::Disclaimer:: I don't own it. Except Margie and Lucy, lol. Don't sue me plze.

::AN:: I'm SO sorry this update took a long time! I'm also sorry ahead of time that my updates will probably be a bit fewer now that school is starting back up (grr!). lol, But I promise to try and update as much as possible. I love writing this fic, sinceLucy is such a weird, pessimistic, cynical character. hahaha. Anywho, I hope you like the chapter, and please review!

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Chapter Nine

It turns out there is something worse than getting hit in the face with a ball when you are wearing glasses (which causes the bridge of the glasses to dig into your nose, giving you one of the worse headaches imaginable, not to mention leaving a red mark on your nose for about an eternity – or, well, a few days). This has happened to me. Getting hit in the face with a ball while wearing glasses, I mean. Enough said.

There is also something worse than being gorded alive by a wild boar. (This never happened. It is a metaphor. Thank Merlin's pastel bloomers.)

The thing that is worse than getting hit in the face with a ball while wearing glasses and being gorded alive by a wild boar is having everyone know something that you don't. And having them talk about it in front of you. For a whole class period.

We did this while Professor Whatever-her-name-was was having us read about how Muggles use electronic devices called "telephones" to communicate over long distances, instead of sticking their heads into fireplaces. (Sounds sensible, if you ask me. I'm always afraid something will go wrong and my hair will get singed off. Not to mention my face.)

"I don't get that." I told Margie. "What do they mean, they speak into it? Speak into what? What are they talking about?"

"The telephone." Colin said from directly across from me. "Muggles speak into a mouthpiece called a receiver, and so they're able to be heard on the other end by –"

"The other end?" I interrupted. "There's another end? Where?"

"No, on the receiving end." He explained. "Like when a person can see and hear you in a fire. They would be on the receiving end."

"So… what you're saying… is that if I was talking into the mouthpiece, I wouldn't be on the receiving end…?" I asked him. "So, how would I hear the other person?"

"It's a matter of perspective." He said with a wave of his hand.

I rolled my eyes. "What is it with Muggles? Why do they have to be so weird? I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to talk through a fire? What if you were talking to your kid, and they had a black eye, say? Muggles wouldn't know unless the kid told them, right?"

"Right." Colin nodded. "Unless they were online, using webcam."

I blinked. "Abuh? What?"

"Colin's a muggleborn." Ginny said from next to him. "He already knows everything about Muggles."

I nodded slowly and turned to Colin. "You? I'm sitting next to you during exams."

"Creevy… Malfoy…" Margie shook her head. "No. It's alphabetical. What are the odds of you sitting next to him?"

I stared at her. "Margie, you are treading on my good fortune of having a muggleborn in my Muggle Studies class." I narrowed my eyes. "Don't."

"So you're really a Malfoy?" Colin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Oh no, not this again. What is wrong with this school? "How is that so hard to believe?" I asked. "I mean, I'm blonde. I'm pale. I'm… okay, so I'm not that tall, but… whatever. I've got delicate features. Check out my cheekbones, man. I've got long, funny-looking fingers. And I have ruthlessly cunning intelligence." I glanced around at Ginny, Colin, and Margie. "Malfoys are cunning, you know." I paused. "And ruthless."

"Nah, I don't see you as ruthless." Ginny laughed. "Besides," she said. "You seem a lot nicer than Malfoy."

"You mean Draco?" I raised my eyebrows. "Does everyone call him 'Malfoy'? Don't you people associate by first names? I mean, I know I wasn't gone from England that long but I don't know…"

Margie tapped her quill on the table. "No, there's got to be something that separates you from the other Malfoys. Otherwise, you'd be in Slytherin. Not Hufflepuff."

"I was supposed to be." I told her. "Everyone in my family has been in Slytherin. And the itty-bitty insignificant ones that haven't been were marked off our family tree in the parlor and –" I blinked. "Ohmigod, you don't think that's going to happen to me, do you? No, I'm sure my daddy loves me too much for that to happen."

"So you're really Malfoy's sister then?" Colin asked.

I nodded. "Yeah." I paused. "You know, he's not as mean as everyone here thinks he is." Ginny snorted and I went on. "No, really! I mean, he's mean now, yeah. But he didn't used to be. He used to be really cool. You know, for a brother."

"Well, what happened, then?" Margie questioned.

"He came to Hogwarts." I shrugged. "He got mean after that."

"My brother got real cocky after his first year here." Ginny said suddenly. "I think it was all that hanging around with Harry that he did, you know."

Margie nodded. "Yeah. I used to talk to my sister all the time, you know. We were practically inseparable. But then once she got her prefect badge, she changed a lot."

I looked up from my textbook. "Aw, you guys!" I laughed. I turned to Ginny and furrowed my eyebrows. "Why does anyone even hang around with that Harry guy? I mean, he's famous, right? But he's kind of weird. And quiet."

"Harry's all right." Ginny replied. "He's kind of quiet now, yeah. But I suppose he's more quiet around people he doesn't know." She shrugged. "He used to be pretty fun and all that, but lately he just kind of keeps to himself."

"He's nice, though." Colin chipped in. "Everyone likes him. 'Cept the Slytherins."

"I know." I said. "My brother hates him. He told me to stay away from him and his friends."

Ginny chuckled and grinned at me. "Considering my brother Ron is Harry's best friend, I'd say that that includes me too."

Margie let out a short laugh all of a sudden. Honestly, she's crazy. I mean, who just laughs randomly like that? Over nothing? I think no one. Except Margie. And crazy people.

"Colin, where were you at breakfast, anyway?" Margie asked, still grinning over her secret/insane laugh. "You missed Parkinson threatening to hex Lucy."

I groaned as Ginny laughed and Colin leaned forward. "What happened?" He asked, looking from me to Margie.

Don't tell him, Margie! Don't tell him!

"Okay, so, she was standing there talking to Harry and them, right?" Margie continued. (GAH!)

"I wasn't talking to 'Harry and them.'" I corrected her. "I was talking to Ginny and Hermione. Because they are nice. And they don't glare at me evilly or ask random questions all of a sudden."

"Ron doesn't like Malfoy at all." Ginny said to me. "Or any Slytherins."

"Anyway." Margie said boredly. "Lucy wasn't watching where she was going and then all of a sudden, she bumped right into Pansy Parkinson. Pansy started going off about how she was going to hex her and everything, and Lucy just kept backing away, right into –"

"Harry." Ginny finished, giggling. "Oh, you should have seen his face! He was watching Pansy, but he was so aware that Lucy was backing up against him and –"

"Yeah, okay, anyway." I said quickly. "Telephones."

"It was pretty funny." Ginny said to Colin, who had a sloppy smile on his face, apparently trying not to laugh.

Har, har, har. Very funny, people. NOT!

"Hey, are we having the DA this year?" Colin asked Ginny.

The DA? What? Speak English, good fellow!

"I don't know." Ginny shrugged, casting a glance my way.

What? What did I do now? What is this?!

"What's the DA?" I asked her.

Colin and Ginny exchanged a look and Colin said, "It's nothing" just as Margie opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when I let out a small squeal.

"Ow!" I yelped, glaring in Ginny's direction. "Was that you? Why did you kick me?!"

Ginny looked dumbstruck for a moment until she finally blinked and said, "Spasm. Sorry."

Yeah, RIGHT! Ohmigod, OWIE! Seriously, maybe Draco had the right idea about these people being insane and all. Or, well, he didn't say that, but THEY ARE! I rubbed my shin for what felt like an hour and we all got back to reading about telephones for the rest of class.

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By the time lunch rolled around, I was too tired to function in my proper, happy manner. "Food." I said longingly as I followed Margie into the Great Hall.

"Come on." She said, walking away from our regular spot (okay, so we sat there twice, but whatever) and towards another table.

I followed her reluctantly, plopping down next to her on the bench and resting my head on the table. "I am going to die." I said into the wood.

Margie patted my head for a second. "I told you so." She said lovingly (not).

I lifted my head up suddenly and looked around for a second. "I'm lost." I said, frowning. "Where are we?"

"Gryffindor table." Ginny chirped up from in front of Margie. She wrinkled her brow at me. "Didn't you hear me invite you two to eat lunch with me at the end of Muggle Studies?"

I blinked at her. "I was sleeping at the end of Muggle Studies." I said, barely acknowledging that a few people were sitting down next to and across from me. "When did this happen?"

"We were walking out of class." Margie said.

"Well, we were walking." Ginny corrected. "You were shuffling about aimlessly while Colin steered you towards the door."

"I've never done that before." I said, gazing at a goblet in front of me.

"Done what?" Margie asked as she buttered a biscuit.

"Fallen asleep reading." I answered, rubbing my eyes. "What's next?"

"Check your timetable, I have a free period." Margie said and I slowly pulled my timetable out of my pocket.

"Oh." I grumbled as I read my schedule. "Free period. Then Arithmancy. Kill me now."

"Professor Vector a wonderful teacher." Someone next to me said. I turned my head slowly and blinked at my "neighbor" through half-closed lids.

"Hermione? Is that you?" I said meekly.

"For Merlin's sake, Lucy." Margie laughed. "Just eat something."

"The turkey is really good." Ginny piped up.

"I had a turkey once." I said, twirling my fork in my hand. "His name was Gobble and we ate him in December."

"Ew." Margie said just before she took a bite of mashed potatoes.

"You ate your pet?" Ginny asked me slowly.

I shook my head. "No… I had my brother eat my share. I was too… what's the word? Drought."

"Distraught." Margie corrected me.

I nodded. "Exactly." I shrugged. "He was really fat, though."

"Who? The turkey or your brother?" Margie asked as she broke a cookie in half.

I thought for a moment and then shook my head. "No… I was thinking about Quack." I paused when Ginny gave me a look. "He was a duck." I informed her.

"Was?" Ginny gaped at me. "You didn't eat him, did you?"

I nodded my head solemnly. "Mom told me it was chicken. I didn't know."

"Ohmigod." Margie said with a mouthful of salad, so that it came out more like, "Ermagah."

I shrugged. "Whatever. My head is getting all foggy again. I don't even care." I set my head back down on the table and tried to drown out the voices around me.

It didn't work.

"So, you guys." Ginny was saying. "Colin won't shut up about me asking you about the DA. So, what's the verdict? Is there gonna be a DA this year?"

"Umbridge is gone." A guy said. Who was that? Ron? When did he get there? "Moody's pretty scary, but I guess he's all right."

"We haven't had him for class yet." Hermione was explaining.

I looked up. "Why can't you guys keep a Defense teacher? What is up with that? What happened to all of them?"

Margie laughed. "I don't know who was here before first year, but… Lockhart turned out to be a fraud, Lupin resigned, Mad-Eye got kidnapped, and Umbridge disappeared." She shrugged. "Now we've got the real 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Didn't you pay attention when Dumbledore introduced him last night?"

"Dumbledore freaks me out." I told her and Ginny choked on her juice. I shrugged. "He seems a way better headmaster than Karkaroff, though, so no complaints here."

"Why'd you go to Durmstrang, anyway?" Ron asked me suddenly and I turned to look at him, since he was sitting across from Hermione.

"Because I didn't want to –" I paused when my slow-moving brain finally acknowledged who was sitting across from me. WHAT THE HELL?! Crap! "I didn't want to come here." I said to Ron, then proceeded to twist my napkin to distract myself.

"Huh." Hermione thought for a moment. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "No reason." I put my head back down on the table. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Ginny and Margie chorused together, giggling.

"Why are you so tired?" Hermione asked and after a few moments of silence, Margie poked my side and I sat up, looking around groggily.

"Me?" I squeaked at Hermione and she nodded. I shrugged. "Muggle Studies. Then Divination. It was a total snore." I smiled then. "But Divination was fun! It turns out Margie's dying this year!" I grinned. "Joy."

"Wow." Margie said dryly. "Well, I'd rather it be me this year than that poor girl in Ravenclaw. She got it two years in a row, poor thing."

I laughed. "That lady is so freaky." I shrugged. "I guess you have to be a little out there to be into that Divination thing."

"Why are you even in Divination if you don't like it?" Ginny asked me.

I shook my head. "I like Divination. It's funny."

"Don't listen to her, she's insane." Margie said, pointing at me with her fork.

"It is." I said. "Plus, it gives me a good naptime."

"I get it now." Ginny said with a laugh. "You know, you could just drop it and have a free period. You're already taking enough classes, right?"

I blinked at her. "No, don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Ginny frowned.

"You're confusing me." I told her. "That's… I don't know, I'm getting dizzy again." I thumped my head back onto the table, but brought it up again suddenly. "Ohmigod. Is every day going to be like this? Margie, you're right. I am so going to die with these classes. I need to drop them."

"All of them?" Ginny smirked and I furrowed my brow at her.

"Yes, all of them." I said with a serious expression. "And then I'll join the Chudley Cannons and die a horrific death at the hands of a bludger."

"Seriously?" Ginny gaped at me.

I blinked. "No! Are you insane? Quit school? Merlin's socks, no! Never!" I rolled my eyes. "And Quidditch? Oh, don't get me started."

"Thank you!" Margie cheered. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"You don't like Quidditch?" The Boy Who Sat In Front Of Me And Finally Spoke asked, staring at me in that blank way he does. Okay, so now he speaks. Great.

I shook my head. "No… Quidditch is all right." I shrugged. "I don't like flying."

"Why not?!" Ginny exclaimed, leaning forward.

I blinked at her. "Because." I said. "It makes me sick." I paused. "Kind of like those horseless carriage things we had to ride in yesterday. Oh, I'm getting queasy just thinking about it."

"Motion sickness." Margie nodded. "A lot of people get that."

I shook my head. "No… It's just a… queasy thing. Forget I said anything. Who needs brooms anyway? And… carriages…? And the muggle things with the wheels…"

"Cars?" Hermione offered.

I nodded. "I mean, I can walk. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Exactly." Ginny nodded, obviously trying to be supportive. "Then there's always portkeys and floo powder."

I grinned enthusiastically. "Of course! Except Mom disconnected us from the floo network ages ago. She said it went out of style. There are always portkeys, though!"

"You know, from what I've heard of your mom," Margie said, her brow wrinkling. "She's really, really weird."

"Well, yeah." I said, giving her a look that said 'obviously.' "I mean, she gave birth to my brother. You've got to give her credit for that, though, right? I mean, seriously."

"So, did he really come out of her demanding silk sheets and everything?" Ginny asked.

I nodded at her. "Yes. I took pictures. Would you like to see?" I rolled my eyes when she just gave me a blank look. "No! Honestly, what is with this total hatred-thing towards him? What has he ever done to you?"

"I'll fill you in later if you have a few free hours." Margie said with a small smile.

I rolled my eyes and thumped my head back onto the table. "This is so not my day." I said into the table.

Just then, I heard Harry Potter speak, but I tried my best to ignore it. "I'm going to the common room."

Okay, so I heard him. What of it? It's not like I was paying attention. Exactly.

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::AN:: Please Review! I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed so far! I love you all! You totally inspire me to write more of Lucy's twisted world! (lol)