for kicks" I told him, my voice serious. She had the personality every vampire wanted. Meanwhile I get stuck with you… Damon complained as I ignored him.
"Do you think she'd ever, ya know, hurt Tammie?" he asked. Now the concern kicks in. He's such a hypocrite. Damon teased as he rolled his eyes.
"Probably" I said though I meant 'most definitely.' Tammie was the only person standing in her way from me becoming full human. Even if I removed myself from school now, fell for someone other human and stayed human Courtney would still blame Tammie. She was my first, she was my reason for having the idea to be human. At least according to Courtney. I wanted to be human every day since I realized I was a half-vampire. Since age six. It wasn't Tammie's fault then and it wasn't her fault now. Course it didn't matter to Courtney, she just needed someone to blame.
"Well, George and I will talk to Melinda, just give the facts" Fred said.
"It will go in one ear and out the other, she won't do anything unless she finds something else she focus her mind on fixing" I said, a plan just formulating in the back of my mind.
"What do you propose?" Fred asked though he sounded most unwilling to be asking. I started to open my mouth but he spoke first. "Nothing stupid, Melinda doesn't pay attention to stupid" he added.
"No, it's not stupid. There's this thing I can do—"
"Because you're a Seer?" Fred asked. Yeah, sure, why not?
"Something like that" I replied quickly feeling a little nervous about my out of practice vampire abilities. "Anyway, because of my abilities, I'm able to, push people…" I trailed off to gauge Fred's expression but he seemed to doing an excellent job at just listening. "Like, I can sway someone's feeling. Though, I can't do for a long period of time and they have be influential enough. But really it's just all mind control. It's simple and it doesn't hurt" I explained.
"Okay, well, just push me, leave Tammie out of it" he said almost without hesitation. Aw, look at him being all brave. Damon teased.
"I can't leave her out of it, if I push only you she's gonna walk away. I can't make you clingy because it will annoy her and she's disappear and I can't make you like her less because, well, she'd be okay with it" I said as Fred glared.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"She wants you happy, if you're not happy with her that has to be a reason and she'd let you have that reason" I told him, though I kind of doubted myself.
"But she loves me" he replied, though I caught the uncertainty.
"If you love someone you let them go" I countered as Damon laughed hysterically. A hundred points to you.
"Fine, how do you want her involved?" he asked.
"Can we all talk about it together?" I asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer. Guess not.
"I'm going to push her away from you, but only a little and then push you toward her. That way, from Melinda's eyes it looks Tammie has a secret. I won't have anything to do with it, which is good because Melinda will assume Courtney convinced me to do something and it would just add fuel to the fire" I explained.
"Are you sure Courtney didn't convince you of this?" he half teased.
"She can't convince me to do anything, trust me, she's tried" I said morbidly as Damon rolled his eyes, both of us thinking back to when we were maybe nine and ten and we were offered human blood. The idea petrified me, but Courtney had nearly drained her cup before trying to convince me to take a sip. I didn't budge and it wasn't until mum threatened to lock me in the basement without the lights for twenty-four hours did I break. Your childhood was so fucked up. Could've had it the easy way had you been more like Courtney. But no, you got the sympathy gene. Damon said with a snort.
"Okay, when we're done we'll talk to Tammie, no George in this plan, he'll flip shit" Fred said as he neared the door.
"Seriously? Just okay?" I asked still wanting for some kind of battle.
"Yeah, I'm going to prove to you once and for all that girl loves me and you need to back the fuck up" he said cheerfully before strolling out of the room. Two thousand points for Fred. Fred wins and the crowd goes wild.