Funestus
A/N. This is the last chapter!!!!! Before you flame me I'd just like to say I know I'm no good at romance but I tried!!!!! Thanx to PHOEBE who has read this story and I think is the only one who has and is probably the only one reading this….oh well……THANX!!!!!:}
Chapter Nine:
Once they had reached the hospital wings, Malfoy caught sight of his mother and almost flew over to her. Harry tore his eyes away from them and looked at the three professors and Jenny in front of him.
'I would never have thought you would be so stupid!' started Professor McGonagall, trying to keep her cool, 'Especially after the last time you tried a rescue attempt! Well out with it, what happened?'
So Harry launched into the story, helped by Malfoy, who had come over. He explained how he had been searching in the forest alone until Harry had arrived. Neither of them mentioned the fight, seeing as it wasn't relevant and embarrassing.
'If you said you were not caught then why are your robes torn and you're dripping with blood?' asked McGonagall suspiciously, when they had finished.
'It must have been when we were running. The trees…' answered Malfoy lamely, with a look at Harry.
'Matters must be taken into account,' said Snape, his mouth twitching in a smile, 'Potter should have been suspended after his last hair-brained scheme. This time he has gone too far! Don't you agree, Minerva?'
She nodded slowly.
'I'm afraid Professor Snape's right, Harry,' said Dumbledore softly.
'You…you're going to suspend me!' said Harry, his mouth hanging open, 'But…'
He looked at Jenny, pleading for help. She hadn't said a thing the whole time but now she walked right up to him and stood there with her hands on her hips and her blue eyes flashing with unmistakable anger.
'You idiot!' she said dangerously, her nose almost touching his, 'I hope they do suspend you for what you did! With any luck they'll lock you up where you can't get yourself into anymore trouble! I…grrr…I can even look at you at the moment!' And with that she left the room, giving Malfoy a dirty look as he passed but saying nothing.
Harry felt queasy. His last hope had just walked out the door…
'Please Professor,' stepped in Malfoy, 'It wasn't Pot…er, Harry's fault! If he hadn't have come and got me, I can bet I'd be dead by now! So if he had gone to a teacher, you might have been too late…'
Snape looked as though he could have strangled him.
About quarter of an hour later, after Sirius and Remus had left, leaving Harry feeling dejected, he and Malfoy were listening to Narcissa's story, whilst Madame Pomfrey cleaned them up.
'I guessed at once what Lucius had done, letting me take the punishment. I can't even begin to tell you what happened to me but lets just say sometimes all I wanted to do was curl up and die.
'Finally I managed to escape and get up through the trap door type thing in the forest. It was a brilliant hiding place, I had heard them say, so near Hogwarts but underground, where no one would ever find them. 'Somehow I got through the forest and I knew the safest place was Hogwarts.
'I hope the Aurors are in time. They may be already clearing up the evidence that they've been there, guessing what I was going to do.'
But how did you persuade the Death Eaters to let you go?' asked Malfoy, putting cream on his swollen eye.
'Never you mind!' she answered sharply, but Harry could guess. (A/N. I can't write it if I want to keep it a PG. so use your imaginations!!!!)
By the time they were cleaned up it was past suppertime and they were walking back to their dormitories. It was the first time they had had a chance to speak.
'Thanks,' said Harry, awkwardly.
'For what?'
'Stopping me from getting suspended.'
'Well, you know, if it hadn't been for you…I may not even be here….'
'I wonder why they only gave us detentions and didn't mess about with points?'
'They probably couldn't decide whether to take off points or give them!'
Harry laughed thinking he was probably right.
'Listen Draco,' he started, 'could we be…'
'…friends?' Malfoy finished, 'Let's just take it one step at a time, OK?'
He grinned as he turned down the corridor towards the Slytherin common room and Harry knew that he and Malfoy would get on a lot better…
Harry walked into his own common room and was immediately pounced on by Ron and Hermione, asking him questions and apologising that they weren't allowed to go and see him. He struggled past them, telling them he'd re-live history just as soon as he'd talked to Jenny who was sitting in the corner, watching him.
'So, have you been suspended?' she asked him as he stood over her, fixing her blue eyes upon his green ones.
Harry shook his head.
'Sorry to disappoint you.'
To his surprise, she smiled.
'You scared the hell out of me this time, I never thought I'd see you again! God, you're so stupid sometimes, I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?
She stood up and ran a finger down a scratch on his cheek, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine.
'How…'
'I got into a fight,' answered Harry, truthfully this time.
'With a Death Eater? But I thought you said…'
'No,' he said quietly, 'with…er, Malfoy actually.'
'Just like boys! Your lives are in danger and you still fight! What was it over?'
She sounded slightly annoyed, yet amused, and he wondered if he should tell her.
'You,' he replied simply.
'Huh…wha…Oh!' she stammered, her eyes very wide and she blushed, 'Why? Oh God! I…aarrgghh!' And with that she almost ran from the common room.
'What was all that about?' asked Ron, coming up and standing behind him.
So Harry told both of them, and the rest of the common room, who were listening, how they had fought, ran, and generally been scared to death.
After he had finished, Hermione, who looked very disapproving, said;
'You'd better go after her! She's probably really embarrassed!'
'Good idea,' said Harry, 'I've got to ask her something anyway.'
This obviously wasn't what Hermione meant, and tried to tell him so, but he had already disappeared through the portrait.
It was dark but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the stars were shining brightly. Harry looked everywhere for her. All over the castle and the owlery. He didn't dare stray into the grounds too much, feeling that he had already pushed the teacher's patience a bit to far for one day. Then he had an idea. The stars were bright and she had said the Astronomy tower was the bast place to see them…
Harry entered the tower and, just as he had expected, she was there, looking at the stars. He walked quietly over and stood next to her, his elbows resting on the wall.
'It's beautiful, isn't it?' she said in a whisper, after a few seconds of silence.
'Mmm,' murmured Harry in agreement.
Silence again. Harry could feel the tension growing between them once more. He had to ask her the question burning in his mind, he had to know before he went crazy…
'Tell me honestly, is there something going on between you and Malfoy?'
She turned to face him and Harry's breath caught in his throat, his heart thudding against his ribs.
'Oh, you're so sweet,' she said smiling, 'but Draco's not the one I want.'
Before his head had even got round those words, she had wrapped her arms around his body. He pulled her closer to him and she kissed him gently. Harry's head exploded in fireworks as he kissed her back, something he had been longing to do, he realised, since he first laid eyes on her.
'You are,' she breathed softly, as they finally broke apart, her nose rubbing against his.
He returned the feeling by kissing her again.
The End
A/N. Well, that was it folks!!!! Did ya spot where the title comes in????!!!!! So what did you people think, personally I thought parts of it were really lame and sounded stupid, but hey, who am I????!!!!! I think I'm going to write a third part, the plot is already kinda thought out by me and my lovely friends Bransgorebabe and Hermione 2001!!!!!! Pleeeeeeeease r/r…..pleeeeeeeease!!!!!!!:}
Disclaimer: I own Jen and anything else you don't recognise!!!!:}
Oh and to all you lovely, lovely people who have reviewed……I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!
