Chapter 12

"It started with my dreams. You *know* about my dreams. I think everyone else does." I nodded. So much for not letting her know she was being talked about. "Well, I had a dream. About James."

"How did you know it wasn't a normal dream?"

"I've never *had* normal dreams." Never? I spoke my query aloud. "Never. I thought I was a little strange. Maybe I *do* have normal dreams, but I never remember them when I wake up."

Well, that was usual, not remembering dreams, after all, that had happened to *me* before, but how could she *not* remember a *single* one?

She continued, "But-this summer, I had a dream. That-that a woman would prophesy something about three people. It was a little hazy, when I woke up, but I remembered one line in particular, and that was the prophecy itself. At first, I'd thought it was just a dream, you know, and I'd finally remembered one, at last. But then, at the train. . . *you* know, you were there, you heard her." My curiosity was getting the better of me.

"What happened to Jame-Potter in your dream?" Something horrible, probably, horrible enough to scare her like this.

"He *Died*, Lucius." I could tell she was on the verge of tears again, but she went on, "It was a curse. He told me to run-I was there too-I saw myself, and I-I ran but when I did, I heard him-" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't look at him anymore, I keep seeing him, there on the floor, a shadow standing over him and-I just can't look at him. Now, he thinks I'm angry at him, and he won't talk to me because he's afraid to, and all those rumors. . . Only Bella talks to me now, and she had to go home because of her father, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do-" Now was probably the time to comfort her. I tried to, at least.

"But you can't *really* be sure it was a-a-*premonition*, or anything, right? I mean, it *could* just be a dream. . ." I trailed off lamely at her look.

"You don't understand, I just *know*, there's this *feeling* I have. . ." She sighed. I gave her one of my *special* smiles, the one that was guaranteed to have any other girl all over me. Maybe she'd smile back? It felt strange, to speak with her and not see her smile more than once.

"At least *I'm* talking to you, right? Or do you High and Mighty Gryffindors not consider us Slytherins as people?" My tactic worked, because she laughed a little, through her tears.

"Oh, of *course* I consider you as a person, Lucius, but you know what I meant, I'm all alone now without Bella, and people avoid me because they think I'm *odd*, and."

"Don't tell me your *loyal* Gryffindor friends are shunning you just because you're different?" I pretended to sound appalled at the idea.

"They were never really my friends, anyway, if-if they believed everything people say about me. They never knew me at all."

"Well yes, that's the er-spirit, think about it that way." I said, rather awkwardly. I don't *cheer* people on, not on a regular basis. Somewhere in the castle, a bell chimed.

Dinner.

I stood up, and performed a little dust removing charm. As the dust swished off my expensive robes with a loud *POOF!*, she giggled, causing me to look at her suspiciously. "What?"

"It's just, you're so. . ." She paused, to look for the right word, "*vain*."

"Narcissus, now, am I?"

"Well, you're Lucius, and that rhymes quite well." I offered my hand and helped her up off the floor.

"So, what, am I Narcissa's soul mate or something?" I joked. She shuddered.

"I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy! She's such a-such a."

"Poodle?" I quipped. She laughed. I'd made her laugh.

"I was going to say something else, but poodle seems to fit the description! Do you classify *everyone* into animals?" I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not animals."

"What did *you* classify me as?" Should I tell her? She didn't look like she'd mind. Maybe I'd make her laugh again. Or not. I hesitated.

"A scarecrow. Did. We *did* classify you as a scarecrow, because you used to be so thin, but you've-er-filled out now."

"You did?!" She said incredulously.

"We did."

"WE??"

"The entire Slytherin population, baby." I said, faking a cheesy American accent. She laughed again.

"Well *we* call *you* Slytherin Slimeballs!" She replied in mock-anger.

"Plural?"

"We-ell-see, you're Slytherin Slimeball Number One, and Crabbe and Goyle are the Tomato Twins-"

"*I'm* Slytherin Slimeball Number One?" I bowed. "My lady, I am honored, to have such a title bestowed upon my *lowly* self. Who, may I ask, is my number two?"

"Snape."

"Severus?"

Immediately, I remembered the Dreamless Sleep Potion. I took it out of my robes and placed it in her hand. "I asked Severus to brew you some Dreamless Sleep Potion." She had a strange expression on her face. "It's not *poisoned* or anything-Severus is rather good with potions, you should know, you're in his year."

She hugged me. Mind you, she had to tiptoe to do it. I was just getting over the surprise of suddenly feeling a warm body beside me when she whispered into my ear, "Thank you. And thank him too." She let go. Unfortunately.

"Dinner." I managed to say, after I'd unstuck my throat. Girls did not *hug* me by surprise, I usually *seduced* them first.

"Dinner!" The bell had chimed a while back, and we were late. Both of us. What would people think? The rumors *had* finally died down, but they would spring back up again like weeds if Lily and I went to dinner *together*, *late*, *after having 'vanished' into an abandoned corridor*. They wouldn't fall for any of my lies this time.

"Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade? What?" I explained the concept of secret passageways. "But, I can't, I'm a prefect." She pointed at the shiny badge on her robe.

"Good Gryffindor, eh, Evans?" I said sarcastically.

"Oh *please* don't call me that, I hate it when people stereotype us!" This was said with such vehemence, I immediately pitied her and stopped my sarcastic teasing.

"All right, all right. Where to then, Perfect Prefect?" Maybe I hadn't *exactly* stopped the teasing. She hit me lightly on the arm, but she was smiling.

"The kitchens. Then. hmm, the gardens?" Oh yes, of course, those pathetic little house elves would be groveling to serve us! Shame I hadn't thought of it before. But the gardens? I had a better idea.

"Not the gardens. The Astronomy Tower."

"Isn't that Snog Central?" I grinned wickedly, nodding.

"Do you want it to be?"

"Haha, very funny Lucius. I wouldn't *snog* with a bunch of other people *snogging* around me. That would totally ruin the effect." She said, quite matter-of-factly, like secret snogging places had popped all over the castle during summer. Well, they hadn't. *I* knew that, for one.

Take the other day, for example, with that Ravenclaw model-girl, Lindsey (at least I *thought* that was her name, it could just as easily have been Lolita). We'd had to go to the bloody tunnel! And that was after 30 minutes of searching for snoggable places, I might add. How was I supposed to know those bushes didn't rustle because of rabbits, or poltergeists? I'd had to deflect the curses that pimply sixth year and his girlfriend had thrown at me.

"Well, no one's there, they're having dinner remember?"

"Good point."

"So, fancy a snog then?" I teased, saying it quickly, and hoping to catch her off guard. Well, bwahahaha, I did. I wasn't called a smooth talker for no reason.

"Sure." She paused, possibly replaying my words in her head. "Wait, what?" I put on my most innocent look. "No, I do NOT fancy a snog!"

"You don't?"

"Yes."

"Yes? You do, then!"

"No-"

"You didn't not?"

"I did, do, what?" I laughed at her confusion. She was simply irresistible when frustrated. It must have been the true-blue, red-head in her. Hmm, not bad. I liked the sound of that. "True Blue Red Head." She turned towards me.

"What?"

"That's your new nickname. Since you refuse to accept the Scarecrow one, True Blue Red Head it is." I said, with the air of one bequeathing something of great importance.

"How oxymoronic." She said sarcastically.

"Why Miss Lily, I didn't know you had a sarcastic bone in your body!" She glared at me too, and muttered something about stereotyping. Maybe my Slytherin Sliminess, as she called it, was getting to her.

"How about Blonde-haired Git?" Oh, *I* was The Git now, was I? What had happened to Slimeball Number One? A bit of sarcasm, here and there-

"Wonderful nickname."

"Ooh, you're unbearable!" She gave me a little push, her green eyes flashing. I argued with her all the way to the Kitchens, just so I could frustrate her. Like I said, she was pretty that way.

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*Lucius apparates and gives me a sedative*

Ooh. look at the stars!!! And the pixies!!! *flops down and falls asleep* *Lucius gives evil smile and disapparates*