Disclaimer: I own my plot and my characters

A/N: Uhh...last chapter was stupid...but here's a better one..you'll love it..sorry for takin so long.BTW death kiss is actually a novel I am working on. As for Garden. you'll see...

Chapter 10: Ferret Approach

December the Thirteenth... Classes had been pretty normal for me lately; I was yelled at by Snape almost everyday for not making a potion right, Draco would continuously call me names, and Hermione chatted with me here and there. I had a week or so left to prepare for the next ball; It would take place on Christmas Eve. The Yule Ball celebrated the holiday seasons and supposedly had a live orchestra playing music. This ball was not one I would want to plan anything on. I will go, dance-maybe, and mingle-probably not.

Snow hadn't fallen yet in the Hogwart's grounds, and as it was my first year here, I didn't know if it would. However, the school was still chilly, especially in the dungeons. You'd think it was ironic that Professor Snape was as cold as the dungeon area..

"Get out your textbooks!" An angry Professor Freedman instructed in Defense Against The Dark Arts Class, "Partner up with someone and complete the assignment on page three-hundred. Answer questions one through twenty. Go ahead now, partner up! When you are done, bring it up to me."

At first, I was nervous about partnering up with anyone, but Hermione looked at me, and asked to work together. This was excessively surprising, but I accepted and we started to work. Turning to the assigned page, Hermione got a piece of parchment out for both her and I.

"He's actually giving us work? Something's wrong here." Hermione stated as we began the work.

"Maybe," I suggested, "He is retiring. Maybe he wants to let out all of his tension and frustrations out on us before he leaves."

"It's an understandable reason, but don't know if he's that type of man." Pointing to the first question in our textbook, Hermione searched for the answer.

Talking and working was pretty fun. Hermione and I actually had quite a long conversation about the upcoming Christmas Ball. She told me that Harry was going to ask Veronica, the snobby girl I met that night in detention, to be his date. Also, Ron has been acting suspicious around Hermione, and she's hoping they get to go to the dance as a date. Isn't that sweet? Ok, I'm sarcastic even in my thoughts...I couldn't see Ron with Hermione..Ron seemed too cocky and a bit mean; While Hermnione was just the opposite. She may be a little on the stuck-up side when it comes to school work, but just talking with her I can tell she isn't always that way.

Unfortunately, as the end of class crawled towards us, so did a ferret boy named Draco. He walked up to Hermione and I and called us the 'Dirty-blood double.' If that's the best insult he could come up with, I would have such an easy time creating comebacks. However, I think I wouldn't of had so much trouble with him already if that were the case. Professor Freedman finally told Draco to sit back in his own seat, but the ferret slapped me on the arm before following the professor's instructions.

In the halls now, I walked to the library for my lunchtime. I wasn't in the mood to sit around today in the Great Hall. Entering the library, I took my normal spot by the back window. I took my romance novel out, and finished the last five pages to it. Sighing, I placed the book inside of my backpack and walked to the romance section of the library. I crouched down to see the bottom shelf, and saw two manly legs in black trousers appear beside me. Moving my eyes upward to see who the legs belonged to, I gulped and realized it was Snape. He was towering over me as I stayed crouched on the floor. Unfortunately, I didn't notice my own legs give way and leave me sitting on the carpeted floor.

"Excuse me, Miss Maguire, but I am trying to put a book back that I borrowed several weeks ago. Would you kindly move so I can put it back?" Snape held out a black book with gold binding around the edges, and a crimson heart in the middle of the cover.

I couldn't speak correctly, "Ugh...Uhh...Yer-uhh...S-sorry, Professor, I'll move." Trying to stand up without stumbling didn't work. I moved over and watched him put the book on the second shelf from the top one.

"...." Looking at me in an odd fashion, Snape searched the books for another one to take out.

I took a deep breath and asked, "You read romance novels?"

As though he didn't want to answer aloud, Snape only nodded. I walked to my backpack and took my novel out which I had previously finished. Returning to the romance section of books, Snape was still in the same spot. I flipped through my book, making sure no loose papers were in it.

"You," I held my book out, "should read this one. I just finished it."

"Miss Maguire, will you not bother me? I am trying to find my own book, and I don't need your 'Teenie-Bopper' drama books." Snape glanced at my book.

I still held out my book, "It's not a teenager novel. This is Death Kiss. It's about a female lawyer who falls for the man who is said to have killed a child. The woman believes that he is innocent and perhaps has been framed. ...I don't want to ruin the rest though.."

Taking the novel out of my hand, Snape skimmed the back cover, reading the summary of the book, which was close to what I explained. "Looks interesting...Quite a summary. Perhaps I will read it..Thank you, Miss Maguire.."

Not believing he had just grasped a book I suggested, I started to stutter again, "I..uhh...umm..It's a really en-en-entrapping novel."

"I'll return it to you when I am finished with it." With a miescule hint of a smile, Snape left the library with my book in hand. The librarian even questioned whose book it was when Snape passed her. He showed her it had no library card in the back inside cover, so she new he wasn't lying when he admitted to borrowing it from a student.

Continuing on trying to find a book to borrow for myself, I spotted the black book Snape had placed back. I took it off the shelf and traced the crimson heart with my index finger.The heart had a golden vine of thorns slithering through it. Searching for a title to this gothic-seeming novel, I found the title on the inside. The first page was entitled, The Garden. I carried the book as I retrieved my backpack, and walked to the librarian's check-out desk. I placed the novel on the desk and waited for the old librarian to check it out for me.

"Professor Snape just finished reading this. According to him it's the best novel he's ever read. Hope it has the same effect to you." The librarian, Ms. Murdock, handed me the book and told me to return it when I was finished.

Heading to Flying Lessons, since lunch was now over, I placed the book in my backpack and ran outside. Puting my backpack on the drying grass and fallen leaves, I took my broomstick and joined the other students in the middle of the field where Madame Hooch was. Standing next to me was Draco, who I had not noticed until he coughed. Madame Hooch instructed us to practice our nose-dives...With the exceptions of me though; I still didn't finish my beginner lessons. I had one more week to perfect speeding up and slowing down in my mid-air flying. I already grasped the facts of hovering, lowering and heightening my levitation, and performing a few loops in the air.

After Hooch spoke, I boarded my broomstick and started to hover. Draco flew high into the air and began to dive towards me. I flew out of the way and he pulled up, preventing hitting the ground. I flew around higher and higher and Draco followed me. I hovered for a moment, and Ferret Boy stopped right next to me. Making a face at him, I flew away slightly, but stopped again when I saw him tailing me.

"What do you want, Ferret?" I questioned.

He replied, "To push you off your broom...No, I actually have a question for you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, Maguire, a question...So, can I ask you a question?"

Laughing, I retorted, "You just did.." I flew around in a circle and then away from Draco.

He, of course, followed me yet again. Was he trying to annoy me? It wasn't working if that is what he wanted to try. I was amused by his stupidity. Looping in the sky, I flew a couple of feet towards the ground. I then sped up a bit as I lifted higher into the sky again, trying to lose Draco. Stopping abrubptly, I shouted to the ferret.

"Ok! What do you want?"

With a sly smile, Draco responded, "Are you going to the Christmas Ball?"

Oh Merlin, one could only imagine why he asked that.. "Yes..Why?"

"Will," Draco smiled again, "you be interested in being my date?"

Whoa-Whoa!! What??? Did the ferret just ask me to be his date? My ears must be hearing things. I had to make sure I heard him right, "What?"

Draco repeated his request, and I felt my face turn both blush red, and sickly white. And just when I thought my stuttering left, I started again, "Uhh...W-w-why?" I didn't want to sound mean, but this was Draco Malfoy; A Slytherin with a bad outlook towards anyone who wasn't a full-blood witch or wizard. A slytherin who always insulted me and hated me...I couldn't let myself think for a half of a second that this evil ferret liked me. Besides, I did not like him..

"I thought it would be nice going together.." Draco finally stated.

Raising my eyebrows, I said, "Well, I'm sorry but I can't go with you."

"At least dance one dance with me then.." He requested, apparently not giving up.

Thinking about this, I realized there must be some scam to go along with this...So I played along, "Fine...one dance, but after that I'm done."

"Thank you, Maguire.." He said, as though my last name were my first.

Flying off again, Draco did not follow me this time. Thank Merlin! Now, to dance with a ferret, that would be a funny image. Obviously there was something fishy with his plan to dance with me. Yet, I couldn't imagine what. Maybe he would try to pull my dress of an expose me so I become nothing but a blushing tomato in her birthday suit... If that were the case, I wouldn't wear a zip-up dress. I'll wear one to pull over my head..That way, if he starts to pull it off, I'll know ahead of time and punch the living daylights out of him. If Draco's evil scheme was to stand me up, that was no problem because I was used to being let down. Basically, if Ferret Boy were to do anything to embarass me, I was already prepared.

Suppertime, I skipped supper and took some white fabric to Hagrid's hut. My plan was to sew a knee-length dress with spaghetti straps; A white dress with some beading on the top rim and the straps. I knocked on Hagrid's door, and he opened up, surprised to see me. He invited me in and while I started sewing, I explained everything to him. I told him about Draco's question, about my preparation for anything stupid that he might do, and my plan to run out of the Great Hall if any of my defense plans failed. Hagrid laughed a the last piece of information I spoke of; That if Malfoy actually did like me, I would change my name, my looks, and my identification so that he wouldn't know who I was.

"Draco isn't one to trust, I can tell yeh' that much." Hagrid warned.

I nodded, "I know that, Hagrid. That's probably the first thing I noticed about Ferret Boy. That and his hair is really ugly."

Laughing, Hagrid said, "True...He sleeks it back so much it looks like he hasn't got any hair at all."

A few hours ticked by, and shockingly, I completed my dress. I guess it was easier to sew because it didn't have so many frills and lacey things as my Halloween one did. In I went, to the Gryffindor common room, after thanking Hagrid for letting me once again use his sewing machine. Falling fast asleep after taking a shower, I could have sworn it started to snow outside...