[a/n: Yay! Chapter 10! It's like, nostalgic or something. Like woot! 10 chapters! I feel accomplished now. But I'm not even sure how far I'm going to take this...maybe until the conflicts are resolved...and I'll have a nice, happy, dandy like candy ending. Let me know what you think...]
disclaimer: Nothing is mine but B/d/p.
Brooke strode over to Malfoy, struggling to pull himself up, trying to propel himself up using the muddy, slippery side of the lake. Having no such lake, he fell foolishly back in, mussing up his sleek blond hair even more. Brooke, looking utterly exasperated, held out her hand just so they wouldn't have to waste any time. Malfoy took it grudgingly, thinking that Brooke's hand, with it long fingers and shapely fingernails, wouldn't help him that much. As if Brooke could read his mind, she pulled as hard as she could and flung him in the other direction. Seeing as he was a 15 year old boy and she was using one hand, he went quite far. But it could have been the water making him quite a bit more slippery.
"What was that for?"
"For using cheap tricks, Malfoy, now get up, idiot."
"Cheap tricks? I fell!"
"Purposely. Its not that hard to tell. Now get up, we've got a duel to duel!" She placed her wand vertically in front of her again, looking even more determined to, well, kick Malfoy where it hurt. Or hex him.
"Excuse me? Do I hear something about a duel?" said a cross voice. It seemed as if the entire crowd gasped at once, and immediately scrambled, leaving Brooke, Ron, Harry, and a very wet, humiliated Malfoy. Brooke, before the crowd departed, stuffed her wand back insider her robes. Professor McGonagall looked at the four of them, over her small spectacles, and asked, "Now, what are you four doing?"
"Erm...we were going to study, Professor, but..."
"Study? Where are your books?"
"They're back in the common room, and we were just convincing Brooke to study with us when Malfoy fell into the lake."
McGonagall looked at them once more. "I see." They waited, all four of them, looking at her expectantly, for some kind of reprimand. "Mr. Malfoy, please go change. We don't want to have to send you to the hospital wing. And the three of you, I suggest you study inside, for it looks like its about to rain." She pointed upwards, where the clouds that had seemed far away had moved directly overhead.
She turned on her heel and walked away toward some mischievous third years.
"Lucky break," said Brooke, looking Malfoy, still panting, straight in the eye.
Similar to the woman before her, Brooke turned on her heel and walked away, Ron and Harry following behind. But not before throwing a harmless curse over their shoulders...
**
Quite a few people were mumbling about the proposed duel between Brooke and Malfoy. The younger ones were awed by Brooke, the older ones a little skeptical. But the people who knew Brooke didn't doubt that she could have beaten him with one eye closed. The only way that Brooke could have lost was with Malfoy cheating, like he always did.
"I can't believe you did that." It was dinner, and Ron had taken a seat, after finishing, at the Ravenclaw table. Brooke swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes, and replied "Me neither. I'm actually a little glad he slipped, the idiot. Otherwise, he might have...I don't know, told me there was a hippogriff behind me then cursed me behind my back."
"Not that you would fall for that, right?"
"Oh, who knows, I might have. I've fallen for some pretty weird things. Once, my older sister turned one of my dolls into a spider and sent it running across the room, telling me it was going to eat me." She spooned some of the dessert onto her plate, and concentrated on trying to get the Jello-ish thing cut into pieces. " I ran out screaming, and then she took advantage of the empty space to trash my room, then wrap my birthday present."
Ron smiled, perhaps a little nervously, and cleared his throat. He was going to do this. After all, he liked Brooke, [of course he did, he had told her so] and she was the best thing that ever happened to him. If she had never been here, he might have spent the rest of his time at Hogwarts pining for his best friend.
"Brooke?"
"Hm?" She turned to him, full-cheeked with dessert.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
She nodded, still trying desperately to swallow.
"Would you like to go with me?"
Her swallowing attempts were futile. Nevertheless, she "smiled" and nodded happily.
**
"Harry?"
"Hm?"
"Are you going to Hogsmeade with anyone?"
"No."
"No one at all?"
"Nope."
"No one?"
"Nobody, Hermione, why?"
"Absolutely no one asked you?"
"Nobody usually asks me."
"Well I thought someone would have..."
"Thanks, Hermione, I feel great, now."
"No I mean, after all you've done-"
"Feeling better by the second."
"No I mean, should we go?"
"Aren't you already? As a prefect?"
"I mean, together."
As soon as the word dropped, Harry stopped, froze, and looked up, straight at Hermione, looking very nonchalant and waiting for an answer.
"Er..."
Should they? As a couple? What would they do? Would they have to hold hands? Would this make it official? Would they have to...snog? Harry thought. Did he really like Hermione? It had some down to this.
"Hermione, wouldn't it be a little odd for Ron?"
"No. He's got a girlfriend now."
"HAH! So weeks ago you're yelling at me for getting them to talk, saying its shallow to do that, and now you're contradicting yourself! You think it is ok if Ron has a girlfriend! I knew I was right." He was almost tempted to pump his fist, but Hermione could get mighty cross.
"Answer the question, Potter. We have three days."
**
"So should I ask her? I mean, not while Weasley is there, he might cry, nor Potter, because he'll have to get all heroic and save Weasley's butt and hex me or something. Not that I'm afraid, or anything, but I don't want to get in trouble. Well, not by McGonagall. She's got quite a stick up there, I tell you..."
Crabbe nodded dumbly. He was too interested in his muffin to comprehend Malfoy's words, but had always found nodding helpful. Except when Draco was telling jokes.
"Alright, I'm going to do it. Weasley's walking away; got a stupid grin on his face, Brooke probably told him his obscene robes didn't look dusty or something..." He trailed off, straightening his green and silver tie. Gulping, considering the earlier fiasco, he was about to turn around when Brooke got up, put her bag on her shoulder and walked toward him. Or rather, toward the door. She passed by the Gryffindor table on the way, and was about to bend down to say something to Harry and Ron when--
"Manchester!"
She glared. He tried to smile, but stopped at the thought of what his mother said whenever he smiled. Stop it Draco, you look like you've just jumped out of a mental hospital. Apparently, he had also yelled her name quite loudly, for half the Gryffindor table, including Ron, turned to look.
He strode over, trying to keep some pride, and even puffed out his chest a little, showing a gleaming prefects badge. "What are you doing Saturday?"
Oh, were her eyes pretty. Even when they were narrowed in anger.
"Why do you care."
"I was wondering whether or not you were going to Hogsmeade."
"Yes." Her answers were short, curt, and to the point. Ron stood up at the mention of the all-wizarding village.
"Would you like to go with me?" His mouth turned up in a half smile as her expression changed, and he was preparing a response when-
"No."
That was it? No kind 'You're a nice guy, but..."? No moment to even think of it? Confusion ran through him.
"Why not?" he said, flabbergasted.
"Because I'm already going with someone. Ron."
Draco's mouth immediately dropped. He had no idea, no idea, that Weasley liked her, that they had a thing going, that she even knew he existed! Alright, well, he did know that, since when her hex [directed toward him] hit Ron instead, she ran over to him to ask if the bloody weasel was alright. But this was news! This was major news! She was ions above him in class, in looks, in smarts...in everything. He was nothing compared to her! He should be licking her feet in worship! In fact, he should ask her for some money to by new teeth, they probably haven't been brushed in ages, or a new house for his entire family, who were probably out begging at the moment!
It wasn't until Draco saw the utterly stunned looks on the faces in front of him that he realized that everything he had just thought had come out of his own mouth.
[a/n. like it? I was having a little trouble with this one...but hopefully it turned out alright. R&R&R!]
disclaimer: Nothing is mine but B/d/p.
Brooke strode over to Malfoy, struggling to pull himself up, trying to propel himself up using the muddy, slippery side of the lake. Having no such lake, he fell foolishly back in, mussing up his sleek blond hair even more. Brooke, looking utterly exasperated, held out her hand just so they wouldn't have to waste any time. Malfoy took it grudgingly, thinking that Brooke's hand, with it long fingers and shapely fingernails, wouldn't help him that much. As if Brooke could read his mind, she pulled as hard as she could and flung him in the other direction. Seeing as he was a 15 year old boy and she was using one hand, he went quite far. But it could have been the water making him quite a bit more slippery.
"What was that for?"
"For using cheap tricks, Malfoy, now get up, idiot."
"Cheap tricks? I fell!"
"Purposely. Its not that hard to tell. Now get up, we've got a duel to duel!" She placed her wand vertically in front of her again, looking even more determined to, well, kick Malfoy where it hurt. Or hex him.
"Excuse me? Do I hear something about a duel?" said a cross voice. It seemed as if the entire crowd gasped at once, and immediately scrambled, leaving Brooke, Ron, Harry, and a very wet, humiliated Malfoy. Brooke, before the crowd departed, stuffed her wand back insider her robes. Professor McGonagall looked at the four of them, over her small spectacles, and asked, "Now, what are you four doing?"
"Erm...we were going to study, Professor, but..."
"Study? Where are your books?"
"They're back in the common room, and we were just convincing Brooke to study with us when Malfoy fell into the lake."
McGonagall looked at them once more. "I see." They waited, all four of them, looking at her expectantly, for some kind of reprimand. "Mr. Malfoy, please go change. We don't want to have to send you to the hospital wing. And the three of you, I suggest you study inside, for it looks like its about to rain." She pointed upwards, where the clouds that had seemed far away had moved directly overhead.
She turned on her heel and walked away toward some mischievous third years.
"Lucky break," said Brooke, looking Malfoy, still panting, straight in the eye.
Similar to the woman before her, Brooke turned on her heel and walked away, Ron and Harry following behind. But not before throwing a harmless curse over their shoulders...
**
Quite a few people were mumbling about the proposed duel between Brooke and Malfoy. The younger ones were awed by Brooke, the older ones a little skeptical. But the people who knew Brooke didn't doubt that she could have beaten him with one eye closed. The only way that Brooke could have lost was with Malfoy cheating, like he always did.
"I can't believe you did that." It was dinner, and Ron had taken a seat, after finishing, at the Ravenclaw table. Brooke swallowed a mouthful of mashed potatoes, and replied "Me neither. I'm actually a little glad he slipped, the idiot. Otherwise, he might have...I don't know, told me there was a hippogriff behind me then cursed me behind my back."
"Not that you would fall for that, right?"
"Oh, who knows, I might have. I've fallen for some pretty weird things. Once, my older sister turned one of my dolls into a spider and sent it running across the room, telling me it was going to eat me." She spooned some of the dessert onto her plate, and concentrated on trying to get the Jello-ish thing cut into pieces. " I ran out screaming, and then she took advantage of the empty space to trash my room, then wrap my birthday present."
Ron smiled, perhaps a little nervously, and cleared his throat. He was going to do this. After all, he liked Brooke, [of course he did, he had told her so] and she was the best thing that ever happened to him. If she had never been here, he might have spent the rest of his time at Hogwarts pining for his best friend.
"Brooke?"
"Hm?" She turned to him, full-cheeked with dessert.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
She nodded, still trying desperately to swallow.
"Would you like to go with me?"
Her swallowing attempts were futile. Nevertheless, she "smiled" and nodded happily.
**
"Harry?"
"Hm?"
"Are you going to Hogsmeade with anyone?"
"No."
"No one at all?"
"Nope."
"No one?"
"Nobody, Hermione, why?"
"Absolutely no one asked you?"
"Nobody usually asks me."
"Well I thought someone would have..."
"Thanks, Hermione, I feel great, now."
"No I mean, after all you've done-"
"Feeling better by the second."
"No I mean, should we go?"
"Aren't you already? As a prefect?"
"I mean, together."
As soon as the word dropped, Harry stopped, froze, and looked up, straight at Hermione, looking very nonchalant and waiting for an answer.
"Er..."
Should they? As a couple? What would they do? Would they have to hold hands? Would this make it official? Would they have to...snog? Harry thought. Did he really like Hermione? It had some down to this.
"Hermione, wouldn't it be a little odd for Ron?"
"No. He's got a girlfriend now."
"HAH! So weeks ago you're yelling at me for getting them to talk, saying its shallow to do that, and now you're contradicting yourself! You think it is ok if Ron has a girlfriend! I knew I was right." He was almost tempted to pump his fist, but Hermione could get mighty cross.
"Answer the question, Potter. We have three days."
**
"So should I ask her? I mean, not while Weasley is there, he might cry, nor Potter, because he'll have to get all heroic and save Weasley's butt and hex me or something. Not that I'm afraid, or anything, but I don't want to get in trouble. Well, not by McGonagall. She's got quite a stick up there, I tell you..."
Crabbe nodded dumbly. He was too interested in his muffin to comprehend Malfoy's words, but had always found nodding helpful. Except when Draco was telling jokes.
"Alright, I'm going to do it. Weasley's walking away; got a stupid grin on his face, Brooke probably told him his obscene robes didn't look dusty or something..." He trailed off, straightening his green and silver tie. Gulping, considering the earlier fiasco, he was about to turn around when Brooke got up, put her bag on her shoulder and walked toward him. Or rather, toward the door. She passed by the Gryffindor table on the way, and was about to bend down to say something to Harry and Ron when--
"Manchester!"
She glared. He tried to smile, but stopped at the thought of what his mother said whenever he smiled. Stop it Draco, you look like you've just jumped out of a mental hospital. Apparently, he had also yelled her name quite loudly, for half the Gryffindor table, including Ron, turned to look.
He strode over, trying to keep some pride, and even puffed out his chest a little, showing a gleaming prefects badge. "What are you doing Saturday?"
Oh, were her eyes pretty. Even when they were narrowed in anger.
"Why do you care."
"I was wondering whether or not you were going to Hogsmeade."
"Yes." Her answers were short, curt, and to the point. Ron stood up at the mention of the all-wizarding village.
"Would you like to go with me?" His mouth turned up in a half smile as her expression changed, and he was preparing a response when-
"No."
That was it? No kind 'You're a nice guy, but..."? No moment to even think of it? Confusion ran through him.
"Why not?" he said, flabbergasted.
"Because I'm already going with someone. Ron."
Draco's mouth immediately dropped. He had no idea, no idea, that Weasley liked her, that they had a thing going, that she even knew he existed! Alright, well, he did know that, since when her hex [directed toward him] hit Ron instead, she ran over to him to ask if the bloody weasel was alright. But this was news! This was major news! She was ions above him in class, in looks, in smarts...in everything. He was nothing compared to her! He should be licking her feet in worship! In fact, he should ask her for some money to by new teeth, they probably haven't been brushed in ages, or a new house for his entire family, who were probably out begging at the moment!
It wasn't until Draco saw the utterly stunned looks on the faces in front of him that he realized that everything he had just thought had come out of his own mouth.
[a/n. like it? I was having a little trouble with this one...but hopefully it turned out alright. R&R&R!]