After dinner, Renae traipsed down through the dungeons to the Slytherin common room. There, she found Draco telling a heroic story to a few fourth-year girls, all of who were looking at him sympathetically and saying how brave he was. Renae rolled her eyes at his stupidity. She walked over to the back of the couch and stared at the rear of his newly bandaged head.
"So then they all started coming at me," said Draco animatedly. "Each one of them had about five heads and one hideous bloodshot eye. I started shooting hexes at them, but they were too strong! And then, out of nowhere, one of the heads came from behind and took a huge chunk out of my head!"
All of the girls gasped. Renae sighed and poked him hard in the back. Draco jumped and slowly turned around, his face falling. After looking at her annoyed and angry expression, he shook himself and his rudeness came back to life.
"Can't you see I'm telling a story here?" he snapped.
"Oh yeah, it's so amazing," said Renae sarcastically. "Now did you get to the part where the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Faerie come to save you?"
"The Tooth Faerie?" said one of the girls. "You said it was Slytherin himself who came to save you!"
"He lied!" the girl next to her yelled. "He probably wanted to make it seem more manly… Thanks a lot Draco…"
The girls stood up, looking irritated, and stalked off to their dorms. Draco turned sharply around and glared at Renae.
"Why did you have to say that?" he spat.
"That's what you get for being an arrogant bastard," she snapped back. "I'm surprised they even believed you. I mean why would Slytherin waste his time on something that wasn't even that important?"
"Because I'm so damn hot," he said as he ran his hand through his hair.
Renae shook her head. "You just keep thinking that."
"You know you like me," he taunted. "Madam Pomfrey told me that you were so worried that I wasn't going to be okay. Admit it."
"Yeah I was worried!" Renae yelled. "If I had hurt you or even scratched your thick blonde head, I would be in SO much trouble! As for being hot… well, you're okay."
"Just okay?" he shouted. "There are dozens of girls here who would do anything to even see me without a shirt on! And you say I'm okay? Besides… my mum won't let me see you anyway."
"What?" Renae asked quietly.
Draco closed his eyes and shook his head.
"That's why I've been so… weird around you lately," he said. "I want to hang out with you, but then I remember what my mum said, and then I don't know how to act."
"But why aren't you allowed to see me?" Renae asked, sitting down next to him on the couch.
"I have no clue," Draco said softly. "You weren't lying about being pureblood, were you?"
"No!" she said, indignantly. "Why would I lie about that?"
"I just don't know what she has against you," Draco said. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "You're pureblood, nice, you don't look like a troll- actually, you're not that bad looking-"
"Ha!" Renae yelled. "I didn't even have to say anything and you said it! You think I'm hot!"
"I said you're not that bad," Draco said, blushing. "But if I did think you're hot- hypothetically speaking- what would I get out of it?"
Renae burst out laughing. Draco's eyes sparkled and he, too, began to chuckle.
"Young Master Malfoy," Renae said in a mocking voice. "You won't be getting any of this unless I'm terribly drunk… or desperate."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked as Renae stood up.
"Nothing…" she answered, a hint of mischief in her voice. She hiked up her skirt a few inches and flounced up the stairs to her dorm.
Tuesday was uneventful, in all. Renae ate breakfast at the Slytherin table, attended her Charms and Herbology classes, and joined Pansy, Sara, and Millicent back in the Great Hall for lunch. She had impressed Professor Flitwick with a perfect non-verbal Silencing Charm and was awarded ten points and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. The sixth-year Slytherins were now passing around the box and picking one out at random. So far, Renae had received lemongrass, dirt, cinnamon, and mocha flavored beans. Blaise Zabini was now spitting out an earthworm flavored one to boisterous laughter.
You know… Renae thought. Slytherins aren't too terrible. They just have their own way of life…
"Blaise, that isn't that bad!" Pansy giggled. "I had a soap-flavored one! Now that was bad!"
"Well that can't be as bad as vomit," Sara added. "It's just like the real thing!"
"Of course you would know, Sara," Draco sniggered. "How else would you be so damn skinny?"
Sara pouted and threw a grape at him. He, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise snickered and continued with their meal. Renae smiled and shook her head. Glancing at her watch, she spat out her water and stood up.
"Shit," she said. "I have Transfiguration in five minutes. Why am I late for everything today? Can one of you guys show me where it is? You all have a free period now."
"I'll go," Blaise said.
"Yeah, me too," Draco added.
They waved goodbye and walked into the Entrance Hall and up the steps. Draco and Blaise were deeply immersed in a conversation about Quidditch as Renae followed behind, taking mental notes for future reference on how to get to class. At last, they arrived outside a classroom, where Professor McGonagall was standing.
"Thanks guys," Renae said to Draco and Blaise. They waved and headed in the opposite direction.
"Good afternoon Miss Cantera," McGonagall said. "Just take a seat inside, we'll start in a minute."
"Thanks," Renae replied.
She stepped into the room and found only a dozen students, most of them Gryffindors. Renae seemed to be the only Slytherin there, though she was accepted as a Gryffindor. She took a seat next to Hermione and turned around to face Harry and Ron behind her.
"Hey cool cats," Renae said cheerily. "Miss me?"
"Yeah," Ron laughed. "Since when are the Slytherins your best friends?"
"They're not," Renae responded. "But they're not as bad as you guys made them seem. Actually… they're pretty nice."
"That's only because you're one of them," Harry said.
"Yeah, you're best friends with us," Ron added. "So they probably hate you, but they're just smarming up to you so you'll do their homework or something."
Renae paused.
"Well that's pleasant," she said flatly.
"Settle down now, settle down…"
Professor McGonagall had shut the door and was hurrying up the aisle up to her desk. Immediately, the chatter had stopped and all eyes were upon her. She picked up a piece of parchment off of her desk and began to call the role. After checking that nobody had decided to skive off class that day, McGonagall clapped her hands together and began to walk around the desks.
"Most of you have already attempted to do non-verbal spells this week in your previous classes," she began. Renae rolled her eyes and put her head on the table. "However, Professors Snape and Flitwick have informed me that some of you have already mastered this."
Renae lifted her head and McGonagall smiled at her.
"Miss Cantera and Miss Granger have successfully performed non-verbal spells and are excused from this lesson," she said fondly.
Ron and Harry gave them jealous looks and Hermione beamed. Renae made a triumphant gesture and stretched back in her chair, it leaning on the back of its two legs. For the rest of the period, Renae told Hermione about her conversation with Malfoy during the previous night as the other students continued to practice non-verbal spells.
"Not allowed to see you?" Hermione repeated. "That makes it seem like you two are passionate lovers or something. And you're a Slytherin… why would his mother not like you?"
"Well it's not that she doesn't like me," Renae said as she lit a piece of parchment on fire with her wand. "She just… yeah, I don't think she likes me. But why?"
"When did she start being all sketchy and stuff?"
"After she found out my last name," Renae said, running her finger through the flames.
"Do you think it's something to do with your family?" Hermione asked. She shot a jet of water from her wand at the burning parchment.
"Hey, I was having fun!" Renae moaned. "But I doubt my family is the problem. We just moved here a few weeks ago, and we're not that famous. Sure, my dad was an international Quidditch player, but that doesn't give her a reason to not like me."
"Odd…" Hermione muttered. "Did you tell her you're pureblood?"
"Yeah."
"YES!"
Hermione and Renae whipped around. Harry had finally managed to transfigure his twig into a needle without speaking. He thanked Renae for telling him how she had learned how to earlier that morning and went on to helping Ron with his. Hermione and Renae laughed and continued with their conversation.
"Did your parents ever have anything to do with the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked.
"Not that I know of," Renae answered. She doodled on the desk absentmindedly with her quill. "But they might have. My mother knows a lot about that kind of stuff, but she's not obsessed with it."
"What about your father?"
"He never liked it much," Renae said, smiling as a memory came back to her. "My father's birthday was April Fools Day, and Mum would curse some of his presents so his ears would get really big or his tongue would turn green or he'd speak in rhyme for the week. She never used what she knew for wicked things… that's all I can really say about it."
Hermione sat in thought for a minute or two. Behind them, Ron's face was screwed up in concentration, whispering to himself as he tried to imagine the twig turning into a needle.
"I don't think I've ever met anyone from my mum's side of the family," Renae said airily. "She might have mentioned something about them once… Damn, what did she say? Oh yeah! I had asked her about them when I was like… fourteen or something, and she said something like they kind of exiled her from the family when she started seeing my father. I don't think they liked him much."
"She was exiled?" Hermione gasped. "All because they didn't like your father?"
"Yeah, it was something stupid like that," Renae said and brushed it away. "That's the only thing I remember her saying about them… for obvious reasons."
"Right…" Hermione muttered. "What was your mother's maiden name?"
"Her maiden name?" Renae repeated. Her brows furrowed. "It was Italian, I know that. Something with a G… Gar… Garbina? Garb… Garba… Garbarino! That's the one!"
"I'll have to look that up later," Hermione said, writing it down on a corner of her parchment. "Maybe it has some sort of history that would make Malfoy's mum hate you…"
"I told you, she doesn't hate me," Renae said in an annoyed tone. The booming bell rang and there was a scramble to get out the door. McGonagall yelled for them to practice as homework, though none listened.
Ron and Harry waited for Hermione and Renae outside of the classroom and they began to head off towards the Entrance Hall.
"I'll never get the hang of that non-verbal stuff," Ron said, staring at his wand.
"Well maybe if you'd practice more," Hermione said in her usual bossy manner.
"I could help you," Renae suggested. "It wouldn't be like a tutor or anything, but in case you guys need some extra help I could like… stop by the Common Room a couple nights and work on it with you guys."
"Yeah, that'd be great," Ron said, more excited now. Hermione gaped at him.
"Of course when Renae offers to help, you don't mind!" she yelled. "What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing!" Ron said quickly. "This is just another reason to hang out with Renae… you know, we won't see her as much with her being in a different house."
"But she still comes to our Common Room!"
"Well…""Hermione, if you're going to make a big deal about this," Renae chuckled. "I don't have to do anything."
"No it's okay," she replied, shaking her head. "I just… freaked out."
"Yeah, you did!" Harry laughed.
Hermione glared at him, but broke into a smile as they walked through the front doors and out on to the grounds. They took their usual spots under the beech tree and stretched back. Renae pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook it out. A few boys nearby hooted and whistled while she rolled her eyes and lay back in the grass.
"Why do they keep doing that to me?" Renae groaned.
Seamus and Dean sat down with them and threw their bags to the side. They, too, lay down in the grass.
"Doing what?" Dean asked.
"Cat-calling at me and stuff!" she yelled.
"It's because we don't have girls like you here," Seamus laughed. "No offense or anything, Hermione."
"None taken," she said stiffly.
"You're like foreign candy here," Dean explained. "You only find it every now and then, and when you do, you make the most of it."
"So every guy is trying to claim his piece?" Renae responded heatedly.
"Basically."
"I'm not all that great!" Renae sat up and shouted. "Yeah I get good grades and I'm new here, so what? Hermione's brilliant, why don't they follow her around and stuff?"
"Once again, no offense Hermione," Seamus said and Hermione glowered at him. "But you're drop-dead gorgeous Renae! No one like you has been here since those crazy French girls from the Triwizard Tournament! And they were all superficial and bitchy anyway. You're talented, funny, sweet, energetic, and absolutely beautiful! Why shouldn't every guy be all over you?"
"Because they don't know me!" she whined. "I say 'like' a lot, I can be really irritable, I'm late for everything, I'm a klutz, and I'm not that goddamn pretty!"
"I think you are," he said calmly. "And I just spilled my heart out to you… nice one Seamus…"
"Yeah it's just amazing," Renae laughed. She stared up at the cloud-free sky and closed her eyes. "Do we have anything before dinner?"
"Nope," Harry answered, checking his schedule. "Just three hours of freedom…"
"Why don't we go do something?" Renae proposed, turning over onto her stomach and looking at everyone.
"Like what?"
"I dunno… what's there to do around here?" she asked.
"Not much," Dean said. "Studying… walking around… Hogsmeade, but that's not for another two weeks… and Quidditch. Free periods are usually pretty boring."
"I say we play Quidditch," Ron said. "We need to start practicing before trials. When are they anyway Captain Potter?"
"Shut it," Harry laughed. "I don't know yet. McGonagall said she'd tell me when we get some time."
"Besides, it's not like I need to practice," Renae moaned. "I can't even try out for the team. Damn Sorting Hat…"
"You mean you can't play?" Harry asked. "Aren't there any spots open on the Slytherin team?"
"Not that I know of," Renae sighed. "Who's Captain anyway?"
"Malfoy," Harry and Ron growled.
"Excellent," she muttered. "I'll ask him later. But y'all need to practice, so let's go already!"
"We need some more people though," Dean said. "There are only five of us. Should I go get Ginny?"
"Oh, you're going out with her?" Renae giggled. Ginny had talked about him so much over the summer, but had never mentioned a name.
"Yeah," he said, awkwardly, avoiding Ron's eyes.
"Who else should we get?" Seamus said. "What about Lavender and Parva-?"
Dean shook his head warningly and glanced towards Renae. She looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were all looking as confused as she was.
"Oh yeah," Seamus said. "They have to uh… study."
"How about I get my brothers?" Renae asked. "Wait… gah, never mind. They have class…"
"Shit, so does Ginny," Dean said. "Who else has free period now?"
"Any other sixth or seventh years," Harry said. "Hey, what about Katie?"
"Katie?"
"Katie Bell, the only Gryffindor Chaser left," Harry explained to Renae. "Seventh year. She's really good."
"Well that makes seven people…" Hermione said, counting in her head. "Do we know any one else who can come? Then, we could have two teams."
Everyone shook their heads.
"How about I get the Slytherins out here?" Renae suggested. "I know seven of them, they wouldn't mind."
"Wouldn't mind trying to kill us, more like," Ron said, scathingly.
"Oh, they're not that bad," Renae laughed. "And there are enough of them so I could play on your side. I'll go get them."
Renae ran inside and jumped the steps that lead towards the dungeons. She gave the password to the wall that secretly lead to her common room. There, sitting together was Pansy, Millicent, Sara, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise. Renae hopped over the back of the couch and squeezed between Draco and Blaise.
"Well hi!" Renae said brightly. "Are you guys doing anything important?"
"Not exactly…" Draco said. "Why?"
"Some of my friends and I are rounding up a bunch of sixth years to go play Quidditch," Renae said. "They already have an entire team, so you guys would all be together."
"Are they Gryffindors?" Blaise asked, skeptically.
"Yeah," Renae said. "They're like my best friends."
"Then shouldn't we be shunning you from our world?" Draco said. "Slytherins aren't even familiar with Gryffindors."
"Well they are now," Renae hissed. "So are you guys gonna play or what?"
They looked around at each other.
"Sure, I guess," Blaise said. "Hold on, we need our brooms…"
Everyone went upstairs to their dorms. Renae searched through her trunk for her broomstick. The inside of her trunk was magically enlarged to fit more things into it. Now, however, it was too big to even find her broom in it.
"There it is," Renae said to herself. "Okay, let's go."
She and the other girls traipsed down the stairs into the common room, where the boys already had their brooms ready. Draco eyed Renae's Nimbus 2001.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said smoothly. "I was just wondering where you got your broom. Surely, you couldn't have bought it. I mean, if you live next-door to Weaslebee…"
"His name's Ron," Renae growled. "And how did you know I live next to him?"
"It's been going around school since you got here," Draco said airily, waving a hand around. "All of the guys want to know every last thing about you. You're like-"
"Foreign candy?" Renae spat. "Yeah, so I've heard. Are we ready yet?"
Renae stomped out of the door, ahead of everyone else. She didn't speak to them or look back at all. All she wanted to do was get down to the Quidditch pitch without hauling off and hitting anything. Soon, she arrived outside to stadium, where the Gryffindors were standing. There was a tall blonde girl there, too whom Renae assumed was Katie.
"Let's just do this," Renae muttered to Seamus. "I want to cause Malfoy as much pain as possible…"
Reviews!
Zepplin Girl- of course I brought Slughorn back! Hes the shiznat! Lol. And youre not gonna find out why dracos mom doesn't like her for a few more chapters!
Paprika90- thanx for yet another review! Yea, im planning on keeping everything the same as in book 6. its just weird not having any of that happen… thanx again!