Hey! Short chapter, I know, but I'm leaving for vaction tonight(or tomorrow if we don't get packed in time which is very likely) so I won't be able to update for about two weeks, but, it's a twenty four hour car ride there and back, so I'll have plenty of time to write.
I'm so depresses that the new book is coming out when I'm in Ohio so I won't be able to read it until I get home! Tell me nothing about it!
Disclaimer; I own nothing. All settings and charecters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
"And here we go." Blaise said with an aggravated sigh.
"But if it can help people then why-"
"Because there will just as many idiots out there who will abuse it then use it for medical purposes." Draco interrupted her.
"But it's not fair that we should deny anyone the medicine they need just because stupid people misuse it?" Ginny demanded, looking annoyed.
"So you're willing to let people slowly kill themselves so others can live? You know Quillwort is addictive." He countered.
"But you can't get addicted if you never try it, can you? If we just establish laws that would-"
"Ever heard of prohibition? Where America banned alcohol? And what good did that do? It just increased the amount of people willing to break the law."
Ginny paused for a moment and Draco smirked. "Taking an awful long time on a comeback, Weasley. Out of big words? Just give up and admit defeat."
"You don't really understand the concept of defeat do you, Malfoy?" Ginny said.
"Which part?" He asked, "The bit where I win or the part where you lose?"
"I haven't even begun to fight. You are so going down."
Draco paused, stared at her, and then grinned. "That was about the worst comeback I've ever heard."
"Yeah, well your ignorance is contagious." She snapped.
"Ahh, you don't really mean that do you?" He said, flashing his most charming smile.
"Don't worry, smart girls like dumb guys. I'm sure if you apologize for all the name calling, Hermione will still love you." She retorted with a grin of her own.
Draco gagged. "That's disgusting." He said. "Way below the belt."
"What's disgusting?" A voice asked. Ginny turned toward the source of the voice only to be greeted by one large, pale blue eye studying her through a vacant space in the bookshelf. "And does your friend know he's drooling?"
"Don't sneak up on people like that!" Ginny ordered, before beckoning for her friend to join them.
"Does she do that often?" Draco asked, eyeing Luna suspiciously as she walked toward them, wearing obscenely bright green robes and miniature dragon earrings that periodically opened their mouths and spewed red flames.
"All the time." Ginny answered, walking over to meet her friend.
"Ever freak you out?" Draco asked when the pair returned, arm in arm.
"All the time." Ginny repeated.
"Does what freak you out?" Luna inquired.
"The amount of drool Blaise is capable of admitting while sleeping." She answered, looking at her dark-haired friend who had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of Draco's and her debate. With a mischievous grin, she summoned a glass of ice water (something she had gotten quite good at, having six older brothers) and promptly dumped it over Blaise's head.
Sputtering, Blaise said several words that would have made his mother scourgify his mouth, before sending Ginny a death glare. Madame Pince, the librarian, sent them an irritated glance, before returning to her task of re-shelving the books.
"Now was that really necessary?" He asked moodily.
"No." She said smiling. "But it was fun."
Blaise gave her another sour look as he flipped through his now damp book. "This is McGonagall's book I hope you know. She'll have my head for this."
"Just be glad it wasn't one of Madame Pince's books." Luna said with a shudder.
"Luna, how many times do I have to tell you?" Ginny said, exasperated with her friend. "There are no subliminal messages in the potions books, the ancient rune books do not become carnivorous and attack you if they're overdue, and above all, Madame Pince most definitely is not secretly in love with Professor Trelawney."
"Although I did see her coming down from the Divination classroom looking a little flustered." Blaise said smirking.
Luna studied him for a moment before plainly declaring. "I don't like you."
Blaise gave her a look of mock pain and Draco sniggered.
"I don't like you either." She informed the other Slytherin, before turning back to Ginny. "Aren't you supposed to be at practice?"
"Oh, bugger. Quidditch." She had forgotten. Again. Ron was going to have a cow.
"Wait, I thought you were going to help me with my transfiguration!" Blaise said, waving his book. She had been planning to help his catch up (he was utterly dreadful at the subject. Every time he tried to change his hamster into a plate it would retain its legs and scurry away resulting in a ten minute game of find-the-mutant-plate-hamster-hybrid) when Malfoy had showed up, also to help his friend. He had seemed surprised to see her, but Blaise kept shooting them enough secretive glances that she suspected her friend had been plotting. Blaise, she decided, should have known better than to have expected to get any work done with Draco and her in the same room. They had been at work little more then five minutes before they had ended up in an argument over whether or not Quillwort- a possibly addictive ingredient that was also used in many healing potions-should be made legal.
"I'm sorry," She said, grabbing her books, "But I really have to go. Another time."
Draco, she noticed, was also gathering his belongings.
"Where are you going?" Blaise asked, looking incredulously at his blond friend.
"I have to go to the infirmary." He answered with a shrug.
"But my midterm is tomorrow." Blaise complained.
Luna sighed, always the self-sacrificing martyr. "I'll do it."
"See you guys later." Ginny said, turning back only once to see the look of terror on Blaise's face.
The adjoining room was dimly lit and, like everything else in the house, richly furnished. Ear pressed to the wall, she listened carefully, storing every word in her memory.
"Her home?" Are you sure?" A gruff voice questioned.
"Of course I'm sure." A second voice barked.
"I thought for sure Dumbledore would try to spirit the whole lot away." A third voice, this one deep and scornful, but very obviously female, commented.
"Of course there must be guards." Said the second voice.
"But we can get around those." The woman said, a twisted amusement clear in her voice.
"The girl herself- will she be any trouble?" The first man who she vaguely remembered asked. Dolohov, she thought was his name. Lucius had far too many cohorts to keep the all straight.
The second man, her husband, laughed. "A Weasley? I think not."
"I don't see why we have to even bother with the girl." The woman whined. "Wouldn't it be so much easier to just off Potter?"
"Questioning the Master, Bella?" Lucius asked coolly.
"No. I just wonder why he would bother with the girl when Potter would-"
"It's not your place to wonder." Lucius snapped.
"Of course not." She muttered demurely.
Their voices were becoming more muffled, distant. She walked along the wall, following the sound of their voices.
"But what of Potter?" The first man asked.
"He'll stay at the school most likely. The old man wouldn't let him out of his sight." Lucius answered, his voice growing quieter still. They must have been walking towards the door. Desperate to hear, she moved along with them.
Tripping in her haste, she grasped the small, chestnut table beside her for balance, knocking the porcelain vase from its perch. Recoiling from the shower of broken glass, shattering on the marble floor with a crash, she uttered a small cry of alarm.
She could hear them running towards her, and for a moment she was frozen. As the three entered the room, Lucius first, followed closely by the others, she had sense enough to look lost.
Grabbing her wrist, glaring coldly at her, Lucius was enraged.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked, his glare enough to send shivers down her spine.
"Cleaning." She said automatically. "There-there was a spider." She finished somewhat lamely.
"And were you not informed I was to be entertaining today? You know better than to interrupt."
Regaining confidence she shook her head and glanced at the other two as if just noticing them for the first time.
"I sent a house-elf to inform you." He said, voice losing a bit of its edge.
With wide doe eyes filling with a feigned righteous rage, she answered, "I knew it, always cutting corners. Lucius some of those things must go. They're always slinking around. And they stare. It's unnatural."
Her husband still looked doubtful.
"Why do you think I clean your private study myself?" She asked, gesturing to the room around her. "They'll steal. Nasty little creatures. Always lurking."
Seemingly satisfied with her response he released her wrists.
Continuing her act, now almost reveling in the thrill of her performance, she excused herself with an angry, "If you'll pardon me, I believe I have some clothes to distribute." and was gone before Lucius could give her a word of argument.
Once gone, Dolohov whistled appreciatively, "Runs a tight shift, that Narcissa. Lucky to have such a faithful wife, Lucius. Caught my own wench with Crabbe just last week. Unfaithful chit."
"Yes lucky indeed." Lucius answered. "I trust you can let yourself out."
Not even bothering to look put out at his abrupt dismissal, he exited through the adjoining parlor door.
"I don't trust her." Bellatrix said, after the man had left.
"No." Lucius answered. "Nor do I."
Poor Narcissa keeps wandering through the pages, never actually sure whether she's actually part of the plot or not.
Anyways, thanks again to all my reviewers. I love you all! Cookies to everyone! Well, and spirits for Chicklepea. Enjoy!