That Saturday dawned cold and wet, though you wouldn't know it from the
brilliant sunshine streaming through our dorm window. The view through the
glass was from somewhere far from Hogwarts (at least, I was quite sure that
wide, lazy river wasn't on school grounds), and the weather varied
appropriately. Often times it would be pouring rain here but perfectly
clear through the window. The contrast was quite disconcerting.
It was something of a shock walking across the frost-covered grounds when one is expecting it to be sunny. To make things even better, the thick clouds overhead promised snow or, if we were lucky enough, freezing rain. Oh joy. Absolutely perfect Quidditch weather, I'd say.
I joined the throng of students migrating to the Quidditch pitch, feeling very much out of place. Usually I'd be arguing with Draco over who was going to win, or, at the very least, I'd have Crabbe and Goyle to act as a buffer between me and the rest of the masses. Today, however, all three of them would be playing in the game. I hated them at the moment, because I could have used a distraction.
"Really, I don't know why Chang's still on the team," Millicent said haughtily, flipping her dark hair behind her shoulder. "She can't play worth a damn."
"She probably did a few favors for the Captain, if you know what I mean," Pansy replied, sounding rather bored. Then again, she usually sounded that way.
"You have to admit that the Ravenclaw Captain is pretty cute, though," Cassandra said with a giggle. "I mean, /I/ wouldn't mind giving him a few favors--"
"/Cassandra!/"
The three girls collapsed into giggles while I tried to get the image of what Cassandra was implying out of my head. There are some things you just don't want to think about. Instead, I concentrated on counting the steps up to the top of the Quidditch stands while the girls debated the finer points of the players they'd like to get a bit friendlier with. Fascinating.
/Thirty-four... thirty-five... I wonder if I could get away with killing Pansy if I said it was self-defense... after all, I'm in danger of being annoyed to death... forty-one... forty-two.../
I felt very much like throwing myself over the railing by the time we reached the top, but managed to resist the urge by reminding myself that the game would start in a few moments, at which point the conversation was sure to shift to something less disturbing. Hopefully. I'd be stuck next to them the whole game, unless, by chance, I fancied sitting off by myself somewhere. I'd either be trapped next to some second year wannabe who'd think I was his friend and latch onto me for an unbearably long time, or I'd be next to one of the older Slytherins, most of which would just as soon bash me to a pulp as look at me. Being unpopular does have certain disadvantages, I suppose.
As sound as my logic seemed, however, I was second-guessing it a moment later as we took seats near the front of the stand.
"So, Blaise," Pansy began in an almost-casual tone. "Why aren't you sitting with that Ravenclaw guy you're always off with?"
"Why would I be?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't at all liking that evil smirk playing at her lips...
Pansy fluttered her eyes innocently. "You two are something of an item, aren't you?"
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to choke on air, as I realized while I dissolved into a coughing fit in my shock. "Wha-/what/?"
The girl took the time to adjust the setting on her Omnioculars before answering. "Well, /really/, it's quite obvious, what with you two always sneaking off together--"
"We do not /sneak off/ anywhere, for one thing," I growled, fighting to control the urge to strangle the girl. "And if you start another one of those bloody rumors about me, I swear I'll hex you so bad you won't know which way is up."
"No you won't, Blaise," she said, completely unfazed. "I daresay that Draco wouldn't be too happy with you if you did."
"It'd be worth it," I muttered.
"Sorry, what was that?"
I was spared having to answer as the crowd around us erupted in cheers-- and, of course, boos directed at the opposing team--as the fourteen players filed out onto the field. It wasn't at all hard to spot Draco as he was by far the smallest person on the emerald-clad Slytherin team. From the enormity of the rest of the players, it was obvious that Montague preferred strength over speed. The Ravenclaw team, on the other hand, was made up of mostly thin, wiry students who could probably do with a few good meals.
Madam Hooch followed the players onto the pitch carrying a chest containing the four Quidditch balls, her black and white referee robes fluttering in the breeze. She set the box on the ground before turning to address the assembled teams. It was impossible to hear from the stands, but I was quite certain she was warning them to play a clean game. Surely she'd realized by now that the game would get messy no matter what she said--this /was/ the Slytherin team playing, after all--but I suppose hope springs eternal.
The hawk-eyed woman kicked open the chest to release the balls. The Snitch disappeared immediately, while the Bludgers hurtled to opposite ends of the pitch before doubling back toward the players. Madam Hooch mounted her broom, an action copied by both teams, tossed the Quaffle into the air and blew her whistle almost simultaneously, effectively beginning the game.
The students in the stands, having been deprived of any Quidditch the year previous, once again began screaming and clapping and generally looking quite stupid as fifteen people shot into the air as one. Lee Jordan, Hogwarts's resident Quidditch announcer, kept a running commentary of the action.
"...and it's Slytherin in possession, Warrington dodges around Andrews, he moves to shoot--ooh, nice steal by Rowan, he passes to Boot, who ducks a Bludger and passes to the lovely Miss Andrews, who, I have on good authority, is free on the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, so if she's at all interested--"
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall screeched. "If it's not too much trouble, can we get back to the /game/?"
"Sorry, Professor," Jordan said cheerily, not sounding at all apologetic. "Anyway, Andrews passes back to Boot, he shoots--tough luck there, Terry. The shot is blocked by the new Slytherin Keeper, Cadnum, and the Quaffle is once again taken by the Slytherins..."
And so it went. It was soon apparent that Ryan wasn't lying when he said his team was good, and they were well matched to the Slytherins. The Quaffle changed possession so many times, it got to the point where it was hard to care who had it because you knew they weren't going to score anyway. In fact, twenty minutes had passed before Montague managed to score the first goal of the game. Much celebrating ensued from the Slytherin stands, of course, after which I was quite sure my hearing was permanently damaged. Then again, it did make it easier to ignore Pansy's comments ("Don't you think it'd be awfully uncomfortable being stuck on brooms for so long? I mean, really, sitting on a thin piece of wood would be such a pain in the ass..."), so I didn't entirely mind.
Ravenclaw scored several minutes later, but Slytherin took the lead again after both Bludgers were knocked toward the Ravenclaw goal posts and one broke the Keeper's nose. After a quick time-out, in which the Ravenclaws staunched the bleeding as well as they could, the game resumed at an even more furious pace, as our opposing team was itching for revenge.
As soon as Hooch turned her back, one of the Ravenclaw Beaters sent a Bludger hurtling at Montague, who barely dodged in time. Soon after, Crabbe not-so-subtlely whacked Terry Boot in the head with his bat, earning boos and cries of outrage from three-quarters of the school. Boot was awarded a penalty shot, which he missed spectacularly since he still seemed a bit dizzy from his knock in the head. Tough luck, that.
And all the while, Draco circled overhead, searching desperately for the Snitch with Chang marking him closely, seemingly oblivious to the violence playing out beneath him. I just hoped he found the stupid ball before somebody ended up dead. Seriously injured, maybe, but not dead.
One hour, a half dozen penalties, and four cracked ribs later, the score was once again tied, and there was no sign of either team slowing up. Each was determined to gain bragging rights over the other. Coincidentally, this kind of attitude was also responsible for several major international conflicts. Can't imagine why that would be...
"...Warrington advances, passes to Pucey, he shoots--COME ON, MEADOWS! CATCH--" Jordan groaned loudly as the Quaffle flew cleanly through the hoop. Many in the crowd booed loudly while the Slytherins cheered. Spoilsports. "--and it's another goal for Slytherin, making the score ninety-eighty against Ravenclaw. Rowan's taken possession and--"
Whatever else Jordan was about to say was lost as the crowd jumped to its feet and started up the obligatory screaming. The cause of all the commotion was easily apparent: Draco and Chang were streaking through the air side-by-side, hardly more than a blue and green blur as they slipped through a pack of Chasers.
"Come on, Draco," I muttered. Why did they have to be all the way at the other end of the pitch, dammit?! I couldn't see /anything/.
It was then I was hit by the obvious solution. I quickly snatched the Omnioculars from Pansy's grasp ("What the /hell/ do you think you're doing?!") and brought them to my eyes, immediately focusing in on the two Seekers. Yes! There was the Snitch, not even a yard in front of them. Draco stretched out his arm... just a little closer...
Of course, it was at this point that Pansy decided that trying to forcibly remove the Omnioculars from my person was not enough. She opted to scream at me and punch my arm in retaliation as well.
Joy.
"Give that /back/, you dirty bastard!" she cried, hopping on her tiptoes in her effort to reach her Omnioculars. This was one of the situations I enjoyed being slightly taller than average, especially since Pansy wasn't any giant either. It was a bit distracting, though, when you are trying to watch a game while holding someone at bay with your free arm, and that's without adding that the aforementioned other person is having one hell of a tantrum that involves much screaming and physical violence.
After several seconds of unsuccessful rescue attempts, Pansy threw all caution to the wind, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked, almost making me drop her Omnioculars. Ah, so /this/ was the cause of premature balding...
"OW! You crazy bitch, get off me!" I yelled, trying to pry her hand off my head without causing even more damage.
"Give me my Omnioculars!"
"Let go of my hair!"
"Not until you give that back!"
"How about you give me back the hair you've so thoughtfully torn from my skull, and /then/ we can talk about your stupid gadget."
"It's not /stupid/! And besides, it's /mine/, so give it /back/!" Pansy finally let go of my hair and lunged for her precious possession, but at that same moment the Slytherins' cheering increased by several decibels as Draco's fist closed around the Snitch.
"Yes!" I grinned and punched the air in celebration. /Five Galleons for me!/
My elation was somewhat dampened by Pansy, as usual. "You jackass! You made me miss the best part of the game!"
"I did not, Pansy," I said happily. "Nothing was stopping you from watching /without/ Omnioculars. You've only got yourself to blame, dear." With that, I pushed said Omnioculars back into her hands and walked away, leaving a royally pissed Pansy behind me.
*******
The next few days were decidedly depressing. After the incident with the Omnioculars, Pansy made a point of being even more of a stuck-up bitch than usual. She felt the need to "accidentally" knock over my inkwell on my Transfiguration essay moments before McGonagall collected them, so I had nothing to hand in. McGonagall wasn't too happy with me and had me stay after class so she could lecture me on being prepared and taking responsibility. You can imagine how glad I was about that.
In a show of exceptional patience, I waited until half-way through dinner to retaliate. I discreetly aimed my wand at Pansy while she was busy chatting with Millicent and whispered a few choice words, then pocketed my wand and waited for the spell to take full effect. I had to try very hard to concentrate on what I was eating instead of what was happening a few chairs down.
Millicent, however, had nothing to keep her from staring openly. "P-Pansy!"
"What?" Pansy asked, clearly unnerved by the look of abject horror on the other girl's face. Millicent, too panicked to answer, simply pointed a shaky finger at Pansy's head. Obviously confused, Pansy reached up to touch her hair, then promptly screamed as her fingers came in contact with cold scales. Her hair, once smooth and dark, had been replaced by a shifting nest of snakes, courtesy of yours truly.
Of course, Pansy's scream had attracted the attention of the entire Great Hall including the Professors, who were appropriately stunned. Several girls screamed at the sight, sissies that they were, and a few actually fainted. Almost everyone else just found it hilarious, as Pansy hadn't exactly made herself popular with the other Houses.
Pansy, horrified and disgusted, still had the presence of mind to be embarrassed. She jumped up from her chair so fast it actually turned over and sprinted from the Hall, trying unsuccessfully to hide the snakes with her hands.
Unfortunately for me, Draco did not find this the least bit funny and leveled his fiercest glare at me. "What the hell did you do that for?"
I did my best to look hurt and shocked, but as I was fighting down laughter at the time, I'm not sure it worked. "What are you talking about?"
"Blaise, don't be stupid," Draco said angrily. "Who else would want to do that to her?"
"Well, there's--"
Draco cut me off. "Honestly, Blaise, can't you stop being an ass to her for five minutes? What did she ever do to you?"
I stared, genuinely surprised this time. Where had he /been/ our entire time at Hogwarts? "Draco, I mean this in the nicest possible way, but your girlfriend is a bitch. I don't know what rock you've been stuck under to have not noticed, but she is, without a doubt, the most evil creature on the face of the earth. I'm convinced that Hell itself threw her out because it couldn't stand her anymore."
Draco had the audacity to look offended. He opened his mouth to reply, then though better of it. He simply shook his head, stood, and strode out of the Great Hall, presumably to find Pansy and comfort her in her time of need. Please, gag me now.
I watched him leave, alternately wanting to apologize and punch him for being so naive. I settled for a trip to the library, where hopefully I could avoid any uncomfortable confrontations until Draco calmed down a bit. Good Lord, could my life get any more complicated?
*******
A/N: For all those wondering, I had a great vacation (it's about time I had one, too!). Lake Superior is gorgeous, even though the water is very, very cold. *switches into Valley Girl mode* Like, they've got big rocks and, like, hills and stuff! But I didn't even get to go shopping at the mall, like! What a /complete/ waste of time! Like, look at my excessive use of exclamation points!
Omigosh, I almost died when I got back and checked my email. Twelve reviews! I was almost afraid to open them because, the way I figured it, either the chapter was really good or it sucked big time, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. But, being the gallant person I am, I scraped together my courage and went ahead anyway. Aren't you proud of me? *beams* I found out I have a boatload of new reviewers! Yay!
I feel absolutely awful about this, but the next updates will probably come even slower, if that's possible. I have cheerleading practice in the mornings and work in the evenings, so my free time has shrunk to the size of a mustard seed. I officially have no life what-so-ever and I hate it. But! I shall plow valiantly on, despite my coach's best efforts to ruin any shred of social status and feeling of personal accomplishment I still possess. I will not allow this story to die a slow, painful death and sink to the murky depths of Fanfiction.net like some MarySue with a lazy author who cannot find time between soap operas to write a 400-word chapter. *gasps for breath* I shall never allow that to happen! Never, I say! Mwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
And now, on with the review replies!
JeanB: Sorry, I don't have any Hermione ships for you. I'm glad you liked that library scene, though. I wasn't sure I if it really made any sense to anyone but me. I've got an odd sense of humor, if you haven't noticed. Anyway, this will probably be really, really long. Really. So no worries about that.
Jesse: *really bad hick accent* Lookie here, I hooked me another one, hyuk! *end really bad hick accent* I'm glad you like my story. Thank you!
kaiyo: Wow, exactly how much sugar did you eat before you wrote that? I know what you mean about the name thing, though. My best friend and I would get into arguments over how to say 'Hermione', but it turns out we were both /way/ off. I thought it was 'her-mee-own', but she thought it was 'her- moy-nee' or something... my boyfriend still can't manage to say it right, the poor thing. My bunnies thank you for the carrots!
arimel: So I'm /not/ the only person who's read Sabriel! I thought Kerrigor's name was so cool, and it fits with the rest of Blaise's name, sort of. Have you read Lirael and Abhorsen, too? I have to wait for my friend to finish with Abhorsen before I can have a stab at it (even though I'm the one who bought it for her! Excuse me while I leave the room and scream for a while), but Lirael was really good. I'm glad you're finding this funny. I simply /can't/ write things seriously, and that caused some problems when I was writing for the paper, I tell you me.
Draco is the man: Thank you! I hope your socks come back soon!
Rosaline: Thank you so much! I'm glad there are other people out there with my sarcastic, what-are-you-on sense of humor. And hey, this story actually has some sort of plot! Go me! Go me! *cough* Yeah, anyway...
Faxton: What do you mean, 'Blaise isn't innocent'? What kind of lunacy is that? He's such a sweet, honest, considerate young man, and you go off insinuating things about him. Shame on you.
SuperHyperBerryBomb: Fear not! There is a lot of Fae coming!
Sequ3stered: I can totally see where you're coming from in the whole Blaise/Ginny thing. I still don't know if they'll be an item or not, but I do know Ginny will be a major character later on. And if they do end up together, Blaise will /not/ be a love-sick puppy. I can't imagine Blaise being like that in /any/ circumstance, and it'd be nauseating to write it. You haven't anything to worry about.
Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys are the awesomest awesome people ever.
It was something of a shock walking across the frost-covered grounds when one is expecting it to be sunny. To make things even better, the thick clouds overhead promised snow or, if we were lucky enough, freezing rain. Oh joy. Absolutely perfect Quidditch weather, I'd say.
I joined the throng of students migrating to the Quidditch pitch, feeling very much out of place. Usually I'd be arguing with Draco over who was going to win, or, at the very least, I'd have Crabbe and Goyle to act as a buffer between me and the rest of the masses. Today, however, all three of them would be playing in the game. I hated them at the moment, because I could have used a distraction.
"Really, I don't know why Chang's still on the team," Millicent said haughtily, flipping her dark hair behind her shoulder. "She can't play worth a damn."
"She probably did a few favors for the Captain, if you know what I mean," Pansy replied, sounding rather bored. Then again, she usually sounded that way.
"You have to admit that the Ravenclaw Captain is pretty cute, though," Cassandra said with a giggle. "I mean, /I/ wouldn't mind giving him a few favors--"
"/Cassandra!/"
The three girls collapsed into giggles while I tried to get the image of what Cassandra was implying out of my head. There are some things you just don't want to think about. Instead, I concentrated on counting the steps up to the top of the Quidditch stands while the girls debated the finer points of the players they'd like to get a bit friendlier with. Fascinating.
/Thirty-four... thirty-five... I wonder if I could get away with killing Pansy if I said it was self-defense... after all, I'm in danger of being annoyed to death... forty-one... forty-two.../
I felt very much like throwing myself over the railing by the time we reached the top, but managed to resist the urge by reminding myself that the game would start in a few moments, at which point the conversation was sure to shift to something less disturbing. Hopefully. I'd be stuck next to them the whole game, unless, by chance, I fancied sitting off by myself somewhere. I'd either be trapped next to some second year wannabe who'd think I was his friend and latch onto me for an unbearably long time, or I'd be next to one of the older Slytherins, most of which would just as soon bash me to a pulp as look at me. Being unpopular does have certain disadvantages, I suppose.
As sound as my logic seemed, however, I was second-guessing it a moment later as we took seats near the front of the stand.
"So, Blaise," Pansy began in an almost-casual tone. "Why aren't you sitting with that Ravenclaw guy you're always off with?"
"Why would I be?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't at all liking that evil smirk playing at her lips...
Pansy fluttered her eyes innocently. "You two are something of an item, aren't you?"
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to choke on air, as I realized while I dissolved into a coughing fit in my shock. "Wha-/what/?"
The girl took the time to adjust the setting on her Omnioculars before answering. "Well, /really/, it's quite obvious, what with you two always sneaking off together--"
"We do not /sneak off/ anywhere, for one thing," I growled, fighting to control the urge to strangle the girl. "And if you start another one of those bloody rumors about me, I swear I'll hex you so bad you won't know which way is up."
"No you won't, Blaise," she said, completely unfazed. "I daresay that Draco wouldn't be too happy with you if you did."
"It'd be worth it," I muttered.
"Sorry, what was that?"
I was spared having to answer as the crowd around us erupted in cheers-- and, of course, boos directed at the opposing team--as the fourteen players filed out onto the field. It wasn't at all hard to spot Draco as he was by far the smallest person on the emerald-clad Slytherin team. From the enormity of the rest of the players, it was obvious that Montague preferred strength over speed. The Ravenclaw team, on the other hand, was made up of mostly thin, wiry students who could probably do with a few good meals.
Madam Hooch followed the players onto the pitch carrying a chest containing the four Quidditch balls, her black and white referee robes fluttering in the breeze. She set the box on the ground before turning to address the assembled teams. It was impossible to hear from the stands, but I was quite certain she was warning them to play a clean game. Surely she'd realized by now that the game would get messy no matter what she said--this /was/ the Slytherin team playing, after all--but I suppose hope springs eternal.
The hawk-eyed woman kicked open the chest to release the balls. The Snitch disappeared immediately, while the Bludgers hurtled to opposite ends of the pitch before doubling back toward the players. Madam Hooch mounted her broom, an action copied by both teams, tossed the Quaffle into the air and blew her whistle almost simultaneously, effectively beginning the game.
The students in the stands, having been deprived of any Quidditch the year previous, once again began screaming and clapping and generally looking quite stupid as fifteen people shot into the air as one. Lee Jordan, Hogwarts's resident Quidditch announcer, kept a running commentary of the action.
"...and it's Slytherin in possession, Warrington dodges around Andrews, he moves to shoot--ooh, nice steal by Rowan, he passes to Boot, who ducks a Bludger and passes to the lovely Miss Andrews, who, I have on good authority, is free on the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, so if she's at all interested--"
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall screeched. "If it's not too much trouble, can we get back to the /game/?"
"Sorry, Professor," Jordan said cheerily, not sounding at all apologetic. "Anyway, Andrews passes back to Boot, he shoots--tough luck there, Terry. The shot is blocked by the new Slytherin Keeper, Cadnum, and the Quaffle is once again taken by the Slytherins..."
And so it went. It was soon apparent that Ryan wasn't lying when he said his team was good, and they were well matched to the Slytherins. The Quaffle changed possession so many times, it got to the point where it was hard to care who had it because you knew they weren't going to score anyway. In fact, twenty minutes had passed before Montague managed to score the first goal of the game. Much celebrating ensued from the Slytherin stands, of course, after which I was quite sure my hearing was permanently damaged. Then again, it did make it easier to ignore Pansy's comments ("Don't you think it'd be awfully uncomfortable being stuck on brooms for so long? I mean, really, sitting on a thin piece of wood would be such a pain in the ass..."), so I didn't entirely mind.
Ravenclaw scored several minutes later, but Slytherin took the lead again after both Bludgers were knocked toward the Ravenclaw goal posts and one broke the Keeper's nose. After a quick time-out, in which the Ravenclaws staunched the bleeding as well as they could, the game resumed at an even more furious pace, as our opposing team was itching for revenge.
As soon as Hooch turned her back, one of the Ravenclaw Beaters sent a Bludger hurtling at Montague, who barely dodged in time. Soon after, Crabbe not-so-subtlely whacked Terry Boot in the head with his bat, earning boos and cries of outrage from three-quarters of the school. Boot was awarded a penalty shot, which he missed spectacularly since he still seemed a bit dizzy from his knock in the head. Tough luck, that.
And all the while, Draco circled overhead, searching desperately for the Snitch with Chang marking him closely, seemingly oblivious to the violence playing out beneath him. I just hoped he found the stupid ball before somebody ended up dead. Seriously injured, maybe, but not dead.
One hour, a half dozen penalties, and four cracked ribs later, the score was once again tied, and there was no sign of either team slowing up. Each was determined to gain bragging rights over the other. Coincidentally, this kind of attitude was also responsible for several major international conflicts. Can't imagine why that would be...
"...Warrington advances, passes to Pucey, he shoots--COME ON, MEADOWS! CATCH--" Jordan groaned loudly as the Quaffle flew cleanly through the hoop. Many in the crowd booed loudly while the Slytherins cheered. Spoilsports. "--and it's another goal for Slytherin, making the score ninety-eighty against Ravenclaw. Rowan's taken possession and--"
Whatever else Jordan was about to say was lost as the crowd jumped to its feet and started up the obligatory screaming. The cause of all the commotion was easily apparent: Draco and Chang were streaking through the air side-by-side, hardly more than a blue and green blur as they slipped through a pack of Chasers.
"Come on, Draco," I muttered. Why did they have to be all the way at the other end of the pitch, dammit?! I couldn't see /anything/.
It was then I was hit by the obvious solution. I quickly snatched the Omnioculars from Pansy's grasp ("What the /hell/ do you think you're doing?!") and brought them to my eyes, immediately focusing in on the two Seekers. Yes! There was the Snitch, not even a yard in front of them. Draco stretched out his arm... just a little closer...
Of course, it was at this point that Pansy decided that trying to forcibly remove the Omnioculars from my person was not enough. She opted to scream at me and punch my arm in retaliation as well.
Joy.
"Give that /back/, you dirty bastard!" she cried, hopping on her tiptoes in her effort to reach her Omnioculars. This was one of the situations I enjoyed being slightly taller than average, especially since Pansy wasn't any giant either. It was a bit distracting, though, when you are trying to watch a game while holding someone at bay with your free arm, and that's without adding that the aforementioned other person is having one hell of a tantrum that involves much screaming and physical violence.
After several seconds of unsuccessful rescue attempts, Pansy threw all caution to the wind, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked, almost making me drop her Omnioculars. Ah, so /this/ was the cause of premature balding...
"OW! You crazy bitch, get off me!" I yelled, trying to pry her hand off my head without causing even more damage.
"Give me my Omnioculars!"
"Let go of my hair!"
"Not until you give that back!"
"How about you give me back the hair you've so thoughtfully torn from my skull, and /then/ we can talk about your stupid gadget."
"It's not /stupid/! And besides, it's /mine/, so give it /back/!" Pansy finally let go of my hair and lunged for her precious possession, but at that same moment the Slytherins' cheering increased by several decibels as Draco's fist closed around the Snitch.
"Yes!" I grinned and punched the air in celebration. /Five Galleons for me!/
My elation was somewhat dampened by Pansy, as usual. "You jackass! You made me miss the best part of the game!"
"I did not, Pansy," I said happily. "Nothing was stopping you from watching /without/ Omnioculars. You've only got yourself to blame, dear." With that, I pushed said Omnioculars back into her hands and walked away, leaving a royally pissed Pansy behind me.
*******
The next few days were decidedly depressing. After the incident with the Omnioculars, Pansy made a point of being even more of a stuck-up bitch than usual. She felt the need to "accidentally" knock over my inkwell on my Transfiguration essay moments before McGonagall collected them, so I had nothing to hand in. McGonagall wasn't too happy with me and had me stay after class so she could lecture me on being prepared and taking responsibility. You can imagine how glad I was about that.
In a show of exceptional patience, I waited until half-way through dinner to retaliate. I discreetly aimed my wand at Pansy while she was busy chatting with Millicent and whispered a few choice words, then pocketed my wand and waited for the spell to take full effect. I had to try very hard to concentrate on what I was eating instead of what was happening a few chairs down.
Millicent, however, had nothing to keep her from staring openly. "P-Pansy!"
"What?" Pansy asked, clearly unnerved by the look of abject horror on the other girl's face. Millicent, too panicked to answer, simply pointed a shaky finger at Pansy's head. Obviously confused, Pansy reached up to touch her hair, then promptly screamed as her fingers came in contact with cold scales. Her hair, once smooth and dark, had been replaced by a shifting nest of snakes, courtesy of yours truly.
Of course, Pansy's scream had attracted the attention of the entire Great Hall including the Professors, who were appropriately stunned. Several girls screamed at the sight, sissies that they were, and a few actually fainted. Almost everyone else just found it hilarious, as Pansy hadn't exactly made herself popular with the other Houses.
Pansy, horrified and disgusted, still had the presence of mind to be embarrassed. She jumped up from her chair so fast it actually turned over and sprinted from the Hall, trying unsuccessfully to hide the snakes with her hands.
Unfortunately for me, Draco did not find this the least bit funny and leveled his fiercest glare at me. "What the hell did you do that for?"
I did my best to look hurt and shocked, but as I was fighting down laughter at the time, I'm not sure it worked. "What are you talking about?"
"Blaise, don't be stupid," Draco said angrily. "Who else would want to do that to her?"
"Well, there's--"
Draco cut me off. "Honestly, Blaise, can't you stop being an ass to her for five minutes? What did she ever do to you?"
I stared, genuinely surprised this time. Where had he /been/ our entire time at Hogwarts? "Draco, I mean this in the nicest possible way, but your girlfriend is a bitch. I don't know what rock you've been stuck under to have not noticed, but she is, without a doubt, the most evil creature on the face of the earth. I'm convinced that Hell itself threw her out because it couldn't stand her anymore."
Draco had the audacity to look offended. He opened his mouth to reply, then though better of it. He simply shook his head, stood, and strode out of the Great Hall, presumably to find Pansy and comfort her in her time of need. Please, gag me now.
I watched him leave, alternately wanting to apologize and punch him for being so naive. I settled for a trip to the library, where hopefully I could avoid any uncomfortable confrontations until Draco calmed down a bit. Good Lord, could my life get any more complicated?
*******
A/N: For all those wondering, I had a great vacation (it's about time I had one, too!). Lake Superior is gorgeous, even though the water is very, very cold. *switches into Valley Girl mode* Like, they've got big rocks and, like, hills and stuff! But I didn't even get to go shopping at the mall, like! What a /complete/ waste of time! Like, look at my excessive use of exclamation points!
Omigosh, I almost died when I got back and checked my email. Twelve reviews! I was almost afraid to open them because, the way I figured it, either the chapter was really good or it sucked big time, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. But, being the gallant person I am, I scraped together my courage and went ahead anyway. Aren't you proud of me? *beams* I found out I have a boatload of new reviewers! Yay!
I feel absolutely awful about this, but the next updates will probably come even slower, if that's possible. I have cheerleading practice in the mornings and work in the evenings, so my free time has shrunk to the size of a mustard seed. I officially have no life what-so-ever and I hate it. But! I shall plow valiantly on, despite my coach's best efforts to ruin any shred of social status and feeling of personal accomplishment I still possess. I will not allow this story to die a slow, painful death and sink to the murky depths of Fanfiction.net like some MarySue with a lazy author who cannot find time between soap operas to write a 400-word chapter. *gasps for breath* I shall never allow that to happen! Never, I say! Mwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
And now, on with the review replies!
JeanB: Sorry, I don't have any Hermione ships for you. I'm glad you liked that library scene, though. I wasn't sure I if it really made any sense to anyone but me. I've got an odd sense of humor, if you haven't noticed. Anyway, this will probably be really, really long. Really. So no worries about that.
Jesse: *really bad hick accent* Lookie here, I hooked me another one, hyuk! *end really bad hick accent* I'm glad you like my story. Thank you!
kaiyo: Wow, exactly how much sugar did you eat before you wrote that? I know what you mean about the name thing, though. My best friend and I would get into arguments over how to say 'Hermione', but it turns out we were both /way/ off. I thought it was 'her-mee-own', but she thought it was 'her- moy-nee' or something... my boyfriend still can't manage to say it right, the poor thing. My bunnies thank you for the carrots!
arimel: So I'm /not/ the only person who's read Sabriel! I thought Kerrigor's name was so cool, and it fits with the rest of Blaise's name, sort of. Have you read Lirael and Abhorsen, too? I have to wait for my friend to finish with Abhorsen before I can have a stab at it (even though I'm the one who bought it for her! Excuse me while I leave the room and scream for a while), but Lirael was really good. I'm glad you're finding this funny. I simply /can't/ write things seriously, and that caused some problems when I was writing for the paper, I tell you me.
Draco is the man: Thank you! I hope your socks come back soon!
Rosaline: Thank you so much! I'm glad there are other people out there with my sarcastic, what-are-you-on sense of humor. And hey, this story actually has some sort of plot! Go me! Go me! *cough* Yeah, anyway...
Faxton: What do you mean, 'Blaise isn't innocent'? What kind of lunacy is that? He's such a sweet, honest, considerate young man, and you go off insinuating things about him. Shame on you.
SuperHyperBerryBomb: Fear not! There is a lot of Fae coming!
Sequ3stered: I can totally see where you're coming from in the whole Blaise/Ginny thing. I still don't know if they'll be an item or not, but I do know Ginny will be a major character later on. And if they do end up together, Blaise will /not/ be a love-sick puppy. I can't imagine Blaise being like that in /any/ circumstance, and it'd be nauseating to write it. You haven't anything to worry about.
Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys are the awesomest awesome people ever.