Chapter 7: The Bagman's Gambit

Okay, I'm REALLY sorry it took me so long to update, but Teen Titans doesn't come on very often anymore and HP4 hasn't come out on DVD yet so I'm finding myself lacking sufficient inspiration. Plus I had no idea where this story was going. Writers block evil. Meh.

BTW: The Bagman's Gambit is a song by the Decemberists. Go listen to them. It rocks.

The plan was set in motion. Lucius had prepared everything, and as soon as his son came home for the winter holidays he could initiate. Through instruction from Voldemort, they had tested their invention. The unsuspecting witch they had tested it on was now sitting, powerless as a Muggle, in Malfoy's basement. Cries of pain and frustration emanated periodically from there, but they were growing dimmer, and such cries only fueled Lucious's determination. From here his power would grow unlimited, until he was equal with both Voldemort and Trigon. And when they least expected it, he would drain their power and become the most powerful of them all.

Robin paced around his dorm. He hadn't ever blatantly showed his feelings for Starfire, though it was evident that the entire team had noticed. He had tried every means necessary to keep her out of his mind, from attempting Quidditch to playing video games with BB and his new cronies. It never worked, and he couldn't get her out of his head. Ever since he assigned them to the job of organizing the team's meetings and undercover operations, he'd been with her the entire time. It didn't help that she was extremely tall and that her skirt was too small. His professional mood was severely damaged by her presence, and although they got a lot done, there was a certain tension every time they shared a room alone, which was now escalated by the fact that Hogwarts was now having a winter ball. Along with the threat of Trigon and Voldemort, Robin felt about to snap. He was also at the end of his rope with Malfoy, who shared his room. Malfoy radiated a certain arrogance that was not based on intelligence, power, or prowess, but pure petty reasons like bloodline and wealth. Robin had long since learned of the death eaters, and ever since he found out that Malfoy's father had been/was one he'd kept a close eye on his roommate. As Robin progressed to the room of requirement, his usual ops center, he thought about his one humorous break, knowing that Malfoy had himself kept a close eye on Raven in very romantic way. And unless Raven had been suddenly replaced by a completely opposite clone, he was pretty sure that Malfoy may end up sprouting another arm if he kept it up. Raven herself was another story, because she seemed happier and happier each time Robin saw her, although she still said little and littler yet about her watch on Harry. There had been no disturbances in the castle yet and everything seemed to be going according to plan. As soon as he had though this, the original haunter of his thoughts bounded into the room with a huge smile and a shout of, "Robin!"

"Hey Star," he replied, smiling back.

Raven sat on her bed contemplating, as she seemed to be more and more these days, something other than her father and controlling her emotions. Her dreams used to be either nonexistent or about her father and Voldemort, but now a new dream appeared containing two brilliant green eyes smiling at her. It was the first happy kind of dream she'd ever had. And now she would think about not just school or evil or how stupid everything was, but about people. She began to think about how she hadn't been such a person before, and maybe now she was becoming a little more human. It could all be too sweet to last, but she hoped it would. There was really nothing going on. They had gotten top marks on their project (extremely surprising), with or without Malfoy's help. And now there was that horrible event coming up. Usually she would just ditch it, despite the pleads of her new friends, but she felt this encompassing and completely new urge to associate with her fellow students. Pointless and meaningless reasons against it were constantly in her mind (I don't have a dress…I don't have a date…It'll be boring…Too much money…Bad music…) but yet none held any significance and she knew it. She sighed and sat back against the wall. Maybe she just shouldn't go to keep herself sane. That would be a good enough reason. As soon as this thought crossed her mind Hermione walked into the room.

"Hey Raven."

"Hey Hermione."

"What's up? Thinking deep and intelligent thoughts again?"

Raven chuckled. She really liked Hermione's wit and unlike Ron and even sometimes Harry, she could almost always sense when Raven wanted to be alone and when she wanted some company, like now.

"Yeah, about the effect of wormroot on the feather of a Griffith. Did you know that if you try to make a wormroot into a rootworm, it doesn't work? I tried."

"What? Isn't that the same thing?" Hermione laughed. "Anyway, I know you don't want to talk about it, but what are your final plans for the winter ball? You know I really want you to go, and Ron's already asked me to ask him, and I told him that it would be okay, but knowing us I'm going to need some serious support by the end of the night due to his recently acquired singing habits."

This comment earned another laugh from Raven, who knew exactly how horrendous Ron's recently acquired singing habits could prove.

"Actually, I have no idea what I'm going to do."

Hermione looked genuinely surprised. "Really? You're still deciding? I thought you for sure wouldn't want to go…"

"Well, I think I may be turning human, because I'm having second thoughts."

"Wow…so saying you did go, do you have a dat- I mean dress?"

Although she noticed Hermione's deviation from the subject, Raven answered the first question.

"I haven't asked anyone or anything, though Malfoy's made it perfectly clear that he's turned down many girls in order for me to ask him, which I would do only if he were the last… no, I wouldn't ask him at all."

Hermione laughed. "I'm sure. The last thing any girl besides those obsequious pricks in Slytherin needs is a date like Malfoy."

"And what if he also has acquired singing habits? Like even worse than Ron's? What'll I do then!"

They both laughed and then Hermione decided to venture to suggest that Harry didn't have a date yet.

"I don't know, Hermione. Anyway, do you have a dress?"

Ignoring the obvious change of topic, Hermione decided to press.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Trying to be patient, Raven replied, "I mean, I don't know. About a lot of things about Harry. He's really nice to me and funny and stuff, but there are so many things between us and about my feelings I'm not sure about. Anyway, do you have a dress?"

Apparently this was satisfactory to Hermione, who described her silvery blue sleeveless evening gown with empire line that flowed gently past her ankles and her shoes that glittered like the sun off morning dew. This brought very watery thoughts to Raven's head, but she ignored them. When Raven admitted that she had no dress, Hermione gasped.

"You have to have a dress, stupid! When we go to Hogsmeade on Wednesday we'll go to Madame Chineleia's Dress Emporium. She has the best stuff. Damn! I have to go tutor Neville this evening, and I completely forgot. I'll see you later Raven. Nice talking with you, though!"

Hermione hurried out of the room, and Raven realized that she'd had her first ever session of the infamous "girl talk."