This is a pretty short chapter, but i felt it needed to be. Short and to the point.

Chapter 9

That's no excuse!

The sun shined brilliantly through the windows of Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I was in my usual corner hiding from everyone and it seemed Draco was taking no notice of me whatsoever. I was excited but disappointed at the same time. Being invisible wasn't as great as it used to be especially since Draco used to single me out. Now that his teasing was non-existent what point was there?

Class was a lecture that day which was a rare occasion and I gathered my things as the class cleared. I moved into the sunlight and basked for a second. The warmth was invigorating.

"Miss Moonbeam." called Snape.

"Yes sir?" I said as I approached. I noticed Draco was standing behind him with his back toward me, looking through a pile of papers. Why was he hanging around?

"I've ignored that you are failing, and quite miserably, for a while now. You have such potential. Considering who your father is you should be excelling."

"Sir, with all due respect, I would rather certain people don't know who my father is." I glanced at Draco who still had his back toward me, but had stopped shuffling. He was standing eerily still. "I'm sorry. I just don't have the ability."

"Nonsense. Child I've seen your face buried in the books your father wrote, and that display in class the other day! It was nothing short of extraordinary. Your father is a brilliant man and you should be proud. You do not apply yourself and that brings me to my reason for holding you over. Mr. Malfoy?" He motioned Draco over to his desk.

"Sir, you're sorely mistaken." I said.

"Draco, as you know, is one of my finest and most talented students. He has volunteered to tutor you." Anger flooded me. Draco was behind this conversation. So much for letting me think; I knew he was going to pull some stunt.

"Professor Snape I assure you I don't-"

"I've made my decision. If you want to pass my class this semester you will have to attend tutor sessions with Mr. Malfoy and he will keep a log. I refuse to let my smartest student fail a class that should be as easy as a cup of tea."

"Sir, I will double my efforts. I assure you that I don't need a tutor." Draco wouldn't tutor me; no that wasn't his intention at all. Thanks for looking out for me Snape.

"Your first session will be this evening and you can study anywhere in the school that is not forbidden. I've given Draco a proper list of subjects to go over and a bit of schoolwork for you."

"Professor, I don't need a tutor."

"Your grades prove otherwise. Good luck Miss Moonbeam. I expect you to be my top student by the end of the year."

A smirk played on Draco's lips as he absorbed my reaction. That devious son of a- Ugh, now would be one of those moments he deserved a slap. Before I went off and cursed him in front of Snape I forced myself to accept the task. I headed out of the classroom knowing that Draco wasn't far behind.

"Persy!" He'd caught up with me. Now that was fast. He wasn't wasting any time. His hand rested on my shoulder and I removed it. He snarled. "The library, after dinner." A group of his friends entered the hall and he nodded to me then left to join them. Boy, I wasn't looking forward to dinner.

After my meal I waited in the library, opened a book, and tried to study. My thoughts wandered. Draco couldn't teach me much about defense against the dark arts my father hadn't already taught me. Hell, I'd owned him in front of everyone. Was that not enough proof that I didn't need his 'tutoring'? I chewed my nails in anticipation of how this farce would turn out.

"That isn't becoming," said a voice behind me.

"A lot of things aren't becoming according to you."

"Sure." Draco plopped a stack of books on the table. He handed me a pile of paper and patted the stack of books. "The material we have to cover."

"Great."

"Hey, I pay attention in class."

"You're the one who volunteered me for tutoring. Nice work."

"Thanks." He smirked.

"That was sarcasm, not a compliment." I replied and he scowled.

"Either way."

He reached over and closed my muggle studies book then replaced it with a larger book named "Defense against Curses: Oxymoron?" I laughed at the title.

"I thought you'd like it."

"I like the title but I haven't opened the book yet."

"Why do I bother?" He sat down beside me.

"Do what?"

"You go out of your way to disagree with me." I shrugged but didn't respond. "Then you get quiet and shut down when you're uncomfortable, like right now."

"I haven't shut down." I opened the book and turned to the page my first sheet of paper directed me to. "Now can we talk about what is important?"

"Absolutely." He moved his chair closer to mine and tucked the hair behind my ear. The soft touch of his fingers caused me to ache again. "If you wore your hair down you wouldn't have that bothering you all the time."

"You're supposed to be tutoring me."

"I am."

"You're impossible."

"Am I? …and here I thought I was being kind."

"Just stop." I skimmed down the page to the cruciatus curse. Just then he snatched the book from me and slammed it down on the other side of the stack. "What in the-"

"You'd like to use the cruciatus on me, eh?"

"What are you talking about?

"My aunt Bellatrix taught me a bit of Legilimency. If you want to curse me then do it. I'm not stopping you."

"You're invading my thoughts?!" I jumped out of the chair furiously.

"Sit down!"

"No!" I heard a stern hush come from behind us and lowered my voice. "You have no right Draco, no right."

"Just as you have no right to kiss Neville."

"You saw that?" I slid back into my seat.

"That I saw with my own eyes." He fiddled with the ring on his right hand.

"So you were spying on me. You're unbelievable."

"Don't let your head swell. I wasn't spying on you."

"Oh?"

"I couldn't sleep… so I decided to take a walk and came around the Ravenclaw sleeping quarters because yes, I was thinking about you." His grey eyes shot a quick glance at me. "…and there I saw your little midnight kiss with Neville. 'I need to think.' Lying hussy."

"I am not a hussy!"

"What would you call it? Friendly?"

"I don't want to talk about this."

"Whether you want to or not we already are."

"You were supposed to give me time to think." He grabbed me and pulled me roughly into his lap.

"I did, and you spent that time snogging Neville. If you think I'm going to stand by waiting for a decision while you date that… misfit you're highly mistaken." His right hand moved to my waist and pushed me against him while the other moved quickly to the nape of my neck and pushed me into a kiss.

"I'm sorr-" I started as I attempted to pull out of the kiss. His hand pulled me back to him making it resume. My hands slid into his satin hair and I encouraged him. What was I doing? His mouth… his mouth felt like a missing part of my soul was trying to rejoin me.

I cut our connection covered his cheeks in delicate smooches. A jovial laugh escaped from him.

"I love you." I said. What was I saying? Why was I saying it? But I did. I knew I did, as fiendish as he could be. My father's voice rang in my ears. 'Choose the one you love.' Did I love Neville? No. I didn't.

His smirk faded and I could see disbelief in his eyes. Disbelief and pain. He pushed me off of him. I was shocked. Wasn't that what he wanted to hear? I felt hurt suddenly. I'd made myself vulnerable and he was hurting me again. Every time! He got to his feet and began to gather the books. Where was he going? I saw him swallow hard.

"Persephone…"

"Yes?"

"Don't ever say that to me again unless you mean it."

"I do."

"No you don't. You wouldn't have kissed Neville if you meant it."

"What do you want me to do? I avoid you and you chase me, I make myself vulnerable to you and you don't want me…" I grabbed his arm but he wouldn't look at me. "I'm so confused. And well, Neville asked me to kiss him! I felt I had to. I didn't want to hurt him."

"That's no excuse! You could have said no! You'd rather hurt me instead. Wait, no, I'm a Malfoy. I don't have feelings." I heard another stern hush behind us and I began to cry. "Don't cry again. I'm not falling for it this time. You cause your own pain." He pushed past me and left me there. I felt retched. My body fell back into the chair and I stared ahead of me. The tears weren't showing as they usually did. Maybe I was too upset to cry or maybe I knew he was right.

If I really did love him what business did I have kissing Neville? None, that's what. But I did love him; I knew that now and finally admitted it to myself. I was in love with the one man who'd made my life a living hell. My own personal Hades; my own devil had pulled me into his underworld and unlike Persephone the goddess I wasn't getting free.