Chapter 38- Good Intentions

-

It was much more interesting to speculate about the new professor than to read about runes. Luna wasn't the only one who felt that way. She saw most of her classmates sneaking covert and not so secret glances at the man who looked more like a pirate than an educator. When a folded piece of parchment landed on her desk, she looked around and then unfolded the note.

Her muffled laugh echoed in the eerie silence of the classroom. That was not a good sign. With foreboding, Luna looked up, into the face of her new teacher. She hadn't noticed him moving away from his desk, toward her.

The captain—er—professor plucked the note from her hand. "Really, Miss Lovegood, passing notes in class. I am shocked. My predecessor wrote only praise for your exemplary conduct in his notes." He continued smoothly, "I'm afraid I'll have to read this aloud, to discourage such behaviour in the future."

The man deftly opened the parchment she had re-folded with his hook. Luna could almost see the words as he spoke.

Hey Lindy, I saw you jump when the captain whipped out his hook. Are you wondering if he's going to become a nutty professor like Smalley and gut somebody with it? I dare you to ask him how he got it, if you're not too afraid that you'll be the first victim. Muahahaha…Mindy

By the end, his voice had changed from mocking to musing. Crystalline blue eyes studied her inscrutably before prompting, "Is there something you'd like to ask me, Miss Lovegood?"

She asked calmly, "How did you lose your hand?"

Professor Hook smoothed his eyebrow with the gleaming curve of steel. "A youthful escapade while I was a curse-breaker with Gringotts." His lean features tightened, even while he said in a genial manner, "Now, if curiosity is appeased, perhaps you or someone else in class could tell me exactly why Professor Smalley was referred to as a 'nutty professor.'"

Almost every hand raised in eagerness to share the details of the late professor's last day in class. Smalley's unkempt appearance, smell of firewhisky, and disturbing, rambling speeches given while the man divined his own future was told. Hook appeared mildly interested, but Luna noticed that his clenched fist was at odds with the amiable demeanour.

Bindy raised her hand. "Professor Hook?"

"Yes, m'dear?"

"What did the runes Professor Smalley chose really mean?"

A strange expression crossed the wizard's face. He strolled over to the desk and picked up the white cloth that had covered the mirror, snapping it out onto the floor. He said while snagging a bag of runes out of a drawer with his hook, "He used the Roman method, three runes, foretelling past, present, and future."

In a startling move, the man tossed up the bag and slit it open with the curving steel. The runes clattered onto the cloth. Motioning with his hand for a wide-eyed girl in the front row to come forward, he instructed, "Pick out the runes and hand them to me in the same order Smalley received them."

The girl bent down and picked up the same trio of runes that their late professor carved himself for his final divination. Luna watched her, feeling sad that a man who chose to end his life had used apple wood, a symbol of choice.

Hook glanced down at the rune placed on his palm. "Puriaz, the obstacle rune, perhaps symbolising a problem from the past affecting the present." He considered the next rune before declaring, "Raioo, for journeys, spiritual and corporeal…also associated with the Norns, and their threads of fate."

The last rune looked rough and crude held next to velvet teaching robes. Lifting it to eye level, Hook's brow creased. "Uruz, the death rune. I think the meaning is self-evident, Miss Brocklehurst." He said levelly, "Professor Smalley was confronted with an obstacle that he couldn't overcome and so chose to end his journey."

Abruptly, the man gestured with his steel appendage toward the door. "This has been a memorable first class. You are dismissed."

Luna stuffed her text into the carryall, preparing to leave.

"Miss Lovegood."

"Yes, sir?"

"You were such an excellent guide, I wonder if I might make use of your services again."

That silky tone of his might work on other females, but she had a pirate of her own, and he could give the teacher a few lessons in charm. Curious, she nodded serenely.

His lips twitched. "Excellent. I'd like to visit the dungeons."

Her three roommates were waiting outside. She told them, "Professor Hook wants a guide to the dungeons."

Mindy asked, "May we accompany you too, Professor?"

The man gave an airy wave. "By all means, lead on."

The walk to the dungeon corridor took little time. Luna didn't think Hook actually needed a guide. She wondered what his true motive for wanting accompaniment was. When they reached the stairway leading to the underground corridor, the man thanked them. Descending a few steps, he paused and half-turned. "One last thing, ladies. Which dungeon is Professor Lorelei's classroom?"

Bindy said, "Dungeon five."

"Again, my thanks…good day..."

Luna watched him walk out of sight.

Mindy said, "I wonder what Captain Hook wants with Lorelei."

"We could find out," said Bindy. She brought a pair of extendable ears out of her pocket. "I got these for Neville over holiday, but when we met in the greenhouse yesterday our Passionata Fruit Tree didn't look very healthy, so we…uhm…encouraged it to grow and I forgot to give them to him."

The girls snickered over their friend's euphemism for snogging as they headed down the stairs. At the bottom, they quietly made their way to dungeon five. Bindy and Luna took the first turn, each listening to the end of an extendable ear placed underneath the massive door.

Lorelei was speaking.

"I'm afraid I didn't know Stuart all that well," she said. "We were friendly acquaintances and colleagues more than anything else."

A long pause made the eavesdroppers' eyes meet in silent question. What was going on in there?

Hook spoke. The low, menacing tone made Luna's eyebrows rise.

"Really? Professor Smalley wrote about you at great length in his journal…but that wasn't my question. I asked what you knew about Stuart's last day. Is there some reason you don't want to answer?"

"Is there a reason you're asking? If it's morbid curiosity, I find that distasteful, and frankly none of your business."

Luna had never heard the potions professor sound so—Snape—before.

The cool disdain in her voice made the new Runes teacher laugh shortly. "Stuart Smalley was a fellow Ravenclaw, and my roommate for seven years. The man could have been a Slytherin, with his desire for fame. I find the story that he killed himself without achieving his life's goal very hard to believe."

Bindy and Luna stared at each other in shock. Behind them, Mindy and Cindy were craning their necks trying to hear as well.

The girls jumped when an icy voice demanded, "Explain yourselves."

Bindy placed the extendable ears in Professor Snape's outstretched palm. "We were curious to know why Professor Hook wanted to talk to Lorelei, so…."

The man's ferocious scowl made the girl stop mid-explanation. He pointed to Luna. "Tell me what you heard. Be concise."

"Hook and Smalley were in Ravenclaw together. He's asking Lorelei what she knows about the professor's last day."

"Very well. Move along."

The girls silently backed away from the door and headed for the stairs. Luna couldn't help dragging her feet.

She heard Snape drawl before the door to the dungeon chamber closed, "Professor Lorelei, I require your assistance."

Luna hurried to catch her friends. Thank Merlin the next class was History of Magic and Binns never gave detention for tardiness.

They walked in while the ghostly professor was asking, "In 1492, which wizard conjured the winds that enabled Columbus to sail the ocean blue? Anyone? Anyone?"

After class, she raced toward the side entrance. Wesley had Care of Magical Creatures next. When Luna him strolling toward her with Terry, she waved.

His dimples deepened. "Bella Luna, you look bursting to tell me something."

She quickly recounted the recent events. "Should I owl my father, ask him if the paper has any information on James Hook?"

A piratical gleam lit bright blue eyes. "Do you want to?"

"Yes."

Wesley grinned. "Then anchors away, Buttercup."

-

-

As Ginny left Arithmancy class with Colin, she shifted her schoolbag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder. She listened with amusement to her friend's rant against sadistic professors who punished students for having a holiday by assigning loads of homework when they returned.

Today, classes seemed to pass with agonising slowness. She tried to focus on schoolwork, but that backfired. When Ginny completed assignments early, the only thing left to do was to sit and watch the clock. Tick-Tick-Tick was a very irritating sound.

"Hey Weasley, Creevey, wait up!"

Moving to the side of the corridor to allow Blaise to catch up to them, she watched the girl push through the crowd heading toward the Great Hall for lunch.

Blaise was scowling when she reached them. "Being scandalous sucks!"

There was a small mark low on the other girl's neck. In an unconscious imitation of her mother, Ginny briskly buttoned up her friend's blouse and pulled up the tie. Nodding just like Molly, she smirked like Malfoy. "So we see. Been meeting Terry have you?"

"Yeah."

Colin grinned. "Do something about those stars in your eyes. They're blinding me."

"What's blinding you?" Mindy asked, walking up to her boyfriend.

He seemed amused by her narrowed eyes. "The stars in Blaise's eyes. It was a joke."

Mindy's smile was tight. "Oh, well, are you ready to go to the Hall, honey?"

Pale blond brows rose at the endearment. Lips twitching, Colin said, "Sure thing…honey. Let's go."

Ginny said when the pair strolled off, "That girl's going to hex your arse one day."

Indignantly, Blaise protested, "For what, being friendly?"

"Uh huh."

"If she tries, she'll regret it," Blaise promised. "I don't like that witch."

Ginny nodded understandingly. She wasn't a big fan of MacDougal's sharp tongue either.

When they reached the Great Hall, Blaise waved goodbye and moved toward the Slytherin table. Ginny headed for Gryffindor, after a surreptitious glance at Draco. He made their secret hand sign and smirked when she returned it.

She ate lunch, quietly listening to the conversations of those around her. Not everyone at her table was consumed with curiosity about what exactly Zabini had done with Malfoy, Boot, and Roberts. Most people still cared about Quidditch and doing well in school…but some had one-track minds.

She heard her roommate Isabel say, "Did you hear what Ashley Greengrass heard from Pansy Parkinson?"

Grace giggled. "No, but if it was anything like what Mary-Kate told everyone in Divination, I want to be Malfoy's love slave more than ever!"

Ginny's hand unconsciously gripped her knife in a threatening manner. She wished that she could be a shrew, like Kate and say My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart, concealing it, will break: and rather than it shall, I will be free, even to the uttermost, as I please, in words

She blinked when Colin said, "Are you okay? You look…scary." He laughed nervously. "Not planning on using that sharp, pointed object on something besides food, are you?"

Ginny released her white-knuckled hold on the knife. "I don't have to. Grace and Isabel are breaking their promise."

Colin followed her gaze. "What are you—Mother of Merlin! What's happening to those girls?"

Her roommates were crying, running disbelieving fingers over the purple pustules that had appeared on their faces, spelling out the word 'gossip' from one cheek to the other. The Gryffindor Table erupted into startled laughter.

The girls were sitting on the same side as Ginny, so Draco got a good look at the disfiguring charm too. His face lit up with an admiring smile that made her hot Weasley temper cool. Blaise gave her thumbs up, giggling madly.

Hermione frowned. "I wonder who gave them that hex?"

The pustule-ridden girls jumped up and ran toward the staff table. McGonagall rose from her seat to listen to their snivelling. Resigned to the inevitable, Ginny start to push off the bench even before her Head of House commanded, "Ginny Weasley, come forward at once!"

"These girls inform me that you are responsible for their condition. Is this true?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes."

The professor said sternly, "While gossiping is truly a deplorable habit, it is not your place to correct fellow students, Miss Weasley. You will be spending detention with Mr. Filch this evening." She turned to the distraught girls. "Run along to the hospital wing, and learn your lesson about the perils of gossip."

"Yes, ma'am, sorry, ma'am," Grace whispered.

Isabel whimpered. "Yes, I will, Professor McGonagall."

The girls rushed out of the chamber. Ginny turned to head back to her seat.

"I'm afraid that your attitude leaves much to be desired," the professor said sternly. "Since you failed to apologise, you must leave the hall. Report to Filch for instructions on the detention that will start immediately after your final class. Go."

When Ginny stopped for a moment to pick up her carryall, Ron said disbelievingly, "You did that, Ginny?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh." A corner of his mouth turned up. "Good one."

Ginny smiled. "Thanks." His answering grin lifted her spirits almost as much as seeing Draco's half-smile out of the corner of her eye. Leaving the Hall, there was a spring in her step.

That bounce was long gone when she stood outside Filch's office. The Squib loathed students almost as much as he hated adult wizards and witches. Magic envy was an ugly thing.

The door opened abruptly. The stoop-shouldered man who seemed to personify the word 'gray' snarled, "What do you want?"

She said simply, "McGonagall sent me. I'm supposed to have detention with you after school."

Waving her inside, he said, "That's some nerve, not even asking if I was agreeable. Go sit." There were two chairs in front of a battered old desk. She moved toward the upholstered one. Filch barked, "Not in Mrs. Norris' chair!"

He shut the door with a snap. "Another Weasley in detention. Should I do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

The man's rasping tone woke the cat napping before the sullen fire. With a meow that made the hairs on the back of Ginny's nape stand up, the feline stretched and looked at her with eyes that seemed to cross and uncross. Crooked tail twitching, Mrs. Norris stalked toward the girl.

Filch scratched the large bald spot on top of his head. "I'll let Mrs. Norris decide. What should I do, my precious?"

Ginny had heard stories about this feline. Ron always swore that an evil spirit possessed her. Her other brothers and Harry had said the cat had an uncanny ability to sense what the caretaker called 'wrongdoers.'

Mrs. Norris twined around her ankles and then leapt into her lap. The animal had such interesting eyes. The feline stretched up, putting small paws on her shoulders and intent shining orbs at a level with Ginny's. The oddest notion popped into mind. Was Mrs. Norris an Animagus? She stared in shock when one slit-pupil eye closed and opened again. Merlin, had the cat winked at her?

Purring filled the room. Filch frowned jealously and snatched his…pet…off Ginny's lap. He cradled Mrs. Norris in his arms, muttering, "Aw, I wanted those trophies polished by hand again. What am I going to do with the little witch now?"

The feline yowled, looking up. The craggy face softened disturbingly before becoming hard again. "Mrs. Norris says if you don't want to polish trophies, girl, think of something else I'd like better."

Draco had complained that Pansy kept pestering him to have a snack in the kitchens after curfew. Ginny said, "I could help you catch a couple of wrongdoers."

Purring sounded again inside the dim, cold office. After looking down indulgently, Filch did something Ginny knew would give her nightmares.

He smiled.

-

-

Blaise was getting tired of making do with hasty, stolen moments with Terry. Since they had returned from holiday almost a week ago, he had been restricted to his House outside class, meals, and a few supervised outings with the Quidditch team.

If she couldn't talk to him for hours every night via Melusine Mirror, she would've gone mental. No holding hands in the corridors, no chats or snogs between classes that weren't hidden and hurried, no hanging out together in the library or on the grounds. No wonder Draco got shirty over having to sneak around with Ginny. It was frustrating as hell!

Slumped over her desk in Muggle Studies, she rolled her eyes when Professor Hands clapped his hands for attention. "Today, Mr. Creevey will sing an old song enjoying a new popularity on the Muggle charts thanks to an artist by the name of Sir Cliff Richard. Give a nice round of applause to your classmate, students."

Always enthusiastic about hearing an alternative to Hands' prosing, every student clapped. Colin strolled to the front of the room, sat on a stool and strummed a few chords on his guitar. The boy sang, "Dream...dream, dream, dream..."

Struck by the pure clarity of the boy's voice, she enjoyed the slightly angst-y song until she heard the words 'when I feel blue, in the night.' Blaise didn't want to dream her life away, she wanted to be with Terry!

Both Luna and Ginny turned to look at her sympathetically. Creevey was looking uncomfortable. Blaise kept hoping he would stop singing, say, his voice was strained, that he felt sick, anything. He kept on playing. The words were tearing her up inside. The girl's breath started to hitch. She blinked her eyes furiously.

After the song, focusing on her work helped Blaise keep it together for the rest of class. When class dismissed, she slung her carryall over a shoulder and rushed out the door.

"Blaise, wait!"

She shook her head, refusing to turn or halt. Colin's footsteps quickened. Hers did too. The Gryffindor kept following. Hurt turned to anger. Nearing the statue of Bertha the Behemoth, the girl darted behind it. When the boy followed her, she swung her carryall with all her strength.

"Damn! Oh gods that hurt!"

Blaise had knocked Creevey into the back wall. His schoolbag spilled out onto the ground while he wrapped his arms protectively over his bruised chest. "I think you broke a bloody rib!"

She grabbed his robes, hauled him up from the floor, and shoved him against the wall. "Good. I want you to hurt like you hurt me, Colin!" Her face crumpled. "I thought you liked me. I thought we were friends." Voice thick with tears, she demanded, "How could you sing that song, knowing how it would make me feel?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise until halfway through, and then…I needed the extra credit."

His misery-filled eyes didn't appease her. "Draco taught me Muggle-duelling. I could kick your arse."

"Do it."

She shook her head, tears rolling down her face. "It won't make me feel better. Nothing's going to make me feel better." His arms wrapped around her. After half-heartedly muttering, "Get away from me," she allowed him to hold her while she cried.

Colin whispered huskily, "I'm sorry, Blaise. I'm really, really sorry."

She gained control of her emotions and wiped her face with the handkerchief he offered. Feeling numb, she picked up her bag. "I've got Potions next. Snape's probably going to give me detention for being late. Bye."

"Forgive me?"

"Yeah, but if you do it again, I really am going to kick your arse."

Looking relieved, Colin said, "Fair enough." When she turned to leave, he called, "Wait a minute. I want to make it up to you."

"How?"

Smiling, the boy told her his scheme.

-

Blaise entered the dungeon classroom fifteen minutes late. She expected to be blasted with sarcasm the moment Professor Snape saw her. Instead, he looked into her eyes and then merely told her to take her seat. Perhaps today's class being only Slytherin made all the difference.

Draco gave her a 'what have you been up to' look. She mouthed, 'later.' He shrugged and turned back to chopping an ingredient for his potion. Fiona said, "I prepped the ingredients for you. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Blaise scanned the directions on the blackboard and began to catch up to the rest of the class. Toward the end of the period, her Inflamarae potion was giving off bright sparks and a sulphurous odour the same as the other successful ones. About to fill a special flameproof flagon, Blaise looked up when Pansy called her name.

Smiling maliciously, girl waved her wand. "Flipendo!"

Blaise's cauldron received a magical push, toppling the contents onto the floor. The fluid burst into flames. Classmates yelled and backed away from the growing inferno.

Snape quickly extinguished the liquid fire. He gritted, "How did this come to pass?"

Several fingers pointed to Pansy. The girl shrugged. "It was an accident."

Stygian dark eyes looked into muddy brown and then narrowed. "Was it, Miss Parkinson? Report for detention after dinner. I have several specimen jars in need of freshening."

"Yes, Professor Snape."

The man instructed the rest of the class to finish their assignments. He told Blaise, "You will receive credit, Miss Zabini. Your solution was proved effective most demonstrably."

She smiled in relief. "Thank you, sir."

Fiona smiled too, but Pansy continued to glare. When Snape walked away, Blaise held up two fingers in a V at the scowling girl. It wasn't the peace sign.

After dinner, Blaise rushed back to her dorm room to change. She fastened her school robes and hustled downstairs, brushing past her friends with 'tell you all about it later!' In the outer corridor, Blaise turned and headed for a certain side door at a particular side of the castle.

Colin was waiting for her outside. He smiled with anticipation, hefting his guitar. "Let's get this serenade started."

They walked until they were beneath Terry's dorm window. Blaise pointed her wand at a few small pebbles on the ground. "Iacio!" Immediately, the little rocks magically hurled up to clatter against the windowpane.

She took off her robes, smirking when Creevey wolf-whistled at the sight of the red dress she had worn to the Valentine's dance. A warming charm kept the breeze swirling her short skirt from feeling chilly. When the window opened and Terry leaned out, she engaged an Emineo voice projection charm. "Grab your omnioculars, baby."

Blaise laughed when she heard him yell, "Wesley! Throw me the omnioculars off my desk!"

From her vantage point, she could see her boyfriend's long brown hair, tell that he was holding omnioculars, but she didn't need to see the expression on his face. The only important thing was that he be able to see hers and hear her voice. A golden-blond head appeared in the window beside Terry. Blaise waved at Wesley before looking to see if Colin was ready.

He began to play. This time, the words to All I Have to Do is Dream made her smile when she sang, "I love you so, and that is why..."

The drawback to projection spells was that the sound wasn't confined to one small area. Everyone with an open window heard the song. Soon, spectators craned their necks to watch the serenade.

At the end of the song, Colin bowed to the cheering audience. "Thank you, thank you, I'm available for parties!"

Blaise hurriedly threw on her robes. "C'mon, let's get out of here before we get detention." She blew Terry a kiss and ran for the side entrance.

Near Slytherin House, she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. "You more than made it up to me," she said. "Gracias."

Colin grinned as he answered, "De nada."

-

-

Draco was trying to be good, and it was putting him in a bad mood. Ever since they had returned from holiday, he had slipped just once in his resolve not provoke Potty and Weasel.

Ginny's family and friends were going to find out about them sooner or later, so if he could just keep from taunting and deriding Gryffindors, maybe his civil behaviour would temper the mutual loathing into a dislike everyone could live with.

If only resolutions were not so bloody hard to keep!

He strode toward an enclosure with the rest of the doubled Care of Magical Creatures class, his eyes flickering toward the sound of Potter laughing over something his new girlfriend said. Blaise had told him Morrigan was revoltingly infatuated with The-Boy-Who-Lived. Draco smirked, thinking the couple was scar head meets crazy in the head. Loco en la cabeza probably described his restraint, too, but he was determined to keep his tongue between his teeth.

"Alright, Alright, less talkin' if you please. Gather round, now, gather round."

Draco let the rest of the class crowd up to the fence, choosing to observe at the back with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Weasley called out, "What's the matter, Malfoy? Afraid a monster's going to get you?"

Merlin, it was hard to pretend the prat hadn't said anything, to keep from saying, 'Like what, one of your giant spiders?' Beside him, the boys started cracking their knuckles in preparation for teaching Weasel some manners. A look from him caused them to cease, although the two sulked as if he had denied them a sweet.

"That's enough, Ron. There'll be no more talk of monsters in my class." The half-giant's stern expression relaxed. "Now, then, onto today's lesson. I had ter return the jabberwocky we studied before holiday ter the mimsy troves. While I was doin' tha', however, I came across a truly remarkable find."

He opened the top of the heavy iron cage, reached in and drew out a writhing, snake-like creature. Three sets of long claws clenched and unclenched in an attempt to rip and shred. Lifting the wide mouthed, sharp-toothed reptilian thing into the air, Hagrid asked, "Anyone wantin' ter take a guess what Billy here is?"

Strange noises came from the creature. Blaise raised her hand. "That sounded like whiffles and burbles. Is that thing a fruminous bandersnatch?"

"Ten points ter Slytherin. Well done, Miss Zabini."

Draco said, "T'was brillig, Blaise, just brillig."

Crabb and Goyle began to snicker. They didn't recognise the phrase from Muggle writer Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky,' but heard his dryly humorous tone and reacted automatically. A half-smile remained on Draco's face throughout the lesson on how to differentiate between the fruminous and venomous bandersnatches.

He almost demanded to know why, if the blasted things lived in the middle of the forest, and students were prohibited from rambling through it, did they need to know how to tell which bloody bandersnatch was poisonous. Resolve in mind, he didn't say a word.

Blaise nudged his arm with hers. "You are the sultan of self-control, the raja of restraint, the…."

"Zip it, Zabini."

Her humorous flattery made him feel better. Somebody realised how much effort it took to keep the peace, damn it. At the end of class, when Potter swaggered inside the fence to ask the creature a few questions in parseltongue and translate the answers, so many derogatory remarks came to mind, it almost hurt to remain silent.

Draco gritted his teeth, concentrating on a happy thought—Ginny, on the hammock in Spain, wearing a leopard print bikini. The distraction worked, and definitely improved his frame of mind.

-

Over the next few days, he began to document certain instances in a journal to prove his strength of character for posterity.

-

Weasley bumped my arm reaching for the same jar of rat spleens in the student cupboard during potions this afternoon. After blurting an expletive and insisting, he'd 'seen the jar first' the cretin waited for me to retaliate. I merely shrugged and took Goyle's jar.

-

The Slytherin Quiddich team had practice after Gryffindor today. Arriving early to watch the other team practice and 'know thy enemy' as Father always said, I sat in the stands and counted the number of errors Potter and Weasley made. They were numerous. Temptation to use the Sonorus Charm and helpfully point them out was great, but since Ginny flew by and smiled, I found the willpower to resist.

-

After a week of refusing to take any of the many opportunities to put the dynamic duo in their places, Potty had the gall to place his hand on my arm and demand to know 'what I was up to.' Wonder Boy accused me of hiding some dire plot with false composure. His sidekick, eloquent as ever, said 'Yeah!' My smile of honest amusement caused the pair to jump back and threaten me with their wands. Thankfully, Professor Snape appeared behind them and sent the two on their nervous way. Later in the library, Ginny pressed kisses to every inch of my face in admiration of my poise.

-

The memory of virtuous actions rewarded with kisses made Draco smile in DADA. Hearing Weasel mutter, "Malfoy's smiling that creepy smile again. He's got to be up to something," made it vanish. The dark urges he had been fighting all week returned full force. Why couldn't Weasley be thankful his enemy was ignoring him? Why did he have to comment on it all the time? Stinging remarks made Draco long to remove the stinger with a hex.

"Good afternoon, class. One of the precepts of defensive magical theory is to expect the unexpected. In real life, a Dark wizard doesn't waltz up, politely inform you he's about to hex, and then whips out his wand." Laughter greeted Professor Tonks' speech. She held up her hand for silence and continued, "In order to get a feel for what a real encounter might be like, we'll be dividing into two groups. Each person will be designated either a Light or Dark wizard or witch. In your assigned role, you will jinx, counter jinx, hex, and use defensive spells on your 'enemies.'"

White-blond eyebrows rose. This was interesting—much better than the usual 'this is a nasty creature, here's how to defeat it if you ever run into one' lesson. Draco gaped in disbelief after the teacher divided them into groups.

"Professor," Granger said, in that annoying tone of hers.

"Yes?"

"Malfoy should be in the other group."

The woman's dark eyes twinkled. "Should he? Well, today he's in your group, so make the best of it."

Tonks was rather attractive today. Usually, Draco he didn't care for the professor's chameleon-like appearance, but platinum hair was quite striking. The news that he would be part of the goody-goody group was not so pleasant.

"Looks like I'll be on the losing team now that you've gone to Light side. Let's make a pact not to hex each other, okay, mate?" Blaise grumbled.

He said in an undertone, "If I'm ever blocking your shot of you-know-who or his pals, just cough, and I'll step out of the way."

Blaise winked and strolled over to the rest of the 'Dark side' group. "All right, gather round, people. We've got five minutes to plan some strategy."

In the 'Light side' huddle, Potter was droning on about 'double-teaming' the better opponents first and dealing with the weaker spell casters afterwards. The plan was almost Slytherin in cunning. Draco frowned.

Granger saw his expression and demanded, "You will remember not to hex your side, won't you?"

Thankfully, Tonks called for the class to line up and follow her into a nearby, empty classroom before he could say something cutting. Inside, the 'Dark wizards' immediately clustered together in the middle of the space. When the professor said, "Begin," his group broke into pairs and headed for their targets…who were flanked by two other classmates.

Cries of 'Stupefy', 'Protego', 'Tarantallegra', and 'Rictusempra' filled the air. Neither side appeared to be gaining advantage until Potter took out Crabbe and Goyle with 'Everte Statum'. The two sent flying were knocked out cold. That left Parkinson without cover. Granger, who had trip-jinxed Bulstrode, whirled around and placed a 'Tremo' hex on the pug-faced girl. Fine trembles intensified into violent shudders that made Parkinson collapse.

A few on Draco's side were taken out, but many more on the Dark side were eliminated from the 'role play exercise.' A coughing sound reminded Draco of his promise. He stepped aside.

Instantly, Weasley grabbed his ears with both hands. "Aaahhh…the Twitchy Ears Hex…it hurts like bloody hell!"

"Oh, fine, stop whimpering. Finite Incantatem, then." Blaise ended her hex, but thankfully retained enough Slytherin sense to use a body-bind curse to immobilise Weasley.

While she took out Mr. Freckles, the boy's bushy headed girlfriend yelled, "Confundus!"

At once, Blaise became confused. "What am I doing here? Where's Terry?" She smiled at Weasley. "I like you." Catching sight of Potter, she frowned. "I don't like you at all. I wonder why not?"

Draco noticed Potter smirking at him, green eyes focusing past his shoulder.

"Locomotor Mortis!" someone cried.

It was Nott, the last of the 'Dark wizards.' Draco's legs became stiff and rigid from the leg-locker curse, because Potty had allowed it. Gritting out the counter spell, he turned and blasted his housemate with the Contremiso curse.

"Don't hurt me, I'll throw down my wand, I'll surrender, just don't hurt me!" The paralyzing fear in Nott's voice was exactly the result Lucius had promised would come from the spell.

Potter chuckled. "A Malfoy on the Light side—think your father is rolling over on his cot in Azkaban?"

Draco's pointed his wand before the other boy had finished. "Pulsus!"

Harry-Bloody-Potter reeled back under the onslaught of magical blows. Unfortunately, Professor Tonks rescinded the curse.

Chastised and dismissed, Draco stalked away from the classroom. He didn't want to return to Slytherin House. Instead, he decided to go up to the attics before the evening meal. He sat on the window seat in the medieval solar he had re-created, staring broodingly at a tapestry depicting a maiden with long red braids sitting under a tree with a dragon.

After the sunlight had started to fade, a soft voice said, "I thought I'd find you here. Ron told me what happened in class."

"I'm sure he did." His tone was petulant, but he couldn't help it. All that effort to control his temper, wasted.

Ginny sat beside him on the velvet-covered seat. "You can't pull a fighting ferret's tail and not get bitten."

He grunted. Ha-Ha. She giggled. "A knight who double-crosses a dragon gets singed."

Draco's lips twitched. In a sudden move, he pulled her onto his lap. "A beautiful maiden that braves a dragon's lair, what does she get?"

Soft brown eyes issued an invitation. "Kisses."

A rumble of laughter escaped him before her lips met his and he accepted her invitation with pleasure.

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A/N: Poor Malfoy, such good intentions... Yay for everyone liking 'Captain Hook' joining the Hogwarts Crew! In 1994, the newly 'Sir' Cliff Richard sang a duet with Phil Everly of the classic 'All I Have to Do is Dream' that went to number 14 on the UK charts. What goes around comes around in more than a Justin Timberlake song, heh. Next chap, the first of the fireworks gets launched. Can't say what shape it's going to take, but I can tell you the colour is red!(cues Empire's Theme music…yanks off Darth Vader helmet…Sheesh…just like Dark Helmet in Spaceballs, I can't breathe in that thing:D)