Both Draco and Rhiannon stood in front of Professor McGonagle's desk, their head down, and sheepish looks on their faces. McGonagle paced behind her desk, watching them with her harsh gaze. Finally she spoke.
"Would either of you care to explain what in the name of Merlin you were doing out there? No? It might be a good thing to try and do so. You're both getting detention, but a story might make this seem rather funny, and give us all a good laugh," she stated sarcastically.
"You will both report to the kitchen after dinner and assist the house elves with clean up. Neither shall be permitted to leave the kitchen until a house elf says that you are to."
"But Professor," Draco started.
"No 'buts' about it Malfoy. I also want a three foot report on the different colors of candles and what each color is used for. As well, before going down to the kitchen to serve your detentions, you will both apologize to the school for that outrageous display. Do I have to tell you both that you should no better, especially you Miss Brandy?"
Both shook their heads, and replied at the same time, "no Professor."
"Fine then. Report back to the Slytherin common room where you will remain until dinner. You are dismissed." And with that, Professor McGonagle turned her back and marched out of the room, leaving Draco and Rhiannon alone once more.
"Well, I guess we should go back," Rhi said. "I want to put on some dry clothes before supper anyway."
"Yeah, me too," Draco agreed.
They started to walk back to the Slytherin common room side-by-side, and Draco slid his hand into Rhiannon's. When she looked up, that typical, cocky, half-smile was on his face. Shaking her head and laughing softly, Rhi continued to walk, but kept her hand in Draco's, gently sliding her thumb over the back of his.
Reaching the portrait hole, Draco spoke the password and the both entered, finally separating to go to their separate dormitories.
Rhiannon climbed the stairs to her dorm and when she pushed open the door, she found Pansy sitting on her bed, mocking Aponi.
"What do you think you're doing!" she exclaimed and rushed to the aide of her owl.
"Chill out, I'm only having a bit of fun," Pansy said. "Besides, it's just a dumb bird anyway. Oh, and one more thing," she stretched and reached over to Rhi's bedside table, scooping up the black onyx earrings that sat on it.
"I'm keeping these," she said negligently. "And remember that each time you sit by Draco, talk to him, or even look at him in a way that I don't like, I'll take something else. Understand? Draco belongs to me. So if you like your stuff, just keep off him." She smiled sweetly and slid of Rhi's bed, and when she tried to leave the room with Rhiannon's earrings clutched tightly in her hand, Rhi blocked the doorway.
"Move," Pansy sneered.
"Give me my earrings," Rhi countered.
"You can have them back once Draco loses interest in bouncing the new girl. Until then, they're mine."
"I sai," Rhi stopped suddenly. "Do you have your wand Pansy?"
"No, it's over in my drawer, why?"
"Well, because since I'm already in trouble, I feel that I might as well make this detention worth it."
Before Pansy could ask what she was talking about, Rhi tossed her own wand onto her bed and tackled Pansy. The force with which Rhi hit her had Pansy falling backwards into the stairwell. Pansy screeched like Rhi thought a Cornish Pixie might if you stepped on it, and tried to claw Rhi's face.
Rhiannon shoved Pansy's claw-like hands out of her face and planted one well-aimed fist right in the middle of Pansy's pudgy face.
Pansy screamed and the two of them began to roll towards the stairs, Pansy clawing and pulling hair, Rhiannon pulling back and delivering another punch.
They tumbled down the hard stone staircase. Rhi first noticed that they were not longer on level ground when her hip bone connected solidly with the tread of a stair on the way down. Pansy got the next tread in her ribs, then rolled again so that Rhi's head cracked solidly on the cold stone floor of the common room.
Both scrambled quickly to her feet and just before they were about to clash again, Draco's strong arms wrapped themselves around Rhiannon's waist and hauled her away, just as Flint dragged Pansy away.
As she was being pulled to the other side of the room, Rhiannon opened her tightly curled fist and saw her earrings clasped tightly in her hand. Yep, she thought. Hanging out with that squib pick-pocket sure proved rewarding, and with that, she stuffed the hand-carved hoops into the pocket of her skirt.
Draco dropped Rhi unceremoniously into a chair and looked coldly down at her. "What was that all about?" he questioned her.
Rhiannon looked up at him, wincing at the stinging pain of the claw marks on the side of her face. "I was getting something of mine back from her, because she stole them from me."
"What did she take?"
Rhiannon showed him the earrings and Draco's silvery-blue eyes widened. "Black opals," he murmured. "They magnify and store magical power don't they?"
"Among other things. These were made for me, and she took them. She also told me to back off you. Looks to me like you're a possession Draco."
"Ignore her," he said. "Flint will handle her." Gingerly he touched the lump that was forming on the back of her head from when it connected with the floor. Rhi winced when Draco's fingers brushed lightly over the lump. "Here, let me fix that and then we can go to dinner and get this apology thing over with."
Draco pulled his wand out of his robes and was about to wave it when Rhi stopped him. "No, it's fine," she said. "If anyone asks, I'll just tell them that I fell down or something. It's no big deal Draco. Let's go." And with that, she grabbed his hand and led him through the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall.
Instead of sitting at the Slytherin table, they walked to the front of the room and waited until the rest of the school was seated at the respective tables. Taking a deep breath, Rhi spoke loudly and clearly. "Before the meal is started, Draco and I would like to say that we are sorry for any inconvenience that we have caused today by our childish behavior. We are aware that soon we will be graduated and have to act respectable, and we are also aware that because we are sixth year students, we have to provide a proper example for the students in the years below us." Turning to the Head Table she said, "professors, please accept this apology on behalf of the school." Rhiannon then turned back and walked to the Slytherin table with Draco.
Dumbledore stood and the room fell completely silent. "Rhiannon, Draco," he said softly. "As headmaster of this school, I accept your apology on behalf of everyone present. Please, sit and enjoy your meal." Dumbledore then sat and Rhiannon and Draco took seats that were side-bye-side at their table. Food appeared on their golden plates, and amidst the chatter around them, Rhi and Draco remained silent through out the entire meal.
Upon leaving the Great Hall, they were stopped by a house elf. "Draco Malfoy and Rhiannon Brandy are supposed to follow Peaches," she said in her high pitched voice. Then she turned and started to walk down to the kitchens with boy and girl following. When they arrived, Peaches gave them each an apron and gloves and said, "Draco Malfoy can start scraping plates, while Rhiannon Brandy can start washing them," she said.
Draco picked up the first plate from a stack and make a disgusted face. "This has got to be the worst detention I have ever had to serve," he stated.
Rhi looked at him, already up to her elbows in soapy water. "The sooner we get started, the sooner it's over," she said, and reached for the next plate to scrub clean. Draco started to work on the stacks and stacks of plates, scraping each one, and then placing it by the sink for Rhiannon to wash as house elves scurried around, seeing to Merlin only knew. Finally, when Draco was sure that he would get sick if he had to scrape one more dirty plate, he slid the last one into Rhiannon's sink of soapy water.
The both of them leaned back against the wall, and the little house elf came up to the. "You are done," she said. "Go to bed." And then with a POP, she was gone.
Draco and Rhi took off their gloves and aprons and walked out of the kitchen hand-in-hand.
"So how did you learn to do that," Draco asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Do what," Rhiannon asked grabbing the banister with her spare hand as the stairs they were on decided to change.
"Beat up Pansy. I mean, I've seen girls fight before, but it's all just been a bunch of hair pulling and scratching and stuff. You made her nose look like a grapefruit in the middle of her face. I've seen BOYS that can't even do that."
Rhi blushed slightly. "I always hung out with different kinds of people. One of them was a muggle who was a fighter, a boxer. It's how he made his living, and he taught me how to throw a decent punch."
"That was more than a 'decent' punch," Draco said, then spoke the password at the portrait hole. Once they entered the Slytherin common room, they just stood facing each other, listening to the night sounds around them. Just as Draco was about to sleep, Pansy's snoring broke the silence.
"I hope you know a spell that blocks out unwanted noise," he said.
Rhiannon giggled. "Yeah, I know a few good ones. Any way, I'm going to go to bed. Good night Draco," she said rising on her tiptoes and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek.