Phew. I'm on a bit of a roll at the minute. I think the offending chapters have been rectified. But if they're not, I am almost beyond caring. This shouldn't go on much longer, but the upcoming chapters will happen over a large space of time. E.g. one chapter may cover weeks or days, or hours, I'm confusing myself at the minute. I'll change my mind as soon as I post this and then be too lazy to change it. Dear dear.
The mind of Draco Malfoy was occupied through the following week or so with the news that Hagrid was a half-giant. He walked around the Common Room with apparent glee, quoting the article every time he got an opportunity. There were awkward moments, however, when Snape paired him and Daniel together in potions. She seemed to take great relish in letting her eyes flicker over his neck as he peered over the cauldron, and once he nearly had a heart attack when she licked her lips, apparently unknowingly, with an expression of great longing on her face. Draco had a horrible feeling Snape knew what was going on. Every time Draco caught Daniel looking at his jugular, she grinned and glanced toward Snape, who allowed himself a small smile before screeching at Neville, who always doing something wrong. One time, they were writing out a method for a potion they were making, and he looked at Daniel carefully, and was surprised to see her lips moving, as though she was talking. She didn't make a sound. Every so often she would stop, and then start it again. He glanced at Professor Snape, who was engaged in the same activity. Then she mimed something, and Snape told him to get back to work. He glanced at his teacher, and then at Daniel, and shook his head, perplexed.
On the last Hogsmeade visit before the Second Task, Daniel was sitting in the Three Broomsticks talking to Alexander in hushed tones about Sirius.
"But what if he gets caught?" she hissed at him, before taking another mouthful of her Butterbeer.
"He won't." Alexander said matter-of-factly. "He's too smart, is Sirius." Staring at the dingy pub around her, she was overcome with a strong feeling that she had to see Sirius. The door pinged open and Harry, Hermione and Ron walked in. They ordered, and sat down.
"Has Dumbledore got your food yet?" he asked. Alexander was one of the few people who could talk to her about feeding without cringing or retching or, indeed, fainting.
"No. He's procrastinating. Not purposefully, but he's quite busy at the minute." She looked at his face.
"How come you're not dead then?" he asked, curious. Daniel looked murderously at her butterbeer.
"Draco Malfoy parted company with a few pints at the Yule Ball." She said slowly, watching the expression on his handsome face change.
"And does he remember? Does he know it was you?" he almost screamed, before controlling himself and whispering it hurriedly.
Daniel laughed throatily.
"'Course he does." Alexander looked absolutely dumbstruck.
"But he'll tell Lucius! He'll have you killed!"
"He'll be quiet." She answered in an undertone. Some sort of argument had broken out between Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rita Skeeter.
"You can't go around eating Malfoys'!" he hissed, ignoring the fight behind him. The three Gryffindors stormed out of the Three Broomsticks, leaving Rita Skeeter standing in the middle of the room with her photographer. "What? What else is there?" he asked exasperatedly, eyeing her carefully. She stared back at him.
"Sirius was there. Draco caught Sirius and myself in a rather compromising position." Daniel answered bluntly.
"Does Draco know it was Sirius?" Alexander asked, as though a convict on the run meeting up with one of his best friends was a normal occurrence.
"No. He doesn't, thank Christ." Daniel put her head in her hands.
"D'you want another drink?"
"Yeah ok."
Daniel sat staring at the polished oak table waiting for Alexander. Something colorful sat opposite her. Looking up into the bejeweled glasses of Rita Skeeter tested her patience quite dramatically.
"Since when were you at Hogwarts?" queried Rita, peering at Daniel as though she was an exhibit in some weird zoo.
"Since when was it your business?" Daniel snapped, glancing round for Alexander. "You saw me at the Wand Weighing, idiot."
"I wouldn't be so damn cheeky to me. I don't think you'd like the entire school knowing what you are." Rita quipped, sitting back triumphantly.
"If you did that Rita, you do know it would be last thing you ever write?" Daniel answered, crossing her arms.
"You don't scare me Snape. If the truth got out about you, the parents of the school would want you exterminated."
"There are substantial amounts of people who do know, Rita. Many of them are in the Ministry. And many of them are parents of children at Hogwarts." She stared the vile reporter in the eyes. "So, if you did write it, I wouldn't be the one exterminated." Rita lifted something off the seat beside her. The Quick-Quotes Quill had been hidden on the opposite seat. Stuffing it into her bag, Rita removed herself from the pub and Bozo, the photographer, snapped a picture and followed suit.
"What the hell was that about?" asked Alexander innocently, setting the drinks on the table. He had kindly got her a large Firewhisky.
"Rita Skeeter is going to ruin my life." Daniel answered dramatically.
Alexander giggled. "What's so bloody funny?" said Daniel, staring at him. "I could get kicked out of the Triwizard Tournament!"
"It's not like you to be concerned about Rita Skeeter." He said finally, controlling his not very masculine laughter. Letting him laugh his way to stopping, Daniel sipped the Firewhisky carefully. It burned her throat slightly, but it was by far the best drink Madame Rosmerta could serve.
"Do you know what the Second Task is yet?" he asked her seriously.
"Yes." Daniel replied, "the egg sings in Mermish, so it's obviously something to do with mermaids, and mermaids live in the lake. So the lake in clearly pivotal to the task. The song the egg sings says something about taking something special or important to you. So whatever they take will be with the mermaids in the lake."
Alexander clapped proudly.
"Very good." He praised. "Took me ages to figure it out, and Severus gave me all the clues." Daniel smiled.
He looked suddenly worried. "What are you going to do when they put Sirius in the lake?" Daniel laughed derisively.
"Sirius is not the thing I care about the most." She answered, smiling.
"That would be Severus."
When Daniel arrived back at the castle, she noticed Harry Potter looked as though he was going to break into tears at any minute. Supposing the pressure of the Second Task was getting to him, and that figuring out the egg is harder for someone who can't speak Mermish, she dragged him into a deserted classroom after dinner.
"Potter, would you listen to me?" Daniel snapped, his faraway gaze beginning to irritate her a bit. "The egg clue, have you sorted it out yet?" He looked at her suspiciously.
"This is cheating, you know." He said slowly, looking at the door in case he thought someone was going to burst in.
"I've already got it figured out, alright?" she glanced at the door as well, like she heard something, "but the screechiness, it's Mermish, you can only hear it properly underwater."
"Why are telling me this?" Harry asked carefully, remembering her volatile temper.
"Because, Potter, I am sick of you wandering round the school looking like a zombie." She said quickly, although not entirely convincingly.
"Aww, it's almost as if you care." Harry drawled, smiling infectiously.
Grinning herself, Daniel actually turned around and looked at the door.
"I keep hearing something out there." She said distractedly.
"I don't hear anything." Harry said, as though that dismissed the idea of anything ever being out there.
"Use the Prefect's bathroom, the password's Pine Fresh." She hissed quickly, grabbing him and throwing him under a table. The door swung open. Percy Weasley stepped inside, his head flicking around looking for troublemakers.
"What are you doing in here?" he snapped, walking swiftly towards her.
"I heard something in here, in the closet," she motioned toward it, and Percy stepped past the table Harry was under, which allowed the Gryffindor to streak out the door.
"I don't see anything." Percy said, "come on, get out." He commanded, shooing her out the door. Daniel went to walk back to the Slytherin Common Room, when the Slytherin Prefect bounded up to her.
"Daniel, Professor Snape wants to see you in his office." He panted; he had obviously been running around looking for her.
Sighing, Daniel turned and made her way to the Office of Severus Snape.
Lordy. Hate finishing like that, but I need to get this one out of the way. It looks, to me at least, that there will be at least five more chapters coming. At least. Bugger.
Thank you to everyone who has complimented me on the story.
Xanadan