Chapter Thirteen

Rumors

Cailee did not want to look at Malfoy ever again. After the incident in the closet, she promptly left the party, and the others followed her. She told them all in the Common Room what had happened, and Ron and Seamus used some of the foulest words they knew on him while Dean was flipping through his DADA book, looking for the most ghastly curses they knew.

"But good for you Cailee! You didn't let him get you like he has so many others," Hermione said.

Cailee nodded, but she still felt used in a way.

She had Potions the Wednesday following the party, four days after it had happened, on November 4th. She walked into class and saw Malfoy standing with some his friends, talking. He looked at her, but she walked right past him up to Professor Snape's desk.

"Professor, could I ask you something? Since Malfoy is getting better in Potions, may I please be moved over next to Seamus, he needs my help more than Malfoy does," she said.

He seemed to think about it for a while. "Yes, that would be best. Seamus needs a lot of help, and in the meantime I think I'll move Malfoy back next to Pansy," he said, looking up at his class and sending sparks into the air from his wand tip. They all sat down, and Cailee knew Malfoy was watching her as she moved her stuff next to Seamus's.

"I'm glad that stupid git moved you away from Malfoy. I would have strangled him if he did anything to you," Seamus muttered, flipping through his book bag to get out his homework. Snape collected it, and put up their new potion on the board. He seemed to approve of their potion work, and had decided to put them back on track with the right syllabus. Cailee forgot everything that had happened over the weekend, and laughed herself insane at the things Dean and Seamus were pulling on each other.

"You guys are just like Fred and George," Ron said, as he pulled himself off the floor where he had been rolling around laughing.

"And you and Harry aren't?" Hermione asked him, smirking. Harry and Ron just shrugged their shoulders and looked away.

Cailee, Ron, and Harry parted ways with Hermione after lunch as they headed across the hall to Divination, while she headed off to Ancient Runes.

They had progressed from Star Gazing, and were now working on reading someone's history by knowing only a few facts about them, like their birth date, place of birth, hair color, and age. Firenze had made cards and put them into a hole in one of the trees, and they had to pull a card out, and go work with that person. Cailee was paired up luckily with Brian, who smiled at her.

"I bet I can guess her history," said someone loudly, and Cailee froze. She had heard Parvarti's voice. "Her private history isn't so private anymore, since everyone knows she's been sleeping with Dean behind Ginny's back, and they know she got with Malfoy on Saturday. Whore."

Brian looked furious. He looked up at Parvarti, and made some rude hand gestures, before returning to work. He consoled Cailee consistently while Parvarti kept up an endless stream of rude comments.

"Why don't you just shove off!" He finally yelled. "Leave her alone and stop being such a whiney prep! She hasn't done ANYTHING to you, so get off her case! If you can't get a guy because you're such a little prat, is no reason for you to go around insulting her! If I find out you have said anything more to her, you're going to wish you'd never heard of Hogwarts, understand me?" he shouted in her face, towering over her. She gulped and nodded, and turned her back and started crying to Lavender.

"I meant what I said, Cailee. Even though I've only known you a few days, it's like I've known you forever. You're such a sweet girl, and you don't deserve what she's giving you. So tell me, okay? I know friends in high places," he said smiling, a twinkle in his blue eyes she had never noticed before. He had twin brothers in seventh year, and he was the most popular in his house with bunches of friends, that if he said so, would go hex Parvarti into next week without thinking twice.

Needless to say, the rest of that week did not go well. In Herbology, some of the Hufflepuffs, and some of the more preppie ones, were making snide comments behind Cailee's back, loud enough so she could hear them.

"You and Malfoy having fun together?" one boy asked her during that class. Afterwards, Ron, Seamus, and Dean started a fight with him after class as they were making their way back to the castle. Dean was sent to the Hospital Wing to be treated for small boils that had started breaking out all over his body. But other than that, her friends were fine. As far as she knew, the other boy still hadn't woken up in the Hospital Wing, and if anyone found out who started the fight she knew Ron, Dean, and Seamus would be in a crap load of trouble.

Care of Magical Creatures on Friday was not any better. Not only did everyone in that class think she was a tramp, other than the Gryffindors, she found out Malfoy had been going around and telling everyone he had nailed her at the party.

"Yes, she's very good, if you know what I mean," Ron overheard him saying to Bole. "I'll bet she'll teach you some things, Bole, if you wanted to know, for a price." He said, and started laughing. Ron shot a curse at him from behind one of the crates of Benevalors. Cailee didn't learn of this until afterwards because she and Harry were inside Hagrid's hut brewing some specific medicine for their pups because theirs weren't eating, or playing, and seemed pretty lifeless.

Cailee finally recieveda break from the endless torment from her peers. Saturday was the first Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. Cailee was fascinated by the game, as she had never seen it played before. That's it, she decided, I'm going to become a medic-witch so I can look after these players. Ginny was really good as a Chaser, better than the other two on her team. She scored most of the goals, and they were up 60-20.

"OOHH!" A shout rang up through the crowd. Harry and the Hufflepuff seeker were in a nose-dive, neck and neck to get the Snitch. Harry veered sharply to his right, knocking the other Seeker off course, and clasped the Snitch in his hand. Hufflepuff still got a penalty shot for the foul Harry caused, but Gryffindor still won.

It was crazy in the Common Room that night.

"I don't see why, though," Hermione said. "Seeing as how they've won almost every game they've ever played. You'd think they'd get bored of it after a while."

Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter was so short. But don't worry, I'm almost finished with the whole story, so keep reviewing and you'll get it sooner!