1I don't own Harry Potter but I do own the jinx patch!

Chapter 13.

Draco headed down the halls of hogwarts towards the dungeons. He needed to talk to Snape. He turned a corner and bumped into Blaise. She was leaning against a wall she seemed to be waiting on him.

"Where have you been?" she cut straight to the point.

"I've been busy."

"For a fortnight Draco I highly doubt it." he tried to walk past her but she blocked him.

"I'm not stupid like you think Draco I know where you've been I just want to hear it from you." Draco looked down at her blankly. "I can't believe this I've seen the way you two look at each other when you think no ones looking and when you disappear late at night I make your excuses hoping I'm wrong but the nagging in the back of my mind tells me different... all I want to know is why Draco? Why her? Why not me? I loved you for so long."

He looked down into her pleading eyes begging him to love her but he couldn't he couldn't lie to her.

"I don't know" he answered finally. "I don't know why not you Blaise, ok? I don't make the decisions I just follow them."

Blaise closed her eyes she understood and she was happy for him they had been friends for years I mean they had been each others firsts that's how much he meant to her but first doesn't necessarily mean always.

She began nodding slowly and turned to walk off. But he stopped her placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Bye Blaise." he said quietly.

"Bye." she whispered. She turned and disappeared down the hall to the Slytherin common room. Draco continued on his way to Snape's office.

He entered the professor's dark dungeon office, He was sitting behind his desk as a large pot of something brewed in the corner. Draco approached him and took a seat across from him.

"I'm assuming you've heard." Draco said.

"Of course but you weren't suppose to find out for a while."

"Well my father wasn't here at Christmas to intercept McNair so yes I know and I'm not going through with it I simply refuse."

Snape looked up at his student over the paper he had been marking. "And why come to me?"

"Just doing what I was told."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"My mother." Draco answered simply. "She said if I ever had second thoughts about anything I was to go to you... so here I am."

Severus surveyed his student. He had to admit the boy was straight forward he knew what he did and didn't want and was going to get it with or without Severus' help, but there would be no need for that.

"So what exactly do you want? Do you want to never get the mark? Or do you want to get it and work for me?"

"I don't want it, I don't want anything to do with it."

Severus nodded. "Ok well this will take some planning but I'll talk to Dumbledore and we'll come up with someway for you to get away from your father so that he can't force this on you as he was planning to do. Come back to me... in about two days I should have spoken to Dumbledore by then and we should have something for you."

Draco got up. "Ok, if that's all I have to get back to the infirmary." He turned to leave.

"You really care for this girl don't you."

"You know I do." Draco walked to the door pulled it open and stepped out.

Snape nodded. "Be careful. Love makes us do strange things."

Draco smirked at the door back still to Snape.

"I know it does." he commented as the door swung shut.

it had been a two weeks since Ginny's fall and the Gryffindors still sat quietly in the common room. Some tying to study to get their minds off of their fallen angel others given up long ago and resorted to staring aimlessly out the window and the warm spring night.

They had won the quidditch cup but it hadn't meant as much without the whole team to celebrate. Harry had caught the snitch as Ginny had hit the ground. He felt horrible and responsible. Even though no one was blaming him not even Ron he still felt bad.

Linda walked down from the boys dorm and over to Harry, who sat on the couch. Hermione's head in his lap as she lay down staring at the ceiling even she had abandoned studying in light of recent events.

"He's finally asleep." she announced with a sigh as she fell into a near by armchair.

"Good he needs it." Hermione commented relief in her voice.

"He's cried himself to sleep for the last two weeks."

"Well it's been a hard fortnight"

"I know" Linda shut her eyes.

"Ron's not the only one that needs rest you've been like everyone's mother since the accident. Why don't you go up and rest and I'll bring you some tea later." Hermione said looking up at Linda.

Lin opened her mouth to reply when an owl flew into the common room and landed on her chair. Recognizing the elegant eagle owl Linda removed the letter and scanned it. She felt it's wings brush her cheek as it took flight before anyone else recognized it. Linda got up to leave.

"What's going on?" Harry inquired.

"Um... it's... it's um Luna, yeah luna needs to see me now so I'll have to take a rain check on that Tea and..." she yawned. "Sleep." with that she let before anyone could protest her decision.

She ran through the halls towards the hospital wing ignoring the shouts from portraits and prefects alike. She entered the infirmary and the first thing she noticed was an uncovered Draco. Something was wrong.

She went to his side. "What is ti? What happened? Have you been crying? Oh shit is it that bad?" Linda began to panic.

Draco turned his head to her slightly. "She was jinxed" he spoke in a near whisper.

"What?" Linda was in disbelief.

"McGonagall and Flitwick were just here they finish checking her broom and..."

"Wait McGonagall and Flitwick were here and they told you about Ginny's condition."

"Well, yeah I told McGonagall about me and Ginny a couple of nights ago when she caught me down here."

"Oh" that was all Linda could manage there was just to much info to process here.

"So what did they find out?" Linda finally asked deciding to ask the more important of the questions running through her mind.

"They found this" he threw something at her. "You know what that means right? who even did this, did this..."

"On purpose" Linda concluded. As she stared down at the browning square in her hand. It was white turning brown and burnt around the edges indicating it had been used and pulled off. Which would explain why it was just being found, they usually sink into the surface of whatever they're jinxing not to be found ever but Flitwick had obviously done something to locate this bugger.

"But how? Who?" Linda said looking at the illegal item in he hands.

"We don't know but that proves it had to be someone in the air he delay on it isn't very long."

"But that would mean it was a student. Where would they get one?"

"You can get them in Hogsmeade if you know where to look and who to ask. Nothings that far from reach."

Linda was in slight awe. "But... why her?" she whispered.

Draco took the item from her hands and put it back on the table. "I don't know.

Linda's hazel eyes rested on the white square of enhanced magic. A jinx patch in school, this was wrong.