*(A/N)* Hello, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 13! More things are going to start to happen now, good and bad. We'll find out what happened with Jack's sudden mood swing, it's not pretty!
Chloe Patil at Hogwarts: Chapter 14
It was late at night, early morning, whichever you prefer. Nearly 3:00 am, and all was quiet. Minerva McGonagall knew that she should probably be asleep by now, as everyone else was, but there was something troubling her, something that had been troubling her for nearly 3 weeks now. A while back, Professor Dumbledore had sent her a note. She held it in her hands, still wondering if she'd read it correctly.
Minerva,
She'll be another one, make sure she does well in her classes.
Albus
Chloe Patil had brought it in to her. She hadn't read it of course, all notes from Dumbledore had a spell on them that refrained students from even thinking about opening them, but Minerva couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore had made a mistake.
Albus wanted Chloe to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix (AN, title of the 5th book apparently, I'm assuming it's Dumbledore's anti-Voldemort group. Just my theory.) after she graduated from Hogwarts. This was all well, Dumbledore had been sending students to McGonagall's classes with notes identical to Chloe's ever since Voldemort had come back to power, but there was one difference. He'd never suggested a Slytherin before. It was slightly risky, everyone knew that most Slytherin students came from families that had once belonged, or had been linked to, the Dark side, and some of their families could still be allies of Voldemort.
"Then again, she has two sisters in different houses." The Professor thought out loud. The Patil's were a respectable family, both parents members of the Ministry. McGonagall knew it was wrong to judge a person by their family, yet in times like this, it was hard not to.
She clutched her head in agony, tired and weary. She decided not to worry about this anymore, and just obey Dumbledore. He'd never been wrong before, he wouldn't be wrong now. He saw something in the students that the rest of them just couldn't. Besides, it would be nearly 2 years before they could even think about using Chloe. Something may happen. Time could change things drastically.
*~*
Chloe awoke that morning, dreading the day that lay ahead of her. Nearly everyone blamed her for Malfoy's injury, (which of course, had been her fault, but it had also been an accident!) and she'd received many dirty looks the night before in the common room. She hadn't even spoken to Roz, and hoped dearly not to, she didn't even want to know what Roz's opinion would be on the subject. The other girls in her dorm believed her that the whole thing had been an accident, and she was grateful for it.
She got ready hurriedly, and ate breakfast even faster, heading towards Defence Against the Dark Arts. The door to the class was unlocked. She walked over to the usual table where her and Jack sat and waited for the others to arrive, attempting to look busy at the same time.
People strolled in as the time for the class neared, yet there was still no sign of Jack. Then, just as the bell rang, he rushed in, his face flushed. Chloe wondered where he'd been. He looked around the class, looking as though he was trying to find a seat, then trudged over to the table where she sat reluctantly. Chloe just stared at him, bewildered and wondering if he was mad about the whole Draco thing too.
"Hey!" She said brightly. He didn't answer. "What's going on?" she tried again, toning down her voice. Still no answer. Chloe was becoming pretty mad, she couldn't figure him out. Maybe he hadn't heard her.
"What's going on, Jack?" She asked again, annoyed.
"You already asked that." He grunted. So he had heard her the first time. He still refused to look at her.
"It had a different meaning though." She explained. "What are you mad about?"
He still didn't answer, but looked stonily ahead at Professor Pixtar.
Chloe became even more annoyed, and decided to confront him about the whole Draco thing right then.
"Listen, is this about Draco?" she asked. Finally she received a decent reaction. Jack turned his head quickly at her, his eyes flashing with anger.
"You knew about that? And you didn't do anything." He said with disgust.
"Uh, yeah I knew about that. I was the one who knocked him out! Don't you remember?" She hissed. "What can I do, I hardly know how to revive someone from unconciousness."
"Oh, that's what you're talking about." Jack replied.
"Yeah, what other thing about Malfoy could you possibly be angry about?" she demanded, confused.
"Oh, think a bit Chloe. You and Malfoy at the Entrance of the Quidditch Stadium, acting all cute around eachother." He spat bitterly.
"We were arguing! I hardly call that acting all 'cute'." She retorted.
"Oh really? And how often do you pull someone back by the arm after you argue with them?" He replied.
"I can't believe you were, what, spying on me? Jack, I didn't think you'd do that. I just had to ask him something afterwards." She shot back.
"Listen, Chloe." He said, turning to her, "I thought we were, you know, going somewhere." He began. Chloe didn't blush a bit, but looked determinedly back into his eyes.
"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked him coldly.
"Well, then you go and start talking to Malfoy. We're together. You shouldn't be talking to other guys."
Chloe looked back at him in amazement. "I can't believe you just said that! You can't tell me who to talk to, or even attempt to control me. Frankly, you're scaring me right now. Don't talk to me until you can control yourself and your jealousy. Besides, there's no way we're that serious anyways."
She stood up, preparing to move somewhere else, but Jack grabbed her furiously by the arm, pulling her back down into her chair viciously. She stumbled a bit after landing on the chair, making an enormous amount of noise. Professor Pixtar stopped the discussion that was going on, and looked at them curiously. People around them began to giggle. Jack smiled at the Professor, while Chloe, rubbing her arm in pain, glared at him. The Professor shrugged and continued on.
"That really hurt Jack! If it bruises, you'll be sorry!" Chloe hissed at him.
"If I'm sorry, then you'll be sorry." He replied threateningly. Chloe couldn't look into his eyes. They'd been so warm at one point, who would've thought they'd be capable of looking so malicious and hard? Chloe almost cried, half out of pain, and half out of frustration. She moved her chair over a couple inches and looked at the table for the rest of the lesson.
In her opinion, the Jack Lawson she once knew did not exist. She'd never see him the same again, and could never be with him. She glanced over at the piece of parchment where she'd scrawled C+J a while ago. She picked up Jack's quill and crossed out the J vigourously. From that moment on, it was just C.
*~*
Chloe walked into the Great Hall miserably. It'd been a seemingly horrible morning, and she wasn't looking forward to the afternoon. She sat at the Slytherin table next to Roz, close to tears. Her hair hung limply over her face. She wondered why hair always seemed to hang limp when you were upset. She just sat, thinking thoughts that had never occured to her before, not hungry at all.
Suddenly Roz's face was right beside her.
"Hey Chloe." She said gently, "What's going on?"
Chloe looked over at her, then looked up at the ceiling. The sky outside was a merry blue, contrasting horribly with her grey mood. She gave Roz a meager smile.
"Not much. Bad morning." She replied shortly. Then she reached across the table to grab a bun.
"Ooh, bruised your arm, huh?" Roz asked sympathetically, not having any idea as of how the bruise had come about.
Chloe snapped her arm back immediately, and cradled it. "Yeah, I have no idea where that came from." She murmured.
Roz looked at her with an odd expression on her face. "Are you sure you're ok?" She asked once again. "You're acting kind of weird, and you look like the Bloody Baron. No offense..."
Chloe forced herself to laugh, and it was noticeable. "Gee, thanks, I've always wanted to look like some gaunt ghost." She joked, a plastered smile on her face. "I'm definitely alright, just a bad morning." She repeated.
Just then Jack came and sat beside her.
"Hey Chlo, not hungry?" He questioned, gesturing towards her empty plate. Chloe couldn't believe he was acting like nothing had happened. She'd ignored him during their last class, didn't he get the point?
"Don't talk to me." She murmured. "You hurt me. I don't need that from anyone."
"Aaah, c'mon Chloe." He said, putting his hand on her arm, "I was just joking around."
Chloe shoved his hand off her arm, and pulled up her sleeve to show him the bruise. "I didn't do that to myself, Jack." She hissed. "Don't tell me it was a joke. Joke's don't hurt. A joke like this just isn't funny." Then she got up and left him behind, praying that he wouldn't follow. Fortunately he didn't, and Chloe began to wonder where she should go. She didn't want to go all the way to the dungeons, nor did she want to go back to the Great Hall. She found herself walking towards the infirmary.
She reached the door, and knocked tentatively. Madame Pomfrey opened the door.
"Um, hi. I'd like to see Draco please." She asked timidly. "It's just that, he's got one of my school books."
Madam Pomfrey sighed and let her in, showing her where Draco was. Chloe pulled back the curtain, and found a very tired looking Draco gazing at the ceiling and twiddling his thumbs. She couldn't help but laugh.
Draco looked at her in surprise, then scowled at her. Chole smiled a bit, and he rolled his eyes. She sat down, figuring that was the closest to a welcome she was going to get.
"So, um, how are you?" she asked quietly.
"Fine, considering." He replied.
"Yeah, about that, I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to hit you." she explained.
Draco looked at her in disbelief.
"Really," he started, "so that bludger you hit just came speeding at me randomly?"
She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, no, I did want it to go to you. But I figured you were in the air somewhere, I couldn't see you."
He looked at her, surprised. "You couldn't see me, yet you were still able to hit me accurately?"
"Well, I don't know, the only thing that was running through my mind was 'hit Draco, the big jerk!'" she teased.
Draco rolled his eyes at her again. "Yeah, sure. Well, with that kind of aim, maybe I should stick to my word and put you on the team after all. Yeah, I remember telling you that you were on the team. That was purely crazy-talk, don't worry."
A long pause followed this. The two of them looked around various things in the room, before Chloe finally spoke up, not able to contain herself.
"So, I'm going to play on the Slytherin Quidditch team?" She asked cautiously.
"Well, traditionally, I should consult the rest of the team." Draco began, but, then, sitting up straighter, he added, "But don't worry, they'll listen to whatever I'll have to say. Except maybe Lawson, but he shouldn't be a problem, what with the two of you together and all."
Chloe looked at him darkly. "Don't say that, and don't ask. It's been a horrible day."
Draco sank back down onto the bed, and, in his lazy drawl, said, "Yeah, so, the two 'love birds' have broken up. No big deal, Lawson'll be outvoted, you'll play and hopefully you'll be aiming the Bludgers at the other team?"
Chloe saluted him, "Aye, Aye, Captain." She said sarcastically.
Just then Madam Pomfrey returned, practically pushing Chloe out the door. She waved goodbye, then headed down towards the Great Hall once more, her appetite had increased, and she felt considerably better.
When she entered the hall, she noticed it was unusually quiet. She headed towards her table, gazing around nervously at the silence. Her eyes drifted towards the High Table, and she noticed Dumbledore standing, obviously wanting to announce something. He caught her eye, and gave her a small smile before beginning.
"Good Afternoon everybody, I assume your morning has gone well?" He asked. There was a murmured reply.
"Very well," he continued, "I'd like to make an announcement. Here at Hogwarts, we will be hosting a party for our Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. As many of you may know already, this is Mr. Fudge's fifteenth year in office, and we wish to celebrate it with him. There will be a Ball held on the seventeeth of December, the night before the holidays begin, so that all in fourth year or over may attend, although an older student may invite someone under the age limit. Dressrobes will be necessary, and I'm sure you'll all have a great time. Thank-you, enjoy your afternoon!" Then he sat back down. Immediately excited whispers began. Chloe looked over towards Roz, Jessika and Sara, who gave were looking at her triumphantly. So they'd been right, there would be a ball. Chloe began to feel terribly excited, and couldn't wait for December to come around.
She began to think that as long as Jack stayed away from her, the afternoon may not be so bad after all.
*(A/N)* Wow, did you think Jack would do that to her? I didn't when I first wrote him in. I'm glad Chloe's getting rid of him, but I don't think that this will be the last we've heard from Mr. Lawson! Ooh, I figured out where I thought I heard his name before!! Titanic, only it was Jack Dawson instead of Jack Lawson. I'm glad I finally figured it out, it was starting to bug me!! Yea! Chloe's on the Quidditch Team!
Well, Thanks for reading, Review s'ils vous plait!! (I adore reviews!)
ps. did anyone do the Marauder's Matchmaker? I got James and Sirius ::does a little dance:: I LOVE THOSE TWO!!!!
pps. does anyone know what's with the little creature floating around the fanfic main page??? The badger, or whatever it was, the other day surprised me when I first saw it, and now it's a cow!!
*S~B*