Mark Of The Snake
Chapter 8: Pain and Questions
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~ ~ ~
Roe's life became so full the next couple of weeks she had no time to really take a good look around and wonder why people were staring at her in the halls, at the meals in the Great Hall, or even in her own House. With Ron leaving the day after they had beat Ravenclaw at Quidditch, the amount of extra work the Professors seemed to think all their students needed, the continuing Quidditch games (two more that had been against Hufflepuff and Slytherin, both won by Gryffindor), Dueling Without Wands, and all the points that amounted and decreased in the Houses for the upcoming Yule Ball had the entire student population on edge.
Winning the Quidditch games kept Gryffindor in the running for the Yule Ball in France but Roe wasn't so sure she wanted to go. It was some big dance where she always felt awkward and uncomfortable. Dances were not her thing, although music was and Merlin knew that the monotone music they played at the dances were not in her range of what music is supposed to sound like. How do you really dance to classical anyway, Roe pondered, sitting in her Transfiguration class.
It was now a week and a half until the ball, which meant seven days until the students going left and two more days until the actual ball. Roe had tuned out the loud noise concerning the dance in place of more relaxing notions, such as having the Gryffindor 6th year dormitory all to herself if she stayed. A smile made its way to her lips as she thought of the peace and relative quiet that would make it perfect for her to crank up her c.d player.
"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall's voice broke into Roe's thoughts.
Blinking her thoughts back, Roe glanced over to the prim dressed Professor.
"The class has been dismissed."
Roe hid her blush by her left loose hair and gathered her book, parchment and quill into her bag. Getting up, she walked up the steps, as the class was set up in rows that were on levels, to open the classroom door. Closing it behind her, Roe stood right in the near the door that was pushed back from the corridor wall and hid her from view. Voices traveled to Roe's ears, as she straightened the strap on her book bag.
"So has he asked you yet?" Ebony Montague asked.
"No, but he will." The smug tone of Marielle Bourges stated.
"He's no Damon but I suppose for a Gryffindor he is okay." Giselle, another Slytherin, mused.
"Which one of you are going with Damon?" Marielle questioned.
Roe took note that both girls had an unusually long period of silence before answering the French witch's question.
"He hasn't been around much for anyone to ask him about it."
"What do you mean?"
"He's been around that Granger Mudblood girl. You heard about their fight in Potions a couple weeks ago right? Well it seems that their friends now," Ebony spat, "though how he could lower himself. He's a Slytherin and a Malfoy!"
"He's lost it. I mean who would want to hang around that goody-goody Gryffindor Prefect when they have us?"
Roe had to keep her snort to herself. Both Ebony and Giselle, especially Giselle, were dense. From what she heard from Trey neither girl had been asked yet when Trey brought up that he had spoken to Winnie, and none of the Slytherins were going to ask them. Why be stuck in a foreign country with those half-wits when a menu of French girls awaited them were the thoughts of the Slytherin males.
"I assure you that so called Granger girl won't be around long enough to attend the ball." Marielle filled them in on.
Roe peeked her head around the corner. She didn't trust Marielle, the mark on Roe's arm hadn't healed although the pain had lessened, and she knew the girl was up to something. No normal witch could make such a mark and she'd be damned if she let that conniving girl get her hands on James, as it seemed he was the one she was after.
"What do you mean?" Ebony replied, her eyes full of wonder.
"Let's just say she might come down with something she can't get rid of."
"Oh, tell us, Marielle!" Giselle exclaimed.
"You'll see," Marielle said, "I need to get to my next class, I have James to see about."
Both Slytherins took off down the corridor and out of sight when Roe came around the corner.
"Marielle!" Roe yelled and got the blond haired girl's attention.
Turning around, her every movement seductive, Marielle regarded Roe with narrowed eyes.
"Standing there long, Mudblood?"
"Just long enough."
"They obviously don't teach Muggle-borns their place here," Marielle indicated, "little animals walking around with no leash."
"I could say the same about people that use Dark Arts, cause last time I checked normal bruises weren't black."
"Like my trick? I thought you would."
"What the hell did you do to me?"
"Nothing that you didn't allow. You see, that mark stays on as long as you have anger in your heart. It feeds off it. Quite a useful tool to take care of useless people such as yourself."
"Really? And here I thought you put it on cause you can't face me yourself, my bad."
Marielle's lit with a red flame that Roe had the strong urge to run. Coming closer Marielle was only two feet away when she spoke again to Roe.
"You really don't get it, do you, Mudblood? The thing is that you don't belong here. In this school, in this world, even in this life. You are so much more than that yet you lower yourself to being around these pathetic fools like Dumbledore that have no idea of the secret you have. I felt it when I touched you, although those trinkets of yours repelled me. Must say that hasn't happened before so the mark on your arm isn't as fully developed as I had wished."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why you?" Marielle glanced into Roe's face and gave a laugh, "you still don't know who you are, do you?"
Roe wasn't about to give anything away to this girl.
"The Cursed you might be, Mudblood, but here's the thing," Marielle spoke in shrill tones, "even if I put every hex and curse on you I knew you'd still survive wouldn't you? Not that you know that or that Blood Bond that links you to those four," Marielle caught Roe's startled look, "yes I know all about it because I'm the one that poisoned you."
"You?!"
"Interesting to see how fast everyone seemed to come to your rescue especially Malfoy and Potter. I'd say they are the ones we want."
"Want for what?"
Marielle only smoothed her form-fitting robe over her figure. Roe reached out to shake the information out of Marielle but a gust of wind and blinding red light threw Roe against the corridor wall with such force Roe heard cracks come from her bones.
"Don't think to touch me, Mudblood, or I won't be as lenient as I have now. My master would not like me to kill his prize just yet."
Roe opened her eyes, the irises dilated to a gold and Marielle couldn't hide the shock she felt at seeing those powerful eyes directed at her. Marielle felt herself picked up with invisible arms and thrown to the opposite stonewall, pinned to it with cruel hands clawing into her shoulders. Blood came to the surface as the skin was broken and robes ripped so that streams of the red liquid ran down her body and pooled at her feet, still five feet above the corridor floor.
As Marielle let out a red power to stop this, Roe was covered by a white aura and the spell was repelled. Both girls were drained and Roe lost consciousness as the pain of her broken bones set in. Marielle fell to her knees on the ground, her blood spilling over the gray stones and she hissed out the spell to clean up her blood. Eyes set on retribution for the Mudblood's action, she moved only to have words whispered in her ear.
Not yet, the voice whispered, give the child time to come to us and then you may seek out your revenge.
Spitting in Roe's direction as she stood, the part-veela girl went to clean up before she headed to class leaving Roe in the corridor without any help.
~
Harry glanced over his DADA class that included his son and nephew to see the spot next to the two where Roe always sat empty. A worried glance passed between the two boys and Harry went to stand next to them as the last of the Slytherins filed in.
"Where's Roe?"
"We haven't seen her. She was still working in Transfiguration when we left and she wasn't at Care of Magical Creatures last class."
Harry cursed under his breath and went to the head of the class, seeing a very smug looking Marielle coming in late and sitting in the vacant seat of Roe's next to James. Starting class he gave them a book assignment and went to find out what was going on. Only then as he came back into the room after speaking to McGonagall he realized that Damon Malfoy was also missing.
~
Damon felt the strong urge to punch something at Ebony's straight twisted words that made it seem like he was taking her to the Yule Ball. He had not asked and she just turned the conversation last period to her brainless way of thinking.
Why was it he always got the most irritating girls to hang all over him? Damon thought and continued down the empty corridor, staring out without really seeing anything as he walked.
He had wanted some time to collect his thoughts so he was taking the long route to Defense Against Dark Arts, not that he was ever going to really need the class. He knew just about every curse and hex the Dark Arts world had and most of the counter curses. His father had seen to that as a way to make sure his only heir was ready for any situation. Draco Malfoy had not joined the Death Eaters but wasn't about to let his son not know how to protect himself when indeed that world arose. It was inevitable as Roe had told Potter in that classroom, Voldemort wasn't dead only in hibernation. It would do well for them to be prepared. His mother, Blaise, told him all he could do was watch and wait. Another reason he agreed to help with watching over Roe. Not that the little minx needed watching, Damon thought ruefully, what she needed was a damn keeper.
That thought snapped him out of his moodiness just in time to catch a shape coming up slumped on the floor. Picking up speed he knelt down and moved the hair out of the face of the person to find Roe.
"Granger!" Damon demanded, he didn't know if he should move her as he touched her sides and felt that her ribs were broken and a small pool of blood was near her head.
"You do get into every possible situation, don't you, Granger?"
Damon knew she wasn't going to answer but said it anyway. Pulling away her bag, which weighted a ton, he pushed her long hair out of her face to take a look at the swollen forehead on the right side with blood leaking out.
"Ferula!" Damon commanded and a bandage was placed over the wound, "Mobilicorpus!"
He raised her off the ground by the spell and toward the Hospital Wing, only to see her breathing was becoming shallower, so he broke off the spell and took her in his strong arms. Keeping her high against his heart and gentle so as not to disturb her body anymore from the problems it was already having, he made a mad dash to the Hospital Wing, calling out, "Morbiliarbus!" so that his bag and hers followed them.
Entering the Hospital, startling a bedpan cleaning Madam Pomfrey, he set Roe on one of the white linen beds. Instantly the elder woman was in motion and asking questions as she saw after Roe.
"What happened?"
"I didn't do it," Damon defended at the woman's accusing glare, "I found her like this in the Transfiguration corridor. I think her ribs are broken and she looked to have landed hard on her right side."
"Yes, yes," Pomfrey was freeing Roe of her garments that Damon turned his back as he caught sight of her just in her pristine white bra.
"Will she be okay?" Damon called over his shoulder.
"We'll see. Please go inform Dumbledore and Snape to get here quickly."
Damon took off, knowing this was one way to help Roe without actually having to watch Pomfrey do it. A clothed, sarcastic Roe he could deal with. An unconscious, vulnerable slightly nude Roe wasn't another matter altogether and he didn't appreciate how his body was reacting to seeing her in only her underwear.
Damon got to Snape's classroom, ignoring the 4th years staring at him.
"Granger's in the hospital wing," Damon stated as he got close to Snape's desk and low enough for only Snape to hear, "Pomfrey wants you there now."
Standing up, in true Snape fashion casting a scowl over the class, a warning.
"I will be back in fifteen minutes. If any of you see fit to cheat on this exam I wouldn't advise it for I have now placed an Anti-Cheating Spell on your quills."
Leaving after Damon, who was already making his way to Dumbledore's office found Professor Potter already there.
"Granger's in the Hospital Wing," Damon informed the two men, "I found her and took her there."
Harry's concern was justified as he followed Dumbledore and Damon back to the Hospital Wing. He kept outside as the two Professors entered. Seeing that Pomfrey was working vigorously over Roe, he didn't know what else he could do.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you would please explain what happened when you found her." Dumbledore asked, seeing that Snape was using his knowledge to help her leaving nothing for him and Harry to do.
Coming into the room, his eyes apprehensive, Damon put on his mask of indifference.
"I found her in the Transfiguration wing, she was unconscious against the wall and I brought her here."
"You didn't notice anything unusual going on?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Nothing. She was alone and that is one wing without many portraits on it so I doubt any of them saw anything either."
"Get to class, Mr. Malfoy, you can do no more here."
Damon nodded, casting a glance to the infirmary room before taking his leave. Harry went into the room, seeing how white she was, the aura given off by Hermione's necklace casting a light around her as well as her entire hand with the ring on it a bright glow of red.
"What could have done this?"
Pomfrey lifted up Roe, so that the sheet covering her to neck dropped to her waist showing off the white bra and then the discolored right arm.
"What in the name of Merlin is that?" Pomfrey gasped.
Snape moved to study the mark, which was no longer like what Damon had told him but was almost engulfing the entire upper arm from elbow to shoulder. Completely black with red, the veins lifting up from her arm all angry and dark blue, was his daughter's arm. Pain seemed to radiate from the mark and it was like surrounding just the arm in the continue Cruciatus Curse. Snape had been subjected to it too many times not to recognize the waves of anger it gave off but never had he seen it used like this. More disturbing was that the black was now fading from their sight and then appeared as a snake up her upper arm, all black and outlined in green.
"I'd say that Roe has just been made a Death Eater." Snape stated.
"The mark doesn't look like that though," Harry protested, "it's a skull with a snake."
"Not Voldemort's mark, Potter. His is just a snake and I think he's found his heir."
"Roe?"
"It would seem so."
"But how?"
"That's the question isn't it?"
"And I suggest we find out before something happens more to Miss Granger or to Mr. Snape." Dumbledore told the two males.
"I can heal her," Pomfrey interfered, "though she's going to be uncomfortable for a few days while her bones heal we are lucky that when they split they didn't hit any vital organ in her body."
"No one is to speak of this mark," Dumbledore commanded of them, "until we figure out how she received it. Does anyone else know of that mark, Severus?"
"Just one," Snape mentioned, "and that's Damon."
"Malfoy knows? He didn't say anything to us about it."
"Roe told him not to. You and your little mission has caused her enough grief, Potter, you were stifling her that she wouldn't even admit to anyone she's been in constant pain for almost three weeks. That's what you precious Ministry of Magic has done to her."
"Snape…." Harry warned.
"What, Potter? You want to have a row?"
"Will both of you please continue this later, we have Roe to worry about," Pomfrey reprimanded them.
"Both of you should return to your classes as Poppy has this under control."
Pomfrey agreed and sent both away. Glancing to Dumbledore she saw the mark on Roe's arm and shuttered.
"How, Albus? How could she have gotten this? The Death Eaters haven't been around in years and now she shows up with the mark? Who could have done it?"
"I will find out, Poppy, you just concern yourself with healing our Miss Granger."
"Poor child."
~
The minute Harry informed James, Sebastian, and Trey about Roe, all hell broke out. Sebastian's eyes followed Damon's retreating figure out of the room and waited until their classroom door was closed to shout at the Slytherin boy.
"You did it, didn't you?"
"What delusion are you living in now, Weasley?"
Ebony, Giselle, Etienne, Marielle, Avery, and Bletchley stood around Damon as he faced the enraged red head.
"Don't act like you don't know exactly what I'm talking about!" Sebastian shouted, not taking the way James said not to get into this now or Trey's shaking of his head to heart.
"You think I put Granger in the Hospital?"
"Why not? You aren't exactly above suspicion, Malfoy and you and her did have that row a couple weeks ago."
"I take it Granger hasn't informed you that she and I have a truce?"
"A truce? With you? You were lucky she didn't bloody well kill you!"
"Oh, really? And why is that, Weasley? You know now that I think about it, I did put her in the Hospital," Damon sneered.
That was enough to send Sebastian into a physical rage and launched himself at the other boy, knocking them both to the ground so that Sebastian's clenched fists connected with Malfoy's jaw. Not taking this lightly, Malfoy punched the other boy back, knocking Sebastian off him with a swift blow to his stomach. Standing, Malfoy glared down at Sebastian's figure sitting on the stone-cobbled ground.
"Get all the facts, Weasley, before you come after me."
"I'll kill you, you slimy git!"
"Every time you say that Weasley it looses more power, being redundant never causes fear."
Standing with the help of James, an arm belonging to Trey held Sebastian back.
"Enough! We have more important things for us to worry about."
James kept a firm hold on Sebastian's other arm.
"He didn't hurt her, 'Bastian." James assured, causing Malfoy's eyebrows to lift.
"How do you know? For all we know he's the one that shot that poison at her too!"
"Think about it, Weasley, like I would really do that when I was right there when it happened, would have been pretty stupid of me to do it in front of everyone, wouldn't it?"
"No one ever said you were smart, Ferret Boy."
"Watch your friend, Potter, one day he might be the one that gets injured instead of Granger and that time it will be from me."
Damon left with all the Slytherins simpering on how great he was while Marielle and Etienne stayed.
"Oh, Jhames, that is so horrible to hear about your friend," Marielle cooed to the raven-haired boy making Trey and Etienne roll their eyes at her tone.
"I think he knows that, Marielle," Etienne told the girl, who he could never personally stand.
"We better go see how's she doing." James said, ignoring Marielle.
"I still say Malfoy did it."
"Damon wouldn't hurt Roe, Sebastian." Trey claimed.
"Why not? It's not like he likes her."
James looked at Etienne.
"Are you coming with us?"
"Oui, I want to see how ma petite is feeling."
Not a single one of them paid any mind to the festering Marielle over the utter lack of attention she was receiving. Standing there she swore and all the portraits on the walls blanched at her words.
"Did you do it?" Yvonne came up from behind Marielle.
"I did and he goes to see about her health," Marielle scoffed, "the girl is so weak I do not see how she can be the one."
"It is not for you to decide Marielle, it is for HIM."
"That fool Etienne suspects something."
"Does he?"
"I think we might have to do something about that."
"Have you talked to Jhames?"
"Non, but I will. He won't be able to help himself."
Yvonne beamed, "You've completely it."
Marielle sought inside her bag and pulled out the tube.
"One kiss and he's mine. Not even his connection to that little nuisance will save him."
"The master will be pleased."
"What makes you think I do anything for that Thing?"
Shocked, Yvonne blinked.
"You are not serious, are you?"
"Of course. I have the power, not him. He is only a vestal and I am the key. He should be serving me."
"Marielle, you will be killed."
"Not if he doesn't find out and you," Marielle took a menacing step towards the younger girl, "aren't going to tell him."
"You've already angered him with that stunt with the girl, you were supposed to scare her not damage her."
"I do not care. She is beneath me."
"From your wound earlier I'd say she was coming into her own power from what you have done to bring it to the surface. Be careful you do not over extend your bounds or she just might kill you."
Marielle huffed and walked away.
~
A moan came out of the cot bed as Roe coughed and sat up only to pant at the pain waves clashing over her.
Man do I hurt, Roe thought.
Seeing that she was in the Hospital wing she reinforced her opinion that she spent entirely too much time unconscious and waking up not knowing how she got there. Remembering clearly what happened, she knew she had to get to James before that she-devil did. Tossing the blankets off her, she placed her feet on the chilly floor and winced at her rib bandages cutting into her breathing. Keeping a hand on the bed she went and stood shocked at who was sleeping in the chair right across the walkway from the bed she exited.
Head limply dropped to his chest, with stray blond hairs falling forward and in wrinkled robes with an opened Charms text in his lap was Damon. She almost laughed but thought better of it as that was sure to hurt her ribs as well.
"Malfoy," Roe whispered to wake him up seeing the star filled sky outside the windows above his head, "Malfoy."
Seeing that he was indeed out, she raised her voice.
"Malfoy!" Roe touched his shoulder, gently shaking him, "damn it, Damon, wake up before Pomfrey comes in here and catches you."
One minute she was talking to him and the next she was over the back of the bed, pinned to it by his hands gripping her wrists and his legs keeping hers from moving. His eyes were opened but clearly unseeing. Scared of what he might do, Roe wiggled and stopped as she could feel the evidence she did not want to know about of her action causing parts of his body to pulse.
"Wake up, Damon!" Roe demanded into his closest ear and with a swift movement she was let go of.
"Bloody hell, Granger, couldn't you just punch me like a normal girl?"
Damon was rubbing his ringing ear at her shout. Seeing her sit up, her breezy hospital gown barely covering any of her as it had ridden up to high on her thighs and the back was open to show off the bra and peek of matching white underwear. Damon could barely see her blush in the moonlight lit room but smirked all the same.
"Nice underwear, Granger. Very cute."
"Oh, drop dead, Malfoy." Roe shot back, standing up and calling the spell that would close the hospital gown together.
"Sorry to disappoint, Granger, but I have no plans to do that anytime soon."
"Pity."
Damon widened his smirk.
"Stylish. Thinking about starting a trend, you sure are in those an awful lot."
Roe narrowed his eyes at his clothing reference.
"Why are you here anyway? You are gonna get in trouble if Pomfrey finds you."
"This is the thanks I get for bringing your bloody, broken body here instead of leaving you in the Transfiguration corridor. I can't see why Potter bothers."
"You brought me here?"
"That's right, Granger, me."
"That still doesn't explain why you were snoring in the chair."
"I do NOT snore."
"Sure you don't," Roe teased, "those sounds coming out of your mouth were not loud, echoing noises that could wake up the entire castle if we weren't in the most isolated wing."
"I don't have to take this, Granger," Damon told her, "I thought we had a truce."
"We do but that doesn't mean I can't still rag on you, what fun would that be if I stopped that?"
"True."
"So stop evading my question, Malfoy, and tell me why you were watching over me."
"I can't just sit there and have it not have anything to do with you?"
"I don't see any mark, wound, or protruding part of you needing immediate care," Roe added with an impish grin, "although I think that below your waist might need to be looked at."
"Funny."
"I thought so."
"Get back into bed, Granger."
"Who are you? My father?"
"I don't see any resemblance between old Snape and I so I'd say no."
"Then back off. I have to go talk to James."
"I am sure that Potter can live through the night without you," as her mouth opened to protest he closed his left hand over it, "and I am not taking no for an answer, Granger. How do you expect to get better if you don't do what you need to?"
She just glared at him.
"Come on."
She pulled back.
"No. I have to…" Roe stated and felt herself lifted, "I so hate this male chauvinistic attitude of yours. You can't just make me do things by picking me up all the time."
"You are being stubborn," Damon pointed out.
"Have I shocked you?" Roe mocked, "Little old me, being stubborn, who would have thought."
He set her on the bed and kept her there as he pulled the covers over her.
"You know this is the first time I've put a female to bed and wasn't going to be joining her."
"Somehow I didn't want to know that."
Damon chuckled.
"Well, at least you didn't hurt your head. Wouldn't want to miss all those wonderful sarcastic come backs, now would I?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
"Sure you want to know, Granger?"
No trusting how that intense look of his was making her feel like fairies were flying around in her stomach, she shook her head.
"Coward."
"No, I'm not, Malfoy."
"What happened to Damon?"
"What?"
"I heard you call me Damon, twice actually."
"I did not."
"Yes, you did."
"When?"
"When you were trying to wake me up."
"I would never call you that."
"No?"
"No. You are Malfoy, plain and simple."
"I always thought of myself as handsome and complex."
"Shows how much you know."
"Good night, Granger."
Damon stood up from sitting next to her bed and went back to his chair.
"What are you doing?"
"What's it look like? I'm going to go to sleep."
"Here?!"
"No, in the Gryffindor Tower, yes here."
"Why?"
"Did we not just go over that?"
"Yes but you are still staying?"
"Why not? Besides with you planning on making a sprint to Gryffindor Tower the second I leave to talk to the great Potter I think it's best I sleep here."
"Evil Ferret." Roe muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Roe fibbed, "hey, Malfoy, who gave you the shiner?"
"Shiner?"
"Black eye."
Malfoy touched the eye and shrugged.
"Seems Weasley thought I put you here."
"Sebastian did that to you?"
"Know another Weasley that has a strong right hook?"
"I thought you were talking about Winnie." Roe shrugged.
"Carrot Top? Not bloody likely."
"Just a thought," Roe said sweetly, laying back.
"Granger?"
"Hmm?"
"Who did that to you?"
Roe cringed not wanting to answer.
"Granger?"
"I don't know, Malfoy. I didn't see them." Roe lied.
"Oh."
"Good night, Malfoy."
"Night."
But it was along time before either teen fell asleep.
~
Roe felt better two days later, again missing classes and having plenty of work to occupy her time and place on the bed. Fighting with Pomfrey she wasn't allowed out of the infirmary for another day and only then with limited mobility.
"You are seriously hurt, young lady, and you aren't going anywhere."
"Go crying out loud!"
"She's reduced you to tears already this morning, but it's not even noon yet." James's voice greeted as he came around the curtain that blocked her bed from the view of the window into the infirmary.
"She's working on driving me insane!" Roe called leaning forward to see Pomfrey only smile and go around the corner into her private office, "but other than that."
"Same old Roe."
"Hey, Jamie, can I talk to you?"
"Sure," James sat on the edge of her bed, pushing some of her History of Magic work out of the way, "what about?"
"Marielle."
James lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I know that you like her," Roe almost choked on the words, "but she's bad news."
"Roe, I know that you and her don't get along but that doesn't mean she's bad."
"James, she isn't who she seems."
"She's an Animagi?"
"You are so dense sometimes!" Roe shouted, "No, I'm talking about her behavior. She's all sweet and nice to all you guys but when she's around other people its like she is a completely different person. Almost like she's schizophrenic."
"What is this really about, Roe?"
"It's about Marielle, Jamie. She wants you."
James seemed to be amused by her announcement.
"And that is reason to believe that she had multiple personalities?"
"You aren't listening to me," Roe decided right then to show him the mark, and lifted up the sleeve to show the snake mark, "You see this? She did this."
James blanched as he saw the horrible mark.
"That's a Death Eater symbol."
"No kidding."
"How could she…"
"I don't know. She touched me, the night of the party. The ring and my necklace seemed to throw off her touch before she could complete whatever the mark was supposed to be. It started out as a black claw mark, not bruises but actual looking claw marks on my arm."
"That was over three weeks ago."
"I know."
"You've kept this from me for three weeks?"
"I didn't want you to worry."
"Not worry? I'm your friend, Roe, it's my job to worry about you."
"Plus I wasn't sure you'd believe me."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I see how you look at her," Roe admitted, lowering her head, "she has you so wrapped in her looks that I thought you'd think I was saying it cause I was jealous or something."
"Roe," James touched her other arm, causing her to look at him, "I would never think that. Sure you might do some very crazy things but I don't think you'd accuse her of doing that if she hadn't. You aren't like that."
Roe smiled lightly.
"She poisoned me and she's the one that did this to me," Roe referred to her ribs and head, "she isn't someone to fool with."
"Did you tear up her shoulders? She came into the classroom after you were missing and said she got attacked by Fang."
"I don't know how I did it, Jamie, it was like she made me so mad I couldn't think of anything but the need to hurt her back. I felt so cold, like all the warmth went right out of me and I unleashed it at her."
"Have you told Snape or my dad about this? Or Dumbledore?'
"What? That one of the students from Beauxbatons is slowly killing me? I can see now that they'd stop the Yule Ball from happening and make everyone miserable, more reason to get those hostile stares in the hallway."
"So you'd rather sacrifice your own health and peace of mind to keep everyone else happy?"
"Wouldn't you? Honestly, Jamie, if you had to face this wouldn't you?"
"I wouldn't want to do it alone and I wouldn't have hid it from your friends. We don't want to cause you not to trust us or confide in us. As much as Sebastian is hot headed he would do anything to help, as I would, you know that."
"Including hitting Malfoy." Roe mused, giggling softly.
"Even that. Though I think he enjoyed that."
"Malfoy and I have come to an understanding, Jamie, he's not as bad ass as he likes everyone to think. He even stayed in here last night and watched over me while I slept."
"Malfoy did that?"
"I know. Weird isn't it?"
"Weird isn't the word. Bazaar seems a little more appropriate."
"Are you going to the Yule Ball?" Roe out of the blue wondered.
"Actually," James put a hand behind his neck and rubbed self-consciously, "Marielle said she needed to talk to me about that later today."
"Promise me that you won't let her touch her, any possible way. I don't want you hurt. I'd never forgive myself."
She felt tears weld up in her eyes and sniffled to keep them away.
"Roe?"
"Yeah?" She pushed a runaway tear off her face.
"Would you like to be my date for the Yule Ball?"
"Really?"
"I thought since maybe you'd like to show everyone just how much you love to dance," James teased as he knew she hated it, "and give them something to talk about."
"Gossip mills run mild around here."
"So is that a yes?"
"Yes."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Get some rest Roe, don't want you all bandaged and hurt at the dance, whatever would the gossip mongers think?"
She grinned at him as he left and feel back on the pillow behind her. She didn't see the reflection of Malfoy in the window until it was too late.
"Malfoy!"
She wasn't answered and she wondered why he had been there.
~ ~ ~
Look another chapter out so soon….I am on a roll…I decided to change this title cause they aren't headed to France just yet…..but the next one will have them going to France and what happens (big surprises!) at the Yule Ball. Appreciate all feedback!
January 23, 2002
Chapter 8: Pain and Questions
Written by: V Lynne
echoinghearts@yahoo.com
~ ~ ~
Roe's life became so full the next couple of weeks she had no time to really take a good look around and wonder why people were staring at her in the halls, at the meals in the Great Hall, or even in her own House. With Ron leaving the day after they had beat Ravenclaw at Quidditch, the amount of extra work the Professors seemed to think all their students needed, the continuing Quidditch games (two more that had been against Hufflepuff and Slytherin, both won by Gryffindor), Dueling Without Wands, and all the points that amounted and decreased in the Houses for the upcoming Yule Ball had the entire student population on edge.
Winning the Quidditch games kept Gryffindor in the running for the Yule Ball in France but Roe wasn't so sure she wanted to go. It was some big dance where she always felt awkward and uncomfortable. Dances were not her thing, although music was and Merlin knew that the monotone music they played at the dances were not in her range of what music is supposed to sound like. How do you really dance to classical anyway, Roe pondered, sitting in her Transfiguration class.
It was now a week and a half until the ball, which meant seven days until the students going left and two more days until the actual ball. Roe had tuned out the loud noise concerning the dance in place of more relaxing notions, such as having the Gryffindor 6th year dormitory all to herself if she stayed. A smile made its way to her lips as she thought of the peace and relative quiet that would make it perfect for her to crank up her c.d player.
"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall's voice broke into Roe's thoughts.
Blinking her thoughts back, Roe glanced over to the prim dressed Professor.
"The class has been dismissed."
Roe hid her blush by her left loose hair and gathered her book, parchment and quill into her bag. Getting up, she walked up the steps, as the class was set up in rows that were on levels, to open the classroom door. Closing it behind her, Roe stood right in the near the door that was pushed back from the corridor wall and hid her from view. Voices traveled to Roe's ears, as she straightened the strap on her book bag.
"So has he asked you yet?" Ebony Montague asked.
"No, but he will." The smug tone of Marielle Bourges stated.
"He's no Damon but I suppose for a Gryffindor he is okay." Giselle, another Slytherin, mused.
"Which one of you are going with Damon?" Marielle questioned.
Roe took note that both girls had an unusually long period of silence before answering the French witch's question.
"He hasn't been around much for anyone to ask him about it."
"What do you mean?"
"He's been around that Granger Mudblood girl. You heard about their fight in Potions a couple weeks ago right? Well it seems that their friends now," Ebony spat, "though how he could lower himself. He's a Slytherin and a Malfoy!"
"He's lost it. I mean who would want to hang around that goody-goody Gryffindor Prefect when they have us?"
Roe had to keep her snort to herself. Both Ebony and Giselle, especially Giselle, were dense. From what she heard from Trey neither girl had been asked yet when Trey brought up that he had spoken to Winnie, and none of the Slytherins were going to ask them. Why be stuck in a foreign country with those half-wits when a menu of French girls awaited them were the thoughts of the Slytherin males.
"I assure you that so called Granger girl won't be around long enough to attend the ball." Marielle filled them in on.
Roe peeked her head around the corner. She didn't trust Marielle, the mark on Roe's arm hadn't healed although the pain had lessened, and she knew the girl was up to something. No normal witch could make such a mark and she'd be damned if she let that conniving girl get her hands on James, as it seemed he was the one she was after.
"What do you mean?" Ebony replied, her eyes full of wonder.
"Let's just say she might come down with something she can't get rid of."
"Oh, tell us, Marielle!" Giselle exclaimed.
"You'll see," Marielle said, "I need to get to my next class, I have James to see about."
Both Slytherins took off down the corridor and out of sight when Roe came around the corner.
"Marielle!" Roe yelled and got the blond haired girl's attention.
Turning around, her every movement seductive, Marielle regarded Roe with narrowed eyes.
"Standing there long, Mudblood?"
"Just long enough."
"They obviously don't teach Muggle-borns their place here," Marielle indicated, "little animals walking around with no leash."
"I could say the same about people that use Dark Arts, cause last time I checked normal bruises weren't black."
"Like my trick? I thought you would."
"What the hell did you do to me?"
"Nothing that you didn't allow. You see, that mark stays on as long as you have anger in your heart. It feeds off it. Quite a useful tool to take care of useless people such as yourself."
"Really? And here I thought you put it on cause you can't face me yourself, my bad."
Marielle's lit with a red flame that Roe had the strong urge to run. Coming closer Marielle was only two feet away when she spoke again to Roe.
"You really don't get it, do you, Mudblood? The thing is that you don't belong here. In this school, in this world, even in this life. You are so much more than that yet you lower yourself to being around these pathetic fools like Dumbledore that have no idea of the secret you have. I felt it when I touched you, although those trinkets of yours repelled me. Must say that hasn't happened before so the mark on your arm isn't as fully developed as I had wished."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why you?" Marielle glanced into Roe's face and gave a laugh, "you still don't know who you are, do you?"
Roe wasn't about to give anything away to this girl.
"The Cursed you might be, Mudblood, but here's the thing," Marielle spoke in shrill tones, "even if I put every hex and curse on you I knew you'd still survive wouldn't you? Not that you know that or that Blood Bond that links you to those four," Marielle caught Roe's startled look, "yes I know all about it because I'm the one that poisoned you."
"You?!"
"Interesting to see how fast everyone seemed to come to your rescue especially Malfoy and Potter. I'd say they are the ones we want."
"Want for what?"
Marielle only smoothed her form-fitting robe over her figure. Roe reached out to shake the information out of Marielle but a gust of wind and blinding red light threw Roe against the corridor wall with such force Roe heard cracks come from her bones.
"Don't think to touch me, Mudblood, or I won't be as lenient as I have now. My master would not like me to kill his prize just yet."
Roe opened her eyes, the irises dilated to a gold and Marielle couldn't hide the shock she felt at seeing those powerful eyes directed at her. Marielle felt herself picked up with invisible arms and thrown to the opposite stonewall, pinned to it with cruel hands clawing into her shoulders. Blood came to the surface as the skin was broken and robes ripped so that streams of the red liquid ran down her body and pooled at her feet, still five feet above the corridor floor.
As Marielle let out a red power to stop this, Roe was covered by a white aura and the spell was repelled. Both girls were drained and Roe lost consciousness as the pain of her broken bones set in. Marielle fell to her knees on the ground, her blood spilling over the gray stones and she hissed out the spell to clean up her blood. Eyes set on retribution for the Mudblood's action, she moved only to have words whispered in her ear.
Not yet, the voice whispered, give the child time to come to us and then you may seek out your revenge.
Spitting in Roe's direction as she stood, the part-veela girl went to clean up before she headed to class leaving Roe in the corridor without any help.
~
Harry glanced over his DADA class that included his son and nephew to see the spot next to the two where Roe always sat empty. A worried glance passed between the two boys and Harry went to stand next to them as the last of the Slytherins filed in.
"Where's Roe?"
"We haven't seen her. She was still working in Transfiguration when we left and she wasn't at Care of Magical Creatures last class."
Harry cursed under his breath and went to the head of the class, seeing a very smug looking Marielle coming in late and sitting in the vacant seat of Roe's next to James. Starting class he gave them a book assignment and went to find out what was going on. Only then as he came back into the room after speaking to McGonagall he realized that Damon Malfoy was also missing.
~
Damon felt the strong urge to punch something at Ebony's straight twisted words that made it seem like he was taking her to the Yule Ball. He had not asked and she just turned the conversation last period to her brainless way of thinking.
Why was it he always got the most irritating girls to hang all over him? Damon thought and continued down the empty corridor, staring out without really seeing anything as he walked.
He had wanted some time to collect his thoughts so he was taking the long route to Defense Against Dark Arts, not that he was ever going to really need the class. He knew just about every curse and hex the Dark Arts world had and most of the counter curses. His father had seen to that as a way to make sure his only heir was ready for any situation. Draco Malfoy had not joined the Death Eaters but wasn't about to let his son not know how to protect himself when indeed that world arose. It was inevitable as Roe had told Potter in that classroom, Voldemort wasn't dead only in hibernation. It would do well for them to be prepared. His mother, Blaise, told him all he could do was watch and wait. Another reason he agreed to help with watching over Roe. Not that the little minx needed watching, Damon thought ruefully, what she needed was a damn keeper.
That thought snapped him out of his moodiness just in time to catch a shape coming up slumped on the floor. Picking up speed he knelt down and moved the hair out of the face of the person to find Roe.
"Granger!" Damon demanded, he didn't know if he should move her as he touched her sides and felt that her ribs were broken and a small pool of blood was near her head.
"You do get into every possible situation, don't you, Granger?"
Damon knew she wasn't going to answer but said it anyway. Pulling away her bag, which weighted a ton, he pushed her long hair out of her face to take a look at the swollen forehead on the right side with blood leaking out.
"Ferula!" Damon commanded and a bandage was placed over the wound, "Mobilicorpus!"
He raised her off the ground by the spell and toward the Hospital Wing, only to see her breathing was becoming shallower, so he broke off the spell and took her in his strong arms. Keeping her high against his heart and gentle so as not to disturb her body anymore from the problems it was already having, he made a mad dash to the Hospital Wing, calling out, "Morbiliarbus!" so that his bag and hers followed them.
Entering the Hospital, startling a bedpan cleaning Madam Pomfrey, he set Roe on one of the white linen beds. Instantly the elder woman was in motion and asking questions as she saw after Roe.
"What happened?"
"I didn't do it," Damon defended at the woman's accusing glare, "I found her like this in the Transfiguration corridor. I think her ribs are broken and she looked to have landed hard on her right side."
"Yes, yes," Pomfrey was freeing Roe of her garments that Damon turned his back as he caught sight of her just in her pristine white bra.
"Will she be okay?" Damon called over his shoulder.
"We'll see. Please go inform Dumbledore and Snape to get here quickly."
Damon took off, knowing this was one way to help Roe without actually having to watch Pomfrey do it. A clothed, sarcastic Roe he could deal with. An unconscious, vulnerable slightly nude Roe wasn't another matter altogether and he didn't appreciate how his body was reacting to seeing her in only her underwear.
Damon got to Snape's classroom, ignoring the 4th years staring at him.
"Granger's in the hospital wing," Damon stated as he got close to Snape's desk and low enough for only Snape to hear, "Pomfrey wants you there now."
Standing up, in true Snape fashion casting a scowl over the class, a warning.
"I will be back in fifteen minutes. If any of you see fit to cheat on this exam I wouldn't advise it for I have now placed an Anti-Cheating Spell on your quills."
Leaving after Damon, who was already making his way to Dumbledore's office found Professor Potter already there.
"Granger's in the Hospital Wing," Damon informed the two men, "I found her and took her there."
Harry's concern was justified as he followed Dumbledore and Damon back to the Hospital Wing. He kept outside as the two Professors entered. Seeing that Pomfrey was working vigorously over Roe, he didn't know what else he could do.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you would please explain what happened when you found her." Dumbledore asked, seeing that Snape was using his knowledge to help her leaving nothing for him and Harry to do.
Coming into the room, his eyes apprehensive, Damon put on his mask of indifference.
"I found her in the Transfiguration wing, she was unconscious against the wall and I brought her here."
"You didn't notice anything unusual going on?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Nothing. She was alone and that is one wing without many portraits on it so I doubt any of them saw anything either."
"Get to class, Mr. Malfoy, you can do no more here."
Damon nodded, casting a glance to the infirmary room before taking his leave. Harry went into the room, seeing how white she was, the aura given off by Hermione's necklace casting a light around her as well as her entire hand with the ring on it a bright glow of red.
"What could have done this?"
Pomfrey lifted up Roe, so that the sheet covering her to neck dropped to her waist showing off the white bra and then the discolored right arm.
"What in the name of Merlin is that?" Pomfrey gasped.
Snape moved to study the mark, which was no longer like what Damon had told him but was almost engulfing the entire upper arm from elbow to shoulder. Completely black with red, the veins lifting up from her arm all angry and dark blue, was his daughter's arm. Pain seemed to radiate from the mark and it was like surrounding just the arm in the continue Cruciatus Curse. Snape had been subjected to it too many times not to recognize the waves of anger it gave off but never had he seen it used like this. More disturbing was that the black was now fading from their sight and then appeared as a snake up her upper arm, all black and outlined in green.
"I'd say that Roe has just been made a Death Eater." Snape stated.
"The mark doesn't look like that though," Harry protested, "it's a skull with a snake."
"Not Voldemort's mark, Potter. His is just a snake and I think he's found his heir."
"Roe?"
"It would seem so."
"But how?"
"That's the question isn't it?"
"And I suggest we find out before something happens more to Miss Granger or to Mr. Snape." Dumbledore told the two males.
"I can heal her," Pomfrey interfered, "though she's going to be uncomfortable for a few days while her bones heal we are lucky that when they split they didn't hit any vital organ in her body."
"No one is to speak of this mark," Dumbledore commanded of them, "until we figure out how she received it. Does anyone else know of that mark, Severus?"
"Just one," Snape mentioned, "and that's Damon."
"Malfoy knows? He didn't say anything to us about it."
"Roe told him not to. You and your little mission has caused her enough grief, Potter, you were stifling her that she wouldn't even admit to anyone she's been in constant pain for almost three weeks. That's what you precious Ministry of Magic has done to her."
"Snape…." Harry warned.
"What, Potter? You want to have a row?"
"Will both of you please continue this later, we have Roe to worry about," Pomfrey reprimanded them.
"Both of you should return to your classes as Poppy has this under control."
Pomfrey agreed and sent both away. Glancing to Dumbledore she saw the mark on Roe's arm and shuttered.
"How, Albus? How could she have gotten this? The Death Eaters haven't been around in years and now she shows up with the mark? Who could have done it?"
"I will find out, Poppy, you just concern yourself with healing our Miss Granger."
"Poor child."
~
The minute Harry informed James, Sebastian, and Trey about Roe, all hell broke out. Sebastian's eyes followed Damon's retreating figure out of the room and waited until their classroom door was closed to shout at the Slytherin boy.
"You did it, didn't you?"
"What delusion are you living in now, Weasley?"
Ebony, Giselle, Etienne, Marielle, Avery, and Bletchley stood around Damon as he faced the enraged red head.
"Don't act like you don't know exactly what I'm talking about!" Sebastian shouted, not taking the way James said not to get into this now or Trey's shaking of his head to heart.
"You think I put Granger in the Hospital?"
"Why not? You aren't exactly above suspicion, Malfoy and you and her did have that row a couple weeks ago."
"I take it Granger hasn't informed you that she and I have a truce?"
"A truce? With you? You were lucky she didn't bloody well kill you!"
"Oh, really? And why is that, Weasley? You know now that I think about it, I did put her in the Hospital," Damon sneered.
That was enough to send Sebastian into a physical rage and launched himself at the other boy, knocking them both to the ground so that Sebastian's clenched fists connected with Malfoy's jaw. Not taking this lightly, Malfoy punched the other boy back, knocking Sebastian off him with a swift blow to his stomach. Standing, Malfoy glared down at Sebastian's figure sitting on the stone-cobbled ground.
"Get all the facts, Weasley, before you come after me."
"I'll kill you, you slimy git!"
"Every time you say that Weasley it looses more power, being redundant never causes fear."
Standing with the help of James, an arm belonging to Trey held Sebastian back.
"Enough! We have more important things for us to worry about."
James kept a firm hold on Sebastian's other arm.
"He didn't hurt her, 'Bastian." James assured, causing Malfoy's eyebrows to lift.
"How do you know? For all we know he's the one that shot that poison at her too!"
"Think about it, Weasley, like I would really do that when I was right there when it happened, would have been pretty stupid of me to do it in front of everyone, wouldn't it?"
"No one ever said you were smart, Ferret Boy."
"Watch your friend, Potter, one day he might be the one that gets injured instead of Granger and that time it will be from me."
Damon left with all the Slytherins simpering on how great he was while Marielle and Etienne stayed.
"Oh, Jhames, that is so horrible to hear about your friend," Marielle cooed to the raven-haired boy making Trey and Etienne roll their eyes at her tone.
"I think he knows that, Marielle," Etienne told the girl, who he could never personally stand.
"We better go see how's she doing." James said, ignoring Marielle.
"I still say Malfoy did it."
"Damon wouldn't hurt Roe, Sebastian." Trey claimed.
"Why not? It's not like he likes her."
James looked at Etienne.
"Are you coming with us?"
"Oui, I want to see how ma petite is feeling."
Not a single one of them paid any mind to the festering Marielle over the utter lack of attention she was receiving. Standing there she swore and all the portraits on the walls blanched at her words.
"Did you do it?" Yvonne came up from behind Marielle.
"I did and he goes to see about her health," Marielle scoffed, "the girl is so weak I do not see how she can be the one."
"It is not for you to decide Marielle, it is for HIM."
"That fool Etienne suspects something."
"Does he?"
"I think we might have to do something about that."
"Have you talked to Jhames?"
"Non, but I will. He won't be able to help himself."
Yvonne beamed, "You've completely it."
Marielle sought inside her bag and pulled out the tube.
"One kiss and he's mine. Not even his connection to that little nuisance will save him."
"The master will be pleased."
"What makes you think I do anything for that Thing?"
Shocked, Yvonne blinked.
"You are not serious, are you?"
"Of course. I have the power, not him. He is only a vestal and I am the key. He should be serving me."
"Marielle, you will be killed."
"Not if he doesn't find out and you," Marielle took a menacing step towards the younger girl, "aren't going to tell him."
"You've already angered him with that stunt with the girl, you were supposed to scare her not damage her."
"I do not care. She is beneath me."
"From your wound earlier I'd say she was coming into her own power from what you have done to bring it to the surface. Be careful you do not over extend your bounds or she just might kill you."
Marielle huffed and walked away.
~
A moan came out of the cot bed as Roe coughed and sat up only to pant at the pain waves clashing over her.
Man do I hurt, Roe thought.
Seeing that she was in the Hospital wing she reinforced her opinion that she spent entirely too much time unconscious and waking up not knowing how she got there. Remembering clearly what happened, she knew she had to get to James before that she-devil did. Tossing the blankets off her, she placed her feet on the chilly floor and winced at her rib bandages cutting into her breathing. Keeping a hand on the bed she went and stood shocked at who was sleeping in the chair right across the walkway from the bed she exited.
Head limply dropped to his chest, with stray blond hairs falling forward and in wrinkled robes with an opened Charms text in his lap was Damon. She almost laughed but thought better of it as that was sure to hurt her ribs as well.
"Malfoy," Roe whispered to wake him up seeing the star filled sky outside the windows above his head, "Malfoy."
Seeing that he was indeed out, she raised her voice.
"Malfoy!" Roe touched his shoulder, gently shaking him, "damn it, Damon, wake up before Pomfrey comes in here and catches you."
One minute she was talking to him and the next she was over the back of the bed, pinned to it by his hands gripping her wrists and his legs keeping hers from moving. His eyes were opened but clearly unseeing. Scared of what he might do, Roe wiggled and stopped as she could feel the evidence she did not want to know about of her action causing parts of his body to pulse.
"Wake up, Damon!" Roe demanded into his closest ear and with a swift movement she was let go of.
"Bloody hell, Granger, couldn't you just punch me like a normal girl?"
Damon was rubbing his ringing ear at her shout. Seeing her sit up, her breezy hospital gown barely covering any of her as it had ridden up to high on her thighs and the back was open to show off the bra and peek of matching white underwear. Damon could barely see her blush in the moonlight lit room but smirked all the same.
"Nice underwear, Granger. Very cute."
"Oh, drop dead, Malfoy." Roe shot back, standing up and calling the spell that would close the hospital gown together.
"Sorry to disappoint, Granger, but I have no plans to do that anytime soon."
"Pity."
Damon widened his smirk.
"Stylish. Thinking about starting a trend, you sure are in those an awful lot."
Roe narrowed his eyes at his clothing reference.
"Why are you here anyway? You are gonna get in trouble if Pomfrey finds you."
"This is the thanks I get for bringing your bloody, broken body here instead of leaving you in the Transfiguration corridor. I can't see why Potter bothers."
"You brought me here?"
"That's right, Granger, me."
"That still doesn't explain why you were snoring in the chair."
"I do NOT snore."
"Sure you don't," Roe teased, "those sounds coming out of your mouth were not loud, echoing noises that could wake up the entire castle if we weren't in the most isolated wing."
"I don't have to take this, Granger," Damon told her, "I thought we had a truce."
"We do but that doesn't mean I can't still rag on you, what fun would that be if I stopped that?"
"True."
"So stop evading my question, Malfoy, and tell me why you were watching over me."
"I can't just sit there and have it not have anything to do with you?"
"I don't see any mark, wound, or protruding part of you needing immediate care," Roe added with an impish grin, "although I think that below your waist might need to be looked at."
"Funny."
"I thought so."
"Get back into bed, Granger."
"Who are you? My father?"
"I don't see any resemblance between old Snape and I so I'd say no."
"Then back off. I have to go talk to James."
"I am sure that Potter can live through the night without you," as her mouth opened to protest he closed his left hand over it, "and I am not taking no for an answer, Granger. How do you expect to get better if you don't do what you need to?"
She just glared at him.
"Come on."
She pulled back.
"No. I have to…" Roe stated and felt herself lifted, "I so hate this male chauvinistic attitude of yours. You can't just make me do things by picking me up all the time."
"You are being stubborn," Damon pointed out.
"Have I shocked you?" Roe mocked, "Little old me, being stubborn, who would have thought."
He set her on the bed and kept her there as he pulled the covers over her.
"You know this is the first time I've put a female to bed and wasn't going to be joining her."
"Somehow I didn't want to know that."
Damon chuckled.
"Well, at least you didn't hurt your head. Wouldn't want to miss all those wonderful sarcastic come backs, now would I?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
"Sure you want to know, Granger?"
No trusting how that intense look of his was making her feel like fairies were flying around in her stomach, she shook her head.
"Coward."
"No, I'm not, Malfoy."
"What happened to Damon?"
"What?"
"I heard you call me Damon, twice actually."
"I did not."
"Yes, you did."
"When?"
"When you were trying to wake me up."
"I would never call you that."
"No?"
"No. You are Malfoy, plain and simple."
"I always thought of myself as handsome and complex."
"Shows how much you know."
"Good night, Granger."
Damon stood up from sitting next to her bed and went back to his chair.
"What are you doing?"
"What's it look like? I'm going to go to sleep."
"Here?!"
"No, in the Gryffindor Tower, yes here."
"Why?"
"Did we not just go over that?"
"Yes but you are still staying?"
"Why not? Besides with you planning on making a sprint to Gryffindor Tower the second I leave to talk to the great Potter I think it's best I sleep here."
"Evil Ferret." Roe muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Roe fibbed, "hey, Malfoy, who gave you the shiner?"
"Shiner?"
"Black eye."
Malfoy touched the eye and shrugged.
"Seems Weasley thought I put you here."
"Sebastian did that to you?"
"Know another Weasley that has a strong right hook?"
"I thought you were talking about Winnie." Roe shrugged.
"Carrot Top? Not bloody likely."
"Just a thought," Roe said sweetly, laying back.
"Granger?"
"Hmm?"
"Who did that to you?"
Roe cringed not wanting to answer.
"Granger?"
"I don't know, Malfoy. I didn't see them." Roe lied.
"Oh."
"Good night, Malfoy."
"Night."
But it was along time before either teen fell asleep.
~
Roe felt better two days later, again missing classes and having plenty of work to occupy her time and place on the bed. Fighting with Pomfrey she wasn't allowed out of the infirmary for another day and only then with limited mobility.
"You are seriously hurt, young lady, and you aren't going anywhere."
"Go crying out loud!"
"She's reduced you to tears already this morning, but it's not even noon yet." James's voice greeted as he came around the curtain that blocked her bed from the view of the window into the infirmary.
"She's working on driving me insane!" Roe called leaning forward to see Pomfrey only smile and go around the corner into her private office, "but other than that."
"Same old Roe."
"Hey, Jamie, can I talk to you?"
"Sure," James sat on the edge of her bed, pushing some of her History of Magic work out of the way, "what about?"
"Marielle."
James lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I know that you like her," Roe almost choked on the words, "but she's bad news."
"Roe, I know that you and her don't get along but that doesn't mean she's bad."
"James, she isn't who she seems."
"She's an Animagi?"
"You are so dense sometimes!" Roe shouted, "No, I'm talking about her behavior. She's all sweet and nice to all you guys but when she's around other people its like she is a completely different person. Almost like she's schizophrenic."
"What is this really about, Roe?"
"It's about Marielle, Jamie. She wants you."
James seemed to be amused by her announcement.
"And that is reason to believe that she had multiple personalities?"
"You aren't listening to me," Roe decided right then to show him the mark, and lifted up the sleeve to show the snake mark, "You see this? She did this."
James blanched as he saw the horrible mark.
"That's a Death Eater symbol."
"No kidding."
"How could she…"
"I don't know. She touched me, the night of the party. The ring and my necklace seemed to throw off her touch before she could complete whatever the mark was supposed to be. It started out as a black claw mark, not bruises but actual looking claw marks on my arm."
"That was over three weeks ago."
"I know."
"You've kept this from me for three weeks?"
"I didn't want you to worry."
"Not worry? I'm your friend, Roe, it's my job to worry about you."
"Plus I wasn't sure you'd believe me."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I see how you look at her," Roe admitted, lowering her head, "she has you so wrapped in her looks that I thought you'd think I was saying it cause I was jealous or something."
"Roe," James touched her other arm, causing her to look at him, "I would never think that. Sure you might do some very crazy things but I don't think you'd accuse her of doing that if she hadn't. You aren't like that."
Roe smiled lightly.
"She poisoned me and she's the one that did this to me," Roe referred to her ribs and head, "she isn't someone to fool with."
"Did you tear up her shoulders? She came into the classroom after you were missing and said she got attacked by Fang."
"I don't know how I did it, Jamie, it was like she made me so mad I couldn't think of anything but the need to hurt her back. I felt so cold, like all the warmth went right out of me and I unleashed it at her."
"Have you told Snape or my dad about this? Or Dumbledore?'
"What? That one of the students from Beauxbatons is slowly killing me? I can see now that they'd stop the Yule Ball from happening and make everyone miserable, more reason to get those hostile stares in the hallway."
"So you'd rather sacrifice your own health and peace of mind to keep everyone else happy?"
"Wouldn't you? Honestly, Jamie, if you had to face this wouldn't you?"
"I wouldn't want to do it alone and I wouldn't have hid it from your friends. We don't want to cause you not to trust us or confide in us. As much as Sebastian is hot headed he would do anything to help, as I would, you know that."
"Including hitting Malfoy." Roe mused, giggling softly.
"Even that. Though I think he enjoyed that."
"Malfoy and I have come to an understanding, Jamie, he's not as bad ass as he likes everyone to think. He even stayed in here last night and watched over me while I slept."
"Malfoy did that?"
"I know. Weird isn't it?"
"Weird isn't the word. Bazaar seems a little more appropriate."
"Are you going to the Yule Ball?" Roe out of the blue wondered.
"Actually," James put a hand behind his neck and rubbed self-consciously, "Marielle said she needed to talk to me about that later today."
"Promise me that you won't let her touch her, any possible way. I don't want you hurt. I'd never forgive myself."
She felt tears weld up in her eyes and sniffled to keep them away.
"Roe?"
"Yeah?" She pushed a runaway tear off her face.
"Would you like to be my date for the Yule Ball?"
"Really?"
"I thought since maybe you'd like to show everyone just how much you love to dance," James teased as he knew she hated it, "and give them something to talk about."
"Gossip mills run mild around here."
"So is that a yes?"
"Yes."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Get some rest Roe, don't want you all bandaged and hurt at the dance, whatever would the gossip mongers think?"
She grinned at him as he left and feel back on the pillow behind her. She didn't see the reflection of Malfoy in the window until it was too late.
"Malfoy!"
She wasn't answered and she wondered why he had been there.
~ ~ ~
Look another chapter out so soon….I am on a roll…I decided to change this title cause they aren't headed to France just yet…..but the next one will have them going to France and what happens (big surprises!) at the Yule Ball. Appreciate all feedback!
January 23, 2002
