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Chapter 6:

Change of Heart?

Zeta contained herself in her room for the majority of the night, thinking Draco would not come up. It was already a hassle with him. He acted like he liked her, almost wanted her, and yet Zeta knew he didn't. It was one large scheme to get her to do something to regret, probably sleep with him, and when she did, he would just get up and then he would leave, laughing evilly. How that annoyed her was stronger than words, becuase she was slowly falling into his trap, of getting her to lust him back. Zeta could not show it, and she tried her hardest to deny it, but it wasn't possible, it was not possible to deny Draco Malfoy, and she hated herself for this. The way he held her, the way he spoke to her, he was right, she loved him because he was always on the wild side. Pissing people off when he wanted, and doing whatever he wanted, whenever. He had shown her that today, when he had taken the lead, holding her strongly, kissing her just to get a rise. Zeta knew though, she could not love him, she could not lust him, for the fact remained, this was all his plan. She hated him for it as well. Trying to convince herself he was terrible, was not something her heart was telling her to do. Zeta replayed everything that he had done, kissing her, forcing her to do everything he told her to do, his annoying smirks, his evil laugh, she hated him for it. She hated him for all he was, and all he would become.

A knock came on the dormitory door. Zeta looked at her watch, and saw it was only nine. Wondering who it was, and hoping it wasn't Draco, she went to it, and opened it. To her surprise, it was Pansy, holding the hand of Goyle, as he smiled gaily, looking like he was in for a big surprise.

"Just thought I'd warn you," Pansy began, looking in the room for anyone else, "Unless you want to watch." She told her with a smirk.

"I would rather perform Avada Kedavra on myself." Zeta told her with an annoyed look, beginning to walk out.

"Malfoy's telling people you two are going out, is this true?" She asked, before Zeta could get completly out the door.

"I hate liars." Zeta told her with a cold look.

"I'm not, that's his own words." She told her with a snarl in her voice.

"Well, its not true, I wouldn't go out with him in a million years." Zeta told her, her temperature rising.

"Good." She hissed, "Because he's off limits. The only one who's allowed to snog with Draco Malfoy in a dark corridor is me, get it?"

"Oh, crystal clear." Zeta told her angrily, and she walked out the room. She had no idea where that had come from. Why had Pansy told her Draco was telling people that? Even if it was true, why would Draco ever say that? She couldn't help but feel a pit form in her stomach. She suddenly remembered what she had told the Chatter Box.

"I would love to go out with...you..." Zeta hit herself in the forehead, so now Draco thought that was directed to him, wonderful.

Zeta walked down the stairs, and breathed a sigh of relief, to see Draco no where. Zeta sat down in front of the fire, and decided to start her Transfiguration essay. On the first day McGonagall had given them an essay on what they had already known, just to get them up to speed. Sitting in front of the fire, Zeta took out her quill and began to write. Not paying much attention to what was going on around her, Zeta was surprised an hour later to hear her watch alarm going off. It was finally ten o'clock. Zeta quickly stuffed her essay into her bag, and swung it over her shoulder, hoping for the best. She left out of the common room entrance, hoping never to return.

-

Zeta stepped out of the common room, and was happy to see Ron, Harry and Hermione waiting outside.

"Thought we'd get here early, incase you were." Harry told her, fascinated with the floor below him.

"Actually it was all Harry's idea." Ron said with a laugh, as Harry shot him a don't-tell-her-that look.

"Thanks." Zeta told them, "So are we off?" She asked, beginning to walk down the dungeon hallway, as she shivered. Harry walked up, and put an arm around her.

"Oh," Zeta said looking at him, as he smiled, "Thanks, I was a little cold." She smiled back at him, wondering if he was trying to impress her. He rubbed the side of her arm, trying to warm her up.

"You know," Harry began, bringing up a touchy subject, "That was a horrid thing Malfoy did to you today. I really am sorry. I tried to stop him, I did, but he wouldn't listen to me." Harry sounded concerned, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Zeta nodded, hoping he wouldn't talk about it again. She hated it when people did that, if she wanted to talk about it, she would be the one to bring it up.

"Yeah," Ron cut in, "I really wanted to hex him, but Hermione told me I couldn't." He began to walk parallel with the two as Hermione joined, "But, I can't say I didn't warn you."

"I know." Zeta told him, still trying to drop the subject.

"I really hope something happens to him, like he finds out he's lost him viagra or something like that...Stupid git." Harry and Zeta both surpressed a wave of laughter at what Ron had said. Both of them turned down the hallway, and Zeta could see the giant oak doors.

"Almost there." Harry told her, moving his hand down to her waist, pulling her closer. Hermione turned around and giggled, as Ron hit her playfully.

"You know," Harry began to whisper in her ear. "You never responded to my question this morning..." Zeta looked at him, and bit her lip, she had almost completly forgotten. Harry quickly let go, and Zeta could feel the cold night air replace the spot his hand had been. She wanted him to put it back.

"You don't have to answer now, I mean after all that happened this morning-" Zeta cut him off, and pulled him to her. She whispered in his ear.

"I would love to." She smiled, as Harry could not help but grin widely, as his smile streched across his whole face. He put his hand back around her waist, and she felt safe. His strong grasp on her, his sweet voice, the smell of his colegne, made her comfortable. When they finally reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office, she didn't want the walk to be over, it had ended much too soon. Harry took off his hand.

"Canary Tarts." Ron said, and the gargoyle sprang to life, moved out of the way, showing a spinning staircase. They all climbed onto it.

"I knew that Dumbledore would use something from Fred and George sooner or later." Ron said with a laugh, as they reached the top. A large door stood in front of them, and Hermione knocked. Dumbledore answered in a minute, and smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"Ahh..." He said looking them over, "I thought I'd be seeing you lot sooner rather than later. If you all don't mind though, I would like to talk to Zeta in private first." Harry looked at her, and she nodded, knowing what he wanted to talk about.

Zeta walked into the room, and the door shut behind her.

"Ms. Arwin, as you know this is to talk to you about your Care of Magical Creatures class." He looked down at Zeta through his half-moon glasses. "Please sit down, this may be a little too much." Zeta took a seat obediently, and waited for what Dumbledore had to say next, but tightened her back when she heard it.

"Could you please tell me what happened." Dumbledore sat at his desk, and looked at her intently. Zeta took a large breath, and thought of the nicest way to explain it.

"Well," She began, twisting her fingers. Being in the spotlight was not something she was good at, "As you know we were studying Chatter Boxes. Harry and I chose one. He was feeding it for a little, and he told it something. It walked over to me, and told me. It turned out he wanted to ask me out." Dumbledore smiled, as he laughed silently. "I told it exactly what I wanted it to tell Harry. 'I would love to go out with you'." Zeta felt like an idiot explaining this to the old man, "But instead of going to Harry, it went to Draco. He listened to it before I could stop him. He looked at me, and then grabbed me around the waist, and held me to him." Her face began to redden and her temperature rise, "He told me he would love to, and then he..." She tried to get out the last bit, but was overcome a feeling of humiliation, and she tried to hold back a tear, "He kissed me on the neck." She looked up at Dumbledore who had not changed his expression, "I pushed him away, and Hagrid came running over, I told him nothing happened, because I knew that I would have it far worse if I told the truth. And..." She looked back down at her hands, and then to Dumbledore, "And that's it." She knew of course, after she had told him everything, she couldn't have lied. He had already known the truth anyway, and lying would only make matters worse.

"Did he do anything else since you have been here?" Dumbledore asked, standing, as Zeta suddenly tried to think of a response. Lie? Or truth?

"No." She blurted out rather quickly. The headmaster eyed her for a minute or two, wondering if she was lying, but must have decided she wasn't for he spoke again.

"Ms. Arwin," Dumbledore sat back down at his desk, and looked at her again, "You know that you can always tell me when you want." Zeta nodded, "I will always be here if anything else happens. I would hope you would take up that offer." He took out his wand, as the door to the office opened, Ron tumbled in.

"It's no use Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, a small smile dancing on his face, "The door is sound proof." Ron went bright red, and quickly walked to a seat, looking at the floor while sitting down.

"I know why you are all here." Dumbledore looked at all of them, now sitting, "You would like Zeta to change houses." They all looked hopefully, waiting for his next words. "I know why as well, for Ms. Arwin and I just talked about it. But, it is not my decision to place a person into a house, and many times, I am surprised by its decision. Zeta meets all the normal qualities of Slytherin, pureblood, and from a long line of it-"

"I am?" Zeta asked, wondering why she didn't know this in the first place.

"Yes," he responded, "Your mother's maiden name was Mawley, a pureblood group in Ireland. They moved here about seventeen years ago, to flee Voldermort, and your mother found your father, who is also a pureblood, from Iceland. Arwin being a small pureblood group there." Why Zeta hadn't known any of this, she didn't know, but it suprised her entirely.

"So if you are a pureblood, you are automatically sorted into Slytherin?" Zeta asked.

"No, but it is one of the qualities Slytherin once looked for." He looked at them, as they all awaited his next thought. "The only thing I may think, is to try on the Sorting Hat again, it is getting old, and maybe losing it's touch." Zeta nodded, as the other's let out a sigh of relief. She erased every thought of Malfoy she had in her head, hoping that would help her to be in Gyrfindor.

Dumbledore walked over to the shelf, and she saw the sorting hat she had seen only the day before. Zeta couldn't help but laugh to think only a day before she had complained to her mother she wasn't going to wear a skirt. Now she was dealing with a long amount of grief. Nothing a change of house couldn't fix though.

Her headmaster put the old tattered hat on her head, as it began to speak again.

"Hmm..." It began, remembering her, "Ms. Arwin, I know that you think I may have sorted you wrong, and you would like to be resorted, so I will rack your brain again. But, be warned, I do not only look on the surface, but deep into your mind. Hmmm..." It repeated again, "Intelligent as I said, brave, and noble, friendly and loyal. Pure, and secret holder, mourner, and one who has changed her heart. I believe Ms. Arwin you should be in..."