Seven Years Later...
Chapter 9
"It's not what it looks like, I swear! "
Author's Note: This happnes to be one of our favorite chapters in thw whole story, and just to let you know Dogedoos, we are going to finish the misfit stories as if HBP never happened, cause Dumbledore is too important to our plot to kill... SPOILER!
Artimis woke up with Draco looking down at her with the brightest smile she had ever seen on his face. She sighed and proceeded to crawl out of bed, seeing that the clock read 8:00 am.
"Oh my. I slept in, Breakfast isn't done. Oh no." She said, rushing for the bedroom door.
"Honey, calm down, Hermione and Hailey are cooking. Besides, I have our breakfast here." Draco spoke, gesturing to a tray with eggs, sauague and toast. She smiled and crawled back in bed, amazed by this new attaitude Draco was showing her. She let him put the tray over her and she proceeded to wolf down the saugage and eggs, totally ignoring her toast. Draco looked at her and smiled. After they had finsihed eating he moved her tray and got on her bed beside her, gently placing his hand on her stomach and smiling.
"I love you." He spoke as she looked his oddly.
" I love you too, could you move you hand dear."
"Of course." He spoke as he moved his hand and took her hand in his. She looked at him and pulled her hand away.
"Are you ok? You're acting fruiter than Alexis." She spoke and he smirked.
"I am perfectly fine. How are you feeling today? Are you ok? Can I get you something?" He asked, and she got out of bed.
"Yes, I am FINE. Why don't you go check on your mother." She spoke, trying to control her temper that had suddenly rose.
"Ok dear, but if you need anything, anything at all, call for me." Draco spoke as he left the room and Artimis checked her temperature.
"That was odd. Oh well." Artimis spoke as she headed toward the bathroom. She entered the finely done green tiled room and had the sudden urge to puke. She dived for the toilet, wondering why in the hell she kept puking up whatever she ate. She knew she had been doing it since her father died, so it wasn't a part of her recovering.
Maybe I should go see Madam Pomfrey... Artimis thought to herself.
(Yeah, maybe you should) Alexis intoned and Artimis sighed.
"What I wouldn't give to be alone in my head for one day." Artimis spoke as she hopped into the shower and got dressed. She wrote an owl to Madam Pomfrey, saying she would be stopping by to see her today because something was bothering her. She sent Orestes, the fastest owl they had and walked downstairs. What she saw made her smile. Alexis and Ron were sitting across the hall in the Game Room, on one of the couchs playing wizarding chess and talking. Alexis had a smile of pure happiness on her face and Ron shared that smile. She snickered and walked downstairs, intending on getting her portkey to Hogwarts.
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Alexis yawned widely, stretching dog-like as she opened weary eyes. She wore a grin that hadn't left her since Ron had walked her to her room last night. It wasn't just that, but he had also leaned in and kissed her on the head goodnight. She smiled widely, sitting up glancing at the clock. It read 7:45 am. She groaned and plopped back on her pillow, intending to go back to sleep. There was a soft knock on her door and she sat up in confusion. Who was bugging her this early in the morning?
She crawled to the edge of her bed, quielty walking to her door and cracking it open curiously. Ron stood outside, awkwardly figetting. She shook her head in amusement.
"Good morning Alexis. Um... sorry if I woke you... but, well, I 'm bloody bored. Everyone's grouchy or still sleeping. I couldn't sleep much last night, s'why I'm up so early. So I was wondering if you wanted to do something."
Alexis smiled. "Sure. Wasn't planning much anyway." She spoke, opening her door wider. He grinned, and looked down at her. He blushed and Alexis looked down as well. She was still in a tight tank top and pajama underwear. She quickly closed the door slightly. "Um, maybe I should get dressed first."
"Yeah... I'll, wait out here..." He replied. She closed the door and scrambled to find some decent clothes that were close on hand. She pulled on some blue jeans and yanked on a red halter top. She ran out the door, putting on a smile.
"Shall we?"
"We shall." He replied, gesturing for her to lead the way downstairs. Alexis bowed and walked to the stairs. She halted and Ron gazed at her in curiousity. She smirked and jumped upon the banister that lined the whole flight of stairs. She let out a whoop and started sliding down, holding on tight. Ron laughed and jumped on the banister as well, sliding down right behind her.
They reached the bottom floor, and Alexis skipped into the Game room and pulled out a random board game, sitting on one of the couches as Ron pulled up a table. She looked at the game, which happened to be Wizarding Chess. She sighed. "You know how long it's been since I played this? Not since my third year in school. And even then I sucked."
Ron smiled proudly. "That's okay. I'm the Master. It'll be a jiff teaching you."
"Hm, you say that now..."
She took out the peices, attempting to arrange them in what she thought was the right way. He shook his head and rearranged them for her, and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay, the whole object of the game is to predict your opponent's strategy." Ron explained, Alexis gazing at him, her whole attention fixed.
So, he proceeded to explain which peice did what, moved where, was named what. It took about an hour or so, Alexis repeatedly forgetting which peice was what. Finally, Ron sat back and clapped his hands together. "Alright, and the game begins..."
He let Alexis moved first, and he countered. She had heard of his expertise with this game numerous times before, but his performance this time was not up to par. She almost immediately caught on. He's letting me win...
She didn't take kindly to people who didn't try their best when competeing with her, but this time, she decided to let it go. For now.
The game continued for the better part of an hour and a half, both of them talking about random things, laughing over past predicaments, and just generally enjoying each other's company, niether of them really noticing or caring if any of the rest of the household were up or not. Alexis studied the board carefully, and saw an obvious opening.
"Checkmate." She spoke, her bishop peice gliding across the board and attacking Ron's king piece.
He frowned in mock annoyance, then smirked and looked up at her. "I guess you got me this time."
She narrowed her eyes, and accused. "Yeah, cause you let me."
He smiled and shrugged, speaking slyly. "So. What are you gonna do about it?"
She glared amusingly. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do..." She growled, shoving him in the shoulder. He froze, then shoved her back. Alexis looked at him in shock. He smirked. She paused a moment, then leapt at him, knocking him back onto the couch. He laughed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her off him and to the side, pinning her onto the couch. She laughed and grabbed him around the neck, shoving his head into the cushions. He sputtered and sat up, pinning her arms behind her as she pushed forward. He was caught off guard and fell backwards, her falling halfway atop him. He pulled her around and pinned her half under him instead, both laughing, faces mere inches from each others. They gazed into each other eyes for a moment, trying to catch their breath.
There was a small cough by the doorway, and they gazed towards it in curiousity. Lupin stood leaning against the doorframe, watching them with no expression at all on his calm face.
"Um... Hi, How are ya? Nice hair..." Alexis said, being pinned underneath Ron at the moment and not being able to run for dear life.
"Um Good Morning Sir." Ron said as he untangled himself from Alexis and got up off of Alexis, blushing like no tomorrow.
" Good morning Alexis. Good morning Ron." Remus spoke, calmly looking them up and down.
"It's not what it looks like! I swear!" Alexis spoke and Lupin chuckled.
"Alexis, you're a grown woman, you don't have to explain to me. Although, it would be best that any futher 'games' be played away from spying eyes." Remus spoke, walking away. Alexis jumped up quickly from the couch. "Wait! Remus! Hold on a minute..." Ron burst out laughing, and Alexis turned to him, he got up as well, calling after Lupin. "Wait sir! She shoved me, then I shoved her... then she leapt at me, and I pinned her... then we... oh god... that just made it so much better..."
Alexis plopped onto the floor, shaking her head in shock, just knowing where this could lead. Ron continued to laugh, half in amusement, half for his nervousness.
"Okay, Ron! You can stop any time... this is just great..."
"So sorry Alexis... at least we know it wasn't what it looked like." he apologized.
"Yeah but Ron, he's like, my dad, okay. Think about this."
They were quiet for a moment, staring at each other. Then Ron cracked a smile, and both bust out laughing.
"Oh do shut up." Alexis spoke laughingly as she shoved him. He smirked, shoved her back and they began wrestling in the hallway, tumbling over each other and both squealing and laughing. Ron tickled Alexis's ribs and found that she was not ticklish. She in turn tickled him and found he was extremely ticklish. She attacked him, sitting on his stomach tickling his ribs yelling "Give up! You can never WIN!"
"I'll never give up to the likes of you!" He yelled through laughter, as he flipped her over. He pinned her under him and smirked.
"Do you surrender?" He asked.
"NEVER!" Alexis spoke and then she moved her head up and licked him. To her surprise, he didn't back away. Instead, he leaned down and licked her back. She smirked and bit his shoulder, trying to get out from under him.
He yelped and she laughed,"Do you yeild? Yeild or I shall bite again!"
"Then bite again you shall!" He spoke as he locked her knees down to the ground with his legs and held her arms down. "I can hold you like this all day Alexis. Give up." He whispered in her ear.
"My My My, Weasley and Whyte, won't that be a lovely couple." A cold, calculating voice echoed around them. Alexis looked over Ron's shoulder to see Snape staring at them. Alexis went to get up.
"No, let's frighten him. He thinks that if he says something, we will draw back and be embarrased. Let's scare him." Ron whispered to her and she cocked her head, looking at him with intent. He smirked and looked over his shoulder.
"Hey Severus, we're just wondering if you cared to join us? It would be lots of fun." He spoke and Alexis laughed.
"Yeah, the more the merrier. It would bode well with your insanity. Should I be so willing to loosen my jaw to say a few things?" She laughed sarcastically, taunting him. She saw the look of smugness leave Snape's face as he slowly backed away and headed to the kitchens. That was when Alexis saw Artimis coming out of dining room. Artimis saw them and her eyes grew wide.
"Alexis, you having fun or what?" Artimis spoke and Alexis frowned.
"Can no one stay in their bloody room for one morning!..." She spoke as Ron got off of her, helping her up. Artimis laughed and replied, "Ive felt the same way so many times. Talk to you later." Artimis spoke as she headed up stairs, winking at Alexis.
"Bad morning for wrestling eh?" Ron spoke.
"You're telling me. I never knew everyone was so nosy." Alexis spoke.
"Yeah, the house buzzes when a new relationship emerges and stuff." Ron spoke and Alexis looked at him weirdly.
"What do you mean relationship?" She asked, and he grew red.
"I mean, we're friends now right, more so than before, I guess. Damn am I bad at this talking thing." He spoke as she nodded and chuckled.
"It's ok. You're forgiven." She spoke as she walked by him, shoving him with her shoulder. He swung his arm out and pulled her to him.
"Don't start that again. I'm tired of beating you." He spoke and then he just looked into her eyes. Alexis felt that weird tug in her stomach, something she could barely remember feeling. It was like the feeling she had just before Jason had kissed her. Butterflies rushed in her stomach. Yet, this felt much more different. The butterflies were around her too, in the air. She stared into those blue eyes, felt like she was losing herself in them. And she could see him equally lost in hers. The air was charged and then he leaned in to kiss her. At the last moment she turned her cheek to him and his lips carressed across it.
"Don't. I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to be hurt either." She spoke quietly as his lips touched her cheek. He drew back slightly.
"I don't want to hurt you. I won't force you either. I just thought you wanted it at that moment, sorry." He spoke as he drew away from her, letting her go. She looked at the pain in his eyes. She watched him walk away and she felt her heart breaking for him again. Somewhere in her she felt like she had done the wrong thing. But she knew she couldn't go back to that moment.
She needed to ask a guy.
She went hunting for Draco. She found him upstairs in the library and grabbed him without speaking and dragged him into her empty tower, proceeding to ask him about guys. It was a scary conversation.
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Artimis was highly amused. She went to her room and prepared to go see Madame Pomfrey. She decided to go upstairs and see Alexis about this new Ron thing. She walked up to the tower, sensing that Alexis was there. She was hoping to perhaps catch Alexis and Ron in a compromising situation, so she brought a camera just in case. She tiptoed to the door and went to grab the handle, when the door opened. Draco opened the door, running his hand through his hair and letting Alexis go out first, who was smiling slightly. Artimis went from amused to enraged. She felt an anger boiling in her chest. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to put them through pain.
"ALEXIS! DRACO! WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING IN THERE? ALEXIS, I THOUGHT YOU LIKED RON! WHY ARE YOU STEALING MY MAN?" Artimis yelled and the room grew colder. Alexis put her hands up and tried to explain.
"Artimis, it's not what you think, Draco was helping me figure Ron out."
"YEAH I BET! DRACO! WHY WITH MY BEST FRIEND? YOU SICK DISGUSTING PIG!" Artimis yelled, pulling her hands into fists. The world spun around her again like it had done when she was captured and she felt the room become darker. She yelled and a flash of darkness emitted from her. It spread from her feet, covering the ground and her hair whipped around, having grown back out as she yelled. It seemed as if a wind rushed from her feet, making her hair act as if it were alive. She put her hands out toward Alexis and closed them as if grabbing her. Great hands of shadows grasped Alexis as Artimis made them slam her into the wall. She reached out her other hand and grabbed Draco, tossing him toward the stage with a hand of shadows. Artimis's blue eyes turned a shade of black and she stood tall and proud.
"YOU TWO BETRAYED ME! NOW YOU BOTH SHALL PAY!" She boomed in a voice unlike her own. Then a foreign mass of black moved into her view. Severus grabbed her by the shoulders, his jaw chattering as he yelled for her to stop.
She saw him, recognized him, then heard Alexis's yell of pain. She felt bad, sad even and she began to tear up as the shadows faded back into her. She heard Draco thud to the ground and she sighed, dropping Alexis harshly and stumbling to her knees as Severus tried to hold her up. She sobbed on him, her head buried into his chest as she half knelt, half leaned on him.
"Come now. This is not how a proud woman acts." Spoke Narcissa Malfoy as she approached, grabbing Artimis's shoulder. Artimis looked up at her and they exchanged a look of knowing.
"Come with me dear, we'll get you straightened out." Narcissa spoke as she helped Artimis to her feet and helped her down the stairs, past her audience.
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Ron rushed to Alexis's side as he saw her fall to the side of the low stage in the ballroom by Alexis's tower. She was cowering, bloody, and whispering, eyes half closed as she stared up at him fearfully. "Please don't hurt me. I'm having a bad day. I need a hug..."
He picked her up in his arms and held her close, whispering into her hair. "I'm here, I won't hurt you. Hush love, I'm here..." He held her close to his chest and rocked her back and forth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and curled up to him, burying her head in his chest. He kissed her head and lifted her up, carrying her to her room to tend to her now bleeding head. She looked up at him and licked the side of his face and he chuckled, nuzzling her head with his own.
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Alexis awoke slightly, recognizing her room from blurry eyes. She immediately started shivering, not from cold, but from the shock of something she could not remember clearly. She felt herself enveloped in a warm body, being rocked gently. Her head ached fiercely and she looked up to see who was holding her. She gazed into concerned blue eyes, recognizing the shock of bright red hair.
She whispered, "Ron?"
"Yes, Lexy, it's me."
She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling really drowsy. She looked up at him curiously. "What happened?"
He gazed down at her and spoke quietly. "Well, I heard screaming and came to see what was wrong. All I saw was Artimis, I don't know, doing something to you. I, I was so s, scared..." He trailed off, looking away. A image flashed through her mind, the only thing she remembered. Artimis, tearing into her with jet black eyes. She shivered, snuggling into Ron's chest. He sighed, then made her look at him. "Alexis, she was yelling about you and Draco... in your room... " He choked, shifting uncomfortably, attempting to set her on her bed. She panicked.
"Please, no. Ron, don't go. It's not like that... gosh, you know how many times I said that today already... " She giggled distractedly. She yawned, growing dizzy and almost dozing off. Ron's eyes widened and he shook her slightly.
"Stay awake Lexy."
"Lexy... I like that name..." she laughed softly. He smirked and shook his head. She continued on. "It was just that... I needed to talk to Draco on... on how to apologize. To you. For earlier..." She whispered, smiling slightly. Ron's face practically lit up. She grinned, yawning again.
"I'm so sorry about that..."
"It's okay. You're forgiven." He spoke, and she smiled and yawned, about to fall asleep. He shook her once more. "Please stay awake."
"Only if you stay with me..." she replied, gazing up at him tiredly. He leaned back against her headboard, holding her close.
"As long as you want."
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Artimis and Narcissa port-keyed back from seeing Madam Pomfrey. Artimis was shocked, stunned, excited, among the million other things she was feeling. Fear was one thing that predominated her mind. Fear that this baby would drive Draco away. Narcissa patted her on the back and walked up the stairs. Artimis breathed in, clapping for Dobby. He approached her carefully and asked, "Yes, Mistress."
"Dobby, I need you to get everyone you can into the lounge." She whispered as she walked away from him toward the lounge, her hands over her stomach in oddness.
"I'm pregnant. There is another life inside of me. Wow..." She spoke looking at herself in amazement. She turned her back to the doors, letting everyone enter as she pulled the hood of her black cloak off her head. She turned when the footsteps ended. She looked into the faces of everyone, who were scared of her, and smiled.
"I have an explanation as to why I am being, odd. Everybody. I'm pregnant." She spoke lowly, waiting for their response.
"WE KNOW!" They all said, and she looked at them with shock.
"How in the bloody hell did you all know when I just found out?"
"Alexis told us!" They spoke in unison.
"How in the hell did she know!" Artimis asked.
"Snape told her."
"HOW DID HE KNOW?" She asked in confusion. She looked at him and he shrugged.
"I was talking to Narcissa about how you were acting and she told me you were showing the signs." He spoke as he backed out of the room.
"Well, where is Alexis, Where is Ron, Where is Draco?" She asked looking around.
"Draco is hiding in Crabbe and Goyle's room, Alexis and Ron are in their tower." Hailey said with a smirk.
"Ah I see. Has Ron moved in there, or has he moved into Harry's room like he said he was going to so Parvati and Apollo could take his room?"
"He moved his crap into my room." Harry spoke, and she smiled.
"Ok, thanks. And I am sorry for acting like this to all of you. I couldn't control it. Now I need to go find Draco." She spoke walking through them. She headed off to the hallway when a Black Owl flew through the window to her. She took its letter and read it, her eyes growing wide as she read the letter. She gulped as Harry asked her if she was ok. She frowned and spoke quietly.
"Everyone to the conference room. This is from the Order. We are being called to fight. Voldemort is massing his forces in the forest. This is it." A mass of whispers and running was heard around Artimis as she walked upstairs. She knew Draco was going to try and stop her from fighting, but she would like to see him try. But first she needed to tell him he was going to be a daddy. She watched everyone panick and she calmly ran upstairs and grabbed her armor and gear, and rushed to the tower, informing Alexis and Ron by knocking the special knock on her door. The knock that told Alexis that there was a fight coming. She found Draco and, true to his character, he fought her from going to this battle, but she would not be dettered. This battle was for too many people. It would be for her father, for her mother, her sister, herself, Alexis's parents, and her now unborn child. Artimis Callabella would not have a child in an unsafe world with Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy still living and breathing.
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Dun Dun Dun Dun...
Read and Review, you miscreants (LOL, a word i learned in my Honors English class)...
Deep Shadows & EckoStalker