Thank you to all my lovely reviewers!! First off, my beta reader, and longest reviewer (!) A.M. Winters. Thanks also to authentik, Funkie Star, Mikee and Spaced Out Space Cadet (she always reviews my stuff!!)
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Victoria was one of the last students to reach the Slytherin common room, seeing as how she had no idea where she was going and no one seemed too keen to show her how to get there. When she did finally find her way there, it took her almost as long to find the sixth year girls dormitory.
Looking around she smirked at the interior. Situated in the heart of the dungeons, the dorms would have suited someone from the gothic era. I feel as though I should be wearing all black and painting my face with white foundation and thick black eyeliner.
After finally get a response from one of the other Slytherins, she was directed to the sixth year girls' dormitory and was confronted by a girl with the face only a mother could love.
"This is the sixth year dorms. First years are on the ground floor," she growled.
"Thanks. That's very helpful." Victoria answered with an indulgent smile then walked over to her trunk and started taking things out; first her wand, just in case. She didn't trust that girl any further than she could throw her.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Taking a few things out of my trunk. I assume that's still allowed."
"Your trunk?"
Closing the lid (a bit more loudly than was necessary) Victoria pointed to the calligraphy on the lid. "Victoria Evin Taliaferro" it said.
"You're a sixth year?" The girl seemed revolted by the fact, which Victoria thought was a little over done, but who was she to say?
"Yes." Victoria thought, at times like this, that simplicity worked best. One word answers…don't confuse the girl too badly.
"I'm Pansy Parkinson," this being said, she just stood there staring at Victoria.
"Nice to meet you. I assume you can read, so I won't have to tell you my name," she indicated her name on the top of her trunk again, just in case Pansy had forgotten.
Pansy looked as though she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be insulted or not, so she decided to keep talking. This reminded Victoria sharply of a very good quote she'd heard of a while ago: "Never miss a good chance to shut up." This would be a good quote for Miss Parkinson to live by.
"What are you doing here?" she asked out of nowhere.
Thinking to herself that "Where are you from" would have been a more appropriate question, Victoria decided to answer her just the same.
"I transferred here. I was being home-schooled until just recently, but my parents wanted me to come here. Why are you here?" And without waiting for a response, she lifted the lid back up on her trunk and started rummaging around again.
Suddenly she was being grabbed by the back of her robes and spun around. "Don't you turn your back on me."
Before Pansy saw what was coming, a wand, nine inches of rosewood with a furies' tail-feather, was pointed straight between her eyes.
"Don't. . .touch me." Victoria growled. Pansy slowly stepped away, but Victoria kept her wand up and pointing.
"I don't like rudeness, so if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you would not be rude. Rudeness, in case you don't know, consists of things like grabbing people's robes and shoving them bodily. It could also be asking rude questions or trying to demean the other person because you feel inadequate. Do I make myself clear?" No response. "Well?" she practically screamed.
"Yes," Pansy squeaked. That was the only way to describe it.
"Good. You may leave." This last bit was said very sweetly, yet Pansy seemed more frightened by the soft voice than she did when Victoria had yelled at her. Interesting. Must remember that.
After Pansy scurried away Victoria began to regret her outburst. No doubt she was spreading all over the common room downstairs how insane I am. 'Course, if I don't make friends with any of the other Slytherins I'm sure I won't mind!
Picking up her wand and a favorite book, Victoria decided to go down to the common room and see how badly Pansy had been portraying her to the others.
She was quite surprised when she cam down to see Pansy, not whispering maliciously with people, but cowing by herself in a corner. Victoria began to regret yelling at her even more now, but for a completely different reason.
She found a seat in front of the fire and sat down to read, her wand balancing on her knee, but she never quite got to actually reading from her book. Instead, she saw another figure, cowering not too far from her. Draco was sitting in another chair by the fire with his head turned away at a very uncomfortable angle using a book to try to hide his face. She stood up and he covered himself even more with the book.
"Boo," was all she said, and yet he jumped some three feet in the air and made a noise like a wounded puppy dog. Oh. . .how cute!
"Why are you hiding behind a book oh, almighty wicked one?"
Draco glared at her and stood up swiftly, hoping to catch her off her guard. It didn't work.
"You may call me Malfoy. Nothing else. I will only allow the use of my last name from you!"
Victoria laughed and placed a hand on his chest. "Ah, darling, I can call you whatever I want." Draco's face flushed, mostly from anger, but he kept looking down at her hand. Was he embarrassed? Better milk this for all it's worth she thought before looking at his chest then back into his eyes. "Do you have rocks in there? Nice pecks." And to finish it off, she walked past him and smacked him directly on the backside.
Several of the other occupants were staring at her now, having been doing so since she and Draco had started talking. She smiled sweetly at them and swept out of the room to find a more restful place to read.
Pansy walked up to Draco, trembling slightly, more out of anger than anything else. "How could she do that to you, Drackie?" She petted his arm and he bristled and pulled back from her.
"Don't touch me," he said with contempt.
"You didn't seem to mind too much when she was touching you!" Pansy harrumphed and stalked away.
Draco didn't move. He hadn't minded when Victoria had touched him. He could still feel the spot, as though it was tingling beneath his robes. How strange. Draco shook himself, resumed his usual scowl and walked back to his seat. He wouldn't hide from her again. He would play it cool. Then, when the time came, he would make her regret ever messing with him.
"How dare she smack my bum!" he muttered heatedly, but the color came back to his checks at the memory.
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Sorry this is so short. I know what I want to happen next, but I wanted to make you wait for it *bwa-ha-haaa!* I hope everyone liked this one! If you did, tell me. If you didn't, tell me how to improve it (I may not change what you want me to, but I'd be glad for the input anyway). As always, any comments, questions, marriage proposals or death threats are welcome :)