Disclaimer: I own nothing of J.K rowling's.. I own my plot and my characters though.
A/N: PHEW that last chapter took a lot out of me.. This one will too.. Someone review and let me know if you think I'm doing well. (smiles at steph...I know you'll reply sometime.)
Chapter 9: Truth Serum
"Miss Maguire..." It always had to start with my name didn't it? I always was the victim after all.
Luckily, Dumbledore interrupted Snape as though he had knew Snape would yell, "Let me take it, Severus. Ms. Maguire, why did you attack Mr. Malfoy?"
Maybe someone would listen to me.."I was defending myself. He cheated off my potions test today and Snape blamed it on me..Then in flying lessons, Draco rubbed it in that he cheated and got me in trouble for it. I didn't mean to tackle him...I just lost my temper.. You don't have to believe me, Headmaster, but I said my peace and I'm glad that I had the chance."
Draco argued, "I did not cheat off of her test! She is too stupid to cheat off of!"
"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore called, "calm down. There is a simple way of solving this, which Severus surprisingly did not think of. A truth serum will solve it. However, I do not have any in my possession."
"I can solve that, Headmaster," Snape admitted, "Tonight Miss Maguire has a detention.. Mr. Malfoy can join her in making a serum tonight at seven."
"Very Well," Dumbledore agreed.
Draco and I sighed, and were dismissed to go to next class. I took my backpack and followed Draco on the way out of Dumbledore's office. We walked to the Grand Staircase and started to descend them. Both of us had Charms class next on the second floor. Speaking no words to one another, the second floor appeared. Walking towards Charms class, Draco stuck his tongue out at me.
"Is that supposed to offend me?" I asked.
"Shut up.." Draco blurted, "You're nothing but a filthy mudblood who should never open her stupid mouth."
I wanted to smack him, but instead, I stopped dead in my tracks and yelled at him. "Ya know," I shouted, "I'm not a mudblood...Mudblood means dirty blood, from muggle parents... For your information, my mom was a witch, but my dad was non-magical...This makes me half-blood. So you'll just have to make some other insult."
"You're still a mudblood in my eyes..." Mumbled Draco.
"Then you must need glasses.." I know I wasn't funny, but I tried.
Draco stomped his foot, "Just shut your face before I make you!"
"May I remind you," I said as-a-matter-of-factly, "I beat you up. I punched you in the face....Not the other way around."
"You know what?" Draco frowned, "Let's just get to class already.. I don't want another detention because of you."
Picking up the pace, we walked down the hall of the second floor, where we already had been, and approached the charm's classroom door. Opening the iron door with a wand emblem on it, Draco and I entered the classroom and spotted curious eyes gazing at us. Professor Flitwick asked why we were late, and Draco spoke up. He told Flitwick that we had to go to Dumbledore's office and he had just dismissed us. Kindly being told to sit down, Flitwick went back to the front of class and finished his lecture on wand-mending.
Every so often, I think Draco is staring at me. Perhaps it's because he hates me so much. In the orphanage, a girl name Katie always stared at me with this evil hatred burning in her eyes. Similar to the way Snape looks at me, but for some reason I find Snape's stare somewhat scarrier and more evil. I don't think he himself is evil, but the way he acts just takes the cake.
Hearing the loud ringing of the school bell, I checked the clock in Charm's class and realized I had Defense Against the Dark Arts next. I really wasn't prepared for that class. Our teacher, Professor James Freedman, was an old-I mean old-man who was always in a cranky mood. There is a rumor sneaking its way into our school stating that Professor Freedman is going to retire this year. In the middle of the year! Wouldn't any normal professor wait for the summertime when Hogwarts can hire someone better for the job? I don't understand any of it.
Sitting in my usual back-of-row seat, Professor Freedman limped to the chalkboard. He straightened his askew glasses and coughed so loud, you'd think he coughed up a lung! Sitting next to me was Hermione, who didn't want to be in this class either, and Ron was on the opposite side of me with Harry next to him. Draco was across the room, thank Merlin, but that didn't stop him from throwing a crumpled up piece of paper at me. Professor Freedman saw this, yet ignored it. He was never one to pay attention to misbehaviors in class.
Class passed by sluggishly and boring, and again we were assigned no homework. That was always a plus in Defense Class; We did barely anything, which gave me time to draw in my sketchbook, and we were given no homework. Also, we all recieved A's on our report cards.
"You know why I threw crumpled paper at you, Maguire?" Draco asked as he approached me before supper time.
I shook my head and sarcastically replied, "I have no idea."
"Because," He answered with an insult, "I was throwing it away! And you are nothing but trash.."
"HA!" I laughed, "If I'm trash, then you must be the damned sewage plant!" I grinned, turned on my heel, and went into the Great Hall for a supper I would most enjoy.
My grin was now vanished, but I was still in a peaceful mood. I took in some linguini and garlic bread for supper, and was not bothered once by 'Ferret Boy.' But come quarter to seven p.m. and I was already racing into Snape's classroom. I inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply before opening the Potion's door. Seeing Snape at his desk, I cleared my throat to make myself known as present. Snape motioned me to sit down and told me to wait unti Draco got in the room to start the truth serum.
Waiting for about fifteen minutes initiated my thought process. What if Draco, the little blonde ferret-boy, attempted to mess up our potion? What if he made me put in the wrong ingredient or stir at the wrong pace? I would have to read the directions myself and make sure Draco pulled nothing suspicious. Just as I thought of him being suspicious, he pranced into the classroom as if he owned the place; He held his head high in the air, his arms were swaying back and forth like something a trained monkey would do, and a miniscule smile was painted on his face to show that he was alrerady up to something.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are two minutes late.." Snape sounded pretty disappointed, but didn't scold Draco-which was very unfair.-"Nevertheless, we must get to work. Please take one of the potion textbooks from the cabinet and place all the ingredients, including the cauldron, on the table in the front of the chalkboard where you leeches usually present potions."
Gathering ingredients, I helped Malfoy put together everything we needed to make the truth serum. At last, we proceeded and began our conjuring of the serum... Wow I sound like a dramatic movie sequence...hmm.. Reading carefully over the directions, Draco took the first few things and added them to the cauldron. I stirred carefully as I felt a pair of snake eyes watching me. Sure enough, Snape was behind Draco and I, observing that we made no mistakes. Whilst making the potion, Draco rolled his eyes at me quite a few times. If only I could punch him again; It took out so much frustration.
"We're done Professor Snape," Draco announced proudly. I'm sure it wasn't proudness for my side.
"Very well," Snape spectated the sparkling liquid, "Perfection...Now if only you two could work this well in class. Both of you take one teaspoon, fill it with the serum, and drink it. After a few moments, I will ask some questions, and what you answer is the truth...obviously..So don't try and get out of this now."
Taking a teaspoon, I dipped it into the cauldron and pulled out the serum. Draco followed, and we both drank it at the same time. The truth serum tasted like carbonated peaches mixed with a tiny bit of mint. Quite delicious if you ask me. Placing the spoon back on the table, I felt a little dizzy, and then normal again. Draco probably felt the same way, not just because we drank from the same potion, but because he wobbled for a quick second. Too bad he didn't fall over...Oops! Was I thinking that?
"Miss Maguire," Snape called, "did you cheat on your potions test the other day?"
"No.." My mouth and voice now had a mind of its own.
Sneering, he asked the same to draco, hoping for the same answer that I said.
"Uhh.." Draco tried to keep his mouth shut, but couldn't fight it anymore, "Yes. I did cheat on the potions test."
Sighing, Snape turned to me, "You are off the hook. No more detentions...for now...As for you Mister Malfoy, I would have expected better from you..Cheating off of a half-blood...How could you be so senseless?"
Did Snape just speak those aful words against me? Did he just call me a half-blood?
"I am senseless.." Draco admitted accountable to the serum.
Trying to hold in my comments, the truth serum poured them out of my mouth without warning, "Draco is nothing but a pain in my-"
"Miss Maguire! I know the truth serum is in affect, but please hold your comments to yourself. If you cannot do so, then leave."
"What are you talking about? You just offended me by calling me a half-blood. What right do you have to call me such names?" My mouth was now out of control.
Snape was shocked at my speech, "I was not trying to offend you, but you are a half-blood. I was merely stating the truth...After all, this is one big, honest school." Obviously he had sarcasm in his tone.
"Meanie.." After I called him a...meanie...I left the room and walked slowly onto the Grand Staircase.
Climbing up to the top floor, I whispered the password and walked into the Gryffindor common room. Realizing it was only nine-thirty, I took a hot shower to relax my nerves. Finally falling freely into bed, I closed my eyes and fell into a great slumber....