Chapter 3
Cara was eyeing the slices of chocolate cake in the middle of the table, and wondering if she could possibly fit another slice when Ginny nudged her. "Hey, weren't you supposed to meet Professor Stone after dinner?" her friend asked.
Cara heaved a sigh, silently mourning the cake. "Yeah," she said glumly. Chocolate would really hit the spot about now. It would keep her first slice from being lonely, down there in her tummy.
Ginny propped her chin on one hand as she forked up another bite of her cake. "Oh, come on," she said, licking her lips free of frosting. Wonderful, fudgy frosting… "At least you're going to get help, and she's not going to let you fail the class. A tutor will help you pass your OWLs."
Cara couldn't resist, and reached over and swiped a fingerful of frosting off Diana's plate, drawing a short howl and an attempted fork-stabbing from the other girl. "I know," she said, sucking her finger clean. Damn, that was good frosting. Especially since Diana had missed her hand with her fork. "It's just depressing, you know? I mean, I get everything else. It's just that one stupid class."
Diana was still glaring at her. "Maybe you'd do better if you kept your fingers out of other people's deserts," she said.
Cara just stuck out her tongue, which made Diana stick out her tongue, which made Cara stick hers out farther. Ginny rolled her eyes. "That's so gross," she said, scrunching up her nose.
Satisfied that she'd in some way 'won', Cara relaxed and shrugged. "I guess I should go," she said, reluctantly. Ginny patted her sympathetically on the back as she stood.
"It'll be fine," her friend said. "You'll see. Professor Stone is sure to have picked someone nice, who knows their stuff. Probably Hermione," she suggested.
Cara glanced down the table. "Where's your brother and his friends, anyway?" she asked.
Ginny got a slightly peeved look in her eyes. "I don't know," she said. Cara decided not to go there. Last year, Ginny had gotten much closer to her brother and his friends, the brilliant Hermione Granger and the famous Harry Potter, but it still ticked her off when the threesome disappeared and didn't tell her. Cara didn't know them well, herself, but all three seemed like nice enough people.
"Right," she said, sneaking one last swipe of Diana's frosting. "I'm going." She licked her finger as she headed for the doors of the Great Hall. Definitely good frosting, she thought. If she didn't have to get downstairs, she'd be having another piece.
On her way out, she nearly bumped into the missing three Gryffindors. "Oops, sorry," she said, teetering a bit as Ron Weasley had to reach out to grab her arm and keep her from falling.
"You all right there, Cara?" Harry asked. A bit absently, like he had something on his mind.
"Fine," she said, giving the three of them a friendly smile. "Er, Hermione, are you going down to see Professor Stone, by any chance?" she asked, hopefully.
Hermione was more than a little distracted, as well, and shook her head. "No, I already saw her," she said, clearly not paying attention and wrapped in her own thoughts.
"Hey, the food's almost gone!" Ron said, sounding alarmed, and Cara grinned as the three of them made a beeline for the Gryffindor table. Ginny had mentioned her brothers' appetites before. It could be a scary, scary thing.
She headed for the dungeons once more. Hermione wasn't her tutor, she thought. Then who was?
Draco had left dinner early, preferring to always be early rather than late. Early meant he was seated and comfortable, prepared and in a position of power as he waited for his student. He snorted in the silent classroom. His student. Hah. He was no bloody teacher, and he didn't want to be. But he did want to brew that Nerve-Deadening Potion.
He'd chosen a seat against the wall, in a darkened corner of the room. Professor Stone had raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes as he'd sat, muttering something under her breath about Professor Snape and eirily similar. Draco had decided he was pleased with the comparison. After all, Professor Snape was one of the most daunting people he'd ever met. He rather liked the idea of intimidating someone that way.
He glanced a trifle impatiently at the clock. Where was this McDouglas, anyway? He didn't particularly want to spend his entire evening waiting on some air-headed fifth-year.
Fortunately for his student, she decided to show up a few minutes later. Of course, by that time Draco had had time to make a mental list of various acidic potions that he would enjoy watching a Gryffindor bumble. From his corner, he watched with brooding eyes as the classroom door opened, and a dark-haired girl came in.
The girl looked around, but didn't seem to see him in his shadowed spot. Professor Stone had stepped into Snape's office, so it gave Draco a leisurely moment to survey his new charge.
She was fairly short, with dark hair pulled back in a tail at the back of her neck. Draco studied her carefully. She looked nervous, he thought, with no small satisfaction. Wait until she found out her tutor was the evil Draco Malfoy, he smirked silently. She wasn't unattractive, rather pretty, actually. But that blank look on her face was off-putting. He supposed it was rather a good thing, this Gryffindor being so bland. She would be easy to intimidate.
Just then, Professor Stone came limping out of Snape's office, carrying a rather large tome in her free hand. "Ah, Miss McDouglas," she said, smiling at the girl. Who, Draco noted with derision, gave a rather timid smile back. "I'm glad you're here. Let me introduce your tutor. Mr. Malfoy," she called, looking over at Draco.
He kept his eyes on the girl, as he stayed seated for a moment. She froze as Professor Stone said his name, and then slowly turned to look his way. He allowed a sardonic smile to cross his lips before taking his time to rise. A look of utter dismay and yes, fear, he was pleased to note, crossed her face before she bit her lip and looked anxiously back at Professor Stone.
"Draco Malfoy, Cara McDouglas," Professor Stone said cheerfully, ignoring the girl's rather pleading look. "I'm assuming you two are unacquainted."
"I haven't had the pleasure," Draco said in a silky voice, casually strolling out of the shadows toward the girl.
Professor Stone smiled again. "Well, then, you'll have plenty of opportunity to get to know one another," she said, still in that cheerful voice. Frankly, Draco was starting to wonder about all the cheer. Was Professor Stone up to something? "Cara, Draco is one of my top Potions students, and he will be working with you as your tutor."
"But…" the Gryffindor twit stuttered a bit.
Professor Stone looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked, a little of that cheer fading and an edge slipping in. Oh, she was good, Draco thought in admiration. She'd been taking lessons in manipulation from Snape.
The girl bit her lip, and then shook her head. "Um, nothing," she said, swallowing.
Draco decided it was time to contribute to the conversation. "I will meet you here," he said in a cool tone, "three nights a week, unless you seem to need more instruction." He swept her with his gaze, clearly implying that she would. Her back seemed to stiffen at that for a moment before slumping. No backbone, he thought in dismissal. Another pathetic Gryffindor. "Professor Stone has granted us use of the room and supplies."
"Miss Granger and Mr. Longbottom have decided to work during one of their free periods during the day," Professor Stone said, shifting so she was leaning against Snape's desk and setting down the heavy book she was holding. "So you two will have the entire room at your disposal. Professor Snape and I will most likely be in our offices, should you need us."
Draco kept his eyes on the girl. Cara, he thought. Hah. She seemed like the type who would need all the help she could get. "Tomorrow night, eight o'clock," he said coolly. "I will expect you, Miss McDouglas." With that, he turned toward Professor Stone. "Will I be allowed to work on my independent work at the same time, Professor?" he asked, mentally dismissing the girl.
Professor Stone tipped her head to one side and regarded him with steady eyes. "Your first priority is your tutoring, Mr. Malfoy," she said. Draco felt a twinge as those level eyes regarded him. Drat, he thought. She always seemed to do that to him. "Provided you are able to give Miss McDouglas all the assistance she needs, I have no problem allowing you to pursue your own work. However," she held up a finger as one corner of his mouth lifted in satisfaction. "I will need to see a proposal of what you will be working on, and what supplies you will require. I would prefer to be present if you are handling volatile materials."
He gave a crisp nod. "Yes, ma'am," he said. He began mentally making notes. "I'll have it to you in the morning."
She smiled at him, that big, beaming smile that made something go weak and mushy inside. "Excellent," she said, approval just pouring out of her. She turned that smile on the silent twit next to her. "Miss McDouglas, I'm sure you'll find Mr. Malfoy to be a great deal of help. Is there anything else you need to settle tonight?" she asked, turning back to him.
Draco inclined his head respectfully. "No, ma'am," he said.
"Then I think we're done here," she said with a smile. "Have a good night, you two."
Draco nodded, and then turned to the girl. He smiled, a smile full of teeth. "After you," he said.
Cara could not believe it. Of all the people, in the entire school, she got Draco Malfoy as a tutor. Why me? She silently bemoaned her luck. Everyone knew the Slytherin was bad news. Why, there had been all those stories last year, about his hurting Professor Stone, and then his probation, and rumors of him and his Death Eater father… He'd probably hex her, she thought miserably, drag her off to some Death Eater's meeting, she'd be tortured and then die a horrible death at Voldemort's hands…
"Don't be late," said a cold voice behind her, nearly making her stumble in surprise as it jerked her out of her miserable musings. "I detest slovenly habits such as tardiness. If you wish for my assistance, you will be prompt."
"Whatever," she mumbled under her breath, pretty sure he couldn't hear her. Well, right until she felt strong, cool fingers grasp her neck, pulling her to a halt.
Malfoy held her by one hand about the nape of her neck and he leaned down close to her face. Cara gulped and would have shrank back, but there really wasn't any place to go. His hand was too strong for her to pull away from. She glanced frantically up and down the hall. There was no one watching, no one to save her.
"Don't antagonize me, McDouglas," Malfoy hissed, his face cold and hard, eyes an icy gray. "You're damned lucky I'm doing this, and I will not hesitate to make your life miserable, should you give me the slightest reason."
"Then why are you bothering?" she blurted out, a little too scared of him, the school's most terrifying student, to watch her words.
One corner of his mouth curled in derision. "That's none of your concern," he said, and then released. "Eight o'clock," he said again, taking a step back and eyeing her coolly. "We shall see just how incompetent you are."
Cara gaped in frightened offense, but he'd turned his back and was striding off down the stone hallway, shoes barely making a sound on the flagstones. She stood, locked where she stood until he'd disappeared around a corner. Then her muscles seemed to give way, and she slumped against the wall.
"Why me?" she moaned aloud. "Of all the people, why me?" She lifted her head and dropped it back against the wall, wincing as it thudded against the stones. Ouch. Heaving a sigh, she straightened up, and headed in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Wait until she told Ginny that Draco Malfoy was her tutor, she thought gloomily.