Some Like It Mild
By Kukaburry
Chapter 15- A Sopping Detention
After the incident with Draco, Laurie was careful not to get caught throwing hexes. Several students swore they saw a hole in the side of castle where Laurie had been earlier. She ducked her head and scampered safely over to the lower dungeons.
"What are you doing here so early?" The voice sent chills down her spine. She turned around to find professor Snape glaring suspiciously at her, a vial of purple, swirling liquid firmly in his grasp. "Are you sneaking about, trying not to get caught?" Laurie froze in fear. "I heard an explosion earlier and I recall hearing professor Flitwick call you his most advanced charms student."
"What? Me? Hahaha… Oh professor Snape, you're such a joker." She laughed awkwardly for several minutes before looking up.
Snape's face remained an unmoving mask. "I don't have a sense of humor Ms. Carter."
Laurie swallowed hard and came up with a plausible excuse. 'Sorry twins.' "Oh it was probably just Fred and George trying out one of their new inventions. Actually, I'm sure I heard them talking about it the other day." Her face and arms became damp with perspiration.
"This is the only break I have for the next five hours. If you wish to remain in this classroom for the next half hour, please sulk silently while I finish my potion." He swept into the adjacent chamber leaving a confused and relieved Laurie to her thoughts.
She lay her head down on the desk and began to nap. "Laurie, Laurie!" A finger poked her in the side. "Wake up, did you hear?" Laurie groggily lifted her head and stared directly in the eyes of George Weasley.
"Whazzit?" She slurred.
"Someone blew a huge hole in the side of the castle! I mean, Dumbledore fixed it in a second, but still, who could do such a thing? I want to shake their hand!"
Laurie, still drowsy, held her hand out and shook George's hand. "Thanks, it's my best work yet."
George looked down at her hand and began laughing like a loon. Laurie was suddenly hauled out of her seat and swung around in a bear hug. "I can't believe you were the one behind it!"
"George…can't…breathe," she gasped, pushing herself away from the death-squeeze. "Don't yell it so loud. Snape already suspects it was me, we don't want him finding out for sure it was…me… what's with that look?" She noticed George had turned an unusual shade of green. She heard 'a-hem' behind her and turned around frozenly.
Snape towered over her gloomily, face still completely expressionless. "Thirty points from Gryffindor for lying, Carter and detention tonight in my office."
Laurie slumped in her seat abashedly. This had to be the worst day of her life – this was the second time in a week she had gotten a detention from Snape. She couldn't imagine how horrible the detention tonight was going to be.
George patted her on the head consolingly. "It's not a big deal. I hold the all-time record for detentions at this school." Laurie shook her head, not impressed. She felt George's hand grab her shoulder roughly. "Back off Malfoy, Rye doesn't have time for your shit today." He suddenly growled above her head.
Laurie lifted her head from her arms, eyes slightly moist and puffy. Draco's defensive stance waned at the sight of her. He turned his fury back to George. "Why don't you let her talk for herself, Weasley. Maybe she wants to talk to me."
George spat a laugh, "I'll take that as a challenge Malfoy. I've got a bag of nosebleed naughts just calling your name." Laurie pushed George lightly to the side.
"I'll meet you tonight in Hogsmeade, after I get out of detention," she spun on her heel before Malfoy had time to register what she had said. She was giving in to his date.
George had the nerve to be flabbergasted and pointed an accusing finger in Draco's direction. "What did you do to make her say that? Charm her? Blackmail her? If you're threatening her Malfoy, Merlin help you, Fred and I will make you the sorriest chap in the history of Hogwarts." His declaration was met with a smug smile.
"I think you'll find out soon enough, Weasley." Draco left George fuming and returned to his seat at the center of the class.
Each class was uneventful and repetitious in Laurie's mind. Each of her professors became increasingly annoyed at her for no apparent reason and she began to wonder if she had touched some sort of bad luck amulet by accident. She barely held her composure leaving Transfiguration after McGonagall blamed her for the rampaging peacock that appeared at the back of the classroom.
Laurie ran from the room as class ended and dove into her bed, tears streaming down her face. She closed her bed-hangings to block out everything and everyone. Lily and Susan knew enough to leave her alone for the time-being. They were startled to find Draco sneakily following them in an attempt to find Laurie. "Malfoy, she doesn't want to see anyone. Can you stop stalking us now?" Susan gave him the stink-eye and walked through a tapestry on her left.
Lily gave him a quirked smile and shrugged. "She's right. Laurie would be better off left alone. She got her first detentions ever this week, that is equivalent to being disowned for her. It doesn't help that all of the teachers went off at her today." She turned and followed Susan's steps through the tapestry.
Why had he been following those two in the first place? The entire school might find out that he had feelings for Laurie, but he had felt so sad when he saw her face after leaving Transfiguration. She had been paired with Blaise again and the peacock had definitely come from that idiot's mis-fired spell. He knew what he had to do to make it right.
"Blaise you fool." Draco growled as soon as he entered the Slytherin common room. "Why didn't you admit that you were the one who fired the spell?"
Blaise looked up lazily from his spot on a chaise lounge. "I'd never admit anything to McGonagall. That woman is merciless, you know that." The humorless look in Draco's eye sobered him up quickly. "Look, I didn't know she was going to go off on Laurie. By the time I realized what she was angry about, I didn't want to get into the middle of it." Blaise made it sound smooth and simple, but Draco wasn't buying it.
"You're going to apologize and tell McGonagall the truth!" He walked purposely up to Blaise's chair, clenched his fist and knocked him directly in the mouth, not realizing who had just entered the room.
"Malfoy! Detention tonight for fighting. My office at 7pm." Draco turned to find Snape standing on the top step of entranceway and flushed a deep red. Snape's scowl sent shivers down his spine.
"Yes sir." He grudgingly replied and left Blaise sprawled on the sofa with a bloody lip. On his way to his room, he thought about detention with Snape and suddenly realized it was perfect. Laurie had detention as well and he could finally get her alone for an extended period. The looming detention was hardly threatening at all, now.
After calming down an hour later, Draco exited the dormitories, keeping clear of Blaise altogether. He knew he had lost his temper, and would have to apologize soon, but he didn't feel like it yet. It had felt right in the heat of the moment. 'Well he was being a dick by letting Laurie take the blame.' His anger came surging back and he took several soothing breaths.
Nerves jumped through his body. He hadn't been alone with Laurie since the night of the Werewolf attack, and the excitement of another chance to talk made him deeply nervous. He could only hope she would be happy to see him.
"Ah Ms. Carter, you're early. Please sit while we wait for our last-minute member to this detention party," Snape's sour humour grated on Laurie's nerves. At least she wouldn't suffer alone tonight. 'I wonder if Fred actually got himself in trouble on purpose? I could kiss him if he did.'
No sooner had that though crossed her mind when the door opened quickly and in walked the last person Laurie could expect. 'What the hell is going on here? Sweet Merlin, please tell me I'm not being punished.'
"Draco, good you found time in your busy schedule to grace us with your presence." Draco scowled at Snape's comment and looked Laurie directly in the eye, trying to gauge her reaction. She seemed too surprised to allow any other emotion to show. "You two will have the joyous chore of washing the potions room by hand. Hand over your wands and roll up your sleeves." Grumbling, they both pulled out their wands and placed them in Snape's clammy hands.
"I'll be back in one hour to check on your progress." He swept out of the room, leaving Laurie and Draco to their dull, cheerless chores.
"Do you think you can survive this horror, Rye?" Draco asked, getting out of his seat and heading towards two buckets of water at the front of the room. He cast a teasing smile over his shoulder as he picked up both buckets and walked towards the classroom door.
Laurie stared at him challengingly. "I would ask you the same question, Malfoy. With all the house-elves you employ I can't imagine you've touched a dirty stone in your entire life." She picked up two mops and a broom and followed in Draco's footsteps.
"It's not a crime to have servants." Draco replied, setting the two buckets in the center of the room. "Well how shall we start this, then? I can take the manly job and move the desks while you mop." He quirked and eyebrow and puffed out his chest.
Plastering on a fake smile, Laurie joined in. "Of course. I'll be the timid housewife holding a duster and giving my manly man his tea." She mimed dusting the air and pouring tea into a saucer. She finished with a small curtsy and Draco grinned appreciatively.
"Of course, you'd make a fabulous house-wife," he began while pushing the desks to the side of the room. "You'd hex your husband into doing everything for you."
Laurie laughed and moved several desks on her side of the room. "That's the best way to get anything done these days. Husbands respond so well to bribery and spells."
He rolled his eyes, "You're going to have a very abused husband. I can see it now. He's sitting, enjoying a book and you hex his trousers off to get the dishes washed." He grinned cheekily and laid across a couple of desks lined against the wall. "Get to work, house-wife. I'm taking a well-deserved break," and pretended to fall asleep.
"You'd better watch yourself or I'll hex your trousers off," she stood over him threateningly.
Draco opened an eye lazily. "How exactly would you accomplish that without your wand?" She wrinkled her nose in annoyance, realizing his point. "You're welcome to do it manually if you'd like. I won't mind at all." As flames coursed through Laurie's cheeks, Draco grinned and closed his eyes again, triumphant.
Soapy water washed over Draco's face and he jumped off of the desk in a flash. Spluttering, he cried, "What the bloody hell was that for woman? Now I'm going to taste soap for the next week." Several soap bubbles escaped his lips.
She stared at him saucily, "It's no less than you deserve you lazy-ass," and considered his appearance for a second. "You do the wet look well, Malfoy. You should try taking showers more often." She reveled in the look of his rumpled collar under his robes and plastered-wet hair. The only item missing was a burning look of lust. 'Wait.. what? I need to stop thinking with my pants.'
Still annoyed, Draco jumped off of the table and grabbed a mop and began cleaning up the unidentifiable stains on the classroom floor. Feeling guilty, Laurie picked up a rag and began rubbing down the wooden desks and chairs. Part of her rag began to bubble from the remnants of a mysterious potion and she quickly dropped it in a waste bin.
As Laurie turned around, a wall of cold water washed over her robes. Dripping, she confronted a chuckling Draco holding a half-empty bucket of water and spat a glob of soap onto the floor. "You do realize this is war?" Laurie ran to the nearest desk and dunked a rag into the water, then hurled it right at Draco who barely dodged in time as the rag splatted against the back window.
"You have the arm of a Chaser!" Draco commented, half-stunned by the accuracy and strength of her throw. "You shoul-" A heavy rag smacked right into his face and he inhaled sharply, choking.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that!" Laurie chirped from her hiding place, waiting for Draco to douse her with water again. Several minutes went by and nothing happened. Curious, Laurie popped her head up and looked around. Draco lay on the ground, unmoving, with a rag over his face.
"Oh shit, Draco are you okay?" She yelped, hopping over several desks. She knelt down beside him, checking to see if he was bleeding or at least breathing. Laurie lifted up Dracos' head and couldn't find a crack or even a trickle of blood, so she removed the rag from his face and leaned her ear against his mouth. A slow whistle of air escaped his lips. "Draco Malfoy, can you hear me?"
She opened his eyelids and poked him the chest several times to get a response, still nothing. Laurie suddenly found herself lying flat on the floor with Draco sitting on her back. "You need to learn not to be so trusting, Laurie," Draco laughed and brought out a soaking wet rag, then wrung it directly over Laurie's head.
"I give up," Laurie mumbled into the floor. "Let's actually get something done instead of playing around."
Draco stood up and picked Laurie up by her waist and placed her before him."Is that right? Are you admitting you had fun with me?"
Laurie's heart fluttered, standing so close to Draco while he looked so tempting and friendly, it was difficult to stay focused. "Yeah, well don't let it go your head, you'll weigh down your broom." She tried to step back a pace, but Draco held her firm in place. 'He's going to kiss me again.'
He leaned in, setting her pulse racing even faster. She steadied herself by gripping his shoulders and he shifted his hands around her torso, everything felt like it was on fire. For the first time in six years of school, Laurie not only wanted Draco, she longed for him. 'Just kiss me already.'
The look of wonder and amusement on Draco's face made it clear to Laurie that she had just said that out loud. "Impatient are we?" Draco chuckled. He tipped her chin up and brushed a stray hair from her face, lips only centimeters away from Laurie's. Laurie's eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. "We have to finish our detention first. We can't have professor Snape catch us snogging." He let go of Laurie's waist and picked up several discarded rags.
A pang of disappointment shot through her, and she wished she had a witty retort to ease the tension. "Right. Of course." Was all she could think. They finished their chores in complete silence and rearranged the desks.
Snape reentered exactly one hour after he had left and was shocked at the spotless room and even more surprised at how filthy both of his students were. "I don't want to know what happened. Just leave." He stated simply and slammed his office door closed.
"I think our unruly appearances gave him the wrong idea," Draco mused, looking intently at Laurie's down-cast expression and became concerned when she began walking away from him. "You promised me a date, remember?" He hastily called after her.
Laurie shrugged, pretending to not remember. "Do you really want to go to Hogsmeade looking like this?" She stared at him knowingly.
"Nevermind Hogsmeade. I have a better place, quieter and mostly unknown," Draco's suggestion perked her interest, but she had to play it cool so she crossed her arms and played a thoughtful expression.
"Well it looks like there isn't much else to do, so I'll see where this secret nook of yours is." She was immediately comforted by his relieved expression.
He took her lightly by the hand and guided her through a maze of stairways and hidden passages until they stopped outside of a blank wall where Draco paced back and forth. "Um, are you lost? I think we're on the fourth floor, but I might be mistaken since I lost track after the twelfth flight of stairs." Draco's only reply was a rolling of the eyes.
An antique door appeared in the wall with a gilded frame and brass handle. "Our date awaits," Draco gestured towards the door and Laurie hopped forward to open it, curiosity getting the best of her. She always enjoyed being introduced to hidden rooms.
The room looked somewhat transient with an eclectic set of furnishings and books. Two chairs were pulled up to a small table laden with delicious scones and pumpkin juice. "Did you invent this?" She asked, standing next to the extra large couch.
Draco sat down in the middle of the couch and patted the seat to him suggestively. "Of course not. I found this room last year by accident. It appears when you ask for it." Laurie gave in to the hint and sidled up to the end of the couch and sat down softly.
"So is this part of your plan to woo me?" She asked teasingly. "You seem to have changed almost overnight."
Draco tugged on her shirt and pulled her closer- Laurie put up no fight. "I'll say yes if you tell me that it's working," He played back, curling her hair around his index finger.
Laurie tried to say 'no', but a heavy object dropped on her lap and she looked down to see the Centaur Chronicles in perfect condition. "Why? We haven't even finished our date.." She trailed off, looking up urgently.
"I only said you had to go on a date with me," he answered her unasked question. "A deal is a deal."
"Right," she mumbled for the second time that day, completely engrossed in taking in the beautiful book she thought had been lost so long ago. "Well then, I guess that's that." She scooted away from Draco and flipped through the book absentmindedly. She barely noticed when the weight shifted on the couch until she looked up and Draco was halfway across the room, hands shoved deep into his pockets.
It suddenly dawned on her what had just occurred, and she threw the novel to the floor and sprinted towards the opening door. Draco turned just in time to have Laurie leap into his arms and lips crash against his own. Their combined weight slammed against the door, closing it for good.
Hello my lovely readers. I hope you aren't too disgruntled by this very very late posting! :D Let me know if you'd enjoy a more detailed intimate scene or if you'd like to leave it to your own imagination.
It is well known that clean-sweeps are just charmed mops. ~ Kukaburry