53 reviews! I feel loved:-) I'd like to extend a huge thank-you to the following superb people who gave me much inspiration and happiness this past week with their fab reviews: FairyKisses, Angel-4rom-heaven, Margaret, Katie, Lor'sEvilRumour, Kurama'sfoxykitstune, milky way bar, cucu4cocopuffs, Debbie, Ron Lover 2005, Miss Hermione Granger17, Kitty Weasley KW, Mikayala Peterson, TrueBluePotterFan, wandless, terrifictypingtrio, Azu Luna, sailinmad, Tina, skysongscry, Lumos2000, xPussyWillowKittenx, NicciBubbles, the-insufferable-know-it-all, nennen, MIDNIGHT-PIXIE, unknownspecies, dancerrdw, aishteru, Nina-del-rio, suckr4romance, Huggles4All, weasleyandmoneylover, AshEllie, quidditchgurl07, Tria Marie Val, Sing-my-heart-out, Eowyn Organa, RandomSmirf13, WhiteRoseDancer, Ronsreallove, ThePhamtomIt14, quidditchgirl13, NotThePoke, and last, but not least, the anonymous reviewer who didn't type in a name.
Wheeew! This was quite the busy and frustrating first week. With tons of homework and tests to study for every night, I was forced to write most of this chapter last night and this morning. But, hey, at least I got it done. That's how it's going to have to be most weeks,typing the chapter up the night before I post,so as long as the quality of the chapters I crank out doesn't decrease (I'm not saying that any of my chapters are high-quality to begin with, because I don't think they are- I just don't want my chapters to get any worse writing-wise) I don't mind. So, I'm not trying to make excuses, but if anything seems a little off in this chapter, it 's because I didn't write it over a course of 6 days, which I usually do, a bit a day.
This may seem to be a random question, but can anyone think of a good, original (not coined by anyone else), witty aphorism? I need to make up five for an English assignment and I can barely think of one...help would be appreciated if any of you readers know what I'm talking about! Just email me the aphorism or include it in your review. You don't know how much I would appreciate it... :-)
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to FairyKisses, who is one of my most loyal and favorite reviewers! She leaves long, very inspiring reviews every week which truly make my day. Rock on, FairyKisses! This chapter is for YOU!
As usual, read, review, and, above all else, ENJOY! This story is semi-winding down...I'm thinking 4-ish more chapters.
"Well, are you ladies ready to get down and dirty?" Draco wiggled his pale eyebrows suggestively.
"Perhaps Cassandra is, Malfoy," I sniffed. "Unlike her, I actually have morals, common sense, and I'm not a slag. Also, I do not, by my own will, spend time with the likes of you."
"All least I'm not a prune," the bimbo sniggered.
"The feeling's mutual, Granger," Draco drawled. "I would rather be kissing Parkinson than sitting in detention with YOU for a week."
"Well, that should come as no shock, seeing as you and Pansy are quite tight," I sniggered. "Have you impregnated her yet?"
"No, I have certainly NOT, Granger, considering I find her to be the most despicable creature on this mortal Earth. After you, of course."
"Who would you rather shag- Hermione or Pansy?" Cassandra asked sweetly.
"Neither, but if I had to choose it would have to Pansy. At least she isn't a hoity-toity know-it-all Mudblood," Draco sneered.
The Slytherin was EXCELLENT at this sort of thing- then again he had a LOT of practice. Such as the past six years. His acting skills were absolutely SUPERB. They HAD to be, seeing as he had Voldemort thought that his right-hand man's son was one hundred percent loyal to him...I felt a new, deep sense of respect well up in me for Draco- and, well Snape. Both were risking their lives every day in order to give the Order secret information that could turn the tide of the battle- and in the end, probably save the world. I admired Draco even more than that barmy old bat, because Snape, was, well, Snape. A middle-aged man who had been doing this for years and actually had become a Death Eater in the first place by his own choice. Draco, on the other hand, was an innocent 17-year old who had his whole life ahead of him and yet had to pretend to worship the Darkest Wizard in all of history. No teenager should have to bear the burdens that were on the sexy blonde's rather sculpted chest at the moment- then again, Harry, Ron and I were in the same boat- our lives could be extinguished ANY moment. That thought rather dampened my already wet spirits, and I sighed.
"Oh, Hermione, does that offend you?"
"No, Cassandra, it does NOT, seeing as I would choose even SNAPE over Malfoy ANY day."
"I find that quite disturbing." Professor Snape smirked as he leaned against the doorjamb.
"Where did YOU come from?" I snapped, my face turning an unbecoming shade of red at the fact that Severus Snape actually thought that I would rather have a heavy snogging session with him rather than Malfoy. Heck, any living, breathing female at Hogwarts would have to be CRAZY to want Snape's slimy, cold lips instead of Draco's extremely talented ones. He was THAT sexy- absolutely DROP-DEAD SEXY. And all of my peers were pathetically superficial, as was I at times, to be honest.
"I come from the hallway, Miss Granger," he said greasily. "I forgot my quill. I certainly do NOT appreciate your lack of respect towards me. Especially since you seem to think so...highly of me, may I say?"
"Oh, she does, Professor." Cass nodded her head emphatically. "You should hear how she talks about you in the dormitory. I've told her over and over again that it is DOWNRIGHT inappropriate, not to mention ILLEGAL to pursue a relationship with you, but she SIMPLY doesn't listen!"
Bimbo Barbie was certainly going to find some nasty surprises the next morning, one being that all her scanty little miniskirts would be gone and in their place would be ankle-length Laura Ingalls Wilder-style skirts. "Nah," I mentally scratched that idea out. She would sooner go to breakfast with nothing but her knickers and blouse under her robes, much to the happiness of all the teenage wizards- and that pervert of a Potions professor- than actually dress modestly.
"Tsk, tsk, I'm sure Mr. Weasley would love to hear this particular bit of news, wouldn't he?' Snape smiled extremely wickedly as for the second time in the evening he exited the room, jet-black (figures) quill in hand.
"I don't like you, you slimy git," I hissed after his back as Cassandra cackled. "In fact, I bloody loathe you..."
"Oh, we truly do need to work on our anger management skills, don't we?" The Ice Princess adopted a baby-voice.
"Some of us clearly need to work on our not being a ... skills" ( A long list of expletives perfectly describing Cass followed, which I need not go into great detail about for obvious reasons.)
"You're a feisty one, Granger, I'll have to give you that," Draco remarked grudgingly as I finished and stood there gasping for breath, thoroughly winded after using profanity non-stop for ten minutes.
"I try my very best- all in the hopes of pleasing you, of course," I growled.
"You owe me BIG, Hermione. REAL big."
"I do? That is certainly news to me because I don't remember asking you to do anything for me that would put me in your debt."
"Harry...is NOT mad at you any more!" Ginny said triumphantly.
"That's rich of you, taking credit for a wizard's own personal choice."
"Ah, but I deserve the credit," Ginny said mysteriously.
I threw down my Transfiguration essay in frustration.
"Why, may I ask?" I asked crossly.
"You see, Hermione, one of my many gifts is convincing guys to change their minds. Especially my boyfriend." She put a special emphasis on the word "boyfriend" and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Spare me the explicit details; I already feel quite ill," I said sourly as I watched Cassandra give a tinkling laugh at something Ron said and purposely leaned over so she was falling out of her magenta blouse. Thank Merlin it was now Thursday- only two more nights of resisting the urge to use the most Unforgivable Curse of all on that bimbo.
"I can't BELIEVE IT!" I slammed my messenger bag down in detention Friday night.
"You better believe it, love," Draco drawled as he peered out the grimy window over my shoulder. "Somehow, or some way, using one of her innumerable talents, Cassandra wrangled her way out of detention tonight."
"She probably seduced Snape," I hypothesized, before blanching at the VERY disturbing image that rose in my mind.
"I wouldn't put it past her," Draco said bitterly, running a slender hand through his silky locks of blonde as he leaned against the windowsill, wrinkling his nose when his expensive black robes acquired a layer of dust from contact with the obviously-not-cleaned-for-awhile- surface.
"So, do you have any more bright ideas?" I asked half-heartedly, writing a huge "D" at the top of one particularly atrociously written essay by a second-year Hufflepuff.
"I've been thinking." He shrugged his lean shoulders. Dang, he was incredibly SEXY. This was getting slightly ridiculous. It should've certainly NOT been allowed for SO much attractiveness to belong to one bloke. Hmmph. If I was half as good-looking as him, I could easily model for any of the agencies described in Witch Weekly.
"Ideas, please," I sighed, dipping my quill back into the red inkpot.
"Non-existent, unfortunately." Draco frowned and continued watching the Gryffindor tryouts. After a few minutes he let out a rather large groan.
"Well? Care to enlighten me?"
"She's every good bit as bloody brilliant at Quidditch as I'd suspected," he said darkly. "Not like I expected anything different..."
My suspicions rose.
"Just what DID you expect?" I asked curiously. "And you've obviously known Cassandra from before, haven't you?"
His handsome features were contorted into a look a pain, as though he was struggling to tell me something but simply couldn't.
"I can't tell you, Hermione," he said weakly. "If I could, I would. But I honestly can't..."
"Yes, you can tell me," I snapped, the frustrations of the week catching up to me. "It's not too difficult- you just open up your mouth and allow the words to come out..."
I was caught off with an intense intake of breath from Draco as he clutched his forearm.
"He's calling to us," he breathed unnecessarily, for I had already had a keen idea of what was going on.
"Oh, Merlin!" I started shivering uncontrollably.
"I'll be alright, Hermione." Draco tried to comfort me, although his face was the deathliest shade of white. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his wand and cleaned the dust off his robes, his hand shaking.
"We've got to leave, Draco." An also-extremely -paler-than-usual Snape came running into the Dungeons three minutes later without a glance at my direction. (I assumed that Dumbledore had informed him that I knew about Draco's true allegiance.). "Miss Granger, you're to stay here for another two hours to finish your detention and do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT tell anyone of what you have seen here tonight." With a final glance in my direction, Draco donned the Invisibility Cloak that his fellow Death Eater (and fellow spy) handed him and disappeared into thin air. I sank to the floor and pulling my knees to my chest, I cried. Cried for the fact that my friends and I were forced to become mature beyond our years. Cried for our loss of childhood- and innocence. Cried for the terrible truth that this was supposed to be the BEST time of our lives- our teenage years- and instead, it was the absolute worst. Cried that there was a bloody good chance (around 83 percent, I calculated) that none of us would live to see the year 1998. Cried that this could very well be the absolute last time I ever saw the leaves of fall change from a light green to a fiery red. Blood red.
"Oh, Ronald, thank you SO MUCH!" Cassandra threw her arms around a blushing Ron's neck after she saw the new Quidditch roster.
"Oh, it was nothing on MY part," Ron said modestly, puffing his muscular chest out. "It was you who did the bloody brilliant job at flying and earned yourself the position!"
"Kill me now," I ordered Ginny, who grimaced.
"Kill me," she said bleakly. "I have to actually cooperate with HER! And I have to resist the urge at every practice and game to launch the Quaffle with all my might at her pretty little face!"
"Gin, there is absolutely NO reason to restrain yourself from doing so," I said gloomily. "Please do go right ahead."
"Yes, if I want to be kicked off the team and spend the rest of the year in detention with Snape," she snorted. "Count me out."
"Harry would certainly support you," I whispered, shooting a glance at the handsome bespectacled young man who was glaring at Cassandra with obvious dislike.
"Fat lot of help that would be. Now, do you want to be the one to go over there and break up that little love-fest, or should I?"
"Both of us," I stated firmly.
"Hermione, isn't this great?" Ron asked me excitedly.
"It's wonderful." I pasted a large grin on my face as I turned to Bimbo Barbie. "Great job, Cass. I only wish that I could fly as good as you!"
"Oh, I'm nothing special." She giggled in an unsuccessful attempt at modesty.
Ron opened his large mouth. "Yes, she..."
I didn't let him finish his sentence (which I was bloody sure would end with the word 'is').
"Ron, are we leaving for Hogsmeade soon?" I inquired, possessively putting my arm around his waist. "It's almost 9 o'clock."
"Soon, love," he grinned. "Patience is a virtue."
Cassandra was now looking at Ron and I "timidly." Ha. Timidly my arse.
"Er, if it wouldn't be a huge bother..." she began "shyly"..."could I perhaps go with you guys to Hogsmeade? No one has asked me, and I simply don't want to walk around alone..."
"No problem!" Ron said cheerfully. "You can come with me, 'Mione, Gin and Harry! The more the merrier!'
I stared at him in disbelief. This was supposed to be a double date- and the first real date Ron and I had been on for MONTHS. WHAT in merlin WAS HE THINKING?"