AN* It's been a while. I bring good tidings though, i know have a beta reader! who i hope will continue to reply even though she's already read all this; there is quite a bit i may add, and secondly i am a tad bit over half way through my online course! Which has taken over my life! quite literally, all i do is read and write, write and read, text for help, write some more, tumblr brake, sleep and repeat. However seeing as i am now accustomed to living in my basement and writing over 5 hours a day i should have no problem making fanfic time in august. Plus i am just exploding with ideas! so without further ado, i bring to you, chapter 7!
Disclaimer- I have a confession to make, I Rambunctious Child am in fact J.K. Rowling, now for those of you who are confused and actually believed me I am not J.K. Rowling. I'm a 16 teen year old who subsequently understands the fundamentals of using the internet machine. Go on Google, look up pictures of cats, lol forever.
rainbowspring-You already know the answers to most of your review, but i need to respond to everyone. i agree with you however that it is interesting that the same characters can be so different! It makes it hard to read Astoria fics though because sometimes i feel like she wouldn't say or do certain things, same with any of my little Slytherins really :( It's sad because i love them so much and want to read stories about them. I am so happy that you think the personalities i give are so vivid, i work so hard to try and give each character life. I mean i write every conversation at least three times just to make sure they say everything the way it would be said while they flip there hair, wink, or stand the way they would while saying it. It's nice to see that someone notices!And once i'm done online english i will read your stories i swear; but macbeth is hurting my head. To many words, only five days to read it all, Ahh! I hope you enjoyed this chapter by the way ;)
scoroseal - plotting is the Slytherin way. ;) I'm sorry this update was much later then soon, please have an Astoria attitude towards this and forgive me!
Lishahotbabe -trust me, vengeance for Astoria will come...not yet, but soon enough, and when it does *grins slyly* it shall be quite a spectacle.
Chapter 7- Awkward Introductions
"Well Severus, I hope these plans are helpful." Minerva said as she passed over a nicely rolled length of parchment. Hesitantly, Snape took the scroll, with a very pressing air of suspicion about it he began to read.
"I rather like that one." Snape smirked pointing out one of the tables on the floor plan.
"Hey, as a matter of fact I came up with that one." Trelawney stated haughtily, envious of the attention Minerva was getting. "And you all laugh when I try to explain the many talents and practical uses of the third eye."
If either McGonagall or Snape were capable, they would probably burst into uncontrolled fits of laughter.
"Pansy seems to be abusing her prefect privileges rather early this morning." Blaise mused as he and Daphne witnessed Pansy unfairly deduct 20 points from Gryffindor.
"She's just upset that the majority of the school absolutely adores Millicent's hair." Daphne explained, riffling through her transfiguration notes. "What did you get for question 12?"
"Blank" Blaise mumbled through a mouth full of hash browns
"Did you even try?" Daphne criticized, knocking his fork out of his hand before he choked himself.
"Aha, nope." Blaise laughed, pouring unorthodox amounts of syrup onto his French toast.
"Blaise…these are being graded." Blaise just gave a pfft. "There being weighted a 7, a 7 Blaise! This is our first major assignment!" Daphne argued whilst mixing her coffee with a spoon.
"Then I'll do the second, what's the big deal?" Blaise wondered, powdering his French toast with white powdered sugar creating a winter wonderland of his breakfast plate.
"The big deal is that you're not even trying to pass. We have OWLS this year. If you go into those exams with this sort of attitude-" Daphne huffed, throwing her spoon onto the table with a clatter.
"MY GOD! Your starting to sound like that Granger girl. I'll work on them now 'kay mum." Blaise huffed, taking his Transfiguration text from his bag.
"I sound nothing like that prude!" Daphne gasped placing a hand over her heart.
"It's weighted a 7 Blaise, a 7! We have our OWLS this year-" Blaise mimicked in a mockingly high tone shoveling some; more like a lot, of French toast into his mouth with one hand, scribbling all over a piece of parchment with another.
"Alright, alright." Daphne said returning her attentions to her homework. "Whatever, 14 out of 15's a pass." Daphne said after five minutes of searching for the answer. 'I have no idea!' she mumbled as she scribbled on her paper.
It was breakfast and as per usual at the Ravenclaw table Astoria had her nose stuck in a book, Cho was tossing her hair every which way and Orla was ogling Jessie Phillips. A loud squeal on Orla's part resulted in Astoria's novel, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" to fall with a large splash into her cereal.
"Oh, and I was just getting to the good part." Astoria sighed, pulling her now dripping and horribly stained book from her bowl.
"He's coming!" Orla squealed, whipping her hair around so fast one might have mistaken her for Cho Chang herself.
"Who's coming?" Astoria asked timidly as she waved her wand repeatedly over the novel, hoping to at least salvage the end, she couldn't bear to wait for a delivery to come in to read it.
"Heyyyyyyyye Jessie." Orla greeted in a silky smooth tone Astoria had never heard her use before with a spirit fingers wave the older girls often gave the boys.
"Morning Orla," Jessie stated politely before quickly turning his attentions to Astoria who was fumbling with her sopping novel. "Beautiful day isn't it Astoria."
"Yes," Astoria replied taking a moment to glance up at the enchanted ceiling. "I suppose it appears as though it will be quite a lovely day. I do hope it does clear up though, with all those clouds one will hardly get a glimpse of the stars."
"If you want to see the stars just come in here." Jessie reasoned, taking the seat beside Astoria as he began to fix himself a plate. "And besides I wasn't talking about the weather." Jessie replied with a cheeky grin.
Astoria blushed a deep crimson with a whispered "oh", whilst Orla squeezed the life out of her toast, knuckles white as the frothy clouds above.
"I was talking about the Quiddich try outs today!"
"Ohhh." Astoria nodded her blush fading. Orla seemed to relax her grip slightly.
"I've been practicing all summer; as if I need it, I mean, everybody already knows I'm going to be on the team." Jessie boasted, reminding Astoria exactly why she didn't particularly enjoy his company.
"You can't know until they've posted the results Jessie." Astoria rationalized, flipping through the now thick and wrinkled pages of her novel to ensure they didn't stick together. "Unless you are a Seer I suppose; but even then nothing's concrete, or if you have a time turner and you're the future Jessie come back to talk to me."
Jessie laughed as though Astoria's rationality was a funny joke; she had been quite serious however. "Oh come off it Astoria, I mean, look at me!"
Orla obliged.
"People like me do things like make the Quiddich team."
"People like you?" Astoria asked rather confused.
"Yeah, you know, good looking and rather charming." Jessie grinned; Orla melted.
"I was not aware those were important qualities to have for the game, my apologies." Astoria stated as sincerely as she could.
"Quiddich isn't a game! It's a sport!" Jessie clarified rather loudly.
"I-I did not know there was th-that big a difference." Astoria quivered.
"There's all the difference in the world!" Jessie explained, and continued to go through all the rules, regulations and other various information all centered on Quiddich. Astoria tried very hard to listen attentively; she really did, but to her it really was just Quiddich. It was apparently much more to Jessie however, leaving Astoria feeling quite guilty about her disinterest. Orla on the other hand was hanging off of Jessie's every word, even contributing at times; everyone knew Orla loved Quiddich, her entire family was obsessed. Her older brother had been drafted this year if Astoria had heard correctly.
"So Astoria, I'm sure you're not doing anything after classes, why don't you come to try outs. They're before just before lunch during break. You can tell everyone you're friends with the newest member of the team." Jessie offered with a cocky grin.
Astoria looked as though she had been hit with a confundus charm. "Umm, th-that sounds, th-thank you for offering but-um, I- ugh-" Just then the morning bell rang. "Class." Astoria managed, fumbling with her bag for a good three minutes and tripping over the bench before making her hasty get away; leaving an outraged Orla, a thoroughly confused Jessie and a milk damaged novel behind her.
"Pansy, you're not looking so good. Maybe you should take a sick day." Daphne suggested as they entered the potions classroom.
"And leave her with him!" Pansy hissed pointing at Millicent who along with the other Slytherins was listening to Blaise and Draco retell the story; a very bad reenactment may be closer to what was actually occurring, of when they had broke into the Hufflepuff common room, they were at the part when some third year Jessie had started hurling hexes at them and Draco had reflected it with his prefects badge.
Just then Snape swooped in, raising a brow at Blaise and Draco, whose audience had grown to include many of the Gryffindors as well.
"If I receive one more visit from Sprout screaming that you have been sneaking through the Hufflepuff dormitories again you will hope you were expelled." Snape hissed, before he bellowed to the front of the room. "Today I will be dividing the class into groups. You will remain in these groups for as long as I see fit." Snape stated, to which the class let out a collective groan.
"At the front left corner; Miss Patel, Mr. Potter, Miss Davis and Mr. Nott." Snape drawled. Parvati and Lavender gasped at the prospect of being separated and shared a long hug, while Harry gathered his things from his usual table in the back thinking it was just like Snape to put him in the front; so he could get into more trouble. "Could be worse mate," Ron offered. "At least you're not sitting with the ferret."
"I heard that weasel."
Theo glanced nervously at Tracy, who had taken the stool beside him blushing almost as bad as Astoria had earlier.
"Behind them Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr. Zabini and Miss Greengrass."
"Well it's official." Ollie sighed. As the four in question repacked their bags.
"What's official?" Pansy inquired.
"Were being paired into couples." Ollie clarified.
"Oh really?" Millicent asked, her hair a shade of turquoise the other girls knew to mean she was skeptic. "And how do you know that?"
"Granger and Weasley!" Ollie exclaimed, gesturing at the pair. "They look like love if I ever did see it!"
Ron and Hermione appeared thoroughly pleased to be sitting together, and rushed to claim the stools back to back with Harry's table. Pansy and Millicent observed the pair seeing what Odilia had meant, they fit together perfectly.
Blaise just seemed happy he was already sitting there and didn't have to get up.
Daphne looked Weasley top to bottom, took one glance at Granger and shot her hand into the air fast as an arrow.
"I am not sitting with them, I mean, Blaise is difficult enough, and if Weasley isn't equally as thick then Granger is certainly as annoying." Daphne huffed, placing her hands on her hips.
Snape looked at Daphne for about half a second as though checking if she were seriously arguing with him before returning his attentions back to his parchment.
"Behind them, Miss Puckle, Miss Parkinson, Miss Brown and Miss Dunbar."
Daphne gasped incredulous that she was being ignored and took her seat. Lavender grabbed her things off of Parvati's table where she had been getting in as much gossip as she could, leaving rather upset to be seated so far from her friend. Fay Dunbar didn't seem to care either way, and Ollie had to drag a stuttering Pansy and her things to the desk.
"I thought you said these were couples!" Pansy whispered harshly. "If I'm sitting here where is Draco sitting!"
"Front right corner; Miss Roper, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Bulstrode and Mr. Malfoy."
"NOOOOOO!" Pansy gasped, dropping her head so quickly that it slid through her hands and instead smacked the work bench, sending her toppling off her stool and onto the ground. The whole of Gryffindor, and the Slytherins out of Pansy's line of vision, broke into a bout of laughter. Draco gathered his things, slightly pink with embarrassment from Pansy's outburst and took his new seat up at the front. Millicent sent Pansy a confused, but understanding look. Image was everything to Pansy, if the class saw this as meaning Pansy and Draco weren't a perfect couple it would bother her. The whole thing was quite petty and stupid however. It was just a seating arrangement. Neville was quite nervous to be sitting with Malfoy; how much easier would it be for him to tamper with his potions? Sophie Roper, on the other hand, was quite excited of the prospect of sitting with Draco, this would make it so much easier to cheat off him; say what you want, the kid was good at potions! The practical aspect at least. Pansy had recovered from her fall and had traded seats with Fay; well actually she had dragged Fay's stool with her on it to where Pansy's stool ought to be and plopped her stool where Fay's ought to be, so that she may have a better viewing window of Draco and Millicent who were sitting beside each other. "That dirty wench!" Pansy muttered, while her tablemates stared in fear of Pansy's paranoia.
"Pansy, calm down." Ollie soothed. "At least you're in the back so Professor Snape won't catch us talking."
"He put Pansy in the back so he wouldn't have to hear her talk." Blaise called from his table; to which both Hermione and Daphne glared and Ron gave him a high five.
"Blaise, you're not helping!" Ollie hissed.
"Mr. Goyle, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Finnigan and Mr. Thomas behind them." Snape finished rolling his parchment into a tight scroll. "Seeing as you can scarcely complete brewing a potion with a whole class period we will be copying a note and getting to know your partners; quietly." Snape directed the finale instruction to Pansy, waving his wand so that a lengthy note covered the expanse of the black boards.
The class let out a heavy groan, which Snape silenced with a sweeping glare.
The students soon set to work, pulling out parchments, unscrewing the caps of ink pots and sharpening their quills. While all of this was going on Blaise pulled out a stocks of chocolate frogs, "Malfoy!" Blaise called, tossing a box to Draco who caught it easy enough and began unwrapping it. Hermione sat straighter and had her lips pressed so thin you knew she was preparing to scold you.
"Food is prohibited in class you know," She stated haughtily. "Let alone throwing it. You should be given detention."
"Mhm, cool." Blaise said with a mouth full of chocolate frogs, not caring in the slightest.
"Put it away, or I'll have to punish you." Hermione stated firmly, crossing her arms, both Ron and Daphne lifted their heads to watch the scene unfold.
"Kay…" Blaise said, and then catching a glimpse of Pansy grinned like a mad man. "Look at Pansy! Bitch is crazy!" Blaise laughed.
Hermione rolled her eyes and continued copying her note while Daphne narrowed hers and gave Blaise a punch in the shoulder.
"Owww!"
"She is not crazy." Daphne stated, rather unimpressed.
"You aren't even looking! Look at her." Blaise argued, Ron turned away from the board and leaned over to the left to see past Blaise's shoulder.
"Ronald, don't look." Hermione scolded.
(Draco's table)
Nibbling on his chocolate frog Draco extracted a mini wooden ruler, his potions knife, a rubber band and some quills from his bag.
"Sh-shouldn't you be copying the note?" Neville inquired, giving Draco's pile of supplies a look of confusion.
"Shouldn't you?" Draco retorted, marking the point in the middle of the ruler with his quill. The table fell quite once more, except for the scratching of quills on parchment and the carving of wood as Draco spun his potions knife on the point he'd marked, whittling an even hole.
"Okay, Draco, seriously? What are you doing?" Millicent sighed, her hair which had been a neutral orangey colour becoming lime green at the roots to show her confusion.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough my dear friend." Draco smirked, looking through the hole he had created, satisfied with its size. Millicent's hair turned purple with her amused smile.
"How did you get your hair to do that?" Sophie inquired, resting her chin on her hands preparing for a long explanation. Neville perked up a bit to, interested in the tale. Draco took out a quill and began plucking the feathers out.
"It's a secret, wouldn't want everyone showing up with hair which matched their moods would we?" Millicent smirked. Sophie lifted her head disappointed, as was Neville. Draco smirked at Millicent's avoidance of the truth and cut off the portion of the quill in which the 'stem', for lack of a better word, was far too thin for his purposes and cut it off with a clean swipe of his potions knife.
"I suppose not." She sighed, continuing with her note.
Stretching the elastic band the long away across the ruler, Draco adjusted it so that it was aligned with the hole.
"Millie, Millie watch." Draco smirked, nudging his friend as he placed his modified quill in through the hole. Pulling the quill back against the rubber band with the tips of his thumb and fore finger Draco shoot the quill like an arrow hitting Harry Potter directly between the brows. Draco gave a triumphant fist pump before preparing another arrow this time leaving some feathers at the end to act as a tail. Millicent's hair began to lighten a sunflower yellow, only growing brighter the more she attempted to stifle her laughs.
Harry, after being hit a second time angrily threw a quill at Draco which being a feather didn't make it far at all. Millicent and Draco just glanced at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. Harry grumbled, returning his attention back to his note. Preparing a third arrow Draco dipped this one in ink.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Millicent asked in a wheeze, giggling all the while. Draco put a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quite; to which Millicent nodded vigorously, he prepared his 'bow' and this time shot at Potter's paper, leaving a thick ink streak running the length of the page.
(Blaise's table, write more of what others are doing.)
"Blaise I told you to put the food away." Hermione scolded, throwing her quill down in a huff.
"I am putting it away." Blaise mumbled with his mouth full of chocolate. "My stomachs the safest place I know."
"You need any help putting that all away?" Ron inquired, unwrapping a chocolate frog to eat himself. Daphne rolled her eyes; men, but snuck a chocolate frog for herself.
"Ronald!" Hermione gasped.
"Yeah go ahead Weasley, how about you Granger?" Blaise offered, waving a chocolate under Hermione's nose.
"As a prefect it is my duty to punish you. So detention, after classes." Hermione declared.
Blaise gaped, the majority of his chocolate frog falling from his mouth.
"BLAISE!" Daphne shrieked, gaping at her arm. "Wipe it off!"
"You're seriously going to give me a detention?" Blaise said, ignoring Daphne's hand swatting his arm and her whining, get it off, get it off, getitoff, getitoffffff!
(Pansy's table stuff)
Pansy glowered at Millicent, having a right good time with her boyfriend. Mumbling incoherently Pansy's quill had long since ripped her parchment to ribbons and was know cutting jagged lines into the desk.
"How about we play a game!" Ollie offered, hoping to cut through the tension; or perhaps to convince herself that no her friend was not crazy.
"An ice breaker game sounds like a great idea right about now." Fay agreed, staring at Pansy with concern.
"I know just the one!" Lavender clapped excitedly. "Let's play true or false!" Pansy broke free of her chance to join the rest of the group in staring at Lavender quizzically. "You've never heard of true or false?" Lavender gaped, scandalized. The three shook their heads. "Right well, what you do is everyone in the group has to retell a rumor they've heard about another person in the group, then the person the rumor is about has to answer if the rumor is either true, or false. The only rule is honesty."
"Honest!" Pansy laughed. "In a game about rumors!"
"Really Lavender, it does sound like the kind of game people get hurt in," Fay said, glancing at Pansy between every other word. She didn't trust that girl around rumors one bit, it wasn't right to know so much about everyone and everything " I don't think-"
"Sounds like fun." Pansy interrupted, regaining her composure. "I mean it should be interesting right Ollie?"
"Aren't you worried-" Ollie began, looking anywhere but a Fay who didn't seem to notice this avoidance in the slightest.
"You should only be worried if you've got something to hide." Pansy smirked, glaring at Millicent, seeing how this game could come in handy later.
"So it's settled were playing!" Lavender squealed clapping in her excitement.
"So Pansy, is it true that you've had a nose job?" Lavender laughed, Pansy just made a face; along with Fay and Ollie, which said, you idiot.
"False you bloody idiot!" Still facing Lavender a slight smile twinged the corner of her lips. "Lavender, is it true that you lied about your rabbit dying in third year so that Professor Trelawney wouldn't look like a fraud." Pansy asked brushing some hair behind her ear and leaning forward. Fay and Ollie leaned forward as well; the authenticity of this rumor had been bothering them forever.
"I would never lie about something like that!" Lavender gasped.
"But you would lie." Pansy teased, Lavender shaking her head so fast it may become unhinged.
"Alright, let's leave the poor dear alone." Fay suggested when Lavender seemed to regain her head.
"Is it true you got a boob job last summer?" Lavender accused, Pansy gasped and Ollie attempted to hide her laughter for her friend's sake.
"Pansy you don't have to answer that," Fay assured, hoping to retain some sense of peace.
"Odilia, is it true they wouldn't let you try out for the Quiddich team last year because you're a girl?" Fay inquired Lavender and Pansy slowly coming out of there staring death match; which Pansy won.
"True." Ollie answered with a sad little smile.
"That's not right." Fay shook her head in disapproval, Lavender agreeing, Pansy glaring a dagger at Lavender; her boobs weren't fake ….THEY WEREN'T!
"It's alright though, Malfoy said if they do it again he'll abuse his prefect powers for me; and if that doesn't work he'll just have Pansy do it." Ollie informed the group, Pansy dusting her knuckles off on her sweater, Fay rolling her eyes at Pansy's self confidence.
"What if he still says no?" Lavender asked rather sincere.
"I think Pansy would crack him." Fay assured.
"Is it true that you and Penelope Clearwater kissed!" Lavender giggled turning to Fay.
"True." Fay stated easily, continuing to copy the board.
"You're a lesbian then." Pansy explained more then asked.
"True." Fay stated simply, Ollie perked up at this.
"So, Odilia, I heard you and Zabini dated this summer." Fay inquired, turning her head to face Ollie, as did the others.
"True." Ollie nodded.
"Is it true that the two of you-"
(Back to Blaise's table)
"You can't give me detention Granger!" Blaise argued.
"Yes I can and I have." Hermione refuted, arms crossed against her chest to physically display that she wasn't budging on this.
"No you haven't cuz you can't." Blaise countered, folding his arms as well. Daphne groaned already feeling the migraine coming.
"Yes I can, Ron explain to Blaise that as Prefects, yes, we can give him detention." Hermione looked at Ron expectantly; Daphne began searching her bag for a headache reliever.
"Umm, I didn't read the hand book or anything so I don't actually know." Ron mumbled, Daphne offered some of her headache reliever to the poor sap, if he didn't need it now he would later.
"Aha! See, you can't give me detention!" Blaise pointed at Hermione with a laugh.
"Yes I can! Respect my authority Mr. Zabini!" Hermione demanded, dropping her arms to her sides, hands balled into fists.
"Not in here; I don't have to, Snape has authority. Isn't that right Daphne?" Blaise said, turning to Daphne.
"I don't know Blaise, perhaps I'd better understand if YOU'RE SPIT UP WASN'T ON MY ARM!" Daphne shrieked gesturing wildly to the chocolaty mess still staining her uniform shirt sleeve only because she refused to touch it.
(Tracy and Theo)
The silence was deadly, and all occupants of the table were in that inner turmoil of whether it was better to break the silence, and endure that awkwardness, or to remain quiet and endure that awkwardness. With their heads buried in their notes; all looking up occasionally to see what the others were doing all that could be heard was the scratching of quills and the commotions at the other tables.
Tracy looked up from her note when she was nudged with a folded up piece of parchment from Theo.
Heyyy
Hello Tracy scribbled back.
Want 2 split the note up, u copy the 1st board, I copy the 2nd?
Surrre? What r we going 2 do when wer done exactly? We'l b finished early
Theo drew a tic tac toe board underneath Tracy's question, an X already occupying the top right corner.
NO FAIR! I want to b X!
:paha, suxs.
Tracy gave Theo a playful shove, drawing a thick O over Theo's X before making her move. The sound of a quill pegging Harry in the forehead brought Tracy and Theo out of their game of tic tac toe; which Theo was totally winning.
"You may want to take a breath soon Potter, I hear that breathing is necessary component of life." Theo explained peeking over his note at Harry who was very red in the face. "If you ignore him he'll stop you know."
"It's true." Tracy chipped in. "Just hope he runs out of quills before you run out of patience." That was when Harry was once again pegged by a quill. Parvati held a hand over her mouth to hide her chuckle, as Harry used unethical amounts of force to throw his quill at Malfoy; it barely made it past the table to Draco's amusement and Harry's fury. Tracy leaned forward to get a clear view of Malfoys table and mouthed. "Stop it." However he seemed a bit preoccupied with his quill; although he was inking it so he must have had his fun and was preparing to work on his note. Theo handed Harry his quill, shuffling through his bag after Harry had accepted; which had taken longer than an exchange of a quill should as a result of distrust, Theodore was after all a Slytherin and Draco's friend, and Harry was in fact a Gryffindor and Draco's adversary. With a meek thanks Harry returned to his note.
"You helped Potter?" Tracy whispered accusingly.
Theo blushed "I-"
"It was sweet." Tracy smiled, turning back to her note, Theo's blush growing deeper. Parvati winked with a giggle; she could only image what sorts of things Slytherins whispered in each other's ears. She was tempted to check under the table to see if footsies, or something was going on under the table. She guessed or something; did she have plenty to tell Lavender!
Just then a quill skidded across Harry's parchment leaving a thick track of ink in its wake.
(Back to Blaise)
"Really Granger, it's just candy."
"It is disruptive to the learning of others."
"Who was disrupted?"
"I actually found it helpful to my learning experience." Draco rationalized, with his chin held high; more to irk Potter then anything really.
"You're only saying that because he gave you some." Sophie interjected.
"As I said before, I found it helpful to my learning experience." Draco repeated, glaring at the Gryffindor.
"You're only defending him Malfoy because you can't admit that a Gryffindor was right." Harry fumed.
"Is this about your note, because you can just have this one." Draco offered, snatching Neville's note from under his quill and waving it about as he'd spoke.
"This is about Blaise disrespecting my authority as a Prefect." Hermione huffed.
"Oh so we're playing this game, in that case," Draco smirked. "Twenty points from Gryffindor!" Hermione gaped like a fish and Blaise grinned like an idiot. "For disrupting the class."
"I-Blaise- it's his fault!" Hermione accused, pointing at Blaise.
"I didn't hear Blaise from over here." Draco countered.
"Me either." Millie agreed. Hermione looked to the Gryffindors of Draco's table for help; Neville hid behind his parchment, starting on a new note while Sophie merely shrugged; Malfoy did have a point. Hermione turned to Ron with an expecting look. Not wanting to disappoint her he stuttered.
"Um, twenty points from Slytherin…for…for…" Harry broadcasted his note to Ron. "For ruining Harry's note!" Ron folded his arms with a grin, Draco raised a brow as if to say, do you really want to play this game Weasley; which he did in fact say seeing as Ron didn't seem to understand the gesture.
Snape messaged circles into his temples, never trust a Seer, it was common knowledge really, but did he listen? No! Just when it would seem it couldn't get any worse than it already was…
"YOU, YOU, BITCH!" Odilia shrieked, lunging at Pansy from across the table. "I can't believe you would tell people that! Even if it were true!" She screamed, striking Pansy repeatedly with balled fists. Quills clattered to the floor and parchments curled into scrolls as the entirety of the class gaped at the scene; Blaise took this opportunity to continue snacking on his chocolate frogs, Ron accepting the one he offered.
"Owww, Ollie, Ollie STOP IT! I said I'm sorry what more do you want?" Pansy squealed, shielding her face as best as she could. The class subconsciously leaned forward for a better look.
"What did you do now?" Draco groaned, breaking from the spectator trance and walking over to try and save his girlfriend from having her face bashed in by her friend. Millicent followed him to the squabbling girls, effortlessly lifting a flailing Ollie off of a cowering Pansy.
"Let me at her! Let me at her!" Ollie screeched, struggling against Millicent's hold. Pansy flung herself at Draco and began babbling like a fool. The majority of the class would be suffering from horrible whip lash later as they turned from one pair to the other in an attempt not to miss a second of either spectacle.
"Pansy, breathe!" Draco instructed, very much frustrated with his girlfriend. "What did you say to her?"
"Why does it have to be me that said something?" Pansy challenged, seeming a little if not very offended, pulling away from him and resting her hands on her hips. Draco just raised a brow as though to say; are you really asking this question? While the rest of the class adopted similar expressions.
"She's been spreading rumors about me!" Ollie shrieked, pulling to no anvil against Millicent's arm. "About us Blaise! And our sexual exploits!" Blaise's cheeks flushed slightly
"I didn't start them!" Pansy squawked in her defense. "Honestly I didn't; I've only heard them! The point of the game is to find out if rumors are true or not, isn't it!" Pansy pointed out, glaring daggers at Lavender, who shrank behind the desk.
"Yes." Lavender squeaked from her hiding place.
"If you ought to be mad at anyone it should be her!" Pansy accused, pointing at Lavender.
"That is enough!" Snape mandated, now standing. "The both of you, detention!"
The bell rang and the vast majority fled the classroom, hoping to escape Snape's wrath.
Blaise leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk with his quill resting under his nose, occasionally blowing it into the air and watching it drift back down.
"You're going to go cross eyed." Daphne scolded, snatching the quill; which Blaise had been gazing at intently, out from under his nose and placing it on the desk.
"Would you relax, I've still got at least three minutes before class even starts." Blaise said, dropping his feet; and consequently his chair, back to the floor.
"Ancient runes ended five minutes ago." Daphne stated.
"Huh? What do you know?" Blaise shrugged, gathering his books.
"I didn't come here to wake you up from your little dream land okay; I came here to enlist your help." Daphne explained, folding her arms across her chest.
"Um, no thank you?" Blaise said with a wink, tucking his books under his arm and heading for the door, however being as lazy as he was and Daphne as determined as she was the door was slammed and blocked before he'd even properly made it out from behind his desk.
"It wasn't a question." Daphne clarified, heaving from her efforts. "I need you to convince Draco to break up with Pansy, or have him try to avoid her to worry her more, just something to break them up sooner."
"I think I've helped you fuck with their relationship enough, thanks." Blaise laughed none too comically, finally making it to the door.
"But I haven't even begun to fuck with yours." Daphne threatened. "Don't think I don't know. You made those rumors that got Ollie so worked up. If she were to find out-"
"Okay, okay, okay. I get it." Blaise sighed, raising his arms in defeat.
"So you'll do it!" Daphne beamed, clasping her hands under her chin.
"Do I have a choice?" Blaise countered, opening the door and pushing past her. Something inside of him said he wouldn't have had much of a choice threat or no; he just couldn't say no to that girl. Damn those beautiful girls!
Putting his hands in his pockets Blaise began casually walking to the Great hall; why rush to lunch, with the amounts of food the house elves made it wasn't as though he would have to go without. Blaise heard someone down the corridor whistling the base line to 'Blue Orchid' (by the White Strips, great song), knowing it to be Malfoy; nobody else in Hogwarts listened to the White Strips, Blaise crept as silently as he could behind him and with an 'AHH' jumped out from behind a suit of armor and put him in a headlock. Blaise began giving Draco a horrible noogy, twisting around as Draco began punching Blaise repeatedly in the gut with cries of 'get off me you #$#!#$&$ *' and Blaise's gasps of 'Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?'
Having had his fun and his stomach, along with his ears, quite sore, Blaise released his friend who having escaped gave Blaise one last shove.
"I saw your blush in potions. Whether it was out of embarrassment or guilt I can't be sure." Draco drawled with a knowing smirk.
"What do you know?" Blaise demanded.
"It was you who started those rumors wasn't it?" Draco smirked heading in the opposite direction of the Great hall, Blaise's eyes widened, damn how many people knew? Pretty soon it wouldn't matter if they told or not. "No worries, I'll keep your secret. I do expect you to keep quiet about my tutoring sessions however, see besides Snape and my pupil you're the only one who knows, and I swear if Pansy finds out-"
"Why don't you just tell her?" Blaise inquired, hurrying to catch up with his friend.
"Um, because she's crazy and she's already pissed at me for something. If she knows I'm seeing someone in private; no matter who that person is, she's just going to become paranoid; as if she isn't clingy enough as it is. She tried to follow me into the bathroom!" Draco exclaimed, waving his arms frantically through the air. "I had to sneak out the bathroom window just to get away! I'll be lucky if I even make it to the library." Draco proclaimed, Blaise laughed at his friends misfortunes; Draco punching him in the shoulder all the while with "It's not funny I could have died!" Not being mellow dramatic in the slightest.
"Dracoooooooooo! Where are you?" Pansy's whining could be heard echoing down the corridor.
"Blaise, you have to hide me!" Draco pleaded. "I have been trying to figure it out, but I swear to God, for once I didn't do anything."
"You, Draco Malfoy, didn't do anything." Blaise stated with a smirk
"Well, nothing to warrant all this. It's like the more space I try to give her to calm her tits the more clingy she gets."
Blaise felt bad, it was supposed to be bro's before hoes wasn't it? "Maybe she doesn't want-"
"Shit she's coming, I'm going to the library" Draco informed Blaise before running off; well Blaise had tried. Draco turned around and came running back. "Don't tell Pansy that."
"Where do I tell her you went?" Blaise asked, looking over his shoulder to make sure Pansy had not yet made it to them.
"Make something up; I don't even care if it's good." Draco called over his shoulder as he bolted down the corridor.
"You're going to regret saying that." Blaise smirked, thinking of all the possibilities, and then remembering Daphne's request.
"Yeah, probably." Draco admitted, rounding the corner.
Just as Draco disappeared behind the corner Pansy appeared at the other end.
"Blaise, I know you know where Draco is and you are going to tell me this instant!" Pansy demanded with clenched fists and a stomp of her foot.
"Nice shiner." Blaise laughed, pointing at Pansy's face.
"Ugh, I just put on a pound of makeup five minutes ago!" Pansy mumbled fumbling for her compact. "Where is he Blaise I'm serious!" Pansy seethed, patting her left eye with a poorly hidden urgency.
"I don't think I can…he told me not to tell you." Blaise sighed, rocking on his heels in anxiety.
"What." Pansy said in a deadly tone, snapping her compact shut.
"Exactly what I said, Draco told me not to tell you, said you'd go mental." Blaise informed her with a shrug.
"Why would I go mental?" Pansy asked, her desperation growing more evident. "Blaise, where did he go? Tell me!" Pansy was now holding Blaise by the upper arms, shaking him back and forth.
"Well…alright, alright, I'll tell you." Blaise sighed, looking at the ground to hide his grin. This was too easy. Pansy released him and waited anxiously for him to continue. "He went outside to walk around the lake, with Millicent I believe."
Pansy turned a scarlet, shaking with rage. "When I find her-" Pansy fumed, stalking off in the direction of the main entrance, fist clenched at her sides.
"Fuck I just ruined at least three people's lives!" Blaise moaned, running his hands through his hair.
Draco sat in the library bored out of his mind. This would be the first day of his tutoring sessions and he'd been waiting for a short eternity; perhaps his pupil had ditched, that smart bastard!
Alright perhaps he'd been waiting only five minutes, but every second in a library always feels to be triple what it's worth. Just then a short, Hufflepuff clad girl, with hair curled and frizzy enough to rival Grangers, burst through the library doors; catching the handle just before it would have slammed against the wall. Glancing around the entire expanse of the library, her vision stumbling upon Draco; seeing as he was the only one there, the girl scurried over, arms laden with everything; quite possibly even the kitchen sink.
"I am so dreadfully sorry." The girl apologized unloading a cauldron, various books, quills, parchment and ink pots along with the odd Hufflepuff flag onto the desk top. All the while apologizing to Madam Pince for the ruckus.
"Um, I think you've mistaken me for somebody else, I'm tutoring a Ravenclaw." Draco explained. This fact appeared to be completely lost to the girl as she bore into Draco's face, head tilted and brows furrowed. "You're wearing yellow… as in Hufflepuff." Draco annunciated carefully; figures, wouldn't expect much else from a Hufflepuff.
"Ohhhhh!" The girl exclaimed, becoming straight as a rod. "No, no, no, I mean, yes, I am wearing Hufflepuff colours, but no, I am not a Hufflepuff. A friend of mine, well he's not a friend, more of an acquaintance really; not to say we couldn't be friends, well he; my friend but …not actually that is, he had Quiddich try outs today and he'd asked me to watch, and if I'm going to watch I may as well be patriotic. No that's not right? Patriotic would mean I am a Hufflepuff wouldn't it? …which I'm not-" The girl rambled, speaking a mile a minute, shaking and tilting her head every which way making Draco slightly dizzy.
"Are you Astoria Greengrass or not!" Draco interrupted, exasperated. They hadn't even stated and he was already losing his mind.
"Yes, I am…Astoria that is; Astoria Greengrass." The girl; Astoria so it turned out, nodded, curls bouncing every which way.
"Your name being Greengrass I thought you might be related to Daphne," Draco said, looking Astoria top to bottom. "I guess not though huh."
"Oh you're not wrong, not at all…wrong that is. That is to say I am, we're, me and Daphne are related. She is my-that is to say we are, sisters, Daphne and I." The girl stuttered, shuffling from foot to foot. Had Draco been holding something he would have dropped it, his eyes were wide with shock.
"You and Daphne….no way! Your must be joking."
"Oh no I would never; well I would but not about something like this, however I would never joke about being Daphne's sister, that is to say it isn't a joke she really is my sister. Why are you so shocked?" Astoria inquired with a tilt of her head.
"Do you see any sort of resemblance between the two of you?" Draco queried, with a brow raised; for if there was he would very much like to know.
Astoria adopted a thoughtful expression tapping her chin with her index finger. "I suppose not, except for mother and father that is, and our other relatives, and our house, and I do have some of Daphne's old hand-me-down cloths although I don't look anything like her in them, they look like entirely different dresses on the either of us." She rambled, Draco still trying to figure out how such a thing was plausible. A baby surviving Avada kadavra was easier to comprehend then this! "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, how rude of me, I never even asked you your name." Astoria smiled at Draco, her hand outstretched to be shaken, awaiting his response.
Queuing in that it was his turn to speak Draco answered. "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He stated, taking her hand.
"So you're Draco! Daphne talks about you loads! Between her and Pansy it's all I ever hear, and yet I never even met you. I thought you would be taller." Astoria chattered away shaking his hand vigorously all the while, head titled; this time out of curiosity. "The way they talk about you one would never tell you had any brains, you must be a lot smarter then they give you credit for; being a tutor and all although I always expected you were smarter then they gave you credit for, Pansy never really did have an eye for intellect, but there isn't anything wrong with that, it just doesn't appeal to her is all I suppose, and much nicer too. I mean, even nice people aren't always willing to sacrifice their lunches to study, let alone help other people study, let alone younger students, let alone the same year as their OWLS! This is a really, really kind thing-"
"Can you please stop talking." Draco interrupted, feeling a headache coming on. "I got in trouble okay, it was this or suspension, no need to make me out to be some sort of prophet or something."
"I believe you're thinking of a martyr; however that wouldn't exactly be right either. See a martyr is someone who suffers greatly; as I suppose you may be right now, or faces death. However they face this rather then denounce their religion, not out of kindness or benefit of others. Although I suppose it would be to the benefit of all those belonging to a faith and fighting for the right to believe in that faith." Astoria corrected with a smile. Draco narrowed his gaze.
"Are you sure you need a tutor?" Draco questioned, at this Astoria began to blush profusely, and mumbled rapidly. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that?" Draco said.
"I've blown up my cauldron every other class thus far." She confessed, starring at the table top intently.
"You're still probably doing better in potions then Daphne is doing in Transfigurations." Draco offered. "Absolutely every animal she transfigures, no matter what it is she's transfiguring it into, retains its legs." Draco smirked; Astoria peeked up through her bangs. "Last week we had a crystal goblet running around the room with chicken legs and one of those red things," Draco waved his hand over his head for emphases, "around the rim." After stopping to envision it Astoria laughed. Looking at the clock Astoria gasped. "I've wasted so much time, I'm so sorry. Lunch is over half way finished."
"So we'll officially start tomorrow," Draco triggered, "relax." Although he was quite aware that relaxing wasn't really part of being a Ravenclaw; not a true one he supposed anyways. "It's not like we could have actually done anything today anyway. I don't even know what you need me to teach you." He reasoned.
"Oh, well I'm doing well with all the written work. I always score well with the essays and such. It's just the practical applications, the brewing that is." Astoria mumbled, rubbing her arm.
"Thank God, if it were the other way around I would probably cause you to fail." Draco admitted.
"How can you pass potions if you don't understand it? Not to be rude or anything…you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Astoria mumbled, her gaze returning to her feet.
"I understand it fine, just can't write an essay for the life of me." Draco shrugged. Astoria nodded in understanding. The bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch. Raking in her pile of belongs Astoria began to mutter an onslaught of thank you for your time's and goodbye's.
"You know," Draco began adjusting the strap of his bag so that it rest comfortably on his shoulder. "I bet I could raise your practical grade in potions to at least an A, maybe even an E in two weeks." Astoria stopped dead in her tracks and shook her head vigorously.
"No you couldn't, I've gotten so many zeroes already and considering I do improve in our first two weeks, I'll still be getting fails between then and now, I thank you for your confidence in me however."
"No really, I could." Draco insisted, holding the door open for Astoria.
"May I ask you how?" Astoria inquired, becoming intrigued with Draco's confidence.
"Simple, you play around with the system. The first couple classes aren't worth that much, but a week from now the value of each grade goes up, so, if we practice brewing those potions, even if you get all zeroes this week, as long as you score A's and E's next week your grade will go up." Draco smirked as Astoria gaped at him.
"That's quite clever." Astoria admitted, nodding as a grin formed on her face.
"How I passed Charms." Draco grinned, patting Astoria on the shoulder. "Same time tomorrow?"
"Yeah…" Astoria grinned, but when she looked up Draco was already half way down the corridor. "Byeee!" She shouted after him, waving. Even if he was only tutoring her because he had to, she knew he didn't have to make sure she passed. So no matter what he said about it, Astoria was very, very thankful for it.
AN* There is only one lesson truly worth remembering from today, never trust Professor Trelawny; or any sheer for that matter, with anything. especially seating arrangement's!
Review please, my hotmail inbox is lonely. Oh so lonely, with only online english submission receipts to keep it company :(