Chapter Three: Midnight Rendezvous

"Johnson?" came the low rumble of a male's voice as Angelina turned into a dark corner.

"Yeah, it's me Montague," she responded as she approached the young man. She had already discarded her school robe earlier that evening and opted for a pleasant top and a pair of khaki pants.

"Heard about you and Weasley. Sorry to hear it about," he told her, but his tone begged to differ.

"Don't start pretending now you care."

"Hey, who's the one helping you?"

"Yeah, for a price," she seem to smile as she crossed arms over her chest.

"Now come on, Johnson," he ran the back of his fingers down Angelina's cheek. "Everything in this world comes with a price. I just hope for your sake, Weasley is worth all this."

Angelina slapped his hand away. "Don't ever touch me."

Montague chuckled. "That's not what you said the other night, Angelina," he told her aswith both hands he grabbed her around the waist and with one swift motion pulled her towards him. "Now is it?"

"Don't make me regret that night, Montague," she pushed away.

"You're just upset because things got a little. . . rough," he said as his perfectly manicured fingers unfastened his school robe. He blew Angelina a kiss as he pushed the robe out of his way and lifted his white shirt. "It left marks all over my body," he revealed to her the black and blue marks around his midsection. "You?"

"Yeah, trying to hide them from Fred was a bitch. But I guess I let my guard down around George and he actually thought that Fred had something to do with them," she couldn't help but laugh, but it was a hollow felt laugh, for there was no joy behind it. "It's been a hard few days," she quietly said as she held herself.

"Then I don't think you're going to like the news I've got for you," Angelina looked hopefully into his dark eyes, hoping the news wasn't as bad as he thought it was. "We've only got about a month."

Angelina could no longer feel her legs and she crumbled to floor. "Oh, God."

"If we are going to do anything, we're going to have to do it soon," he told her once she had gotten back to her feet.

"Yes, I know. I just didn't think everything would be happening so soon."

"I know, but we should probably get going, we can't get anything accomplished tonight," he saw her nod her head and he turned to start his walk back to his own common room when he heard foot steps approaching. He turned back towards Angelina and before she knew it she was being pushed further into the darkness of the hallway.

Montague had guided Angelina into a corner of the dead end hallway. They were now in between the wall and an armor statue. "What's going on?" Angelina whispered.

"Shh," was all he said. A moment later Angelina could hear the sound of foot steps coming closer. Montague was in front of her face to face, but there was a good five inches between them. Montague didn't seem to notice how close they were as he was now concentrating on the fast approaching sound.

The sound of foot steps got closer and closer and then stopped, they realized that the person was now standing at the entrance of the hallway. "Lumos," the voice unmistakably belonged to Umbridge. Angelina looked down and realized that Montague's robe was longer than most students and that it dragged behind him. The robe could be seen at the base of the statue.

The light of Umbridge's wand slowly got closer, Angelina grabbed a hold of Montague's robe and yanked him into the safety of the statue's shadow. Montague could no longer ignore the proximity of him and Angelina. They were so close that he could feel her rapid heartbeat through their clothing. He could also feel that she still had a tight hold on him and that she was holding her breath.

She always holds her breath when she's scared, Montague thought as a pure and genuine smile stretched across his face and he was glad it was dark and Angelina couldn't see it. He thought back to a time, a time before Fred, a time before the different houses, a time even before Hogwarts, a time when he and Angelina called each other 'friend,' but that was long ago.

He remembered back when they stepped off the boats and entered the ground's of Hogwarts and they were being led to the Great Hall. Angelina held his hand tightly and held her breath as all the first years stood in front of the Sorting Hat. He remembered as his name was called and his hand slowly slipped out of her. He took a seat and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head and it loudly shouted out, "Slytherin!"

Angelina's name was soon called and she took her seat and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. Montague had no doubt that his best friend would soon be joining him at the Slytherin table. He even saved her a seat next to him. Angelina was strong, fierce, determined, and most important, she was pureblooded, the very same words Montague used to describe himself. So you could just image the look of shock and surprise on his face as the Sorting Hat shouted clearly, "Gryffindor!"

"Bloody hell!" Angelina shouted sending the Great Hall into a roar of laugher. "Sorry," she said turning to Professor McGonagall. Angelina then reluctantly made her way to the Gryffindor table. She kept her head down for the rest of the sorting.

After dinner the different houses were led to their own common rooms. Other than the Great Hall, Montague had not seen Angelina. On the morning of the third day he happened into the dark, dead end hallway; he had been looking for the bathroom.

When he turned around to go back out of the hallway he saw Angelina passing by. Not believing his luck, he grabbed her and yanked her into the dark hallway. They didn't have much time, he had learned that Gryffindor and Slytherin were house rivals and being seen together would make a difficult time for each of them. "If we ever need each other, this is where we should meet." She nodded her head in agreement, just happy to see him. "And bring candy."

"Candy?" she looked at him questionably.

"Hey there's a price for my services," he smiled.

"Yeah, sure whatever, David," she smiled.

"Yeah, about that. I think it would be wise if we started calling each other by our last names, Johnson."

"You're right," she felt weird saying it, "Montague. We should be heading to class."

"You go first," she turned around and headed back out into the light.

"Excuse me," Montague saw a red-headed boy approach Angelina. "I think you dropped this." When Montague had pulled Angelina into the hallway, one of her books had slipped out of her backpack.

"Oh, thank you," she gave him the biggest smile.

"You're welcome," he smiled back. "I'm Fred Weasley."

"Angelina Johnson," she replied and they shook hands.

Still holding her book. "Can I walk you to your class?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

The year had passed and they had not spoken since the third day. It was not until their second year, when Montague heard of the openings on both of their house's Quidditch team, did he realize they could see more of each other, not in the school, but on the field. He was going to send her an owl, about his idea, but she had beaten him to the punch. One night while in his dormitory, he found a school owl perched by his desk, the parchment simply read: Join your house's Quidditch team.

Their skills on the field were remarkable, since they were used to playing a lot of one on one with each other. So neither one feared about making the team. Besides they did what they were out to accomplish, it was something they could fight and make fun of each other about in the halls of the school, without anyone being suspicious of their friendship. It wasn't much, but it was all they had.

It wasn't until their third year that problems started to develop, Angelina had become almost obsessed with the game, almost to the point of ignoring Montague to work strategy with Wood. Their arguments in the hall, along with the pushes and shoves, which were once pretend, became real as their tones and words became harsh.

Then when they both made Captain their seventh year, and were on the field for their first game, trying to break each other's hand during the shake before the game, they realized that the very thing that was suppose to bring them together, had actually torn them apart and both felt abandoned by the other.

Then one night several weeks ago, he received his first owl from Angelina in years. It was neither addressed nor signed, but he knew exactly who it was from as he read the words: I need you. He agonized over the thought, should he or should he not go? In his mind, he still thought of her as a friend, even though now he couldn't stand the sight of her most of the time. There were lies, there was betrayal, and deceit between them and as Montague thought about it laughter escaped lips. Lies, betrayal, and deceit, and here he thought she wasn't a Slytherin, she had just been hidden in the lion's den.

And so here they were, after curfew, on the verge of getting caught, when Umbridge's light stop a foot before it reached the statue. A moment later, Montague and Angelina heard the sound of retreating foot steps. When the sound was long gone Montague finally spoke, "You can let me go now."

"Oh, sorry," she smoothed out his robe with her hand. "We should probably go, before someone else wonders down here."

"Yeah," he took a step back to allow her to get out of the corner. They walked in silence as they approached the entrance of the hallway about to go towards their own common rooms. "Angelina?"

"Yeah, Montague?"

"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," he looked very serious as he spoke.

"Go on," she didn't quite know what to expect.

"Thanks for the other night," his face still looked serious, but there was sadness behind his words. "I hope, I don't ever make you regret, saving my life."

"Hey, what's a few cut and bruises between friends, David?"

Montague smiled softly, it had been a long time since she had called him by his first name. He had almost forgotten what it sounded like to hear her say it. "Get some rest Johnson, you look tired," he then turned towards the dungeons and began walking, calling it a night.

To Be Continued. . .