Disclaimer: Again, I only own Xan.

Author's Note: I am glad that people picked up on the subtle vibes harry was giving off. Made me feel great. Don't worry, the world won't be so easy for Xan soon.

Chapter Eight: Wasted Efforts?

Walking to breakfast Friday morning, all Draco could talk about was who he plundered last night. Didn't exactly work out for me because the last thing I want to think about is how I am not getting squat and prince-y here is getting laid. Every word dripped with sarcasm.

"So then, I with just a shift of my hips I unleashed something," Draco continued. "She went from vulumtuous ravenclaw nerd to kinky bitch. And she had stamina!"

"Some guys get all the luck," Teddy muttered.

"And some guys can't keep their mouth shut," I growled. "The girl wasn't even on the list, Draco, keep it to yourself."

"God damn, Marlow," Draco said looking at me. "Isn't someone sexually frustated."

"Sod off, Malfoy," I snarled, blowing smoke at him sharply. Yes, my bad mood was seething and I had to get all the angry emotions out before the act took over.

"Hey look, Granger," Blaise said as though he was shouting out 'land'. "Why hello there, Hermione," he said giving her one of those seedy suggestive grins which I personally hate.

Granger had come from gryffindor tower looking uncharacteristically pretty and alone at that. She accepted Blaise's circling like a sponge. Draco was about to go up to her but I grabbed his arm. "What is it Marlow?" he hissed.

"What this," I said.

Granger smiled and said "Good morning Blaise." She then tore herself from him and entered the great hall, leaving me stuck with a dumbstruck Italian.

"Did she just smile at me?" he asked.

"Why did that mudblood use your first name?" Draco demanded.

Bliase shrugged and then a grin spread onto his face. "I think that puts me in the lead."

"Fuck you," Teddy enunciated.

"Excuse me, what is going on here?" Draco asked angrily.

"Just a friendly bet," I said strolling into the Great Hall next to him.

"What, are you seeing who can sleep with gryffindors first or something?"

I caught Wonderboy's gaze and winked. "Actually Draco, yes."

He glared fiery death at me. "I hate you, Marlow."

I patted his shoulder. "Don't be jealous."

He grunted and walked swiftly over to the slytherin table. He shoved Blaise out of his way with a few cutting insults and sat down. A huge fart-noise rang through out the hall.

Everyone stared at Draco and then their eyes slowly shifted to the only people laughing. Ronaldo and wonderboy. Blaise couldn't help it, he started cracking up to. Teddy tried to laugh but Draco socked him in the gut. He glared daggers to Ronaldo then harshly asked for me to pass the eggs.

All through potions, all Draco could talk about was how he was going to make that muggle-lover pay. Or at least that is what I think he was talking about. In truth, I was too preoccupied with how I was going to get the attention of Harry Potter.

The second class was over, Ronaldo practically raced out of the room and Draco chased after him. It was probably the most immature thing I have seen recently. So I followed. At the top of the stairs, Draco had his hands around Ronaldo's throat and was shaking him. Insults abound, Blaise looked too happy with himself. "This is it, I am going to win the pool!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Teddy, Pansy, Morgan and I said in unison.

"Draco! Get down here!" Pansy shouted.

"Huh?" the blond prince turned and Ronaldo took his opportunity to kick Draco's shin. Most wizards aren't very good at physics and neither was Ronaldo. The two came toppling down the stairs and they fell into a puddle at the feet of slytherins and gryffindors alike.

"Ron!" you have to give Granger and Potter credit. They picked Ronaldo up off the floor in record time and they did it so lovingly. I just yanked Draco to his feet.

"Your turn to tell off that, poof muggle-lover," Draco hissed in my ear.

I felt slytherin eyes upon me, eagerly awaiting a clever insult. "Might I ask why the mature Weasley threw himself into the shadow of his older brothers."

"Like I was saying," Ronaldo glared at Draco. "It wasn't for the bloody ferret. It was for Zabini."

"Oh why thank you, Weasley," Zabini said with mock affection. "But I am not swinging that way. At least not today. Last night meant nothing." All the slytherins behind us snickered and Weasley went redder than a tomato in the face.

I saw the way wonderboy was looking at us and I trusted I wouldn't be doing myself any favors by making a snide comment. I literally had to bite my tongue to keep the wit inside my mouth. "Granger, keep your dogs on a leash or else you might find yourself in unpleasant situations." I threw them a wink, specifically direct at wonderboy then I walked up the stairs, away from the situation.

"What the fuck was that, Marlow?" Draco asked angrily as he caught up with me.

"It was apart of an entire set up," I lied. "I have detention with the bloke."

Draco just gave me one of those vicious glares then continued onto our next class. I was left imagining Teddy seducing Snape.

That evening, I borrowed Pansy's makeup kit and headed up to the library. I had spent hours listening to Blaise go on and on about Granger and I figured it was time to step it up a notch. Then again, this was all supposing I could figure out how to use all this stuff.

"What is that?" Granger asked in her usual condescending voice.

"I assume our deal is still intact?"

"Of course."

"Then this will make Zabini crawl. Sit still, Granger." I pulled out something that I guessed was foundation and started to apply it to her slightly blemished hairline. "What do you have for me about Potter?"

"He thought what you did today after potions was strange and uncalled for."

"I need some substance here, Granger."

"Hold your horses," she said sharply, pulled away as I rubbed the makeup into her skin. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes."

"I asked him if he thought you were pretty and he said you were pale. So I get to put some of this bloody stuff on you."

"Psh, in your dreams, Granger."

Ten minutes later I found myself seated with colors being blended into my face. "Lovely. Just remember Granger, don't give into Zabini's advances. Keep blowing him off."

"You'll be lucky if you can get Harry talking to you."

I smirked. "Apparently you don't like the idea of a slytherin going after him."

She snorted. "Obviously. Let's be clear Marlow, I know you have some other motive but . . . a deal's a deal. Until you cross the line."

I faked shock. "Me? Something up my sleeve? I could accuse the same of you Granger. You're chasing Blaise fucking Zabini."

She hissed at me. "Keep it down! I don't actually want people to know."

"Sure, whatever, Granger."

When she finished, she stood back and looked at me, with an expression of pleasure and surprise. "What?" I asked flatly.

"You look nice, Marlow."

"Are you a follower of the goblin theory as well?"

"Well you would look better if you held down those sarcastic comments."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I have a detention to get to."

"You on time?"

"Sod off, mudblood," I said as I turned. It just rolled off the tongue.

But Granger had come prepared. "Better honest muggle dentists than corrupt pureblood crimelords."

That comment actually stung and while I usually would have walked off. I stopped, turned and buried her. "Watch where you step, Granger. It's the lords that have the power and make no mistake, my father's enterprises are more powerful than anything you've ever dreamed off."

"I know all about Marlow Enterprises. They will not withstand the Order or the Ministry. It is already unraveling. You and your entire spoiled slytherin kind."

I sneered at her more hatefully than I ever have. "If that's a challenge, Granger than consider yourself warned." I stormed out of the library and down to detention just shaking with anger.

I slammed the door of the detention classroom, expecting to have wonderboy waiting for me. Alas, it was empty and I was left festering on my anger. However, when wonderboy didn't show up for another half an hour, was when I started to get pissed off. Here I was, looking rather nice (or so I've heard, I haven't actually looked in the mirror) and Harry bloody Potter was just going to stand me up? I think not.

With a sharp opening and closing of the door I was on a rampage. My heels clicked so loud that they echoed in the corridors. Out on the quidditch pitch, just as I had suspected gryffindor was still practicing and there star seeker didn't seem to have any qualms about staying up there. That better change.

In hind sight, had I been my normal self, in more than one aspect, I would have found a more logical approach. But I wasn't and all I wanted to do was send wonderboy to next thursday.

It was extremely wet out on the pitch and windy. My hair feel loose in about two minutes. Red hair everywhere, it was disgusting. "Potter!" I shouted up at him. "Potter get your bloody arse down here!" Make no mistake, when I want to I can project my voice. "Potter!"

Before I got the attention of the seeker however, one of the beaters noticed me. Dean Thomas. "Marlow!" I looked up and mentally kicked myself, I had just only proved it was indeed me.

"Hey mates!" he shouted, zooming around. "Slytherin! Slytherin on the pitch!"

"Fuck and I'm not even on the bloody team," I muttered.

Suddenly, someone whooshed over my head, nearly decapitating me. I looked and met the hateful gaze of the Weasley girl. "Slytherin scum," she growled.

"Whoa!" I shouted as I nearly got decapitated by another chaser. "Fuck! I just want to talk to Harry fucking Potter! Ah!" I had to hit the deck (so to speak) when a bludger came shooting towards me. When I got up, the next thing I knew I was being lifted off the ground because my collar was hooked on the edge of a broomstick.

"This is fucking harassment!" I screamed. "Let me the fuck down!"

"Xandra?" I looked ahead and saw Seamus Finnegan hovering on his broom. "What do you want?" he asked darkly.

"Not to be ten meters in the hair for one," I said. "I am looking for Harry Potter."

"He's up there," Seamus pointed.

"Help me!" I said getting extremely freaked out about this height.

"Nah, let us have some more fun with the slytherin," whichever gryffindor operating the broom said.

"Oh isn't this peachy," I muttered. "Seamus, help!"

Just when it looked as though he was about to reach out and grab me, someone shouted for him to look and all went black. God it sucks to be a slytherin when you don't have back up.

I woke up in response to the cold water. Literally. I screamed and tried to get the water out of my eyes and look around. When the onslaught stopped, I realized I was in a locker room. "Thank god, you're alive." I turned and saw wonderboy breathing a sigh of relief.

"What happened and do you have a cigarette?"

"No and you were hit by a bludger."

I got to my feet and started ringing out my clothes. I was trying to talk myself into being comfortable with the situation and making a move but it wasn't so easy. "Well thanks."

"For what?" he asked.

I turned and looked at him. He was covered in dirt and sweat. Quidditch pads were strapped to him and I hated myself for finding him attractive. Slytherin guys never looked like this. They never just don't care or forget about their state of being. But it looked as though our Mr. Potter didn't even know he had mud smeared on his face.

"For not letting me be viciously raped on the quidditch pitch," I said with an all too calm look on my face.

He fidgeted at the awkward situation. "Well, we're even now."

I smirked. "Not quite." I turned on the shower, soaking him.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" I did.

"Why didn't you appear for detention, bringing me back to why you endangered my life."

"Practice . . ."

"I am sure Snape will love that," I mused. "Skipping detention for quidditch. I smell a suspended seeker."

"Oh god you wouldn't . . ." he looked at me pleadingly.

"I would." I moved to the door but he put his arm in front of me.

"I am not letting you out of here then."

I smirked. "What do you plan to do with me? Throw me up against the wall and ravage me?"

"What?"

I laughed, "Whatever, Potter. Tata." I ducked under his arm and headed for the door. He shouted for me to wait. He grabbed my shoulder and I slipped, falling backwards right into him. Wonderboy and I collapsed onto the floor. I rolled over and found myself in full body contact with my target. Better than I am sure Blaise or Teddy was doing.

I bore into his eyes as I pondered my next move. Suddenly, I felt something pushing against the side of my knee. I smirked internally then leaned down to kiss him. This was all apart of my plan. Except, I wasn't planning on being pushed away.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as I rolled off.

"Kissing you, or are you daft?" I replied.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, in a husky frustrated voice. "It's driving me insane! First you're blackmailing me then your kissing me? What are you?"

" I am," I said, resting on my elbows as he stood up. "Very attracted to you. And from the lump in your pants, you're attracted to me as well."

He blushed violently but sputtered on. "Is revenge or something? Where are the cameras, Marlow?"

"Look, you're frustrated Potter. Let's go for a quicky in the show."
He gave me a look of disgust and I mentally kicked myself. Only slitherin boys go for the stuff. Well… Justin did too but I am sure he isn't like all Hufflepuffs. I opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off. "Don't say anything, Marlow. God I left you unconscious."

"Why didn't you?" I asked as he stormed out of the locker room. I think he said something with an F.

I sat there on the floor for a while until my fingers wandered up to my head. I looked at them. Blood. "Fuck," I cursed.

"Xandra?" I looked up and saw Seamus, all muddy in the doorway. God he looked good. "Are you okay?"

"I'm bleeding," I said through clenched teeth, the wound and begun to sting.

He rushed towards me and looked at it. "Ah hell," he said. "Hang on," he reached inside his uniform and ripped a piece of clothe that was untouched by mud. He began do dab and clean the wound.

"Really, you don't have to do this," I tried to protest but he held me still.

"I'd feel too guilty if I didn't."

I let a small smile flash across my face. "So why have you been avoiding me?" I asked casually.

He hesitated. "You never told me you were in slytherin."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes it matters!" he said. "Bloody hell you're friends with that Malfoy prat."

"Depends what you mean by friend."

"Everytime I see you, you are with him."

"He isn't the only one," I replied. "You never seemed to notice before Potter told you."

"Yeah . . .well . . . I don't be looking at him that much."

"Kind of presumptuous to think that Malfoy and I are the same then." I looked up at his face and he looked at me as well.

See the funny thing is, I am quite like Malfoy. Not just family wise but sex drive wise and people skills-wise. Got to get your kicks while you can right? Perhaps that theory is what led to my failure with Harry Potter and a shag Seamus Finnegan in the Gryffindor shower. At least all the effort wasn't wasted.

Author's Note: There we go, chapter eight. So Harry Potter seems to be resisting against Xan's silver tongue and Seamus is back! See you all in the next chapter!