Chapter 10: Jasmine and Lilies

Silently, Mia darted in and out of the stacks her eyes searching for the book she needed. The writing on the scrap of paper read:

Whitelighters: Guardians of the Wizarding World

Scanning the titles around her she bit her lip hoping that no one had gotten there before she had.

Ah, here we go.

She reached up but as her hand grazed the spine of the large book it floated away.

"Looking for this?"

Taking a calming breath she turned towards the all too familiar voice.

"Malfoy," she nodded trying to keep her expression as cool as his.

"Please," he purred, "call me Draco."

Pushing her curiosity away, she played along, "Draco," the name rolled smoothly off her tongue, "might I have my book back?"

"This?" he asked reading the front cover, "Whitelighters: Guardians of the Wizarding World."

"Well," she said her head cocked to the side her eyes wide with mock surprise, "you can read."

He smirked ignoring her comment, "You are great fun," he took a step towards her the book falling to his side, "but, frankly you're annoying."

Mia held her ground as the Slytherin inched forward, "Annoying? Is that really the best you can come up with? From the stories I've heard about you, well," she scoffed, "it seems like someone is getting soft in his old age."

Draco stopped, inches away.

"Stories?" he asked fingering a flyaway curl, "Now I hope that you didn't get them all from Pothead and his weasel."

She stiffened as his finger abandoned her curl and traced along her jaw, "No."

"Really?" he said softly, "Perhaps your slut room-mate then?"

"Fuck you," she whispered her hands balling into tight fists at her side.

"Oh she has," his eyes twinkled when he saw her eyes go wide.

"Don't touch me," she warned when his hand traveled slowly down her neck.

"Why?" he asked in mock surprise, "You don't like it?"

She clenched her jaw as she raised her chin, "No."

"Well," he said as he fingered the chain around her neck, "Skye nev—"

He stopped as he stared down at the pendant in his hand, "Where did you get this?"

Mia pulled away but he balled his hand into a fist around her necklace and used it to drag her closer to him.

"Get your hands off me," she said through gritted teeth.

"Or what?" he scoffed.

Her hands snaked up his shoulders, "This," she said as her knee connected swiftly with his family jewels.

His hand opened as he crumpled to the floor clutching himself.

"Boys," she clucked her tongue, "you all think no means yes and get off me means, more please."

She squatted down next to him, "What did you really want Malfoy?"

"Draco," he said through gritted teeth, "please."

Mia rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not stupid," she cocked her head thoughtfully to the side, "annoying maybe but not stupid."

"I'm glad you see it my way," he said trying painfully to get to his knees.

"You're a liar and we both know it," she stood and looked down at him, "too bad I'm not too stupid to believe what you say."

With a grunt, he heaved himself painfully off the floor, "Now what gave you the impression that I was lying to you?"

"You're pathetic," she said softly her voice deceptively calm.

Picking up the dropped book she turned away.

"You won the battle," he began.

"But not the war," she finished.

Draco watched her walk away furious with himself.

His plan had gone entirely downhill when he had seen her necklace. He had been caught off guard and had lost control of the situation. Rubbing his eyes, he limped away trying to muster up the dignity she had so efficiently taken.

---------------------------------------------------------

Whitelighters are angels who were once mortal. They were mortals whose lives were cut tragically short. They are guardians of the wizarding qorld. They help and protect all witches and wizards who choose to follow the light. They help to fight against the forces of evil that prey upon the wizarding world.

Whitelighters are akin to fairy Godmothers. When a young witch or wizard comes of age, they are introduced to their whitelighter. Their whitelighter will use their abilities to help them should a problem arise.

Whitelighters have the ability to orb. They were given the ability in order for them to handle multiple charges. They also have the ability to heal their charges.

Cases in which a charge has found her whitelighter to be unsuitable have never arisen but should this happen, the charge must learn to deal…

Mia looked up from the scroll in her hand to the cat sitting across from her.

"No?" she asked, "You didn't like that last part did you?"

The cat cocked his head to the side and Mia nodded to herself.

"Ok," grabbing a quill she began sounding out different phrases, "the charge must come to terms? How about work it out?"

Glancing up she could've sworn she saw the cat nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

"Good," clearing her throat she resumed reading to her attentive cat, "Whitelighters are bound to their charges as their charges are undoubtedly bound to their whitelighters."

"Reading to Ace?" Skye asked shutting the door behind her.

Startled, Mia looked over her shoulder, "What? Oh I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry," Skye said dropping her bag with a thud.

"I was just going over my whitelighter scroll," Mia explained.

Her room-mate flashed her pearly whites, "Don't worry about it I do it all the time."

"Oh," Mia said relaxing.

"Are you all right?" Skye asked flopping down across her own bed.

"Yeah," Mia answered quickly, "Course."

Skye nodded slowly but she didn't buy it, "It's the thing with Harry isn't it?"

Mia bobbed her head in agreement, "Yes, the Harry thing."

Skye propped herself with her elbows her expression curious, "It's not the Harry thing?"

"It is," Mia insisted her blue eyes wide.

"Mia," Skye said softly, "why are you lying?"

Mia's head snapped up, "Why am I lying? Why don't you tell me why you're lying!"

"What?" Skye asked the surprise in her green eyes genuine.

"What?" Mia mimicked, "Stop lying to me!"

"I don't bloody know what you're talking about!" Skye retaliated scrambling to get off the bed, "I'm not lying!"

"Right," Mia scoffed.

"Would you just tell me what you're talking about?" Skye cried wringing her hands in frustration.

"You know," Mia said softly, "when I got here I had no one, not even a home really and stupid me," she smacked her forehead, "I thought I could make this my home."

"Mia," Skye said taking a cautious step forward.

"No," Mia said looking up to the ceiling to stop the tears threatening to pour over, "I have to go."

The soft sound of the closing door resounded in Skye's head as she sank down into her bed.

What was she talking about?

---------------------------------------------------------

Mia strode into the empty common room clutching her scrolls and books to her chest.

What am I doing?

Shutting her eyes, she sank into an armchair replaying the scene in her head.

I think Skye and I just had a fight.

Shutting her eyes again she shook her head.

Scratch that, we did just have a fight about what? Absolutely nothing. I was just taking out my frustration on her.

It's all Draco Malfoy's fault.

Stupid git.

Why am I even believing him? He's obviously lying…maybe.

Mia stopped. She believed him.

Disgusted with herself, she pushed the notebook away. How on Earth could she believe him?

He had gotten under her skin and she hated him for it. He was winning at his sick game. He had gotten her to turn against her best friend.

But wait.

What if it was true? What if Skye really was in bed with the enemy?

Groaning, Mia put her head in her hands. Her brain hurt from thinking too much but she needed to know the truth.

She hoisted herself up and squared her shoulders. When she turned she saw Skye coming down the stairs.

"We need to talk," Skye announced when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes," Mia nodded.

"You start," Skye said making her way to the armchair across from hers.

"Fine," Mia sat automatically, "someone told me you were…" averting her eyes to the floor she tried to find the right word, "shagging Draco Malfoy."

"Really?" Skye said her tone intrigued.

"Oh thank God," Mia said relieved, "you're not."

"No!" she said her green eyes dancing with laughter, "Me and Draco Malfoy? Who told you that?"

Mia looked over at her sheepishly, "He did."

"Malfoy told you this?" Skye asked her voice rising.

"Yeah," Mia answered, "and Skye I am so sorry."

Skye looked at her in disbelief, "You believed him!"

Mia sighed, "Yes."

"Oh Mia," Skye said laughter filling her voice, "you of all people should know that I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole!"

"God I feel so stupid," Mia shook her head.

"Yeah," Skye said nodding, "you should."

Mia looked up, "I guess I deserved that."

"Next time," Skye said moving to her side, "tell me what's going on instead of freaking out."

"Yeah," Mia said running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah," Skye held out her pinky.

The two girls linked pinkies tightly and each kissed their fisted hands.

---------------------------------------------------------

Mia peered curiously at the crate in front of her, "What is it?"

Hermione glanced over at her and shrugged, "Only Hagrid knows."

Hagrid's booming voice had the two girls jumping back with surprise, "Good morning class! Today is a very exciting day!"

"You know what that means," Draco drawled, "we're all dead."

Hagrid plowed on ignoring the sniggering Slytherins, "Today we will begin workin on a project." Hagrid lumbered over to the crate and patted it lovingly, "In this here crate—"

"Are the creatures that will kill us," Draco interrupted. Nervous titters met this comment but Hagrid merely shook his head and laughed heartily.

"Oh no Mr. Malfoy," he lifted the cover of the crate easily, "guinea beasts are tame creatures."

"Guinea beasts?" Neville repeated gulping nervously.

"That's right," Hagrid said a big smile on his jolly face. The class held its breath as their professor leaned into the crate.

"Maybe if we're lucky these beasts will get rid of him," Draco whispered to his Slytherin cronies.

"He's so obnoxious," Mia said to Hermione making sure it was loud enough for the Slytherin King to hear.

As Hagrid straightened up the class took a cautious step forward necks craning to peer at the small ball of raven black fur curled up in his big hands.

"This here is a guinea beast," he held the little ball of fur out for the class to see.

The guinea beast was tiny. Its raven black fur was slicked against its body, the color so dark it looked almost bluish black. It sniffed the air around it with its tiny pink nose, and peered at the class through tiny slits.

Girls cooed as the boys puffed their chests out in subconscious efforts to appear macho.

"He's adorable," Lavender cooed as she reached a finger out but retracted it when the guinea beast squirmed in Hagrid's hand.

"Don't yeh worry," Hagrid chuckled, "he's only a baby."

He handed the young guinea beast off to Lavender and a slew of cooing girls. Hagrid moved to the center of the group again and cleared his throat loudly.

"You will be pickin yer partners out of a hat," he announced dropping a fistful of crumpled papers into a pointy black hat, "boys will be pickin girls."

The sixth years quieted down, awaiting the first volunteer.

"Who wants to go first?" Hagrid asked his eyes scanning the boys in the group.

Ron stepped forward, "I'll go Hagrid."

Hagrid smiled brightly, slapping Ron heartily on the back as he reached into the hat.

Ron returned Hagrid's smile and unfolded the crumpled paper, "Hermione."

Hermione jumped up and down and joined her boyfriend's side.

The hat was nearly emptied, and Mia looked at her few partner choices left, Malfoy, Harry, and Neville. Wonderful, she thought to herself, the prick, the dick, and Neville. She could only wish that Neville would pull her name out of the hat.

Neville reached deep into the hat, his fingers grabbing at one of the crumpled papers, "Parvati."

Mia let out a whoosh of air.

Harry stepped up to the hat smiling to Hagrid as he dipped his hand into the hat. He unfolded his crumpled piece of parchment, "Mia."

He saw Mia rise from her spot on the grass. The look she gave him almost made him wish that he had gotten Pansy as a partner, almost.

Hagrid stuffed the hat back into his pocket, "Draco that means that you are with Ms. Parkinson."

Hermione moved over to where Harry stood and gave him a friendly poke.

Harry looked down at his friend giving her a look as he rubbed his side.

"Those two are too busy snogging in the bushes," Hermione said, pointing to a pair of bushes.

"I hope they get poison ivy," Mia added as she joined them.

Hermione laughed, throwing her head back, "That would be wonderful," she said, "I should go tell Ron that."

Mia watched the bushy brown head bob away to find her red-headed boyfriend, leaving her and the boy-who-lived alone for the first time in days. Mia looked over at him, watching him scuff his shoe on the grass.

"Let's clear this up," she said tired of the awkward silence.

"Yeah," Harry agreed cautiously, "lets."

"You were being an utter prick that day and I have no idea why," Mia announced turning to face a surprised Harry, "so if you wouldn't mind just telling me what got your knickers in a bunch, we can resolve this."

"I don't like Malfoy," Harry offered after a few seconds of intense blue eyes on the side of his face.

"So?" Mia asked, "What does that have anything to do with me?"

"Look," Harry turned to face her, "I'm sorry, I was a prick and I shouldn't have taken out how I felt about Malfoy on you."

"Good," Mia nodded her mass of curls bobbing up and down.

"Good?" Harry repeated his green eyes questioning.

"That was all I needed," she looked up at him, the intensity in her blue eyes replaced by a playful glint, "I'm going to get our guinea beast now."

Harry watched her retreating figure, the smell of jasmine and lilies hovering in the air in front of him.