If Only
By Jeni Draco's Girl
~~
The rest of the week was rather uneventful.
The next Monday, Henri and Jeni were walking back to the castle together after Herbology, rather closer to everybody else then they usually were, a fact which Jeni would find later to be a rather stupid thing to have done, and she would be wishing they had walked their usual distance behind.
The group of sixth year Slytherins and Ravenclaws merged with the seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors from Care of Magical Creatures. Jeni was too engrossed in her conversation with Henri about that day's lesson to notice or realise who they might bump into.
'I think we were very lucky not to get bitten by those things.' Henri commented.
'Yes,' agreed Jeni, 'I feel really sorry for all those other people who had to go to the Hospital Wing. You'd never have guessed that anything related to a Squgglebump would be so ~evil~.'
They had been working that day on Squgglespikes, which had evolved from Squgglebumps. They had less eyes, but had formed mouths full of sharp teeth and spikes in place of the smooth bumps belonging to their more peaceful cousins.
'I wouldn't say evil, really. Nothing's evil by nature, things or people just behave in a way which is perceived by others to be evil.' Henri said thoughtfully.
Jeni looked at him curiously.
'What!?' protested Henri.
Jeni giggled. 'I didn't know you had such an interest in philosophy.' She told him.
'Just because you didn't know it doesn't mean it isn't true!' Henri said defensively. He stopped walking, forcing Jeni to stop too.
'I'm sorry,' she said apologetically, baffled by his sudden out-burst, 'but.'
Jeni squeaked loudly and jumped about a foot into the air. She spun around angrily to see Draco just ahead of them, still walking but smiling devilishly back at her over his shoulder like he had in the Hospital Wing that Friday - the way that had made her blush then but now only increased her anger. He was ~laughing~ at her! She glared at his back. If looks could kill, she thought. She then turned her attention to the group of people who had formed a wide circle around her and Henri, curious to know what had caused her outburst but keeping their distance to avoid her obvious anger.
'What are you all looking at?' she demanded, scowling.
Everyone seemed to get the idea and turned to continue up towards the castle.
Jeni muttered 'hmph' under her breath as she jutted out her lower jaw.
Henri observed her warily for a few moments before asking, 'What did he do?'
'He.'started Jeni, still shocked at the outrageousness of Draco's behavior and the embarrassment of it all. 'He.'
'Yes?' prompted Henri.
'You ~don't~ want to know.' Jeni warned him gloomily.
'Of course I do, I did asked didn't I?'
'Well, if you're sure.' a quick glance at his expression confirmed that he was. 'He.' another quick glance to ensure no one was within hearing distance. She lowered her voice to a whisper. 'He pinched my bum, OK? Happy?'
Henri looked stunned, as though that wasn't ~quite~ what he had expected. Then he burst out laughing. Jeni just stared at him, shocked.
'How can you be ~laughing~! It's NOT funny!' she said, infuriated.
'Of course.of course it's not.' Henri managed to get out through his hysterics. 'But. is that all he did?'
'Yes.' Jeni told him cautiously, now thoroughly confused.
'Well, what's the big deal?' he asked, having calmed down significantly. He turned and continued their interrupted walk to the castle.
'The big deal?!' repeated Jeni loudly as she followed him, her confusion ever growing.
'Yeah. Malfoy does that to girls all the time. They don't usually squeak though. I guess that's why he found it funny - they usually giggle and rush off to discuss it with their girlfriends. But I guess you're not the type of girl he normally does that to. maybe that's a good thing,' he said thoughtfully, 'he's broadening his horizons. Good for him!' Henri finished, evidently satisfied with this conclusion. But Jeni was not.
'What do you mean, 'broadening his horizons'?' Jeni asked tentatively.
'Well, there's usually one date, and then he dumps them reasonably - but not too - publicly, and finds some other bimbo-ish girl. Maybe your relationship will last longer.'
'Wait a second,' Jeni said suspiciously. 'How do you know all this?'
Henri shrugged. 'It's public knowledge.' He stated. Jeni stared at him, her expression clearly saying, 'Huh??'. 'OK.,' he said, 'it's public ~Slytherin~ knowledge. He can't help boasting about it constantly in the commonroom, it's not like I ~want~ to hear it. Luckily, it hasn't happened at all this year.'
'Wait a second,' Jeni repeated, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. 'Did you say 'your relationship' before?'
'Yeah,' Henri confirmed. 'He always goes out with the girls he's, er, y'know ~introduced~ himself to. It's kind of like his, what would you call it.pick up line, that's it!'
'Hmm. Well, not this time.' Jeni told him matter-of-factly. 'If he wants ~anything~ to happen, he's going to have to go about it the old fashioned way.' She paused for a second. 'Well, come to think of it, the ~ordinary~ way.' Then she thought of something else. 'Henri, is everyone going to expect me to go out with him now?'
Henri was slightly stunned. 'Well, of course they are. I don't think anyone's ever refused him.'
'Well,' Jeni said bluntly. 'There's a first time for everything, isn't there.'
The two of them lapsed into silence as they continued their way up to the castle.
Right, thought Jeni's brain irrationally, this was war. She was ~not~ going to go out with Draco. She wouldn't. He couldn't make her. And it didn't matter what her heart was thinking - logic must prevail, her brain continued, sounding ridiculously like a German leader making a patriotic and empowering speech to the nation, convinced no one could harm them.
Pfft, put in her heart. They (AN: the Germans, WWII) got defeated, didn't they?
But her brain was much stronger then her heart, and was also ignoring it, so it was temporarily shut up.
And anyway, they had reached the castle.
~~
And abracadabra! Chapter 6 has been magically completed! I would just like to say that this chapter is loosely based on personal experience. And I realise that Crimson Sun is probably now laughing and wishing I was there so she could pat me on my head, but IT IS NOT FUN AND NOT FUNNY!!
Now that my customary outburst at Crimson Sun at the end of the chapter is over:
REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! and REVIEW!!
Many thanks! And many more thanks to anyone who has reviewed the last 5 chapters!! :D
By Jeni Draco's Girl
~~
The rest of the week was rather uneventful.
The next Monday, Henri and Jeni were walking back to the castle together after Herbology, rather closer to everybody else then they usually were, a fact which Jeni would find later to be a rather stupid thing to have done, and she would be wishing they had walked their usual distance behind.
The group of sixth year Slytherins and Ravenclaws merged with the seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors from Care of Magical Creatures. Jeni was too engrossed in her conversation with Henri about that day's lesson to notice or realise who they might bump into.
'I think we were very lucky not to get bitten by those things.' Henri commented.
'Yes,' agreed Jeni, 'I feel really sorry for all those other people who had to go to the Hospital Wing. You'd never have guessed that anything related to a Squgglebump would be so ~evil~.'
They had been working that day on Squgglespikes, which had evolved from Squgglebumps. They had less eyes, but had formed mouths full of sharp teeth and spikes in place of the smooth bumps belonging to their more peaceful cousins.
'I wouldn't say evil, really. Nothing's evil by nature, things or people just behave in a way which is perceived by others to be evil.' Henri said thoughtfully.
Jeni looked at him curiously.
'What!?' protested Henri.
Jeni giggled. 'I didn't know you had such an interest in philosophy.' She told him.
'Just because you didn't know it doesn't mean it isn't true!' Henri said defensively. He stopped walking, forcing Jeni to stop too.
'I'm sorry,' she said apologetically, baffled by his sudden out-burst, 'but.'
Jeni squeaked loudly and jumped about a foot into the air. She spun around angrily to see Draco just ahead of them, still walking but smiling devilishly back at her over his shoulder like he had in the Hospital Wing that Friday - the way that had made her blush then but now only increased her anger. He was ~laughing~ at her! She glared at his back. If looks could kill, she thought. She then turned her attention to the group of people who had formed a wide circle around her and Henri, curious to know what had caused her outburst but keeping their distance to avoid her obvious anger.
'What are you all looking at?' she demanded, scowling.
Everyone seemed to get the idea and turned to continue up towards the castle.
Jeni muttered 'hmph' under her breath as she jutted out her lower jaw.
Henri observed her warily for a few moments before asking, 'What did he do?'
'He.'started Jeni, still shocked at the outrageousness of Draco's behavior and the embarrassment of it all. 'He.'
'Yes?' prompted Henri.
'You ~don't~ want to know.' Jeni warned him gloomily.
'Of course I do, I did asked didn't I?'
'Well, if you're sure.' a quick glance at his expression confirmed that he was. 'He.' another quick glance to ensure no one was within hearing distance. She lowered her voice to a whisper. 'He pinched my bum, OK? Happy?'
Henri looked stunned, as though that wasn't ~quite~ what he had expected. Then he burst out laughing. Jeni just stared at him, shocked.
'How can you be ~laughing~! It's NOT funny!' she said, infuriated.
'Of course.of course it's not.' Henri managed to get out through his hysterics. 'But. is that all he did?'
'Yes.' Jeni told him cautiously, now thoroughly confused.
'Well, what's the big deal?' he asked, having calmed down significantly. He turned and continued their interrupted walk to the castle.
'The big deal?!' repeated Jeni loudly as she followed him, her confusion ever growing.
'Yeah. Malfoy does that to girls all the time. They don't usually squeak though. I guess that's why he found it funny - they usually giggle and rush off to discuss it with their girlfriends. But I guess you're not the type of girl he normally does that to. maybe that's a good thing,' he said thoughtfully, 'he's broadening his horizons. Good for him!' Henri finished, evidently satisfied with this conclusion. But Jeni was not.
'What do you mean, 'broadening his horizons'?' Jeni asked tentatively.
'Well, there's usually one date, and then he dumps them reasonably - but not too - publicly, and finds some other bimbo-ish girl. Maybe your relationship will last longer.'
'Wait a second,' Jeni said suspiciously. 'How do you know all this?'
Henri shrugged. 'It's public knowledge.' He stated. Jeni stared at him, her expression clearly saying, 'Huh??'. 'OK.,' he said, 'it's public ~Slytherin~ knowledge. He can't help boasting about it constantly in the commonroom, it's not like I ~want~ to hear it. Luckily, it hasn't happened at all this year.'
'Wait a second,' Jeni repeated, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. 'Did you say 'your relationship' before?'
'Yeah,' Henri confirmed. 'He always goes out with the girls he's, er, y'know ~introduced~ himself to. It's kind of like his, what would you call it.pick up line, that's it!'
'Hmm. Well, not this time.' Jeni told him matter-of-factly. 'If he wants ~anything~ to happen, he's going to have to go about it the old fashioned way.' She paused for a second. 'Well, come to think of it, the ~ordinary~ way.' Then she thought of something else. 'Henri, is everyone going to expect me to go out with him now?'
Henri was slightly stunned. 'Well, of course they are. I don't think anyone's ever refused him.'
'Well,' Jeni said bluntly. 'There's a first time for everything, isn't there.'
The two of them lapsed into silence as they continued their way up to the castle.
Right, thought Jeni's brain irrationally, this was war. She was ~not~ going to go out with Draco. She wouldn't. He couldn't make her. And it didn't matter what her heart was thinking - logic must prevail, her brain continued, sounding ridiculously like a German leader making a patriotic and empowering speech to the nation, convinced no one could harm them.
Pfft, put in her heart. They (AN: the Germans, WWII) got defeated, didn't they?
But her brain was much stronger then her heart, and was also ignoring it, so it was temporarily shut up.
And anyway, they had reached the castle.
~~
And abracadabra! Chapter 6 has been magically completed! I would just like to say that this chapter is loosely based on personal experience. And I realise that Crimson Sun is probably now laughing and wishing I was there so she could pat me on my head, but IT IS NOT FUN AND NOT FUNNY!!
Now that my customary outburst at Crimson Sun at the end of the chapter is over:
REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! and REVIEW!!
Many thanks! And many more thanks to anyone who has reviewed the last 5 chapters!! :D