[A/N: Hello! Getting on with this one too then!]
Hannah stayed away from Draco like she was supposed to after our chat, but after I'd sent out the report, I'd gotten a letter from Remus.
Tonks,
I am writing on behalf of your cousin who is still shouting after getting your second letter. Someone obviously set their expectations quite high this time round. Anyway, he's angry. So angry in fact that this is the second draft of this letter. He threw the first one in the fire because I didn't properly express his absolute disgust it in the first one apparently. Have I ever told you how grateful I am that you're not as crazy as he is? Moving right along, if you somehow manage to get Hannah to behave and she decides she wants to write to Sirius, strongly discourage her from doing so. He's being angry and irrational and will probably throw the letter away. Give him some time to return to what is normal for him.
Remus.
P.S. Please come back soon. I miss you and I don't think I'm capable of handling Sirius' crazy on my own anymore.
I laughed at Remus' P.S. and then read the letter over again. I didn't think Hannah was in much of an apologetic mood, probably still feeling too guilty to talk to him yet. Aside from that she had other problems.
Her week of banishment from Draco was over and they were glued to each other at all times as a result.
But then they weren't together, things were all together different.
"I have just decided that magical theory is dumb. Defense against the dark arts should be subjective," Hermione complained.
I was sitting in the library with Harry and Hermione while Ron and Hannah were at Quidditch practice for their game tomorrow.
"I think I actually prefer Binns' class to this one, Harry said folding spare parchment into a Quidditch goal post. "What do you think, Lynn?"
"I can think of a thousand things I'd rather do than sit through that class again," I said.
"Well if it isn't Hannah's peeps," a voice hissed.
I looked up from pretending to read to see Draco standing there with his two flunkies Crabbe and Goyle stationed behind him.
"Go away. Daddy can't buy us all passing grades in Umbrdige's class. Some of us have to work for a living," Hermione said scribbling down furiously on her paper.
I hadn't experienced the kids being personally victimized by Draco yet so this was going to be an interesting experience.
"Well, maybe your boyfriend will be just like his dad and work for a living everyday of his life and still be useless and miserable," Draco said.
Oh, no he didn't just bash Arthur Weasley. I oughta kick his ass.
"Look at that, Hermione, another joke about Ron being poor. How original," Harry said. "You'd think in all the spare time he has that he doesn't spend tonguing my sister he'd come up with something wittier."
"Obviously Hannah doesn't love him for his brains—if she loves him at all anyway," Hermione said.
"Yeah. That relationship is looking a bit one sided these days isn't it, Hermione?" Harry replied. "Pity."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this."
"Of course not. You have to go think of some more jokes that aren't funny," Harry said. "You should think of some to tell my sister the next time you see her so she'll actually know the reasons he doesn't love you is because subliminally she knows you don't deserve her because you're a right foul git."
"If you think I'm such a foul git then why don't you have the balls to tell her, Potter? You know she'll listen to anything you say," Draco pointed out. Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, I think I know why you won't because, she does listen to you and if you tell her to dump me she will and that would just break her heart wouldn't? Because she loves me, whether she knows it or not and you know she does."
Harry rolled his eyes.
". . . I think if you really loved Hannah you might not treat her friends and her brother so badly," I said.
Draco looked over to me and cocked an eyebrow.
"Lynn Sknot is it?" he asked.
"Aye," I replied.
"Well, Sknot, I think it's best you keep to yourself and mind your own damn business or you'll find your time here isn't so pleasant," Draco said.
"Are you threatening me?" I asked.
"I don't know—are you going to be getting in my way again anytime soon?" he asked. He was threatening me. I could definitely take him—fist fight, wand fight, you name it, but it hit me that this was Hannah's boyfriend. For whatever reason she really, really liked him despite the fact that he was a horrible person. If I did ever hex him into oblivion or just give him a swift kick in the ass, she'd never forgive me for it. Suddenly I realized why it was so hard to tell her that he was evil. Who would want to deliver that kind of news to their friend?
"No. . . I don't think so," I replied.
Draco smirked triumphantly. He looked just like his smug prick of a father and my skin crawled.
"Then no, I'm not threatening you," he said. He looked back to Harry and Hermione. "See you all in class tomorrow."
He walked out of the library and Harry groaned.
"I hate him," he said.
"At least he didn't call me a mudblood this time," Hermione said.
"Right, never mind the fact that he's totally taking advantage of my sister's feelings. I can't believe she talked me into doing a double date with him on Valentine's Day. I think I might kill him," Harry said. "Do you see what I mean now? Do you see how awful he is? Do you see why I'm so upset at the fact that they're dating?"
I nodded. What an evil little boy.
"You have to find a way to talk some sense into her," Hermione said. "The rest of us are completely lost."
"I'm quite lost myself. How does she not see it?" I asked.
"You have to see them together," Harry said. "He is a damn fine actor."
"Seems like it," I replied.
888
Hermione and I returned to find a full dorm that evening. Hannah was sitting on her bed doing some homework, wet hair dangling down into her face.
"Oh, Hermione, you're back, can you please tell Parvati that the giants wars did not take place in the 1920s? If she says it again, I might smack her," Hannah said.
"Parvati, that is completely wrong," Hermione corrected her.
"Thank you," Hannah said curtly.
"How was practice?" I asked.
"Dreadful. Angelina Johnson is a psychopath. Like, she was shouting at Ginny to practice the Wronski Feint, and Ginny's like 'who the eff do I look like—Harry Potter'. And then she yells at me like 'yell your friend to do it right' and I'm like 'I don't even know what the wonky faint is' and then she was angry because not only did I have no idea what she was talking about but I said it. And then Cormac yelling at me about my aim being off and I'm like 'did you miss concuss my boyfriend in my first match'. And now Angelina's also pissed off because I told her I'm cutting practice Saturday for Hogsmeade," Hannah said. "Essentially, I am the last person on Earth who needs to be playing Quidditch."
"You're not that bad, actually," Emily said. "At least that's what Fred says. He says you're a fine replacement."
"No sense in telling lies," Parvati said.
"We aren't friends anymore, Patil," Hannah replied.
"Whatevs, biotch," Parvati said. "Where were you two?"
"In the library," Hermione said. "Studying with Harry obviously."
"You know, it's funny, since he started hanging out with Lynn he's hardly been up Chang's ass at all," Parvati said.
"Are you insinuating what I think you're insinuating?" I asked.
"I'm not insinuating anything, Lynnette, but I do know that Harry Potter is a fine piece of ass. If the opportunity ever arises take it," Parvati said. "I definitely would. Wouldn't you Emily?"
"Nope," she replied.
"What if you weren't with Fred?" Parvati asked.
She sighed. "Definitely maybe. Probably. . . Yes."
I laughed. Oh, this line of questioning was so wrong. It was Harry. It was so wrong.
"What about you Hannah?" Parvati asked.
"Incest," was all that she answered.
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're twins," she said.
"I bet that'd be hard to remember—we don't have matching names or anything," Hannah said. "I don't blame you."
"Okay Miss Sarcasm Pants," Emily said.
"Oh, Lynn!" Hannah said finally looking up from her homework. "I ran into Draco after practice. He says he finally talked to you."
"Oh, yeah. In the library," I replied sitting down onto my bed.
"I'd been bugging him. I told, 'Lynn is really cool and you should say hello'. What'd you think of him?" I asked.
Oh, no. I was being put on the spot, not as Lynn, but as Tonks, the only maternal figure she had in her life. I couldn't just lie to her and say he was wonderful, but I couldn't really just tell her I thought he was a no good piece of shit either.
"Well. . . I dunno. He's kind of. . . What's the word?" I thought.
"Evil?" Parvati said.
Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Abrasive," I said.
"Abrasive?" she asked.
"Yeah, like. . . I got the feeling he didn't like me very much. . . Or Harry or Hermione for that matter. . . It was all very. . . Forced," I said.
"Oh," Hannah said flatly, as if she was shocked that I wasn't praising her for her choice. "But like. . . How could he, like, not like you?"
"Because you're the only person Malfoy likes, Hannah," Parvati said.
"Will you shut up, already?" Hannah hissed, obviously irritated. "Honestly, Lynn, I'm confused. How does someone dislike you?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he's crazy. I'm pretty awesome."
"Might want to tone down that ego there," Emily said.
"Or evil. I think it's because evil. You should dump him," Parvati said.
"Where is all this nonsense coming from?" Hannah asked.
"You are aware that we've all always thought he was dick?" Parvati asked.
"Yes. I used to think he was too until I got to know him," Hannah said. Parvati groaned.
"Please don't tell us again that we need to get to know him," she said.
"But you should. You'd all like him if you knew him like I do," Hannah said.
"You wouldn't like him if you knew him like we knew him," Parvati mumbled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hannah asked.
"You know, I think I left some of my charms notes with Harry. I'm just gonna go get those," I said. I couldn't take it anymore. I despised being a teenager again. I hadn't heard a conversation like this since I'd graduated from school. I had to escape.
I walked out the room and went up to the boys' dorm and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" they all shouted.
I pushed the door open. There was no arguing about someone's girlfriend or anything like that. They were just listening to music, pretending to do homework, slacking off—my kind of people.
"Well, if it isn't Lynn," Dean said. "What brings you?"
"Escape from Hannah and Parvati who are having a debate about Draco Malfoy," I said.
They all groaned collectively.
"I'm still shocked that Hannah broke up with for that prat," Seamus said.
"Actually I think my sister dumped you because you were a dick and you cheated on her," Harry said.
"Oi, mate, no need to go dissecting the past now is there?" Seamus asked. "Besides, I reckon you'd rather I be with her than Malfoy."
"Anyone but Malfoy," Harry said.
"And what about you Miss Lynn? You taken a fancy to anyone?" Seamus asked.
I laughed. I was getting hit on my 15-year-old Irish boy. How cute.
"No, no one," I said.
"Really? Looked to me like you'd taken quite a shine to our buddy Harry here," Neville said.
Harry made a retching noise, and I turned to him, mouth agape.
"You find me that repulsive?" I asked.
"No! No! No! It's not like that," Harry said.
"You'll have to excuse Harry. He's rubbish with girls he fancies," Neville said.
"I don't fancy anyone—I mean except for Cho obviously," Harry said.
"All right, so if Harry's officially hands-off, what do you think about going to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday, Lynn?" Seamus asked.
"No!" Harry said jumping to his feet. Ron sat on his bed snickering. "You are not allowed."
"What d'you mean I'm not allowed?" Seamus asked. "She can go out with whoever she wants to."
"Yeah, well, not you, Seamus. Not you," Harry grabbing hold of my arm. "Let's get you back to your room, Lynn, and away from this disgrace to male species."
"Okay, goodnight, boys," I said. Harry pulled me from his room and into the hall.
"Can I ask why you've suddenly gone mental?" I asked.
"Yes. In a nutshell, just because you look like a hot 15-year-old Gryffindor girl, I know that you're actually a 23-year-old Hufflepuff woman who is like a mother to me," Harry said. "So stay away from Seamus and the rest of the pervy boys in this school."
"All right then, Harry. Don't get your wand in a knot," I said. "Do I look like a pedophile to you?"
"At the moment yes," Harry said. "You stay out of trouble too."
