Disclaimer: I only own Xan

Author's Note: A big thanks to those who have reviewed, especially Poke-the-sleeping-dragon. She really made my day. Anyway, onward.

Chapter Nine: Singled Out, Coupled Up

I spent my Saturday lying in bed. I didn't move except to reach for my cigarettes. Actually that is not entirely true. At some point I finished my transfiguration essay but it was a very pleasant time. If spending your day in an empty dungeon is your idea of a good time. When I finally checked the clock, I discovered it was dinnertime so I meandered to the great hall.

I didn't get very far because a quite frantic Daphne found me. "Xan! Xan! Come quick!"

"What is it?" I wasn't exactly shocked by Daphne's behavior, she gets giddy sometimes.

"Draco and Harry Potter just got into a fight!" this caused the cigarette to fall from my lips. We ran out to the courtyard and I didn't have time to wonder just why this pertained to me.

Out in the courtyard, the usual suspects were holding off and taunting their respective gryffindor rivals. I pushed passed Colin Creevey and grabbed Blaise. "What's going on?"

He looked at me apprehensively and the sounds of Granger screaming for the two boys to stop filled the gap. Before Blaise answered, the brawlers answered my question. "Say it again, Potter! Just try and insult a slytherin again!" Draco got wonderboy right in the nose and blood was everywhere.

"Do something, Marlow!" Granger called.

"Why me?"

"Because this is about you!"

My eyes widened in surprise and I initially was going to let them brawl but then I saw the tip of McGonagall's hat. "Fuck Draco," I said, grabbing him and yanking him off Potter. "Take is arm," I said to Zabini. Draco fell limp as though he had been the one beaten. Potters blood was all over his face and robes.

"What is going on here?" McGonagall demanded.

"Malfoy bloody attacked me!" wonderboy said, holding his nose.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Malfoy?" she turned to us.

Like the loyal right hand man I am, I spoke first. "It is obvious that Potter inflicted more damage than Malfoy here and moreover –"

"Shut up, Marlow you weren't here for half the fight!" someone shouted.

"How about Mr. Malfoy tells me what happened," McGongall said in that sharp, condescending voice of hers.

Draco narrowed his eyes in wonderboy's direction. "He insulted one of my people."

"I need specifics Mr. Malfoy."

He looked at her with eyes nearly identical to the ones that he had given wonderboy. "He called Alexandra Marlow a whore." I found myself silenced and staring. God damn, and to think I was banking on the idea he wouldn't snitch. Bugger.

"I don't think that constitutes giving a classmate a bloody nose, Mr. Malfoy but I will leave your punishment to Professor Snape. As for you Mr. Potter," she said turning to her own. "You come with me." That is what I love about McGongall. She punishes her own students too.

"Let's go," Draco said, sneering haughtily at the gryffindors we passed. Once we got down to the dungeon corridors he seemed to be walking fine. But Pansy was clinging to him anyway.

"Are you sure you're alright? You were so brave, Draco."
"Did you see Potter's nose?" Teddy said with a laugh. "Bleeding like a fucking river."

"This calls for a celebration," Blaise said thoughtfully. "Not only did we win our game. We put those gryffindorks back in their place."

"Should I head down to the kitchens?" I asked. A full day of rest and I was up for a bit of drinking. Slytherin parties are always so entertaining.

"I'll go with you," Draco said.

"But –" Pansy began.

"Tell them all the good news before I get there, okay babe," he threw her a wink. Morgan gave me a not-this-again look.

"Well then let's go, gimpy," I said. "Want a cigarette?"

"Yeah," he replied. I gave him one and he quickly lit up. When Draco smokes, he has this illusive look to him. He has that bad boy look down to his bones. I would be lying if I said I didn't find him sexy. If he doesn't open his mouth, his image evokes a fantasy almost. You know, a passionate relationship with a dashing man filled with . . .well passion. Sadly, the second Draco open's his mouth, if you still have your wits about you (many don't) it's crushed.

"What was so important about Potter insulting me that so eagerly broke his nose?" I asked as we slipped into the secret passage to the kitchens. "I though only gryffindors were that spontaneous."

He laughed. "How like you, Marlow. You aren't the only calculating one. I planned it. Zabini and Nott overheard it, pressured Potter about it, then I pounced. It was quite thrilling really."

I chuckled, "And here I thought you were defending my honor. Tragic."

"Sorry Marlow. You're not that amazing. Shagable but not amazing."

"Oh and just who is amazing to the great Draco Malfoy?" I asked with a roll of my eyes. In truth his words were repeats of idle comments I have received from all the men I surrounded myself with in my life. I remember, hah, my uncles and father were discussing business when I was young and idly said to me, 'Make a lot of money, Xandra.' When I asked why he responded, 'you're never going to be pretty enough topay for.' Ouch right? Doesn't sting so much anymore.

"What Xan Marlow doesn't know already?" he mocked.

"Fuck off and let's get the fucking –" We both stopped. Two dark figures were intertwined ahead of the tunnel.

"Shit," I hissed. "They coming."

"I can see that," Draco snapped irritably. "Get of against the wall."

I glared at him, understanding his exact implications. Nice thing about your own house, or at least slytherin. You understand eachother quite well. "Better make it good, Malfoy."

"Fuck you, Marlow."

"You did say I was shagable." Right after I finished my sentence he pushed me up against the wall and pressed himself against me, as though we were making out. His body pretty much covered me and whoever had been coming towards us, began to pass. What surprised me was when Draco actually started to kiss me. I forgot about the façade, that is until he pulled away.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked wiping my mouth.

"Keep that seduction up, Marlow and we might have to shag right here."

"Kinky bastard," I muttered.

"Oh yes, nicotine gets me hard," he mocked.

We entered the kitchens and had the house elves help us stock up on party goods and somehow, Draco got the house elves to carry it down to the dungeons. Leave it to him to know how to boss something around. I decided instead of going straight back to the dungeons, I would stop in the great hall and pick up a roll. I don't think Draco needs me with him in order to claim is position as slytherin prince.

"So I am just another pawn eh?" I turned and found Seamus with his arms folded looking rather pissed off. Chances of him having scene the affaire earlier (in the courtyard I mean) are high. But he still could be irritated that I haven't talked to him since I shagged his brains out. You know how Irish men are.

"What are you talking about, Seamus?" I asked looking at him dully. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

"Harry Potter? Malfoy? How many other guys are you two timing me with?"

"What do you mean? It was a shag, Seamus, not wedding vows."

"You know you want it to be more than that," I looked him up and down. My pride wouldn't let me tell him he was right.

"Oh yeah, Finnegan? Prove it," I enunciated. I stalked off. Just as I turned the corner, I slipped and fell on my face. Not exactly slytherin grace.

"Do you need a hand?"

I looked up and saw Lindsey Kognovich offering her help to me. I sneered and got to my feet. I didn't even reply for I might have tore her head off, figuratively of course. Now I was really ready for some time to unwind.

However that wasn't to be had at the slytherin party. I had a flask of firewhiskey and badly beat Blaise in a game of strip poker. Slytherins tend to find wizard's chess poofy, so we play cards. Anyway but after I was praised for my win, everyone seemed to couple up and I was left shuffling cards with Goyle.

"Why do I feel so demoted?" I asked with a sarcastic sigh, you know the kind you give yourself when you aren't being serious. I dealed out the cards for another game.

"What do you mean?" he asked in his slow, lumbering voice. It isn't that goyle's stupid, he's quite observant. He, like Crabbe, are just more passive blokes. Better at taking orders than giving them, out to save their own skin and be apart of something. Nothing really wrong with that. Those Gryffindorks would like to have you thinking these blokes couldn't put two and two together, just because they aren't stupid enough to jump up and try to start a revolution (cough-DA-cough).

"I am Draco went off to fuck Pansy into the wall, Moon is with that ravenclaw poof, Daphne ran off with Zabini for a night of abandon and I haven't gotten hit on once tonight."

"So leave and get someone to hit you."

Despite his misuse of the verb, he had a point. So I gathered up my cards mid-game and got down to hogsmeade as fast as I could. I figured it was late and I would go to the Three Broomsticks, just because when I pass out piss-assed drunk, I want to possibly be found by someone who wouldn't robe me, rape me and/or kidnap me. Shows you what neighborhood the best bars are in.

I took a seat at the bar of the Three Broomsticks and ordered up a firewhiskey. "Xan Marlow!" the bartender exclaimed. It took me a second to remember who he was. "What are you doing here?"

"I got to school at Hogwarts, Manny."

"Yeah but the only slytherin I've seen has been the Baddock kid. Little playboy."

"More like slut," I said as I took a sip of my drink. Manny is a cousin from my mother's side. Yes the mother that no long exists. He tried to get in my father's favor but failed. Couldn't even get his hands on the Marlow name for protection.

So I talked with my cousin and drank firewhiskey . . . and drank . . .and drank. Until Manny broke away from me. "Hey there, Harry." I looked up, a glum Harry Potter was coming over, apparently not having seen my face.

"Can I get some firewhiskey, Manny?"

"Bloody hell, why is everyone so depressed tonight?"

"What do you mean?" wonderboy asked.

"You, Xan a bunch of other gryffindors."

"Xan? Xan Marlow?"

I turned to him. "The one and only."

He burried his face in his hands and groaned. "God dammit! You're everywhere."

I smirked, very drunk. "Why don't we play a drinking game, Potter."

He must have been depressed because he agreed. I never took back the liquor, I had him do it, so we could be on an even playing field. I had forgotten all about the events of earlier today.

"Hey Potter," I said after he seemed rather tipsy. "I challenge you to a game of strip poker!"

"You're on," he said, looking as though his eyes would roll out of his skull.

"Can I get the back room, Manny?" I called.

"Sure," my cousin replied lazily.

We were sober enough to remember how to play poker. With each loss we kept knocking them back and clothes were coming off. Shirt and pants for wonderboy eventually and I had about two more items than he. "Bloody hell how did you get that?" he exclaimed as I won again.

"Shirt off, wonderboy," I said, taking another drink.

We played again and this time he won. "Your shirt as well, Marlow!" I had a thin tank top underneath.

I won next hand. "Pants, Potter!" He cursed and discarded them. He was so sexy in his boxers.

I lost my tank top next. Bra and trousers now.

Suddenly, he stopped and he was staring across the small table at me. He picked up his wand and quickly muttered a spell. My hair was suddenly black again. "Ya know . .. you're really pretty, Mar-mar," he was drunkenly stuttering my name.

"Xandra," I corrected. God I was so smashed. "You aren't too bad yourself, Harry. Quiddish has been good to ya."

I don't know how it happened but next thing I know, we are upon eachother, kissing and making out with such force you thought the world was ending. It was a great feeling. "I want you," he whispered, in between kisses.

"I want you, Harry," I whispered with a slight slur in between kisses. His hands were on my belt, mine were in his hair and on his boxers and then, I was just about to rip off those thin shorts when

I passed out. I woke up Monday morning in my own bed.

Author's Note: There we are. Sorry it took so long. I really appreciate feedback. I hope you all enjoyed it. See you in the next chapter!