~~~~@ A/N @~~~~
Thank you all so much for the reviews! Zombiewolf, you've stuck by my story even when I went months without updating and I thank you for it. Now here's some more for you!
@~~~~ A/N ~~~~@
"I'm surprised she didn't catch you then. She almost caught me once just by smell. There was no way she could see me." Harry said. Then he very nearly cursed. Now she was going to ask why the cat couldn't see him.
"Oh, she meowed at me, but Filch had heard something further down the hall, so he took no notice of her reaction to what looked like a statue of a Grim." Rhia answered. "Why's Starlight still here?"
Harry breathed a faint sigh of relief. He wasn't quite ready to tell her about all his exploits with his father's invisibility cloak. "I don't know. She just wanted to stay with me I guess," he said. Rhia knelt down and petted the cat. They shared a very feline look. The cat stood, picked up the tie in her mouth and without a backward glance was out the door. "I hope she gets that back to Draco."
"Why was Draco's tie in here anyway?" Rhia asked.
"Well… I think he was warning me about Filch. If he hadn't thrown that back in here after he left, I probably would have stepped into the hall right in front of Mrs. Norris." Harry said.
"Ahh… Harry, I have a request." Rhia said softly.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Would you…" she took a deep breath. "Would you go for a walk around the lake with me after dinner?"
"Of course," he smiled. "Though we had better get to dinner first, hadn't we?"
She smiled back. "Yes." He took her hand and held it. They stepped out into the hallway together and immediately headed for the Great Hall.
Neither one of them saw the Slytherin tie hanging on the doorknob of the closet door. If they had, they might have wondered how it got there. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Draco and a comfortably mussed Monica. Anyone seeing Draco in such a state of disarray would have been shocked. He actually had a few hairs out of place. Not only that, but his tie was missing and the top two buttons of his shirt… missing… as well. If Monica had been seen in the Great Hall just as she was, there would have been a riot among the male population of Hogwarts. In the dim torchlight of the hallway, Draco just stared at her.
Flustered she asked, "What? Do I have something in my hair?"
He shook his head. "No," he paused for a long moment. "You might want to make yourself a bit more presentable before we go to dinner, however. Not that you don't look lovely like that, but it's probably not appropriate."
Monica blinked at him before realizing that her hair was out of its braid, her shirt untucked on one side and her robes askew. She straightened her robes and was working on her hair as she gave him a once over. "You'd turn a few heads yourself Mr. Malfoy." She reached up and smoothed his hair. "Why do you wear it slicked back like that? It makes you look just a bit… mean."
He managed not to flinch… barely, at her last sentence. "I always have," he told her as he looked around for his tie, before he remembered where he'd tossed it. He looked towards the window, but figured Potter would be gone by now. "Now, how am I going to get my tie back without getting someone suspicious?" he muttered.
"You mean this tie?" Monica asked as she pulled it off the knob. "How'd it get there and why would anyone be suspicious of you getting it back?"
He took the offered tie and fastened it around his neck as he explained. "I threw it into the room to warn… Harry about Filch. He must have put it on the knob when he came out."
Monica started to blush. "How… how do you think he knew we were in there?"
Draco smirked and said, "It's the only plausible hiding place in this whole hallway." But still he was asking himself the same question. There were numerous niches all along the walls…
"So Harry had your tie, and if you got it back from him, people would be suspicious. Why?" Monica asked as they started for the stairs.
"Because Harry and I haven't exactly been… friends." Draco said. He almost laughed at himself. They'd been hard-core enemies up until just six days before. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. Wow… only six days… and his entire life had changed. "If I start acting chummy with him now, then it could screw things up for all of us."
"Oh right. Your family… I understand." Monica said.
"Yes. My family." He wondered suddenly what his father would do if he ever found out that his son held one of the most powerful talismans in the world, and was using it against him. He wondered what he was going to have to do… and if he could do it. He was glad when they finally entered the Great Hall. Since it was a Saturday night dinner, the meal was casual and the conversation boisterous. Consequently, the dannikits were wilder than ever. He regretted his actions the day the kits were distributed, even as he watched one knock an entire platter of pudding over onto two Hufflepuff First years.
As he and Monica headed to the Slytherin table, Monica nodded her head in the direction of the other Guardians. They were all at the Hufflepuff table, as far away from the Slytherin's as possible. Yet as soon as they passed by, Rose got up and headed in their direction. Ana joined them as well, with a reluctant and scowling Daniel right behind her. It was the first time one of the boys had gone to the Slytherin table. And he wasn't just a Ravenclaw, he was a Beater on the house team, one that had managed to slam the Bludgers into every one of the current team members that were seated at the table, Draco included.
Draco and Monica sat on one side of the table, while Rose and Ana flanked Daniel on the other side. This was more to avoid a fight than for protection. Dinner was a tense affair. Draco had to spend the whole time sneering at Daniel. He was unable to make any snide remarks about Ravenclaws however, since he was dating one. This penetrated the feeble brains of most of his housemates after the first person to make a remark was met with an icy glare from Draco, a fiery green one from Rose, A dark look from Ana, and a violent purple one from Monica. As for Daniel… he spent the meal fastened to the bench by Invisible Spell- o-Tape that Rose and Ana had used on him. He wasn't happy about it either. He glared instead at the roast beef on his plate.
The Guardian Dannikits that found themselves at the Slytherin table were quite confident. Anytime one of the offending persons got within a paw's length, they found themselves on the receiving end of seven needle sharp claws. After the crack about Ravenclaws, both Segan and Phantom started growling. It was strange, as it sounded close enough to the thunder of their mother to make the Slytherins a little nervous. Vestan got them under control with an insistent trill. They returned to their own food dishes, but both tails were lashing the air.
Rose tried to distract Ana and Daniel by telling them that the twins had been absolutely right in their prediction of the actions of Ron and Hermione. Except for one small detail. When Ron had offered her the apple tart from his plate and she had accepted, he'd kissed her instead. This story made Ana smile but the leer she received from Goyle then made the smile fall away. Daniel stiffened next to her. He'd seen that leer, and he didn't like it one bit.
Back at the Hufflepuff table, the Emmortal twins were biting their lips nervously. Daniel was greatly outnumbered and they knew that that wouldn't matter if the Spell-o-Tape happened to give way. Before they could say a word of warning to the others, the Weasley brothers stood up as one. All three had their eyes riveted to Daniel and the others at the Slytherin table. Harry stood less than a second later. There was a hush in the hall. Strangely, none of the teachers moved. But Dumbledore was watching the proceedings closely.
Draco was no fool. He saw the look in Daniel's eyes. He also saw the Weasleys and Harry stand up across the hall. He knew without a doubt that if they came over, then he was lost. He could bring that sneer to bear if he had to, but he doubted the Shard would allow him to say what was necessary to protect them all. Then he saw Rhia whisper something to Harry. Harry looked across the Hall and met his eyes for a split second. Green eyes narrowed and blue eyes grew cold as an idea formed.
"So Ravenclaw, played any Quidditch lately?" he asked, his voice cold as ice. It was the first thing he'd ever said in that tone while in Monica's presence. She looked at him assessing.
Daniel glanced from the still leering Goyle to Draco. "Can't say I have Slytherin." Daniel replied, nearly as cold. He couldn't quite manage the same tone, as Draco had had much more practice.
"I hear we'll be beating you in a few weeks time." Draco said.
Daniel smiled viciously. "I'd heard that we'd be beating you. You lost your bully-boy Beaters this last year."
"Ah but we have a pair of fresh ones." Draco smiled icily. His eyes were frozen blue crystals. They gave Ana, who was getting only the reflected brunt of them, chills.
Daniel's own blue eyes were hard. He now looked at the two hulks that were Crabbe and Goyle as if they were just of passing interest to him. "These two lumps? They'll be lucky to find the right end of the bat to hold."
"They can find it and use it right enough. Can you?" Draco taunted.
"You'll just have to see for yourself, won't you Slytherin?" Daniel shot back. He looked at Ana. "Finished?"
Ana cleared her throat to disguise the faint ripping sound that was the tape as it was removed. "Yes thank you Daniel. See you tomorrow Rose. Monica, I'll meet you in the Raven's Nest. Good night." She stood ignoring the Slytherin's completely. The two of them strode from the hall passing the Hufflepuff table and the still standing Weasleys on the way. If words were exchanged, no one heard them but the ones they were intended for. Harry had already left the hall, as had Rhia.
"I'd like to speak with you Draco. In private. Now." Monica said firmly, one small hand on his shoulder as she stood up. Draco gave a piercing and icy glare to Crabbe and Goyle before following her out of the Hall. This left Rose alone at the Slytherin table. It was only then that George walked over. Ignoring the tension at her dinner table, Rose merely looked up and smiled at him. He was frowning.
"Hello George. Would you like to join me for dessert?" Rose asked sweetly. Her eyes were a furious green.
"No thank you Miss Jameson. Though I would like to talk to you about a lesson you listened in on." George replied.
"Of course George." She sent one last glare around the table and the two of them escaped over to the Hufflepuff table and the others. "Insufferable pigs!" Rose hissed as soon as they were out of earshot of the pigs in question.
"I thought we were trying to get the houses united or something," Neville said. "We can't call them pigs if we want them on our side."
"Besides, pigs are nicer," Ginny said. This succeeded in breaking their tension and bringing smiles to the faces of them all.
"That is the idea behind all this scrambling about isn't it?" Hermione asked. "Trying to get Hogwarts united?"
"That was the plan. But that was before I really knew what I was getting myself into. The rivalries between the houses are fierce. Gryffindor and Slytherin despise each other without a qualm. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have very tense relations as well, some nonsense about Puffs versus Claws or some other rubbish. While the other three houses are at least starting to mingle, Slytherin stays apart. Not one of them has moved. I'd be willing to bet that the seating arrangements haven't changed since they started. First years are just supposed to fill in the gaps. And since all years sit together, that's not hard at all!" Rose ranted.
"Relax Rose, It's only been a week. Only God could change the world that quickly." George said with a grin.
"And this is close enough to an entire world for it to be difficult. I mean you're trying to change a thousand years of history here," Ron said.
"I suppose you're right. Have you seen my sister?" Rose asked.
"She and Harry left just as that little [I] discussion[/I] ended." Reggie said. "I think they were going outside."
"Oh that's right, for a walk around the lake," Rose said. "I hope she doesn't forget the meeting with Cora later."
***
Monica stalked out of the Great Hall, Draco behind her. They continued in silence until they reached an empty classroom. Then she turned to him and said, "Start talking. What the hell was that all about? You totally dissed my house. Not only that, but you were cruel to a fellow Guardian. I've never seen you like that before. I actually felt cold listening to you. So I repeat, What the hell?"
Draco stared at her. "What did you talk to Rhia about before?" he asked after a moment.
"That has nothing to do with this. I want an explanation." Monica said.
"You've known me three days," Draco said. She nodded. "And you expected to know me so quickly? I'm more complex than that."
"I didn't expect any of… of this... us… But what I really did not expect was that scene at dinner." Monica said.
"There is a past history here that goes beyond that scene at dinner," Draco said.
"We've got time. Tell me." Monica said.
Draco looked at her. She was watching him closely, violet eyes earnest. He smirked and laughed mockingly. "For starters, I hated Harry Potter…"