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Hermione tried to suppress the sigh that was rising in her throat. She was astonishingly happy, being at the Ball with Ron, despite her knowledge that he had first asked Kendra. The thing most boys didn't understand was that, close friends or not, girls would talk about who had asked them. When Hermione had casually asked her, Kendra had turned red and acted as if no one had asked her. Neither girl was stupid and Kendra admitted a few moments later that Ron had asked her, but that she was planning on going with Oliver Wood.
Ron smiled down at her for a second and Hermione smiled back, then turned to look at Kendra.
"Doesn't Ron look smashing?" she asked, without thinking about her words.
Kendra looked shocked, but nodded. "Oliver looks absolutely . . . perfect," she said, completely stunned by her own words.
Oliver flushed slightly and ducked his head. "Thank you, but I look far from perfect."
Kendra laughed and placed her hand against Oliver's chest. "Don't be ridiculous. You look good enough to eat," she said.
Hermione giggled, then clamped her hand over her mouth. "Rphhmmhm."
Harry frowned and glanced at her. "What?"
Her hand flew off her mouth. "I said Ron looks delicious."
Kendra's lower lip quivered and she looked devastated as she turned toward Oliver, her mouth open. "Oh Gods Oliver, I don't want to say this but my mouth and throat keep forcing my words out and I want you to kiss me."
Oliver coughed into his hand, then leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Kendra's cheek.
"Not like that," she said, grabbing his hand. "I want you to really kiss me. Not like all those other kisses you've given me. Not on the cheek like my parents are watching from the living room window. Kiss me Oliver . . . now dammit! Kiss me!" she yelled.
Several students nearby turned at the sound of her voice and watched as Kendra walked to the nearest chair and collapsed, her head in her hands.
Hermione stared at Ron in shock, then blurted out, "Put your hands on me Ron."
He glanced away from Kendra and frowned. "What?"
"I said put your hands on me," Hermione repeated, her fingers quickly slamming over her mouth in an attempt to stop the words.
Draco snicked from where he sat nearby. He enjoyed watching the girls talk like that to their own dates, but he wanted to hear them talk about other students, teachers even.
"Draco!" Kendra said loudly, turning on him.
He froze in his chair, thinking she had figured out who had cast the spell on her.
Instead, her eyes filled with tears and she sat next to him. "Draco," she said more softly. "Will you kiss me? Kiss me and touch me like Oliver won't?"
Draco threw his head back and laughed loudly. He had never imagined that she would turn on him, he had never even considered the idea that one of the girls would turn their dirty words in his direction.
Parvati watched, her mouth open as Kendra and Hermione made absolute fools of themselves. While Lavender giggled harder with everything they said, Parvati felt a blush begin to creep up her cheeks. With a start she realized that she was actually embarrassed for them. It had been bad enough when their words had been directed at Oliver and Ron, but not Kendra was sitting by Draco's side.
"What was that?" Draco asked, wanting Kendra to repeat herself.
Kendra's eyes rolled frantically, as her throat worked to try and stop the flow of words. "I asked you to kiss me and touch me Draco. Oliver's a man, yet he doesn't understand what a woman needs."
"Kendra!" Oliver exclaimed, grabbing her arm. He sounded almost scandalized and was breathing fairly hard. "What you and I do is none of Draco Malfoy's business." A blush started to creep up his face.
Kendra turned to him. "Help me. Stop this."
Hermione's fingers were still stuffed in her mouth, but random words worked their way out around them. "Ron! Touch . . . now!" She shook her head and squeezed her mouth tighter.
Parvati glared at Draco, knowing he had cast some sort of spell on them. He should have known better than to mess with Kendra and Hermione, he couldn't possibly understand what would happen in either of them ended up hurt. Parvati paused in her thinking and frowned to herself. She didn't understand her own thoughts, what would happen if Hermione or Kendra were hurt?
"What is going on here?" Snape's cold voice shattered the air, causing the laughter to stop immediately, and he pushed his way through the crowd of students that had gathered around the two girls.
Kendra turned away from Draco to the sound of Snape's voice. Draco smiled, this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
"Professor Snape," Kendra began coyly.
"Oh no," Oliver moaned, reaching for her.
She shook off his grasp and walked right past Hermione, who was still struggling with her fingers. Kendra walked slowly, carefully, almost seductively and it might have looked attractive if it wasn't for the look of absolute terror that crossed her face with every word.
"Have I ever told you how excruciatingly attractive I find you?" Kendra asked.
Snape's eyes hardened as he looked over the crowd and found Draco Malfoy laughing hysterically.
"Amazingly handsome," Hermione added, her fingers twisting violently in her lap.
Kendra stopped in front of Snape and stared at him, her eyes begging him to do something as she began to toy with the buttons on his shirt. He stood still and watched, wondering what spell it was that Draco had put on Kendra and Hermione.
"I've always wanted you to know that," Kendra said. "Really. Just because I've been put under a spell doesn't mean my words aren't real. I find you very handsome."
Hermione had edged closer and her hand fluttered forward, touching his cloak. "I've always wanted you to know before I left Hogwarts and now you do."
"Professor," Kendra whispered, leaning close. "If I ask very nicely, would you-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Oliver's hand clapped down over her mouth and he dragged her backward. She stared up at him with grateful eyes as Hermione began her own struggle once more.
Snape stared at Ron and Oliver. "Take them to the hospital wing. And Mr Malfoy, please come with me."
Draco looked angry, but stood and followed Snape into the hall and toward his office.
"Good, I hope Snape punishes him," Parvati said.
Lavender laughed as Kendra bowed her head to Oliver's shoulder and pushed his hand harder against her mouth with her own hands.
"What do you mean?" she asked. "This is hysterical. I like Kendra and all, but she's a little uptight Par, you know it as well as I do. And Granger? She completely deserves something like this. She's such a know-it-all and practically everyone is just waiting for her to get hers."
"Shut up Lavender!" Parvati said suddenly. "You've no idea what you're talking about."
Lavender's eyes widened and she stepped back suddenly. "What's gotten into you?" She shook her head. "You used to agree with me about Hermione, why are you suddenly acting like you're her best friend?"
Parvati sighed. "I-I don't know," she stammered, then stared at the students who were slowly walking up the stairs, making their way to the hospital wing. "I couldn't tell you."
"Well, come off it," Lavender said. "Kendra's our friend, but she needs to come out of her shell. The only people she's ever talked to are you, Oliver and myself. Maybe it wasn't the best way to go about it, but I'll bet Draco did her a favour."
"She talks to Harry, Hermione and Ron," Parvati corrected quickly.
Lavender sighed. "So? Like I said, Hermione needs a bit of a reality check. They're always in trouble, you and I both know that she should stay away from them."
"They're not that bad Lavender!" Parvati protested.
"Whatever you say. I'm going back to the party and maybe you should think about who you really want for your friends," Lavender said, then turned away.
Parvati watched her go, then sighed and sunk into the nearest chair. Why was she suddenly acting like Hermione and the others were her best friends? She had never particularly liked them, especially after Harry's botched attempt at taking her to the Yule Ball in their fourth year. They were definitely not her favourite people in the school and they were always getting themselves in trouble. The scary thing was that their trouble usually included Voldemort to some extent. Parvati didn't want to involve herself with people who would no doubt be killed within the next few years . . . so why did she feel such a strong need to protect them?
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Notes: Hmm, c'mon people. Four reviews? I'm sure you can do better than that. Construtive criticism is also appreciated if you think the story is lacking. Review . . . Snape would thank you.
Hermione tried to suppress the sigh that was rising in her throat. She was astonishingly happy, being at the Ball with Ron, despite her knowledge that he had first asked Kendra. The thing most boys didn't understand was that, close friends or not, girls would talk about who had asked them. When Hermione had casually asked her, Kendra had turned red and acted as if no one had asked her. Neither girl was stupid and Kendra admitted a few moments later that Ron had asked her, but that she was planning on going with Oliver Wood.
Ron smiled down at her for a second and Hermione smiled back, then turned to look at Kendra.
"Doesn't Ron look smashing?" she asked, without thinking about her words.
Kendra looked shocked, but nodded. "Oliver looks absolutely . . . perfect," she said, completely stunned by her own words.
Oliver flushed slightly and ducked his head. "Thank you, but I look far from perfect."
Kendra laughed and placed her hand against Oliver's chest. "Don't be ridiculous. You look good enough to eat," she said.
Hermione giggled, then clamped her hand over her mouth. "Rphhmmhm."
Harry frowned and glanced at her. "What?"
Her hand flew off her mouth. "I said Ron looks delicious."
Kendra's lower lip quivered and she looked devastated as she turned toward Oliver, her mouth open. "Oh Gods Oliver, I don't want to say this but my mouth and throat keep forcing my words out and I want you to kiss me."
Oliver coughed into his hand, then leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Kendra's cheek.
"Not like that," she said, grabbing his hand. "I want you to really kiss me. Not like all those other kisses you've given me. Not on the cheek like my parents are watching from the living room window. Kiss me Oliver . . . now dammit! Kiss me!" she yelled.
Several students nearby turned at the sound of her voice and watched as Kendra walked to the nearest chair and collapsed, her head in her hands.
Hermione stared at Ron in shock, then blurted out, "Put your hands on me Ron."
He glanced away from Kendra and frowned. "What?"
"I said put your hands on me," Hermione repeated, her fingers quickly slamming over her mouth in an attempt to stop the words.
Draco snicked from where he sat nearby. He enjoyed watching the girls talk like that to their own dates, but he wanted to hear them talk about other students, teachers even.
"Draco!" Kendra said loudly, turning on him.
He froze in his chair, thinking she had figured out who had cast the spell on her.
Instead, her eyes filled with tears and she sat next to him. "Draco," she said more softly. "Will you kiss me? Kiss me and touch me like Oliver won't?"
Draco threw his head back and laughed loudly. He had never imagined that she would turn on him, he had never even considered the idea that one of the girls would turn their dirty words in his direction.
Parvati watched, her mouth open as Kendra and Hermione made absolute fools of themselves. While Lavender giggled harder with everything they said, Parvati felt a blush begin to creep up her cheeks. With a start she realized that she was actually embarrassed for them. It had been bad enough when their words had been directed at Oliver and Ron, but not Kendra was sitting by Draco's side.
"What was that?" Draco asked, wanting Kendra to repeat herself.
Kendra's eyes rolled frantically, as her throat worked to try and stop the flow of words. "I asked you to kiss me and touch me Draco. Oliver's a man, yet he doesn't understand what a woman needs."
"Kendra!" Oliver exclaimed, grabbing her arm. He sounded almost scandalized and was breathing fairly hard. "What you and I do is none of Draco Malfoy's business." A blush started to creep up his face.
Kendra turned to him. "Help me. Stop this."
Hermione's fingers were still stuffed in her mouth, but random words worked their way out around them. "Ron! Touch . . . now!" She shook her head and squeezed her mouth tighter.
Parvati glared at Draco, knowing he had cast some sort of spell on them. He should have known better than to mess with Kendra and Hermione, he couldn't possibly understand what would happen in either of them ended up hurt. Parvati paused in her thinking and frowned to herself. She didn't understand her own thoughts, what would happen if Hermione or Kendra were hurt?
"What is going on here?" Snape's cold voice shattered the air, causing the laughter to stop immediately, and he pushed his way through the crowd of students that had gathered around the two girls.
Kendra turned away from Draco to the sound of Snape's voice. Draco smiled, this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
"Professor Snape," Kendra began coyly.
"Oh no," Oliver moaned, reaching for her.
She shook off his grasp and walked right past Hermione, who was still struggling with her fingers. Kendra walked slowly, carefully, almost seductively and it might have looked attractive if it wasn't for the look of absolute terror that crossed her face with every word.
"Have I ever told you how excruciatingly attractive I find you?" Kendra asked.
Snape's eyes hardened as he looked over the crowd and found Draco Malfoy laughing hysterically.
"Amazingly handsome," Hermione added, her fingers twisting violently in her lap.
Kendra stopped in front of Snape and stared at him, her eyes begging him to do something as she began to toy with the buttons on his shirt. He stood still and watched, wondering what spell it was that Draco had put on Kendra and Hermione.
"I've always wanted you to know that," Kendra said. "Really. Just because I've been put under a spell doesn't mean my words aren't real. I find you very handsome."
Hermione had edged closer and her hand fluttered forward, touching his cloak. "I've always wanted you to know before I left Hogwarts and now you do."
"Professor," Kendra whispered, leaning close. "If I ask very nicely, would you-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Oliver's hand clapped down over her mouth and he dragged her backward. She stared up at him with grateful eyes as Hermione began her own struggle once more.
Snape stared at Ron and Oliver. "Take them to the hospital wing. And Mr Malfoy, please come with me."
Draco looked angry, but stood and followed Snape into the hall and toward his office.
"Good, I hope Snape punishes him," Parvati said.
Lavender laughed as Kendra bowed her head to Oliver's shoulder and pushed his hand harder against her mouth with her own hands.
"What do you mean?" she asked. "This is hysterical. I like Kendra and all, but she's a little uptight Par, you know it as well as I do. And Granger? She completely deserves something like this. She's such a know-it-all and practically everyone is just waiting for her to get hers."
"Shut up Lavender!" Parvati said suddenly. "You've no idea what you're talking about."
Lavender's eyes widened and she stepped back suddenly. "What's gotten into you?" She shook her head. "You used to agree with me about Hermione, why are you suddenly acting like you're her best friend?"
Parvati sighed. "I-I don't know," she stammered, then stared at the students who were slowly walking up the stairs, making their way to the hospital wing. "I couldn't tell you."
"Well, come off it," Lavender said. "Kendra's our friend, but she needs to come out of her shell. The only people she's ever talked to are you, Oliver and myself. Maybe it wasn't the best way to go about it, but I'll bet Draco did her a favour."
"She talks to Harry, Hermione and Ron," Parvati corrected quickly.
Lavender sighed. "So? Like I said, Hermione needs a bit of a reality check. They're always in trouble, you and I both know that she should stay away from them."
"They're not that bad Lavender!" Parvati protested.
"Whatever you say. I'm going back to the party and maybe you should think about who you really want for your friends," Lavender said, then turned away.
Parvati watched her go, then sighed and sunk into the nearest chair. Why was she suddenly acting like Hermione and the others were her best friends? She had never particularly liked them, especially after Harry's botched attempt at taking her to the Yule Ball in their fourth year. They were definitely not her favourite people in the school and they were always getting themselves in trouble. The scary thing was that their trouble usually included Voldemort to some extent. Parvati didn't want to involve herself with people who would no doubt be killed within the next few years . . . so why did she feel such a strong need to protect them?
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Notes: Hmm, c'mon people. Four reviews? I'm sure you can do better than that. Construtive criticism is also appreciated if you think the story is lacking. Review . . . Snape would thank you.