mandraco: I'm going to give a separate part of my A/N to you, because you made a good point. Yes, I do know that Harry can talk to snakes, but in this, he doesn't know it yet. And actually, I haven't seen the second movie. I rarely see movies or TV except late at night when I'm bored and not tired. The reason Brone didn't talk to Harry is because he's Sable's, he's spoiled, and he didn't want to. They will talk eventually, but I'm not going to say when or why.
~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~
"They're asleep," Draco's voice was right by Sable's ear.
"Good," She sat up and got slowly out of bed. "Let's go."
They crept silently out into the hall, ten into the secret passage. They had been doing this for the whole week. They would sneak out to the lake and just sit and talk until sunrise. Then they would sneak back in and sleep until the morning. Doyle had ended up wandering down to the lake and would come every night and see them. Draco wasn't afraid to pet him, and even went so far as to play Chase.
Sable glanced at Draco as they settled on the grass under a tree. He was leaning against the trunk of the tree, gazing up at the sky. Doyle suddenly bounded out of the bushes, over Draco, and onto Sable. Sable grinned and pet the hyena pup. Draco raised an eyebrow and rubbed his arm where Doyle had stepped on it.
"Reckless," Draco pet the hyena. "He seems really energetic today."
"Hagrid sent me an owl that said someone had just released a bunch of rabbits into the forest," Sable grinned and hugged Doyle. "He probably doesn't have to exert as much energy to hunt."
"Oh," Draco nodded. "I'm going swimming. Come with me?"
"Sure," Sable nodded and sent Doyle into the bushes he had come from. "What are we supposed to wear?"
"I'm just going to wear my boxers," Draco shrugged and walked over to the edge of the water. "You can wear whatever you want."
"Okay," Sable nodded and tried not to watch as Draco stripped of everything but his boxers. After Draco dived in, Sable slid her clothes off until she was only in underclothes, then dived quickly in. She shivered as the cold water hit her skin. Draco came up from underwater, raising an eyebrow when he saw the straps on her shoulders. She grinned and splashed him with water, then dived under to avoid his own splash. Her legs propelled her through the water to his legs, which she oh-so-kindly pulled down on.
She came up for breath, laughing as she saw Draco come up. His hair was matted down to his head, streaming with water. Eyes glinting, Draco pounced on her. She sucked in a deep breath before being dragged under the water and all the way to the bottom. They wrestled each other underwater for a few seconds, before Sable started running out of breath. She had just gotten a breath when Draco came up for his own, then pulled her under again.
They tired of the rough play after a few minutes and instead contented themselves with swimming side by side. Sable swam a circle around Draco, tickling his back with her fingertips and darting away. He swam after her quickly and then into her, sending them both tumbling through the water. Sable resurfaced, then dived back down again. She looked around for Draco, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was a sudden weight on her back as Draco pounced on her. She turned over so she was facing him.
Draco was staring straight into her eyes. She accidentally let all her breath out and had to struggle to the top of the water. Draco came to the surface with her, swimming to the dock. Sable followed after getting a breath of air. They laid out on the cool wood of the dock, panting and tired. Sable turned on her side to grin at Draco.
"That was fun," She sat up slowly. "But now I'm getting cold."
"Yeah, it was fun," Draco nodded and stood up, reaching a hand down to help Sable up. "We should go now though, it's late and we're soaked."
"Yeah," Sable nodded and let him pull her up. "Let's get our stuff."
"What are you doing?" Draco asked as Sable, who had slipped her robe over her underclothes, picked some flowers.
"Picking some honeysuckles," Sable tucked one into his hair over his ear. "They smell really good. Come on, let's go."
Draco touched the flower in his hair as he followed Sable. They were soon back in the Slytherin common room. He got out two towels and tossed one to Sable. They dried off silently then went to bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus walked quickly down the halls of Hogwarts. He paused as his foot landed in a small puddle of water. He frowned and sniffed the air. Honeysuckle? Odd. He continued on his mission; to talk to Dumbledore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sable sat in the library, her fingers playing with a honeysuckle as she read about the taste buds and how you could trick them into thinking one thing is something else. She barely glanced up as Harry sat down in front of her. Finishing her paragraph, she marked her page and set the book down. She smiled at Harry.
"Hey Harry," She set her flower down.
"Hey Sable." Harry smiled and glanced curiously at the flower. "What's that?"
"Hm? Oh, that's a honeysuckle. It smells good," She shrugged and let him smell it. "You haven't really been around much lately."
"Oh, yeah," Harry looked around uneasily. "I have just been really busy studying and stuff. I've been working on essays and stuff. I've been busy doing a lot of stuff."
"Really," Sable raised an eyebrow. "Get your answer straight. The first answer was the best. Avoid using the word stuff. Also avoid lying to me, because I know where you were."
"Sorry," Harry murmured and looked at the table.
"It's ok," Sable shrugged. "I know your best friends hate me, and I can't expect you to blow them off for me. I can, on the other hand, expect you to blow me off for them. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to get back to reading." She picked her book back up and started to read.
"Sable, please. Listen to what I have to say," Harry pleaded.
"Fine," Sable set her book back down. "Hurry."
"I really am sorry," Harry began, his voice apologetic. "But Ron and Hermione don't trust you... It's hard for me to be around you, because then they get mad at me. And I know that's no excuse, but that's why."
"I know your friends don't trust me," Sable shrugged. "I still don't see why you let them make your decisions. Now, I think I'll be on my way.
Sable stood up with her book and walked out the door of the library. As she was walking down the hall, she ran literally) into Ron and Hermione. When they were standing again, Ron shot her a glare.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, Slytherin?" Ron's face was slowly turning red with anger.
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Sable chuckled to herself. "You're right, I am a Slytherin, and proud of it. And please, if you're going to throw an insult, at least throw it with a valid request. You are just as guilty as me for us running into each other."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sable?" Draco ran around the Slytherin common room, searching for Sable. "Are you in here?"
Draco frowned and left the common room. She hadn't been at dinner so Draco had come looking for her. So far, she was nowhere to be found. Draco reluctantly made his way back to dinner and over to the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindors all glared at him as he passed by them, stopping at Harry.
"What do you want?" Ron stood up.
"What I want has nothing to do with you," Draco glared and turned to Harry. "I need to talk to you."
"Why should I come with you?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Because it's important," Draco said. "It's about Sable."
"Harry!" Ron cried out as Harry stood up. "You're not going to associate with the enemy for that troublemaker!"
"Yes, Ron, I am," Harry followed Draco out of the Great Hall. "What is it, Malfoy?"
"You know that little lake close by Hogwarts?" Draco continued at Harry's nod. "I need you to make sure no teachers get anywhere near that or in sight of it."
"Why?"
"Because Sable is missing and that's where she's gone," Draco half-turned to see the door leading outside. "Can you do that?"
"Can't I go with you?" Harry asked. "I could get Ron or Hermione to watch-"
"No," Draco shook his head vigorously. "Just make sure no teachers find us. Okay?"
"Okay," Harry sighed and made his way back inside to dinner.
Draco looked around then dashed outside. He ran all the way to the lake, sighing in relief as he saw Sable asleep under a tree. He sat down beside her, planning on waiting until she woke up. His eyes drifted slowly closed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sable woke up slowly to something heavy across her back. She blinked her eyes opened, surprised to see Draco asleep on top of her. Carefully crawling out from under him, she wondered what he was doing there. The sky was turning a soft pink, and she realized she had been out a long time and Draco had probably come looking for her.
After she had the run-in with Ron and Hermione, she had decided to go to the lake. Being outside tended to calm her nerves. She had come outside, and had soon fallen asleep under the tree. How long ago had that been? A few hours ago?
"You're awake?" Draco's groggy voice came from behind her.
"Yeah," She turned to face him and smiled. "Why did you come out here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing," Draco scoffed. "I came out here looking for you. I think I deserve to know why you came out here."
"I just felt like it," Sable shrugged and leaned back against the tree trunk.
"Sure," Draco eyed her. "And I'm best friends with Potter."
Sable grinned. "Wanna go for a swim?"
"No way!" Draco glanced at the water. "It'll be freezing!"
"Exactly," Sable smiled and dragged Draco to the edge of the water. "Come on!"
"No!" Draco pulled her back towards the tree. "I think we should stay right here, under this tree."
"Fine," Sable rolled her eyes and sat down beside him. "You know, I was thinking."
"What about?" Draco asked after a moment of silence.
"Everything," Sable yawned a bit.
"Like?"
"Everything doesn't give you any ideas?" Sable grinned. "I think everything kind of explains it."
"Not really," Draco shook his head and leaned back against the tree.
"It does to me," Sable shrugged and reached over to pick up a fallen brown star-shaped leaf. "I'm really tired. Maybe we can go back early today?"
"Sure," Draco nodded and looked at her. "Just tell me when you want to go."
"Okay," Sable lied down beside him and stared up at the colorful sky.
"Why haven't you ever talked about your home or family?" Draco asked as he watched her.
"You don't either."
"I have," Draco shrugged. "And anyway, you know who my parents are."
"So?"
"So why don't you ever tell me about your home life and your parents?" Draco reached over and plucked a leaf out of her hair.
"Truthfully?" Sable looked away from the sky to focus on Draco.
"Yes," Draco nodded.
"I don't know who my real parents are."
"Why not?" Draco frowned.
"I've never met them," Sable shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
"So who have you been living with your whole life?"
"Snape."
Draco paused. "Professor Snape?"
"Yup," Sable nodded and grinned at the look on Draco's face. "Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes!" Draco exclaimed.
"I was left on his doorstep when I was a baby so he kept me," Sable shrugged. "What would you have done?"
"I probably would've thrown the thing in a river," Draco smirked.
"You would've thrown me in a river?" Sable pouted.
"No, not you," Draco looked up at the now dark sky. "Anyone else, yes."
"Thanks," Sable smiled and hugged Draco.
"Uh, no problem..." Draco said, wide-eyed, before hugging her back tentatively.
"Now it's my turn to question you!" Sable grinned devilishly and lied back down.
"But I barely asked you anything!"
"But the few questions you asked make up my whole life," Sable laughed. "So I get to ask you now."
"Fine," Draco sighed and lied down beside her.
"You don't have any siblings, right?" Sable questioned.
"No," Draco shook his head.
"Why not?"
"Because," Draco shrugged and looked at her. "My parents aren't happy with how I turned out. They say they don't want to have to deal with two people like me, and that they're busy dealing with just one."
"That's horrible," Sable frowned and looked at him. "Why do they say that about you?"
"They want me to be a Death Eater," Draco said quietly.
"You don't want to?"
"No," Draco shook his head and sighed. "I'm not like them."
"I know."
"Come on, let's go inside," Draco stood up and looked at the dark sky. "It's getting late and cold."
~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~
Okay, this is a day later than I wanted it to be, but oh well. It's up, right? So pleaseplease review! What do you think should happen next? I already know what I want to do, but I like other people's opinions. Special thanks to kat6528 and East Angel again. And yes, Draco is definitely adorable. ;) Anyway, I'm going to finish this now so I can start on the next chapter. ^^;