13

Like A Charm

Draco shot his head back in the direction of where Voldie's lifeless corpse was laying. He grabbed a sword and chopped the body right down the middle. Pleased with himself, he ran back over to Avi. Something was definitely different. Her hair was now shorter, now falling to just pass her shoulders.

He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to figure out what else was different. Oh yes, her hair was also no longer red, but plain brown. Her features on her face (i.e. nose, eyes, mouth, teeth etc. for all of you who are not the sharpest tool in the shed) were different, strangely altered. Her eyes were now green instead of blue and she had braces. Avi was also chubbier, not as tan and toned as she was.

Draco propped her against the wall to look at her better. He looked down at her necklace- it was only a chain. Where her charm was when Voldie died (or so we think dun dun dun) was now a pile of black dust. I knew something was wrong with that charm. No wonder she got pissed when we were wondering about it, Draco decided.

He looked over at Harry. Harry had Cho's head against his knee and was trying to wake her up. It was working. Cho got up and looked around. "I need to lie down," was all she could say. Draco carried Avi's body to the hospital wing but would not answer any questions. He was silent for the remainder of the time he spent at the hospital wing.

He waited by Avi's bed for 5 hours, waiting, watching, and thinking. Madame Pomfrey offered him drinks and food but he declined. He just sat there, staring at Avi.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he took one last look at her. Her eyes opened quickly and she jumped up, hugging Draco tightly. He smiled, knowing she must be ok.

"Nice to see you too Av."

Avi leaned back, looking grim. "I'm not Avi." Draco looked at her questioning.

"What?"

"Our personality's are similar but you won't see me snapping at you for looking at my necklace. My name is Erin Shipton. Voldemort came to my house one night looking for followers. My parents died fighting him but I made a deal with him. Supposedly he would bring back my parents if I worked for him. What I was supposed to do, I didn't know. He just gave me the necklace, ever since I put it on I've been watching from afar. It was just like I was another student, but invisible and unimportant. At times I forgot that no one could see or hear me, so I tried to warn someone or when you said something really sweet and I thought that you meant me, I'd try to hug you or talk to you but it was hopeless."

Draco listened intently.

"The vision of Avi was created to seduce Harry and basically lure him into Voldemort's clutches so he could kill him. Avi was everything that I have ever wanted to be. She was beautiful, she could sing, she could dance, she had a boyfriend, she didn't have the same emotional problems as me, she wasn't fat like I am."

"You're not fat," Draco cut in. Erin sighed.

"You say that, but I can't believe you or anyone until I have that one special person who truly loves me for everything I am, or am not tell me so. You liked Avi for everything that she was and the fact that she was perfect. I'm not nearly as wonderful as Neville is, I think of myself so poorly. I have no confidence at all, it's horrible, really it is." Draco felt really sorry for her, but she was wrong. He loved Avi because of her personality and her beauty was only what attracted him to her initially.

"Wanna see a picture of Avi?" Draco began to get one out of his wallet. Erin held up her hand to stop him.

"Let me guess, reddish blonde long straight hair, will go into any style anytime. Thin, tan, has a six pack, full red lips (you should know that one Draco), did anything at anytime and had more confidence than anyone you'd ever met. Basically the classic American babe?" Draco began to put away the picture.

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Anyway, at some points, I was able to speak for myself. I knew what Voldemort did was bad. That's what happened whenever you saw me acting like I needed help big time." Erin continued.

"You mean like normal?"

Erin smiled at him. "No. I wasn't in control of my body anymore. That's why I fainted during the hockey match. And other times. Okay, a lot of other times."

Draco looked Erin in the eye. She wasn't lying. He just needed to know one thing. "So that means… you didn't mean to kiss me all those times."

Erin paused and looked at the floor. "No" Draco sighed and leaned back in his chair. "But I wanted to." Draco looked at her a smiled.

"That's the same way I felt about you, or is it Avi. No you. No… Avi. OK I am officially confused."

"We've never kissed before. And we won't until you get to know me. Erin- not Avi. Who knows? You may like me better or not at all, one never knows of these situations."

"OK."

"Now go get Madame Pomfrey, She'll want to know I'm up."