Disclaimer: Still don't own or profit from this in any way : (
Author's Notes: doesn't seem to be sending out their alerts, so hopefully more people will find this chapter : )
Chapter 4: Assignment
By the weekend, Emma was happy she could sleep in. Emma had a workload larger than even Hermione's, but got less than half the sleep of anyone else.
'You should take a nap,' Draco said Friday afternoon.
'I'll sleep all day Saturday. I'm ahead on my homework,' Emma said.
Emma went to bed at 3:30 Saturday morning and didn't wake up until around 2pm. Famished, she went to the kitchens to grab some food and Draco met her; he had one of the tables draped in a beautiful lace tablecloth with a red rose in the center. Happy for the company they ate amicably ignoring all uncomfortable topics of conversation (Voldemort) before Draco went back to his common room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Second week of classes proved to be just as hectic as the first. The only saving grace, Emma thought, was the fact she didn't have difficulty with non-verbal spells like most of the other students and classes continued to be boring.
Saturday arrived and Emma was sitting at quidditch trials. Katie, Ginny, and she looked out among the multitude. "A lot of people this year, huh?" Katie said with a sigh. "This will take hours, just because they want a glimpse of Harry."
"How is Oliver?" Emma asked.
Katie smiled. "He is good. He hopes to be a starter this year with Puddlemere. I'm going to see him over Christmas," she gushed. Ginny and Emma grinned.
The three of them ended up in the same grouping during Harry's try outs. Harry called out chasers first, then Beaters, then keepers (after kicking out everyone who wasn't actually in Gryffindor).
"I knew you would make it back, Katie," Emma said after they took a seat.
"Hey, you made it too," she pointed out. "There was no way he could keep you on the reserve team."
"Do you think Ron will make the team?" Ginny asked. Katie and Emma shrugged. Katie and Emma were called out later to take shots against Ron (Ginny stepped out since it was her brother).
"Our first practice will be Thursday," Harry decided.
"Do you think it will mess with the Society?" Ginny whispered.
Emma shook her head. "No, we should be finished in enough time to have dinner and then rest for an hour or so before we go." Whether or not I have any time for homework is a different story, Emma thought.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Can you believe Sean and Brigit are getting married?" Sinead said at the first Society meeting on Thursday. (A/N: Mother on the Triad). "It should be wonderful."
"A Christmas wedding. So romantic," another said.
Seamus tossed Emma and Ginny a chocolate frog. "What are Slughorn's dinners like?"
"Boring," Emma and Ginny said together.
"He tries to impress everyone with all of his connections," Ginny said.
"And talks endlessly about his famous past-pupils," Emma added.
"At least you are invited," Seamus pointed out.
"I've only gone to one dinner," Emma said. "He is slightly annoying." Emma put a slip reel on and grabbed Neville's hand. No matter how often Emma or Ginny or one of the other girls asked him to dance, he was still shocked over it but he had loosened up considerably.
Emma was in her room about to go to sleep while everyone else went to Hogsmeade. 'Why don't you copy my transfiguration homework? Emma asked Draco.
'Who cares about homework? Draco whispered back. 'I am sorry we can't spend the day together, though,'
'Where are you anyways?'
'Working on my assignment' was all Draco said. It was all he ever said.
It wasn't long before Draco woke her up. 'You might want to go to the hospital wing. Something went wrong.'
'What? What are you talking about?' Emma asked as she changed. She rushed to the hospital wing.
"I'm sorry Emma, I can't let you see her," Madam Pomfrey said. Emma read in her eyes who she was talking about.
'Katie? What happened to Katie!' Emma asked.
"Emma?!" A panicky voice said behind her.
Emma turned. "Ollie?"
"I came as soon as Dumbledore flooed me. Do you know anything?" he asked hopefully. Emma shook her head. "Who would do such a thing to Katie? She isn't the type to hurt anyone."
"I know, Oliver. Don't worry. Katie is a fighter. She will get through whatever this is," Emma said soothingly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She was glad she seemed to be effectively calming him down.
"I was going to propose to her after she graduated," he said.
Emma smiled. "Well, then I suggest you go ring shopping. Nothing so big she'll fall over," Emma teased. "You'll still get your chance, I'm sure."
"Mr. Wood," Madam Pomfrey said. "We are going to move her to St. Mungo's. Professor Snape has managed to keep the curse from spreading, but I can't care for her here." Oliver nodded, gave Emma a peck on the cheek, and left with Katie and the St. Mungo medi-witches.
Emma walked back to the common room and back to her nap. 'I didn't mean to get her,' Draco said.
'Who were you going after?'
'Emma, not now,' He pleaded.
'Draco, tell me, or I am going to go through your memories,' she threatened.
'Tomorrow night, alright? Get some sleep now,' he said. Emma sighed. As worried as she was, she was too exhausted to argue.
Emma met Draco in the room of requirement the next night (Sunday). "Alright, remember how Voldemort gave me a suicidal completely-guaranteed-to-kill-me-so-he-can-get-back-at-my-father-for-his-failure mission?" Draco recapped. Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, he wants me to do what no one has been able to do before." Emma waited for him to finish. "He wants me to kill Dumbledore," Draco whispered which was followed by the shattering of glass as Emma dropped her goblet.
"But that's absurd!" Emma declared. "I mean . . .what . . .how can we get out of this?" Emma asked terrified.
"I don't know. He doesn't know about you or our bonding. I'm sure if he did he would gladly avada kedavra me on the spot, and do the murder that was claimed years ago," Draco muttered. "But right now he will kill my mother if I fail."
Emma nodded. "Of course . . ." There was silence as they each thought about the situation. Being able to hear each other's thoughts helped. "If we could protect your mother, would you run and defy your heritage, like Sirius?" Emma asked.
"Emma, I'm not that strong. I can't risk it, I don't care so much for my dad, I mean, I don't want Voldemort to kill him, but him being in Azkaban is alright with me. But my mother, she is already trying to protect me, not that I think she can, . . ."
Emma sighed. She was exhausted and stressed, Draco was exhausted and stressed. "I can't think clearly," she muttered. "I have to get back, anyways. Harry will be in bed soon, and hopefully tonight, he will fall asleep quickly," Emma yawned.
Emma and Draco kissed goodbye and went their separate ways. Emma started the reading for the following week. I need every spare moment I got, she thought. She studied during her breaks and two free periods, slept after dinner, did homework while Harry slept and she guarded, and then slept a few hours more.
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Emma met with Dumbledore Tuesday morning. "How are you doing, Emma?" he asked kindly. "I know you are taking a rigorous schedule among other things," he said knowingly.
Emma nodded. "I am okay." Emma appreciated that by this time he had stopped attempting to use leglimency on her.
"How are things between Harry and Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, for the most part it is quiet. He is using Occlumency against Harry, but occasionally he does let his guard down seeing if Harry is still vulnerable, and I can tell you he is not happy." Emma said.
Dumbledore nodded. "Just what I was expecting of Tom. I assume you know what I have been showing Harry?"
Emma nodded. "He has thought about it subconsciously while he dreams, sir. I haven't gone poking through his memories," Emma said. "In fact, Harry has a highly vivid imagination. And some highly entertaining dreams. There was one where he imagined a pair of slugs wearing boxer shorts chasing, well, I guess it would be more accurate to say gliding, after him with Lockheart invitations to a tea party in St. Mungos," Emma grinned. "I don't think he appreciates Slughorn's invitations."
Dumbledore chuckled. "If anything happens I expect you to come to me. Even if it doesn't have to do with Harry, Emma," Dumbledore said. Emma nodded and rushed off to class.
"Emma!" Harry called out as he found her before potions. "You alright?" he asked. "You look a bit tired," he said.
Emma nodded. "Yeah, just didn't sleep well last night is all," Emma lied. "What's up?"
"Same here. I have to replace Katie," he said coming to that conclusion.
Emma grinned. "Ah the joys of being captain," she teased.
Harry laughed. It was so easy to talk to Emma. Talking to Emma about quidditch was much different than talking to Hermione about it. Hermione didn't care or understand the importance of it but Emma understood quidditch just as much as he or Ron or anyone else for that matter. "Yeah, I think I was hard on Wood," He joked. "What do you think about Dean?"
Emma nodded. "He did fly really well at tryouts, and I think he would work good with Ginny and me, especially Ginny," Emma laughed. "Plus, you don't have to rehold tryouts and mess with everyone hassling you again."
Harry smiled. "I'll try to talk to him today. We really need to practice since our first game is against Slytherin soon."
Emma's face fell. "Yeah, it is," she mumbled. They walked in to their seats in Slughorn's class. Emma chuckled to herself. 'Finally he realizes he likes Ginny' she told Draco.
'Well, he hasn't actually realized it, has he. He is still rationalizing himself out of it' Draco pointed out.
'Fine, but he is getting closer.' Emma said. 'His last dream was entertaining. Being chased by Ron who is trying to club him with the beater's bat' Emma laughed.
'Have I told you lately I love your laugh?' Draco asked. Emma smiled.
Author's Notes:
KRP-- If i say to much about the jinxing problems it will give to much away : ) Harry will find out this year ::evil grin:: And you picked up on Percy! Yay! He will return just not this year (they have enough going on without me throwing him in the mix)
AnimeCrazy-- ::chuckles:: Did you hate Slughorn before or just from my story?
Erica-- I usually try to post quickly, but hasn't sent out alerts so I was letting people come and find it themselves. So far I only have about half as many hits and Reviews as I usually do.