~34 Happiness in Misery

The next morning, I woke up next to a shirtless Blaise. I rolled my eyes. I like that kid way too much. I also happened to notice that Angela wasn't in her bed. But that's when I saw Jordan leaving the dorm, so I didn't care. I jumped out of the bed and caught up with her.

"Hey, you're not mad are you?" I whispered.

She looked back at Blaise in my bed, "No, not at you."

We left the room only to run into Julian who looked absolutely exhausted.

"I didn't get any sleep last night," he rubbed his eyes.

"Please, Julian, spare us your nighttime excursion," I rolled my eyes.

He sneered at me.

"Not mine, effing Draco and Angela. They were up all night, kept us all up. Excuse me while I go blow my brains out."

He pushed past us into the boys' bathroom. I felt weird, not really hurt but just...weird. Jordan and I walked into the girls' bathroom. She combed her hair and I took a seat on the counter.

"I should be asking you if you're mad," she looked at me through the mirror.

"About what?"

"What Julian just told us," she said.

"That nasty bit 'o info about Draco and his spaz? No I'm not mad. Little freak told me to stay away so I'm going to stay away."

"I still can't believe you obey Angela," she shook her head.

"No, not Angela, Draco," I corrected.

She looked at me sharply, "Draco?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Everything was fine and then out of the blue he told me to leave him alone. I already went through this with Blaise. I don't really feel like explaining again."

When I mentioned Blaise, her eyes narrowed.

"You sure you don't care about me and Blaise?" I asked again.

"Yes I'm sure. You needed him more than I did. I get it."

I closely watched her and could tell she still liked him. Suddenly, I felt bad about what I did.

"You're still in to him aren't you?"

She was silent.

"Hey, if I had known that I wouldn't have done anything. I'll back off now," I put my hands up.

"He cheated on me. How could I possibly still like him?" she quietly asked.

"I don't know, but you do. Did he try explaining himself?"

"Yes but he made up some crap about him thinking that I had broken up with him," she told me what I already knew.

"Well what if he really did mean it?"

She looked at me. She really looked like she was going to give him a second chance. And then trouble walked in.

"Happy New Year, Kenzie, I'm back!"

Angela forced me in an all-too aggressive hug and shoved me into the nearest sink. I rubbed my ribs and ducked as her posse tried the same thing. I saw Jordan run out of the bathroom; I could only hope she was getting Blaise.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, Kenzie."

She wrapped a meaty arm around my neck, "Let's start with what you did over break. A little bird told me you weren't exactly the saint you should've been over Christmas."

She rammed me into a stall door.

"Rumor has it, you got a little too friendly with my Draco," she said, tightening her hold around my neck.

"That's funny because I seem to remember being comatose for the majority of break," I gasped.

Her hold around me tightened even more, and I swear I could feel the bruises forming. Abruptly, she let go, but still held me close.

"It's ok because now I'm going to tell you what I did. It's quite clever actually."

I warily eyed her up.

"Well first, when I had heard about what you had done, I had to work a little...persuasion over Draco."

She smirked wickedly at me.

"Well, once that was finished I just had to go and tell a Professor about your dirty deeds. I mean, Blaise I get but Wood? That's a whole new level of naughty."

My jaw dropped as the pinheads guffawed at me. How she had found out about Wood and me, I had no idea.

"Now, where do you come off being such a skank?"

She pushed me and I stumbled back.

"Huh?"

She pushed me again and I hit the door.

"Answer me! Whore!"

She used all of her strength to shove me out of the bathroom, where I slammed into the wall outside of the girls' dorm. I held up my arms to protect myself and could see her rearing for another attack. There were a couple blows to my head and I was kicked down. I heard the door next to me open and I didn't feel anymore blows.

"Enough, Angela!"

I opened my eyes to see Blaise holding Angela back. I breathed a sigh of relief and saw Jordan in the doorway. She patted me on the shoulder and brought me to my feet. Jordan and I looked on as Blaise was screaming at Angela and she shrieked right back. A crowd had begun to gather when the row was interrupted.

"QUIET!"

The students who were watching quickly scurried back into their rooms and the rest of us shockingly looked at a livid Professor Snape.

"Mr. Zabini, I suggest you put some clothes on."

Blaise looked down at himself and realized he was only in his boxers.

"Miss Kenzie, follow me."

As I walked past Angela, I couldn't help but cringe at that smug little smirk of hers. Professor Snape led me up through the dungeons all the way to Dumbledore's office, where we found a sketchy Wood, a concerned McGonagall, and a perturbed Dumbledore. If Wood had to keep his composure to save his life, he would've died. I, on the other hand, was calm and collective. I've an uncanny ability to talk myself out of things with rational people.

Dumbledore motioned to the chair in front of him, "Miss Kenzie, please take a seat."

I obeyed and sat quietly.

"Some rather unsettling news has come to our attention, Miss Kenzie, pertaining to you, your fellow students, and Professor Wood. I'm afraid we cannot ignore it. I take it you know what I speak of."

I looked at him innocently.

"We will give you one chance to answer honestly, if you do not we will resort to Veritaserum."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Have you ever, Miss Kenzie, had honest relations with Draco Malfoy?"

I looked at him like he was insane.

"What are you nuts? No I haven't!"

Snape squeezed my shoulder, "We've heard otherwise."

I glared at the little git.

"Have you ever had relations with Mr. Potter?"

My mouth dropped, what the hell did the spaz tell these people?

"No! I barely talk to him!"

McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged looks.

"What about Blaise Zabini?" she pressed.

This one I hesitated, maybe a bit too long, "No."

"And have you ever had honest relations with Professor Wood?"

The room became very quiet and very still. I glanced at Wood and calmly said, "No, he's my professor."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded to Snape.

"I'm afraid you've given us no choice, Miss Kenzie. Severus, the Veritaserum."

I started sweating. Jordan had told me about this potion and I knew I would have to tell the truth. This could end badly.

"We have all ready given Professor Wood the potion and he says otherwise, Miss Kenzie."

Snape handed me the phial, and I brought it to my lips. I watched them before downing what little was there. Instantly, I began to feel myself losing control of my thoughts.

"Is your name Aemilia Kenzie?"

Shit.

"No."

They all looked at each other.

"Quit playing games, Kenzie!" Snape barked shoving another phial in my hand. I drank this one too.

"Were you sorted into Slytherin?" Dumbledore asked again.

"Yes," A wave of relief swept over me. I was thankful they didn't ask me the same question.

"Now, Miss Kenzie, have you ever had honest relations with Draco Malfoy?"

Anger swelled up in me again.

"No."

"Have you ever had honest relations with Harry Potter?"

"No."

Stupid spaz.

"Have you ever had honest relations with Blaise Zabini?"

Crap. That one was true. I had been honest with Blaise.

"Yes," I confessed with an unsure look.

"Now, have you ever had honest relations with Professor Wood?"

He took in a deep breath but I practically screamed for joy. These idiots kept asking the wrong question.

"No, never."

I smirked at the Professors.

"It seems we've received some false information. The veritaserum must not have been working for you Professor. We've received an honest evaluation from Miss Kenzie so you are free to go."

He left in a hurry.

"Since you and Mr. Zabini are...of legal age, there is nothing we can do. But mark my words, Miss Kenzie, the next time we find out about something like this, you will not be returning to Hogwarts."

I saluted him and booked it out of there.

Back at the common room, all the students were gone and all of my clothes and possessions were strewn about. I growled and waved my hand, sending all off the clothes back into the room. I quickly got ready for classes, knowing I was going to be late for double potions. I was tying up my shoes when Draco strolled out of the boys' dorm.

"Late start, Kenzie?"

I eyed him up, disliking his snobbish attitude.

"Your pet basically told the headmaster that I was sleeping with everyone at Hogwarts. So I had to be questioned by a posse of morons."

"Well you do get around," he accused.

"Are you serious?"

"C'mon, Blaise, Potter, Weasleby," he listed off.

"Are you crazy? Just a couple weeks ago I was telling you how much I hate them."

"Apparently not that much."

Then I realized Angela must've put the imperious curse on him to make him believe what she said.

"Oh, I see. This is what Angela meant by persuade. She's cursed you, Draco," I shook my head.

"No she didn't."

"Uh, yeah she did. She forced you to believe that I'm a whore."

"Because you are. That's all you did over break," he scoffed.

"No, all I did over break was talk with you and fall into a coma for two weeks. Don't you remember?"

"Why would I spend all that time with you? And how would you fall into a coma?"

"I was sick. Don't you remember kicking that kid out of the chair, and you tried stealing my papers, these papers!" I held them up, "And then we...almost kissed." A look of realization swept across his face. I knew I had hit something. But the realization soon disappeared.

"We have to go," he whispered.

I sighed. I knew he remembered a little but there was still something clouding his thoughts. With another sigh, I sprinted ahead of Draco and walked into potions. I took a seat in between Julian and Blaise. Snape wasn't there yet, but he soon trailed in just after Draco did. Snape rambled on an introduction to Swelling Solution, the potion that we were brewing today in class.

"So what happened?" Blaise whispered.

"Well, the professors know we partook in the devil's cha-cha."

Instead of feeling shocked, a look of bliss waved over him as he recalled the previous evening.

"Damn that was amazing, I'm glad you told me you were a devil."

I slapped his shoulder.

"Miss Kenzie! Either you and Mr. Zabini get a room, or pay attention!"

The class erupted in laughter. Apparently the rumors had spread. A piece of rolled up paper smacked me in the face. I knew where it had come from so I didn't bother looking for the culprit. I unraveled the paper and read 'got whore?' The paper turned to ash in my hand. Snape let us loose on our potions and I just knew this was going to be a rough two hours.