If Only

Jeni Draco's Girl

Chapter 17

…oooo…it's so exciting…(I haven't written for ages, so…)

Also, I don't think I can apologise enough to Hannah for how long this has taken me to get posted. Thanks so much for staying with me.

MANY HUGE WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE FLAVOURED THANKS to my fantastic beta MELANIE.

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Jeni rolled over and groaned as she opened her eyes, momentarily blinded by the light of Sunday morning. She shut her eyes and rolled over again.

Then froze.

It was light, but it was winter. That meant one thing to her.

She was late.

'Argh!' Jeni sat bolt upright, squinting as she forced herself to get used to the light. Today was a Hogsmeade day, and she should have been up…she glanced out the window…approximately half an hour ago.

This was not good.

Jeni scrambled out of bed, wincing at the coldness of the stone under her feet. She hurried around to the end of the bed, threw open her trunk, and started rummaging through it for any clean clothes. She finally found a pair of brown corduroy pants and a shirt with pink roses on it, changed quickly, pulled on socks, shoes, scarf, gloves and her cloak and ran out of the dorm and down the stairs and arrived at the entrance hall just in time to find most people gone and Draco and Henri waiting patiently for her.

'You took your time,' Henri commented.

Jeni scowled.

'It would appear that you forgot to brush your hair…' Draco said thoughtfully. 'Think this might come in useful now?' he added with a triumphant smirk, offering her the comb he'd had last Sunday in the library.

Jeni just scowled harder, and took it.

The three made their way out of the castle after getting their names marked off, to discover that the past night had produced the first snowfall of the season. Jeni's mood lightened immediately. She quickly handed Draco back his comb and ran down the steps to jump into the fluffy whiteness…and sank halfway up to her knees.

'Pretty impressive for the first fall,' Henri said, looking wishfully up to the sky which was mostly shielded by pale grey clouds. Jeni was quite sure she knew exactly who he was thinking of.

Draco stepped down onto the snow. He didn't sink.

Jeni stared at him. Surely he weighed more than her…

'I'm sure I do too,' he informed her, 'And,' he said when he noticed her looking down at her stomach, 'You don't need to go on a diet.' Jeni looked back up at him, still confused. 'Maybe it's just magic…' he added cryptically, though Jeni was sure he was referring to that of a wandless kind. He said nothing else, and they started off on their way to Hogsmeade.

Not soon after, they were sitting, nice and warm, in the Three Broomsticks, hands wrapped around mugs of butter beer.

'Anyone got any idea what to do after all this?' Jeni asked, trying to make conversation.

'What, we're not going to sit here all day!?' Draco asked in mock surprise.

Jeni rolled her eyes and ignored him.

'Actually,' Henri said quietly, 'I have something I need to buy.'

'What is it?' Jeni asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

'Nothing important,' Henri replied quickly. 'Just something…'

Jeni frowned. 'Would that be a "something I'm going to go buy now so I'll see you later", or a "something I'll just pop in here and get so you can tag along"?'

'Um…the first one,' Henri replied.

'Right. Well then Draco, what do you want to do?'

'Hmm…that's a very open ended question, you know,' he said, raising an eyebrow.

'Okay then, what do you want to do today, now, while we're in Hogsmeade and that therefore directly relates?' Jeni asked, ignoring his blatant suggestiveness.

'That's better. But I have no idea.'

'Feel like wandering about and seeing what takes your fancy?'

'Sounds like a plan to me. Henri, when will we see you?'

'Hmm…probably at the post office…say, eleven?'

'Done.' Draco, Jeni and Henri all left together, Henri heading off down the street in the opposite direction to the other two.

'I wonder where he's going,' Jeni said, completely clueless.

'I can make a very well educated guess,' Draco said. 'He's going to buy some special present for his beloved, and then mail it to her anonymously.'

'How'd you figure that out?'

'Well, he's looked dreamy all morning; he's going shopping without us, and particularly without the benefit of a female's,' here he gestured to Jeni, 'advice, and then he's going to meet us at the post office.'

'Oh, dear lord!' Jeni exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.

'I know! Why would he buy her something when I doubt that she even knows he exists?'

'Not that!' Jeni cried, 'The "female's advice" part! I think we both know he definitely needs it, especially since he's buying for her! We have to find him!' She rushed off down the street in the direction Henri had gone before.

Draco rolled his eyes, muttered something unintelligible about women, and followed her.

They found Henri some minutes later at the window of a jewellery store, and went to stand either side of him.

'Hmm,' said Jeni quietly, looking over the things in the window. Henri jumped, but she ignored him. 'I think she'd like that one,' she said, pointing. 'Draco?'

'Hmm,' he replied. 'I like this one better,' he pointed at something else. 'What do you think, Henri?'

'What do I…well, um, I…I like this one.'

'Ooo...' Jeni saw what Henri was referring to. 'Wow.'

The necklace that Henri was indicating was silver, a thin chain with a pendant formed from a single silver line that curved around to shape a heart with an 'E' in the centre.

'I think it's perfect,' said Henri.

'Me too,' added Draco.

'Me three,' Jeni put in.

'I think that settles it then,' said Draco, clamping Henri on his shoulder and causing him to stumble slightly. 'In you go.' Draco pushed Henri towards the entrance to the store. They both heard a bell tinkle as he entered.

'That's so romantic!' Jeni sighed. 'Do you think she'll like it?'

'I hope so,' Draco replied, 'If only for Henri's sake.'

After Henri had bought the necklace, they went to the post office where he chose a jet black owl to deliver it that night at dinner. They had then begun the walk back to Hogwarts quite quickly, for it was growing dark early and they were becoming rather cold.

On their return, they all went to their respective dorms, to change and warm up a little, having agreed to meet up again after dinner.

Dinner came, and Jeni went downstairs, into the Great Hall, and chose a seat where she could see Henri, Draco and her. Then, about ten minutes into the meal, she looked up as the gasps of several students heralded the arrival of the owl.

Jeni watched it descend toward the Slytherin table, and saw Emily's shock as it landed right in front of her, and held out one leg with a silver package tied to it. She took it and the owl flew back out the window. All eyes in the hall were now upon her. It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. As it was, the only sound was that of wrapping paper being ripped, and there was a collective gasp and a few "Aww"s from around the hall as Emily opened the box and everyone saw the necklace within.

Pansy, sitting across the table from Emily, got straight to the point. 'Who's it from?' she asked bluntly.

'I don't know,' Emily replied. 'There's no note.' She scanned the table, her eyes resting on each Slytherin male in turn. When she reached Henri, Jeni could see a muscle near his eye twitch, even from the other side of the hall. But she moved on, just one space, to Draco.

And paused, with what looked like realisation dawning on her face.

Draco looked worried.

Henri looked furious.

Jeni bit her lip anxiously.

Emily started to smile. 'Oh Draco!' she exclaimed. 'You shouldn't have! Of course I knew it couldn't possibly be true that you actually liked that Ravenclaw girl!'

Jeni, Draco and Henri all leapt to their feet simultaneously.

'I knew it all along! We were always destined to be together…' Emily continued to rant, aware only of her audience, mainly Pansy, and not of the fact that Henri had stormed out of the hall, closely followed by Draco and then Jeni.

Henri had stopped right in the middle of the Entrance Hall, and was fuming quietly.

'Oh, Henri!' Jeni cried. 'I never imagined that she wouldn't think it was you! Especially considering that Draco and I are…you know…'

No answer.

'And I'm sure it was an honest mistake. She didn't really know any better, and it's not like you put a note in it, so really-'

'Jeni,' Draco cut in, 'I don't think you're making it any better.'

'Sorry,' she whispered.

'I thought she'd laugh at me if I said who it was from,' Henri murmured, barely loud enough for them to hear.

'Oh, Henri,' Jeni said again. 'I'm so sorry!' She stepped closer and put her arms around him.

'Jeni -' Henri objected, trying to pull away.

'No. I think what you really need right now is a hug.'

Henri sighed and gave in.

Draco cleared his throat rather loudly. 'Ahem. I would appreciate it if you'd stop pawing other-'

'Oh Jesus, Draco, can't you see Henri needs a hug?'

Draco just scowled, but brightened slightly at Jeni's next comment.

'I think you need a hug too.'

--

'So what are we going to do?' Jeni asked Draco the next day at lunch.

'There has to be some way we can get Emily off my back and, well, onto Henri's.'

Jeni frowned but otherwise ignored Draco's terminology. 'What we need to do is convince her that Henri's better than you.'

'Thanks.'

'Get over yourself.' Jeni sighed. 'Maybe we should do what they did in Much Ado About Nothing.'

'And that is?'

'Find somewhere where Emily will over hear us whilst still thinking it's accidental, and have a conversation about how much he's in love with her.'

'I don't think he'll thank us for it.'

'Hmm…maybe we can modify it a bit.'

'What's the plan?'

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OK, so that was a bit short…but now there's a VERY long author's note…more like author's essay…so you'll live. CS will anyway. (CS: Gack! Bleed shock DIE Dead body of Crimson Sun is now on the floor of the L3 music room) sound crew from Jeni's Fanfiction rejoice after having suffered countless belting from CS

Ahem…Jeni ignores dead CS. So, now everyone knows who "her" is. Pretty obvious, wasn't it?

There's a lot of ignoring going on…not just in this chapter either.

Also, I realise that both Draco and Jeni thought that Henri couldn't pick jewellery himself, and then it turned out that he did, but obviously Draco and Jeni are just underestimating Henri's…er…style. Maybe he's a metro sexual…at any rate, he's NOT gay…I should think that that's pretty obvious given his obvious attraction to a female…at least I think that Emily's a female…oh, what the hell, I'M THE AUTHOR, and I say Emily is FEMALE. So there. And I also say Henri is DEFINITELY NOT gay.

OK.

It's probably not physically possible for everyone in the hall to see what Emily got, unless they were seated in an amphitheatre or something…with telescopes…but anyway…and everyone was looking because the owls don't usually come at night.

Once more, thanks to CS, RLJ, EMMA, MELANIE is cool, HANNAH and EMMA…

The fluff bunnies have all been caught…I think one may have eaten some cat food…if you fed it, SHAME ON YOU!! I said fairy floss only!! (CS is magically revived for three seconds, enough to say 'THE FLUFF BUNNIES ARE EEEEEVIL! …in a non-cool way, if you know what I mean…Because the only cool-evil here is yours truly-' three seconds are up, CS is now dead again)

Yes, well…I will make funeral arrangements…maybe it's better this way…CS won't have to read any more…and this way, at least she didn't die from committing suicide by jumping off the overpass and getting run over by a truck just cause she failed maths…(CS's ghost has come back to haunt Jeni and is reading over her shoulder. She tries to press the backspace button but her hand goes straight through it.) Hey, CS is back! Now she HAS to read more! YAY!! (CS's ghost speaks: 'You're not psychic are you? 'cause I still don't have my maths exam back…') Ahem…well…we'd better hope I'm not…

And now, may I present an excerpt from Jeni's Fanfiction, which firstly is a good example of just how clueless ff!Jeni is, and also should make you read Jeni's Fanfiction.

Please.

AN: Ok, just so you know what's going on, Jeni's been captured…again…and the Severus Snape is actually Snape's son…this is parody after all. Here we go:

Jeni woke up again on the cold hard floor, and peeked open one eye just to be on the safe side. There were no giant rats. Jeni was very relieved, as if she fainted again she'd probably never wake up and that would mean some people would be very upset.

'Oh who am I kidding,' muttered Jeni, rolling her eyes at herself. 'They probably forgot about me again. If only Severus-'

She stopped, remembering her betraying friend, and made a mental note to punch Severus Snape in the face the first moment she could.

Jeni regarded her surroundings. She was in some sort of room, in some sort of cage. There was a desk in front of her and a couple of bookcases lining the walls. The place was very uninviting. Not that Jeni could go anywhere anytime soon, she thought.

'Hey, what's that?' Jeni just noticed loose pieces of paper within her reach on the desk in front of her. She reached through the gaps between the bars of her cage, which were conveniently enough just as wide as her arms, and grabbed the pieces of loose-leaf.

'The Secret Confessions of Professor Hojo.' She read aloud, then her eyes widened at what she just read. How convenient!

'"First and fore mostly, I am not gay. (Just to get this down on paper to reassure myself. Certainly not written down for any heroes who might conveniently get a hold of this) I plan little for the puny worthless wizard named Severus Snape, but thought that as long as I am in this world, I might as well as get a few pawns for Jenova so she'd stop glomping me. Anyway, when this whole ordeal ends, I will sacrifice him as well as that girl of his."'

'I knew it!' muttered Jeni. 'Poor Severus!'

But then she remembered her fervent desire to hurt Severus herself and ceased feeling any kind of pity for him.

'"The resurrection of Sephiroth is coming along well. I just need a suitable body for him. I don't quite know why I need little Jeni's soul for the whole operation. Perhaps I shall find out later. Jenova's mind works in strange ways. I mean, she also likes spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast!'"

Jeni made a face at the piece of paper.

'"I'll discontinue this now, as each word I write could be used against me. I'll remind myself to destroy this sometime. However, since I am extremely occupied, I would excuse myself if I forget to remind myself.

Signed

Hojo'"

Jeni took a deep breath. For a while she just stared. This whole document had opened her eyes indeed!

'I mean, what kind of person likes pasta for breakfast?' questioned Jeni. Then she looked puzzled and scratched her head. 'No, sorry, I mean, what does he mean he needs a body for "Sephiroth"?'

And there you have it. End of excerpt.

Now go and read Jeni's Fanfiction, the WHOLE thing, and review. Thankyou.

WC: 2655