The Exchange
After her meal, Haley got up, not waiting for Draco to finish. Draco, determined to do his favor for Snape in flying colors, swallowed his food before rushing up to Haley. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, angrily, grabbing her wrist again.
And again, Haley pulled her wrist out of the blonde's grasp. "What's it to you?"
"I'm supposed to watch you." He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Then watch. Don't follow." Haley turned again and walked over to the Gryffindor table.
Draco groaned before walking over to Professor Snape.
Haley was searching for the familiar red hair and frizzy brown hair. She spotted her two best friends sitting across from Ginny, Seamus and Dean. Seamus was the first to spot the girl and he stood up and held out a hand.
"Hello, there, Haley. The name's Seamus Finnigan. Welcome to the Gryffindor table. To my right is Miss Ginny Weasley and to my left is Dean Thomas. The red head next to you is Ron Weasley and next to him is his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, Head Girl." Everyone turned to look at the girl. Ron nearly burst into laughter at the sight of his best friend looking entirely like a girl but stopped himself when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
Haley shook Seamus's hand and smiled. "Hello, Seamus. Pleased to meet you, all." She said looking each and every one of them in the eye.
"So Haley, what brings a Slytherin to the Gryffindor table? Don't you know that you're supposed to despise us?" Seamus asked.
"Seamus! Don't start a quarrel between Haley and the Gryffindors. She's new!" Ginny poked the Irish boy in the arm.
"Oh, I know all about the quarrel between the two houses." Haley smiled and took a seat next to Ron. "You lot seem more intelligent to converse with, though."
"You've got that right!" Ron laughed as well as the others. Hermione gave Haley a disapproving look.
"Haley, do you think we could go talk somewhere?" Hermione said. It wasn't a question, more like a command.
Haley nodded and followed Hermione as well as Ron.
"Bye Haley! It was nice meeting you!" Seamus called. Haley turned and waved at the three left at the table.
Once outside the Great Hall Hermione spun around to face Haley. "Harry! You're supposed to be Slytherin. Take pride in your house!"
"I do!" The girl countered. "I'm very proud of being a Gryffindor! My true house."
"Harry, mate. I think Hermione's just trying to say that you shouldn't back talk where you're staying. I mean, the situation you're in is a little complicated and if the Slytherins hear that you've insulted them, things'll look a lot worse."
"Exactly!" Hermione said. "That's why you need to take pride in the house you're in right now. The Slytherins hate Harry Potter, they don't need to hate Haley Jones, which, by the way, I think, is the cutest name and suits you very well." She said this all in one breath.
"I didn't get to choose my name." Haley pouted. "Snape chose it."
"Blimey!" Ron laughed. "Good taste in names, that man has!"
"You've thought about it, haven't you?" Hermione asked, her question confirmed when Haley blushed. "What would you have named yourself?"
"I do like the name Rachel…"
Ron placed a hand on Haley's shoulder. "Stick to Haley, mate. You don't look like a Rachel." At this, Ron laughed again.
Haley just blew a raspberry at the red head. "Anyway, they've given me my own room and new clothes. The only problem is that Snape decided to make Malfoy my personal guardian."
"Malfoy? Why him? What do you need a guardian for?" Hermione asked, Ron's laughter ceased.
"I don't know. I mean, Snape knows I can take care of myself. I don't know what his problem is. And I don't think Malfoy's going to leave me alone anytime soon."
"There you are!" came the voice that could only be Malfoy's.
Haley groaned. "See what I mean…" she murmured before turning around.
"Why did you leave? Why didn't you tell me? You know I'm supposed to be watching you." Draco said, crossly, placing his hands on his hips.
"I know. You remind me every five seconds." Haley retorted.
"Then why can't you comprehend that little matter?" Malfoy countered, obviously getting angrier.
"Okay, okay!" Hermione called their attention away from each other.
Draco looked at the Gryffindors, seeing them for the first time. "Granger, Weasel?" He looked back at Haley. "You were with them?"
"Is that a problem?" Ron glared.
But before Draco could respond, Hermione stepped in front of her boyfriend. "Malfoy, Haley can speak with whomever she wants."
"Fine by me, Granger, as long as I know where she is." He tossed a glared at the raven-haired girl who glared at him in return.
"All right then." Hermione said, acting as the mediator. "Haley can do as she wants as long as Malfoy knows. Deal."
"Does that include going to the lavatory?" Haley rolled her eyes. If glares could kill, Haley would have been six feet under at the look she was getting from Draco.
"As long as Malfoy knows." Hermione repeated directly at Haley, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'accept what you can.'
"Fine, fine." Haley sighed. "Well, Malfoy, so that you know, I'm going to the bathroom. Care to join me?" She said, sarcastically.
"Why, Jones? Do you need me to wipe your arse for you?" Malfoy growled.
"Enough!" Hermione shook her head. "Haley, go. Malfoy, just wait a moment."
Haley rolled her eyes and went off on her own way.
"Malfoy, why do you have to watch Haley, anyway?" Ron sneered.
"What's it to you, Weasel?"
"Can you stop? We're nearly adults. Show some maturity." She tossed her hair over her shoulder.
Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest. "Snape asked me to. Simple as that."
"But why?" Hermione asked.
Draco sighed, exasperated. "There's much about what happens in the Slytherin house that you can't read in books, Granger."
Hermione was just about to ask 'like what?' but she was cut off by the sound of Haley screaming.
-
Haley was getting tired of Malfoy following her around. It had only been a few hours and seemed like everywhere she went, there he was. 'Sure, it was nice and pretty funny of him to stick up for me against Pansy but is it really necessary for him to watch my every move?' Haley asked herself. After finishing up in the restroom, Haley was just about to return to where she left her friends and one 'guardian' when and hand touched her shoulder.
Haley screamed at the sudden contact, turning to see Dean Thomas standing there, his hands up to show the girl that he wasn't going to hurt her.
"Haley! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you." Dean apologized.
"It's okay. I'm sorry for screaming at you. You scared me." Haley smiled. "Can I do something for you."
"No. I just wanted you to know that I'm from America too. Ten years there can get you accustomed to their ways, eh?"
Haley merely nodded.
"So where do you live?"
"Erm…California…" Haley said a little hesitantly.
"Really? I went there once during the summer holidays. Lovely place, eh?"
"Lovely."
Dean cocked an eyebrow. "Where in California?"
"Ummm, San Francisco."
"Cool. What do you think of the Golden Gate bridge?" Dean asked.
"It's beautiful." Haley smiled a bit awkwardly. She had only really seen a picture of the structure a long time ago out of one of her old school books. Even then, it was colored over with markers, courtesy of Dudley.
"Don't you think it's weird how it's called the 'Golden Gate Bridge' when it looks kinda orange?"
"It is?" Haley slipped. She paused for a moment, thinking of a way to cover it up. "Errr…yeah it is." She smiled. "Definitely weird calling it gold. It should be the Orange Gate Bridge." She laughed, again, awkwardly.
Just then, she spotted a questioning look in Dean's eyes. She was just about to ask 'what?' but was interrupted when Draco, Ron and Hermione ran up to them.
"Haley! What happened?" Draco asked first.
"We heard you scream." Ron added.
"Oh." She blushed. "Dean here just startled me." The three groaned.
"Right." Dean smiled. "Well, Haley, if you ever find you need someone to talk 'American' with, don't hesitate to find me." And with that, Dean went off to go search for Seamus.
"This is why you need a chaperone!" Draco yelled at the girl. "What if something happened to you? What if it weren't Thomas but someone with cruel intentions? You're my responsibility and I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you!"
Haley stared at Draco who was currently steaming with rage. "Excuse me, Malfoy, but you could have said NO to Snape's request."
"You don't get it, do you Jones? You're new here, you're in Slytherin, and you're a very attr-" Draco caught himself before finishing his sentence. He ran his hand through his platinum locks. "There are things that you might not be able to handle alone." He finished.
"I do believe that I am capable of taking care of myself thank you very much, so sod off!" Haley spun around and headed towards the Slytherin common room. Draco followed her, leaving a very startled pair of Gryffindors.
'What is his problem? Why can't he just leave me alone!' Haley thought to herself, hearing Malfoy's footsteps behind her. When she reached the entrance to the common room, she muttered the password and without stopping she hurried to her room. As she reached to insert the key into the lock, Draco grabbed her wrist and forced her to face him. Being much weaker than he in a girl's body, Haley couldn't put up much resistance. "What!" she barked.
"Just because you're new here doesn't mean you can treat me like I'm scum. I am Head Boy and I will not hesitate to give you a detention." Draco growled.
"If you do, then will you leave me alone!" Haley growled in return.
"Argh!" Draco threw his hands up in the air. "You know, having you here makes Potter's prancing about tolerable!"
"I do not-" Haley started but caught herself in time.
"What is your problem! I've done nothing to you to treat me this way!"
'He's right you know…' Haley stopped and looked at her shoes. 'As Haley, he's done nothing seriously wrong to you.'
Again, Draco threw his hands up, thinking Haley's silence to be defiance again. "Screw the favor! You're on your own, Jones! Don't come crying to me if you get hurt!" And with that, Draco turned to his own room, unlocked it, and slammed the door shut.
Haley turned back to her own room, feeling guilty. 'Didn't I get what I wanted? He's agreed to leave me alone, right? I should be happy…but why, then, do I feel so bad?' She walked into her room, locked the door and plopped onto her bed, thinking nothing more about the potion that caused this all to happen or the hurt in Draco's eyes as he left her at her door.
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I'd like to thank the wonderful J.K. Rowlings for creating the characters of Harry Potter.
Okay. Since there ARE redwood trees in San Francisco when I was unsure if there were, which is my fault for not looking it up, I switched it from redwood trees to the color of the golden gate bridge. I don't think it's actually colored gold, but more of a rusty orange-red color. But that doesn't make it any less fabulous. And oh my gosh, please don't tell me that the Golden Gate Bridge isn't in San Francisco. I'd cry. Okay, maybe not, but I am 102 percent positive that it's there. I have pictures. And Dean's a little curious at this point about Haley's true origins but not 100 percent positive. Yeah. And...um...poor poor Draco. He has to put up with so much. Especially when I gain control of this little situation. insert evil grin here
Next Chapter: What does Haley do with the guilt she's feeling? And what happens when she's got no friends with her in class? Who is Ethan Maxwell?...