Author's Note: I am really enjoying developing a character of my own. I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am. And as always, JKR's characters and plots are clearly owned by her and not me. The most I own is Jordayna Mallerd and her storyline. Thanks and Happy Reading!
"Without a dime to my name or a prayer in the world
I walk out the door
Destination anywhere but here
Away from you
Now I'm on my way to the other side
On my way
I'll forget everything I left behind
On my way
These empty rooms
On my way
Are still filled with you
On my way"
"Anywhere but Here"-Rise Against
Chapter Four: Be Here and Anywhere
It had been two weeks since that first trip to Hogsmeade, and now the group was bustling over the latest news.
"I can't believe McGonagall is letting us have a Halloween Ball!" Ginny screeched. Out of all of them she was the most excited.
"Well she had said that it was important to let us remember that there are good things still. The war may have only been months ago, but we are slowly getting past it." Hermione explained in her know-it-all way.
"I don't know how I feel about this. I mean you guys all have set dates. Even Smith's got one." Jordayna said with serious worry.
"What do you mean Jordayna? I'm sure someone will ask you to it." Ginny told her.
"It's in a month. I think if you're not paired up by now, well then you aren't going to be."
"Plus you said all of us have set dates, that's not true. I don't think Malfoy does." Ginny hinted. Jordayna thought that Ginny had this uncanny sixth sense about people's personal lives.
"Please, he's going to take Pansy. Pansy's like second nature to him. I mean why would a guy go anywhere else when he gets free sex?"
"I think you underestimate him. He's grown up a lot. Not only that, but I've noticed that he's been paying a lot more attention to a different dark-haired Slytherin girl these days."
"If you're hinting me, then you're totally wrong. We've hung out a few times, but that's it. I think he likes to keep me around because he knows I find him attractive and it boosts his ego."
"Hey girls! If you don't get a move on we're going to be late for class!" Harry shouted over to them.
"Wow, I never thought I would live to see the day Harry did not want to be late for class." Hermione snickered as she rushed up to the two people who cared about her most in this world.
"I guess I should go with them. Time for our double Potions lesson and Slughorn would just love it if I was late." Jordayna said while rolling her eyes.
She caught up to the other three and headed out of the Great Hall with them. The sight wasn't uncommon anymore. Actually it was more unlikely not to see the Heads plus two not together.
They reached the dungeon classroom and sat down in their respective seats. There were three tables of two seats each in the front row. Hermione always sat with Ron (he needed all the help he could get), followed by Harry and Blaise Zabini, and then finally Jordayna and Draco.
"Today class I will be switching up the partners for this potion. We will be brewing Veritaserum, and I just think that everyone should work with someone new. So I will be assigning the partners. Hermione Granger you will be working with Pansy Parkinson," both girls groaned, "Harry Potter you will be working with Mr. Malfoy," both boys shrugged and went to a table together with their stuff, "Mr. Zabini you will be joining Mr. Weasley," Ron grinned, he knew he was still going to get a good grade on this potion, "Ms. Mallerd, there's not enough of Gryffindor students in this class to be paired with one, so you will be with Mr. Nott."
Jordayna tensed, but nodded. She was not going to let him ruin her grade for her. She really wanted to work in the American Wizarding Government one day, and failing Potions was not an option.
Draco noticed her tense up immediately. For the past couple of weeks he had wondered if the nightmare was true or not, but seeing her right now he knew it was. Her eyes had flashed a dark brown before shifting to a gray color.
Jordayna went to the back of the room to sit with Nott. He had refused to change seats. It was in his best interest to keep her away from the members of the Heads Group as they were starting to be called by Peeves and the rest of the school.
"Well that was fortunate wasn't it?" Nott whispered into her ear.
"Nott, we're just going to do this potion, and then we're going to leave. Don't speak to me unless it has something to do with this assignment."
"Mallerd, I will do what I please. And, I have to say, you are looking quite fetching today." He teased while twirling a lock of her board-straight strawberry-chocolate hair around his fingers.
Hermione glanced back at them and whispered over to Harry and Malfoy. "You know she was all worried about having a date for the Halloween Ball and she seems to be hitting it off well with Nott."
Draco spun his head quickly to the direction Hermione was looking. He noticed Nott playing with her hair and saying something to her while she looked forward at her notes with eyes so dark brown they looked black. He leaned forward to whisper back to Hermione. "She doesn't like him, trust me. He's doing that to her to see if he can get a rise out of her."
"Care about her do we Malfoy?" Harry asked with a bit of mockery in his voice.
"Tell you about it later Potter." Draco said making a face that told Harry he was to leave it at that.
I don't know why I was telling this to Potter, but if anybody knew what to do it would be him. We didn't know him as St. Potter for nothing.
"What's up Malfoy?" He asked from the chair across from my bed.
"I don't think it's good for her to be partners with Nott. The night of the Hogsmeade trip she was crying alone in her room, and well I came to see if she was okay." Harry made a noise of shock at him. "Oh shove it Potter. We both know that I may have this bloody faded Dark Mark, but it isn't who I am anymore." Harry nodded his head. "Well she wouldn't stop crying so I sat with her on her bed, and she finally fell into a deep sleep. After about three minutes, she kicked me. I realized that it was a nightmare, and I pulled the string from her temple. I went to put it into my pensieve so it had somewhere to be, when curiosity got the better of me and I peaked at it. It was about Nott raping her."
"Are you sure?"
"I can show you if you don't believe me."
Harry nodded. He felt like he might be overstepping her privacy, but if Nott really had raped her, then they needed to know. Draco went over to the pensieve and set it in front of both of them.
"After you, St. Potter." Draco said with a fake air of arrogance. They went in and followed the scene before them.
"Theo, I don't think we can see each other anymore. Everything's changing now. Cedric died at the end of last year. I know your father is a Death Eater, and I can't be mixed up with you." Jordayna told him. He made a sad face at her. Both boys glared at him, even though they knew he could not see them.
"But, you'll be safe with us. My father won't let harm come to something I want." He said with sincerity.
"Do you really believe that? It's not about your families. It's about Lord Voldemort's crazy plans, and none of them include anybody's happiness. Not even his most loyal followers' families. I guarantee you that you, Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and even Malfoy will be dragged into this before you're even of-age to use magic."
Harry looked over to Draco. "Smart witch." Draco nodded in response.
"Dayna, I want you. I get what I want." He said as he took her left wrist in his grip. He dragged her through the corridors to the Room of Requirement. Inside, there was a bed covered in black sheets.
"That's what made her start crying harder the other night." Draco whispered to no one in particular. "I had made a joke about getting what I want, and she started sobbing so hard I thought she would hyperventilate."
He threw her down on the bed and said a common binding spell. She furrowed her brow in thought.
"You won't be able to do that right now. I've given you a mind-weakening potion. Malfoy always makes them best and I took his after Snape graded it. I'm sure you thought everyone did not know about your mind tricks, but I did. You get this look right before you do something. I've noticed. When Pansy called you Halfblood trash and all of a sudden her hair was green and slimy, I knew you did it."
Both boys gasped in awe. Jordayna had mental magic. It frightened Harry some because the only others he had known with that power were Voldemort and Dumbledore. Draco was still concerned about one of his potions being the reason she couldn't fight back.
The nightmare had gone black and both boys being relieved they left the pensieve.
"We need to watch her Malfoy. Make sure Nott doesn't try anything with her." Harry ordered. Draco nodded.
The next Potions class wasn't anymore pleasant for Jordayna than the previous. Nott kept touching her while she put things together for their potion.
"If you don't stop touching me, then I'm going to hex you from here until next Tuesday!" Jordayna whispered with animosity.
"I'd like to see you try, love."
"Do not call me that! It wasn't endearing when we were fourteen, and it isn't endearing now."
"Mr. Nott, Ms. Mallerd, care to share with the rest of us?" Slughorn asked.
"No sir." Jordayna answered glaring at Nott.
"Well if you two are finished, I'm going to begin with the directions for the rest of the Veritaserum assignment." Both nodded. "The rest of the assignment includes testing the potency of your potion. You will find time outside of class to meet with your partner and take a sip of your potion. Afterwards conduct an interview with your partner. Since this is an advanced class I trust you will not abuse this power."
Everyone in the room tensed. Had they known the requirements of the rest of the assignment some would have begged to stay with their old partners. Especially Jordayna, she didn't need Nott asking her private things. He would do something like that even with Slughorn telling him no.
Harry and Draco kept a hawk-eye on Jordayna the rest of the class. They could tell she was visibly upset by the whole thing.
"I can't believe that prat asked me to the Halloween Ball, I would not go with him if my life depended on it." I mumbled to myself. I was lying on my bed with Gem on my stomach. She was purring softly. "What makes it worse Gem? I told Nott I already have a date out of panic, because I know him and I know he'll just try it all again."
There was a knock at my door. It was a Friday night before another Hogsmeade trip, so that meant Ginny Weasley was standing on the other side. She was going to ask me if I'd been asked to the ball yet, and if I wanted to pick out my dress and mask with her, Hermione, Luna, and Daphne Greengrass. Some things really had changed. It was now common to see those four girls together constantly. It was also normal to see Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Blaise Zabini, and Zacharias Smith walking down corridors together. Where does that leave me? I'm a part of their group, but not a part of it at the same time. I'm the American girl who is leaving once I graduate.
"Come in Ginny!" I shouted through the door.
"How did you know it was me?" She asked innocently.
"Because I know what you want. You want to know if I have been asked yet, and if I'm shopping with you and the others tomorrow."
"Well?"
"No, I haven't been asked, and yes I'll shop with you."
"Even if you don't have a date we'll make sure you look stunning!" Ginny squealed as she exited. I sighed audibly. This was going to be horrible, because if I showed up without a date I was prey. If I showed up with a date, it would be someone I didn't know at all.
"Ugh, what to do?"
