The morning came painfully early. Her body just didn't want to obey her
pleading to get out of bed. Eventually she managed to get up and shower.
She magically put her hair in tiny braids, and decided on a white tank top
and black dress pants. She pulled on her robes, shot up, and did her
makeup carefully. Only when she was completely ready, did she open the
door. She called sharply to Draco, who was crashed on the couch. He
jumped at her voice and fell onto the floor. Laughing hysterically, she
ushered him into the room. She was in a much better mood that morning, and
ignored his dirty looks. She put on some great music, and danced around
the room, pretending her hairbrush was a mic.
"Low Rider don't use no gas now! Low Rider don't drive to fast!" She sang joyfully.
Draco came out of the bathroom casually drying his hair, his waist only covered in a towel. He smiled at how crazy she looked; jumping up and down on her bed like that. She looked at him, and froze. Her eyes focused on his arm. On the strange tattoo on his arm.
"You have the same tattoo as my father." Her heart froze along with her. She had always suspected, but no, it couldn't be true!
The look in Draco's cold eyes betrayed the truth. He was one of them. They both were. 'Oh.dad... Draco. What's happened to you?' She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed she had been jumping on a few seconds earlier. With rubber arms, she waved her wand at the stereo. The music stopped. Finally she found words.
"Draco. You're a death eater." She made her voice sound cold and emotionless, but her thoughts couldn't help but add 'and so is my father'.
"Yes." He stated back, just as icily. His hair was falling into his face. She recovered and grabbed his hand as he reached for his hair gel.
"I like it loose. It looks better that way." She said, looking into his cold eyes. She couldn't stand his stare any longer. "See you in class." She grabbed her books and left for breakfast.
She was just on time for breakfast; everyone else was there. There was no way that she could find a spot by herself this time. She made do with sitting next to a Slytherin girl she had seen in her classes but had never spoken to. What she needed to find was a friend she could share things with, and this girl looked like the most likely person in the school.
She was about the same height as Nicole, and a little bit heavier, but not much. She had her ears pierced several times, but nothing compared to the impressive collection that Nicole boasted. Her hair was platinum blonde, and looked gray in the light. Her eyes were a very pale blue. The girl introduced herself as Tabitha Midnight. Also an impressive family name.
With Tabitha beside her during her classes, they were actually kinda fun. Tabitha helped her forget about her father and the Dark Mark and all of the other things that were bothering her. Draco, as she had seen when she stepped into transfiguration, had actually taken her advice and left his hair down. He was getting amorous glances from every female in the room, but he was ignoring them all, and just watching her.
She shrugged off the looks. He was probably looking at Tabitha.
In potions class, Snape wanted everyone in his or her assigned seats, and Tabitha's desk was no where near hers. She just had to deal with sitting next to Draco. Not that he was a pain in the ass to sit next to. Just not someone she could talk to.
Draco was concentrating too hard on the potion in front of him. It was an easy potion, something to do with curing the measles. They were doing a whole healing potion unit. By the time everyone was placing the last ingredient in his or her pots, she was finished. Even that awful Hermione witch wasn't finished as fast. She looked crestfallen that Nicole was better than her.
"Nicole!" Tabitha whispered from three rows ahead. She mouthed the words "Draco is staring at you!" Nicole immediately glanced over at Draco, and sure enough he was. His cold eyes gave her shivers. He smiled. He wasn't just gapped out then. He was thinking about what he wanted to do to her. His threat of rape still hung around her.
She was dreading tonight already.
Tabitha and her both had a spare after lunch, so they spent two hours lounging in the castle grounds. She mostly talked about Draco. Tabitha had a huge crush on him. Nicole couldn't blame her. He was quite stunning.
"And I just love his eyes. their so sexy!" She had been blabbering about him for about ten minutes. Nicole just sat, tuned her out and enjoyed the company, adding in a little nod now and then. She had never had many friends. It was hard to trust anyone in Toronto. Especially from her upbringing.
Tabitha finally gave up on that topic and started on a new one. "So what are you doing for the talent competition?"
Nicole laughed. "You can't really expect me to enter a thing like that!"
"Oh come on Nikki! You have to! Please! For me? Now lets start with what your good at.."
"Tab I'm not doing it! Seriously!"
"Grow a backbone! I'm gonna play the piano. If I can do it, you can! Hey! We can do a duet! Can you sing?"
"Yes." If you counted years of voice lessons. The one thing her father had asked her not to give up on. She didn't.
"Great! Now what song should we do! I know! Only Hope by Mandy Moore! Have you heard that one?"
"Mmmhmm." She had only dedicated that song permanently to her ex boyfriend. "Can we not sing that one? Please?"
"Too bad!" Tab and her usual stubbornness. "Do you have it here?"
Nicole pulled out a burnt CD out of her case. She was listening to Swollen Members, and it was a shame to change it, but oh well. She switched the CD and out blasted the beautiful voice of Mandy Moore. This song always sent shivers down her spine. Nicole realized that it was the best choice for a song. She just didn't know if she could pretend she wasn't emotionally attached to it.
Tabitha immediately scheduled a practice session on the sixth floor balcony after classes, and Nicole spent the rest of the hour writing down lyrics while Tabitha played an imaginary piano.
Nicole's last class of the day was Defense of the Dark Arts. She was terrible at it! She couldn't discourage a pixie from landing in her hair, and no matter what she did could not get it to go back to its cage. Finally the teacher had to step in. He was a young Mr. Lupin. A very nice man, if a bit ragged in appearance. He told her not to worry; she would get it eventually.
Nicole left that class feeling grouchy, and went to her room to change out of her uniform for the practice session she was dreading on sixth floor. As she stepped out onto the still sunlit balcony, she was surprised to see Tabitha already playing the melody perfectly on a sleek black grand piano.
She sat on the rail and listened in silence. Tabitha was amazing. As far as Nicole knew, she'd never tried to play that song before. When Tabitha was finished, She looked up and blushed.
"How long have you been sitting there?!" She looked shocked, then grinned. "Did you like it?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Lets get started on your part!"
Nicole stood and cleared her throat. She looked down at the words, and the intro played softly in her head. She started to sing.
"There's a song that's inside of my soul. It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again. I will wake in the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over again."
She was really getting into the song. Before she knew it she had finished, and she really didn't even need the words. She had already memorized this song one lonely night in her past.
Tabitha clapped ecstatically. "You're amazing! Now lets put it with the music!"
Tabitha played the intro, and it all started again. It took Nicole a while to get used to singing with a pianist, but she did it.
"I know now, you're my only hope. Mmmmmmm. mmmmmm..oooooooooooo.." Nicole finished. She was breathless. She had given this last try all she had.
Clapping sounded from beside them. They both jumped. Draco stepped out of the shadows. Tabitha gasped. Nicole just looked embarrassed.
"How much did you see?"
"All of it. Well done." He smiled like he meant it. Well that was one surprise not going to happen at the talent show. Tab had been all pumped to show off for him. Oh well.
"It's well past supper time," he continued. "You should both go grab something to eat, if there's anything left. I'll see you later, Nicole."
She couldn't help but see the evil behind his clear eyes. Tabitha didn't seem to notice. She smiled and talked all through supper. What little supper they had gotten anyway. Just a little bit of stew. Tab had taken off her robes too, so that Nicole wouldn't be the only casually dressed person in the hall. It didn't matter though, they were the ONLY people in the hall.
They both grabbed a cheese roll each to take up to the common room with them, and Nicole brought out a bag of chips and two cans of coke she had taken with her. They sat up and ate and talked for a while with Draco, until Draco finally decided it was time for bed, and Nicole agreed.
"Night Tab!" She said quietly as Draco closed the door. As soon as they were alone, Draco gave her a malicious grin, and moved in closer.
Nicole braced herself for a struggle, but he only kissed her on the cheek, and whispered "good night, Nicole," in her ear. Then he corrected her bra strap, as if it was just a reflex. Whatever the case, she was weak in the knees when he moved away from her. She took off her pants and crawled under her blankets, still mostly dressed.
Sitting up in bed she took out her hair, and couldn't help but watch him undress. He was so muscled and sexy, and she found herself thinking very lusty thoughts about him and her and warm places. Had she been in Toronto, she would have invited him to bed in an instant. But she wasn't, and she still had a whole school year to live through. She could not give in this easily.
He noticed her watching him and smiled. She was all he had thought about all day. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, and pretended to be searching for his boxers so she could admire his body longer. Alas, he found them, and eventually made it into the bed. He magically closed the windows and flicked off the lights. He mumbled "night" once again and drifted off.
Nicole sat awake for quite some time watching his beautiful form surrounded by the blankets. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. She dreamed of him that night.
"Low Rider don't use no gas now! Low Rider don't drive to fast!" She sang joyfully.
Draco came out of the bathroom casually drying his hair, his waist only covered in a towel. He smiled at how crazy she looked; jumping up and down on her bed like that. She looked at him, and froze. Her eyes focused on his arm. On the strange tattoo on his arm.
"You have the same tattoo as my father." Her heart froze along with her. She had always suspected, but no, it couldn't be true!
The look in Draco's cold eyes betrayed the truth. He was one of them. They both were. 'Oh.dad... Draco. What's happened to you?' She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed she had been jumping on a few seconds earlier. With rubber arms, she waved her wand at the stereo. The music stopped. Finally she found words.
"Draco. You're a death eater." She made her voice sound cold and emotionless, but her thoughts couldn't help but add 'and so is my father'.
"Yes." He stated back, just as icily. His hair was falling into his face. She recovered and grabbed his hand as he reached for his hair gel.
"I like it loose. It looks better that way." She said, looking into his cold eyes. She couldn't stand his stare any longer. "See you in class." She grabbed her books and left for breakfast.
She was just on time for breakfast; everyone else was there. There was no way that she could find a spot by herself this time. She made do with sitting next to a Slytherin girl she had seen in her classes but had never spoken to. What she needed to find was a friend she could share things with, and this girl looked like the most likely person in the school.
She was about the same height as Nicole, and a little bit heavier, but not much. She had her ears pierced several times, but nothing compared to the impressive collection that Nicole boasted. Her hair was platinum blonde, and looked gray in the light. Her eyes were a very pale blue. The girl introduced herself as Tabitha Midnight. Also an impressive family name.
With Tabitha beside her during her classes, they were actually kinda fun. Tabitha helped her forget about her father and the Dark Mark and all of the other things that were bothering her. Draco, as she had seen when she stepped into transfiguration, had actually taken her advice and left his hair down. He was getting amorous glances from every female in the room, but he was ignoring them all, and just watching her.
She shrugged off the looks. He was probably looking at Tabitha.
In potions class, Snape wanted everyone in his or her assigned seats, and Tabitha's desk was no where near hers. She just had to deal with sitting next to Draco. Not that he was a pain in the ass to sit next to. Just not someone she could talk to.
Draco was concentrating too hard on the potion in front of him. It was an easy potion, something to do with curing the measles. They were doing a whole healing potion unit. By the time everyone was placing the last ingredient in his or her pots, she was finished. Even that awful Hermione witch wasn't finished as fast. She looked crestfallen that Nicole was better than her.
"Nicole!" Tabitha whispered from three rows ahead. She mouthed the words "Draco is staring at you!" Nicole immediately glanced over at Draco, and sure enough he was. His cold eyes gave her shivers. He smiled. He wasn't just gapped out then. He was thinking about what he wanted to do to her. His threat of rape still hung around her.
She was dreading tonight already.
Tabitha and her both had a spare after lunch, so they spent two hours lounging in the castle grounds. She mostly talked about Draco. Tabitha had a huge crush on him. Nicole couldn't blame her. He was quite stunning.
"And I just love his eyes. their so sexy!" She had been blabbering about him for about ten minutes. Nicole just sat, tuned her out and enjoyed the company, adding in a little nod now and then. She had never had many friends. It was hard to trust anyone in Toronto. Especially from her upbringing.
Tabitha finally gave up on that topic and started on a new one. "So what are you doing for the talent competition?"
Nicole laughed. "You can't really expect me to enter a thing like that!"
"Oh come on Nikki! You have to! Please! For me? Now lets start with what your good at.."
"Tab I'm not doing it! Seriously!"
"Grow a backbone! I'm gonna play the piano. If I can do it, you can! Hey! We can do a duet! Can you sing?"
"Yes." If you counted years of voice lessons. The one thing her father had asked her not to give up on. She didn't.
"Great! Now what song should we do! I know! Only Hope by Mandy Moore! Have you heard that one?"
"Mmmhmm." She had only dedicated that song permanently to her ex boyfriend. "Can we not sing that one? Please?"
"Too bad!" Tab and her usual stubbornness. "Do you have it here?"
Nicole pulled out a burnt CD out of her case. She was listening to Swollen Members, and it was a shame to change it, but oh well. She switched the CD and out blasted the beautiful voice of Mandy Moore. This song always sent shivers down her spine. Nicole realized that it was the best choice for a song. She just didn't know if she could pretend she wasn't emotionally attached to it.
Tabitha immediately scheduled a practice session on the sixth floor balcony after classes, and Nicole spent the rest of the hour writing down lyrics while Tabitha played an imaginary piano.
Nicole's last class of the day was Defense of the Dark Arts. She was terrible at it! She couldn't discourage a pixie from landing in her hair, and no matter what she did could not get it to go back to its cage. Finally the teacher had to step in. He was a young Mr. Lupin. A very nice man, if a bit ragged in appearance. He told her not to worry; she would get it eventually.
Nicole left that class feeling grouchy, and went to her room to change out of her uniform for the practice session she was dreading on sixth floor. As she stepped out onto the still sunlit balcony, she was surprised to see Tabitha already playing the melody perfectly on a sleek black grand piano.
She sat on the rail and listened in silence. Tabitha was amazing. As far as Nicole knew, she'd never tried to play that song before. When Tabitha was finished, She looked up and blushed.
"How long have you been sitting there?!" She looked shocked, then grinned. "Did you like it?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Lets get started on your part!"
Nicole stood and cleared her throat. She looked down at the words, and the intro played softly in her head. She started to sing.
"There's a song that's inside of my soul. It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again. I will wake in the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over again."
She was really getting into the song. Before she knew it she had finished, and she really didn't even need the words. She had already memorized this song one lonely night in her past.
Tabitha clapped ecstatically. "You're amazing! Now lets put it with the music!"
Tabitha played the intro, and it all started again. It took Nicole a while to get used to singing with a pianist, but she did it.
"I know now, you're my only hope. Mmmmmmm. mmmmmm..oooooooooooo.." Nicole finished. She was breathless. She had given this last try all she had.
Clapping sounded from beside them. They both jumped. Draco stepped out of the shadows. Tabitha gasped. Nicole just looked embarrassed.
"How much did you see?"
"All of it. Well done." He smiled like he meant it. Well that was one surprise not going to happen at the talent show. Tab had been all pumped to show off for him. Oh well.
"It's well past supper time," he continued. "You should both go grab something to eat, if there's anything left. I'll see you later, Nicole."
She couldn't help but see the evil behind his clear eyes. Tabitha didn't seem to notice. She smiled and talked all through supper. What little supper they had gotten anyway. Just a little bit of stew. Tab had taken off her robes too, so that Nicole wouldn't be the only casually dressed person in the hall. It didn't matter though, they were the ONLY people in the hall.
They both grabbed a cheese roll each to take up to the common room with them, and Nicole brought out a bag of chips and two cans of coke she had taken with her. They sat up and ate and talked for a while with Draco, until Draco finally decided it was time for bed, and Nicole agreed.
"Night Tab!" She said quietly as Draco closed the door. As soon as they were alone, Draco gave her a malicious grin, and moved in closer.
Nicole braced herself for a struggle, but he only kissed her on the cheek, and whispered "good night, Nicole," in her ear. Then he corrected her bra strap, as if it was just a reflex. Whatever the case, she was weak in the knees when he moved away from her. She took off her pants and crawled under her blankets, still mostly dressed.
Sitting up in bed she took out her hair, and couldn't help but watch him undress. He was so muscled and sexy, and she found herself thinking very lusty thoughts about him and her and warm places. Had she been in Toronto, she would have invited him to bed in an instant. But she wasn't, and she still had a whole school year to live through. She could not give in this easily.
He noticed her watching him and smiled. She was all he had thought about all day. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, and pretended to be searching for his boxers so she could admire his body longer. Alas, he found them, and eventually made it into the bed. He magically closed the windows and flicked off the lights. He mumbled "night" once again and drifted off.
Nicole sat awake for quite some time watching his beautiful form surrounded by the blankets. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. She dreamed of him that night.