Chapter 13- Affection and Aftermath
-
Blaise stood outside Snape's office near the dungeons, consumed with a crazy urge to run. Run along the cold passageway to the stone staircase, up to the main corridor, and then dash to Slytherin house. She would leap into bed, pull the covers over her eyes, and refuse to get out...ever.
Terry looked nervous at the thought of facing Snape too. His eyes were dark with concern. He cupped her cheek with a warm palm. "Don't worry. It'll work out somehow." Slight stubble gave her boyfriend's face a mature look that was incredibly attractive. Blaise gave in to impulse and kissed him. Terry kissed her back and then reluctantly pulled away. "Wouldn't want to get caught being indecent."
"Perhaps you should have thought of that before, Mr. Boot."
Blaise startled guiltily and looked at the professor standing in the doorway. He must have said, 'enter' while they were distracted. Bollocks. A satiric eyebrow arched while the intimidating teacher waved them inside. Strange how she'd always enjoyed watching Snape use that brow on others. It wasn't near as pleasing when she was the object of ridicule.
She met the man's enigmatic gaze and quickly glanced away. Blaise could feel her cheeks heating. Embarrassed, the girl kept her eyes off the professor as he shut the door and strode over to seat himself behind the imposing desk. She glanced around the office. The floating specimens were gross. If Snape kept them just to terrorize students, it was really effective. She jumped when a pink blob wiggled in its jar a few feet away.
The silence in the room escalated tension to a painful level. Professor Snape made sure he had the attention of each teen before informing them, "I am not unaware of certain...rumours..."
He continued, "I have verified the exact nature of last night's incident. As photography without consent is strictly prohibited at Hogwarts and because there were no other witnesses to your inappropriate behaviour, I will mitigate the penalty to detention for the rest of the month."
Blaise stared in shock. She knew Professor Snape was much more lenient with the students of his House, but this was almost too good to be true. Maybe he hadn't seen anything in the darkened room? As if in answer, a sardonic glint appeared in fathomless eyes. "If ever you are found in such a...position...again, the Headmaster and your parents will be apprised."
Blaise and Terry both fell over themselves to nod frantically and assure him, "Yes, Sir; Thank you, Sir."
Professor Snape dismissed them with the direction to report to Lorelei the following night. While they exited, he warned, "If you betray my trust and fail to restrain yourselves, I assure you...current rumour and consequence will seem trivial in comparison to what will ensue."
Blaise followed Terry down the passage, looking back to see Snape watching them from his doorway. His steady regard unnerved her.
It reminded her of the brief glance slanted her way when he'd warned them. That dark flicker shot in her direction let her know that someone, likely Crabbe and Goyle, had spilled the whole story to the professor, and he was really cautioning her against being unrestrained with Draco as much as Terry.
She hurried to catch her guy, holding his hand while they ascended the stairs. Students in the main corridor stared- Merlin only knew what rumour was circulating now. Maybe Terry was being said to have strangled her for infidelity. Her Muggle Studies professor would like that...very Shakespearean. Blaise frowned. If Othello had been half as forgiving as Terry, the jealous bastard wouldn't have killed poor Desdemona.
"Let's go this way."
Surprised, Blaise allowed her boyfriend to lead her toward his house. The guardian of the Ravenclaw common room depicted a raven flying into a library through an opened window. The shadowy form of a man sitting in a chair in a darkened corner queried, "Who goes there?"
Terry asked Blaise to step away and cover her ears. She did as he asked, feeling a thrill of apprehension. The raven in the portrait cawed, 'Nevermore!' as the canvas lifted to expose the oval entrance to the room beyond.
"C'mon, you had the nerve to slither down to the dungeon. I'll hold your hand and protect my beautiful snake from the other eagles."
A teasing grin lit the face she'd feared might never look at her with a smile again. Terry was right; going to see him in Dungeon 3 had been much scarier. Blaise tucked her hand into his. "Lead on, my good man."
Her 'man' led her into a common room that was almost as big as Slytherin, but instead of a large gathering area full of sofas and comfortable chairs, mostly study tables and chairs and large bookshelves overflowing with books filled the room. The few sofas were occupied by students. They gaped at the sight of the pair entering the space.
A boy Blaise recognized as a Chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team came over and demanded, "What's she doing here, Boot?"
"My girlfriend's going to wait in my room while I take a shower...got a problem with that?"
The boy shook his head and backed away. Blaise walked up the stairs with Terry. In his dorm, she looked around while he took clean clothing from a trunk. No roommates were present, which emboldened the girl to take off her cloak and lie on her guy's bed. She patted the mattress. "Comfy."
Terry dropped the shirt and jeans in his hands and leapt on top of her. She giggled, looking into blue eyes that were intense, in a good way. She smoothed strands away from his face and reached up to meet his mouth.
Thanking whatever wizard had invented cleaning/flossing mints, she spent long moments savouring masculine lips, and tongue and mouth to the utmost. Blaise slipped one hand beneath Terry's shirt to caress his back and used the other to slide through his hair while bold male lips and tongue started working their magic on her ear, and throat, and...
"Happy though I am to see you interested in something other than Quidditch, Boot, you really should be taking that shower," a laughing voice said from the doorway. "Everyone in the common room has been counting the minutes since you brought your lady up here, so perhaps you'd better make that shower a cold one. Wouldn't want give gossips something more to talk about."
Terry rolled to the side and pulled her up to sit beside him. Blaise peeked over her boyfriend's shoulder while listening to their conversation.
"Wesley! I hate to ask, but I will. What's the word about last night...about me and Blaise?"
"Well, knowledge being power; let me try and phrase this kindly." The boy managed to look elegant sprawled in a chair by his desk across the room. The blue-eyed, blond haired 'Wesley' linked his hands behind his head and said, "Last night's buzz had it that our heroes of the Quidditch pitch gave you a photo of Zabini and Malfoy which drove you to leave...possibly to do yourself violence."
His look of perpetual amusement reminded Blaise of a certain Faery who said, 'What fools these mortals be.' Wesley said, "This morning, rumours started flying in the Hall. When Ms. Zabini showed up, the flames of gossip were fanned into an inferno of speculation."
"Don't tell me what they said," Terry warned.
"I won't, but crass individuals were even taking bets on what kind of bodily harm you would do your lady in a fit of jealous passion."
"But not you," Terry said with a grin.
A pleased smile flashed across the other boy's face. "I bet against the house and said you'd make love, not war." Wesley brought his arms down in order to rub his hands together, saying happily, "I'll be able to get that Firebolt now, thanks to you two love-birds."
Terry laughed and introduced 'Wesley Roberts, Blaise Zabini' before asking his friend to order tea and some food while he hit the shower. Blaise watched the other boy summon the Ravenclaw house-elf Thinky, order a substantial tea, and return to lounging in his chair.
With quirking lips, Wesley said, "You might want to close the curtains and fix your top. The tee seems to be on inside out...and on backwards."
Blaise stared down at the small tag showing where it shouldn't and lunged to draw the drapery. Merry laughter filled the room. The 'foolish mortal' took off her shirt and put it back on properly. Pulling aside the bed hangings, Blaise smiled shyly at the boy across the room.
"Hmmm, much better." Twinkling eyes approved the correction.
Blaise went to sit at Terry's desk and took her time looking at the things spread over the surface. The room was comfortably silent. She dipped the quill into the pen pot, drawing a sketch of an eagle in its nest. A slender serpent peeked out from under the avian wing.
"That's quite a talent you have there."
She returned the dimpled smile of the boy who'd wandered over to look over her shoulder. Blaise demurred, "It's all right, but nothing compared to Dra..." Her eyes closed briefly, appalled at almost saying the 'D' word.
"I can only judge what I see," Wesley said. "However, I think it's rather brilliant. Don't you agree, mate?" Winking, he handed her sketch to Terry, who had returned towelling his hair.
While his friend helped Thinky arrange the tea things on a table brought to the centre from its place against the wall, her boyfriend took a long look at the drawing. He grinned before setting it aside to kiss her.
"Really, I must insist you cease displaying affection in front of me. Makes me jealous and cross. Come have tea...can't live on love, people." Wesley shook his head, chuckling.
Blaise sat by Terry, scooting her chair close. A feeling of happiness warmed her more than the pale afternoon sun shining into the room. She listened absently to their conversation until she realised two sets of blue eyes were staring at her. Tentatively, she said, "Yes?"
"How agreeable she is, mate. I approve your good taste." Wesley teased, "Lucky I wasn't requesting you dance on the table, Zabini." A golden eyebrow rose. "I merely asked if you'd bring a friend along when you meet us in the library later."
"Sure." Pleasantly surprised, she asked, "Which friend?"
"Fiona Flint, think she'd be interested?"
She pretended to give the good looking Wesley a considering look. "She might say yes."
After the tea things were cleared away, Blaise picked an item off Terry's desk that had captured her attention earlier. It had given her a fantasy she was glad she hadn't sketched. She sat on the bed and patted the space in front of her, saying, "I've been longing to brush your hair. Please?"
He dived onto the bed in answer. Terry shut the curtains and sat with his back to her. Kneeling behind him, Blaise slowly drew the brush through silky hair, over and over.
Across the room, Wesley grumbled, "Don't mind me. I'll just sit here with the door opened, playing chaperone, leafing through Horrible Hexes for Randy Roommates. I'll be fine, as long as I hear no suspicious sounds."
Terry's back shook with contained mirth. Blaise tossed the brush aside, running her fingers through his hair. He turned and rose to his knees, cradling her face. Long, slow, sweet kisses turned into long, deep, passionate ones--until a book slammed shut.
"Okay, that's enough. Break it up. Sounds people...jealous, cross, affection deprived roommates should not be forced to listen to bloody sounds!"
With a last lingering kiss and caress, the couple parted. Wesley took one look at their disordered hair and stated firmly that he was playing chaperone when Terry walked her back to Slytherin house.
-
-
Luna sat on a sofa near the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room, waiting patiently for Blaise to descend the boys' staircase with Terry. The ' Indies' were sitting at a nearby table, pretending to do homework. She frowned slightly. They weren't doing a very good job.
Mindy was staring at the stairs in frank envy. Next to her, Cindy held a book, but she never turned a page. Bindy was the only one of the trio that seemed to be working.
"Are you writing an essay, Bindy?" Luna asked.
"Yes, for Herbology," the girl replied, writing furiously. "It's very interesting, really, about the ways to grow juicier and more magical passionata fruits."
Passionata fruits sounded tropical. Luna stared into the fireplace, thinking about sandy beaches and tropical fruit. After awhile, the flames started to arrange themselves into figures. She smiled.
That one looked like a flobberworm, and that...looked like a boy with round glasses being fed passionata fruit by a girl with long blonde hair. Luna blinked and leaned forward. Now the boy was starting to lick the juice from the girl's fingers...one by one...slowly...
Sharply indrawn breaths drew the Luna's meandering attention to the school's latest most scandalous couple now descending the steps. The matchmaking girl felt quite chuffed over getting the two together. If Blaise hadn't been half of the former 'most scandalous' pair with Malfoy a mere week ago...and last night too, she supposed, things would've been perfect.
"Hey Luna, want to go for a walk?"
Blaise was standing by her sofa. A wandering mind was a paradox...good and bad at the same time. Smiling, Luna agreed, with a glance at her friends after she heard Wesley Roberts was going along to Slytherin house too.
Mindy shot daggers tipped with sour grapes. During the house party, hadn't Luna told her that a Wesley at hand was better than a Terry at the turntable? Her advice not to turn Wesley down just because Mindy was hoping his roommate would ask her to dance had been ignored. Now, Mindy regretted her hasty decision.
Being the sort of person who was above saying 'I told you so', Luna waggled her fingers cheerfully as she waved goodbye.
In the outer corridor, Wesley said, "Let's walk behind those two, Lovegood. I don't trust them not to shock first years with public displays of affection. Have your wand ready- if they start snogging, hit Zabini with a cold water charm. I'll blast Boot."
Luna nodded with a smile. How droll he was. Mindy had been very silly to pass him up.
They followed Terry and Blaise, who were walking with their arms around each other's waists. Luna thought that if the eagle in her dream had carried his snake away intending on ripping her to shreds, it looked as though all was forgiven now.
Several times, Wesley paused to accept galleons from other students. He noted her curiosity. "Never bet against love, Luna. I've done those boys a service, taught them an important lesson. I deserve a reward." He laughed. "Oh wait; I'm buying myself a Firebolt. Goodness really is its own reward."
She felt the matchmaking urge. Wesley Roberts had cute dimples and bright blue eyes. Surely there was a girl equally attractive and mischievous to pair him with. Luna decided she'd ask Blaise her opinion when the other girl wasn't distracted by the blue gaze of a different boy.
At that moment, her friend glanced back and smiled while Terry's hand drifted down and squeezed. Blaise paid her boyfriend back in kind. Luna shook her head. Dear, dear, Roberts was right about those two. Terry was now dragging his girlfriend into a dark doorway, one hand firmly on her...
"Aaahhh! You bastard!"
Terry didn't look like he appreciated that blast of cold water. The boy promptly returned fire. Luna blinked as Wesley stepped behind her and she received a splash in the face. Hearing the other girl's snickering, she raised her wand to share the joy. Shaking her wet curls, Blaise hit the ducking and bobbing Wesley in the back with a jolt of cold liquid. A full fledged water fight broke out.
Only after all four were soaked and shivering was truce called. They hurried on to avoid trouble. At the beginning of the corridor to Slytherin house, Terry and Blaise embraced like they were about to be parted for eternity instead of a few short hours. Wesley rolled his eyes and pulled his roommate away. Impulsively hugging her friend, Luna darted after the boys.
She enjoyed the jealous stares of her roommates after she returned to the common room too much to describe in mere words. While she made her way up to change out of wet clothes, Luna hummed 'Weasley is our King.'
-
-
All ruddy day, Ginny had heard talk about the love triangle, and she was thoroughly sick of it. Her time spent with Malfoy under the Dragon Claw Willow was the only bright spot in the whole day. Who knew being devoured by a dragon could feel so good?
No wonder those maidens in old paintings didn't look unhappy to be carried off. She smiled at the thought of being carried off by Draco and ravished.
"Did you say you were famished?" Colin asked, as they walked side by side toward the Hall.
Speaking thoughts aloud was going to get her in trouble some day. Luckily, that time wasn't now. "Yes, I'm really hungry." In the Great Hall, Ginny's eyes were drawn by the magnetic gaze of a Slytherin holding court at another table. The steamy look he flickered over her face told her the 'love god' might be feeling the same way.
Our kisses are like Faery Food...the more we devour, the hungrier we get, so famished we'd do anything for another taste...becoming consumed with need...ravenous...
"Ravenous?"
Harry's eyes were so green when he laughed. How silly she'd once been over them, sending a dwarf with a horrid poem comparing them to pickled toads one Valentine's Day. She laughed at herself, then and now. Harry laughed too.
Covertly slanting a look toward the next table, her heart skipped a beat. Draco wasn't laughing. He was scowling and his eyes...Merlin; the serpent was steamed about his 'Dragon Lover' having a laugh with 'Perfect Potter'. Would he scorch her for it later? Oh, she hoped so!
Ginny slid onto the bench in between Colin and Hermione. Dinner plates started to appear on the table. She reached for a basket of rolls, surprised to hear Blaise's voice over her shoulder.
"Hi, Ginny."
What was this? Since when did Zabini stop for a chat on the way to her table? She was alive, so Boot hadn't killed her...that was good, but why come over? The other girl read the question on her face and smiled like that cat in the Alice-in-something Muggle book.
"I was wondering... If you're going to be in the library after dinner, would you help me with Act IV? We'll be going over that in Muggle Studies next class."
"Why should a Gryffindor help a Slytherin?" Ron demanded.
Dryly, the tall girl replied, "Because we're two households, both alike in dignity."
Ron and Harry were giving the girl a 'what the?' look of confusion. Hermione was looking questioningly because she got the reference, and was still confused, but Ginny knew who really wanted to see her in the library. Mischievously, she responded, "Sure. For my part, I am so attired in wonder; I know not what to say."
"Act IV, I presume..." Blaise gave her an impressed look and challenged, "I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this passage." She quoted, "O, what men do! What men may do! What men daily do, not knowing what they do!"
Smiling that some-kind-of-shire Cat grin, Blaise winked at Ron and glided off. Disregarding her brother's cry of pain, Hermione's huffy retort, and Harry's laughter, Ginny watched Terry Boot stand and stride down the aisle between the two house tables. He lifted his girlfriend's hand and kissed it. She caressed his cheek. Students whispered furiously.
Another Ravenclaw boy stood up and announced, "All those owing money may pay me in the entrance hall immediately following dinner." Bowing ironic thanks, the puckish teen sat down by the spot Boot had vacated, grinning in response to the chorus of boos sent his way.
The couple reached the middle of the Slytherin table where Blaise usually sat. A hand raised by Draco had Crabbe and Goyle sinking back onto the bench. Malfoy continued to eat, paying no attention to the pair whose hands slowly and reluctantly parted, faces looking so bereft that Hermione, of all people, sighed and murmured, "Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Ginny watched Draco roll his eyes while Blaise took her seat. The 'dragon friend' bumped his shoulder, smiling first at the smirking blond, and then over at Ginny. Smiling back, the girl ate as quickly as she could. There were so many things she looked forward to learning at the library.
-
-
Draco finished the last line of an essay, rolled up the parchment and tidied his desk. He wasn't going to the library to study, for Merlin's sake. Unless a prolonged and thorough snogging of Ginny Weasley could be considered studying.
After dinner, he'd holed up in his room to avoid the sight of his formerly level-headed mate giggling with those friends of hers. Blaise was ecstatic that students now called them 'Romeo and Juliet.' Was that supposed to be an improvement?
That smart mouthed pal of Boot's was a Mercutio if ever there was one, though. If the bastard thought he was getting five galleons from a Malfoy, he'd find himself at the wrong end of a wand. Draco frowned in thought. If Roberts was Mercutio, what did that make him--the fat Friar? He exhaled noisily. Honestly, all that Shakespeare nonsense.
Draco checked his reflection and headed downstairs. Thank the stars Blaise had floated off to see lover-boy. He didn't want to hear about girly-locks. He wanted to count every freckle on Red's face and kiss each one. Smiling, he took a shortcut to the library through a little used corridor.
He saw something move from the shadows a moment too late.
"Well, well, well, Malfoy..." said Boot, watching him lie immobilized on the floor. He clapped Roberts on the shoulder. "Go watch the other corridor while the 'love god' and I have a word."
"Make it a word and a blow." Laughing at his own meagre wit, the buffoon sauntered off after a salute.
Squatting down, Terry bared his teeth. "Feeling cold, you snake? Freezing quickly is always painful." The menacing smile widened at the other boy's involuntary flinching. "Glacialis Dolor...frozen pain. Reptiles hate being cold. Probably why a serpent like you tries to get into the pants of any warm-bodied girl you can." Draco could only shudder as Terry said, "If I ever catch you looking at Blaise like you did in that photograph, touching her like that..."
A low growl sounded. What was the animal going to do? Rip out his throat? Sneering in defiance was impossible, but Draco managed to project insolence in his stare.
Terry boy rose to his feet and taunted in a way that was almost Slytherin, "The hex is temporary, but I hope you feel just as bad as you look. The pain's supposed to be comparable to playing in the snow for a long time without a warming charm. When you thaw too quickly, feeling returns to your extremities in stabbing needles of anguish." He made to leave. "Maybe you'll think twice before you mess with me or mine, Malfoy."
The agony subsided just enough for Draco to gasp, "Marvelous."
Reluctant humour laced Terry's words, "Don't like alliteration, eh? Well, if you don't like getting your arse kicked; keep your distance from my girlfriend. Blaise may think you're two poor little rich kids, friends against the world, but I know your type. You don't have friends."
"Ready to go? Lovely ladies at the library and all..."
That prat Roberts was back, enjoying the sight of a helpless Slytherin. Terry-Boy's mouth twitched. "Let's leave." Meeting the eyes of the boy on the floor, he smiled slightly. Drawing back an ironic boot, he kicked his victim in the ribs. "A Word and a Blow, wasn't that what you said, Wesley?"
Draco was left shivering on the stone floor while the pair of prats--alliterative arseholes...arrgghhh--strolled off, chuckling.
When the timed spell expired, Draco dragged himself over to the wall and propped his back against it. After a few moments passed, he raised his hands. Amazingly, although they felt like they should be red and blistered, his hands showed no signs of the frostbite feeling that had wracked them a short time ago.
Light footsteps echoed down the corridor. Ginny was running toward him. Cradling him in her arms, she touched the cheek that still twitched in reaction to the hex. "Blaise found me, told me what Terry did to you. I came as fast as I could."
Her tender embrace and gentle kisses brought more relief than the cessation of pain. The thought that Blaise had gone running to send him comfort made his lips quirk. Boot was wrong about him not having friends.
Ginny misread his smirk. Brown eyes gave a lovingly stern look. "You are not going to retaliate because you deserved that hex. Instead, you will now behave properly and everyone will get along fine."
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh shut up, you gorgeous, bad boy, you." Soft lips ensured compliance. Strength returning, Draco's arms slid around Ginny. He pulled her onto his lap. Quickly, he unfastened her robes and slid a cold hand to warm itself against creamy skin.
He ignored his aching side. Blaise would be a mate and rub a healing unguent over it later. Right now, he was going to bask in the radiant warmth of the girl in his arms, just like the serpent Terry-Boy had accused him of being. Bird-brained Ravenclaw...what else would a Slytherin be? Giving a hiss of pleasure as slender fingers stroked his back, Draco let go of every thought except giving a kiss for each freckle.
-
-
A/N: Princess Bride fan and proud of it, I did indeed create Wesley Roberts out of Westley's alter ego, the 'Dread Pirate' Roberts. He's a great Mercutio, isn't he, and no sad ending for this one! I also had too much fun putting the 'word and a blow' Merc line in, as well as the couple of Much Ado bits and the 'two houses' line from Romeo and Juliet. Now I've got the urge to watch Shakespeare in Love for some odd reason. :D