Wow! Look I've got the next part done! I'm proud of me! ::does a little dance:: I'm surprised I got the number of reviews I did being gone as long as I was. There's a review's list at the bottom, so pop on down at the end and see who's been a great person and reviewed! Anyway, Story ho! And by the way, I'm working on a short Harry/Draco fic to a great song called Both Hands. Tell me if you're intrested in reading it.
Disclaimer: Harry and his Friends are not mine. I've just taken them down of the shelf to play with for a while, but I promise to put them back, good as new when I'm done! Jimi Richardson is mine and I quite enjoy her.
Firenzie whirled around and pointed his cross bow at the crashing sound coming swiftly from behind them. The mare at his side raised her longbow and notched an arrow. The two readied to realise their arrows as Jimi stumbled out of the underbrush in a run and skidded to a stop, throwing up her hands as she faced down the arrows.
" Eeps!"
" Firenzie, it's a student!" The mare exclaimed, lowering her weapon towards the ground. " Oh, poor thing. Are you lost?" She made a move towards Jimi when Firenzie threw out his arm, blocking his mate.
" Alicone, look at her." He whispered. " Don't you know who this is?" The black mare took a closer look before stepping backwards in shock.
" D-do either of you know how to get back to Hogwarts from here?" Jimi stammered hesitantly. Firenize stepped forward and lifted Jimi's face upward, absently brushing his thumb over a small cut on her cheek from a lashing branch as he studied her.
" Yes, you're truly touched by the influences of Saturn and Pluto." To her relief, the centaur smiled. " You are the newest student at the school, correct?" Jimi nodded. " We were just on our way to see Hagrid's class."
" I'm in that class."
" Then we can guide you right to him. Come with us." Taking a place between the palomino and black centaurs Jimi began to walk tiredly between them, her muscles aching from the long run.
" Is there a problem?" Alicone asked. Jimi shook her head slowly.
" Just feeling a little weak is all. It's nothing really..." Her words were cut off as Alicone lifted the girl onto Firenzie's back.
" The moon has not yet begun to wax. Your strength hasn't returned to you sufficiently for you to have expended yourself the way you did. It's thrown your already delicate energy flows out of alignment again."
" What do you know about my energy flows?" Jimi yawned, leaning her head on Firenzie's shoulder.
" We centaurs know that all things are ruled by the movement of the heavens." Firenzie explained as they made their way south. " That how I knew who you were." For a few minuets they were silent. " We're here." Jimi raised her head tiredly from his shoulder to stare timidly at her classmates, all of whom had taken several nervous steps backwards.
" Jimi!" Hagrid rushed over and made to lift the girl from Firenzie's back.
" Hagrid, Don't!" Lavender squealed. The man turned.
" An' why not?" He scoffed, cocking an large, fuzzy eyebrow.
" Don't you know!?" Parvati gasped. " She's a Succubus! She'll put you under her spell, just like that poor centaur!" Firenzie looked offended and Jimi quickly turned her head away, trying to will away the tears burning behind her eyes.
" You know, it's almost not a surprise." Pansy Parkinson smirked, glaring viciously at Jimi. " The Headmaster allows absolutely anything in this school. Werewolf teachers, Dementors, and all sorts of half-breeds, why not a demon?" Many of the Slytherins began to snicker as Hagrid turned an embarrassed but angry red and Jimi began to sob loud enough for the sound to carry to the class.
" That's enough from you Ms. Parkinson! Twenty points from Slytherin and a weeks detention!" He roared, his eyes suddenly as cold as Snape'. The class went silent, unsure of how to deal with this new, angry Hagrid. " 'Arry, you an' Hermione take Jimi up to tha castle to see Madame Pomfrey." Hagrid lifted Jimi down and the two students began walking her up away from the others. " Now as for the rest of you, during the next few days, Firenzie and Alicone have agreed to come and discuss centaur biology..."
Except for the sound of Jimi's sobbing, the three were silent until they reached the main hall of the castle.
" Were you gonna tell us Jimi?" Harry asked . She sobbed harder.
" I don't know. Maybe one day? You know, when I didn't think it would freak you out?." Hermione fished a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to the other girl.
" We aren't "freaked out" Jimi." Hermione reassured her. " We're a bit upset you didn't think you could trust us though."
" Yeah?"
" Yeah. " Harry agreed, seeing a bit of hope in Jimi's eyes. " I mean, when my dad went here, one of his best friends was a werewolf!" Harry's face lit up. " Hey, were almost the Marauders all over again!" He laughed.
" No way Harry! You, me, Ron, Fred, George, Jimi, and Ginny... there are too many of us. I mean, we're the size of a small club!"
" Oh yeah, that's us." Jimi scoffed. " The Succubus club."
" Why not?" Jimi gaped at Hermione as they made their way slowly up the stairs " It's actually kind of a cool name."
" Better than S.P.E.W." Harry muttered laughingly.
" What was that Harry Potter?" Hermione asked, glaring at him.
" Nothing." Harry responded quickly as they turned the corner towards the infirmary. " Are you feeling better?"
" I suppose." Jimi sighed. " I bet I have to stay the night again. I'll see you guys in the morning and tell Professor Flitwick I'm sorry I missed his class." The three awkwardly parted ways as Jimi pushed open the doors. " Madame Pomfrey, I'm back."
Jimi returned to the common room that evening after a late dinner in the med wing.
" Venture." She yawed, expecting the portrait of the fat lady to swing open. It didn't. " Venture." She repeated. The fat Lady opened a sleepy eye.
" Sorry dear, but that's not the password anymore."
" B-but that's supposed to be the password for two more weeks!" She protested. The painting shook her head. " I need to get in there! My stuff's there!"
" No it's not. It's over there in the corner." In shock, the girl turned to a dimly lit corner to her two trunks and a suitcase sitting in the corner, her bookbag atop them. " They set them out an hour ago." Numbly, Jimi removed her wand from her pocket and bound the things together. Lightening them with a quick charm, she set off, her belongings floating after her.
Hagrid threw another piece of wood into the stove to warm the house.
" Rain's colder than a well diggers arse in Georgia tonight Fang. Wouldn' wanna git caught outside tonight." The boarhound agreed with a short bark. Putting a kettle on for tea, Hagrid had just reached for the tea leaves when a knock on his door made him turn in surprise. Confused over who would possibly be out in this weather, he open the door and stared at Jimi, who stared miserably up at him, shivering and soaked to the bone, her things floating behind her.
" They threw me out of the tower Hagrid." She said forlornly. " And I don't know where any of the other teachers stay. Can I come in?"
" Git in heah!" Ushering the girl in, he sat her things in the corner and hustled her over to the fire, turning to dig in his closet. " Here." He thrust an old white shirt at her and quickly turned his back, staring at the ceiling. " Put on somethin' dry 'fore yeh ketch your death." Obediently, Jimi slipped into the shirt which hung well down to her calves
" Thanks Hagrid." She murmured. Turning back around, he pulled out a chair for her and poured her a cup if tea.
" I knew it." He scowled darkly, sitting down with his own cup. " I knew they'd give yeh trouble after this afternoon. How'd they find out?"
" Tenniel told them." She took a sip of the tea, staring down at her fingers which were cold, even wrapped around the hot china. " And he did it on deliberately that Goddamned son-of-a-bitch!"
" Jimi!"
" I refuse to watch my mouth when I speak about that man Hagrid!" Jimi exploded. " There... there's just something wrong with him! He deliberately told everyone who I was! I swear he has it out for me! H-he even knows what I used to do!"
" We all do Jimi, yeh tol us..." She shook her head.
" I lied Hagrid! I mean, I was a cashier for a while, when I was thirteen. I've been a stripper since I was almost fifteen Do you understand?! A stripper Hagrid, and he knows!" The man looked at her, not quite seeming to absorb everything she had told him.
" N-now I'm sure he don't mean no harm..."
" Then why would he tell me he knew? Why would he tell me he had seen me?" Her voice was ragged. Awkwardly, Hagrid patted her shoulder across the table.
" I'm sure there's an explanation. Here, I'm gonna get Professor Dumbledore an' I wan' ya tah try an' git some sleep." Guiding her to the large bed in the center of the room, he covered her with his quilts before throwing on his coat and heading for the door. Bending down to pat Fang he whispered an order to guard the girl. Obediently, the dog went over to the bed, resting his head on her arm, watching her with intense brown eyes as his master slipped out into the storm.
Albus Dumbledore was disgusted as he stared at the small form huddled in the center of Hagrid's bed.
" I had her placed in Gryffindor hoping to avoid this very problem." He sighed.
" She uh, reckons Professor Tenniel has it out for her." Hagrid muttered, trying not to wake the girl.
" Johan? No, I'm afraid this mess is my fault. I asked that he work Incubus and Succubi into his curriculum early, hoping he could stop a wide spread panic if the students were to find out about Jimi like this."
" Well it didn't quite work out like that." Jimi sighed, tired of feigning sleep. She opened her eyes. " Because he's the one who told everyone, but then I'm sure that's a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone?" She raised a sardonic eyebrow.
" I will speak to Johan about this tomorrow Jimi..."
" No. I wanna go home." She interrupted, sitting up. " I want to go back to my flat and my old life."
" To struggling as an underage stripper?" The Headmaster asked softly. Jimi paled but jutted out her chin stubbornly.
" If that's what it takes to be normal again. At least there crowds of people didn't shrink away when I came near."
" Jimi, if you quit school and go back, you have to live as a Muggle. The ministry won't allow an untrained witch running around. They may go as far as to even place a Confoundous charm on you." She narrowed her eyes.
" They wouldn't."
" They would." She scowled fiercely.
" This reeks of almost blackmail." She growled, her hand clenching around her wand tightly. " And if I stay?" She asked finally.
" Then I will personally speak to the ministry about letting you take your NEWTS as well as your OWLS at the end of this year. You are an adult and if you choose not to stay, I don't feel you should be forced." Jimi looked at him shrewdly.
" So, just one year? Not three?"
" If you feel you're ready at the end of the year." Jimi nodded.
" A year then." She agreed reluctantly.
The next morning Jimi ate breakfast at the head table, seated between Professors McGonagall and Snape, a look of cold aloofness and disdain on her features, sadness in her eyes. Studiously she ignored all the wide eyed stares and stage whispers from the surrounding four student tables as she related her story to her head of house.
" So they changed the password and set all my stuff outside of the tower." She sighed. " Do you think there's an abandoned room that Professor Dumbledore would let me use? I mean, I can't stay in Hagrid's house."
" Absolutely not!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed indignantly. " They had absolutely no right to treat you like that Jimi! You'll get back in the tower if I have to give you a private password to use all year!"
" Perhaps that would be wise Minervia." Professor Snape said, sipping at a cup of coffee. " Your students don't seem to realise the extent of their deviance."
" They will when I'm done with them." She fumed, her lips pressed together in a thin line.
" Excuse me." Jimi murmured, pushing back from where she sat and walking away to exit the Great Hall, intent on spending her morning in the tree by the lake. She had no classes until after lunch.
" Jimi! Hey Jimi, wait up!" Squaring her shoulders, she turned stiffly to stare coldly at Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys as they ran over to her.
" Yes?" She asked in cold politeness. The others looked at her, perplexed.
" W-we just wanted to know why you ate with the teachers today instead of us?" Ginny asked in nervous defensiveness. Jimi's eyes truly began to glow as she glared at them. On the edges of her vision she was aware of someone at the Hufflepuff table crossing themselves.
" Why didn't I eat with you? For the same reason I wandered in the storm for an hour last night with all my stuff. For the same reason I slept in Hagrid's house last night! For the same bloody reason your house kicked me out last night! Because I'm a Goddamned Succubus! She yelled before turning and storming away, the great Hall staring after her silently. The group spun and rushed over to Hagrid.
" Is it true Hagrid?" Hermione asked worriedly. " Jimi wasn't in the infirmary all night?"
" It's true alright." He looked at them disappointedly. " How could the lot of yeh? I thought better of yeh than that."
"B-but we didn't!" Ron protested. " We were in the library until lights out and someone was waiting with the new password when we got to the passage."
" And exactly why were you in the Library so late?" Hermione blushed at the cold tone in McGonagall's voice.
" Looking up Succubi in the advanced books." She muttered. " We were trying to find anything that might help her." The woman's face softened slightly. " It's true! We were talking about going up to where we thought Jimi was after breakfast when we walked in and saw her at the teachers table..." Hermione was interrupted as Professor Dumbledore stood up at the table, the twinkle in his eye gone, his face stern.
" I have never been so disappointed in a group of Hogwarts students." The whisperings that had started again ceased. " Never in all my years here have I seen such an example of bigotry from a number of students here at Hogwarts, much less the entire school. Who and whatever Jimi Richardson may be is no excuse for the behavior I've witnessed. Last night, Ms. Richardson was locked out of her dorms, all her belongings set in the corridors because her father, something she had no control over, was a demon; an Incubus. Even now, many of you are flinching back." The students looked around at each other uneasily. " Many of you are unaware, but Merlin, the greatest known of us all had a lineage similar, weaker, than Ms. Richardson's. His father was also an Incubus, his mother a nun, yet none of you draw back in horror at his name."
" She's not the most powerful wizard in history either!" Pansy protested, standing. " She's a demon. As dangerous as a dementor or a vampire! Are you going to bring them here next!? How is anyone supposed to feel safe here?"
" I feel safe." The students turned as one to see Harry walk defiantly up to the teachers table and turn to stare at the rest of the school. As one the others walked over and joined him. " We trust Jimi." Dumbledore smiled.
" If you can't bring yourselves to trust Ms. Richardson, if your fear is so ingrained, can you trust me?" Slowly, a great portion of the school rose. " Then trust that I would never have brought anyone to this school who would hurt you. Believe that you are safe at Hogwarts." The man sat down as the bell rang and abashedly, the students began to drift off towards their first period classes.
" Jimi, are you there?" Draco called, looking around the apparently empty clearing by the lake. " Jim please? I just need to talk to you. I have to talk to you!" The clearing remained empty. Just the trees, the lake, the biting wind and him. " Jimi, you can't stay out here all morning! It's getting cold!" The winds howl was his reply. Reaching up to his throat, he deftly undid the emerald clasp on his cloak and let it slip to the ground among the leaves. " I know you're here Jimi, but I'm going to be late for class, so I'm leaving this for you to keep warm." Turning around, he didn't look back as he walked quickly towards the castle.
From the shadow of the biggest tree, Jimi's outline grew distinctive as she stepped away from it and walked forward, picking up the thick cloak. Wrapping it around herself, she sank to her knees and stared out over the lake
Jimi looked up with trepidation as Draco entered the library later that week and made for where Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat around her.
" Shit, you don't know where I am, okay?" She hissed, slipping out of her chair and under the table. Ron scowled as Harry nodded and Hermione glared at Draco as he came over.
" Where's Jimi?" He snapped. Harry scoffed.
" Why? Don't you think you and your girlfriend have said enough about poor Jimi without attacking her to her face?!"
" first of all Potter, Pansy isn't my girlfriend, she's a jealous little bitch. Second off, I didn't know what had happened that day until the next morning. I've been skipping Hagrid's class all week." Hermione gave him a scandalised look. " And third, all I wanted to do was give her this." He gently placed a small box on the table before Harry, his expression softening. " Just, make sure she gets it Potter?" Harry's confusion was apparent, but Hermione picked up the box and looked Draco in the eye.
" I swear Draco Malfoy," She warned " If this upsets my friend forget curses, I'll slap you so hard... You-know-who's ears will ring!" Draco smiled slightly and watched her place it in her bag before walking away.
" What was that all about?" Ron puzzled as Jimi slid out from under the table."
" Don't know." Jimi sighed. " But I am not dying to find out."
In their room Jimi and Hermione sat on Jimi's bed, staring at the box on the covers between them.
" Aren't you going to open it?" The brunette asked. " Jimi sighed and picked it up, gently turning the box in her hands.
" I have to tell you something first..." She began. Hermione smiled reassuringly.
" You and Draco? I've known about that since the day after Halloween." Jimi sighed in relief.
" And you don't care huh?" Hermione grinned.
" I personally think there are more pleasant people in the world, but if it makes you happy.." The two hugged quickly.
" So how'd you find out?"
" He's not so hot at hiding his feelings about you. I guessed the first time he came into the infirmary." Jimi nodded, looking over at the tiny amber statue. " Come on, open it Jimi." With trembling hands, the girl opened the box. Inside, another crystal figure rested on a bed of tissue. A small angel with Jimi's face knelt despondently, her amber wings spread slightly, arms clasped behind her, hair tumbling loosely around her face. Hermione held it in awe, examining how the different crystals flowed seamlessly into each other. " Kunzite, amber, citron, amethyst..." Hermione murmured, turning it in her hands. " Oh this is so beautiful. Is there a note?" Nervously, Jimi pulled out a folded piece of parchment.
" Jimi," She read. " You may be beautiful, even when you're sad, but I prefer it when you smile. Please stop avoiding me. I need to talk to you. Draco."
" I never thought Draco Malfoy could have a soft spot in that stingy little soul of his, much less a romantic one." Hermione murmured, setting the angel beside the other figure on the nightstand. " You're going to talk to him right?"
" Yeah." Jimi fell backwards onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. " Why not?"
The potions room stunk abysmally by the time class was half over. Jimi grimaced. No one had ever mentioned stewing reptile parts would smell so vile.
" Jimi." A voice hissed in her ear. She turned to see Draco beside her, whispering lowly. " Will you please talk to me now?" She nodded slowly, trying to figure out how he'd do it. Would it be the infamous 'let's be friends' line? Would he ignore her all together? " I wanted to say that this doesn't need to change anything between us." She looked over in surprise. " Everyone's just jealous. I'm serious. Not only are you beautiful, but you've definitely got some of the most prodigious bloodlines in the wizarding world on your mothers side and then your dad being a magical creature... You're probably stronger than Merlin."
" B-but why would that matter? I'm still partially demon." She scowled. " A sexual demon." Draco winked at her, grinning flirtatiously.
" You say that like it's a bad thing." He joked. To his surprise, Jimi actually grinned back before beginning to giggle. Grinning back, he also began to chuckle, absurdly pleased with himself.
" Ms. Richardson, Mr. Malfoy, is there a problem?" Professor Snape's cold voice drawled from behind them. Draco stiffened, but Jimi just nodded, unable to stop laughing. The man seemed surprised. " Oh? And, what would that be?" Jimi took a deep and turned around, looking at him with the utmost calm she could muster.
" It smells like shit in here." She managed to say before dissolving into giggles so hard she slumped against the table. Snape just stared in confusion along with his class before the rest of the students also began laughing.
" Five points from Gryffindor for obscene language. Now try and control yourself." Straightening up with Draco's help, Jimi nodded, trying to wipe the smile off her face. Everyone she cared about still cared about her. That was enough for the moment.
" Professor Tenniel?" Johan looked up as Pansy Parkinson entered his office. " Can I ask you a question?"
" Absolutely Ms. Parkinson. Come in. Sit down." He watched the girl come in and sit down nervously. " Yes?"
" I don't want to get you in trouble because of thatgirl." Pansy sneered " But I was curious about ways to protect people from Succubi and more importantly, " She leaned forward. " What you can do for people who have been caught in their spell." The man leaned back, a small smile playing about his lips.
" You won't get me in trouble with Albus for such a normal question." He assured her. " In fact, you aren't the first student to approach me with these questions, although you're the first to ask what to do for a victim." He looked at her sympathetically. " Does this have any thing to do with Mr. Malfoy?" The girl blushed. " I thought so." He leaned forward, gesturing for her to lean closer. " There's a small group meeting tonight in the abandoned dungeon two corridors down from the potions room. It's really just a bit of extra self defence." Pansy smiled.
" I'll be there. What time?"
Okay, so that's the end of this part! Yea! Oh, my butt's numb. I wrote almost all of this without getting up. ^u^; ahem, anyway, onto my reviewers list (short though it may be...)
Princess Emma: My favorite fan and friend. You were the first person to ever read this and I'm amazed you still read that's here on ff.n considering you've read the hand written version and know what's going to happen. Persephone_Lupin: Yes, he's a shit head, and I'm not gonna tell anything. Guess you'll just have to keep reading. kyhahaha! Jennifer: Okay, everyone, this girl right here must have written me at least ten emails telling me to get off my arse and keep going, so this chapter and the previous one are all for her. Xaandria: I was so pleased when I got your review because I really like your work as well. Thanks for the nice words. Kit Tigerclaw: Yes, he said friggin, and he'll say a lot more when I'm done with him. ^u^ Meeeeee: An Incubus is a demon who feeds off sexual energy stolen from sleeping women by having intercourse with them. Nasty buggers. Lyric: Thanks for the review Leah: I was sorta slow on the next part. Whooo, won't do that again. Virgo and Sierra: Yours get combined just because I want to send up props to your site as well as thank you both for the kind reviews. Sev: I've read your stuff, you're pretty good yourself! CSHayden: Of course Draco's likeable. He's the new improved, stick out of his arse version. lol. Veralidaine: I'm glad you liked it. Where's the rest of Fi ann? Marissa: Percy has graduated, I had to fix that. Thanks. The twins are graduating this year. Daisy: Jimi's glad you like her. lol. Danika: Glad you love it. Tippy: So she's evil? Not many people have said that. Intresting. Meiran Chang: Your paitance is greater than mine. I couldn't have delt with the errors I had. Serene Black: Yes ma'me! Orca Potter: I think I've read yours too. Daine: I have complied.
There, every review ever!