Important: There is going to be a flashback to "the night before" at the end of every chapter, and, by the end, hopefully, you will all understand what unfolded that night. The message is going to appear at the beginning of each too, since I'm sure this will be a little confusing for everyone (sorry). I'll stop chattering on now and get to the good (snort) stuff.

The Phoenix and Turtle

By Taelyn

Chapter: 2: What?

"As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven,

 it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape."

John Lancaster Spalding

To all of those that walked down the hall near a certain portrait that led to the Head Girl's bedroom, the noise was hardly ignorable. But, as Peeves had, in the past days, been up to his tricks and many of the spirits that resided in Hogwarts would sometimes reminisce with a little too much emotion, most paid no attention.

If it hadn't been for a silencing charm that was beginning to fade though, the noise and its echoes would have sent many running for professors—if not for cover.

When Draco finally stopped, his cheeks were flushed pink and he quickly noticed that the  hair-gelling spell he administered dutifully had worn off during the night, causing it to flop irritatingly down into his eyes. Making sure that the crimson silk sheets covered all of the appropriate parts, he twisted around to fully face Hermione.

. . . And then turned right back around again.

Hermione, like him, wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing.

Hermione, unlike him, didn't have any sheets to use to cover up.

Of course, the screaming started up again when she noticed what he had, but it ended abruptly after Draco felt a sheet being pulled off the bed. She was hopefully wrapping herself up in it, for there was no sign of clothing on her side of the bed and he doubted that she would be courageous enough to walk to the side of the room that he was facing (all of the clothing was piled in a neat stack in the far corner) He was about to turn around—she being covered or not, he didn't care—when he felt a very hard smack on his head.

"Hey!!! You stupid mudblood--what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, watching the stars around his head dance up and down.

Hermione stared at him viciously. "You . . . you . . . you bastard! You did this!"

Draco stared at her in amazement. "What? I hardly think that--" he gestured to the bed, "whatever you think I did is something that I would do in a sane state of mind, I would think." 

Hermione looked at him cynically (and perhaps a little perplexed as she tried to sort through his last muddled sentence).

But instead of mumbling on, He regained his composure and snorted scornfully at the furious girl. "You're not exactly up to my standards, are you? You're not worth a word from me—much less a good shag--and you think that I set this up?

And then the exact situation—and what it lended itself to—hit him.

"Oh Merlin, disgusting! I just slept with a mudblood," he choked out, his face growing steadily paler as he heaved melodramatically.

But Hermione didn't seem to be listening. "You must have drugged me--that's it--you drugged me and took me here and . . ." she stopped, her eyes widening, processing what Draco had said, and whirled around.

"We . . . we . . ." she began, her breath catching in her throat, "you think we . . . slept together?"

"No Granger, both of us woke up naked in bed together because we had decided to play 'mediwizard'" he snarled, pushing his hair out of his face, his mouth pulling into a smirk that could have been a smile if his eyes weren't so cold. Then he began to look queasy again at what must have been the though of it.

"You drugged me--why else can't I remember a thing about last night?" she shrieked suddenly, and would have jumped at Draco if not for the fact that she had cocooned herself inside the bed sheets.

He looked at her for a second, before hissing "I can't remember anything either, you stupid mudblood and again, I wouldn't ever touch you--you're dirt!!!"

"Oh be quiet Malfoy, don't those insults ever get old?" she retorted. But then, what he said about his absent memory registered.

"You're lying," she said, almost questioningly. "You remember—you must have done this."

"You are really dense for someone that everyone believes is so smart," Malfoy muttered. "No I didn't do anything to you-at least, I can't remember doing anything. And I'm glad I don't," he added. "That really is disgusting."

Hermione set her jaw and looked ready to begin yelling again—when she heard a voice and a knock come from the other side of her door.

"Hermione, Are you alright? I heard screams. Hermione? I'm coming in, okay?"

It was Ginny.

Ginny who knew the password to her dorm.

Ginny who never listened when Hermione told her not to come in.

Ginny who was one of her best friend's sister and the other's girlfriend.

"Shit!"


"You don't mean it" she said.

He grabbed her arm. "I do--I've never meant anything more in my life."

She jerked away and started at the white imprints that he had made on her small arm.

"I don't believe you."


Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed: I really am grateful. And anyone who hasn't: please do.  I really don't want to beg.