Thank you all once again for the lovely reviews. I hope you all have a really lovely Easter. Here is a cliffie to chew over in between the Easter eggs...

Thanks so much to my Beta, JessiokaFroka.

Chapter Twenty-four

LIZ, VINCENT AND DRACO



Andi was sitting on the bed in the hospital wing when Liz came up carrying her luggage bag.

"I've got to go."

"I know."

They hugged.

"I'm sorry I've been such a needy friend lately."

"Tch, Andi! Considering all the times you've been there for me? You're the one who gave me an alibi when I dropped that water-filled condom out the window of the girls' toilets and it landed on Mr. Langham's head, remember? And how about all those nights you sat with me when Ace jilted me two weeks before the wedding? Not to mention bailing me from jail..."

They hugged again.

"Liz...I love you, you know that don't you?"

"Yes Hon (sniff), I love you too. Oh, look at me, blubbering while you're all dry-eyed and sensible." She dabbed her eyes with a tissue, "I want you to send me a letter every week letting me know how you are and what's going on, OK?"

"Yes."

Andi took hold of the walking stick she was forced to use. She had suffered some pelvic damage during the attack and the loss of the baby, and found it difficult to walk very far without the stick.

"God, I feel geriatric using this," she laughed as she walked Liz to the door of the ward.

Liz looked at her. "You will be OK?"

"Yes. I'm going to begin rehearsing the show again. That should distract me. Music will help. It always has."

"Don't over do it. Remember you still need plenty of rest."

"Yes, nurse!"

They smiled.

"How are you getting home?"

"Something called a 'portkey', I dunno. One those Aurors is coming with me."

"Ah. Have a good journey. Expect you'll be glad to get home."

"Well, I can't deny this place is weird in the extreme. My mobile doesn't work, the food is too delicious to be good for me and those little grey thingies seriously freak me out."

Andi smiled. "The House elves?"

"It's like having ET do your laundry. And do you realise how many episodes of 'Corrie' I've missed? Mind you, Vincent's been looking after me. I think I've heard more dirt and gossip from him than all the soaps put together."

They smiled.

Liz kissed her again. "Bye Hon. Don't forget to send that owl."

"I wont."

"Sleeping Beauty, awake!"

Andi opened her eyes to find Vincent standing by the bed dressed in a white shirt with voluminous sleeves and an embroidered yellow tunic.

She pulled herself up in the bed. Vincent stepped forward.

"Let me get those pillows for you - there. How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Oh, fine. A bit weak, you know." She sniffed. He smelled of... her mother! "Vincent, are you wearing Christian Dior?"

"Oh, yes I am! Clever you." He sat on the chair next to the bed. "I adored it on your mother and told her so, and the divine woman sent me a bottle. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

Andi smiled. "If you say so."

"Such a lot of cards and flowers!" He indicated her bedside table.

"Yes. Teachers and pupils. Everyone's been very kind. I've even got one from someone called Sybill, and I don't even know who she is."

"Sybill Trelawney - Divination teacher. Batty as a vampire's jockstrap, but outrageous fun."

"You know her?"

"Oh yes. We have tea once a week and she tells my fortune. I plan my whole wardrobe around her. She tells me my lucky colour for the week and I wear it."

"So this week it's yellow, is it?" she smiled.

"Saffron, if you don't mind! Oh look, forgetful me - I've brought you a present." He raised his hands and held out a cane.

Andi gasped.

The cane was made of shining ebony, with a silver tip and carved with little stars and crescent moons. The handle was made of an orb of rose quartz with little stars floating around inside and joined to the ebony with a deep band of silver.

"Vincent, it's beautiful."

"I have about four or five. I rarely use them and I thought to myself, now Andrea deserves a beautiful cane instead of that old stick - and I'm not talking about Minerva!"

"Vincent!" she spluttered. "You mustn't be so rude." She looked at the cane. "Thank you so much. I shall feel like a queen." She caught his eye, and they both laughed. Then she saw his wand hand. It was covered in horrible blotches of pink. "What happened to your hand?"

"This? Oh, you know..." He looked away, awkwardly.

"You had it damaged in the attack, didn't you?" she said.

"Yes. It burned my hand and arm up to my elbow. All better now."

"It looks nasty."

"Yes, but nothing compared to your ordeal. Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more."

She stared at him in astonishment, watching as his chocolate brown eyes glistened with tears. "More? Vincent, you saved my life! Albus said without you I'd be dead."

"But your poor little baby."

Andi closed her eyes for a moment.

There was no hiding the fact of the baby now from the Staff; and although Albus had assured her the students knew only that she had been attacked, these things had an uncanny way of getting out. Why, oh why hadn't she told Severus she was pregnant when she saw him last? If she could turn back time she would tell him, regardless of the consequences. It was so wrong that the world and his wife knew about the baby, and not him. It was wrong, wrong, wrong. The guilt was eating her up.

"It was an Unforgivable Curse," she said, quietly. "There was no stopping it. Look at the damage it did us, let alone an unborn baby. You did everything possible Vincent, and I shall be forever grateful." She took his hand and pulled him gently so that he moved to sit on the bed, then put her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you," she murmured into his neck.

"Michael, I'm very grateful you are helping out by reading Sky's lines, but try to give Parvati something to work with."

"I can't do it right with her looking at me like that." Michael Corner gesticulated towards Parvati.

"I'm not looking at you any way." she protested.

Andi wanted to scream that they were acting like a couple of adolescents, and then realised that's exactly what they were.

"Can we please get on...?"

"You're standing too close!" Parvati yelled at Michael.

"You're not even on the right mark," Michael yelled back.

Andi was near to pulling her hair out. Parvati and Michael clashed. She didn't know why, but rehearsing with these two was always a pain. She was tired after a full week back at teaching and then taking this rehearsal.

"Stop being such an arse, Corner."

Everyone turned.

Andi struggled to her feet, using the cane. "Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

She wasn't best pleased to see him. She hadn't sorted out her feelings towards Draco yet. It had been his Aunt who was responsible for the attack, for the death of her baby. Draco's permission slip would have alerted Narcissa to Andi's whereabouts that day.

On the other hand he, himself, had been injured in the attack and his presence had helped save her life.

"I heard you still hadn't got someone for Sky. If you still want me, I'll do it."

Andi stared at him. "You'll do it? What's changed your mind?"

Draco looked awkward. "Just... stuff."

"Would you prefer we spoke after the rehearsal?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

She turned to the assembled group with a great feeling of relief. "OK everyone, gather round. I am delighted to tell you that we have our Sky. Mr. Malfoy here has agreed to take the role.

"WHAT! " screeched Parvati above the urgent mutterings of the assembled cast. She threw down her script. "I thought that was a joke! No way. No way am I doing it if he plays Sky. If you think I'm gonna kiss Malfoy-"

"Shut it, Patil," sneered Draco, jumping up on the stage. "I'm not exactly looking forward to it myself." He picked up her script and thrust it back in her hands. "Just do it. Professor Carver's been through enough shit without you adding to it."

Andi turned away before her astonishment showed. Michael was gathering his things.

"Michael," she stopped him. "I'm very, very grateful for you standing in like that. Parvati wouldn't have been able to rehearse at all without you."

"That's OK. I'm just glad to hand over the job to someone else. She's mental, that one."

Michael left and Andi turned back to the stage. "Ok, we'll take it from your entrance Draco, missing out the song."

"Why're we missing out the song?"

"Because you haven't learnt it yet."

"Tch, just do it. I didn't come here to fanny around."

They went into the song without a hitch, a bit of stumbling here and there, stopping just once, mid-song to get their timings right.

"I'll know when my love

Comes along. "

At the end of the song Draco stepped up behind Parvati, turned her round and kissed her.

SMACK!

Parvati belted Draco around the face.

"SHIT! " Draco reeled backwards, his hand to his face.

"Parvati! " Andi scolded. "That was too hard and too early. You're supposed to count to five before-"

"He kissed me!" Parvati protested.

"I'm supposed to kiss you, you dozy mare. It's in the script." Draco was rubbing his reddened cheek.

"Parvati, he is supposed to kiss you," said Andi.

"He stuck his tongue down my throat!"

"DRACO!" Andi steamed.

"I'm sorry. Habit."

"Well break the habit. You're on stage, not behind the girls' changing rooms."

Draco sniggered.

"And Parvati, when you slap on stage, you're supposed to pull your punches."

"Not that time I wasn't."

Draco hung around at the end of the rehearsal.

"Do you want to tell me what made you take the part after all?" Andi asked him.

He looked awkward again. He shrugged. "I..."

"Sit down."

They both sat.

"Did the film help you decide?"

"A bit. That Brando guy was pretty cool..."

"But?"

He paused. "I was... am... proud to be a pure-blood, you know. I thought the Malfoys stuck together. Then I find out my Aunt didn't care that her nephew - the sole heir to the House of Malfoy - was in the line of fire, and... well, there's this rumour that my mother was behind it all. I don't believe it," he said, quickly. "But they would both really hate for me to be in a Muggle show, so fuck them, I'm doing it."

"Well Draco," she said, ignoring his language. "I can't tell you how pleased I am you've accepted. It's going to be fun, trust me-"

The doors to the rehearsal room opened just then and Albus came in. Andi smiled...

Until she saw Poppy walking in behind him, and the expression on both their faces.

A/n - 1)'Corrie' is short for 'Coronation Street', a UK Soap Opera.

2) - Yes; ashamed, I write from true life. A water-filled condom was dropped on a teacher's head at my school. I wasn't to blame, but I was part of the group involved.

KristiM - I know. I feel guilty putting Andi through it.

Kerichi - I don't know Princess Bride, but that justice sounds pretty good. Hope you get lots of Easter eggs - you will save some for next Thursday, won't you.

Emma Barrows - Thanx for your review. I'm hoping to take a look at your fic over Easter.

Thouandl - Do I keep promising light? I hadn't realised. At the moment I'm trying to lighten things with rehearsals and stuff. Oh 'Mr. Brightside' is the best track, but I also like 'Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll' and 'These Things That I Have Done'.

josie - I know, I am an evil person. I got a scout bag in it. A crystal ball won't help you now.

Mark Darcy - I'm so relieved you're staying. Haven't seen RBA, but have seen Close My Eyes. Really loved AR in it, but how could not one but two men fall in love with that depressing, self-absorbed woman is beyond me. The film didn't work for me, I'm afraid.

Queen of the Faeries1 - That's a really nice thing to say - thank you. I haven't found a place in the story to explain about Vincent, but I can tell you he is an old soul who retains knowledge from one existence to another (there might be a word for this type of person, but I don't know it). He has joined the Order and will be a very valuable member, I imagine.

Helena Oe - Wow, thank you. I'm glowing from your review. And never apologise for long reviews. I love them.

Hysterically Insane Author - Um...are you sure about that? I called in at your story 'Ten' by the way. I am going to review, but I can't do it just yet. Will explain why in the review. lol.

Silent Watcher, 1st Fury - No, Andi decided not to tell him when she had the chance, and as you can see, now regrets it.

Wytchkat - Really flattered by your review. Thank you.

May-Luna - Wow, I never knew about that secret law, and yet apparently I use it! I must have a magic elf whispering in my ear.