A/N: SORRY for the delay! I watched LOTR again and got distracted and just had to write for that while the idea was fresh in my mine. I uploaded that story if you wanna check it out.
Thanks tooooo:
DracoMalfoy4Ever
Meeko13
Demonic-Kat
Who sent me LOVELY reviews. Don't worry, the lollipop is a recurring character. :p
Chapter 4:
Tonight was the night of the first D.A meeting and Lindi was scared out of her mind.
Lindi, Draco, and Blaise were sitting in the corner of the library studying. Well, at least the two boys were. With Snape's essay being due next period, the boy's were frantically writing down anything related to newt's eyes and their practical application in potions. Name at least 5 potions that have newt's eyes as a central ingredient and explain why they are crucial to the potion.
As the boys got up to harass Susan Bones into giving them the fifth potion, Lindi groaned and slid down in her chair till her forehead was resting on the table. After a few seconds, another groan of frustration, Lindi threw her arms onto the table as well, before slowly and repeatedly hitting her forehead against the table.
Lindi was so confused. She had no idea what to do. She knew what she was ordered and she knew that as a Slytherin she should never in a billion years want to go to a meeting like the DA meeting. However at the same time, Lindi, though she would never admit it, was curious. Despite the adage flying in circles around her mind, that curiosity killed the cat, Lindi couldn't help herself. She was curious for the things her father would expect her to be curious of, if the group posed any threat? Along with any information about the supposed Order of the Phoenix or Potter himself.
But, at the same time, Lindi was also curious about Potter himself and his friends Granger and Weasley. Why did they fight so strongly for their cause? What was their motivation? Did they honestly think they could win? And more importantly, what made Potter so damn special? And why did he always look at her as if he knew some awful secret about her?
At first Lindi thought the constant mistrustful looks she received from Potter were a result of her simply being the "new kid", and then when it didn't fade, she thought that they were because of her last name, Lestrange, or because of her new relation to the Malfoy's. As those both proved to be false, Lindi was now at a lost. How could Potter be so … distrustful of her? He couldn't know could he … about her father? Well Lindi was determined to find out. Tonight.
Right as Lindi made up her mind, Draco and Blaise returned to the table, triumphant over their inherent Slytherin cheating abilities.
"Yay! We're done!" cheered Blaise, and then spotting Astoria sitting alone across the room, threw a condescending smile at the still hunched-over Lindi, patted her on the head and cheekily said,
"Good luck tonight dear!" Before dodging her half-hearted swat in his direction, tenderly kissed her on the top of the head and chuckling walked over toward Astoria.
Draco laughed and shook his head as Blaise walked away, mouthing "Traitor" in Blaise's direction at leaving him all alone with an angry Lindi, on of the most terrifying creatures in the world.
"Lindi" Draco cooed. Before laughing again as Lindi tried to swat him this time. Catching her hand, Draco put it gently down on the table and then walked around till he stood behind her. Then reaching down, he put his hands on her shoulders and slowly and gently began rubbing them and moving her hair to the side and over her left shoulder, massaging up her neck and her scalp. When he felt Lindi starting to relax under his touch he tried again to talk to her.
"Lindi?" Draco asked.
All he got in response was a moan as his hands found a particularly tight knot in her shoulders.
Laughing Draco said, "Now, I know you want me Lindi. But at least wait till we're alone."
"Uhhh Dray…" Lindi tried to say before moaning again as Draco's hands found another spot.
Realizing that they were in a secluded part of the library with their table somewhat hidden behind a shelf of books. Lindi turned bright red and groaned once again hiding her face in her hands before sitting up.
When Draco pushed his chair closer to hers and sat down, Lindi peered at him through her fingers.
"Draco. What time is it?" Lindi questioned finally, waiting for her blush to fade. She was answered as the bell tolled, signaling five minutes till the end of break. With accompanying groans, Lindi and Draco stood up, pushed their chairs in, grabbed their book bags and started their way down to the dungeons for potion class.
Five Minutes later:
"Draco, Merilinda." Snape said, nodding in greeting to his two favorites students, as they took their seat at the desks directly in front of his own.
As the bell rang, Snape addressed the class,
"Today class we will be making a very, interesting potion, a confusing and befuddlement draught. Which, as I am sure you remember you researched earlier in the year. I trust you still have your homework with the ingredient list; you'll need it today. The instructions are on the board; pay close attention to step –
Snape was interrupted as Potter came blazing into class late.
"Sorry professor! I was –
"10 points from Gryffindor.
"But –
"20 points."
"But I have a –
"Would you like it to be 50 Potter? Sit Down. You have wasted enough of my time." Snape snapped before continuing.
"As I was saying, pay close attention to step 12…it's confusing."
Throwing a final smirk at Draco and Lindi, Snape flicked his wand, opening the store cupboard.
Lindi and Draco played rock-paper-scissors to see who would go get the supplies. Draco lost in a magnificent three round game, and rose with a groan heading toward the cupboard. Meanwhile, Lindi stood up as well and walked over to Professor Snape who was watching over the class from the front of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Unc- I mean, Professor?" Lindi said with a grin watching Snape wince at her almost calling him Unlce Sevy.
"Yes, Merilinda?"
"Well, you see me and Draco can't seem to find our ingredient list, I think we both left them in our rooms, you wouldn't by chance happen to have an extra would you?" Lindi said as sweet as can be.
With a slight shake of his head at her tenacity, Snape reached into his pocket and pulled out a list for the duo.
With a coy, "Thank you professor", and a cheeky grin, took the list and walked back to her seat, smile only growing at the anger on everyone's faces.
How can we trust her when she does things like that?" Potter growled angrily.
"Harry, it's not like she can suddenly start acting like a Gryffindor and be best friends with us. She would be killed! Or worst ostracized, and Harry as much as you hate to admit it, we need her connections. She can help us win this war. Whether she realizes it or not." Granger answered in a harsh whisper.
"Besides Harry. Wouldn't you do that if you could? Smile, flutter your eyes and get an 'O'." Weasley added wishfully.
As the trio watched, the first calculating, the second angry, and the third wishful; Draco returned, arms full of ingredients to Lindi who already had the cauldron bubbling and ready.
An hour and a half later, the bell rang, ending the thoroughly confusing class and signaling the start of dinner. The students, some more nervous than others, walked up to Snape's desk placed a labeled vial of their potion on it, before packing their book-bags and cleaning off their worktables.
As Snape's class broke out into chatter as they scaled the seemingly endless stairs up to the great hall for dinner.
Seeing that they were behind the three famous Gryffindors, her new best friends, Lindi turned to Draco and said,
"Mon ami, jouer en même temps. Ils ont de m'entendre vous mentir." (My friend, play along. They have to hear me lying to you.)
"Mais ma petite, je veux seulement vous faire économiser à partir d'un soir d'ennui total." (But, my little one, I only wish to save you from an evening of utter boredom.) Draco replied.
With an exaggerated sigh and roll of the eyes, Lindi shot Draco a look and said,
"Dray, I can't I have a meeting tonight with Professor McGonnagall that I can't get out of."
"Uhhh. Lindi, do you have to meet with her tonight? It's Friday, and Blaise will probably be off with Astoria again. And besides, you and I were supposed to meet tonight to plan the invite list for father's Christmas party. He wants it by tomorrow." Whined Draco.
"Dray, I'm really sorry. I can't. I have a thing. I'll meet you in the common room as soon as I'm done. I promise." Lindi said trying to appease him.
"Oh really? A thing. What's his name?" Draco replied to a now shocked Lindi at the turn this supposedly fake argument had taken.
"Draco. What are you talking about?" Lindi questioned stopping, in the middle of the hallway and grabbing Draco's arm to stop him as well, serious as to what had brought this up.
The two Slytherins stood in the middle of the entrance hall. Lindi's hand still clasped tightly onto Draco's arm. When Draco only looked down at her, straight into her eyes, seemingly straight into her soul, Lindi looked away.
"Draaaayy…"
"Merilinda." Draco answered gently grabbing her chin and pulling her face up to look at him.
"Hey, Lindi" Draco whispered when Lindi still refused to make eye contact.
"Draco. You know there's no one else, I mean –
"Lindi. Shhh." Draco said placing his finger on her mouth before pulling her into a quick hug.
"You know we're in this together, mon chere."
With a sigh Lindi stepped out of his embrace and answered,
"I know." And with a smile grabbed his hand and pulled him into the great hall saying,
"C'mon let's go eat, I need a real meal in order to make it through tonight,"
20 minutes later:
Seeing Granger look at her from across the hall, Lindi stood up and followed Granger out of the Great Hall after a minute.
"Okay, Hermione. Where are we going?" Lindi asked.
"The room of requirement. It's up on the seventh floor. Kind of hard to get into…"Granger answered.
"I don't think I have ever been there before." Lindi said unintentionally prompting Granger into a very long-winded explanation for the rest of their walk:
"Well, you see. That house elf Dobby told Harry about it. Apparently, you walk past this certain part of wall on the seventh floor three times concentrating on what you need. And then, after your third pass a room will appear, with what ever you had envisioned –"
Lindi heard before zoning her out and repeatedly focusing on one simple phrase a room will appear with what ever you had envisioned. As Lindi continued to process and contemplate the potential this room could hold, and tried to contain her increasing need to run down to the Slytherin common room, tell Draco about her epiphany and write an urgent letter home; they arrived at a large, blank expanse of wall.
Lindi watched as Granger walked back and forth three times, and sure enough a door appeared. Amazed, Lindi followed Granger into the room.
Inside there was everyone from the meeting, beginning to split into pairs. Watching as Granger got called off to be partners with Weasley. Lindi quickly looked around hoping to find someone else looking for a partner, seeing that the only one left partner-less was Potter, Lindi groaned slightly before taking a few tentative steps towrd him. Potter seemed to realize that too, and frantically glanced around the room one more time before grudgingly approaching Lindi.
"Need a partner?"
"Yes, I mean, if you don't mind," said Lindi.
"Well, I guess you're part of the group now, since no one seems to object to you being here." Potter said as they walked over to the end of the line and split apart facing each other, wands still in their pockets.
"I mean, I didn't even think you were going to show tonight, the way you were fighting with Malfoy after potions."
"That's none of your business. That was a private conversation." Lindi snapped back, showing Potter her Slytherin side for the first time.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't be having private conversations in the middle of the hallway." Potter sneered back.
"Regardless. Why were you listening to us anyway?" Lindi sneered right back taking a step forward.
"Honestly I don't know why I even bothered to listen. I mean who would want to hear the scum of Malfoy's thoughts being verbalized?" Potter replied taking his own step forward.
The two intently stared at each other, before being interrupted by a throat clearing across the room. Look up, the disgruntle pair saw Granger looking at the two of them standing less than a foot away from each other, wands out pointing at the other's hearts. Simultaneously, the pair separated mumbling apologies, pocketing their wands. For the rest of the meeting Lindi and Potter did not say one word beyond what was necessary for their spellwork. Soon thereafter, Potter dismissed the group.
As Lindi walked past Potter to the exit, she stopped and reached into her pocket, Potter assuming that Lindi was reaching for her wand pulled his own out, but was startled when all he received in return was mumbled, "sorry" and a bright pink lollipop.
Confused Harry stood there for a few moments staring at the easily recognizable lollipop seeing as Lindi always seemed to have one when she was around him. Why would Lindi give up one of her beloved lollipops? For the moment, all thoughts of foul play were chased from his mind by the image of the bright pink candy in front of him.
Slowly, unwittingly, Potter stuck the lollipop in his pocket to save for a rainy day.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, a few levels below Potter, an exhausted Lindi had just entered the Slytherin common room. Seeing her enter, Blaise and Draco jumped up from the couch and the gaggle of upperclassmen who just so happened to be standing there as the two boys planned the invitation list for the famous Malfoy Christmas party, and over to Lindi.
"Lindi are you okay?" Draco asked while Blaise simultaneously asked,
"Did you plant it?"
As Lindi mumbled a quick yes to both questions, the trio shared a small smile before dragging a groaning Lindi over to their recently vacated seats, this time with Lindi in between the two.
As the clock struck midnight, Draco and Blaise looked down to see LIndi asleep, her head on Draco's lap, feet on Blaise's lap, more at ease then they had seen her in a long while.
Shaking their heads, the two boys picked up their closest friend and carried her up to the room they shared (Malfoy money at it's finest) where they soon joined her in their own slumber.