Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry and all the other original Hogwarts characters. I only claim rights over Julianne and Professor Lipton.
Chapter 4: Insulted
Juli was the last of the four to arrive at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall the next morning. She hadn't slept very well, because every time she fell asleep she had the same nightmare. She had been watching Harry duel someone, although she couldn't see who, and he always fell down, clutching his head, screaming, and then she woke up. It was the same every time she fell back asleep, and she couldn't do anything about it. She had no idea what it meant or what it could mean, but she knew for sure that it wasn't good.
"Good morning," she said as she sat down at the table next to Hermione and started eating. Harry and Ron were too busy talking about Quidditch to notice, but Hermione smiled. "Sorry I'm a bit late," Juli said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Hermione said when she had finished swallowing. "You had a rough night."
"Hermione," she began. "Do you think I'm being really horrible about this, or should I make up with him and just go back to being normal?"
"I'm not really sure," Hermione said, putting down her fork and wiping her mouth. "I don't really know how you feel about Seamus," Hermione moved closer to whisper into Juli's ear. "But I'm sure a certain someone," she nodded in Harry's direction, "would be happy to help you get over him."
Juli almost choked on her food and looked at Hermione, aghast. "What did you just say?" she nearly yelled, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock. Hermione nodded and Juli started laughing, almost in horror. "You did not say what I think you said!" Hermione nodded again and picked up a muffin, biting into it and shrugged.
"What did she say?" asked Ron, suddenly interested.
"Nothing, I, er ... I need to talk to McGonagall about something before class, so I'm going to go see if I can catch her now," Juli grabbed a glass of juice and a bagel as she stood up and grabbed her books. "I'll, um, see you in class," she said hurriedly as she turned around and half-smiled to the trio, then began walking away.
"I better make sure Juli's alright," she smiled and waved goodbye to Harry and Ron, who exchanged confused looks and continued eating.
.:-----:.
"Remember yesterday when he wanted to save you like you were a damsel in distress? He fancies you!"
"Oh, Hermione, I wish you would have said something because, oh, there's something I have to tell ---" Hermione nudged Juli in the arm to quiet her as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle walked into the classroom.
"Well well, look who's here," said Malfoy, looking between Juli and Hermione. "Michaelson and Granger. The Mudbloods' Dream Team."
"Damn, Hermione," said Juli, not taking her eyes off Malfoy. "You'd think he could come up with a new insult after six years," she finished the last sentence without moving an inch.
"Don't talk back to me, Mudblood," said Malfoy, looking straight at Juli. Hermione stood up and looked as if she was about to murder him right there on the spot. Juli stood up next to her and pushed her to sit back down.
"The only one with dirty blood here is you, Malfoy," Juli said, getting a little angry. "Your father is the one locked up in Azkaban, isn't he? I'll bet it runs in the family," she said, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't going to get mad over this stupid little boy. He was a Slytherin, after all, and not worth getting worked up over.
"Don't you talk about my father, or I'll --"
"You'll what, Malfoy," said Harry's voice, coming from the back of the room. Harry and Ron walked towards Juli and Malfoy, pushing through the rest of the crowd that had gathered around them.
"Oh, look, Michaelson, here's Potty to come and save you," Malfoy said mockingly. He stepped closer to Juli and hissed, "Next time you'd better not count on someone coming to save you."
"What makes you think I need saving?" Juli hissed back as she stepped back to sit down again. Why was she so worked up? Over Malfoy nonetheless! His insults were nothing new.
"Ugh," she complained to Hermione. "I wish he would just shut up and go back to his mommy. I'm so sick of him."
"He seems sick of you, too, to tell you the truth," said Hermione, pointing over to where Malfoy and his two thugs had sat. "You really got him worked up," she said, applauding Juli lightly. "It's about time someone put him in his place."
"I wonder what she said to him," Ron asked Harry as McGonagall walked into the classroom.
Juli turned around to face him and Harry, and she could feel her face was still red-hot with anger. "Basically I told him off after he called us Mudbloods," she said pointing to herself and Hermione. "And then I told him he was scum like his father," she finished. She shrugged her shoulders at Ron's shocked reaction. "He deserves it," she said as she turned to glare at Malfoy and then faced forward as McGonagall began the lesson.
"I think you're rubbing off on her a bit, mate," muttered Ron as he opened his book. "Only wish I could have beaten him. Oh, I wish she would have hit him. Coming from her its worse, you know, 'cause she's a girl," he nodded.
"Yeah," said Harry, sounding dazed and impressed; in front of them, Juli grinned. 'Maybe he does like me...' she thought but shook the thought out of her mind and listened to McGonagall.
Not too long after McGonagall had explained the spell they would be performing, she explained to them they would be working with a partner. Juli turned to Hermione and Hermione nodded in agreement.
'Of course they'll be partners,' thought Harry who had been hoping to work with Juli.
"However," added McGonagall, "I will be the one to pair you up. Do not move until all names have been called. Now," she paused to look at the class list while the class groaned. "Miss Granger, you'll be working with Mr. Thomas," Hermione gathered her books to get ready to move, giving Juli an apologetic look. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown, Mr. Goyle and Miss Parkinson," McGonagall called, pairing up more people. Juli listened intently, hoping to be paired with Harry. Soon the number of Gryffindors was dwindling, and Harry was paired up with Parvati. She looked at Seamus, who hadn't been paired up with anyone yet, and she smiled at him. Maybe they'd be paired up.
"Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Finnegan," she called and Juli looked around the room. There weren't any more Gryffindors to be paired up with. It looked as if though she'd be working by herself.
'I'd probably get done faster working by myself anyway,' Juli thought as the Professor looked up at her. It was an almost sympathetic look, and Juli wondered why. She looked around the room and then realized that someone else hadn't been paired up with anyone either. Juli slumped in her seat and put her head down on the desk on top of her arms, realizing why the Professor had looked at her that way. Juli carefully lifted her head up, knowing what was coming next.
"Miss Michaelson, you'll be working with Mr. Malfoy."
.:-----:.
Juli sighed heavily and put her head to her palm, but before she got up to move she heard a thud on one of the desks. Malfoy had stood up and his fist had hit the desk. Hard.
"Professor," he said angrily, but clearly trying to keep his composure. "Why do I have to work with her? Everyone else is working with someone from their own house," he added. He was not happy with this partnership, and neither was Juli. For once she agreed with everything that had come out of Malfoy's mouth. McGonagall looked at Juli and then at Malfoy again and motioned for the two of them to approach her desk. The rest of the class quietly got to work, pretending to not be listening in on their conversation.
"Mr. Malfoy, I assure you," McGonagall said sternly. "Miss Michaelson will not give you cooties. If you hadn't noticed, there are an odd number of students in each house, therefore leaving one pair to be from both houses."
"Arithmetic is not his best subject, Professor," Juli said, suppressing a laugh.
"But Professor," he said again, still angry and yet trying not to sound desperate. "I can't work with her, she's ---" he shot Juli a mean look and she glared right back at him. It was one thing to not like each other, but to try and make it seem like she was some sort of speck on the ground made her hate him even more.
"If you mean because she is a girl and not of your house," the Professor interrupted, "You'll just have to work that out because I see no problem with this arrangement. Now, you two best start working, you've already wasted five minutes of your working time. You may be two of my best students, but I will not excuse you from this assignment." She sat back down and put her glasses on, indicating that the conversation was over. Malfoy glared at Juli again.
"You'd better not expect me to move," he said as he walked back to his desk and sat down, starting on the assignment. Juli rubbed her forehead as she walked back to her desk to pick up her bag. Dean Thomas was sitting in her seat and moved over to let Juli grab her things.
"Sorry, Juli," he said sympathetically, and patted her on the shoulder. "It's just one class, you can do it. It'll be okay," he said, smiling.
"Yeah, thanks Dean," Juli said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and slowly walking towards Malfoy's desk. "Let's just get this done," she said quietly, trying not to explode.
"Ooh," Malfoy said scathingly. "A bit upset, are you?"
"Just shut it, Malfoy. I don't want to hear it," Juli said irritably, and turned to start reading the assignment.
They divided up the work evenly and the rest of the class went almost pleasantly. Juli had to admit that even though she couldn't stand him, Draco was actually a good student. They finished early and as she was packing her things together Professor McGonagall spoke up again.
"Oh yes, there is one other thing I must mention," she said, walking back to her desk. "The partner you worked with today is going to be the person that you are going to be required to work with all year." The Professor looked back down at the paperwork on her desk, as if what she had said was harmless information.
The rest of Juli's classmates smiled and began chatting with their partners again, but Juli almost dropped her large book onto the floor with a big bang. Her jaw dropped and she looked at Malfoy, expecting him to be just as upset as she was but, surprisingly she saw no change in his facial expression at all. Not interested in a fight, Juli stood up and started walking back towards her friends. She was furious about the fact that she had to work with Malfoy and deal with his insults all year and was about to talk to Harry about it when she was grabbed harshly by her arm.
It was Malfoy, who had stood up and followed her. He didn't seem happy with McGonagall's announcement either. "Listen, Michaelson," he said in is usual snobby, nasty tone. "I'm going to need your help this year, so you'd better do whatever I tell you to," He was still holding onto her arm, and he was a lot stronger than she thought he was.
"No, Malfoy," she said, stepping closer to him. "You'd better not go around insult me and any of my friends if you expect any help from me at all in this class." She pulled her arm away and stormed off, fuming. She approached the other side of the classroom where Ron and Harry were waiting for Hermione. She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, glad that the class was over.
"D'you finish?" asked Ron. "Lavender and I only have a few things to touch up with that tadpole."
"Yeah, but we each did half the work," Juli rolled her eyes. "Good thing my best subject is Transfiguration, otherwise I would've been in trouble." She sighed. "And now I have to work with him all year."
"Er," said Ron as Hermione walked past them, still chatting with Dean, without saying hello. "I guess we'd better get going. Lipton's class is in 15 minutes."
"Right," said Juli, who was eager to get out of the room.
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in Professor Lipton's room. The Professor had been sitting on her desk, greeting all the students as they walked in.
"Hello Harry, Julianne," she said. "Nice to see you again," she smiled. "Who are you friends?"
"Please, you can call me Juli," Juli answered. "This is Ron Weasley," she smiled back at the Professor.
"Well, hello Ron," she said, shaking his hand as he blushed profusely. "Please have a seat wherever you'd like." The three of them settled down in two desks near the front, where Hermione was already sitting and Juli noticed Harry and Ron exchange looks before Ron sat next to Hermione. She smiled at Juli and winked. Juli couldn't help but grin, even if she was still in a foul mood from Malfoy.
"Right then," said Lipton, jumping off of her desk. "Hello again, everyone. My name is Professor Lipton, although you may call me Professor Jen or Miss Lipton if you wish," she smiled. Juli hadn't remembered any of their previous Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers being so informal. In fact, she couldn't remember any of her teachers being this informal. "Before we begin---"
"Excuse me, Miss Lipton," said a voice from the back of the room. Everyone turned around and saw Dobby the house-elf, who looked very strange. He had on large mismatched socks and about eight hats. "Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak to Julianne Michaelson."