Catch Me When I Fall: Chapter Three

Summary: They've named her the School . Brutally bashed and raped by a close family friend as a child, Jacinta has lost all respect for her body; and for the male sex. Now they'll do whatever she likes to get what she wants, plots, schemes, manipulates; she's done it all. Until someone sees she needs help, she needs a rescuer. Only problem being, they hate each other; they always have. Why did fate chose them? Why did the prophecy have to claim her for its grueling task? Will he save her, or is his birth-right more important?

Disclaimer: Anything associated with Harry Potter in this story belongs to J.K. Rowling, thank you.

Warning: mentions of rape, OOC, violence, sexual references and language. Anything else will be added in future chapters.

Chapter Three: Out of the Shadows


Jae blinked hard and raised an eyebrow at Malfoy. "Excuse me?"

"I said, I don't hate you," Malfoy repeated.

"You- You- what?"

"Must I repeat myself again, Lorrington?" Malfoy asked, giving their cauldron a short stir.

Jae didn't speak, she couldn't believe it. Draco Malfoy had just told her he didn't hate her. This was... it was unexpected, would be an easy way to put it.

"Lorrington?"

"What?" Jae asked, shaking her head to get her current thoughts out of her head.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I... I need to..."

"Yes?"

"I need to finish cutting these," she motioned to the ingredients in front of her.

She lifted her knife and made to cut some more roots, but her hands began to shake uncontrollably.

It happened to be this moment that Snape decided to go on a victim hunt so he could criticise practically everything they had just done to their potion. Though Jae knew he wouldn't say anything about her potion because she was Slytherin, her lack to work wasn't going to help her.

She looked up at Snape as he watched her try to cut her roots. Him watching made her even more nervous, and her whole body began to shake.

"Lorrington, is there a problem here?"

Jae tried to shake her head, but couldn't. Luckily, Malfoy stepped in.

"Er- sir. I think Lorrington just needs a little air. Is it alright if...?"

"Yes, yes. Draco, go with her."

"Yes, sir."

Malfoy took her arm and helped her watch out of the classroom, though all eyes were on them. Malfoy led her out of the dungeons and up into the Entrance Hall.

Upon entering, Jae froze.

A man with long, dark hair stood in next to Professor McGonagall, they were talking. His eyes met hers and suddenly everything went black.


"Jae?" a familiar voice sounded in her head. "Hey! She's waking up! Jae, can you hear me?"

"Anna?"

"Yeah, it's me," said the voice, gripping her hand tightly.

"What happened?" Jae asked, not opening her eyes yet. She wasn't sure she was going to enjoy the sight in front of her; so her eyes remained closed.

"You fainted," a new voice told her. She recognised this voice also, it was Malfoy's.

"Just great," Jae muttered, opening her eyes. Her head spun a little. She blinked at Anna and Malfoy; they blinked back. This was great, just great. She had fainted in front of Draco Malfoy.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked, she was obviously worried. Jae was beginning to get sick of people asking her if she was okay.

"I'm fine," Jae snapped, sitting up. Her head swam from the sudden movement. She held her head in her hands until she regained herself. "What time is it?" Jae asked, looking around herself.

She was in the Hospital Wing, and no-one but Anna and Malfoy was there to be seen. She looked out the window, it was dark.

"Around seven," Malfoy told her.

"You guys are missing dinner," Jae reminded them, raising an eyebrow.

"We didn't want to leave you," Anna told her, looking her over as she said this. As though she was about to pass out again. She hated it when people looked at her with that worried look. She didn't know why, it was as though someone caring about her was too foreign to her; even if Anna was her best friend.

"We?"

"Yes, we," Malfoy said, not looking at her.

"Okay," Jae said, registering this. She'd been out for a few hours, that wasn't good. She must have hit her head hard or something when she fell. "Who brought me here?"

"Draco," Anna told her, turning to him.

Malfoy blushed a little. "What is this? Twenty Questions?"

"Sor-ry" Jae muttered, swinging her legs off the bed.

"What are you doing?" Malfoy asked, his voice actually sounded... concerned.

"Getting out of this bed," Jae informed him. 'What does it look like I'm going?' Jae thought, mentally rolling her eyes at what Malfoy had said to her.

"No, you're not," Malfoy told her, trying to push her back down.

Anna stood back, trying to hide a smile. She could see what was happening, and those two had absolutely no idea at all. This would be interesting.

"Yes, I am," Jae said stubbornly.

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am!"

"Shhh...!" Anna quietened them. "Jae, you should stay in bed."

"I'm fine," Jae lied. Her head was throbbing, but she wasn't going to admit it to them, or stay in this bed a minute longer. For some reason, she found the Hospital Wing freaky in an extreme.

"Fine, just fine," Malfoy said, stepping back. "Do what you want."

"I always do," Jae reminded him, jumping off the bed with a slightly wobbly landing.

Malfoy extended an arm to help her. Jae pushed it away. She wasn't going to show weakness. And he shouldn't either. They were Slytherin; this kind of thing wasn't tolerated.

"Where are you going now?" Malfoy called after her as she walked out of the Hospital Wing.

"I have something to take care of," she told them.

Malfoy turned to Anna. "What?"

Anna shrugged and slumped into a chair.

Jae waited outside the Great Hall in the shadows. She knew he was in there. She just knew it. And dinner would be over in... actually right now.

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall swung open and the school gradually departed from the hall. Then he exited, talking to Professor Snape.

Jae's heart began to beat a mile a minute. She sucked up all her courage and waited until Snape walked out of the Entrance Hall and down to his dungeons. He was about to ascend the Marble Staircase.

Jae took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows.

"Eric!" She called his name; even then her voice shook as much as her body was beginning to. He whipped around and his dark eyes bored into hers.

"Jacinta?" he whispered.


And now it begins to unfold, dum dum dum! Anyway, tell me what you thought. Don't hold back anything, I wanna hear it all.

Until next chapter...