::Disclaimer:: I don't own it, thanks. Don't sue!
::AN:: AHA! Chapter fourteen! Here it is, lol!
TheManWhoLetTheBoyLive: I think your review freaked me out the most… lol. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! Good luck with that, er, possessed baby. I guess…
sweetiepiepirate: I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one, too. Thanks for trying to explain the C2 thingy a little (even though I still don't get it, lol). Thanks for reviewing!
gloomy: Hahah, yes. Well, you find out where they're going right at the beginning of this chapter, so I hope you're happy now, lol. Anyways, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!
depressedpuppets: I love your nic! Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system… Anyway, welcome to this fic or whatever, and thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter, and I'll be glad to give you any suggestions or whatever for writing if you want. Just drop me an email and I'll get back to you.
passionatetoasters: LMAO, um, no… I was talking about the C2 thing that's mentioned on the homepage of this site, lol. Thanks, though! Did you really not have any advice or were you just trying to be nice? I can handle it, I swear! Hahah, anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!
Thicketgirl: Yeah, he seemed a little nice, I suppose. I'm a little stressed when it comes to writing Draco (everyone has such high expectations, you know, lol), but I just tried to imagine how some of my guy-friends-that-have-sisters would act, lol. Anyways, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter!
xParanoidAndroidx: I think I can't give you a proper review-response because, well… hahah. ANYWAY, thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!
Tintalu: Hahah, I can't believe you forgot your account (sorry, that's just funny). Anyways, thanks for reviewing. I like what you think, lol! Hah, I hope you like that chapter!
xkuroxshinobix: Kissing? Hahah, your review made me smile, that was so cute! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.
lark277: Thanks, I'm glad you like Lucy! And I know she's strange. I made her that way (yay). Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter, too!
msj: Well, I don't know about you but I know quite a few people (like, say, all my closest friends, including me) who space out and are confused about everything half of the time, lol. And I figured that with the whole Lucy's-dad-thing, everyone would know, cuz he's, like, a criminal, hahah. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter, too! Go class of 2007! Woot!
Chapter Fourteen
I let Harry Potter lead me down the corridor, trying not to stumble over my own feet behind him. How can he walk so fast? Is that weird or is it just me?
"Where are we going?" I asked after a few moments.
Not even a second later, after rounding a corner, I knew. "You…" I blinked. "You know where the Hufflepuff common room is?"
He nodded and turned around once we were in front of the skinny old man. "Sure." He said. "Now, you should probably stay in your common room or your dorm until the whole situation dies down a little."
What? Is that what you dragged me here for?
"Everyone will be talking about something else by tomorrow, anyway." He went on.
What? Why would they talk about something else? This is a big thing! Since when do people forget about the Malfoys and talk about something else? I mean, we're talking about one of the wealthiest pureblood families in all of England! Are you on magic-crack?!
"So," he nodded again. "Okay. Bye."
What? What?! That's it?! All that walking and dragging me through the halls and that's IT?!
He turned and walked back down the corridor. My whole body seemed to be frozen on the spot. "Hey, Harry Potter!" I called after him suddenly. He turned around just before he rounded the corner.
I paused for a moment, then shook my head. "Never mind. Gobbling gargoyles." I mumbled to the skinny old man in the portrait, shuffling inside as soon as it opened.
It's not like I was going to say anything, anyway. I hate when I do that. You know, call people or something, and then realize that I didn't even have anything to say. What's the point, really? It's just an impulsive thing, I suppose.
But seriously, why did he have to escort me to the common room? How does he even know what it is? He's not a prefect or anything, is he? Even if he was, would he know? Why did he apologize for Ginny? Why can't she apologize for herself? What kind of farewell is "So, okay. Bye."? Why did I –
Oh. Oh. Nooo…
I called him "Harry Potter" didn't I? I did! No, I didn't! Well, I did, but… This doesn't mean that Marge was right, okay? It just means that I chose to call him by his first and last name and
I'm going to go CRAZY!
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There's something reassuring about Sundays. Like, the fact that there aren't any classes to attend. And the fact that you can sleep in basically as late as you want.
Except, you know, I had the sudden urge to contradict the normal Sunday plan. You know, the one that I've been living by these past fifteen years. The one where I stay in bed until noon, then get up to eat and bathe, then return to my room for a bit of light thinking and whatnot.
I dumped my bag on the table and pulled out my timetable. "Double Potions." I read aloud the first class for Monday. Is it weird that I haven't had potions yet? I think it's weird, but, then again, who am I to question the ways of the almighty Hogwarts? Whatever. I have homework to do.
There are twelve ways to conjugate an apple. Or is that conjure? I can't even read my own handwriting!
I took the hair-tie out of my hair and ran my hands through it as I leaned back in the chair. This is just great. I'm going to fail Transfiguration and I haven't even been here for longer than… how long have I been here, anyway? My brain hurts, I can't count.
"Lucy."
I looked up from my hair-tie, of which I was busy pulling some of my stray hairs out of. Am I going bald or what? What's with the shedding?
"Draco." I looked back down at my hair-tie, scrunching my face as I untwisted a strand of hair from around the small band. (I'm grossed out, and this is my hair!)
I saw him sit down next to me out of the corner of my eye. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't take my eyes off the hair-tie. "Something you needed?" I asked him.
"You weren't at dinner last night." He said. "And I couldn't find you afterwards."
"Why?" I got hold of the small black band in my mouth, clamping my teeth on it tightly as I tugged on the strands of hair. "Did you have to talk to me about something?" How are they still stuck there?! Just come off you damned little things! Oh, ew, I think a hair just went in my mouth. "Thhht!" I stuck my tongue out, letting the hair-tie fall in my lap. "Thhht!"
"No." He said, not even bothering to ask why I was suddenly spitting all over my Transfiguration essay.
"Thhht!" I spit. "Well – thhht – what did you want? Thhht!" Gross! Get it off my tongue! Get it off, get it off!
"Nothing." He replied sharply. "Stop spitting, you look like an animal!"
I "Thhht!"ed one more time just to annoy him, until I finally stuck my finger in my mouth and pulled the strand of hair off my tongue. Ew. "Then why were you looking for me?" I asked him, wiping my hand on the black pants I was wearing.
He stood up, then. "Just forget it, Lucy. Do your homework." He walked away without saying another word.
Gee, Brother Dearest. You say that as though I don't need any help!
Not that he'd be able to help me, anyway. I don't care how smart everyone says he is. I bet I know more about conjugating apples than him. I mean conjuring. Conjuring.
Whatever.
As I looked towards the door, I noticed Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Harry Potter, that Longbottom boy, and another large-eyed girl that I had never seen before seated at a table not far away. Within hearing distance, in fact.
How long have they been there?! Were they here when I got here? No, that's not possible. I know I saw a group of people sitting at that table when I walked in, but… Oh no. It was them. So, that's why Draco was acting as though he didn't want to say… whatever he'd actually sought me out to say? Oh, who knows? He's a weirdo, anyway. I bet he would have done that even if they weren't sitting a few feet away and –
Look away, Luce. Look away… That's good. So… Apples are conjured in a number of ways. That's a good start to the essay. Man, am I a genius or what? Wait. Is the essay on apples or just all things conjure-able? Or just apple-sized things? Or maybe it was just fruits? Crap.
Not long after that, I –
Okay, I tell a lie.
Three hours later (much better), I was joined by none other than… Justin Finch-Fletchley.
I looked up when he sat across from me. I decided not to speak. Like, you know how sometimes… when a rabid animal is near you, it's best not to "make any sudden movements" or make any noise whatsoever. Or, do you just run when a rabid animal is around? I forget. Anyway, the point is that I was completely resolved to totally ignore him.
"I heard about your dad." He said.
Well, duh. Who here hasn't?
"So –" He started before I cut him off.
"I'm not talking about that just now." I said flatly without looking up, as if that solved the whole matter.
It kind of did, actually.
Justin nodded, then. "Okay. I suppose you want to take your mind off it, right?"
I said "kind of." Not completely.
I looked up at him briefly, before looking back down. "Actually, I'm working on a Transfiguration essay, and since I suck at Transfiguration like a mute sucks at speeches, I can't think of anything else."
Was that too harsh? No, I don't think so. He deserves it. That annoying little first-kiss-stealer.
He didn't seem affected by (or maybe he hadn't noticed) my sarcasm. "Really? Would you like any help, then?"
Yes, I would. But, sadly, not from you.
"Not really." I shrugged. "I think I need a break." I looked across the small table at him. "I've already sort of confused transfiguring things with conjuring things."
"Alright, then." He nodded. "Take a break. Do you want to go outside –"
"No, I'm okay, thanks."
"Oh, well. Would you like to –"
"That's nice, but I'm all set."
"Do you –"
"No."
He nodded. How can he just nod like I haven't turned him down three times in a row in under a minute? Is he that dense, or is he putting on some kind of façade?
"I've been thinking about that night I gave you the tour." He said.
Okay, he is dense. What kind of guy just talks about these things after I've just said "no" to three of his suggestion-things?! You stupid, stupid boy!
I looked up at him, trying to give him one of my most bored looks. "Really? Because I've been not thinking about it, you know."
That's as subtle as I can be without saying, "Get a life and never speak about that to anyone or I'll strangle you." Take it or leave it, man.
"You know, I meant all the things I said." He went on.
And Finch-Fletchley fumbles the quaffle at the last minute, sending thousands of Hufflepuffs into choruses of boos as all the other houses laugh and pummel him with tomatoes and other such fruits/'is-it-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable's! Yeah. That was my attempt at a Quidditch metaphor. Shows how much I don't play, right? Does Finch-Fletchley even play Quidditch? Maybe I should ask.
I opened my mouth to ask, "Hey, do you play Quidditch?" but I didn't get a chance to say anything past "He-" before he started talking again.
"And I really liked kissing you –"
"I!" I said loudly, suddenly remembering that my newly sworn enemies were within hearing distance and could probably hear every word Justin was saying. "I… don't think it's necessary to talk about such things at times like, say, now, because –"
"Are you avoiding me?" He interrupted. Man, how rude, I hate when people interrupt me.
"No, no, no, no." I lied. Because I am, in fact, avoiding him. "Where would you get an idea like that?"
"You usually run out of the common room when I enter it." He said. "You either eat your meals on the other side of the Hufflepuff table, at the Gryffindor table, or you don't go to meals at all." He paused. "Oh, and you were a little mean yesterday in the common room. I'm just explaining, though. No offense."
"None taken." I shook my head.
Mean? When was I mean? What a jerk! …Why am I lying?!
I shook my head again. "No, you know what? You seem like an okay person, Finch – I mean, Justin – so I'm not going to lie to you." I raised an eyebrow at him. "The reason I run out of the common room when you enter it is because if I don't, then you seem to acquire this really strange habit of speaking to me. For no reason! How weird is that? And I don't sit with you at the Hufflepuff table because I sit with Margie, who coincidentally sits far away from you. I sit at the Gryffindor table because I'm friends – was friends – with Ginny and Colin. You know who they are, am I right? And when I don't go to meals at all, believe me, that has nothing to do with you. It may sound hard to believe to a great, healthy guy like you, but sometimes I'm just not hungry."
He blinked at me, so I went on. "And if you call me telling you that you had food in your teeth mean, then you obviously have no appreciation for a little kindness every once in awhile. I mean, seriously! What if I hadn't said anything? You would have looked in the mirror later and seen that you have food in your teeth. And it would have driven you crazy because you probably wouldn't know how long it had been there. I know this, trust me. Or worse, what if you hadn't looked in the mirror at all until way later?! You could have talked to a million people afterwards, and they all would have been secretly laughing at you! Yes, just like I was. I was laughing at you. In my mind, I was hysterical. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cruel person. It was just funny. Besides, no one was around! Which makes it a sincere kind of pointing-out-that-you-have-food-in-your-teeth, not a mean one."
He opened his mouth to say something, but I lifted my hand to signal that I wasn't finished. "And, yes, I've been avoiding you! I thought you'd get the hint, but nooo, you have to be just like every other guy! Dense, dense, and even more dense! Do I have to spell it out for you? Are you listening? Because listening is a key factor here. Do you know why?" I paused, but not long enough for him to give a real answer except a few blinks.
"I'll tell you why." I continued. "Because, that other night when you gave me that tour? Yeah? It was so boring that I stopped listening after about the twentieth time you said the words 'fascinating, spectacular, and wondrous sight' in under a minute. And by the lake? I swear I was trying to pay attention to you but after awhile I just kind of zoned out! And the next thing I knew you were, like, attacking me with your mouth! Talk about a violation! I almost had a heart attack! Don't worry, though. I'm sure someone, anyone, will find you interesting and all that, but not me. Honestly, you kind of freaked me out." I stopped for a few seconds to catch my breath. "And who said you could kiss me?! You didn't even ask! I mean, I know guys have this whole thing where they're totally oblivious to how the opposite sex thinks but do you people really know nothing?!"
He opened his mouth again, but I lifted my hand once more. "And to top it off, I don't know a thing about Transfiguration because, oops, Hogwarts is further ahead than I was at Durmstrang. And my dad… I… And my only friend right now is stuck in the hospital wing, so I have no one to talk to!" I cupped my hands over my nose and mouth suddenly, a small force shuddering through my body. "ACHOO! ACHOO!"
"Bless you." Justin said quietly a few moments later. I nodded and he asked, "Are you sick? You don't look so good."
Oh, so now I'm ugly. That's real nice. Real way to win me over, Justin. Boys really are stupid. I mean –
Oh…
I shook my head. "Of course not. I'm not sick. I just need to… study."
He nodded and stood up. "Listen, Lucy." He said lowly. "Thanks for being honest. If you ever just want to talk, you know…" He smiled. "See you later."
What? What?! NO! You're supposed to be angry! You're supposed to be furious that I said all those horrible things about you! What is your problem?!
I watched him turn and walk around a bookshelf, out of sight. My mouth was hanging open and I shook my head suddenly. Letting out a low groan, I stomped my feet on the floor and banged my head on the table a few times.
"Miss Malfoy." I heard a tight voice say. Looking up, I saw Madam Pince standing over me with a scowl on her face. "This is a library. I'd advise you to follow the rules or remove yourself. There are students trying to study in here. Is that understood?"
I nodded quickly. "Right. Sorry." I rolled my eyes behind her back when she turned and left.
Quickly shoving my books in my bag, I stood up, only then remembering that my hair was still down, falling on my shoulders and whatnot. "Crap." I mumbled after having a quick look around for my hair-tie. Where did I put it…? Oh, whatever. I ran my fingers through my hair hastily, making only a small note that it was actually nice and soft for once. (Score one for Lucinda! YES!)
Now, where should I be right now?
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"Margie!" I practically screamed once I rounded the corner towards the dungeons. "What in Merlin's name are you doing out of the hospital wing? Has Madam Pomfrey finally gone mad with all those potions near her?! She just let you go?! Speak to me you stupid girl! Are you well or not?! Should I get a hot towel? You look a little swollen."
Marge frowned, a sudden change from the small smile she had been wearing on her face. "I look swollen?" She whispered. "Are you serious?"
"No." I shook my head. "So, Pomfrey really let you go? When? This morning? I didn't see you in the dorm last night, did I?"
"Um, no." She laughed. "Not unless you're hallucinating. And yes, Madam Pomfrey finally let me go. She says I'm not entirely well, so I still have to take a few little –" She stopped talking and rolled her eyes after taking a glance in my direction.
I was looking up at the ceiling, my mouth open a little as I twirled around slowly. "Yeah, okay." I nodded towards her. "So, this is potions? How does this class go? Is he crazy like Trelawney? Strict like McGonagall? Boring like Binns?"
"More like, heading this way, so be quiet." She hissed out of the corner of her mouth.
I turned around briefly, to see a tall, greasy-haired man walking towards the group of student down the corridor. I whirled around, gaping at Margaret. "Marge! I know him! Do you know who that is?!"
She nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. He's only been my potions teacher for the past four years."
"No!" I hissed. "That's, that's… Mr. Snape!"
"That's Professor Snape," I heard an icy voice behind me. "And you are?"
I turned around, looking up at my potions professor. "Oh, sorry, sir. I'm Lucy – Lucinda – Malfoy."
He stared at me blankly for a few seconds before blinked and nodding curtly. "Class has begun." He said to Marge and the others behind me. "You're all late. Five points each from Hufflepuff."
"Nice going, Luce." Margie grumbled to me as we followed the crowd of students into the classroom. "I thought you'd know, you know. I mean, we Hufflepuffs like to keep a low profile. Snape hates us almost as much as the Gryffindors, I swear."
"Sorry." I mumbled, taking a seat next to her at the front.
"Do you know who he is?" I whispered to Margie twenty minutes later as we took notes from the board.
"Don't speak in here…" She warned under her breath.
I opened my mouth to tell her what I had planned on saying ever since I'd seen his black robes coming down the hall.
He's my dad's friend, that's what he is. And he teaches here?! How did I not know this?!
"Begin your potions." Professor Snape's voice came from the other side of the room. "You have thirty minutes."
"This is too weird." I said to Margie a few moments later. "I mean, he's, like, changed my diapers."
"First of all: ew." Marge said lowly. "And second: I doubt that. I mean, Snape? Change diapers? You're kidding, right?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. My memories from my infantile days are a little hazy, you understand. But still. You know what I mean." I paused. "Do either of your parents have any brothers?"
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, actually. Both of my parents are –"
"Shut up." I told her. "My example won't work if your parents are both only children." I paused. "Okay, can you imagine that your, say, father has a brother?"
"Depends." She shrugged as she looked over our ingredients on the table, making sure we had everything we needed. "Do I have to imagine children?"
"No." I chuckled. "That would be mad funny, though! I mean, ahem. Anyway. Imagine that you have an uncle. Now imagine that he came to Hogwarts, and taught a class here. It's pretty much like that."
"That would be cool." She grinned. "Don't look at me like that. It would be cool because you forgot another little detail."
"What's that?"
"You forgot to tell me to imagine that this 'uncle' of mine was Snape."
I smirked. "Is he really that bad? I mean, I'm not saying he's nice or anything, believe me. But whenever he would eat at our house or whatever, he wasn't openly rude." I shrugged. "He mostly just shut up. He only ever really talked to my dad or me."
"You?" She snickered. "Why you?"
I shrugged. "You have to understand that this was back when I was, what, ten-years-old? He had to put up with me. I wouldn't shut up. Plus, I thought it was kinda cool that he didn't have any kids. I used to follow him around when I was, like, four."
"You're so weird." She scrunched up her nose. "That's the saddest, most disgusting thing I have ever heard."
"Shut up!" I laughed. "If it's any constellation, I didn't know any better, okay?"
"Consolation." She corrected me. "And that's true. But, no, it's not."
"Shut up, Marge."
"You brought it up, Lucy. I mean, I could have lived the whole rest of my life without hearing any of that. Especially the following-him-around bit."
"Yes, well." I rolled my eyes. "You don't see me criticizing your choice in friends."
"Oh, so now you're friends?"
"I'm going to strangle you within an inch of your life." I growled.
"Looking forward to it." She smiled. "Oh, and just so we're clear? I refused to discuss any of your family stuff with Ginny and Harry when they came to see me in the hospital wing the other night."
"Really?"
"Really."
I grinned and nudged Marge with my elbow. "Thanks, Marge. That was real nice of you."
She nodded as she mixed something into my cauldron for me (oh, was that my job? Oops.). "Sure, whatever. You know, you're not as annoying as I thought you would be."
Gee, thanks.
"Really?" I said in a flighty way. "Because you're not as tactful as I thought you would be."
"Heh. Shut up." She laughed. "You know what I meant."
"Yeah." I shrugged.
I know what you meant, Marge.
::AN:: Sorry for the sort-of long delay! I hope you all like this chapter! Please review!