Chapter 9-
Fifth Year
Rugby, England
I started to write again as soon as I found the right code.
"Hello, Narcissa."
"Hi! Draco! I didn't expect this."
Mm? Oh well.
"Fifth year, huh? Anything big happen?"
"Nothing new."
"Tell me anyway."
"What exactly do you want to know?"
Hmm. I'm still not sure.
"The truth."
"About what?"
"Life. The universe. Everything."
"Forty-two."
I don't understand. "Just. Tell me about school."
"It's so easy! You wouldn't believe it! But I hate this prank war- Slytherin against Gryffindor. And it's only the fifth year boys- which is amazing. Eight Slytherins to four Gryffindors. Granted, the only one among them who could think up a decent trick is Snape, and he's pretty much going single-handedly against Sexy-Quidditch Captain- high score James Potter, Brilliant-brash-funny-girl-magnet Sirius Black, Quiet-kind-studious-every- girl-wants-him Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Snape does all the work and gets no credit other than the retaliation pranks are against all Slytherins, particularly the male populace."
"So, no flattering words for Pettigrew, I see."
"Well, he's just so bland compared to them. I mean, you should see the four of them! Peter's good looking in an average sort of way, but the other three. I don't know. James as this rugged athlete look, Sirius has this crazy sexy party teen style, and Remus is just exotic but in a very calm and subtle way that creeps up on you and whistles, 'Damn.' Peter just can't live up. And he's in the lower half of the school, while the others are in the top five- Hell, James is in the 97%, and Remus is in the 99%! Think about that. I just can't see Peter going far in life if he didn't have his friends to back him up."
"Where are you?" I decide to ignore all the "Wow, he's a sexy beast!" comments, as it is my mother I am talking to.
"99%, of course. Can't let my partner slide ahead of me. In fact, I'd say only Lily Evans and Severus Snape top us- Perfect marks on everything."
"Well, shit. Me too. Only one above me, though."
"Oh."
"You wanna know a secret???"
"What?"
"I think I know who Sirius Black likes! I don't think any of the other girls figured it out yet- it's a sort of game we play, the Ravenclaw fifth year girls. We try to figure out which school pick guy- We have a list- would go good with which person, and then we try and figure out who they secretly have a crush on. We all agree James Potter is totally crushing on Lily Evans, who's actually a great match for him but she likes quiet boys- We know she thinks Remus is Gryffindor's top pick, and I agree. But this month we're doing Sirius, and I think I've got it figured out!"
"Okay." Girls and their games.
"Ready?"
".Sure."
"Sirius is head-over-heels in love with Remus Lupin! I don't know if he knows, but I certainly know nobody else suspects. Certainly not Remus, who's reassured me he's straight many times, even though sometimes I wonder. God, but who can blame him? I think I love him. What do you think, Draco?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, about Remus. Um. I think he's got problems."
"Well, he's having some trouble with his current load of extra DADA and Arithmacy, and he's fully determined to be a teacher so he has to worry about his education major-"
"I mean mental."
"Really? Maybe."
"Yeah."
"At least he's so shy that the other girls are too nervous to approach him. Leaves him for me, and he's so sweet you don't care if he's psycho or gay, you just want to hug him sometimes. The other girls go for Black and Malfoy- Hot but stuck-up little sombitch."
"What? Oh, wait, Lucius Malfoy."
"Oh, right, that's your last name too. Are you related?"
Lie. ".Maybe. I'm not sure."
"Okay. Ooh, god I hate Malfoy!"
"You have no idea."
"Don't I?! He's a spoiled rich self-centered prat! He's definitely moonlighting guys, he has decent grades but mostly because he gets Snape to do his homework. And his racism! 'Stupid little Mudblood! Books and studying will never teach you to be a real wizard.' Every day he says that. Everyday."
"Well, tomorrow say 'Good, because I'm already a real witch, and I plan on keeping this gender. By the way, I hope that operation goes well for you, Lucy.' That'll shut him up for a while."
"That's good."
"I'm good at insults."
"You should meet Black."
'I have. We don't get along."
"Weird."
"He doesn't believe I'm straight, keeps thinking I'm moving in on his territory. I'm sure it's unrequited."
"Sad."
"More like pathetic."
"Oh! It's almost nine! The game's starting! Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin. I'm Seeker, you know."
"I do. I hope you win."
"Me too." The book closed on its own.
I hope you win? What was I thinking, betting against my team?
I slump down on the bed. Lupin had put his books next to me while I talked with Mum.
Pick one up. Year One.
I shouldn't read it. I'm already corrupted.
Fuck it.
Fifth Year
Rugby, England
I started to write again as soon as I found the right code.
"Hello, Narcissa."
"Hi! Draco! I didn't expect this."
Mm? Oh well.
"Fifth year, huh? Anything big happen?"
"Nothing new."
"Tell me anyway."
"What exactly do you want to know?"
Hmm. I'm still not sure.
"The truth."
"About what?"
"Life. The universe. Everything."
"Forty-two."
I don't understand. "Just. Tell me about school."
"It's so easy! You wouldn't believe it! But I hate this prank war- Slytherin against Gryffindor. And it's only the fifth year boys- which is amazing. Eight Slytherins to four Gryffindors. Granted, the only one among them who could think up a decent trick is Snape, and he's pretty much going single-handedly against Sexy-Quidditch Captain- high score James Potter, Brilliant-brash-funny-girl-magnet Sirius Black, Quiet-kind-studious-every- girl-wants-him Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Snape does all the work and gets no credit other than the retaliation pranks are against all Slytherins, particularly the male populace."
"So, no flattering words for Pettigrew, I see."
"Well, he's just so bland compared to them. I mean, you should see the four of them! Peter's good looking in an average sort of way, but the other three. I don't know. James as this rugged athlete look, Sirius has this crazy sexy party teen style, and Remus is just exotic but in a very calm and subtle way that creeps up on you and whistles, 'Damn.' Peter just can't live up. And he's in the lower half of the school, while the others are in the top five- Hell, James is in the 97%, and Remus is in the 99%! Think about that. I just can't see Peter going far in life if he didn't have his friends to back him up."
"Where are you?" I decide to ignore all the "Wow, he's a sexy beast!" comments, as it is my mother I am talking to.
"99%, of course. Can't let my partner slide ahead of me. In fact, I'd say only Lily Evans and Severus Snape top us- Perfect marks on everything."
"Well, shit. Me too. Only one above me, though."
"Oh."
"You wanna know a secret???"
"What?"
"I think I know who Sirius Black likes! I don't think any of the other girls figured it out yet- it's a sort of game we play, the Ravenclaw fifth year girls. We try to figure out which school pick guy- We have a list- would go good with which person, and then we try and figure out who they secretly have a crush on. We all agree James Potter is totally crushing on Lily Evans, who's actually a great match for him but she likes quiet boys- We know she thinks Remus is Gryffindor's top pick, and I agree. But this month we're doing Sirius, and I think I've got it figured out!"
"Okay." Girls and their games.
"Ready?"
".Sure."
"Sirius is head-over-heels in love with Remus Lupin! I don't know if he knows, but I certainly know nobody else suspects. Certainly not Remus, who's reassured me he's straight many times, even though sometimes I wonder. God, but who can blame him? I think I love him. What do you think, Draco?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, about Remus. Um. I think he's got problems."
"Well, he's having some trouble with his current load of extra DADA and Arithmacy, and he's fully determined to be a teacher so he has to worry about his education major-"
"I mean mental."
"Really? Maybe."
"Yeah."
"At least he's so shy that the other girls are too nervous to approach him. Leaves him for me, and he's so sweet you don't care if he's psycho or gay, you just want to hug him sometimes. The other girls go for Black and Malfoy- Hot but stuck-up little sombitch."
"What? Oh, wait, Lucius Malfoy."
"Oh, right, that's your last name too. Are you related?"
Lie. ".Maybe. I'm not sure."
"Okay. Ooh, god I hate Malfoy!"
"You have no idea."
"Don't I?! He's a spoiled rich self-centered prat! He's definitely moonlighting guys, he has decent grades but mostly because he gets Snape to do his homework. And his racism! 'Stupid little Mudblood! Books and studying will never teach you to be a real wizard.' Every day he says that. Everyday."
"Well, tomorrow say 'Good, because I'm already a real witch, and I plan on keeping this gender. By the way, I hope that operation goes well for you, Lucy.' That'll shut him up for a while."
"That's good."
"I'm good at insults."
"You should meet Black."
'I have. We don't get along."
"Weird."
"He doesn't believe I'm straight, keeps thinking I'm moving in on his territory. I'm sure it's unrequited."
"Sad."
"More like pathetic."
"Oh! It's almost nine! The game's starting! Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin. I'm Seeker, you know."
"I do. I hope you win."
"Me too." The book closed on its own.
I hope you win? What was I thinking, betting against my team?
I slump down on the bed. Lupin had put his books next to me while I talked with Mum.
Pick one up. Year One.
I shouldn't read it. I'm already corrupted.
Fuck it.