The Misadventures of the Weasley Brothers
by
FireValkyrie

Chapter 29: While you were sleeping

sSs

Through sedated lashes Live opened her eyes to a world of sound and light. It was morning sometime, or perhaps late afternoon, and the room was bathed in pale color. She recognized the stone walls and high windows of the large room, realizing she was in a bed in the hospital wing.

She took a deep breath, aching somewhat everywhere, and tried to focus on that around her, inwardly curious as to how she'd gotten there.

"…Lee…" she whispered out, her breath scratchy as she saw the tall boy messing with bed sheets and the like. It was his class period in which he assisted Madam Pomfrey.

"Heeeeeeey," he started with wonder and a smile, "You're awake."

She just looked at him, feeling too weak to really make any sort of gesture or expression in reply. He took a seat on a bed next to hers, looking at her with a pleased grin.

"You've been asleep for almost a week, you know," he informed, watching her like a doctor might a patient. She frowned in disbelief as he gave her an encouraging smile. "Today's Friday."

"A week?" she gasped in panic. He nodded, and her panic grew. It freaked her out to have been unconscious to the world and its goings-on for nearly a week; set her into a right panicked state, as it were. It didn't seem at all possible for so much time to have passed unnoticed to her. She'd had jokes played on her before when she'd taken odd naps, and that had confused and bewildered her then. But this was outright fantastical.

"You're alright," Lee added with a smile. "You've been given quite a few dreamless sleep potions so you can better heal, so you might be feeling a little groggy…Dumbledore says you're almost good as new. He's been in here quite a few times since…Maybe I should wait until you're better woken up…" he said in response to the look on her face. She felt so tired, and so weak. She closed her eyes, still listening half-heartedly. It hurt to have them open, and it was too much to fully take in. "What do you remember last?"

She was listening to her own breathing, and didn't really hear him until he gave her a poke. She cracked one eye half open to see him frowning at her in amusement. "Earth to Live? Are you there?"

"…sod you…"

He started cracking up, her insult a good sign indeed, which caused Madam Pomfrey to show her frowning face.

"Ah, Miss Hunter you're finally awake," she said with relief to the Slytherin witch. Then she turned on Lee. "Mr. Jordan, is there any reason you're harassing my patients?"

"I was just talking," he said with a smirk. She frowned at him in a way which said to get back to fixing up those beds.

"How do you feel young lady?" Madam Pomfrey asked, checking and fussing over her.

"Tired…" she offered. Confused, slightly panicked, but mostly tired. "…everything kinda hurts…"

"Yes, I expect it would," the mediwitch agreed, fluffing her pillows. "You've been through a right nasty state. But it could have been worse." Live only sighed, wanting more sleep. "You get rest, missy. You're still very weak and I won't have my patients getting themselves into a fuss."

Live gladly closed her eyes on the old witch, feeling her tuck the blankets around her form while fussing with her pillows. She fell back to sleep almost instantly.

sSs

"Well don't ask me. I don't know…"

"Should I poke her?"

"Only if you want Poppy to make us leave her sacred hall."

"I might poke her…Shall I?"

"…you shall not…" Live's quiet voice reached ears belonging to the pair standing by her bedside.

"You're awake! Madam Pomfrey said you were!" Kara's high-pitched voice rang.

"It's about time," the voice of Tonks said, smile apparent in tone.

Live cracked an eye open deliberately, feeling much more rested this waking through. "No one could sleep…with you around…" she aimed at her little sister, earning a grin as well as sudden pressure upon the bed. "Off, Kara."

"Cuckoo!" the happiness-filled sugar-delicatessen declared, cuddling right up next to her sister in what was normally an attempt to push her out of the bed; the same way that cuckoo-bird chicks did to other chicks in a nest.

"Not this time…Kara…" Live huffed, burrowing herself in deeper to her blankets.

"I think I'm going to have to agree with Live here…"

"CUCKOO!" she said with more enthusiasm. Tonks looked around for Madam Pomfrey as if she were still a scared third year.

"You're going to get us kicked out!" Tonks whispered harshly, the notion not really clicking into her mind that she was a professor here and not a naughty student.

"…cuckoo…" Kara whispered after looking about stealthily.

Live grinned as her sister snuggled up to her affectionately, and she patted her on the head.

"…is it still Friday?" she asked Tonks, elbowing her sister who was burrowing her face into the Slytherin witch's back.

"Friday evening," Tonks replied. Live was happy it was still the same day, at least.

"What're these?" she asked, looking at her pajamas. "They look like…"

"Vivian Monteclaire's. She said you didn't have anything modest for other people to see…frankly, I'm surprised you own pajamas at all," Kara remarked. Tonks openly laughed.

"I have to admit I'm with your sister on this one…I've seen your luggage, remember," the youthful witch remarked with a smile.

Live was still half-asleep, but already up to being her snaky self. "I miss my bed…" she said, craving the quiet darkness of her four-poster.

"You miss your bed?" Kara remarked, looking about the hospital with open amazement. "You sleep in a dungeon! Prisoners were tortured in your bedroom!" she exclaimed, mildly horrified. She burrowed her head back into the sheets.

"Were?" Tonks asked, eyebrow raised in implication. Live stuck out her tongue, and the elder witch laughed.

"Speaking of scary stuff, I got out of potions today and Snape didn't even yell at me!" Kara declared suddenly, popping her head up from the sheets ecstatically. "And I made a swelling solution perfectly! You should see the size I turned Neville's toad!"

"Will you get off?" Live asked crossly, frowning at the happy little Gryffindor growth on her back.

"No," Kara said with a grin, burrowing her face to purposely make Live uncomfortable. "Peep peep CUCKOO!"

Live made a noise between a growl and a sigh, although amused by her sister's antics, and looked up at Tonks. "What happened to me? Where's George?"

"He's serving detention for chasing that Putterly fellow from Slytherin House out of here. Right bloody nose he gave him, too," she said with a smirk. Although she was supposed to be a neutral party when it came to students, Tonks couldn't help but grin when the little group from 12 Grimmauld was involved in some sort of debacle.

"Bloody nose?" Live asked, more interested.

"Snapped his wand in two, too," Kara intoned. "Just yesterday I heard. George lost us fifty points for that! Boy was Snape pissed off…"

"George snapped his wand?" Live asked with disbelief.

"Kara!" Tonks chastised, shooting the younger girl a look.

"Why the hell did he do that?" Live asked, seeing it as quite a serious offense.

"I told you not to mention that!" Tonks reprimanded Kara. She turned her face to Live. "I didn't want to upset you. I know they're both your friends, but they-"

"Hate-"

"-don't enjoy-," Tonks interjected, looking at Kara, "one-another's company much."

"Professor," Live started with serious tone, showing she meant business, "why in the world would George do that?"

"Putterly snuck up on him and tried to curse his skin off!"

"He and George got in a duel of sorts," Tonks said, staring down at Kara, who stuck her head ostrich-like back into the safety of Live's blankets. "From the way Putterly says it-"

"George fell on his wand…Fell," Kara muffly informed, bringing her head up in caution. "It was an accident…"

"He snapped it in two," Tonks corrected, giving Kara a look once more. "But whether it was an accident or not, George got a good week of detentions, and Putterly's wand will be as good as new. Sent to Ollivanders' for repair."

Live smirked, somewhat upset at the fact that she had missed what must have been an exciting subject, as well as the fact that George kept getting in trouble.

"Lookit what everyone's been leaving for you!" Kara interrupted Live's thoughts, hopping off the bed to shove handfuls of cards and candies right under her sister's nose. Live made effort to sit up, still weak, but having no intention of being smothered to death by chocolates.

There were little ice mice with bites out of them (she had no doubt as to that sugar culprit), cards with moving pictures on them, and one with little paper owls that magically hovered over the top of the card.

Live smiled at the pile as Kara began to unwrap a chocolate frog. She didn't much want the chocolate so much as for the collectible card, but she chomped the frog with relish anyway.

"So exciting stuff aside, what happened to me?" Live asked, looking at Tonks for information.

"What do you remember?" the Metamorphmagus asked warily, not about to shock her even more than she was already.

She thought for a moment, slight color coming to her cheeks in remembrance of her last meeting with George, and the last moments before she'd been attacked.

"Yes, Poppy said all those little bruises were from him," Tonks said, lightening, with a knowing smirk and a wink at Live, who reddened furiously at the statement.

"…how do you…?"

"He informed her when she asked what made them. Turns out it was a red-haired critter with an identical twin and a knack for wand-splitting."

"Ewww, mixed company…" Kara said sourly in response to mention of her sister's little rendezvous. She wanted no part in this discussion. Live only grinned.

"And he's in detention?" she inquired, fishing for more information. It only made Tonks grin more.

"You'd be surprised with the shining state of the bathrooms around here. I thought the only things those twins could do was create mess and havoc." She smirked. "But he'll be back here soon enough. Although he needs a note from McGonagall whenever he wants to come visit after how he broke that kid's wand," she said with enthusiasm. "Poppy won't let him in otherwise." Live scoffed. Tonks smiled. "He's been acting like he has the exclusive rights to you."

"The hell he does…" Live commented offhandedly with a wry smirk, though she was amused that he'd been defending her so steadfastly. Tonks' grin only widened as Live smiled. "…so what did happen?" She looked at the professor determinedly. Tonks in turn looked at Kara, wondering if it might upset her again.

"Tell it the exciting way," Kara commented, the remnants of a chocolate frog homicide on her lips. If there was anyone more well-adjusted…or more full of sugary endorphins…

The eldest witch thought pensively, wondering if it was even her place to inform, but of all of them, she did consider herself the one who could relate to the Slytherin witch the most. After all, they weren't that far apart in age, as compared with any other professor.

"You feel well-enough to take this in?" she asked, sparing Kara a look in turn.

"I'll go nuts if I don't know exactly what happened…" she cried truthfully. She took a breath and grinned. "…although I'd prefer a little trip through the pensieve to see firsthand…I'll trust your word just as well."

Tonks grinned halfheartedly, sitting on the edge of the bed as Live got comfortable and Kara 'peep-peep'-ed her in begging for more chocolate frogs. The young professor began relaying what she knew, what she'd seen, and what had happened- a mix of things she both did and didn't quite understand herself, including the ritual shaving of one very agitated white wolf, and the burning of the fur and utter destruction of the wraith in magical flame.

"…poor wolfie," Kara muttered, frowning into her pilfered chocolate frog cards. Live turned her head to look at her speculatively, the information sinking in so far without the shock.

"…is George alright?" she asked quickly, astonished that he had given so much of himself for her. "And what about his foot?" she questioned just as fast, her mind remembering where the creature had got him. Just how well was he to be fighting with Putterly every chance he got?

"…Madam Pomfrey's gonna kick my arse for upsetting you…" Tonks murmured to herself. Then she looked at Live. "He's fine. After a day or two of rest himself, he was back to normal."

"Beating up Putterly and putting stink pellets in his pumpkin juice," Kara elaborated with a big chocolaty smile. Live snickered tiredly, but turned away from her messy little sister's mouth.

"Are you alright?" Tonks inquired after dropping the veritable bombshell in Live's lap.

The Slytherin witch only smirked. "I'm fine…It just hasn't sunk in yet…"

"Nothing ever does," Kara said, pretending to knock on her sister's skull. Live batted at her weakly with a wry grin.

"Professor! Professor!" a little first year Hufflepuff girl came trotting into the wing after almost running past. "Professor! Tommy Smith got locked in a closet on the fourth floor with a giant tarantula and we can't get him out!" the little girl cried, terrified.

Tonks put her forefinger to the bridge of her nose. "Alright," she said, standing up. "Guess that's my cue to go, then. They've adopted me as their martyr." She grinned towards the young witch. "You sure you're alright? I can come see you again later if you want to talk?"

"…I'm fine. Just tired."

"Please hurry Professor! That tarantula was HUGE!" the girl repeated through wide eyes.

Tonks gave Live and the currently chocolate-coated Gryffindor a look. "I love first year Hufflepuffs," she said enthusiastically with a grin, following the little girl out as she chatted to her. "Always keep it interesting, don't you?"

Kara smirked as they left. "That sounds like Lee's giant tarantula."

Live made a sour face. She wasn't too fond of spiders herself. She shuddered.

"I bet it got out again…Ron nearly flipped the first time it happened," Kara recalled with a smirk. Live looked at her sister wryly, an eyebrow quirked until she had Kara's full attention. "What?"

"This white wolf Tonks mentioned…" she started, looking at her arm accusingly, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. Kara frowned. While she would do it again in a heart-beat for her sister, she could never resist playing the victim in any debacle.

"Do you know what I've been put through?" Kara started dramatically. Live smirked, ready to be fully entertained by her sister's flair for the drama. "They shaved me. Shaved…" Live grinned. "You know what happens when they shave you in animagus form?"

"…I'm just gonna pull this outta the air and say--"

"I was BALD!"

Live started laughing so hard it hurt her sore ribs.

"I was BALD and Lee SAW!"

Now her sides hurt and tears were coming down her cheeks from laughter. She started coughing from laughing, and Kara just crossed her arms indignantly, looking at her sister.

"I hope you're happy," she ground out.

"…You prat!" Live chuckled, calming herself down to stop the coughing. "Well you look fine now…"

"Yeah, after I snuck into your dorm and got that furry-fur powder crap you sneak into my drinks! You're just lucky it grew back my fur…"

"And thus your lustrous locks?" Live replied with a snicker.

Kara just murmured incoherently, the only understandable words being "bald", "shave", and "hairy legs".

Live smiled, chucking a chocolate frog at Kara. "Oh shut up," she said affectionately. Kara frowned, but immediately set upon making the chocolate frog suffer in a gooey cocoa mess. "…what have I missed…since I've been out?" She felt out of breath from laughing so hard.

"Ah." Kara made an enlightened noise, feeling of some use. She hefted her book bag up onto the bed, extricating a ledger and heavy book. "Well, there's the subject of business…If you hadn't been sneaking away with George everywhere we might have made top sales this week…"

"Sod off-"

"But I think I can up Neville's root beer order a few more cases to make up for the losses…"

Live smirked, perversely pleased with the uncouth businesswoman that was flowering within her sister. A fine snake in lion's skin indeed. Live's grin turned wide in sudden remembrance. She had something in her possession that would be groundbreaking in the potions world…

"…I did find out something today," Live spoke up, smile on her face and in her voice.

"What?" Kara looked wide-eyed, as if a deer caught in the headlights.

"Or no, not today….what, a week ago was it?" She stopped to catch her breath. "My potion…the one I've been working on all summer…It works."

"It works?" Kara looked a little relieved. She had thought Live had found out what she'd done quite a short while ago with Lee. But thankfully, that was gossip still under wraps…as long as Kelena kept her big mouth shut.

Live smiled in thought. "Let's just say that George pranced through the middle of Hogsmede in his underwear…"

Kara's mind raced as she went into thoughtful murmurs, eyes glazed over. "There's the packaging…advertising…about twenty galleons an ounce maybe…merchandising…I'M RICH!"

Live rolled her eyes. "You're keeping those sticky hands away from my brew…"

"You're a GENIUS! Imagine the sales!"

"…I better patent it…" she noted thoughtfully. "Keep it out of the wrong hands." She smirked at her sister.

"Hey!" she spouted indignantly.

"Alright, alright…anyways, go on…you were talking about the business?"

"Ah, well the cotton candy webs aren't doing as well, except when people- mainly Harry- buy them to prank Ron…but sales are currently up in the morphing clothing line…The sweater tube-tops are selling like hot-cakes. You should've seen all the surprised people in tube-tops in Flitwick's class the other day…oh, and, um, I've parneredfussithheasley…" she stammered off, voice going low.

Live sat up and looked at Kara speculatively, suspiciously. "What now?"

"And the toffee traps! Oh you wouldn't believe where there've been popping up! Filch is having absolutes fits with the mess they make!"

"What?" Live repeated her previous inquiry. Kara pursed her lips.

"I…um…Okay, first of all, you need to understand that I've fully got Lee's support, and that he's with me one-hundred percent on the decision I've made--"

"Oh dear god…Just what the hell have you been doing with Lee Jordan?" Live interrupted, her mind spinning various possibilities, none of which she liked to consider. Great, once she was out of hospital, she'd have to kick Lee's ass for taking advantage of her little sister.

"Just wait a minute, hear me out…Now it's just better this way financially, considering, and we'll be bringing in a double income-" Live was giving her wide-eyed looks, "and Lee thinks it's a wonderful idea in the long run, and we are married legally anyways with all the legal hang-ups, so-"

"Kara, if you don't tell me I'll die," Live ground out, preparing for news that would surely shock and appall her.

"Well it's no secret that me and Lee have been sneaking around lately…I'm sure you know," she added with a taste of the obvious. Live looked about ready to pass out with tense thoughts. Kara made a nervous face, but quickly spat out her words. "I merged us with the Weasley Wheezes."

First, Live stared at her for a good long time. Then, she let out a great sigh of relief and relaxed back into the pillows behind her. Then she looked back to Kara with exasperation.

"You what?"

"You know Fred and George have been sabotaging our inventory and nicking our clients! I've had to install protective charms and hide the loot in my dorm! It's not easy stuff!" she appealed. "This way, we have a larger clientele, more hands on the job, and we get a chunk of their profits!" She grinned, hoping Live would see it her way.

The eldest blonde put her finger to the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "I could smack you for not letting me in on this sooner, you bint," she murmured with vexation. She looked at Kara. "And how did Fred and George take your little acquisition?"

"I dunno. Lee told it to them about three days ago. Seemed like they were in their dorm for ages discussing it, though," she noted thoughtfully. What she didn't know was that they'd had a full-on war in the dormitory that made their other school pranks look like child's play. Many burns, scrapes, and bruises later, the boys were once again perfect friends…And the twins did untie Lee a few hours later.

"Anyways, I don't think Fred much minds. He and Kelena have been hard at work testing out the morphing clothes. They're getting a little too close in my opinion." Kara mimed gagging herself.

"Ah-huh…" Live said, a little smirk on one side.

"And Lee just loves being my test monkey." She smirked, although Live thought that was the last thing Lee Jordan would ever love. "Everyone's married anyway, thanks to that law. You know all that equal-household-money crap and all…" she informed her sister offhandedly. "We were gonna have to share in business profits anyways in the legal sense…I thought it a good idea."

"More like a corporate takeover…" Live patted her sister on the head affectionately. "Prat."

Kara grinned widely, showing both sets of teeth. Live closed her eyes in thought and fatigue. Just a few days outta the mix and everything fell apart around her…She smirked and looked at Kara.

"…Anything more that I should be aware of?"

"Hmm…well, I dyed Lavender's hair lavender the other day…" She looked up in pensive thought. "Um…Ron got full marks in charms class the other day," she said, the fact being of notable quality. "Oh, and Ginny's been doing research for the Guild!"

"…wonderful," Live said with a smile. She yawned. She felt in much need of a nap.

"You look tired," Kara observed.

"I know I must look like crap," Live agreed. Kara smirked. "Tell me more…entertain me a bit…"

"Well," she said, hefting the large book from the bed to her lap, "I found a loophole in the laws dealing with merchants and tradesmen that would allow us to import some of our more expensive ingredients for cheaper than how we've been buying them…Did I mention that yet? We'd be saving about fifty galleons annually…"

"Just how," Live started, looking at her sister speculatively, "were you able to compute that?"

Kara grinned. "Hermione. You know how good she is at these things."

"Well that would explain it." Live smirked.

"She also dropped your book-bag by in case you got bored and wanted to do some of your homewo--Hey! I'm smart too, you know!" she said as Live's comment registered in her fast-paced mind.

"I know…Just with different things," she told her, grinning.

"Go stuff yourself," Kara said with upturned nose.

Live laughed. "What book is that anyway?" Kara held it up for her to see, and Live immediately soured. "Weird Wizarding Regulations and the Wizards Who Warrant Them?…I hate that damn book…" she said vehemently, it being the reason for so many marriage clauses in the first place.

"It has some pretty interesting stuff in it," Kara remarked.

"Like what?" Live snarked at her.

"Well, more stuff on trade…The underwear laws…Some regulations on cauldron size…Um…I read that a guy can be fined a hundred galleons for going into the women's loo wearing a feathered hat during the Quidditch World Cup…And….hmm…There's a whole section dedicated to food and packaging penalties…Um…more stuff about undergarments…Gosh, they were obsessed…"

"Doesn't that book have anything useful in it?" Live spat, wanting to use it's pages as fodder for her potions' fire.

"Well, it has some amendments made to the whole marriage law, but don't get too excited. They're just clarifications and technicalities defining what questing for your underwear is defined as and whatnot, ya know, for who's married to whom and why," she clarified. Live fumed. "Due to a much needed amendment on that, count yourself lucky you're not married to Snape or Filch after they handled them. It used to be that anyone who touched the offending undies were strapped down for marriage…"

"UGH!"

Kara snorted at the disgusted expression on Live's face. "George isn't looking so bad now, is he?" Kara giggled while Live shot her a poisonous look.

"I'm going to have nightmares now…or nightmarish hallucinations…You know how I get when ill…"

"If that thought didn't make you ill I'd say you weren't human," Kara cackled as Live tried to smack at her with the ledger. Kara only burrowed, still cackling madly, into her sister's side, and all Live was hitting was hard back.

"…You're such a prat…" Live stated after giving up her barrage on her sister.

"…cuckoo!" came a muffled cry.

"Yeah yeah…shove it…" Live smirked as Kara cautiously got up, and packed away the ledger and the book for safety reasons. "I ought to commit you…"

"Commit me to what?" Kara asked with a purposely blank smile.

Live grinned, but now she was really quite tired.

"Are you bored with me?" Kara asked, giving Live a polite way to banish her if she wanted to sleep.

"Always," the elder blonde said with a smirk.

"You're the prat," Kara retorted.

"Not what the paperwork says…"

"What paperwork?"

"You know, The Paperwork. The stuff that says you're a prat." Live grinned as Kara frowned.

"Just for that, I'm taking your last chocolate frog!" She snatched the package and shoved the entire thing into her mouth. Live only blinked.

"You're not really gonna eat the cardboard…"

Kara gave her a defiant look and chomped on the package. Then her eyes went wide and she took it out of her mouth, surveying her handiwork.

"That's just wrong…" Live said to the chocolate dripping out the sides.

"It was moving around inside the package while I was biting it!" Kara squealed, disturbed.

"Eww…"

A brilliant look claimed Kara's face. "I just got the idea for the new candy line!"

"…wonderful…"

"Want to hear?"

"Tell me every detail…" Live told her while closing her eyes.

"I see…Well you can just be the first to test it then! Hmph!" Kara voiced as if truly offended. Live snickered as she turned her back to the young Gryffindor, getting comfortable to sleep. Boy did she feel tired…she hated being so weak.

"Owl me the results…" Live murmured with a smirk.

She heard Kara make several frustrated noises and felt her poking her in the side a few times before she succumbed to sleep, unable to fight it any longer. Kara only sighed and stayed a while longer, munching on treats and reading her own candy notes.

sSs

Live woke some time in the middle of the night, alert even in such a weak state, knowing that she wasn't alone. She blinked a few times in the silent dark and inhaled deeply, catching vaguely familiar scents. She surveyed the room as she lay there, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She nearly screamed as an invisible hand came down over her mouth.

"Sh, sh, it's me, it's me," she heard, and frowned in the direction of the voice and the owner of the invisible hand. She plied it from her mouth and searched for a hem as she pulled the soft cloth of the invisibility cloak away from the large male hand that was now entwined with her own. That hand was soon followed by the revealing of a robe-clad body as George made his presence fully known. "Hello."

Despite the strange wake-up call, Live smiled, sitting up and reaching for him. He grinned and gladly embraced her, sitting on the edge of the bed as she pulled herself into a sitting position to better hug him.

"You have to tell me how one can do that…" he whispered in her ear, hugging her close.

"Do what?" she asked, pulling away and looking at him with quirked brow.

He grinned at her amusedly. "You're hard to sneak up on."

She grinned. "Survival instinct…I've been pranked too many times not to have it in me…" He chuckled and she hugged him close again in the darkness of the wing. "What're you doin' sneaking around anyway?" she whispered softly into his ear, her voice amused in the least. She was utterly happy to see him.

"Being sneaky," he replied, grinning as he let her go a little in order to look at her again. He put a hand to her face as if to check her for wellness, or just to touch her, she wasn't sure, and didn't really care. "You look so much better now." His eyes held a serious concern that caught her off guard.

"I look like crap," she whispered, causing him to chuckle. She hugged him close yet again, laying her cheek on his shoulder. "Could use a shower…"

He held her tightly, nuzzling her head with his own. "I could nick a bathtub for you if you'd like?" She chuckled with the knowledge that he'd probably actually do it if she liked. She was so pleased to just be with him and near him, feeling his warmth. "Or there's always the option of a sponge-bath…"

She lifted her head off his shoulder to grin at him with refusal. His eyes caught her own, and she couldn't look away, but felt suddenly very sad. He put his forehead to her own while holding her close.

"You're alright…" he said, more for his well-being than hers. He stroked her cheek and kissed her nose. "I can't believe you're alright."

She smiled, and moved closer. "Thanks to you…" she whispered gratefully, cuddling close to his chest. She inhaled his scent and wrapped her arms tight around his waist, keeping him close to her. Not sure if it was due to still being half asleep, or just glad to see him, she just needed him near. "There's so much I need to-"

"Not right now, Live," he whispered, keeping her close. "Not now."

She kept herself close against him, listening to the beating of his heart and the rhythm of his breathing, allowing her eyes to close and absorb all his presence about her.

He was practically beside himself with relief when she'd opened her eyes. He'd been too late to visit her while she was awake after his detention, but nicking Harry's invisibility cloak proved just as good. At least this way, they were alone, and he didn't have to worry about his time with her being intruded upon. Madam Pomfrey didn't exactly make rounds in the middle of the night, so he didn't have to worry about being kicked out and harped on by the warden. Besides, he had Harry's invisibility cloak.

And he'd been so worried. Still worried about her. Terribly relieved, overjoyed that she was obviously glad to see him, a bit confused, but still anxious for her well-being. He was greatly pleased to see her awake and conscious, and to be able to hold her in his arms. And even better, this time she didn't fight him. That in its own confused and excited him to no end.

"…stay with me for awhile…?" she asked into his chest, tired again, but not ready for him to depart her.

He smiled with great satisfaction and settled next to her on the bed so he could hold her properly in his arms. She snuggled up to him, minding her injured arm, and nuzzled her face into his neck affectionately, twirling her fingers in his hair. He wrapped an arm around her, and she relaxed into him, breathing deeply in utter contentment.

"…thanks George…"

He kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze, entwining his fingers with one of her hands and kissing the back of her palm. She smiled to herself, tired, but pleased. She felt very content, happy, and relaxed with him, and moreover, she felt safe. Ignoring the aches and pains in her body, she hugged him tightly once more, and placed a kiss on his neck with a self-satisfied smile.

He grinned to himself in utter satisfaction. "What's that for?" he whispered, laying his head upon her own.

"…everything…"

He smiled and gave her a light pat. She moved around a moment more while getting more comfortable before settling close against him on his chest. A few moments passed, and the sound of even breathing told George that she had fallen back asleep. He smirked, pleased, and mused in his own thoughts until he, too, fell prey to sleep.

sSs

Live woke rather suddenly from deep slumber. She realized she was alone the moment she opened her eyes, and that George was gone, which she supposed was good since right at that moment Madam Pomfrey stuck her head around the corner, looking at Live speculatively.

"Everything alright, Miss Hunter?" she asked, eyebrow raised as she came around the bedside.

Live rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Yeah, why?" she asked groggily.

Madam Pomfrey looked her over again, almost suspicious. Live just regarded her sleepily, dazedly looking at her as she tried to wake herself up more. "I thought I heard…" She looked at Live pensively as the Slytherin witch just yawned. "Get your rest Miss Hunter."

Live nodded, watching the agitated mediwitch take her leave.

She huffed, blinking, the light hurting her eyes. Whoever invented morning should be dragged into the street and shot.

A little noise beside her bed caught her attention, and she felt her palm suddenly clasped by a warm hand. She frowned in slight sleep-addled confusion.

"Man she's a quick one…Almost caught me," George's whispered voice came close to Live's ear. "…sorry for jarring you," he added, "but I had to jump and hide under the bed…And let me tell you, the floor is not half as comfortable as it looks." She smirked to herself, and felt his lips through the invisibility cloak upon her cheek. "I'll see you later."

She smiled in his general direction. "…bye."

sSs

It was hours later when Live had given up trying to fall back asleep. She was well enough that she couldn't fall asleep in a strange place another day, so she'd been dying of boredom until Dumbledore came to visit her. He informed her of a few things, such as her change in magic-type, the very real danger she'd been in, and as decided by her head of house (and Head of Gryffindor as well), she was banned from the next Hogsmeade outing for being out after hours (although that wasn't so bad, considering George was banned from the next two as he had gone against McGonagall's wishes in the first place).

As well as feeling quite sheepish in the face of the world's greatest wizard, Live had been given a full bill of health in Dumbledore's opinion, as well as words of caution that she might feel strange for a few more days, especially around George, until she re-acclimated to her own magic. With that, he'd given her a kind smile that made her feel quite guilty for having snuck out of Hogwarts in the first place, and left her for morning tea, which he invited her to when she was feeling stronger.

Feeling quite guilty, she was mulling all this over when Ginny came into the wing with a smile and arms laden with books. Apparently she'd been pulling a Hermione at the library.

"And how are you today?" she asked pleasantly, smiling into Live's face.

"More bored than you could ever believe," she replied with a smile.

"We're all so glad you're okay, you have no idea," Ginny immediately gushed. It made Live's smile widen. "Of course, the whole school knows, or at least, they think they know, as usual. Are you really alright?"

"I'm fine, Ginny, just really very tired."

"That's how George was the first few days. Mum's in a right fit of it, from what Ron's told me about her letters, and the howler, of course," she grinned, "but George is fine now."

"I know, he was here last night." Ginny gave Live a funny look, and raised an eyebrow at her with speculation. "Shuddup Ginny, you know I don't mean like that…"

A light laugh escaped her throat. "Sure sure, whatever you say. No details though, alright? He is my brother. But otherwise, good for you, but keep him in line, will you?" she asked. Live looked heavenward for help, causing Ginny to giggle. "Soooo…what were you two up to then? And don't tell me anything that'll give me nightmares!"

"…nothing…although you might want to let Harry know that George has been nicking that invisibility robe of his." She smirked.

Ginny made a mental note. Allowing George to sneak around the castle more than he already did would cause him to be The menace to Hogwarts society…She'd give Harry a proper smack for allowing it, too.

"Oh, did you hear about Harry's letter from-," she dropped her voice low, "Sirius?" Live shook her head, and a wide grin took Ginny's face. "Remember how you told me that Tonks said something like the panty raid had taken place before she had gone to school at Hogwarts?" Live nodded. "Well guess who made the law necessary?"

Live's smirk was identical to the one on Ginny's face. "Sirius?" she asked with incredulity.

Ginny nodded with a grin. "You wouldn't believe what they had done! All of them! Remus too, apparently," she said, her grin growing wider in amusement.

"Shut up!" Live said in disbelief. "Lupin? But he's so, well, not like Sirius-"

"I know, but Harry says Sirius says Remus sometimes came up with the ideas!" She grinned, still tickled pink by such information. It was too amusing to think about. "Well, long story short, Harry's own parents were one of the first couples to have been subjected to that marriage law! Just think!" she laughed. "Harry's dad stole Harry's mum's knickers, and they eventually got together because of it, right up until, well…" her voice became somber in reference to Harry's parents' murder. "Harry thought it was quite a bit of a laugh, really…"

Live rolled her eyes in amusement. "That's rich," she said with a grin. Ginny regarded Live with a certain thinking expression, and Live looked her square in the face, receiving her immediate attention. "Ginevra Weasley don't you think for a minute that I'm gonna start popping out world-saving evil-defeating babies with that brother of yours," she said in reference to Harry's own existence.

Ginny just grinned. "I do recall George saying something about little nieces and nephews-" She was interrupted by Live's snort. "Oh come on, I know how bad you want babies, even if you say you hate children. So don't act like you don't."

Live looked at Ginny guardedly. "Did he put you up to this?"

Ginny only shrugged. "It's no great secret that George fancies you, you know…" she commented. Live felt color rising to her cheeks. "I mean, he's never been so focused on teasing anyone else before," she said with a half-smirk.

"…Ginny…"

"Anyways," she remarked, more seriously, "you are getting better, aren't you? I heard Dumbledore himself said you were alright."

"Yeah," she said, grateful for the change of subject. "But he told me I might feel weird for a few days…"

"Well you already look weird…" Ginny smirked.

"Oh shut up."

"Ha, but how so weird? You're not going to randomly levitate in class are you? 'Cause that happened to Zacharias Smith one time after he was ill…Although I wouldn't say the prat doesn't sometimes deserve it," she noted.

"No, nothing like that…" She studied her hands. "He said I might be feeling strange due to George's magic…"

"Oh goodness, you're not going to start blowing things up are you?"

Live laughed, "Not anymore than usual," she said with a grin. Then more seriously, "No, he told me that because of what happened over the summer at the lake-"

"The one by our house?"

Live nodded, "-and also because me and George were touched by that thing- the wraith, I mean- and because his magic now flows in my veins…" She colored a bit, heat rising to her face.

"What?"

She looked at Ginny covertly, her voice secretive. "Remember that-" she shuddered, "-sorta sex talk Snape gave me…?"

Ginny's hands went to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. "Did Dumbledore--?!"

"He told me I might be more 'attracted' to George." She used her fingers as air quotes as she said it, and Ginny looked halfway between scandalized and wickedly amused. "Like a magnet," she added quickly, unbidden color rising to her face even more. If it hadn't been Dumbledore, Live might have even found it amusing. But the thought that she'd basically gotten two sex talks from two teachers she'd rather not associate such a thing with…well, it quite put her off.

"…So Dumbledore thinks your shared magic is gonna make you act all weird towards him?" she asked, trying to understand the exact workings.

"Basically…" Live admitted.

"Good for you, you need a push," Ginny said with a little self-satisfied grin.

Live only sighed. What she didn't tell Ginny was that she was already confused as all hell when it came to George, and if magic was now involved, just how much could she trust herself and decoding her emotions? It was like being in a minor drunken haze that she would sober from very slowly. She didn't want to do anything that she'd later regret, and that included leading George on into something that would eventually end badly for the both of them.

Dumbledore had said that their like silver magic-types, thanks to the wraith, was a natural binding instrument in itself, and George had given quite a lot of himself for their plan in saving her to succeed. So if she felt a little pull towards him, it would most likely be due to the like magics calling out to one another like the proverbial magnets. It was quite a common side-effect in magical transfusions.

He had also said 'when we do things for those we love, and sacrifice in the name of amity, there is created a powerful unseen bond that can begin a basis for the greatest of lifelong friendships.' And she knew that George had definitely sacrificed enough already…She just didn't want anything she felt to be because of some fleeting magical byproduct.

"Why aren't you dating him?" Ginny asked bluntly. Live looked as shocked as if Ginny'd thrown ice cold water on her.

"What?"

Ginny rolled her eyes in thought. "George fancies you- don't look at me like that, he does! You can see it in his eyes if not the way he acts around you." Live became very interested in her hands. Ginny took them between her own, getting the elder girl's attention. "Look, I'm not saying this because it would be wickedly cool to have you in the family, nor because Ron would have a veritable fit to be relatives with a Slytherin," she grinned, "but because I can just tell. And I know you fancy him, Live," she added slyly.

"…Ginny."

"And you are very stubborn," she added matter-of-factly. Live just stared at Ginny with warning. "You deserve to be happy, Live. And as crazy as even the thought of it is, I think George makes you happy." Ginny looked at her trying to reason the pure absurdity of her own statement.

Live half-smiled, studying her hands once more. "Ginny, do you remember back in, I believe it would be your second year, that there was this guy, Bradley, Brady…I dunno- he was a seventh year…well anyways, do you remember him being tied to the quidditch goal posts before the first game of the season?"

Her face was scrunched up, thinking. "I think I remember something like that…Yeah!" She grinned. "He was tied up there in only his underwear…And I think they'd written nasty things on him. Good prank though."

"And then there was another time that same year that that girl got found in her underwear in Green House three, all caught up in the vines of those dangerous plants…"

"Neville brings that up sometimes, actually. Venomous tentacula and the like, I remember that."

Live looked at Ginny speculatively, trying to relate the problem. "He was Captain of the Slytherin quidditch team and she was a Gryffindor prefect. And two of the nicest people I think I've ever met. They'd been going out, were even gonna get married after graduation from what I'd heard, but they broke up because of all the crap people were pulling on them…And not just mean stuff, but dangerous stuff. And all the lies and rumors…"

"Live, no one would be like that with you and George. It's different. People like you guys. For some strange reason," she added with a smirk. Live half-smiled.

"Slytherins and Gryffindors loathe each other on principle, Ginny. You said it yourself; Gryffindors are not fond of Slytherins. You know that as well as I do."

"That's just old house rivalry speaking," she decided, brushing off the statement. "You and Kelena have no problem getting along, and I certainly haven't cursed you recently," she said with a smirk that didn't promise she wouldn't, making Live halfheartedly grin. "You know most of the Gryffindors whose opinions would matter. Besides, I don't think anyone would even try to get the drop on you anyway. You're both too crafty."

"You think they'd let something like that go unchallenged?" she responded, speaking in representation of Gryffindor House and Slytherin. "You know how this school thrives on gossip and scandal and the stuff that comes out of the general boredom…Just look at this year so far…I don't want any friendships getting hurt over anything this stupid school has to offer up. Slytherin wouldn't let it be."

She was afraid, too, that it might end in more than damaged reputation. She already knew that there had been rumors that she was sleeping with everyone from Slytherin House to Gryffindor (although she didn't care as she knew it wasn't true), yet she'd already gotten scathing words and into an actual shouting match with Melinda Harris more than once in their commons, and she still wasn't sure what that was about. And people were becoming more ballsy in terms of pranks and revenge now that they were getting older. Just last week Rebecca had gotten into a nasty duel with a seventh year Gryffindor girl after she'd only made a remark about how one of the Gryffindor guys had asked her out for more than a cup of tea. Rebecca ended up with a broken arm (although Madam Pomfrey fixed that) and the guy in question had received a cursed sneakoscope in a Gryffindor retaliation. Live certainly didn't want anyone getting hurt, nor did she want any such thing on her conscience. It was gang mentality, and Live didn't like it.

She just didn't want to hurt George or their friendship (if one could term it that way). And there was also the fact that she still didn't like the idea of forced marriage, which would make any sort of relationship with him awkward in the least. And there was also a million-and-one other uncertainties in her mind that she just didn't want to face, even if she had to at some point in her life. But better later than sooner.

Ginny looked at Live point blank, locking green eyes. "He loves you," she said bluntly. Live felt as though her heart was being clenched by an invisible fist, all the air having been sucked from her lungs. "I can see it in his eyes and especially when he teases you all the time. He loves you, Live. And I know you fancy him just as much, even though you try to hide it so desperately," she told her wisely. "I know it when I see it, and it's okay to like him back."

Live had a strained, nearly panicked look on her face.

Ginny sighed, all thought-out. "I think it's been enough beating-around-the-bush with you two. Just give it a chance, eh? You both deserve to be happy, so just tell the rest of the school to fuck-off and get on with it," she said determinedly, picking up her books and hopping off the bed.

Live watched, mouth agape, as Ginny left the wing without so much as a goodbye.

It didn't offend Live as she was too stunned by Ginny's words to even care. After the initial shock wore off, she sat up and pulled her hair back, brushing it with her fingers. She decided it was time to get out of the hospital wing and back to where it was safe and she could truly mull things over. Time to convince Madam Pomfrey she was well enough to get the hell out.

sSs

"Okay, so five seconds for the frogs the escape the box," Kara commented after sending yet another chocolate frog to its doom in the Gryffindor fireplace. "That's a record."

"Kara, I know I've said it before, but you're quite warped," Kel remarked from her seat on the couch with Fred. She was trying to play hangman with him on the notepad in her lap, but he kept drawing naughty pictures, which she hastily threw into Kara's fire lest someone see.

"It's for research purposes," Kara remarked, noting her findings on a sheet of parchment.

"Just what bearing does chocolate frog murder have for the research?" Kel asked, yoinking her notepad out of Fred's hands as he smirked at the quite explicit, lewd drawing he did. Kelena flushed.

"Entertainment," she commented. "Lee!" Kara hollered to the boy trying to get through his healer essay.

"What what what?" he asked, looking up with frustration.

"Can you toss me the pop rocks?"

A small colorful bag flew across the room at Kara's face. She grinned, having purposely worked to annoy him this morning, and having had quite a success so far.

"Thank you!"

He grumbled back to her as she opened the bag and poured it into her mouth, then, surprising a chocolate frog out of its box, she shoved it into her crackling mouth. She made a strange face, and chewed a few times, shivering as she swallowed.

"Okay, that's so far the freakiest sensation I've managed to make. Here, you gotta try this!" she said with determination, turning to Ron and Harry who were immersed in what Ron was referring to as the Wizard Chess Finals.

"Um, we're kinda busy," Ron said as his queen lopped off Harry's knight's head.

Kara, paying him no mind, ripped open another bag of pop rocks and a chocolate frog, took Ron's chin in her hand ("Gerroffme!") and shoved both articles in his mouth.

"Chew!" she suggested happily. He did so, making a face so disgusted that Harry laughed despite himself. "Isn't that the weirdest thing you've ever felt?"

Ron gave her a mean grimace in response.

"You wanna try Harry?" Kara asked with a hopeful grin.

"Um…Do I have to?"

"Kara, don't you have Neville's order to fill?" Lee asked from the table, saving Harry from her experiments. Lord knows he knew how it felt to be the guinea pig.

"Nah, he's good," she said, momentarily distracted. She went into her book bag and pulled out a ledger, going over her accounts. "Leeeeee?"

He looked up, knowing that whine. She obviously wanted something. "What?"

"Could you help me with the toffee traps pleeeeeeease?"

"If I don't finish this essay Madam Pomfrey won't pass me into the-"

"Pleeeease Lee?" Kara gave him a full, toothy grin which he tried to ignore.

"Go on and help her, mate," Fred said with a wicked wink in Lee's direction. Kel smacked him, and he grinned, looking down at her. "I have something you could help me with, Kel," he added with a smirk.

"Shut it," she snapped, looking about to see who'd heard that.

Ginny came popping through the portrait hole, arms laden with books, looking quite overworked. Kelena looked up in interest, throwing Fred off her (as he had his arms quite entangled about her) and jumping up to greet Ginny.

"Did you get my book for me?" she asked quickly.

"Yes yes…geez, you're more pushy than Hermione sometimes…"

"I heard that!" the witch in question said, coming down the stairs. "Did you get the books I asked for?" she asked excitedly.

"Ginny are you running a delivery service?" Harry asked, looking up as his rook was destroyed by Ron's bishop.

"More like a book club," Kara murmured, looking through her ledger with scrutiny. "Lee! We're missing a- oh, wait, here we go…"

"Here Hermione," Ginny said, handing the fifth year a stack of books. "And this one is yours, Kelena."

"Why is Ginny getting your books for you?" Ron asked, finally interested in what his little sister was doing anywhere near the library.

"Well Hermione's reached her limit- again," she said, looking at the bushy-haired witch already flipping through pages, "And Kelena's currently banned due to indiscre- gufugaamffrrrmm." Kelena had a hand clasped over Ginny's mouth, looking at Fred accusingly. He only grinned, and she glared evilly at him.

"Madam Pince is out to get me…let's leave it at that…" Kelena said quickly. "Ow!"

Ginny had sunk her teeth into Kelena's hand. "Suffocate me why don't you!" she gasped, glaring daggers at Kelena who was holding her hand indignantly.

"Bite me-." Kelena suddenly stopped, realizing the irony of her words. A chomping noise came from near the fireplace, and Kara was grinning with large exposed teeth in a gorilla-like grin. It made Lee laugh. "What are you laughing at Mr. Mediwitch?" Kelena snapped. Fred suddenly became subject to loud guffaws, and Lee knew he would be hearing the 'endearment' quite more from now on.

"You just missed the most disturbing sight!" Dean Thomas declared as he hopped into the common room.

"I thought you and George were behind it, but guess not," Seamus said to Fred, following Dean in.

"George has detention, remember?" Hermione informed.

"What happened?" Fred asked, his interest roused.

"Malfoy on the fifth floor-"

"-with breasts!"

"And a low-cut shirt!"

"Ewww!" Kara declared.

"I know."

"At first we thought it was Parkinson-"

"-but her breasts don't look anything like that-"

"Ew ew!" Ginny grimaced as she buried her face disgustedly into her hands. Kara made gagging noises. Ron looked sick.

"Yeah, Parkinson's got little nothing-bumps-"

"While Malfoy's looked more like-"

"HEY!" Kelena spat, covering her chest as Dean's eyes began to wander. Fred was beside himself with laughter. Everyone was now interested in the specific size and shape of Kelena's breasts.

"The best part was the catcalls," Seamus added after his fascination with Kel's own chest.

"Even by his own house-mates," Dean said with a grin. Fred was holding his sides laughing, and Kara had long since stuck cotton-candy pellets in her ears. This was something she did not want to have dreams about.

"Whistles and everything…"

"Perhaps we should start pimping-out Malfoy?" Fred managed to get out amidst laughter, looking at Lee with a wicked expression. Kara had given them Malfoy-pimping papers, after all.

"That's just….wrong," Lee commented, long forsaking his essay.

"Disgusting…even if it's Malfoy…" Hermione noted, a sour look on her face.

"Brilliant!" Harry declared, grinning. "Who's behind it?"

"Who knows?" Dean said with raised hands.

"Who cares?" Seamus rephrased, a smirk on his face, eyes continually wandering back to Kel's guarded breasts.

"I want to send them flowers!" Fred announced with great amusement.

"You never send me flowers," Kel stated, hands on hips indignantly. "Eyes to my face, Finnegan!"

Seamus grinned.

"That's just gross, Seamus," Ginny remarked, her own expression quite sour looking. Malfoy with breasts Kel's size was just….wrong.

"Eyes to Kelena, Finnegan!" Fred declared in seeing Seamus look his little sister over appreciatively.

"HEY!" Kelena's breasts were covered by her indignant hands.

"I hope Creevey got pictures…" Dean said thoughtfully, now poking at the pink fluff that had sprouted from Kara's ears. She looked like her ears had pink-afros.

The entire common room was engulfed in laughter and Kelena's shrieks due to prying male eyes. Somewhere along the line, someone broke out a case of butterbeer (compliments of Neville's root beer fixation) and the room burst into an impromptu party.

"I can't study like this…" Hermione murmured, getting up and escaping to her dorm as she was spritzed with a shaken butterbeer bottle.

Kara happily sat creating chocolate homicide and taking notes as the boys began re-creating the experience, chuckling and laughing, hopping about on the couches. Ginny and Kel began comparing breast size, and Harry and Ron were joining in the catcalls as Dean poofed the front of his robes out in an imitation of Malfoy. Lee was downing butterbeer like it was his last meal, and several others had come down from their dorms to participate in the fun.

And through the midst of everything, Lee's poor essay remained unwritten and sodden with butterbeer and candy confections, everyone forsaking their prior engagements and having an all-out party.

Kara made a subsequent killing in sales.

sSs

Live plunged her arms into her robes, fully dressed in her prior clothing and ready to kill George next time she saw him as due to her lack of underwear beneath her skirt. Her back was to the rest of the wing for what privacy she garnered, having had experience with 'deck-changing' due to many swim competitions and beach outings. She really didn't even need that, but she wasn't about to flash her duds to anyone else who might be residing in the hospital wing.

She gathered up the cards and candies her friends had left for her, shoving them into her book bag at the side of the table. She thought it much heavier than usual, but realized she was just that weak. And she had to put on a good show for Madam Pomfrey, and she highly doubted the elder witch would turn her away if she seemed well, especially as she was fully dressed and ready to leave.

Composing herself, she walked out behind the curtain and approached the back of the wing where she knew the mediwitch's office to be.

"Madam Pomfrey?" she asked, not seeing her anywhere.

"I'll be with you in a moment, Miss Hunter," she said from behind a curtain. Live couldn't see her, but she did see her silhouette, as well as that of another witch who sounded quite the nasty little thing.

"Um, I was just wondering if I could go?" she asked hopefully.

"What?" She sounded astonished that Live would even request such a thing. She angled her head around the curtain to look at the Slytherin witch.

"Please, I feel just fine," she said with a smile, holding herself with quite-feigned strong composure. "And I'm soooo bored just sitting," she added with a little hopeful smile- the same one Kara used on her when she wanted something.

"Miss Hunter, I highly doubt you're strong enough to leave this wing on your own," she said with skepticism, a frown etched in her features.

"I swear I feel wonderful," she lied, smiling. Actually, she was dying to put her damned book bag down.

"No, not on your own," the graying-haired witch replied, going back to her patient at hand.

"What if I have someone escort me?" Live quickly asked, desperate. "I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind," she suggested coolly. She needed a word with her level-headedness anyway, and figured the bushy-haired witch was close by, as Ginny had just come from the library.

"I think an escort would be perfectly agreeable," she noted from behind the curtain. Live grinned in triumph. "It so happens Mr. Malfoy can escort you back to your commons, where I'm sure he'll stay out of trouble for the rest of term."

Live frowned, confused. Malfoy? "Um…"

Madam Pomfrey came round the curtain, looking quite agitated, and following her was indeed Malfoy. He sneered at Live with those cold, blue eyes, and she just looked back at him mildly confused. She could have sworn she'd seen a girl's silhouette behind that curtain…

It caused her to shudder. Just when had he gotten here, and how much did he see when she'd been changing? She wanted to vomit out of principle.

"Actually, I think Ginny's waiting for me outside, Madam Pomfrey," Live lied through her teeth, no longer paying attention to the ferret-git.

"Nonsense Miss Hunter. Mr. Malfoy is perfectly capable of returning you both to your commons," she said while bustling around with several bottles. "And as a prefect, I'm sure he'll be on his best behavior and have no more mishaps with the other students," she added, shooting Malfoy a warning look about getting his fool self cursed again.

He acknowledged her coldly, his silence taken by Madam Pomfrey as agreement.

Live looked at Malfoy with displeasure, and turned to again address Madam Pomfrey's back. "But Madam Pomfrey…!"

The mediwitch turned, examining Live with scrutiny. "Miss Hunter, I think you're in need of at least another day's rest here."

Live frowned, but realized that her bag was still on the floor, and she wasn't standing up quite as straight and haughtily as she normally would- indicators to the elderly witch that she wasn't half as well as she claimed.

Live hoisted her bag up onto her shoulder, standing up straight, and acted hurt, as if Madam Pomfrey had offended her. "Madam Pomfrey, please," she said as if the mediwitch's diagnosis was all wrong. "Ginny's right outside and I have several things to do," she said with import.

Madam Pomfrey looked at her with disbelief. "What can possibly be more important than your health, Miss Hunter?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy grin. She wished the little ferret would leave already.

"Please?" she begged with Kara's own grin, yet still trying to retain some form of intimidation to Malfoy. It was a hopeless combination.

"Take these, Miss Hunter, one every month until they're gone," she directed, handing Live the bottles she'd been snatching up. "And until then, Mr. Malfoy can escort you back to your commons- and your commons directly. I want you resting, Miss Hunter." She said the last part almost in threat denying the blond witch to go and visit with her friends. She needed rest, and no one knew it better than Live herself. She conceded, figuring she'd ditch the little worm-eating prat the second they were outside the wing, and vice versa.

"Alright," she said as if it were a big sacrifice she was making.

"Good then. The both of you stay out of trouble for the rest of the term!" Madam Pomfrey demanded, going back to her work. Live quickly turned on her heel, no intention of waiting for Malfoy or even putting up a pretense that she would go with him. The second they were outside, she slowed her pace to one more comfortable for her weak limbs, and found that footsteps were shadowing her own.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" she spat behind her with a look, not liking the way he was indeed looking at her.

"Following Madam Pomfrey's instructions," he said acidly, coming to walk beside Live with obvious intention of not bothering to help her.

"Get lost," she commanded, quickening her pace even though her body told her to take a sit-down. She just needed a friendly face, then she'd ditch his ass.

He quickened his own stride, a smirk of superiority on his face. "You don't look like you'll last ten minutes more," he commented pompously, observing her in a way that made her feel most uncomfortable.

"You won't last five if you don't get out of my face," she ground out, angry and tired to boot. Her book bag was biting into her shoulder, and she was very tired, trying not to pant as if she'd been running. She felt for her wand in her pockets, wanting to curse his mouth shut. "Jason!" Live exclaimed happily, seeing Putterly in the corridor, looking rather amusedly at Malfoy. He wasn't exactly what she'd hoped for, but he was a friendly face at least.

"'Allo, Live," he said with surprise. "What are you doing with that?" he asked, giving Malfoy a noncommittal look.

"He was just leaving," she said acidly, looking at the blond-haired ferret boy with ire.

"None of your business, Putterly," Malfoy spat dangerously, staring down the elder boy with a sneer. He took a hold of Live's arm, who looked at him with a mixture of abject disgust, and surprise that he'd dare touch her.

"Get off," she demanded, shaking his hand off her.

"What do you think you're doing, Missfoy?" Putterly challenged with a knowing smirk. "And what happened to those breasts? To think, the caster put so much work into thinking up that spell…" he noted dolefully.

Malfoy raised his wand at Putterly. "Call me that again and I'll make you eat those words."

Live was confused, but not dim enough to not have put two-and-two together. She had seen a girl's silhouette in the hospital, only, apparently, it had been Malfoy who had had jugs just as large as Kelena.

"Get moving," Malfoy commanded to Live, his wand still trained on Putterly.

Live scoffed. "The hell I'm going with you."

He moved his wand to her, and Putterly took a step forward. "I'm a Prefect, Putterly, and as I think you might have noticed, you're wandless," Malfoy said with an evil grin. Putterly frowned at him. He wished he'd requested express owl service from Ollivanders for his repaired wand. "Besides," Malfoy said nonchalantly, as if completely unthreatened by the seventh year before him, "Madam Pomfrey directed me to get her back to our commons," he motioned to Live, "and I think I can do it without scum like you trailing at my boots."

Putterly looked hard-pressed to leave her, but Live didn't want the nasty little git harming him, nor did she really believe she would hold up more than a minute should she decide to duel him in her weakened state.

She glared, and in a swirl of robes left them both in her dust as she took long, purposeful strides away from the both of them, deciding to do her own thing if not a little more hurriedly than she should be moving.

She knew Malfoy was on her heels, and didn't know Putterly's course of action, but she was fully aware that a secret passage was up ahead (one that would get her closer to the dungeons and away from Malfoy), and she quickly slipped into it, not even stopping her pace until she was out the other side, only a few minutes away from the dungeons.

Out of breath, tired, and dirty, she emerged into the darkened corridor that hid the passage so well. She felt victorious, and figured a shower her well-deserved reward for both making it and ditching the agitating git.

The bag at her side was now unbearably painful to hold, and she lowered it to the ground, leaning against the stone wall to stand, breathing heavily, her legs shaking with fatigue. She held out her hand and watched it shake ever so slightly, and retrieved a bottle from her bag, figuring that whatever Madam Pomfrey had given her, it would at least help with that.

"Thought you got away from me, did you?" a voice full of arrogance and condescension addressed her. She lifted her head to see cold eyes staring down at her from ridiculously platinum hair.

"Fuck off Malfoy," she said off-handedly, busying herself with trying to open the corked bottle.

"Tsk tsk, such a nasty tongue," he commented dryly, taking a step towards her and leering. "Maybe someone should show you how to use it properly."

She glared at him with open disgust and surprise, eyes not without a bit of fear. He was bigger than her, and in a state of health stronger than she was. But it wouldn't stop her from defending herself. Her free hand went for her wand in her pockets, and in that moment he pinned her wrists to the wall.

"Take. Your. Hands. Off. Me," she said with slow venom, enunciating every word with controlled fury. She tried to shake him off, even kicked at his shins, but found herself far too weak, or he stronger than she had taken him for. He squeezed her arm that was bandaged from the still-healing wolf bite, and she winced in considerable pain.

"Not so tough on your own, are you, you filthy little half-breed?" he stated with self-satisfaction, a look in his eyes she did not like, but did, with horror, recognize. It was now that she realized he wasn't the stubby little first-year she always saw him as, but that he was quite taller than she, even for a fifth year, and quite stronger, preying on the weak- a trait that resembled too much that evil Death Eater father of his.

"You think you're so great because you're picking on someone weaker than you?" She actually had the nerve to laugh in his face. "You're so full of yourself," she said acerbically.

"Keep playing the way you are, and you will be, too," he told her in threat, rubbing up against her in a way which made her physically sick and panic. She paled more than she already was, fear and weakness multiplying within, and willed anyone out of their common room, which happened to be so close it was driving her mad. And another thing was driving her mad- just why the fuck was Malfoy doing this, and to her? She hated him, and he sure as hell didn't like her, and he loathed anyone less than pure blood, which she certainly was…It grossed her out and confused and frightened her, and she needed to reach her wand.

"You're pathetic," she spat.

Footsteps echoed off the stone, signaling someone coming. Live opened her mouth and screamed, but no noise came out. Malfoy's wand was out, and he had cast silencio upon her, and was in the process of performing a sort of ward similar to the ones she sometimes used to deter people from entering her dorm.

"Holy crap! I left my potions book by the lake!" someone shouted in sudden remembrance, footsteps retreating quickly.

"Wait! I just remembered I have that essay on Herbology!" a girl shrieked, following after the footsteps.

Live was shouting at the top of her lungs, trying desperately to reach her wand. If she could get off one well-aimed curse…The really useful one Slytherin girls were first taught by the elder ones when they were sorted…But Malfoy had her arms pinned well against the wall, and her legs pinned with his thighs.

"Let's see what you have underneath those dirty muggle undergarments that Weasley is so fond of," he whispered in a nauseating way that caused Live's fury to explode. In a move in which he tried to clasp both her hands together with only one of his, Live brought Madam Pomfrey's bottle crashing down upon his head with such force the glass shattered and a gush of red immediately spurted from his head and onto the wall, his platinum hair turning crimson with his blood.

She kicked him in the groin to further release the grip he still held on one wrist, and ran to their commons as he was left doubled-over in pain, screaming the password in silence, but it was good enough for the damp stone wall, and she rushed like a blonde wind right through the common room until she was safe and warded within her dorm.

It was only after she'd been sitting for several minutes beneath hot, running shower water, fully-clothed, that she remembered to take the silencing charm off herself. Her weak sobs held no competition for the noise of the rushing stream.

sSs