A/N: *stumbles in* Yes, I have returned from the gloomy moors of Writer's Block, the dreaded place we all must visit. The teacher's strike is over (ended nearly a month ago - dear lord I haven't updated for nearly a month, I am so sorry!), so my teachers are piling up the homework. Plus, add to the fact that my family has just moved (have you ever tried moving with a family of nine?), so I've been a bit busy. As usual, this is nowhere near funny in my opinion, but I refuse to call it sucky (no matter how much I want to) because of Wonder Jenny. I'm still searching for a title, and I'd love any ideas. Oh, and by the way, if you wish for me to update from no on, whenever I update, please leave an e-mail address in your wonderful and numerous reviews. Enjoy!
****
"Ron." Hermione stated, sitting down across the table from him. An hour had passed since dinner, leaving the Gryffindor Common room packed to the brim with joking, studying, laughing, talking, and running Gryffindors. Through the confusion she had just barely been able to pick out Ron, across the room, seemingly doing homework. Fighting her way over was even more of a challenge than the mere search. Having finally made her way through the crowds to him, she huffed and puffed for a moment, before gasping out a "Where are Fred and George?"
"I don't need to hang around them all the time you know." Ron said, glaring across at Hermione, "I have other friends outside of them, and you." Shutting a book and piling up the loose parchment strewn across the table and floor, Ron added, "Besides. They have detention. Something about setting Flitwick on fire."
"Been talking to Seamus, have they?"
Ron glared at Hermione, and stood up. "Nice to see you managed to tear yourself away from Harry."
She sighed, and brushed aside a stray bit of hair, "Ron, I've told both you and him, I'm not getting in the middle of your fight. I'm not choosing sides. You two can work this out yourselves." Sighing once more at his fierce look, she continued, "If it matters so much, he's down in the library. I was just on my way down there, and I came to see if you wanted to come with. It's about time you patched up this silly feud."
"I'll apologize if he does." Ron turned, tossing his books onto the nearest chair. "Have you seen Ginny? She hasn't been up here since she stormed out of the Great Hall. She's not up in her dorm, is she?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, giving Ron a reproachful stare. "You can stop playing the role of her keeper you know. She's fine by herself." Stopping in mid-scold, she gave up, knowing full well that Ron found it his duty to play "keeper" to Ginny. "No, I haven't seen her. I don't think she's been back to the tower at all, but she's probably just in the library or such. If you want you can-"
"I'm not coming down to the library with you." Ron broke in, flatly. "I'll just . . . go down and start looking in the corridors, is all."
"Ron, give it a rest. Just wait for her here if it's so important to you." At his doubtful look, Hermione added, "You really don't have to worry, you know. She's probably just off lost in a book or so."
"I really think-"
"Ron." Hermione ordered, cutting into his protests, "stop it. She'll be back soon. It's not like she's off stalking Malfoy, she'll be back in moments. Now," She stood up, and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm going down to the library, and I'll be there for the next few hours. If you want-"
"I don't."
"- just come meet me down there." With that, she spun on a heel, and turned, pushing her way through the crowds, and eventually exiting through the portrait hole.
I'm not going down there, Ron sternly concluded to himself, Besides, someone has to wait for Ginny.
As worry set in he repeated to himself what Hermione had uttered moments before. Over and over, he said the same thing, reassuring himself.
It's not like she's off stalking Malfoy, she'll be back in moments.
****
"Come . . . again, Miss Weasley?"
"A rare and tropical disease." Ginny repeated, standing in front of a rather baffled Madame Pomfrey. Having raced to the Hospital Wing as fast as possible, and arriving in a fully frazzled state, she had found herself ushered onto a nearby bed. As Ginny caught her breath, Madame Pomfrey began her customary vital check. As soon as the redhead had been proclaimed to be in "perfect order", she had commenced her tale, confusing the elder witch greatly with each passing word.
"A tropical disease." Madame Pomfrey repeated, eyebrow raised.
"A rare and tropical disease."
"Pardon me. Rare." Picking up a bottle from a conveniently placed shelf next to the bed Ginny perched on, she turned back around. "I don't know what you are playing at, but I'll have you know, Miss Weasley, I have far more things to attend to than students feigning illness." Madame Pomfrey then began to usher the younger girl out the door, deaf to her protests.
"I promise you, I really am sick!" Ginny objected, trying to force her way back to the bed. "I'm deathly ill. I could be severely contagious! I need to be quarantined this instant!"
"Miss Weasley! Calm yourself!" Staring down at the youngest Weasley, all the while wondering if the Weasley twins were behind any of this, Madame Pomfrey could see easily see how visibly shaken the young girl was. Sighing in defeat, she looked down with a look Ginny could not quite distinguish. As the elder witch slowly nodded, and silently pointed back to the bed the red-haired girl had left only moments before, she though it over. Pity perhaps? Or something more? Was it possible that Madame Pomfrey could plainly see Ginny's loss of her mind? By now that tropical disease must have made somewhat of a physical development in her.
As Ginny climbed onto the bed, wordless and calmed down significantly, Madame Pomfrey gently pulled the curtains around. Once they had fully closed, leaving Ginny hidden from view, the medi-witch called out "I'm sorry, but this'll have to do for a quarantine. Hogwarts really isn't prepared for a tropical disease epidemic."
"Rare and tropical disease." Came the reply, followed by a " Yes, this will do just nicely.". Madame Pomfrey shook her head, and started to make her way back to her office when there was sharp, urgent knock at the door.
Ginny, sighing as she settled back into the covers, ready to finally sleep and let all the thoughts in her head rest too, heard the knock also, giving it no concern as her eyes leisurely closed.
"Open up!" shouted a voice from behind the door, an irritated tone present. "I'm under a tragic spell that I need to be released from before my life comes crashing down around me."
The door creaked open. "I dare say that was a slight exaggeration Mr. Malfoy."
Ginny's eyes snapped open as she bolted up in bed.
So much for a rest.
****
Leaning back in his seat, Snape allowed himself a smile hint of a smile, then sobered quickly.
Yes, he had taken care of that little misfortunate incident with the young Mr. Malfoy. Surely, a mention of this to the young boy's father would benefit the professor greatly. He had saved the man's son from a terribly humiliating fate, by teaching him to avoid making the same mistake as countless other Slytherins before him. That had to be worth something, a small bag of galleons perhaps? The man certainly could afford it.
Snape reached out to his desk, picking up his cup, and bringing it to his lips.
He had done wonderfully while talking to the young student. Putting aside his utter annoyance with the boy, to offer life-long advice and help in a time of need, was certainly something to pride in. Snape could now confidently call himself a brilliant professor.
Yes, he had done well.
Closing his eyes, Snape thought back to the conversation. Excluding the comment the young Mr. Malfoy as he left, the night had-
Snape bolted up, his cup of tea overturning in the process, eyes looking wildly about.
Malfoy. The little brat of a Malfoy. Where did he find the audacity to undermine his authority like that?.
Racing to the door, and through it, Snape set out at a swift sprint, robes flying out behind him, and turned left into the corridor connecting to his office. The same direction the Malfoy horror had taken.
The direction opposite from the Slytherin Common Room.
****
Draco pushed past Madame Pomfrey, and carefully set himself down on the nearest bed. "Well? Fix me." He demanded, glaring as she stood, blinking at him from the door.
"Mr. Malfoy, need I remind you to keep your voice down? I believed you had learned your lesson last time you-" Madame Pomfrey paused. "-graced me with your presence."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Draco saw the curtains pulled around the bed across from him flutter and quickly closed.
"All respect intended ma'am, but could you please just do your job and cure me from my wretched ailment?" Avoiding the fierce look of Madame Pomfrey, he glanced over to the curtains, wondering who was lying behind them, and what for. As he settled back into the bed, he hoped that whatever they had wasn't too contagious.
"Mr. Malfoy, I will 'do my job', as you so kindly put it, when necessary. When you decide to use a spot more civility, in other words. I will be in my office until you change your mind." With that said, Madame Pomfrey stalked off to the other end of the Hospital Wing, stepped into her office, and closed the door behind her.
"That woman, wait until my father . . . " Draco muttered to himself, laying down. Resolving to not back down and give in, he began to look around the Wing, wondering if he should just leave and suffer through his rather unusual state for the night. His eyes drifted across to the hastily drawn bed curtains, and the bit of red curls peeking out from behind them.
He sat up. What curls?
Peering closer, Draco felt something in his chest give a small jump.
Without taking his eyes off those curls, the same red mess that managed to always attract his gaze from any amount of distance, he balled his hand into a fist and pounded twice directly where his heart was.
Darting his eyes down he muttered a soft "Stop doing that!" And sighed loudly.
Staring back at that damn red frizz that plagued his every thought, Draco managed clear his mind long enough for one notion.
It was going to be a long night.
****
And now, for our favorite part:
bellus-qui: Heh heh heh . . . oh they'll have fun alright . . . I tried to fit more into this chapter, but I just couldn't do it. Don't worry, next time! Thanks for the review!
sasori: Thanks for the review! I know, clueless!Draco is just so . . . cute in a strange way, isn't he?
amyza: Thanks a ton for the review, I can't wait for your next one!
SilverDream: Snape as a bad guy? Oops, I didn't mean to do that . . . sorry! Anyway, glad you like it, hope you enjoyed this chapter!
BleedingQueen: Great to hear I made your day . . . hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lol . . . and it's great to think some one finds this funny. Please review again soon, I need someone to let me know this isn't as bad as I think. Thanks for the review!
Reah: *secretly slips her a brownie while the rest of the reviewers are busy looking away* See, there is a present for the fiftieth reviewer. Just wait 'til you see what the hundredth reviewer gets. Thank you so much for reviewing, it seriously made me feel great. And don't worry, I'm utterly clueless too, so . . . it isn't just you. Great to know you liked it, thank you!
seekerpeeker: No, I don't go to Red Wing, I go to good old Plainfield High School, sadly. Yes, I live in a town called Plainfield, how sad is that? Seems that teachers are going on strike all over America right now though . . . anyway, thanks so much for the review, and I hope you liked this chapter just as much.
Eclipsed Planet: You're the only one to have noticed it's during fourth year . . . kudos to you. And I rule? *blushes like mad* thank you so much, you seriously rock! Great to know you love this story, I can't wait for your next review. Thank you so much!
Dracos gal: Thank you so much for the review!
Rebuky: Thank you so much! It's always great hearing that people like my writings. Thank you!
Liz: I tried to keep up the whole hair thing . . . but anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! Thank you!
Wonder Jenny: *glomps* Thank you thank you thank you! You are seriously the best! Your reviews always make me feel so great . . . and who cares if it took you awhile, I mean how long did it take me to update? And your brother was born? Congratulations then. Ah, and that poor choir. Great to know I made you laugh! Seriously, you don't know how awesome you make my day *big grin* lol, that poor chiour. Hilarious though, really. And you talk about my fic with your friends? *whispers* You. Are. The. Best! Gah, seriously though THANK YOU! (can you tell I love your reviews?) Anyway, thank you so much, you are totally awesome. I wish I could tell you how awesome, but I don't think I have a good enough vocabulary for that. Anyway, thank you so much! Can't wait for your next review.