Disclaimer: This story is based on the characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

The Serpent's Pet By: Crystal Megan

Summary: [Draco/Cho] One meeting in the cabin of the Hogwarts Express leads to a day in Hogsmeade to a night at the Astronomy Tower to more; all through the way, the two use each other to get what they want…but what if they start wanting each other in the end?

A/N: Grrrrr…the italics didn't work!  Cho took the potion for "pleasant" dreams, and dreamed of Draco!  I'm sorry if I confused anyone!  Thank you for all your reviews everyone!  They are so awesome, and nice to receive!  Also, if anyone thought that Cho was emotional in the last chapters, guess again.  Because this is the most emotional chapter or thing I have ever written before!  I am sooo proud with this story, and especially with this chapter! ^_^ Leave me a review folks, because I want to know if you think so, too.

Ch. 5: I'll Never Love Him

"YOU!" I said venomously at the woman in the portrait.  "You set me up!  You'd know that I would dream of Malfoy!"

"Yes, but I didn't force you to dream of him.  That you did of your own will," the woman began to argue.  "You see my dear, dreams are so very truthful; they show us our true desires, and fears.  Many of us would waste hours writing their thoughts, and feelings in a diary or some sort.  But it isn't necessary, for dreams show us exactly how we feel, and what we are feeling.  It was Sigmund Freud who came up with many ideas, and theories of dreams."

"What's happening to you my dear is anxiety, which is caused from your forbidden urges, which most of us learn as a child, that we must live with.  And this is causing you to be in the state of denial, and projecting your feelings to someone else.  Me.  You don't think you dreamed of Draco, but you think I made you dream of him.  But nothing is my fault except showing you the pleasant dream potion, which I had a feeling that you would dream of him."

What was this woman saying?  How could I possibly think of Malfoy in that way, like in the dream?  Why would I ever think of being his wife, or even dream of sleeping a four-poster bed with him, while snuggling close to him in emerald sheets or whatever damned color they were?  I mean for Merlin's sake!  Draco Malfoy was nothing but bad trouble, and only bad things could come from him, and me being together!

He was the son of Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy, both who supported the cause of the Dark Lord, and the extermination of all Half-bloods, and Muggle Borns, both who were Death Eaters, or at least one of them, both coming from a long line of history of pure bloods that hated anyone that wasn't like them before them, and Draco Malfoy was their sole heir, and son, and would be expected to fulfill their wishes, and plans for his future.

There was no damned way that we could ever be together!  It just wasn't possible!  And this woman, who was out of her mind most likely from being shut up in this room, or was in this room because of being insane, was saying I was denying my feelings for Draco Malfoy, because they were forbidden?  How could I even believe a word coming out of her mouth?  Either she had been drinking alcohol, or else she needed to be sent to St. Mungos for treatment.

So I just stood there, with my mouth open, and open long enough so a fly or anything could fly in there if they were stupid enough, which they were, and was fuming with suppressed anger that was burning inside of me, and wishing to be released, and I was ready to explode with the woman's accusations, and comments!  She knew nothing of me!

So what if Malfoy dreamed of me?  He was a teenage boy for Merlin's sake!  OF COURSE HE WAS GOING TO DREAM OF JUST ANY GIRL OR WOMAN!  He was a MAN!  Men thought of sex more than half of their time, and it was true, no matter how much they denied it, because they would just ruin their damn little speech by saying they did think of sex a lot.  They just wouldn't admit that a lot, meant just about every damn second a girl came into their view!  But it was usual for most people, and especially me, that whatever happened to me last, or had my attention the most during the day, I would dream of.

And right before I fell asleep, the woman had been talking about Malfoy, and her old damn boyfriend that had asked her for a lock of her black hair, that she said he'd called the most beautiful raven hair he had ever set his eyes on, and all the presents he showered her with!

And Malfoy hadn't been himself really in my dream, because Malfoy didn't cuddle; Malfoy's don't cuddle period!  I was probably thinking that Malfoy had nice looks, and envisioned a Malfoy that was kind, loving, caring, protective, sweet, playful, funny, and more.  But that was what women did!  Though technically, I wasn't a woman yet.  I was just becoming one.  Very slowly.

Now how did I explain to this woman all that I had just thought, without screaming my bloody head off?  But I had to try, I knew that.  And Ravenclaws were diplomatic, and everything.  Yes, I could do it.  I could do it.

"You know what?" I asked slowly, and evenly.  My breathing was ragged from how I was feeling, and my heart was thumping in my chest.  My body, and mind felt like it was in ATTACK mode!  "I may have dreamed of Malfoy, but you know what?  I just dreamt of his looks; it was not the Draco Malfoy that I know, or anyone else knows, but just him waking up in the morning next to me!  Because you know what?  Draco Malfoy is the most undesirable piece of lousy filth you'll ever meet!  He is cruel; he'll get anyone in trouble or in a mess just so he can get laughs from it, or else for it to make him look better!"

I still continued.

"He's an arrogant slimy ferret arsed Slytherin, that thinks he's so higher, and mighty, and so much better than everyone else!  Everyday he boasts to everyone that looks at him, his expensive custom made robes, shoes, items, his family line, his manor, his broomstick, his position as Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and just EVERYTHING!"

"He does a horrible job with his hair; he uses so much gel everyday, that he must have the worst case of dandruff ever seen, and practically uses a bottle of hair gel every time he does his hair!  How can I love him when he's so disgustingly rude, nasty, mean, and Slytherinish!" I turned around briefly, and gritted my teeth, but then swirled around gracefully, and fast, so I was facing the woman again, and started to yell once more.  "And why would I love him when he has the worst hair!"

There!  I had said a little bit of what was on my mind, but no I wasn't done yet.

"And do you want to know more?" I yelled.

Uh-oh, I was yelling.  Damn it, I was yelling.  I had said I wouldn't yell, or thought it at least.  And look what was happening now?  I was yelling.  Damn, I was such an idiot, and moron.  How could anyone ever love me?  How did I even get in Ravenclaw if I was such an idiot?  And why was I feeling so strongly about Malfoy, like I needed to clear everything up.  Erase all evidence or theories that anything could ever exist between us, and that we were an impossible match?  Why couldn't I just let this slide like usual, whenever someone got on my nerves or a teacher?  Why did I need to argue with this woman that I knew had to be insane?

Why was I losing my common sense, when I was always sensible, and practical?  How could the damned Malfoy cause me all this grief?  I mentally sighed sadly, and I started to feel like I was going to burst into tears of rage, yet I felt like I wanted to laugh from all this stupidity, and nonsense.  This was the most horrible 24 hours of my life, and it was just afternoon, or something like that.  How I hated my life.

"I could never love Malfoy because he's a Death Eater.  He supports You Know Who, and I could never be with a man that could ever think about torturing people just because they're different, and if they were that loyal to that hateful monster that should burn, and die in Hell forever, and still it would not be even half of the punishment he should receive."

"How could I look at him from across the dining table after he's just come back from his "work?" at dinnertime?  How can I sit just some feet away from a man, I know, that has just killed someone?  How could I sleep with a murderer, and a murderer that was my husband?  What would I tell our children?  "Oh you're dad's a Death Eater!"  Please!"

"Malfoy, I will never love," I concluded.

But what I heard astonished me!  The woman was laughing at me!

How could she?  I just told her everything I was feeling, and she was just throwing it back in my face, and laughing?  I just told her about a boy I could never be with, nor who I wanted to be with, whom she throwing onto me mentally, and she could just laugh at me, like what I had just said was a joke?  How mentally disturbed was this woman?

"What…in…bloody…Hell…is…so…bloody…hilarious?" I said through gritted teeth, and my hands were clenched so tightly, that when I glanced at them, they were pure white, and whiter than a skull.

"You my dear!" the woman exclaimed jovially.  "Love isn't something that is decided-,"

"BUT I JUST SAID I DIDN'T LOVE HIM, OR COULD EVER LOVE HIM!" I stormed angrily, and she caused me even more anger, because she was only laughing harder.

'Love happens, when it is meant to happen.  That is just fate," the woman said, now only laughing softly.  "We can't control the feeling of love for someone.  Love just comes to you, and you realize it slowly after it's been in your for so long, and it's the most beautiful thing you can ever experience in your life.  It's what a mother feels when she gazes at her newborn or older child, it's what a couple feels, it's what a queen or king feels for their country, it's what a child feels for their parents, and so many other examples.  It only happens because it needed to happen, and it was meant to happen, and you can't control what fate pushes in front of you, but make the most of it.  And that is life, my dear.  You can't hide or run from your life, nor can you hide or run from love."

I glared at the portrait.  "Just shut up.  I don't feel like hearing anything from your mouth.  I dreamed of a boy, and you act as if I'm madly in love with him, and we're going to get married, and have a family."

How could this woman think all these things?  I dreamt of Malfoy.  Big deal.  Many other girls dreamed of him, too.  There were some that had an unhealthy obsession with him.   But perfect Cho acts like a girl for one time, and not her Tom Boy self, and it's the end of the world.  Everyone thinks I'm going to marry the guy.

True, I was now his mistress, but we weren't married, and there was no way I'd have his kids!  And once I had the chance to escape or the Dark Lord died, I would be able to leave him, and go to Harry.

Harry.

My heart started to feel heavy, and everything seemed more intense now.  It was like having your normal weight being carried around on you, and then having something as heavy as you, bring you down.  Then my head was spinning, no the world was spinning around me, and I felt dizzy, and light headed.

I blinked away the tears that were forming in my eyes, and took deep breaths, while thinking, and chanting in my head, "I have to be strong for Harry."

Merlin, how I missed Harry.  I wish I was in his arms, in his tight embraces, and I could imagine ourselves looking out at the star studded velvety black night sky, and he would tell me how much he missed me, how he loved me so much, how it had been the end of the world when he found out that I was the mistress of Malfoy.  I could hear his soothing words that would caress my ears, and fill my heart with so much love, and feeling for him.  He had always understood me.  He knew me.

He would take away all these bad memories that would soon happen, and this embarrassing one.  He'd laugh with me, and we would talk also of Cedric.  Poor Cedric, and Harry would hush me in mid sentence, and tell me that the past was the past, and the present needed to be lived in.  But would the present that would be the past, ever pass me by, unscarred, untainted, still leaving me the same Cho, and leaving me with Harry in the future?

But to get to the future, I had to make it right now, and I had to live for Harry.  If I didn't, not only would we never be together ever, but he would most likely die.  If I stayed with Malfoy, was a good lay for him, and never angered him, then Harry would be safe.  Malfoy could help him escape right now, and he could supply me with information of Harry.  He could probably fool once or twice his orders in attack.

I just had to be brave.  I had to be brave for Harry, if not for myself.

I settled myself back on the couch, and rested peacefully there, without ever sleeping, but daydreaming of Harry, and waited for Malfoy to come back.

~

I think Malfoy had put a charm on the room, so no noise could be heard coming from outside.

This was horrible too.  I wanted, no needed, to know what was going on.  I needed to know what was happening to the students, and most of all, Harry.  I wished I knew who was alive, and whom I knew was dying on the green grass, that I had once flown over during Quidditch practices, and during the games.  Which of my housemates had died?  Did Elizabeth die?  Did she surrender immediately, and leave for Durmstrang?  Or was she fighting now alongside Harry, Dumbledore, the teachers, and the other students?

I heard the door open, and looked up at it immediately, to see Malfoy coming in looking quite miserable, and in bad shape.

I wondered for a second what to say.  Did I say, "Hi, how was the war?"  No, that sounded stupid.  Did I say, "How did everything go?" Maybe, if I didn't make it sound like a mum asking their husband or children how their day was.  So I went for latter, and hoped it didn't sound corny, or cheesy.  But then I stopped myself.  I'd say, "What happened?"  That would be better.

"What happened?" I asked, and sat up on the couch as Malfoy collapsed on it, and sat close to me.

I heard Malfoy sigh, and then grimace.

I looked at him to see why he was in pain, and then I saw that he had bruised or damaged his left rib that he was cradling with his arm.  I looked even closer at him, and saw his first few shirt buttons underneath his cloak were unbuttoned, and showing a bit of skin turning purple, and yellow.  When I was looking at his neck, I was able to see crimson blood tricking slowly from a gash at the back of his head, traveling down his collarbone.

"Merlin, Malfoy," I said breathlessly.  "You're hurt badly."

Malfoy turned his head to my direction, and narrowed his eyes at me.  "No kidding, Sherlock.  I came back from a war, not another one of my mother's dinner parties."

I mentally winced at his cold words.

How could he be this mean, when I'm trying to be polite, and civil with him?  Ravenclaws, and Slytherins weren't the best of friends, but when we tried to make things work between us, it worked.  It wasn't like he was sitting, and talking to a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff.  Even then, couldn't he just take a step or two down his high ladder?

"I could fix some of the wounds, if you'd let me," I said, and shocked myself.

Why was I helping this git when he was just rude to me a second ago?  Because of Harry?  All I had to do to help Harry was just not anger Malfoy, and be a good…um…slut or-, my head stopped thinking that, because I couldn't think it.

If I thought it, then it would be true, and I would be admitting this nightmare was not a dream.  It was reality.  I had to think that "Yes, I have to sleep with him, but it'll be all over soon."  I couldn't think of the pain, depression, and anger that would come with everything, and all the scars that would mark me; physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Not only would I let a boy touch me when I shouldn't be, when I was too young, and innocent for that, but then Malfoy would no doubt cause harm to my head with his manipulation, and Slytherin techniques or his family techniques or Dark Arts techniques or whatever it was.  Then emotionally, this would be no doubt, the most horrible months of my life.

If I ever made it out, then I swear I would go to church everyday Sunday, listen to my mother more closely, hell!  I'd even marry the boy she wanted for me, if only this nightmare would go away!  But if I made it out, unharmed, then there wouldn't be a day that I wouldn't be happy, or being thankful.  But I think now, that I'm going to have to loosen my ideas of what was unharmed.

"Please, Malfoy.  You need attention for your wounds now," I said as civilly as possible.

Malfoy didn't say anything for a minute, but then when I started to think he was just going to ignore what I said, he muttered, "Fine," and his arm fell from cradling his left rib.

"Thank you," I said softly, and I meant it.

I hated death, and sickness.  No matter how much I hated someone, I'd never wish them death, unless it was the Dark Lord.

I set to work on healing Malfoy's wounds.  No matter how much I hated the woman in the portrait, I listened to her as she told me about the medicine that was in the cabinet.  I listened to her tell me spells for this, and that, which I didn't know very well from not learning many things of tending to wounds in Hogwarts, since that was left to the school nurse.

Finally, Malfoy looked much better.  His bruises were fading slowly from some special cream for it, so now his collarbone was turning normal.  His rib had been broken, but the woman had told me how to do some spells for it that would mend it in time.  By tomorrow it would be fixed.  I had cleaned the cut at the back of his head with some special medicine that caused Malfoy to wince from the sting of it.

"Done," I said.

Malfoy nodded, which I considered a "Thank you," in his own odd way.

"What happened out there?" I asked again.

Malfoy cleared his throat, and looked at me.  "Potter really loves you, you know that?"

I nodded dumbly, and felt ready to grab him, and yell at him to continue.

Malfoy must have sensed my eagerness for more, and began again.  "A large amount of Ravenclaws were forced to go to Durmstrang, where their Dark Arts training would be held.  Many Hufflepuffs suffered the Crucatius Curse, and were killed slowly, and painfully.  Their bodies are still out there."

There was a moment of silence, and I waited patiently for Malfoy to continue.

"The Gryffindors are being led down underneath the school now, as I speak.  They will be held as Prisoners of War.  As for the Slytherins…"

"I all ready have an idea," I said.

Malfoy nodded.  "I warned Potter, Granger, and Weasley about the planned attack, and I had to stupefy Weasley from attacking me.  Potter was suspicious, and didn't believe me.  Granger had an open mind, and convinced him to leave.  They were able to save some Gryffindors, like the other Weasley-,"

"Ginny," I whispered to myself.

"Longbottom, Creevey, Thomas, Patil, and many others.  I don't know all their names, but there were plenty of Gryffindors that were able to escape.  I told Harry about some secret passageways through underneath the school, and Snape all ready knew what was happening, and was here inside the school, going to warn Dumbledore.  I caught him in the corridor, and told him where the Gryffindors were going, and to tell Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore has fled with the all the Gryffindors that were escaping, and went to the headquarters of the Order of The Phoenix.  I think they'll be fine," Malfoy said.

I closed my eyes, and thought for a moment.  Malfoy didn't say anything, knowing all ready no doubt, that I needed a moment to gather my thoughts together, and fit the puzzle pieces together to realize how many people were gone, dead, and were being held as prisoners.

So Harry was safe, and was with Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore, along with many of his housemates.  So there was still a chance for the Dark Lord to be defeated.  That's all that mattered at the moment.

"So what now?" I said.

"I'm taking you to my room, and then I'm going back," Malfoy said.

I sighed, feeling relieved.  So I wouldn't have to bed him right now.  I would worry about that later, right now, everything seemed to be going all right, and looked like it would turn out all right.

"All right," I said, and stood up when he did.

Malfoy put on his invisibility cloak again that he charmed to be the size of a matchbox, and was enclosed in it.

I walked to him, and went underneath the cloak.  With us both safely concealed, we left the room, and walked back down the corridor we had walked all ready.

We didn't need to walk for long because I found the Slytherin Common room wasn't that far from where we were, but what was odd, and eerie, was that there were no noises that could be heard in the school.  It was as quiet as a graveyard, or the night.  Nothing was out, and everywhere we went you could feel the sadness, and the gloominess of all the events that had just happened.

We came to the entrance, and Malfoy said the password (Pureblood), and then we entered the Common Room that was even gloomier than the outside.  Hanging from the ceilings were green lamps, and the wall was damp, and cold.  It was chilly in the room, and the fire that was burning was doing a poor job.  I didn't have more time to look around since Malfoy started pushing me to move in front of him, and I was forced to walk down a small corridor that had the different rooms for the students.  I was amazed to see that all the students had their own room or that I found out from Malfoy in a hushed voice that they shared it with one or two people.  Malfoy said it was because of all the money from the pureblood families in Slytherin that wanted the very best for their old house, and the new students that were taking their place.

We walked down even further, and then came to a door where Malfoy stopped, and grabbed me to get me to stop, too when I kept walking ahead of him.

Malfoy raised his wand, and pointed at the lock on the door.  "Lockbardnum Serolso," Draco said softly.

The door opened slowly, and we walked in.

Malfoy's room was much comfortable than the Slytherin Common room.  Though it was dark, and had a light Gothic look to it, it seemed more cheery, and happier.  There was a roaring fire that warmed the room, and casted shadows on the walls, and everywhere.  I saw Malfoy move to some table where he lit candles to give more light to the room, and I grabbed the moment to look more around the room.

On the walls, there were tapestries hung displaying war scenes that had goblins in medieval armor, wearing sadistic, and evil smiles, and leering grins, carrying gruesome spiked balls that hung from a chain, and was connected to wood, and swords, and weapons, fighting wizards that were in black cloaks that held their wands pointed out in front of them.

I saw the coach that seemed to be one of the greatest prides in the room with its large pillows, and arm rests that were large, and the place where you lied your back on the coach, all a dark emerald color, and was made of velvet when I touched it softly, and felt the material underneath my fingertips.

"You have a beautiful room," I said, and looked back at Malfoy who was done lighting the last candle.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Malfoy's face as he looked up at the room, and it's walls, and the furniture.

"This was once my father's room, and his father's room before him.  Every Malfoy male seems to have had this room."

I nodded my head, and watched as Malfoy turned to leave, but stopped to look back at me.  "Be ready tonight when I come back," he said, and left.

And I knew at once, that "be ready" was code for tonight is the "tonight," for fulfilling my end of the deal.

A/N: Leave a review everyone!  By the way, have I converted anyone to the Draco/Cho ship?  Anyone?  No? Damn.  Well, I'm going to convert someone to this ship, if it's the last thing I do!!!  Also, does anyone want to beta for me, please, lol?  Oh, and I was reading about Sigmund Freud out of my study book, but I did it in my own words, and tried to make it sound simple.

I'm also really proud with the result of this chapter because of how much effort I put into making Cho's character seem believable, and then I think I wrote how she was feeling really well.  And I never thought I could write emotions, and feelings that well…not even if my life depended on it.  This was also like, a back-to-school gift, for everyone that's miserable, and depressed to have to go back to school like me.  So come on, at least say thank you by reviewing!!!!!