Bedelgium (or Some Bloody Little Prat By The Name Of Draco)

Bianca could only resist temptation until they were three feet away from the now closed DADA classroom door.

"What was that all about, Tiger? He's old!"

"So? He's not that old. Besides, he's insanely gorgeous. I wonder . . ."

"What?" Bianca asked cautiously.

"I wonder what he's like."

"Like? How do you mean?"

"Well you know," Tiger Lily said, trying not to roll her eyes at her naive cousin. "What he's like in be--" Someone tapped on her shoulder and she glanced back. "--delgium--H-hello, Professor . . ."

"Bedelgium? Never heard of it. Maybe you could tell me about it, Tiger Lily."

"Well, um . . . it's a . . ." stammered the green-eyed, red-faced girl. "Country in this story we're writing. Yes, they have a major exporting business with beds. Quite fascinating, really." She topped this off with an angelic smile.

"Right. I need to speak with you in my office."

"Okay . . ."

Tiger Lily and Bianca exchanged puzzled looks. Bianca winked as her cousin followed the blonde-haired man away.

Once in Professor Malfoy's office, he told Tiger Lily to sit down. She did as he'd told her, taking one of the two chairs in front of his neat and tidy desk. To her surprise, after he closed the door he took the other chair, turning it sideways, and did something to turn her towards him and pull her closer. He stared at her for a few moments, making her squirm in her seat. What on earth was this about?

Tiger Lily sighed. "Professor, unless you need or want anything, I really should be going now."

"As a matter of fact, I do have something I need and want . . . very much. But . . . I have something that I must sort out first, on a more professional level."

She somehow managed to smirk at him and give him innocent wide eyes at once. "Yes Sir?"

He blushed and shifted his gaze. "Tiger Lily, I wonder--how is it that you don't even pay attention to what you're doing, and you still get a perfect paper?"

She shrugged and smiled sweetly. "I'm just good like that."

He chuckled and mumbled, "I bet."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you do, do you?"

"Er . . . That is irrelevant to what we need to discuss right now."

"Right now? What about after?"

Quickly, the professor said, "We'll see--okay--anyway . . . I'm going to make this short and sweet." The pretty girl smirked at him. "I want you to be my--"

"Of course Sir."

He blinked. "My aide."

"Okay. In what?"

"In class."

"All right. As long as it doesn't interfere with my quidditch schedule."

Interesting, thought the handsome professor.

"You play quidditch?"

She almost snorted at him. Hadn't he seen her last name? Well, it wouldn't surprise her if he hadn't. No one, even Professor Snape, ever called her by her last name. They got so hung up on her first name that it never occurred to them that she would even have a surname.

"Well, naturally I play quidditch. I'm expected to, aren't I? What with my parents being who they are."

"Really? I was quite the fine seeker in my day. Never beaten."

"Bet my dad could've beaten you, had you been seekers at the same time. My mum too."

Intrigued, he said, "Really? And who are these people? Should I know them?"

"You should. They're only legend. Especially my dad," she said with a grim smile on her elfin face.

The man snickered. "Doubt it. To become a legend, you have to be or do something truly spectacular."

"Well they did. Most of my family is legend."

"Oh, yeah? And what, may I ask, did they do?"

"Well . . . You asked for it." She chuckled as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "All of my family helped to defeat the dark lord Voldemort, for starters. But Dad more than any, he'd been fighting since he was a baby. He's got this really cool lighting bolt scar to prove it. Anyways, he was an amazing seeker, and so was Grandfather James.

On the other side, Uncle Charlie was a legendary seeker as well. Uncle Fred and Uncle George were legend because they left a giant swamp in the middle of the school during this evil woman's tyrannical attempt to overthrow Dumbledore. Plus, they were excellent beaters.

Grandpa James and Grandma Lily were Head Boy and Head Girl. And so was Aunt Mione. She said that the Head Boy was a total fox when she was Head Girl. And--what is it, Professor?"

He was as red as her mother's hair.

"Nothing. Go on," he said incredulously.

"Okay. Where was I? Oh . . . And Uncle Ron was an amazing keeper. He helped win the Quidditch Cup in his fifth year while Dad and Uncle Fred and Uncle George were banned from it. Mum took over for Dad that year."

"Tiger Lily, why did they get banned?"

"Oh that. Well, if I remember correctly, they beat up some bloody little prat by the name of Draco for making fun of our family," she said, a wicked scowl spreading across her face.