Note: This is the last chapter. I probably should have mentioned the upcoming end in an earlier chapter but, like I said, I'm apallingly forgetful. I'll leave my notes at the end :P
Arry had never been quite so happy at a Ravenclaw Racketeers meeting. In fact this was possibly the first time she'd been even remotely happy at a Racketeers meeting. She was finding it hugely difficult to hide the smile that had been glued to her lips for almost a week.
The rest of the group was currently flicking through a copy of 'Rubino Styrovski's Compendium of Magical Creatures' and trying to decide which would be the ideal creature to have Ryan Fickleton stuff into a toilet. The term 'ideal' meaning they were looking for a creature that would scare people but would not mutilate or harm anyone during the toilet stuffing process. Arry was receiving a few odd glances from her piers as they discussed Kappa's being too dangerous since there was a good chance Ryan would come back with mutilated arms.
As annoying as Ryan Fickleton was, Arry could care less about his challenge. She had spent the week tormenting - from a safe distance- Malfoy to within an inch of his life; nothing major, just subtle hints and digs and bringing up the event beside the Ravenclaw Tower as often as she could when they were in potions. Draco had been stalking around the castle with a face like thunder ever since. Twice Blaise had caught Crabbe and Goyle trying to sneak up on Arry - whether to kidnap her or just duff her up nobody knew - but there was a general dark feel around the Slytherin House and Arry could not help but feel elated knowing it was down to her.
"Would you stop grinning?" Reanne hissed sounding half amused herself. "Ryan thinks you want him mutilated."
"Who says I don't?"
"Do you?"
"No not really."
"There we go then."
Reanne was silent for a few beats. "So when are you going to put Draco out of his misery?"
Arry turned to her friend looking shocked. "You want me to shoot him?" She asked far too loudly as Fickleton looked around in a state of panic. "Not you." Arry assured him. "Someone else."
Reanne managed to suppress her giggles as she turned back to Arry. "I mean, when are you going to rush up to him declaring that you have loved him all along, and falling into his arms. He will tilt your head up gently and say something equally soppy like 'Arcadia, you had me at 'oi you' ' and then you will kiss passionately as it conveniently starts raining?"
Arry quirked an eyebrow, "Reanne, I think someone has put far too much thought into this...and it wasn't me."
Reanne grinned. "Blaise and I have been working on it for a while. We decided if it doesn't start raining we might just throw a bucket of water at you both."
Arry turned to face her friend completely. "So you're telling me that in your spare time you and Blaise find a secluded corner and..." Arry raised her eyebrows provocatively and then dropped them, "…discuss my love life?"
Reanne shrugged and nodded.
"You get yourself alone with a stunning lad and you talk about me and Draco Malfoy."
"Not always." Reanne said. "Sometimes we throw pebbles at first years."
"You're weird, you know that? People say I'm the odd one, but I think it's you."
"Arry, there is no doubt in anyone's mind who, of the two of us, is a total weirdo. Just because you can't keep your hands of Draco Malfoy doesn't mean the rest of the world has to be sex-mad all day, every day."
"I'm not sex mad. I just think if you are going to drag Blaise off somewhere to be alone you should do the honourable thing and at least make out...with...him..."
Arry trailed off realising their conversation had left whispers and reverted to a normal volume, not only this but the rest of the room had silenced to pay attention to Arry's relationship tid-bits. Elizabeth had paused in her reading and was shooting them the 'If I have to tell you again...' look.
"Sorry."
"Yeah...uh...sorry."
Elizabeth went back to reading and after a few hissed shushes from nearby Racketeers when Arry and Reanne tried to continue the conversation, they fell into silence. After another half hour in which a dare was given out, a challenge was handed in and it was decided the best thing to hide in a toilet would be a Jarvey, since it was more likely to yell abuse than actually attack, or a Knarl for the spiky effect, it was left to Ryan to see which he could obtain most easily.
Elizabeth announced the end of the meeting and Arry and Reanne were on their feet heading off for bed before anyone else had time to blink, the paused, however, in the doorway to the girls dormitories when Elizabeth's voice rang out.
"Morreno, Charles. I want a word with the pair of you."
"Crap it." Reanne sighed. "This is your fault."
"We don't know what she's going to say yet."
"She's going to say that we are a complete nuisance and are not to attend the meetings ever again."
"No way."
"Definitely."
"Bet you a sickle."
"Make it a galleon."
Arry turned on the spot and headed straight back across the room to plonk herself down on the floor in front of Elizabeth's chair. Several other Ravenclaws hovered nearby wanting to hear the conversation that would ensue but Elizabeth remained silent until everyone had left. And then for a quarter of an hour afterwards just to be sure.
"As you two both know," Elizabeth started, surprising Arry a little who had been staring at the fire for a good ten minutes. "Leadership of the Ravenclaw Racketeers has been passed down through members of the Carthy family since its founding."
Reanne was nodding along and Arry copied her, having had no clue of that fact.
"Well, next year there will be no Carthy family members at the school, not until the year after when my younger sister Anna starts, followed the year after that by our cousin Marge." Elizabeth gave a deep sigh. "The point I am trying to make here is that in this intervening time I am going to have to name a successor to the Racketeers, and it must be someone outside of my own family."
Arry frowned, still completely unsure of what this had to do with kicking them out of the Racketeers.
"I decided that the next best thing to a family member would be someone whose parents were among the original Racketeers. This leaves me with you two."
Arry's jaw dropped a little and she looked at Reanne - who seemed to have figured this out before Elizabeth had finish and was grinning from ear to ear.
"My mum was one of the original Racketeers?" Arry asked feebly.
"Of course." Elizabeth smiled. "Didn't she tell you?"
Arry shrugged, "A few times she mentioned being in some club and how they did silly things but..." Arry smiled. "I don't think she wanted to give my brothers ideas...plus we lived in France at the time so maybe she thought it wasn't important."
"And you probably weren't listening anyway?" Reanne suggested helpfully.
Arry grinned. "Yeah something like that."
"Whether she neglected to tell you or not, Sylvia Sneyd-Brown – now Morreno - was a member of the first group of Racketeers, as were Reanne's parents."
Arry smiled a little brighter as she noticed Reanne beaming with pride.
"So..." Arry started, the information given to them suddenly sinking in, "You're putting me and Reanne in charge of the Racketeers?"
Elizabeth sighed, "It would seem so."
"For an entire year?"
"Yes."
"And we can do whatever we want?"
"Within reason."
Arry grinned so broadly it almost hurt. "This is going to be insanely fun."
"Obviously there are a few things you need to know, but after the tests you completed I feel quite sure that..."
"Wait, what tests?" Arry frowned.
"The relay challenge." Elizabeth smiled, "You didn't honestly think I could accidentally pull your names out of a hat so frequently did you?"
"But...the hat can't be rigged." Reanne said. "It is enchanted to randomly produce the names most worthy to the challenges."
"Which is entirely true." Elizabeth said. "That old thing has been with the Racketeers since the beginning, it refuses to alter the rules for anybody but the founder of the Racketeers, which makes me feel comfortable enough that you two can't cause too much trouble. It's also the reason I didn't bother using the hat."
"So you tricked us."
"Necessarily."
"And what were we being graded on?"
"How quickly and efficiently you could work together and use your resources to complete a challenge." Elizabeth paused. "Which was important because I need you to do something."
Arry felt her stomach drop a little. This is not going to be good...
HR
Heaving a sigh Arry poked her head around the door to the Great Hall and scanned the room quickly before ducking back again. Most of the students had already disappeared back to their dormitories and common rooms for a lazy Sunday and only a few students still sat in the Great Hall. The Slytherin table was mostly unoccupied except Draco, who was pushing food around his plate and talking to Blaise who was sat beside him. Crabbe and Goyle were loitering a little further down, inching gradually closer to three first years.
Probably hoping to express their admiration for the braveries and triumphs of first year Slytherin's through song, poem and merriment...then again they might duff them up and take their food. Which of those is more likely?
"Is he there?" Reanne asked.
"Yeah."
"So why are we stood here?"
"Why do you think?" Arry snapped back. "I can't just stroll over and be all nice to him. I've been teasing the pants off him all week!"
Reanne paused, "That wasn't literal was it?"
Arry shot her an unpleasant look. "I don't get why you don't just ask Blaise."
"Because," Reanne started loftily. "That would be far too easy. And besides I don't want my boyfriend anywhere near that tramp."
"Oh but my boyfriend can go and shiver her timbers?"
"He isn't your boyfriend...and why are you speaking pirate?"
"It's pirate day." Arry said as though it were obvious.
"I thought pirate day was next Saturday?"
"Nope. Next Saturday is Seal Day."
"I thought Seal was next Sunday."
"No! That's Cucumber Day. Honestly have you just completely messed up all the dates for this month themed days?" Arry scorned.
"No...it's under my bed...or somewhere...wait - how do you act like a cucumber?"
"It's easy you just go-" Arry did not have time to finish her impression however as Reanne grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the Hall.
"Got you off-guard! I win again! Argh Mateys!"
"Argh you yellow bellied sea dog catfish flying monkey! Argh!" Arry bellowed she turned on her heel to stride majestically away from Reanne only to find herself almost falling over the Slytherin table. As it happened she instead only managed to trip and knock Draco in the back. "Woops." She said righting herself.
Reanne made a few noises that sounded like choked laughter and Arry glanced over to see she had knocked Draco straight into his breakfast; his shirt was now covered in bits of bacon and egg yoke. Arry's eyebrows quirked up and she smiled innocently. "Draco...you're looking very streaky today." Arry erupted into laughter, "Do you get it? Do you get it?" She wailed. "Streaky! Because you're covered in bacon!"
Draco responded with a murderous look and Arry sobered slightly.
Ok...food related jokes are a bad idea...
"Calm down, Draco," Arry said with an eye roll. "I was only yoking. AHAHAHAHA! Do you get it? Do you get it? Yoking! It's like joking but with egg because you are covered in yoke!"
What did I just say about food related jokes? Huh? Haven't I told you before? Are you even listening now? Why do I even bother?
Blaise was smirking a little but pretended to be smiling at Reanne when Draco shot him a glare.
Without a word Draco stood, took Arry's hand and dragged her out of the almost deserted room. Once in the hall way he stopped and herded her slightly down the corridor and into a small alcove under one of the sets of stairs - one that fortunately did not move. The alcove was a large semi circle with benches at the back a tapestry on either side wall and a statue -only a head smaller that Arry- of a House Elf wielding a tray of cookies.
"What do you want?" Draco snapped, bringing Arry away from her longing for cookies.
"Hmm?"
"What do you want?" Draco repeated. "Since you've spent all week either avoiding or harassing me I can only assume this attempt at a pleasant approach will eventually lead to you wanting something from me, so what is it?"
"Nothing, why on earth would you assume..."
Draco took Arry by the shoulders and bent slightly so they were eye level. "What?"
"I need to get back into the Slytherin common room."
"No chance."
"It's important."
"As important as leaving offensive structures?"
"More important, and not in the least offensive to anyone."
Draco looked her over as she shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "What's in it for me?"
Arry opened her mouth and closed it again several times. "You get to watch me flounder uselessly when I get caught."
Draco raised his eyebrows and smirked a little. "Hmm...something I would definitely enjoy. What do you want with my common room?"
"I need to get something. Something that belongs to the Ravenclaws."
"And what might that be?"
Arry sighed. "A book."
Draco gave a bark of laughter, "Who does everything come back to books with your lot? There are other far more interesting things in the world...for example..."
"No examples, thanks, I'm on duty."
And trying not to jump you.
"And it's an important book." Arry tried to reason. "A very, very important book."
"I assume this is about the Racketeers?" Draco sighed. "The bane of my existence."
"You should love the Racketeers." Arry smiled, "I wouldn't know who you are otherwise."
"Exactly my point." Draco drawled. "I could be content harassing Gryffindors but no, I spend all my time doing this strange little thing with you."
"Draco," Arry replied with a grin. "It's not that little..."
"Funny."
"I thought so."
"I was lying."
"I wasn't."
"I'm not getting the book for you." Draco snapped turning on his heel to leave.
"What if I promise to be really nice?" Arry asked striding after him.
"How nice are we talking?" He asked stepping out into the empty corridor.
"I can be pretty nice."
"No Arry, you are pretty but I have seen no evidence of you being nice."
"Says the Slytherin."
"And that's why you should be worried." Draco told her opening a door on the right and peering in.
"Worry? Pah! I laugh in the face of worry, 'Worry!' I say 'What are you doing here you fool can't you see I'm busy?'"
Draco ignored her, made sure the room was empty and tugged her inside. "Come on then, what's the book?"
"Aha, curiosity got the better of you!" Arry smiled victoriously. "Well. It's my diary. Intimate details about the size of your-"
"I'm not joking Arry. I'll help you, but I want to know what the book is. Usually this would be the part where I bribe you with sort of sexual favour but you've made it pretty clear you aren't interested so instead I just want to know what the book is."
Arry's eyebrows shot up. "And where did you get the impression that I'm not interested?"
Draco gave a humourless laugh, "The word 'no' was a fairly big clue."
"Wow, learn to take a joke!" Arry said with a bitter half laugh.
"I don't joke about our relationship."
"You don't talk about it, laugh about it or look it in the eye either. In fact until just now I thought using the words 'our' and 'relationship' in one paragraph would make your mouth burn."
"The kind of burning like when you eat something unpleasant?" Draco asked with eye narrowed.
"No, the kind of burning like when you touch a Bible." Arry snapped back.
Draco didn't bother shooting back a response, instead he shrugged as thought trying to visibly drop the comment. "What's in the book?"
"Nothing of any interest!" Arry sighed exasperated. "It's just a record of all the witches and wizards who have ever been a member of the Racketeers. Not particularly exciting...unless you're a Racketeer."
"So this book is quite valuable to them?"
Arry narrowed her eyes; "You're going to blackmail us aren't you?"
"No," Draco gave the ghost of a smile, "But I'd like to."
"You get me in a lot of trouble."
"Who's to say you don't deserve it?" Draco asked moving a little closer to her. "I could help with your problem..."
"Great shall we start now?" Arry asked taking a step back only to find her back hitting the door.
What is it with him?!?! Two minutes in his company and I find myself trapped between a wall and a hard place...ooer...
"I think first I deserve an apology." Draco said playing with a strand of her hair.
Arry's jaw dropped. "You think you deserve an apology?! You?"
"Yes, for the appalling way you've treated me."
Arry felt her hand twitch with the longing to hit him very, very hard. "Excuse me but raise your hand if you did not sleep with Rebecca!" Arry stuck her arm in the air, making sure she hit him a bit as it was going up.
"And I've paid my price-"
"Yeah well you haven't paid my bloody price then!" Arry snapped. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to-"
She was silenced by Draco's mouth pressing against hers, while he ran the back of his hand across her cheek. "I'm sick of arguing with you." He said on a sigh. "Why do we always have to?"
"Because if we don't fight..." Arry sighed and feel into silence.
Draco rested his chin on top of her head, his arms circling around her waist. "Because what?"
"Because if we don't fight, I might be comfortable around you."
Draco pulled back and dipped a little so he could look her in the eye. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Arry shook her head, realising with a mix of shock and appal, that she was on the brink of tears. She pulled her face into a frown.
Don't cry! Do not cry! Why are you even thinking of crying?
Apparently I cry now
No you don't! We do not cry! We say ridiculous things that make no sense and then we leave at a majestic jog! Unless it's dark; then it's safe to run...
"You still in there?" Draco asked.
"Hmm?" Arry asked refocusing her vision on the blond.
"You were talking to yourself..."
"What? No I wasn't!"
"Yes you were. Your brothers pointed out the look you get when you're discussing things in your head. I'd always wondered what that particular face meant."
Arry opened her mouth but the words didn't come as her brain quickly backtracked over the last sentence. "When did you talk to my brothers?" She asked after a moment.
"Recently, actually."
Arry felt her jaw slacken but managed not to let it drop, as Sylvia often said, no man loved a gaping-mouthed dribbler. Or something equally motherly and caring. "You're in contact with my brothers?"
Draco gave a bark of laughter, "Merlin I wish I wasn't. I get regular mail from them; mostly threats and occasionally tips for dealing with you so to avoid any other sticky situations."
Arry smiled. "Yep, sounds about right. They'd tear each others heads off if they didn't have my life to toy with. I like to think I keep the family together. Like glue. Incredibly sexy and extraordinarily witty glue." She finished with a wry grin.
Draco laughed again. "Yes. Extraordinary glue. Not sure about the parts in between, but you certainly aren't ordinary...although you have a wonderful knack for avoiding the subject..."
"There was a subject? I didn't see one around? Maybe it was camouflaged? Maybe it was Mossy!"
''Mossy! What type of name is mossy anyway?''
''I feel it is a perfectly adequate name for a creature made out of moss,'' Arcadia replied loftily.
No one picks on Mossy
"I've always quite fancied 'Jareth'"
"I've always quite fancied your dad. Hah hah!" Arry declared laughing to herself but sobering quickly.
Draco's face was a mix of revulsion and shock, "Did you just make a sex joke about my father?"
"No! I made a partially sexual reference to him...a sex joke would have involved me saying something about his penis...or his pants...and getting into them-"
"For the love of Merlin are you trying to make me hate you?"
"All I'm saying is; those are some good genes. I plan on getting into them. Hah hah! Now that was a sex joke about your dad!" Arry yelled laughing at herself.
"Are you quite finished or shall I leave now?" Draco asked looking fairly appalled.
Arry laughed, "No, I'm done, I promise...yikes, how awful would it be if me and my mother were after Luscious?"
"Your mother?...Arcadia, did you just call my father luscious?"
Arry adopted and innocent smile, "No?"
"I feel sick."
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Stand on the other side of the room and face the wall."
"Is this a naughty kind facing the wall or the keep you from vomiting kind?"
"Second one."
"Got it." Arry said, sitting on a table with her back to him. "Anyway, swiftly moving on are you getting the book for me or not?"
"I think maybe I can manage it."
"I warn you, your journey will be perilous. We think Pansy has it." Arry told him staring at the tips of her hair in search of split ends.
"And why would she?" Draco asked, he came up behind her and took her hair out of her hand.
"Elizabeth thinks...well, knows - she knows everything, it's kind of scary. Anyway Rebecca stole it just before me and Reanne-" Draco raised an eyebrow "Saw her leave..." Arry covered quickly. "With all her hair and everything."
"I'm sure. And you think Rebecca gave this book to Pansy?"
"Sure. Pansy's the only person in this whole school who liked her."
"Well she wasn't that bad..."
"You even joke about it and I'll make sure you never have children." Arry said in a deadpan tone.
"What makes you think I even want children?" Draco asked now fiddling with her hair himself.
"Oh please. Your kind always wants children. They carry on the legacy."
"My kind?" Draco quirked an eyebrow. "You mean Slytherins?"
"No I meant blondes. Yes Slytherins. But seriously Jareth?"
"What's wrong with Jareth?"
"Have you never seen the labyrinth?"
"The what?"
"It's this documentary about...well that's not important. But don't you want kids with cool names? Like Scorpius or Vandergilt..." Arry did sliding hand gestures as she said each name. "You know, something with an air of cool."
"And Scorpius and Vandergilt have that? You can't name a child Vandergilt."
"Hey, if I'm carrying the thing around for nine months I'll be the one to choose her name."
"You mean Vandergilt is your girl name."
"Obviously. Who would call a boy Vandergilt?"
"Arry, love, who would call anything Vandergilt."
"Me."
"Yes but that speaks for itself doesn't it."
"All I'm saying is my children will be called Scorpius and Vandergilt. End of."
"Don't I get a say in it?"
Arry turned; there was a long moment where neither said anything. "Why would you?" Arry asked quietly.
"Advice of a friend." Draco said with a smirk. "Take that look off your face, I wasn't proposing we reproduce."
"Good." Arry smiled. "You're too much of a bastard to properly care for my offspring anyway."
"So this book..." Draco said refusing to acknowledge Arry's words. "Where do you think it might be?"
Arry shrugged. "Under her bed, on top of her nightstand...in her knickers. Who knows? I assume you can get into the girl bedrooms?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Draco frowned.
"No other house lets the boys in the girls bedrooms. Mind you, all the other houses have morals." Arry said with a teasing smirk.
"Did your brothers never teach you not to mock the person you're trying to wrangle favours from?"
"They may have mentioned it but I think I had you at 'oi you'." Arry told him.
Draco laughed, "You've heard the infamous plan?"
"Water buckets and all. Now, don't avoid me, can I trust you to bring me a book or not?"
"I'll have my people inform your people." Draco told her offering a hand to help her off the table.
"So Blaise should be telling Reanne by the end of lunch? Great."
Arry strolled cheerfully over to the door, stuck her head out into the still deserted corridor. She turned back and stuck out a hand. "Nice doing business with you."
Draco laughed, grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He gave her a brief kiss on the lips and tugged her hair. "You are unfathomable."
"It's part of my charm."
* * *
Arry had been eating her lunch and discussing the pros and cons of Hufflepuffs with Lisa when Reanne arrived, shoving herself in between the two girls she brandished a rolled parchment wrapped with a piece of green silk.
"Are we doing paper swords again?" Arry asked through a mouthful of chicken.
"Pirate Day doesn't mean you have to show the world your food when you talk. And no it's not a paper sword...sadly."
"So what is it?" Lisa asked, clearly annoyed at having been shoved out of the conversation.
"It's Draco's terms."
"Terms?" Arry asked, her eyebrows shooting up as she took the paper from Reanne.
"Do I want to know?" Lisa sighed.
"Probably not." Reanne replied unable to hide her smirk.
"Ok then, I have to talk to Luna about something anyway." Lisa smiled getting up, grabbing her plate and moving further down the table.
"What do you mean 'his terms'?" Arry snapped as soon as Lisa was out of earshot.
"The exact phrase was 'Sweetheart, did you really expect a Slytherin to do something for free?'." Reanne said with a look of disdain.
"He's such a...that little...where the hell is he?"
Reanne put a hand on Arry's arm, stopping her from leaping up and attacking the Slytherin table. "Maybe you should actually read it before you go flying off the rail."
"I don't need to read it, I know exactly what it will say! There will be some sort of unpleasant remark that he thinks is witty then he will demand something sex related and then he will probably have a long list of various bits of homework he wants me to do for him, or shoes he would like me to clean...why didn't we just ask Blaise?"
"Because that would have been too easy." Reanne replied.
"Not for you, you'd be the one having to read a list of terms."
"Exactly why we shouldn't have asked Blaise."
"Polyjuice potion?"
"Don't have the time to make it. And besides, would you really rather drink that than just read his terms?" Reanne replied calmly.
"Whose side are you on?" Arry asked with eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Reanne grinned and pulled her 'evil' face which, oddly enough, was the same as her 'angry hamster' face. Arry laughed. "Fine, I'll read the damn thing."
The pair dawdled with their breakfast, waiting until their end of the table was more or less empty, apart from some first years who scooted further away when Arry started staring at them cross-eyed with just the tip of her tongue dangling out. Moving some plates out of the way Arry unrolled the parchment and spread it out in front of her.
"So, go on what's it say?" Reanne asked with a mouthful of toast.
Arry started to scan over the page. "The next three potions essays...polish his broom before any Quidditch match against Gryffindor..."
"Oo-er."
"The actual broom."
"Boring."
Arry shot her friend a wry smile before continuing down the list. Her eyes gleamed momentarily as she read, "He knows you need the book too so there are a few demands for you, homework, meal delivery, etcetera."
"Would you like to look a little more smug about that?"
"I'm working on it."
Arry froze as she got halfway down the page. "Son of a monkeys-uncles-second-cousins-sister!"
"What?" Reanne asked, pausing nervously in eating her breakfast.
"He wants to have the Racketeers at his disposal for the next year to do whatever mischief he sees fit! He wants to keep the book as way of making sure we comply. There are no words to describe what a complete and utter arse that boy is!"
Reanne glowered across the room at the Slytherin table, where they all sat looking just as unfriendly and hostile as each other. "He's your boyfriend."
"No he is not."
"Well he's still your responsibility. That means you get to be the one to kick him."
Arry was already out of her seat striding to where she had spotted the blonde before Reanne had finished her sentence. She grabbed a fistful of robe at the back of his neck and jerked it, forcing him to turn around and look at her. His eyes flashed to the roll of paper she was tightly gripping in the other hand and then fell on her face and the angry expression. Arry felt the need to hit him as one corner of his mouth flicked upwards.
"Problem?"
"Corridor." She snapped giving his robe another yank. He didn't move and her eyes narrowed as she hissed "Now."
He shot Blaise a look that could have been an eye roll, stood and walked gracefully after Arry as she stamped from the room, once in the corridor she turned to the left, walked a little further and then dragged him into the same alcove they had stood in that morning.
"What?" Draco asked with a sigh once they were there.
Arry threw the parchment at him. "You want the Racketeers at your disposal for a year? The whole point is no one knows about us, so we can do whatever the hell we like, you can't bribe us into doing your bidding." She finished with a sneer.
"Can't I?" Draco asked with a frown. "Odd, since that feels exactly like what I'm doing."
"I meant," Arry replied trying to calm herself. "That it isn't going to work. You try and bribe me, I tell them, they wipe your memory - probably mine too - and you no longer have anyone to bribe and no knowledge of what you would bribe them for..."
Draco held up a hand. "If you don't like my demands that's fine. I just won't get you the book."
"Polyjuice potion it is." Arry replied by way of agreement and turned to leave only to find Draco's hand around her wrist.
"There is an alternative."
I get my brothers to turn you into a snake and keep you as their pet? She thought darkly but decided now was not the best time to goad him into a fight.
"Which is?" Slow and painful death?
"I get you the book..."
"Didn't we just establish the flaw in that plan?"
"...And in return you forgive me my discretions over Christmas and we go back to how things were before."
"You mean when you had your friends hexing food at me and attacking me with blast-ended skrewts?"
"No," He smiled slightly, "After that. When things were relatively...good."
Arry stared blankly back for a moment. "You're black mailing me!" She realised.
Draco smirked back.
"I can't believe you're actually black mailing me into forgiving you." Arry said again, her mouth hanging open.
Kick him! Kick him hard! Get him in the bludgers!
No! Don't! Punch him in the face! Do both!
Arry was glowering wordlessly as her mind ran through the possibilities of physical harm she could inflict.
"Well, not exactly." Draco replied. "I can't really force you to forgive me. But you'd say you have and then we could be civil to each other until you actually do forgive me."
"We're civil to each other now."
"Yes, but you're civil in an unpleasant way..."
"Excuse me, of the two here, raise your hand if you are not likely to one day become evil!" Arry stuck her hand high in the air and wiggled her fingers.
Draco smirked. "At least I'm trying."
Arry felt the corner of her mouth turn down momentarily. "What would this entail?"
What? What are you doing? You can't be actually considering it! Shhh Brain, I'm busy right now. Sweet Merlin you are! Be quiet!
Arry didn't miss the smug smile that flashed briefly across his lips.
"Nothing you weren't doing before." He replied casually. "In fact you wouldn't have to do anything. Just...be you...the annoying and slightly deranged Ravenclaw that makes a nuisance of herself at every possible opportunity."
"Wow, when you say it like that I feel so loved." Arry replied on a sigh that hid the sarcasm.
There was a brief look that crossed Draco's face and Arry stared at him trying to decipher it. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing."
"What?"
Draco smirked. "So do we have a deal?" Was all he said.
Arry took a deep breath. Thinking.
Oh, who are you kidding?!
"Fine." She replied, managing to keep the grin out of her voice.
Draco took a step forward and kissed the top of her head. "Compromise can be good." he murmured. "Now, where do I find this book?"
Arry shrugged. "All we know is that Rebecca gave it to Pansy. We have no idea where Pansy put it - or if she even still remembers she has it since...the ...uh..."
Draco was watching her with a raised eyebrow.
"Ok, fine, so it was me, Reanne and Blaise! But, come on! As if I could resist the opportunity to hex the crap out of her! I didn't even like her before the boyfriend theft."
Draco laughed. "I already know it was you. Blaise wasn't under the impression that it was a secret. And besides you are the only person in Hogwarts with the initials A.M that would be silly enough to actually leave their initials on someone they just hexed to pieces."
"It wasn't silly." Arry frowned back, "It was just a reminder of who she now serves."
Draco gave another bark of laughter.
"We think it's in the Slytherin rooms somewhere. Well I bloody hope it is now that I've sold my soul."
"I'll ignore that."
Arry shrugged with a grin, "You're choice."
"Anything else that might help?"
Arry frowned, "Uh...like what?"
"Well, what does it look like for a start?"
"It's a book."
"Yes, but there are lots of books in Hogwarts."
"I'll bet there's very few in Pansy's room though. I still doubt whether she can actually read."
Draco sighed.
"Ok, fine. It's pretty big, and thick and it's leather bound but worn, there's a title on the front in gold although it doesn't really stand out much, like I said, it's and old and worn book. No shortage of them around here."
"What's the title?"
"Ruffian's Guide to Racketeering."
Draco laughed again. "And you consider yourself a ruffian?"
Arry glowered in response, "No, you pillock, not a guide for ruffians, a guide by Ruffian. Eddie the Ruffian."
"Of course."
"Don't mock me."
"I can mock you all I like, you're the one who needs me."
"I don't need all of you, and I am very willing to give dismemberment a go."
Draco just smirked and grabbed her too him, lowering his lips to kiss her gently. "I don't think it would suite you."
Arry gave him a shove. "Just go get the damn book."
* * *
Arry skipped back down the corridor to find Reanne and Blaise dawdling outside the Great Hall waiting for her. "He's getting the book. I win."
The pair exchanged a look and Blaise grinned. "I'm sorry to say this," He started, not looking remotely sorry about anything, "But if he's getting the book for you it means he won."
"Excuse me?"
"Reanne glared momentarily at the dark haired boy, who quickly hid his smile." Apparently the whole 'demands list' was an evil plot to cover what he actually wanted."
Arry stared at her friend for a minute and then rounded on Blaise. "You git! You vile little git! You knew! And you let him win! I thought you were a good Slytherin but you are just downright evil!"
Blaise smiled in response and shook his head with amusement. "Can you blame him?"
"Yes."
Blaise ignored the interruption, "He's been trying to make it up to you."
"What? How? When? Where the hell was I?" Arry demanded.
Blaise just laughed. "Well, I don't think any of it got past the planning stage, but he got tired of it and decided to ditch the good-guy act and take the more Slytherin option."
Arry glared back at him, fuming. "I can't believe...how could...ugh!"
Blaise laughed and Reanne elbowed him. "What?" He asked, playing wide eyed and innocent. "It's not my fault they have relationship issues."
"It bloody is now!" Arry snarled.
"Calm down." Blaise sighed. "It's not like he's just doing it to piss you off. He does love you."
Arry froze, "What?"
Reanne shot Blaise a similar blank look.
Blaise just shrugged. "It's not like he hasn't told you himself."
"He was drunk; it doesn't count, everyone knows that."
"Well I'm not drunk." Blaise informed her, his eyes gleaming with a grin. "And neither was he when he told me."
"Is this the kind of thing you should even be telling me?"
"If I didn't tell you there is a good chance you would kill him when he got back. At least now you'll only be mad for five minutes before you start doing that manic grinning thing."
"What manic grinning thing?"
"When you're happy and you start grinning but you don't know you're grinning and you look kind of crazy."
"I don't do that."
"Yeah you do."
"No I don't."
Reanne smirked, "Actually, Arry, you sort of do."
"Only sort of."
"No, you do. It's quite scary. I only said sort of to spare your feelings."
"Good job." Arry sighed sarcastically.
"You're welcome." Reanne said with a smile, not picking up the sarcasm.
Blaise was watching her, one arm around Reanne's waist. "You really didn't know did you?"
Arry flicked her gaze back to him. "Can you blame me? In what universe is sleeping with someone else an act of love?"
"Well if you had -"
"I didn't ask him to so don't even finish the sentence." Arry said and Blaise quickly closed his mouth.
"So what are you going to do with this information?" Reanne asked, curious.
"She'll do absolutely nothing." Blaise said quickly. "Or Draco will kill me."
"All the more reason to tell him." Arry chimed sticking out her tongue.
"How long do you think he'll be?" Reanne asked, swiftly changing the subject.
Arry shrugged. "He went about thirty minutes ago."
Reanne narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "You only got back five minutes ago."
"I may have gone part of the way with him, you know, as moral support."
Blaise rolled his eyes, "By that you mean you spent five minutes making out in the dungeon corridor and then got lost on the way back?"
"Sounds about right." Arry grinned. The three of them started to make their way onto the grounds, even thought it was cold outside the sun was shining so they decided to make the most of it before homework became a necessity.
Arry lay in the grass, her eyes closed and her face turned her face to the sun, letting Reanne and Blaise's whispering diminish into a gentle hum, they had been there almost forty-five minutes when there was a deafening shriek behind them. Arry's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to see Pansy - red-faced and bug-eyed - thundering towards them. Arry sat up and shielded her eyes from the sun to see what was happening, but it wasn't really necessary since a few seconds later Pansy stood in front of them blocking it out anyway.
"Can I help you?" Arry asked when Pansy said nothing.
"You evil, horrid, demented little COW!" Pansy shrieked. Arry winced, it was almost ultrasonic.
"And what exactly have I done?" Arry asked nonchalantly, but her palms were suddenly feeling clammy.
"You have ruined everything!" She squealed. "You stole Draco! Then you had Rebecca sent away and you did THIS!" She was screaming now as she pointed to the initials that were hidden snugly behind her ear.
Arry couldn't help the smile that flashed - however momentarily - across her lips. "Did I?"
"You horrible, wretched creature!" Pansy screamed suddenly brandishing her wand. Arry didn't react quite quickly enough and before she'd managed to yank her wand from its position at her hip she felt a great force hit her in the chest causing her to fall into her previous position on her back struggling to breath. Blaise was on his feet with his wand out yelling something at Pansy, Arry managed to dislodge her wand and muttered - as best she could with a lack of oxygen - the first curse that came to her mind.
With a yelp Pansy's legs gave out from under her as though someone had hit the back of her knees with a bat. As soon as she hit the ground Arry felt the weight lift of her chest and she jumped to her feet pointing her wand at Pansy. "What the hell is your problem?!" She shrieked taking deep, gulping breaths.
"You!" Pansy snapped back. "You foul little creature! You've ruined everything!"
"So you mentioned." Arry replied in an angry tone. "To be fair, Draco was never yours, I wasn't the one to get rid of Rebecca and..." Arry gestured to the initials tattooed to Pansy's neck, "You had it coming."
Pansy glowered up for a minute and then looked sort of blank.
"Sorry about that." Draco said strolling over. "I needed a distraction."
"And thanks so much for using me." Arry replied with wide eyes. "She tried to choke me!"
"Hmm, bit drastic."
"You don't say!" Arry was rubbing her chest and it took her a minute to notice what Draco had tucked under his arm. "Merlin's Underwear! You got it!"
Draco smiled and held the book up with a smirk. "She's not very imaginative when it comes to hiding things...I could feel it under the mattress."
Arry's eyes narrowed. "You could feel it under the mattress? What were you doing on top of the mattress?"
Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Take a guess Arry."
Arry bit her tongue resisting the urge to throw something at him and kick him in the crotch.
Draco laughed briefly. "Take that look off your face, I feigned interest, she took the bait."
"And then?"
"And then," Draco started, clearly amused. "I sighed and told her it couldn't possibly work because I was in...volved with the girl who gave her the tattoo. She went off in a strop and I stole the book."
Arry shot a glance at Pansy, Reanne was knelt next to her poking her. "What did you do?" She asked pausing in her prodding and looking up.
"Memory loss. Not long term, just the last hour...or so...I'm not entirely sure, I may have done it with a bit more force than necessary."
Arry turned to him, took the book quickly from his hand and stepped forward, she flung her arms around his neck pulling him down the distance between them and kissed him firmly on the mouth. She sighed happily and took her mouth from his, but kept her arms in place.
"Thank you." Arry said, "For helping me. You didn't have to."
Draco winced. "I sort of did. You had me at 'oi you' after all." he said with a smile. "Well, to be more accurate you had me that day in the corridor after potions when you were rambling about vampires and whatever a 'sim' is."
Arry grinned happily and took a step back. She turned to Reanne who - like Blaise - immediately pretended she had been paying no attention.
"Come on." Arry said pulling her friend to her feet, "We have to go get this to the common room."
Reanne shot Blaise a happy smile as she passed him and skipped away from Draco, Arry started to follow after her but paused and turned to Draco.
"By the way," She said with a smile, "I love you too." She turned and moved quickly to catch Reanne, just managing to hear the curse words Blaise was calling after her.
HA! That'll teach Blaise to help the dark side!
The pair scurried as quickly as they could up to the Ravenclaw common room, which was practically deserted.
It's the weekend, Arry thought amused, It's the library throw-down. Who can get the biggest and best book and finish it first? Who will reign supreme in this championship of beady little eyes and fast page-turning hands?
"Arry?"
"Hmm?" Arry looked up to see Reanne and Elizabeth both staring at her.
"You with us?"
"Yeah. So, uh, here's the book." Arry announced handing it over - not quite the graceful and symbolic moment she had hoped for but a challenge is a challenge. There had been nothing graceful about the last one she had either.
A grin split Elizabeth's features and Arry was momentarily shocked, unaware Elizabeth had actual smile-muscles.
"Fantastic." She beamed. "I was really worried Pansy would have done something horrible to it."
"Like covering it in knickers? Or filling it with picture of herself?"
"Yes exactly." Elizabeth said on a sigh. Examples had not been necessary.
"Well, uh, what do we do now?" Arry asked. "We've finished our challenges...we've done our homework. We're free as birds to roam and be merry up in the sky."
Elizabeth smile deepened as she passed the book back over to Arry. "Now you have a look through. Get to know something about the people whose shoes you'll be filling."
Now Arry was grinning as she muttered a 'thanks' grabbed Reanne by the arm and dragged her over to the coffee table by the fire, she dropped cross-legged beside it and flipped the book open. It dropped open to the page that was most worn, a page that showed a photograph.
Twelve people stood together smiling up at Arry and Reanne, nine people at the back and three sat at the front. The girl sat front and centre was holding a wizards hat - which Arry recognised as the hat they drew names from - on her right was a beautiful blonde girl that had the same arrogant smile as a Slytherin might, on the first girl left stood a dumpy, black haired girl.
"Amanda the Assassin, Eddie the Ruffian and Nads of Steel," Reanne read the according names of the caption below.
"Eddie the Ruffian?" Arry asked looking back at the girl holding the wizard hat and smiling just slightly happier than the others. "Ruffian the founder?"
"The one and only." Reanne smiled.
Arry noticed for the first time that there were hands on Eddie's shoulders and she noticed a good-looking, black haired boy crouching slightly so his head was almost beside hers, leaving him in the middle, neither at front or on the back row and completely overlooked at first glance as he smiled proudly. Arry didn't have time to ponder this, as one of the girls beside him flipped her hair and suddenly Sylvia was smiling up at Arry as a stunning teenager.
"Merlin's Boxers! That's my mother!" Arry grinned.
"There's my mum." Reanne pointed to a girl that resembled her in almost every aspect.
"That guy has your nose." Arry mused pointing to one of the four boys in the picture.
Reanne laughed and tapped the caption at the bottom. Arry read the whole thing. 'Back: Sylvia Sneyd-Brown, Roger Boot, Cassidy Spooks, Nathaniel Charles, Thelma Windsmore, John Smith, Barbara Gallantree, Divaforth Botherwick, Lelia Ruiz. Front: Amanda the Assassin, Eddie the Ruffian and Nads of Steel. Middle: Mind your own business.'"
Arry glanced back up at the girl whose appearance was so startlingly similar to her best friend. But her eyes didn't stay there for long as she strayed back to Eddie.
"That girl must have been a rebel." Reanne announced.
"Obviously." Arry agreed. "Oh, oh, oh! Idea!"
"I'm all ears, and only a little frightened."
"For our first official challenge as official co-chiefs of the Racketeers we should carry out the first act of the original Racketeers themselves."
"Eh?"
"For our first dare we should copy their first dare."
"Oh yeah!" Reanne was already flipping back to the very first page. There was a brief description of the 'idea behind the Racketeers' followed by a list of original members, after this there were blocks of text, each headed with a date and then describing the challenge and its success.
Arry waited in anticipation as Reanne searched for the first date, hard to find among all the ink splotches and doodling, but then she looked up with a grin. "First act of Ravenclaw Racketeers mayhem..."
"Yes?"
"We got the trophy cabinet really dirty. The caretaker was very annoyed. Mayhem achieved."
Arry paused, thought for a moment and then turned to her friend. "Maybe we'll use the second first dare."
"I think maybe that would be best."
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has read aaaaall the way to the end, even through the nonsensicle dialogue, the typos, the bad grammer and the incoherent plot. I can never remember which reviews I have answered and which I haven't so I probably end up only replying to about a third but I do read them all and they are all very much appreciated ^^