Chapter Nine

"Umm, excuse me, Jake?" Sarah walked over to the Ravenclaw table at dinner, aware of the narrowed gaze directed at her from the staff table. The boy in question turned around and responded amicably.

"What's up?"

"Well, I'm really sorry but I can't go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend." She said in a rush, biting her lip. Jake glanced behind her at the staff table and gulped.

"Tha-That's fine. Bye!" And quickly turned back around, ignoring her. Sarah walked back to the Gryffindor table and when Ginny caught her eye, she winked.

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Ginny Weasley tied a piece of parchment to an owl's leg.

"Take this to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and peck them until they send something back."

The owl flew away and, whistling, she strolled down the stairs of the Owlery.

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"Jareth?" Sarah peered round the door of the DADA classroom.

"What is it, precious?" Warm breath tickled her ear and she whipped around, ending up nose to nose with Jareth. She blushed, hyper-aware his lips were less than an inch from hers, and... stepped back. Trying to concentrate on what she was here for she didn't notice a chair right behind her and would have fallen over it as she stumbled back had Jareth not caught her.

"I-I... I wanted to apologise." Jareth raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I'd forgiven you and..." She babbled, Jareth was not making things easier by nuzzling her hair. She quickly forgot want she wanted to say when Jareth whispered in her ear, his arms still around her.

"You forgive me, precious? You apologise for your pranks? Why, we'd hardly got started! What's the matter? You don't feel guilty about such little trifles, do you?" He chuckled.

"I-I have to go and... and meet Ginny for Lunch. Bye!" She ran out of the classroom so fast she was a blur. Damn Fae! I hate him!- I think.

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"If we do this to Jareth we have to do it to Des as well!" Sarah was immoveable.

"It won't work on him!" Ginny argued.

"Yes it will, Des is as in love with you as you think Jareth is with me!"

"Fine." She replied hotly. "We'll do it to him too."

"We can use Snape!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Nice!" Ginny looked approvingly at her. "But, if we are going to do it to Des as well I say we make a wager."

"Ten galleons Des loves you and Jareth doesn't love me."

"Done! Oh and vice versa of course."

"Done."

"Anyway, the prank. Will I have to act the same as you?"

"Nah, I'll run away and you sit there in shock. That all right?"

"Can I storm out if he tries to talk to me?"

"Sure, you can be angry and I'll be sad." A thought then occurred to Ginny.

"Damn! That means I have to say sorry!"

"Yep! Oh, and we can do it at dinner so apologise before lunch." She ignored Ginny's glare.

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At breakfast an owl dropped a small package besides Ginny, she shared an evil look with Sarah and thought, if this works we won't only have revenge, Sarah will have a confession as well! Oh I can't wait to see her face!

She peeked inside, perfect.

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"How can we help, Miss? Do you want-" Ginny shook her head at the house-elf.

"Professor King and his guest just sent me down with their tonic." She held up two little bottles. "Can you put this one-" she lifted up one bottle and shook it, "In Professor King's dinner and this-" she held up the other one, "in his guest's dinner? They're fae you know, it's for the iron everywhere. It weakens them; these are to stop them getting sick. You have to mix it in food, they can't drink it or it won't work so well and they'll be in bed sick for weeks. Can you do that?"

"Oh yes, Miss. Hobbly would be honoured Miss!"

"Fantastic! Oh, don't tell anyone though, they would be awfully embarrassed!"

"Yes, Miss."

"Thank you very much Hobbly." The elf swelled with pride when Ginny smiled at her.

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Ginny put off apologising to Des until an hour before dinner, trying to forget that she had to. Eventually, however, Sarah had shoved her down the hallway saying if she had to do so would Ginny.

Oh God, this is going to be unpleasant. He hates being my friend! He must think I'm really stupid, and he got rid of my boyfriends! Trying to make me miserable I bet. It's probably why he's here; I wouldn't talk to him so he's shown up in person. She knocked on the door of his rooms.

"Hello, Angel." Des smiled at her and she felt her stomach turn to mush. "Do come in." She walked past him mutely and sat on an arm chair, Des sauntered to a chair opposite and leant on it's side still smiling.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me, Angel." He is going to think I'm so pathetic and he'll probably just carry on with whatever plan he's got for making me miserable.

"I wasn't." She said quietly. Des quirked an eyebrow.

"What changed?" She didn't meet his eyes when she replied.

"I decided to forgive you." Des frowned.

"What's wrong Angel?" Get a grip Ginny! She thought furiously, lie, act! Whatever! She smiled rather unconvincingly and made an effort to appear cheerful.

"Nothing at all, Des." Des started to feel angry now.

"Tell me!"

"There's nothing wrong!" She exclaimed.

"Ginny!"

"There isn't!"

"Ginevra! Don't lie to me!" Things were deteriorating fast, she couldn't think how to help the situation and burst into tears on the spot. Great, she thought sourly, that helps, he'll really believe me now. She couldn't stop sobbing even when she felt Des pick her up and hug her on his lap.

"What's wrong, Ginevra?" He asked softly. "You can tell me anything." Then she suddenly couldn't stop herself from blabbing out all her problems as she had for six years to him, even though she knew he wanted her to be miserable.

"You hate me and I'm going to win the bet and you're only pretending to care and you wish I were dead and you lied to me for six years and you got rid of all my boyfriends 'cause you want me to be miserable and-and."

"Shh." Des stroked her hair. "Why would winning a bet upset you?" He asked confusedly.

"It doesn't matter, it's a silly bet anyway." He shrugged letting that go for a moment and frowned again.

"What makes you think I hate you?" She pushed him away.

"I know you do. I heard what you were thinking." Des looked at her for a moment.

"I don't hate you."

"Yes you do! I heard you think that you didn't want to be my friend or have anything to do with me!" She thumped his chest when he grinned. "See I was right!"

"Silly, Angel." He whispered. "You are right in some respects. I don't want to be your friend but didn't you realise that was because I want to be more than a friend, not less?" Ginny's eyes widened, she felt like a little girl with tears still running down her face, she wiped them away.

"What do you mean?" She asked aware she sounded very naive and hating it.

"Don't you know? I love you, you daft girl!" Ginny froze in shock, jaw dropping.

"You-you...but...I." She stuttered and Des took the opportunity to swoop in and press his lips against hers. Ginny felt very warm, as though someone poured molten lava down her throat, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant! Hesitantly she started to kiss him back, he moaned as she flicked her tongue against his bottom lip.

"Well, well, well! Honestly, Des. I leave you alone for five minutes and you go kissing unsuspecting mortal girls." Ginny jumped and turned to scowl at Jareth, although she also felt rather grateful. Des is probably lying, after all, she told herself firmly, so you have no business missing how good his lips felt moving against yours-stop that!

"Out." Des commanded sharply to Jareth. He smirked.

"Fine, fine, I'm going. Don't do anything- scratch that. Have fun!" Jareth walked out again laughing. Des looked heatedly at Ginny but she avoided his gaze, he sighed.

"What is it?"

"You lied. You must have, you want me to be unhappy. That's why you got rid of the boys I liked so I would be emotionally dependent on you so you could hurt me easily. That's why you came when I wouldn't talk to you."

"That's ridiculous." He said flatly. "I don't want to hurt you, I wasn't lying, I've never lied to you, that's not why I came here and that's certainly not why I sent nightmares to your boyfriends." She looked at him defiantly.

"Then why did you?"

"Why did I what? Come here? I started to miss you within the hour and wanted you to believe me when I said that I did not intend to hurt you. How could you believe Jareth when you'd only just met him but believed the worst of me when I'd never lied to you in six years. How is that fair? As for the boyfriends... I was a bit jealous I admit. I didn't even do much! I only sent a few nightmares! For most of them it only took about three nights before they broke up with you so they really weren't that devoted!"

"How can believe you?" She asked quietly. Des ran his hand through his hair frustrated.

"I'll prove it." He grabbed her hand. Immediately she felt like she was falling. Flashes of her ran through her mind, every day for the last six years in a few seconds at most. Him soothing her nightmares. Him comforting her when Malfoy had hurt her feelings or when she had a detention. Except instead of just her feelings she was aware of Des's as well.

Oh God! He was telling the truth! Damn! How am I going to stop the prank! He is going to be furious! Oh he's never going to forgive me! She jolted back when he let go. She stared at him anxiously. Without a word she turned and ran out of the room.

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Sarah sat in the Great Hall waiting for Ginny to walk in. Jareth had already sat down and was waiting for the food to appear on his plate. Just then Ginny came running towards her, eyes puffy and red.

"You were right!" She gasped breathlessly. "He explained everything and you were right!"

"Who did? What are you talking about?" Sarah asked mystified.

"Des! We have to call off the Prank!" The said fae chose that moment to walk in, sending a sorrowful glance towards Ginny he walked towards Jareth and sat down heavily next to him. He started to mutter to him and they forgot their food for a minute as they talked. Ginny searched her pockets for her wand but didn't find it, she must have left it in her room. She searched around for someone likely to let her borrow their wand when it happened. Jareth gestured down at their food and both began to eat although Des very little. Sarah tugged on Ginny's sleeve, pointing to the staff table. Ginny sat down, horrified.

"God, Sarah! He'll mortified! Why didn't we think to have the antidote at hand!"

"Well we didn't anticipate a change of heart, dear. Look I'll stay with you and we won't carry out this plan-"

"No, no Sarah! You can have your revenge. Besides I'll just explain that I planned this when I believed..."

"He was a back-stabbing, human-hating, lying, deceitful, son of a bitch?" Sarah supplied helpfully. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll forgive you. I'll go along with what we- oh look! It's starting!"

'It' was referring to Des reciting poetry to Professor Snape and Jareth serenading Dumbledore on bent knee, conjuring all sorts of flowers which he offered to him. Needless to say Professor Snape was rather angry.

"Get away from me you imbecile!"

"Darling Severus, you're wit is as lovely as your face. Your hair is so lovely and dark, your eyes-." He stopped and shouted.

"What the hell was all that about!" Jareth woke up at around the same time. He immediately looked for Sarah who looked at him with a shocked expression and ran out of the room. He disappeared following her. Des also looked for Ginny but instead of seeing shock he saw guilt... and then he saw red. He grabbed her arm and they disappeared of to his rooms.

Sorry I haven't written this before. I don't own Labyrinth or Harry Potter. I was feeling very self-conscious about the rather sappy middle but I'm no good at writing that sort of thing although I'll probably do something sappy for Jareth and Sarah as well. I'll be doing Jareth's reaction to serenading Dumbledore next chapter and cover the prank from his POV which will be more detailed.