Chapter Twelve
As Michelle and the others entered the dungeons, they noticed that there was already a line of students waiting outside the Potions classroom. They stood in line talking for a few minutes until Danielle, who was not even in that class walked up to them. She spoke directly to Remus, pointedly ignoring Michelle, whose hand he was holding. "Remus, darling, I've noticed that you've been avoiding me lately. Would you mind telling me what's wrong?"
Remus and the others just stared at her in disbelief. Finally, Remus said to her, "You really are thick, aren't you? Danielle, I haven't been avoiding you, I just don't like you."
If Danielle was bothered by this statement, or if she even heard it, she certainly didn't show it. In fact, her only reaction was to smile in what she clearly thought was a seductive manner, and run her hand up and down his arm, saying, "Oh come on, Remy, I know you're just playing hard to get."
"You're exactly right, Danielle. I really am completely in love with you, and I'm just using Michelle to make you jealous," Remus said sarcastically. "Why don't you just get a life? If you think following me to class like this is going to make me like you, you're wrong. It just makes you look desperate and obsessed; not remotely attractive."
Before Danielle could respond, Professor Abinger arrived and everyone entered the class. "Danielle's a very touchy feely sort of person, isn't she?" Michelle said to Lily, as she took a seat just behind her.
"If by touchy feely you mean to say that she's a slut who's obsessed with your boyfriend, then yes, she is." Lily said as Abinger moved up to the front of the class and began writing instructions for the day's assignment on the board. "I assume you and Remus are together now, aren't you?"
"I think so, I mean, we never really did discuss that," Michelle said as she began to set up her cauldron.
The Professor turned around then, and noticed that Michelle wasn't sitting in her usual seat, near the front of the room. "Miss Cooke, did I give you permission to move?" She asked sternly.
"No, Professor," Michelle warily answered. "I just assumed that I could sit somewhere else, because I'm not partnering Mr. Malfoy anymore."
"And who told you that you weren't going to be Mr. Malfoy's partner?" Professor Abinger sneered. "I certainly don't recall making such a statement."
"Professor Dumbledore told me that, Miss." Michelle said, stubbornly remaining in her seat.
"Well, this isn't Professor Dumbledore's class, now is it?" Abinger said, her expression clearly showing how much she enjoyed tormenting the Gryffindors – especially Remus' friends.
Michelle sighed. "No, Professor Abinger, this isn't Professor Dumbledore's class, but-"
"Good. I didn't think it was." Professor Abinger interrupted. "Now, you will take your seat next to Mr. Malfoy so that we may get on with the lesson, Miss Cooke."
Michelle, however, stayed where she was. Remus stood up yelling, "Professor! Do you know what he tried to do to her? Professor Dumbledore said they were supposed to have as little contact with each other as possible!"
Professor Abinger turned on him, snarling, "Detention, Lupin, and I don't want to hear such disrespect from you or any of your little friends again! And as for Mr. Malfoy's alleged actions, I find it hard to believe that the school's governors would have allowed him to continue attending Hogwarts if he were indeed a criminal. Therefore, Miss Cooke, you will return to your seat beside Mr. Malfoy, or else you may leave my class immediately. You, Mr. Lupin," she said with intense dislike, "will take your seat immediately if you do not want to make it a week's worth of detentions."
By this time, the entire class was staring at the three of them, waiting to see what would happen next. What did happen surprised everyone. Rather than sit and work with Malfoy, Michelle chose to silently pack up her things and leave the class, slamming the door loudly behind her.
Michelle was wondering the halls, and had just decided to inform Professor Dumbledore of what had happened in Potions, when she felt a hand reach out and grab her shoulder, roughly turning her around. She screamed instinctively, afraid that it was either her brother or Malfoy, but it turned out to be Danielle. The blonde smirked patronizingly at her, saying, "Afraid of little old me, are we, Cooke? Why, I never thought Remus would be interested in such a pathetic little coward."
"I'm hardly afraid of you, White. You just surprised me," Michelle retorted. "And as for who Remus fancies, you obviously don't know him very well if you think he'd be interested in a bitch in heat like you. Besides, shouldn't you be in class now?"
Danielle's expression turned decidedly sour. "You know, I would have thought that your little experience with Lucius would have taught you to respect your betters," She said looking down her nose at the slightly shorter redhead. "But I can see that I'll have to teach you a lesson myself. Maybe then you'll get your ugly little claws out of Remus."
"Danielle, the dirt under my feet scares me more than you do, so don't think you can threaten me into leaving Remus," Michelle said as she turned her back on Danielle and continued her walk to the Headmaster's Office.
"You're going to regret that you ever met me, Cooke!" Danielle yelled after her.
Michelle turned back to face her for a moment, saying "I already regret meeting you, White." Turning back as if Danielle meant nothing to her – which was true – Michelle finally continued her search for Professor Dumbledore.
When Potions ended, James, Sirius, Peter and the other girls all went to lunch, while Remus went to find Michelle, telling the others he'd meet them in the Great Hall. He knew she wouldn't be there yet, because he suspected that Michelle had gone to talk with Professor Dumbledore. Therefore, he made his way to the Headmaster's Office, hoping to find her there.
Just as Remus reached the stone gargoyle that led to Professor Dumbledore's office, it opened and he had a fleeting glimpse of the spiral staircase behind it before Michelle stepped out, and it closed behind her. Smiling when she saw Remus approaching, she walked up to him and asked, "Looking for me?" before reaching up to give him a small kiss on the lips.
"Yes," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked back down to the Great Hall. "Did you tell Dumbledore what happened in Potions with Abinger?"
"Of course, and he said that he'd have a talk with her, and that I certainly don't have to work with Malfoy," Michelle said as they took a short cut through a portrait of a couple of Catholic Nuns playing poker. "So what did Abinger say after I walked out of class?"
Remus smiled and said, "Well, you've got a detention right along with me. I'm surprised she didn't make it worse, though. I think she must have been in shock that a student actually walked out of class. Usually, James, Sirius, and I are the only ones who don't act as though we're terrified of her."
"Why on earth would anyone be afraid of Abinger? She's nothing more than an overgrown old bat," Michelle said as they reached the Great Hall.
As they took the seats the others had saved for them, James noticed something odd about his friends. "So, are you two ever going to tell us what's going on between you?" He asked while everyone ate.
Remus and Michelle glanced at each other before turning to James. "What are you talking about, Prongs?" Remus asked. "There's nothing going on between us, is there Michelle?"
"No, I'm pretty sure we'd know if there was," Michelle said, trying not to laugh at everyone else's expressions as James and the others sighed in exasperation.
"Well, Danielle certainly seems to think there's something going on with you guys," Grace said, looking over at the Ravenclaw table. Remus glanced over at Danielle, and saw that she was glaring daggers at Michelle.
"What's that girl's problem?" Lily asked in disgust.
"She just can't stand it when she doesn't get what she wants," Jennifer said as she drank some pumpkin juice.
"She also seems to think I haven't been 'respecting my betters'," Michelle said bitterly.
"What are you talking about?" Remus asked, turning to look at her.
"Oh, nothing. She decided to confront me about our relationship after I left Potions," Michelle said as she took a bite of her sandwich. "She said she didn't know what you see in me, and I called her a bitch in heat. That's about it, really."
The others laughed as they left to go to their next class, Care of Magical Creatures. Remus had to admit he wasn't really looking forward to this class – they had it with the Ravenclaws. He just knew that Danielle would do something to make class difficult for Michelle.
As they approached the space where Professor Kettleburn held his class on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Remus saw Danielle glare at Michelle once again before turning and whispering something to her friend Rachel. Remus put his arm around Michelle as they joined the other Gryffindors who were already there, waiting for class to begin.
"Now class," Professor Kettleburn began as he moved to face everyone, "today I've got a rather dangerous assignment for you. It seems there is a sick baby unicorn lost somewhere in the forest, and I'll need you to help me look for it. I'm going to split you up into teams of four before you go into the forest. Just remember, if you get lost or in trouble, I want you to send up red sparks and I'll come and find you."
"Wow, this sounds kind of dangerous," Grace said to Michelle as Kettleburn began to split people into groups.
"I guess it's a good thing it isn't a fully grown unicorn – otherwise the guys wouldn't be much help, would they?" Jennifer said, glancing over at Sirius, who was too busy talking to James to notice.
Lily sighed. "Jen, if you like Black, why don't you just say so? It's not like you've got anything to lose," she said as Kettleburn indicated that she, Michelle, and two Ravenclaw boys named Robert McKinnon and Michael Jackson would be working together.
"I don't like Black, Lily." Jennifer said as she joined Grace, Remus, and Peter.
"Oh damn, Padfoot, we've been stuck with the – what did Michelle call her?" James said to Sirius as Danielle and her friend Rachel were told to work with them.
"A bitch in heat, I think. At least she's not with Remus, she'd probably spend the whole class trying to molest him." Sirius said disdainfully as the two Ravenclaws joined them.
"True. Still, couldn't Kettleburn have stuck her with some other poor blokes? Why do we have to suffer?" James whined, as they went into the forest.
