I'm never gonna write again
Stolen fiction has no rhythym
Though it's easy to pretend
I know it's not as cool
should have known better than to start again
And write another piece of fiction
So I'm never gonna write again
Unless I am not sued!
Author's Note: I am SO sorry that it took me SO long to update this. And I KNOW I keep saying this, but the next one will be faster, I promise... once I figure out what I'm going to do, that is... But anyway, Charlie is at it again, plus there are a few more interesting twists. What could they be? I guess you better read on and find out, huh? Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Unwell
She saw him stop in the middle of the floor and stare at the bed as she silently came out of the bathroom, tying the belt on the bathrobe that she had slipped on. She grinned and came up behind him, slipping her arms under his and wrapping them around his waist. She was surprised at how tense he was, but smiled as he instantly relaxed and leaned his head back against her shoulder.
"I thought you were supposed to be in bed."
She grinned as he brought his head back up. She rested her chin on his shoulder, and smiled into the collar of his robe.
"Bed? What's that? Some kind of wizarding term?"
Draco grinned and turned around. Hermione tilted her head, squinting at him.
"Are you okay?"
He shrugged. "Why? Don't I look it?"
She gave him a faint smile and a quick kiss. "Whether you look it or not isn't the point. It's in your eyes."
He grinned. "Really? And here I thought it was in my kiss."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "First Spice Girls, now Cher. You know, you're not helping convince me that you're straight."
Draco smirked. "Care to test again?"
Hermione smiled and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt Draco wrap his arms around her waist, gently placing a hand in the small of her back. She grinned and broke away.
"You know, I should really find a harsher way of testing you."
Draco faked shock. "You wouldn't!"
Hermione smiled. "I would. And you know it."
Draco sighed dramatically. "Sadly, yes. But I love you anyway."
For an instant, there was a flash of something in Draco's eyes. Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand.
"What's wrong?"
Draco looked at her, and Hermione saw the seriousness in his eyes. He looked down at the ground for a moment before taking Hermione's other hand.
"It's just that... when I saw you... lying there..."
Hermione gave him a faint smile and squeezed his hand. "It's okay Draco. I know."
He nodded. "I wouldn't know what to do... if..."
She nodded. "I know. But you won't have to worry about that."
Draco smirked. "Oh really? Why is that?"
She mocked his smirk. "It's a fact that in a relationship, the man dies first."
Draco laughed. "Really? Where does it say that?"
She grinned. "In a book."
"What book?"
"The Truth about Charlie," said a voice from the door. "It's been a New York Times bestseller for the past eleven weeks."
Draco sighed and turned around. "How do you always pop up?"
Charlie tilted his head. "Pop up? What do I look like, a pop tart?"
It was now Hermione's turn to tilt her head. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a Toaster Strudel."
Draco groaned. "Oh God, don't encourage him."
Charlie grinned. "You're a very kind young lady."
She smiled and winked at Charlie. "Thank you Jason."
"Jason?" Draco paused.
Charlie winked back. "You're welcome Rory."
"Okay, now I'm really lost," said Draco, frowning.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Charlie muttered.
Draco shot a glare at Charlie. Hermione smiled. "Gilmore Girls joke."
Draco looked at Charlie, who grinned. Draco turned to Hermione. "Wait, wait, wait... you're worried about me being gay? Look at Boy George over here! Next he'll be referring to The Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High!"
Charlie frowned. "Oh sweetheart, that was so last week!"
Draco groaned and looked at Hermione. "Why does he keep coming back?"
Hermione shrugged. "He's just Charlie."
Charlie swatted Draco on the back. "Yeah dude! I'm the cat who came back!"
Draco shut his eyes. "Three... two... one..."
Charlie clapped his hands and started to sing. "The cat came back, the very next day! The cat came back, they thought he was a goner but the cat came back! He just couldn't stay away!"
Draco turned to Hermione. "Kill me now."
She laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't tempt me."
Charlie stopped singing and came up to Hermione. "Hey, where's my kiss?"
Hermione laughed while Draco wrapped his arms around her protectively. "You don't get one," he said.
Charlie smirked. "Come on Draco, share and share alike."
"No."
Charlie gave Hermione the puppy dog eyes. "Why not?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Because you ruined the moment."
Charlie's jaw dropped. "There was a moment? Wait, what happened?"
Draco rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I wouldn't know. It was interrupted!"
Charlie shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should really take care of those moments."
Draco closed his eyes and frowned and pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Thank you for informing me. Now I know. And I'd like to have that moment back."
Charlie grinned. "Well, that's perfect. I just happen to be a Moments Man. Would you like to custom order the moment through our catalogue. Let's see," he said, pretending to flip through a book. "Okay, now our offices are closed for the day, but I have several precious moments you might be interested in ordering. Um... Baby's first walk? Nope, don't have a kid. Let's see... love at first sight? Nah, we'll be here forever to play catch-up. Plus you'll have to go through that whole dying thing again, so I'll try to spare you with that. Um..."
"Oh bloody hell! Just give us a moment!"
Charlie looked up. "A moment?"
"Yes," Draco sighed.
"An ordinary moment."
"Yes."
"A typical, run-of-the-mill, sorry-we-couldn't-find-something-more-exciting moment?"
"Charlie..."
"Well, I'll have to have a talk with my manager. We usually don't take orders after closing hours..."
"CHARLIE!"
Charlie frowned and pretended to be on the verge of crying. "Okay... okay have it your way... I was just... (sniff) just trying to help two nice people... find their moment... that's all... so I guess I'll just be going..." With that, Charlie turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Draco turned to Hermione, stunned. "He's gone? He actually left?"
Hermione gave a sympathetic sigh. "Poor Charlie. He probably feels that we don't want him."
"Which we don't," replied Draco, smiling.
She hit him playfully as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're mean."
Draco smirked. "Bad to the bone, baby."
She pretended to roll her eyes. "Oh yeah. A regular James Dean."
He grinned. "And I actually know who you're talking about."
Hermione kissed him. "Finally. And here I thought I hadn't taught you anything."
Draco smiled. "So... what do you want to teach me now?"
She grinned and shrugged. "How about you teach me this time?"
Draco smiled and leaned in. "Good idea."
"Wow, you know you two should really lock the door if you're going to be doing that kind of stuff in here," interrupted a voice before Draco could kiss Hermione.
Draco leaned his forhead against Hermione's. "The cat came back?"
She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Not quite."
Draco turned. Ron was now standing in the doorway, his face a darker shade of red than normal.
"Oh for the love of my grandfather Artemis! What do you want Weasley?"
Ron shrugged. "Nothing. Charlie told me to come in."
"What?"
"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING MEAN TO YOUR MOMENT MAN!" Charlie shouted from the hall.
Draco groaned. "I suddenly feel very suicidal."
Charlie poked his head in. "Need any help?"
Hermione laughed as Charlie came in, followed by Harry.
"Hey! I heard there was quite a party in here," said Harry, smiling at Hermione and Draco.
Charlie suddenly came really close to Harry and stared at him, their faces an inch apart. "Can you hear the voices in my head too?" he asked.
Draco swatted him. "Get outta here! Sell crazy somewhere else! We're all stocked up here."
Charlie looked at him, tilting his head. "I'm not crazy...," then he started to sing, "... I'm just a little unwell, I know, right now you can't tell! But stay a while and maybe then you'll see- a different side of me!"
Draco grinned. "Great. Big, stupid AND tone-deaf."
Charlie stopped and elbowed Draco. "Come on Draco, no one likes a braggard." He then winked at Hermione and began humming, strolling out the door.
Harry laughed and turned to Hermione. "How you feeling?"
She shrugged. "Oh, I'm fine. About the same as when we'd come back from an adventure."
Ron smirked. "In other words, she's worried about getting expelled."
Hermione smiled and smacked him in the shoulder. "Funny."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Should I be scared right now?"
Harry laughed. "If you are, that makes two of us."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Draco smirked.
"Forget it crazy, you're not coming back in!" he said, turning his back to the door.
He laughed to himself until he caught Harry and Hermione's gaze, which was locked behind him. He sighed.
"It's not Charlie, is it?"
"No Mr. Malfoy, it's not," a deep voice answered.
Draco slowly turned around to face the voice. Standing there with their arms crossed were Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall, obviously unamused at Draco's little remark.
Draco gave a curt nod. "I apologize for my comment. I thought you were someone else."
"Well, regardless of who you thought it was Mr. Malfoy, I doubt the person you were prepared to insult would have appreciated, never mind deserved, what you had to say."
Draco was about to contradict when he felt Hermione's voice in his head. "Don't even think about it."
Instead, he nodded. "Of course, Professor."
Professor McGonagall nodded as though to accept his apology. "Now all of you out, I want to have a word with Miss Granger."
Harry and Ron nodded and headed out. Draco turned to Hermione, quickly giving her hand an encouraging squeeze. "I'll see you later."
She smiled, giving him a quick wink. "Not if I see you first."
He smiled and headed out, after giving both professors a quick bow. Professor Snape shut the door behind Draco, as Hermione slid back into bed under her covers, with Professor McGonagall sitting on a chair next to her.
"Whew! Sometimes it simply feels good to sit."
Professor Snape fought back a smile, and Hermione grinned. "Boy, do I know the feeling."
"I'm simply surprised that Draco apologized for calling you crazy, else you would have had to discipline him before sitting down," said Snape, taking a seat on the edge of the bed in front of where Hermione sat cross-legged.
McGonagall looked up at him. "What makes you think he was addressing me, Severus?"
Snape opened his mouth, but shut it again. Hermione winked at him. "Good move. Less said, the better"
He smiled. "I simply meant that you would have had to discipline him if he had been addressing you," he said, retracing his steps, "which he clearly wasn't. It's quite obvious he was addressing me."
Hermione smiled as she interjected. "Actually, he thought you might be Charlie."
Snape looked at her. "Charlie.... Charles Daughton?! He thought I was Charles Daughton?".
Hermione nodded. Snape huffed.
"That could possibly be the most offensive thing I've ever heard... regardless of the fact that it makes a bit of sense."
Hermione tilted her head. "Sense? That makes sense to you?"
Snape nodded as he rose from the bed. "Well, he is fam-...."
"Severus, I think that you should go and get what we might need to tend to Miss Granger's aural projection," Professor suddenly spoke up.
Professor Snape nodded. "Yes, of course Minerva. I'll be back shortly."
The two watched him leave. Hermione turned to McGonagall, who held her hand up.
"Miss Granger, do not even think of asking. I know exactly what you're thinking, and I refuse to let you hear it from me rather than from Charlie himself. But I'd beg you not to tell the others. He'll tell you all when he's ready. Do you understand?"
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yes. I understand."
McGonagall smiled. "Good."
Hermione watched at Professor McGonagall took her wrist. "That was very smart of him to change his mind about what he said, wasn't it?"
The professor laughed. "Yes. But I've found that that kind of quality in a man is very unique. Men generally divide into two groups- those who can redeem themselves when they say something wrong, and those who can't and continue to say offending things until either his own brain or the woman stops him."
Hermione smiled. "Draco's the first kind. He always seems to make agood recovery. Unless of course I catch him off guard."
Professor McGonagall smiled. "It's fun, isn't it? Watching them suffer sometimes?"
Hermione laughed. "Yes, Definitely."
Professor McGonagall laughed as she gently squeezed Hermione's wrist. Suddenly, her face froze.
"Professor? What's wrong?"
Professor Snape suddenly entered with a batch of plants that appeared fresh picked. "Here we are Minerva."
She shook her head. "Never mind those for now," she said, getting up and going over to him. There was a few moments of hushed whispering, which made Hermione curious as to what they were talking about. She cranned her neck to hear, just as the two instantly stopped. Snape came over and took her wrist, turning it over in his hand. His look became very perplexed, but suddenly calmed back down again.
"She's fine Minerva. You're overreacting," he said, looking at her. Hermione could have sworn a hint of staged force of enthusiasm in his voice. Like he was covering up something.
Minerva smiled. "I thought so. Well then, we best get going. Miss Granger surely needs some sleep."
Before Hermione could say anything, Snape was out the door, and Professor McGonagall had stopped and turned around. "Be sure to get some sleep Miss Granger. Don't worry- you'll be back to classes in no time."
Hermione nodded, burying her suspicions under a fake smile. "Thank you Professor."
After the two had left and the door had closed, Hermione looked at her wrist. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Her hand was a little bruised from the fall, but nothing else seemed to be wrong. Suddenly, she felt a small lump on the inside of her wrist.
"Probably just from the fall," she thought, lying down pulling the covers over herself.
Turning off the light, she lay there feeling the bump on the inside of her wrist. She smiled as an image of Charlie singing came into her head. She gently sang to herself as she fell asleep.
"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell... I know, right now you can't tell... but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see... a different side of me..."
*********
Author's Note: Uh oh! I hope you guys enjoyed that. Think McGonagall is overreacting? And was that acutally McGonagall and Hermione discussing... *gasp* BOYS? (I know I'm gonna get flamed for that one!). Anyway, thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed thus far. You have NO idea just how much that means to me. So thank you children! (By the way, I know you're not ALL children, it's just the way I talk. I apologize for any offense caused. I'll send you a nice fruit basket, okay?)
My review song is "The Cat Came Back" by Anonymous (Charlie's fault AGAIN! Do I detect a pattern here?):
Review right now, or later today!
Review least once, or I will be a goner, but
Review right now, or Charlie might go away!!!
Wait.. Charlie leave?... I fail to see a problem.