Chapter 9 – Interviews

I don't believe this. How does Goyle get an 11? He was in solitude for two days. Actually, no, how do I get an 11? I'm nothing special, really, I'm not. I'm not smart, funny, strong, cunning or heroic… but, okay, give me an 11. I guess Moody liked the fact that I almost took off his head… maybe I should do that more often.

And better yet, Goyle is tied with me. This will really make him want to turn me inside out, now. I hold my stomach at the thought of it.

I was never the type to work well under stress, and right now I'm under so much pressure, I feel like the walls are closing in on me and I can't breathe.

"Draco?" Pansy says.

I ignore her.

Suddenly Umbridge claps her hands together with giggle, brining my head back up. Goyle's glaring at me again, and so are Marcus and Crabbe. I can't hide my fear from him anymore, and I know I must look terrified, because he starts whispering something to his little Nazis. When he's done, all three look at me inquisitively, like they have something planned. I swallow, and feel my body tremble. What could they possibly be talking about? Maybe they're trying to decide how they can kill me in the arena. I wouldn't be surprised if that's actually what they're talking about, to be completely honest.

"Alright, Slytherin, off to bed. You all got a big day tomorrow! Your interviews are probably the most important part – so you all need to be well rested." Umbridge says cheerfully, adding a squeaky sounding chuckle at the end of her sentence.

We all get up, but I see Goyle go into the kitchen for something instead of going upstairs. He looks a bit hesitant and suspicious, like he's up to something. I can tell, because he keeps eyeing us, maybe hopping we don't catch onto whatever he has planned.

"Goyle, what are you doing?" Snape asks with a suspicious hiss to his dry voice.

"Just hungry…" Goyle replies blankly, trying not to meet his gaze, as he opens a drawer near the counter.

I try to walk fast up to my room but Snape gets ahead of me, cutting me off and making me walk up with Marcus and Crabbe. I try to get ahead of them but Marcus grabs me by the back of my collar. Snape is out of sight now, and he doesn't even seem to be aware of what just happened.

"Not so fast, blondie." Marcus says through his hideous teeth and pulls me off of the steps, dragging me into the kitchen.

I try to wiggle away from him, but Crabbe takes me from Marcus and grabs hold of my arms, wrapping them behind my back tightly. I whine in pain and slightly arch my back so keep my arms a bit loose. In the kitchen I can see Goyle pulling out a long, sharpened knife from the drawer he was just nosing around in. My eyes widen, and I open my mouth to call Snape for help, "Sna-" My words form into a muffle when Crabbe uses a free hand to cover my mouth, using his other to tightly keep my arms in place behind my back.

I whimper, terrified when I see Goyle walking over to me, brandishing the knife in his right hand. I turn my head away from him, eyes shut, but he pulls me by the hair to look up at him.

"Don't turn away from me."

I look at him desperately, trying to beg him with my eyes not to do this. He just smirks evilly. The same way he always does…

I try to strain my head away when he holds the cold blade up to my throat. "How should I kill you?" He says, and slowly slides the tip of the blade down to my chest, almost ripping my shirt in the process, before trailing it down the center of my stomach. "Cut you open?"

Marcus looks like he's watching over this fight – or torment like a guard dog. He's standing right at Goyle's side, looking at me with watchful eyes as if I might try to perform some miraculous escape. He makes a weird noise, like a snort – I guess he's trying not to laugh. I look away again, shutting my eyes tight, feeling hot tears burning form. I don't want to die, not like this – not yet.

"No, no." Goyle says, pulling my head up roughly. "Eyes, on me, pretty boy." Suddenly his expression changes to shock, but slowly turns into a laugh. I guess the shine in my eyes are telling him I'm about to cry.

"Oh, he's so cute!" Marcus says sarcastically with a laugh as he moves over close to me. My first instinct is to flinch away from him when he reaches a hand to my head, petting my hair roughly, like I'm just a stray dog he wants to kick around, "It's like killing a helpless kitten."

I strain my head away from his hand with a grunt, still unable to speak through Crabbe's fat hand.

"Oh!" Marcus says, "He's fresh too."

"Come on, just kill him already." Crabbe says impatiently.

"Oh, I will. I just want to see him suffer first." He leans in close to my face and I jump. "Where's your little boyfriend now, Draco?"

I just look at him helplessly.

"He's not here to save you now. No one is. And after I'm done with you… I think I'll pay Harry a little visit." He's examining the knife now, looking at it in away where he can probably imagine it piercing through Harry's chest. My heart sinks to my stomach as my gray eyes widen in fear. He brings the blade up near my collarbone and slowly runs the tip of the knife into my skin, like he's about to preform surgery on me. I muffle in pain, trying to scream through Crabbe's hand. He digs the blade in harder and slower, half-laughing. I'm grinding my teeth, and I swear, I can hear them chattering. Stiffening my body, Crabbe pulls my head back and I shut my eyes, just waiting for this to end. Maybe it would be better this way – I'd rather die now then on live TV in the Games. Although, there are probably cameras here… Goyle doesn't seem to care either way.

But I can't take this. Why doesn't he just slit my throat and be done with it? It hurts, and I can feel hot blood running down my chest, soaking my shirt is red.

Suddenly I hear Goyle gasp and he stops. I open my eyes just when I hear, "Goyle! Get away from him!" It's Snape.

Crabbe gets distracted too, loosening his strong hold on me. I open my mouth and bite his hand, using every bit of strength I have to dig my teeth into his skin until I taste his blood in my mouth. He lets me go with a yell of pain, gripping his fat hand in agony.

I spit the remaining blood out of my mouth like it's poison, and run over to Snape near the stairs. I know this is Snape, but I need at least some sort of protection. But It's like he really is trying to keep me safe since he pushes me behind his back, using himself as a shield.

Goyle tries to hide the knife behind his back but Snape saw everything. "What did I tell you?" His voice is soft but there's no mistaking how angry he is.

"Severus! What's happened?" I hear Umbridge say. I turn around and see her bounding down the stairs, trying to be proper about it, but she seems all too nervous about the situation to be elegant, and in the process, she almost trips over her high, fluffy pink heals.

"Dolores, take these three into solitary. I've just caught them 'jumping the gun' on Malfoy." Snape says, not taking his eyes of Goyle. And Goyle doesn't take his eyes off him. They're both sharing looks of pure evil.

Blood is running down my right arm and down my chest until I feel it reach my stomach. I grunt in pain as I grip onto the wound on my collarbone, trying to keep the blood from oozing out of me.

Umbridge nods as she aggressively walks on over to Goyle, yanking the knife from his hand and placing it on the counter. Finally, she leads them away. I watch them go. Even now, Goyle turns to give me his evil glance until he's out of view.

Snape turns to me, "Follow me." He says, walking back up the stairs, his long cloak brushing soundlessly behind him as he walks. I weakly follow him, feeling the blood dripping off my fingers. I'm limping, and I'm probably leaving a trail of blood on the floor, but I don't care. I'm starting to feel dizzy, and I have no idea where Snape is taking me.

This cut must be a mile long and a mile deep, because it hurts like hell, and it won't stop bleeding.

Snap finally stops at the end of the hall and opens a large door, leading into, what must be his room. It's very plain in here, especially for Snape. But then again, it seems like everything in the Capitol is very roomy and neat. It's very much like the Tribute's rooms only slightly bigger. There's a bed in here with black sheets and a dresser. There's also desk sitting across from the bed, right near the door as we walk in. A crystal chandelier hangs over head, right in the center of the ceiling. The crystals that hang from it shimmer in the slight darkness, lighting up the room in sparks. It almost looks like the ceiling is made of a night sky, dotted with stars.

I turn my head, breathing heavily as I begin to feel weaker, and see him go over to the large, square desk. He pulls a chair out from the front of it and tells me to sit down and that he'll be back in a few seconds. And I do. He leaves me and goes into a back room on the other side of the desk. It sounds like he's rummaging through vials and glass bottles. I'm guessing that's where he keeps his private stock of potions. Even in the Games, you never know what could happen. Like right now for instance.

I'm so tired all of a sudden. I lean to my right; feeling like this wound is weighing me down, when really I'm just losing blood. I try fighting the feeling of just passing out. What if Snape didn't show up in time? I would have been done for. God only knows what Goyle had planned for me aside from the stabbing. I'm so afraid of him and that fact along makes me feel sick. I've been friends with Goyle since first year at school and now he's my mortal enemy. Sometimes the people who are closest to you are the ones who end up stabbing you in the back.

My head tilts to the right, like I'm about to fall asleep. I pant heavily, but quietly, feeling more drained and sicker by the second.

Finally I can hear footsteps behind me, but I'm too tired to turn around. Snape shows up in front of me and leans down. I don't look up at him – I can hardly lift my head since it feels like a hundred pounds.

"Malfoy." He says, tilting my head up gently.

I look at him, half dead, and notice his wand in his right hand. Gently, he moves my now bloody hand off my cut and presses the tip of his wand at my wound. I jerk away from him, startled. Whenever someone makes contact with me I can't help but jolt. I've been hit, cut, and abused too many times this week to not make it part of my nature.

"It's okay, Malfoy." Snape says, I guess seeing how defensive I get, "I'll help you."

I cock my head back down with a weak sigh, "Sure you will…" I rasp.

Snape doesn't answer.

"Vulnera Sanentur." He mutters as he grazes his wand over my cut, hardly touching it. That's the same spell he used to heal me when Harry hit me with the Sectumsempra spell in the bathroom sixth year. I can't help but half smile at that memory when Potter found out I tried to curse Katie Bell and confront me in the bathroom. Not that it's the best memory I have, it's just one of many that Harry is in. That alone makes me feel a bit better.

Just like that time, the spell starts to soak up my blood and my wound slowly starts to close. It feels better, but I still feel light headed from what I just experienced.

"Thanks…" I say softly when Snape pulls back his wand.

"When will you learn, Malfoy?" Snape says.

"It wasn't my fault… he pulled that knife out on me…." I say weakly. Snape doesn't answer and he gets up to his feet. I look up at him, "Why is he doing this to me? I never did anything to him and now he just wants to see me die. Why? What happened to him?" To me, I sound like a helpless little boy. I just never felt this lost in the darkness. There's only so much one person can handle and I can't handle much more.

Snape's quiet for a moment but finally answers me, "Voldemort wasn't the only one who killed for power. Goyle sees you as a threat. Stay. Away. From him."

"How? I can't get away from him…" I'm panicking now. "Snape, he'll find me in the Games. He's determined to kill me, especially now that we both got the same score. I can't get away from him. I can run – but not forever!" He looks at me with his usual cold, emotionless stare. His face makes me look away, buring my face in my hands, trembling, "Snape, I'm afraid of him. I don't care if I die, but he'll… he'll do whatever he can in his power to make sure I'm dead."

"You don't care if you die?" He almost sounds surprised.

I bolt my head up to him, tears running down face. This seems to shock him a bit because he jerks back slightly, "No! I don't! You know why? Because I have virtually no chance what so ever in winning – none! Snape, I'm not a good fighter, and I'm far from a killer. I'm a coward. You saw me that night… I couldn't kill him…"

He blinks, "And you thought I could?"

I look away from him. Just thinking about Dumbledore's death makes me dizzy. "I guess what I'm saying is that… I don't want to win..."

He's silent for a moment, "Then who do you want to win…?" He says, finally.

I get up slowly and head for the door, "Harry." I say flatly and leave Snape's room. I get no reply for him and I don't stop walking to hear what he has to say. It's late. I'm tired. I'm crabby… I'm going to bed before I hurt myself any further.

I wake up to Umbridge knocking on my door again. "Get up, Draco! It's a big day!" I groan and pull my covers over my face.

So, today are our interviews. Basically we spend some time with our stylists so they can prep us for the cameras. That means people telling me what to wear, and to put on a fake attitude I don't want to put on. It also doesn't make it any better that Lockheart is the interviewer because he goes way into depth with questions. He also doesn't like me either since I pulled a snake on Harry our second year on dueling night. I pretty much cheated to win. Told you I'll do what I can to get my way – but I was twelve – still not much has changed. This is different though… to win, I don't actually want to kill to get my way…

Sighing, I force myself out of bed. I take a quick shower and head downstairs. I don't even care about what I look like so I just throw on a pair of jeans and a plain baggy, dark green shirt. It's all I could find in my dresser and I'm not in the mood to dig around for something decent. My hair is still wet, but it doesn't matter; Juniper will fix me up later. I look like a slob, but why not try a new look? I'm pretty comfortable like this, anyway.

"Hey, Dray!" Pansy says from the kitchen table, a bit too excited. The Games are tomorrow, isn't she nervous?

"Isn't it nice to eat without Goyle and his little disciples here?" She says.

I sit in-between her and Blaise and fix up my breakfast. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my collarbone, forgetting the cut from yesterday and quickly pull my arm back from the food in the center of the table. "Whoa, you alright?" Blaise says, leaning in to make sure. I pull my shirt up my shoulder a bit, since this thing is way too big for me. I try to hide the cut near my neck with the fabric.

I nod, "I'm okay… just… stiff."

Snape is staring at me, with this "don't you dare tell them anything" face. I try not to pay attention to him and awkwardly use my left arm to get the food from the center of the table. Which is just toast and chocolate chip pancakes. I'm actually kind of hungry considering I haven't actually been eating and just been picking around.

"Excited for our interview, Draco?" Pansy asks as she munches on a piece of beacon.

I shrug my good shoulder, "More or less... it's not like I can get out of it."

"Oh, my!" Umbridge says from behind me as she touches my still wet hair, "Juniper will have a lot of work to do!"

I pull back, "What's that supposed to mean?" I say irritated.

"I mean you didn't even attempt to help her out. You're a mess, Malfoy."

I eye her pink, fluffy outfit and smirk, "At least I don't look like a cream puff." I say, and go back to my toast.

Even Snape snorts a bit. Umbridge must be giving him a look of death from behind me because Snape is trying to hide his smirk from behind his fork and avoid eye contact. Even I let out a little laugh, despite what we're all forced to go through today and tomorrow.

When we're all done, we're forced to separate to meet our stylists. On my way out, Snape grabs my arm gently and I turn to face him, "Yeah?" I ask, a bit confused.

Snape waits for Pansy and Blaise to be out of earshot before he starts talking in a whisper, "Now, during your interview don't mention a single thing about Goyle."

I blink. "What if Lockheart asks me something about him? I mean rumors of his solitude have gotten around like wild fire. He's probably gonna ask me why?"

"Don't say anything that can get you in trouble with him. If Lockheart asks you anything you say it was all in good fun."

I nod and think for a moment, "Okay… But what about what happened last night." I point to my collarbone, where there's a faded scar from where I was stabbed. "This still isn't healed yet…"

"Don't worry about that. Juniper will make sure it's not even visible."

I nod and he lets me go.

Suddenly I remember something that he should probably be aware of, "Snape…" I say before walking away. He turns back to me, looking at me questionably.

"Back on the train when you told me to just look for water…"

He's still looking at me, waiting for me to finish, "After that, Goyle confronted me upstairs and beat me until I told him what you said…"

"What did you say?" I can't help but hear the concern in his voice.

"I told him the main priority is the weapons. I mean, I know that's probably not the smartest thing I could have said, but I'm hoping it'll distract him long enough so I can get away. I just thought you should know."

Am I hallucinating or is Snape smiling? "Good job, Draco." He says.

I give him a faint smile back before turning to the corridor to meet Juniper down the hall. I'm actually looking forward to seeing her and Sasha again, because unlike many people, I like them.

I walk down the black walled, Slytherin hallway until I come to the door I was dragged to by Umbridge on my first day here. I'm about to let myself in when I hear someone call my name. "Draco." I jolt and spin around to the direction the voice came from. I feel my heart rate slow down when I see Juniper only a few feet from me.

She half-laughs, "Sorry if I scared you."

"It's okay." I say nervously and smile when I see Sasha slithering up to me. I kneel down to greet her and she gently licks my hand with her forked tongue.

"I won't lie, I missed you guys." I say.

Juniper smiles and I stand up to face her. "It feels like it's been forever huh? Come on, you can tell me about your score on our way to the prep room."

I follow her further down the hall and she leads me to a completely different section of this building. It's a pretty night place. The walls are cemented and there's a long sofa in the living room, a huge black table in the kitchen – this looks like the Slytherin common room back at Hogwarts. I feel a bit calmer as I look around. It's like being back at home.

"Like it?" Juniper says. "We figured if we mirror the common room; it'll keep you guys more comfortable."

"Well, it's working. I like it."

She smiles, "Good! Okay, now let me look at you for a minute." She carefully eyes me up and down and gently runs her fingers through my now semi-dry hair. "I'm thinking we can go with the same bad boy look, like back at the parade. Everyone seemed to like it."

It's not like I can say no so I just nod.

"Okay…" She says thoughtfully as she tugs on my shirt, raising a black eyebrow. "Did just roll out of bed and stick your head in a sink?"

I bit my lip nervously, "Not exactly."

She smiles and messes up my hair even more, spraying drops of water in the air. "It's okay. We'll work on it… wait…" Her face goes serious and her eyes trail down to my collarbone. I start to move my hand to cover it, but she stops me by gently pushing my hand out of the way. "Draco… what did you do?"

Her fingers graze the cut and I pull back in pain. It still hurts. "Just uh… fell. Yeah, I fell in training yesterday…"

I'm not sure if I should tell her what happened with Goyle – what's been happening with Goyle. I don't know what she'll do if I tell her. No, I can't… Snape told me not to and I really can't afford any more trouble.

"You fell." She says thoughtfully, "That's it?"

I swallow the knot in my throat and nod, "Mhmm."

She looks uneasy, but I try to hold eye contact so she doesn't suspect that I'm lying. I want to tell her so bad, but what if Goyle finds out I did? I'm already a dead man walking; I don't need to make this worse for myself.

Finally she backs off, "Well, okay. Now, get up those stairs and into the second room on the right. Change into the clothes that are on the bed and I'll be up shortly."

I nod to her and do what she tells me.

This room is pretty strange. It's full of designer stuff. Different outfits are hug on the door and walls, and there's also an abnormally large bed under a window that overlooks the Capitol, and a body size mirror beside the window.

On the stone wall are some pictures of the Tributes from last year, and they're moving. I'm starting to get more of the feel of Hogwarts, but just the fact that I'm here for the Games only gives me short relief.

Alright, now what am I wearing today? I go over to the bed and sure enough my clothes for my interview are neatly folded up.

I blink in shock at this and feel my blood go cold. This is really something I wasn't expecting.

Apparently I'm wearing a black-red suit with flames trailing up the base of the jacket and sleeves. The pants match with flames flaring up the cuffs. "Whoa…" I say to myself, turning the jacket over and my eyes widen. In big red letters is the word DRAGON; the Latin meaning behind my name. The words are easy to read and not engulfed around flames, but they are set inside of a dragon's mouth that's sewn into the back of the suit.

I'm in too much awe right now that I can't put this on. I thought I would end up wearing something like I did at the Parade to represent Slytherin, but this… no one will have anything like this. At least I know Goyle's jaw would be dropping.

A shy smile snakes onto my lips, "Thanks, Juniper." I whisper. Finally, I move into the bathroom to change.

I'm back in the bedroom, staring at myself in the wall mirror. I don't know who this reflection belongs to, but it's not me. I slightly turn so I can look at the design and wording on my back.

"Like it?" I hear a voice say from the door way.

I turn around to see Juniper, with Sasha around her neck. "Love it." I say. "But… Aren't I supposed to represent Slytherin?"

She walks over and looks at me in the mirror, "You're more than just a Slytherin; I wanted to do something special."

I hear Sasha hiss softly and she slithers off of Juniper to coil herself around my shoulders.

"I want them to remember you, Draco. Besides, no one else will have a snake around their neck."

I smile and turn to look at Sasha before gently rubbing her head, "No, they won't. What made you think of this?" I say, tugging on the ends of my suit.

"Your name is rather unique. Just like you."

I half-laugh, "I'm not unique… Not according to anyone else…"

"You are to me. And to your fans as well."

I turn away from the mirror and look up at her, "Thank you. Really."

She ruffles my hair, "You're a good kid, Draco. You deserve it. Now! I don't think we'll do too much with your face and hair since there really isn't anything I can do…"

I turn red, and see her smile at my embarrassment. "Your hair seems dry now." She says before going over to a nearby bureau for some hair products, "Like I said, we're going for the bad boy look."

"I'm fine with that." I say.

"Good!" She ruffles my hair up to make it really messy before she picks up a hair spray can. I shut my eyes as she sprays the can around my head to keep the mess of my hair in place. The smell almost makes me sneeze.

"So about the score?" She asks as she puts the hair spray can down on the bureau and switches over to another product that I'm unfamiliar with, but when she squeezes it into her hand it looks like moose. It also smells like strawberries.

"Threw an axe at Moody's head, nothing major."

She laughs, "At least you're calm about it." She says as she gently runs to product through my hair like silk. "Well, he must have liked almost getting his head decapitated because you were so close to a twelve. Draco, that's amazing!"

"I was just mad…"

"Well then that Goyle boy better stay away from you."

I get stiff at his name and don't answer.

When she's finally done with my hair she gently touches it up before standing back to look me over, "You look awesome." She says and points to the mirror, "Take a look."

I swallow nervously and turn my head, speechless. Even Sasha lifts up her tiny green head in amazement. "Wow…" I say. My hair has a few light red streaks of red in it, which goes perfect with the whiteness of my blond hair. Whatever Juniper used must have been a sort of limited dye. Who is this boy? That's not me, that can't be me.

"The red comes out of course – very easily, actually. One wash should get you back to a full head of blond. Oh, one more touch – I just thought of something."

She moves over to my neck and Sasha, gently shifts out of her way as Juniper spikes up my collar. "There! Well?"

I have no words. I don't look like Draco Malfoy anymore, and honestly, I don't know who I'm looking at. I like the red, but I'm not use to it and I miss my blond. It almost looks like I have fire for hair.

"Draco?" Juniper says.

I blink at the mirror and gently touch the reflection of my face as if the glass might shatter. "Is that really me?"

I see her smile from behind me, "That's you, alright. Oh, just one more thing." I see her reach into her pocket and pull out a ring. Not just any ring though, it's in the shape of a snake. I turn around to face her so I can get a better look. She gently takes my right hand and slides it onto my middle finger.

The ring is silver, with green gems for eyes and it almost looks as if I have a real snake wrapping its body around my finger.

I know she can tell I like it even though I don't say anything. The red on her face and her shy smile tells me everything. "Are you ready?"

I nod to her, "I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Now I'm starting to get nervous, especially when I glance at the clock on the wall that reads a quarter to one. Our interviews are at one thirty. I start to feel myself shake and Sasha shifts closer to me.

"You'll be okay, Draco." Juniper says, taking my shoulders in her hands. "I'll be right in the front row."

"I… I'm a bad public speaker. Crowds terrify me… I can't-"

"Yes you can, stop being negative about yourself. Draco, you're far more special then you give yourself credit for." Now she sounds like Pansy. I feel my face get hot and I can tell I'm probably as red as the streaks in my hair at the thought of her.

I'm too nervous to answer Juniper and just look away. "Draco, look at me." She says.

I swallow nervously, and shakily look up at her. "When you're up there, just pretend you're talking to me – look at me – not at anyone else. I'll be right there…"

I swallow and nod my head, "Okay…" I breathe.

She smiles and kisses my forehead, "You can do this. I'm rooting for you."

I smile shyly and soon follow her out of the room and back downstairs. The closer we get to our interviews, the more nervous I become. I guess Sasha can feel me shaking since she wraps her coils around me gently, and when I look at her she almost seems concerned.

I'm not even paying any attention as to where I'm going. I'm just following Juniper down a long hallway and pass a few House sections. Although, I can tell we're getting close to the stage because I can hear distance cheering.

Deep breath. Relax… it'll be okay…

The cheering of the crowd is only getting louder and my heart's beating faster. I hate crowds. Never did well in them. Especially now since I have to be sure I make people like me, which means I'll have to be fake and not be in a bad mood. But right now I'm more scared then any emotion put together.

Suddenly Juniper changes course and goes down a very narrow hallway where the sound of the crowd sounds like it's under water. We must be going back stage.

I make a slight whimpering noise and Sasha curls around me more. I put a hand on her, "Stay with me, okay?"

She nuzzles her head against my jawline as if saying she won't leave me.

"Draco! There you are." Umbridge says and grabs my arm roughly to pull me towards her. Well, we made it back stage, and there's already a Hufflepuff doing her interview.

Umbridge looks me over in awe, "Wait… Is this my Draco Malfoy!?"

I shiver with nervousness and don't respond.

She pinches my cheek and I suddenly feel the urge to bite her hand. I don't like people touching my face, "Oh, dearie, you'll be fine!" I guess she can tell I'm scared as all Hell right now. I can't help but smirk when I hear Sasha making hissing sounds that makes Umbridge pull away.

She clears her throat, trying not to look at the snake. "Right! Now, Draco, come with me, sweetie." She starts pulling me away and I look over my shoulder for Juniper.

"I'll be right there, with you." She whispers before going back down the hallway so she can, I guess, take her seat in the audience.

Even though Sasha is good comfort, I don't feel as safe without Juniper with me, and having Umbridge and Snape around don't help at all.

Everyone is looking at me, and it's freaking me out. Probably because I'm covered in flames and there's a big dragon mouth on my back. Not to mention that everyone is wearing something to represent their houses – I'm the only one that doesn't exactly "fit in". Harry, especially, is looking me over.

"Who's this?" Goyle says, as I walk over to the Slytherins.

"Well… Pretty boy just got prettier." Marcus sneers, and leans in to sniff my neck. He's crinkling his nose when he pulls back. "You smell like strawberries…"

"And you smell like a sewer." I say and pull away roughly. He snarls at me, but I just ignore it, even though his hideous teeth are hard to ignore.

"I didn't even recognize you, blondie." Goyle says, shoving Marcus aside to confront me, "What happened to your bad boy look? Or is this just fake?"

Sasha hisses loudly and I look away, self-consciously. Goyle and Marcus laugh.

"Come on, Goyle, just back off." I hear a voice say. I look up to see Harry walking beside me.

"Oh, look who it is, boys." Goyle says, turning his head to Marcus and Crabbe – who is now at his side. He brings his eyes back on Harry. "Come to put me back in solitude, Potter?"

"If you keep this up, they'll have to put me in solitude."

Oh, God Harry, stop this… Just stop saving my ass, I don't deserve it.

Marcus and Crabbe exchange looks and Goyle stalks up in front of Harry's face. Potter doesn't move an inch and just stares at him boldly. "You wanna go right now, tough guy? I can snap your skinny self like a twig."

Harry smirks, "I'm not afraid of you, Goyle… Why don't you just admit you're scared and leave Draco alone?"

"Oh, Potter, I got plans. You see, you're number two on my hit list and your hot shot boyfriend is number one. After I force you to watch him die, I'm sending you straight to hell."

Suddenly, Luna's name is called for her interview. I didn't even realize the Ravenclaws have started already.

Harry drops his shoulders, "Watch your back in the Games, Goyle." He turns to walk away but stops by my side, "You look amazing, Dragon." He whispers in my ear before walking back to the Gryffindors. I turn red, brushing my silky blond-red hair out of my eyes nervously.

Sasha hisses something at Harry's back as he's walking away. He says something back to her in Parseltongue – snake language – that I don't understand, but judging my Sasha and Harry's smirk, it was something amusing. Harry picks his eyes back up at me and his smirk grows into a sweet and reassuring smile. I smile back and watch him leave. It feels like my heart is beating a mile a minute when he looks at me.

Finally Lockheart is almost through the Gryffindors, and Harry is his last one.

"Harry Potter!" Lockheart says. The crowd goes crazy at his name that I feel like I might go deaf. I look over at Harry and he inhales deeply and walks boldly to the stage.

I smile as I watch him. He waves to the crowd and Lockheart tells him to sit down once he shakes his hand. I don't know why, but I'm nervous for him – or nervous for what he'll say.

"So!" Lockheart begins, "Harry Potter… I still can't get over the fact that you got picked." Harry smiles shyly as Lockheart continues, "So, what did you think about it? Were you surprised?"

Harry half-laughs, "To be honest, after everything that's happened nothing can surprise me at this point." He says with a hint of humor. The crowd sort of laughs at this, understanding Harry's past.

"Now, Harry, you're the boy who lived…" Lockheart says. Harry looks at him, listening. "But will you be the boy to win the Games?"

"Uhh." Harry says smiling, "I could try… as long as long as Voldemort doesn't show up and ruin the fun." Lockheart laughs a bit and so does the audience. I don't know if Harry is trying to be funny of if he's just nervous. Everyone seems to love him though.

"Well, a smart, talented boy like yourself, I don't see any problems!" Lockheart says, "But, it's come very clear over the years that you have virtually no family alive. Do you have a special someone?"

Harry pauses for a moment and looks down, "Well… let's just say…" He looks up. "That a mortal enemy can become the one you love the most." Everyone goes silent but I can hear a few mummers of surprise. What's this supposed to mean? I was his mortal enemy… At least the only one that's alive. Is he talking about me? Did Harry just admit that he loves me? My heart sinks in shock.

"Well, then, Mister Potter." Lockheart stands up and Harry follows. "It's been a pleasure." He shakes Harry's hand and raises it up for the audience, "Harry Potter, everyone!" The audience bursts into loud cheering, some jumping from their seats. Harry bows and exits the stage.

My mouth is half open, shocked. I watch Harry come backstage and he's looking at me like he committed a crime. I want to talk him; actually I want to hit him. If he was talking about me – which I'm pretty sure he was – why didn't he tell me this is how he feels? Wasn't it obvious that I love him back? I mean, Goyle is as dumb as brick, but he caught onto it. Harry could have too.

"Pansy Parkinson!" Lockheart calls from the stage. Last but not least, it's time for Slytherin. I see Pansy walk over nervously, and a bit snobby looking. I tilt my head. Something about her domineer is making me anxious.

The crowd cheers for her, but not nearly as loud as they did for Harry. It's almost a choppy kind of applause.

"Welcome, Mrs. Parkinson!" Lockheart greets.

"Hi." Pansy says sarcastically. I blink and share a look with Sasha. What's with the attitude?

Lockheart looks a bit taken aback, "So… Pansy…You've had a long friendship with Draco Malfoy, I assume?" He says this cautiously, like Pansy might turn into something vicious.

"Uh yeah, we've only been friends since, like, first year at Hogwarts and he took me to Yule Ball!"

"….Right. Do you think your friendship will get in the way of you winning the Games?"

"No way, Lockheart! Draco and I have been best friends for quite a long time. If the Games do come down to just us… well… we both mind as well kill ourselves, because I'm not winning without him." She says matter-of-factly. My eyes widen and I almost forget to breathe. She knows that's against the rules, right?

I feel all eyes on me but I try not to look around and sink near the curtain. God, I'm so embarrassed. Why is she doing this? We can't kill ourselves, or even attempt to; we'll be in a lot of trouble. Not necessarily killed, but it's still breaking the rules. Actually, I think we could be killed by the Capitol if we attempt it.

"…..You do realize you can't do that?" Lockheart says.

"….So? I just don't want to lose him." She breaks eye contact from him. Everyone back stage is either looking at me or at Pansy. Their faces range from shock and sympathy. Only Harry has a hint of anger in his burning green eyes, but he's looking at Pansy – not me. I feel my face turn red and try not to look at him.

"So… You love him? What if you change? What if he changes?" Lockheart asks.

She shakes her head. I don't know if it's the way the light is hitting her face but it looks like she's teary. "I can't change… I need to make sure I'm true to myself. Kind of like the people you love… They end up not loving you back anymore." Her voice is breaking.

The audience is so quiet – everything is quiet. I feel like everyone can hear the sound of my heart thumping violently in my chest. Why do I feel guilty? I shouldn't… I never actually told Pansy I didn't love her and I never told Harry that I love him. Now a spark is going off. Maybe the real reason why I didn't tell either one of them is because I can't choose. I'm torn between the both of them and that truth alone is holding me back.

Harry's looking at me now. I can feel his green eyes on me even though I'm not looking directly at him. I'm kind of afraid to make eye contact. Is he mad? Hurt? I don't know. I'm so confused and I can't read him.

Finally Pansy picks her head up, looking rather angry all of a sudden, "And to the lucky whore my guy loves now…" She holds up her middle finger to the camera, "Fuck you!"

Okay, now, I've never seen Harry this pissed off before in my life, but his face is so red I think I see steam coming out of his ears and his fists are balled up so tight at his sides that his knuckles are even whiter than I am.

Lockheart clears his throat and tries to get everyone's attention. "Well, thank you, Pansy." He stands up and shakes her hand.

"Been a pleasure, Lockheart." She blows a kiss to the audience and walks back stage with a proud smirk on her face, like what just happened was a good thing.

"What the hell was that!?" I growl, trying to confront her before Harry explodes.

"What was what?"

"That bitchy, snobby act you just pulled out there! Are you trying to get both of us killed!?" I can see Harry and the other Gryffindors staring from the across the stage. Goyle and Marcus are laughing silently to themselves, without Crabbe, since he's now doing his interview. I'm too pissed to pay any attention to what any of them are saying, though.

"Draco-"

"I don't care how jealous you are! If you wanna get killed, don't drag me down with you!"

Her eyes widened, "Jealous!?"

"Yes! Jealous!"

She jolts back at how harsh my tone is, but I don't care. She just ripped my last nerve.

"I'm done." I say and try to walk away, but she grabs my arm.

"Draco…"

I yank my arm away and turn to face her, "What in your God damned mind made you think that saying that shit was okay!?"

"I didn't-"

"Right! You didn't think! You never did and you never will… All you care about if yourself, Pansy… I'm done with you."

"Dray, I-"

"Just say away from me."

I turn away from her and walk away. Whatever, I'll just come back when my name is called, but right now, I want nothing to do with her. But ignoring Harry's eyes is another thing. He watches me walk away and even when I'm out of his sight, I know he's still looking at the spot where I just disappeared even when I'm gone.

End Part I

AN: WOOO! The first part is done! Now shit shall go down from here. I really do like this chapter though, even if it's long. I must say, Pansy pissed me off a lot in this one. She called Harry a whore, that's not okay nor is it true... at least I don't think it is. Ha! Anyway, hope you like this. Chapter 10 will be up soon!