AN* its been awhile, and I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Been having a difficult time finding the proper way to say what needed to be said, but I think I've finally got it. Grade 11 has also been proving to be much more time consuming then previously assumed.

Special thanks goes out to my friend emilynoel11 for subbing for my usual beta-reader rainbowspring; who i have over loaded with fanfictions all at once after a great long period of nothing.

rainbowspring-thank you for the review! I'm happy you had so much positive things to say, hopefully this chapter fulfills your expectations.

disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, or any characters, settings, plot lines, or any other aspect of this story that may be affiliated with it. I do own my sister hand my down ipod touch though, which means I no longer have to go down into the basement to read fan fiction, just to write it : )

Remember to review!

Chapter 9- Hogsmead

"Okay, how about this one?" Daphne inquired, holding a pale pink scoop-neck sweater with thin white pinstripes against her chest, a light, soft green skirt poking out underneath.

"Are you sure you want to wear a skirt? You are going to need tights you know, its fucking freezing out there!" Pansy answered, tugging a brush through her hair.

"Ugh, you didn't answer about the sweater." Daphne huffed, pulling it up over her head and disappearing into her trunk, haphazardly chucking balled up nylons onto the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not enjoying helping you look fabulous on your day out of this dreaded castle and damned uniform while I sit in detention! FOR SOMETHING I DIDN'T EVEN DO!" Pansy whined, flopping onto her bunk.

"Oh, would you just admit that it was you already? We're all getting a little tired of your mellow dramatics." Daphne sighed, rolling her eyes as she begun un-balling her tights to examine the patterns.

"I refuse to admit to something I didn't do." Pansy stated, sitting up, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air.

"And everything you have done." Daphne snickered as Pansy flung her pillow, hitting Daphne square in the face and knocking her onto her butt.

"Oh, will you shut it? Now, can you please settle on something to wear, there's all of five minutes of breakfast left!" Pansy groaned, getting up off the bed and smoothing out her robes.

"Well, as you were so happy to point out, I need tights!" Daphne replied, retrieving another pair from the floor.

"Oh good God!" Pansy gasped, falling back onto her bed, "there's another hour of my life wasted away."

"Oh don't you even start! We missed transfigurations last year because you were fixing your hair."

"Hair is an entirely different matter! And besides, not all of us can be as naturally beautiful as you." Pansy giggled sarcastically as Daphne chucked Pansy's pillow back to her.

"It's a shame I can't eat this pillow, I'm nearly hungry enough to." Pansy sighed.

"Oh alright, alright." Daphne surrendered, grabbing a pair and bunching them up at the feet to put them on.

"You're going to wear those?" Pansy said, pulling a face.

"I give up!" Daphne cried, flopping onto her bed. Rolling her eyes, Pansy walked over to Tracy's bedside table and rummaged through her drawers, tossing a balled up pair of nylons onto Daphne's bed.

"Everybody knows Tracy has the best tights." Pansy smirked.

"Did you ask her if you could borrow them?" Daphne asked, sitting up and pulling them onto her right leg.

"No." Pansy shrugged. The girls grinned mischievously at one another.

"I won't tell if you don't." Daphne said.

"Pinky promise?" Pansy inquired, holding out her pinky, Daphne locking pinkies with her and shaking on it.

"Now, for shoes." Daphne stated.

"Oh dear Lord!"

Pansy sauntered over, falling into her seat and flopping her head onto the table; Draco quickly pulled the china away before Pansy could break the plate with her forehead…again.

"Mmph, mph, mmmmmmhhh mpph, mph mmmmmmmmmmmm mphmhmhm!"

"What?" Draco smirked. Pansy lifted her head so that her chin was supporting her head upright.

"Everyone's going to be having fun at Hogsmead while I'm stuck here." Pansy pouted, letting her head slump face first back into the table. "Mhhmmmmmm!"

"Oh Pansy," Draco sighed. "You're not going to miss anything anyway. You already know it's no fun without you." Draco reassured her. Pansy turned her head sideways so that she could look at her boyfriend. "If anyone should be upset it should be me because now I'm stuck with Crabbe and Goyle." Draco comforted her as Pansy glanced in the direction of the two and smirked.

"I suppose you're right." Pansy sighed, in a manner which was less sincere and more geared towards having Draco continue his speech.

Draco caught on to that. "You suppose? Don't even pretend Pansy, you know."

"Please, tell me you're not actually going to be stuck with Crabbe and Goyle all day. I can't imagine you having as miserable a time as me." Pansy said, shaking her head and adjusting her cutlery.

"Actually I'm going to be having the greatest time ever." Draco replied in a sarcastically enthusiastic way.

"Oh?" Pansy inquired with a grin.

"I get to spend the day in the luxurious library," Draco explained in the sort of tone reserved for infomercials.

"How lovely."

"In the darling company of Madame Pince,"

"She is quite the lady." Pansy agreed.

"Composing an essay for charms,"

"What a rewarding task."

"In which I need to acquire an O just for the opportunity of possibly passing the course!" Draco finished with a flourish.

"You lucky bastard, you!" Pansy grinned, "I guess detention isn't the worst thing." Pansy sighed. "But with Nott!"

Draco smirked. "Aha, I forgot that! I almost want to get detention just to see it." Pansy looked hopeful. "Almost." Draco clarified. Pansy sat back with a pout and crossed her arms.

The pair fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Draco, why have you been avoiding me?" Pansy demanded.

"I thought-" Just as Draco was about to answer, Professor McGonagall came up from behind and tapped Pansy on the shoulder.

"Miss Parkinson."

"One moment professor," Pansy said, holding up a finger to McGonagall "we are in the middle of a very important conversation." Pansy explained.

"As serious as young love is, it can wait until after detention." McGonagall assured sternly.

"No it can't!" Pansy argued.

"Now, Miss Parkinson!" McGonagall demanded, finger pointed to the door.

Pansy, fuming, got up from her seat. "You better have an explanation when I get back from detention and it better be good." Pansy demanded of Draco before leaving with McGonagall.

"You better have something monumental planned for today Blaise, because I am not wasting this outfit on a bad time." Daphne proclaimed, taking the seat beside Blaise.

"I thought you said you were going to think about it." Blaise said, slightly worried.

"Do you not want me to go anymore?" Daphne inquired, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat.

"No." Blaise assured her, anticipating a worse reaction to come.

"You were just hoping I wouldn't want to come." Daphne clarified, her anger becoming evident.

"Daphne, would you just listen? Tracy-" Blaise attempted.

"Oh, so you invited Tracy, and what, she said yes, is that it?" Daphne asked accusingly.

"It's not like that." Blaise tried to explain.

"Then what is it like Blaise, hmm? What are you doing taking girls to Hogsmead anyway? Is Ollie coming?"

"She's writing a paper today." Blaise replied feebly.

"Oh she is, and you're taking her best friend to Hogsmead, yeah?"

"It's not like that Daphne, for two seconds could you maybe consider the fact that you might not know what you're talking about?" Blaise seethed.

"Oh, and it wasn't like that when you asked me, surely." Daphne stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Well, obviously you think it was, seeing as your getting all worked up over nothing." Blaise stated with a smirk.

"As if I would be interested in someone like you!" Daphne seethed. "You are the stupidest, laziest, most frustrating human being I have ever met! A rock has more personality than you!"

"Oh, and you're just darling right? I mean, what isn't appealing about a woman willing to stab her friends in the back over a guy who would never be interested in a bitch like her?" Blaise countered defensively.

"At least I'm not a cheater." Daphne stated solemnly. "You can play as many girls as you like but you're not playing me!" With that Daphne left in a fury.

Astoria nearly ran out of the Great Hall. Jessie had been trying to ask her out all morning, and she was running out of polite ways to say "no, but thank you". In her haste to escape, Astoria had opened the door wider than necessary and with much more force, and in consequence ended up hitting someone.

"I am terribly sorry, are you alright?"

"Ugh, I should have known it was you, given how many times this has happened to me over the summer." Daphne sulked, wiping at her eyes as Astoria helped her up. Astoria gasped, noting the tears.

"Are you hurt? You must be, you're crying! Do you need to see Pomfrey? I'm so sor-"

"Will you relax? I'm fine. It's not your damned door I'm worried about." Daphne sniffed.

"Do you want to talk ab-"

"No." Daphne cut her off flatly. Astoria shuffled her feet, and looked about the corridor as though patiently waiting.

"I'm so stupid, I mean, I don't even like him and here I am getting all flustered over nothing."

"Are you sure you don't like him then?"

"Definitely. He is an idiot, and besides, a more suitable boyfriend will soon be made available to me." Daphne explained, adjusting the shoulders of her sweater.

"Are Blaise and Odilia having problems?" Astoria asked.

"Why do you assume I'm speaking about Blaise!" Daphne demanded angrily, balling her fist by her sides.

"H-he just seems to suit you." Astoria stuttered, surprised by her sister's sudden outburst.

"And how exactly does he suit me?" Daphne put her fists to her hips. "I deserve the finest, the best." Astoria tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "I will settle for nothing less than perfect. Those are my standards and I will only be seen with someone who fulfills them."

"Well, who can?" Astoria wondered.

"What does that mean?" Daphne demanded, crossing her arms and striating her posture.

"It means that maybe you expect a little too much, from everybody, including yourself." Astoria informed her sister gently.

"So now wanting what's best for me is asking too much?" Daphne exclaimed.

"No one's perfect Daphne, and if you think they are it's only because you don't know them well enough to see that they aren't." Astoria reasoned.

"I don't need to take dating advice from you, you can't even figure out a friendship, let alone a relationship." Right after she'd said it, Daphne regretted it. "Astoria, wait!" She called, but it was too late, Astoria had disappeared down the corridor. With a sigh, Daphne headed in the direction of the closest lavatory hoping she hadn't gone up to Ravenclaw tower. If she had, it would take her the entire afternoon to solve that damned knocker's riddle.

Tracy and Blaise walked awkwardly together down the main road.

"Um, so are we going anywhere, or…?" Tracy asked, giving Blaise a sidelong glance.

"I thought you were leading?" Blaise said, stopping in the middle of the path.

"You're taking me out, why would I lead?" Tracy reasoned, stopping beside him.

"Well, I don't know." Blaise admitted.

"You don't know where we're going, or you don't know why I would be leading? Because I don't know the answer to either of those questions." Tracy prodded.

"… I-"

"Don't know?" Tracy finished for him. "You don't know much, do you?"

"I know enough!" Blaise retorted defensively.

"Why are you taking me to Hogsmead? You clearly don't want my company." Tracy resolved, brushing her hair behind her ears.

"Well, you're not exactly being friendly either." Blaise retorted.

"Perhaps I'm just a little upset that my date is currently serving a detention." Tracy said, running her hand through her stringy, messy, fringe.

"You had a date, and you just replace him. You are cold." Blaise stated, shaking his head.

"I didn't just replace him, I'm doing a friend a favour. Shit!" Tracy gasped and clamped her hands to her mouth.

"What friend? Ollie said I was doing her, and you, a favour… that doesn't make sense, because I didn't need or want you to come with me and vice versa. What's going on?"

"I have to go…shit, shit, shit," Tracy muttered as she fled back towards the castle.

"Come back! Tracy, what's going on?" Blaise called after her.

"-and absolutely no talking." McGonagall finished her pre-detention speech before leaving the room to check the third year Hogsmead permission forms.

"So, why the fuck haven't you confessed!" Pansy demanded, spinning in her chair to face Theo, and slamming her fist into his desk, scaring him half out of his chair.

"Me? I didn't do a damned thing! You ought to be the one with the confession!" Theo countered.

"We both know who did it Nott, no reason why we both should suffer." Pansy rationalized.

"Which is why you're going to tell McGonagall what really happened." Theo agreed.

"Oh Nott, you poor deranged child." Pansy sighed, shaking her head in pity.

"I'm not justifying your words with a response." Theo huffed, crossing his arms.

"That's why you talked to me, right bud?" Pansy laughed.

"Your grammar's atrocious. It's spoke, not talked." Nott corrected. Pansy rolled her eyes and turned back to the front of the class.

"Well, you can sit here all day if you want to. I'm going to Hogsmead." Pansy sniffed, rising from her chair and marching towards the door.

"You can't just leave!" Theo argued, turning in his chair. Pansy stood poised with her hand on the handle.

"Watch me." and with that Pansy strutted out the door and down the corridor.

It was official.

Draco Malfoy had been stood up by a third year. With a sigh, he considered actually writing his charms essay, but deciding it was hopeless anyway, he thought better of it and settled for moping.

"Ah what's the matter? Miss Pansy already?" Millicent soothed, taking the seat beside Draco, Ollie sitting across from her.

"Oh the pangs of a lonely heart, the cold of a lonely soul." Draco brooded, his serious expression turning into a smirk.

"Oh poor baby, how ever shall your heart go on?" Millicent cooed, resting a hand against her heart. Ollie was shaking her head and biting her lip, trying to hold back a smile all the while.

"So what brings you fine ladies to the library today?" Draco inquired, as he started preparing a piece of parchment to be made into a paper airplane.

"Charms." Ollie groaned, burying her head under her textbook to emphasis her distaste, which mostly had to do with it being a Hogsmead weekend that she was missing out on and not just some Saturday afternoon.

"Well, I'm here because Daphne decided to just disappear and abandon me in a library, of all places!" Millicent's voice went into staged hysterics, causing Madame Pince to lean menacingly over her desk, seeming as though she may jump right over top if need be.

"You don't need her. You are a strong independent woman who don't need no man." Draco consoled, adding a finger snap and a bit of a head bob; Ollie was finding it exceedingly difficult to concentrate.

"Damn straight!" Millicent thundered, slamming her hand against the table.

"Leave," Madame Pince ordered. The two slowly turned to face Madame Pince, looking very confused. "Now!" Draco quickly gathered his things while Millicent said her goodbyes to Ollie and, with a scraping of chairs and ruffling of parchment, the two were gone.

"So now that you are officially kicked out of the library what are you going to do know?" Millicent inquired, brow raised.

"Probably fail charms, never get accepted into a university because of it, and live as a hermit in order to hide my shame." Draco replied sullenly.

"Ah, I'll come visit." Millicent smirked.

"As for today, I'm thinking Hogsmead." Draco said.

"Would you like some company?" Millicent inquired. "We could let a couple of bludgers loose at the Quidditch Emporium."

"You read my mind." Draco smirked, heading towards the front entrance.

Pansy raced into her dorm and took the lumpy pillow out from behind her other pillows. Grabbing it by the corners, she shook out a collection of clothing.

Pansy rifled through the pile on her hands and knees. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweater, and the new boots her mother got her as a gift for passing all of her classes; well most of them anyway. Pansy grabbed her bundle and hurried towards the lavatory to do her hair, makeup and get dressed.

"Pstttt, Pansy."

Pansy's bundle of clothing flew into the air as she jumped out of fright. "Jesus, Myrtle! Are you trying to kill me? I know we'd have a right good time in the toilets but honestly I'm just not ready to go." Pansy rambled as she gathered her clothing from the floor.

"I'm sorry, I just really need to talk to you." Myrtle whispered hurriedly, erupting from the toilet.

"So talk. Have Flint and Rebecca gotten back together again? Because if so Ollie owes me ten galleons." Pansy said pointedly, heading towards the sinks.

"It's not that kind of gossip." Myrtle replied, drifting forward. Pansy stopped in her tracks, the smile sliding off her face.

"You mean it has to do with me." Pansy corrected, becoming angry.

"Not directly, but very much so, yes." Myrtle nodded uncomfortably.

Pansy swallowed thickly. "Well, what is it?"

"I overheard Draco himself tell Millicent specifically not to tell you about his tutoring for potions." Myrtle relented, wringing her hands nervously.

"He's tutoring her in potions!" Pansy shrieked. "Like, they're going on study dates?!"

"If they're only studying though-" Myrtle tried to calm Pansy down.

"You never only study Myrtle, hell you don't even study! You just go on a date in the library. They're going on dates in the library, oh my God! I mean, why else would they have to be all secretive? How much do you want to bet that's where he's been disappearing off to at lunch! That home wrecking skank! That sceezy git!" Pansy was on the rampage.

"That's not all; I saw him going to Hogsmead… with her." Myrtle continued with her voice full of regret.

Pansy's face turned a deep red, and her chest was heaving. Deadly silent, she threw down her clothing, stalked off towards the seventh year girls dorm, and kicked the door open in a fury. Scanning the room, it was easy to identify Waverly Bessie's bunk, what with all the Bob Marley posters and the Jamaican flag comforter; she was such a cliché stoner.

"Pansy I don't think-" Myrtle warned timidly, popping through the wall, but falling silent as Pansy fearlessly began pulling open drawers until she found what she needed. Pulling out a bag of weed, Pansy pocketed it quickly, and shut all of the drawers, leaving not a trace of her being there - except for the missing weed of course. Stomping to her dormitory, Pansy went to Millicent's bunk, and planted the weed within Millie's decorative pillow case which rarely made it back onto the bed, seeing as Millicent rarely made her bed. It was bound not to be found - until it was looked for that was. Myrtle peeked in through the floor, "What are you doing?" she hissed.

Pansy then thumped over to the boys dormitory, pushing a nosey second year into the coffee table along the way, who may or may not have actually been in the way, Myrtle following transparent behind her. Once in the dorm, Pansy made it to Draco's bunk and pulled a shoebox out from underneath. It had been charmed - although not by Draco himself for he really was rubbish with charms - to fit much more than a pair of shoes, and was housing a rather extensive collection of tapes. Pulling one out at random Pansy fit the lid back onto the box and slid it under, fixing the sheets to hide that she had been there.

Taking some parchment, Pansy began to feverishly scribble two letters, muttering all the while under her breath. Myrtle floating beside her so that she could comfortably read over her shoulder.

"Dear Professor Snape, It has come to my concern that at least one of the fifth year girls is smoking illegal drugs, for their dorm reeks something awful most Saturdays. You may want to make further inquiries and investigate. -Anonymous" Read the first one, and the second, "Dear Mr. Malfoy, It has come to my attention that your son is exhibiting some less than appropriate behaviour. It would appear that your son has developed a taste for muggle music; using muggle technologies to listen, none the less. -Anonymous"

"Pansy, please don't do anything you're going to regret." Myrtle begged, taking an upright floating position.

Pansy called Wallace over - yes, Blaise had named his owl Wallace, and being Blaise's owl, was extremely sluggish, and much preferred the comfort of the dungeons to the owlery.

"Draco and Millicent should have thought of that before it was too late." Pansy replied, tying the letters to Wallace's leg and sending him off- which almost wasn't worth the effort.

"I thought you were going to Hogsmead." Theo teased, head lying on his folded arms.

"Oh well, I realized that it'd be no fun if you weren't there." Pansy bluntly replied, holding no note of sincerity.

"Bugger off! I was rather enjoying my detention without you here." Theo said bitterly.

"P-lease!" Pansy scoffed "You wish I'd give you the time of day." Pansy flicked her hair off of her shoulder and took a seat at the other side of the room.

"What makes you so sure I do?" Theo inquired bitingly.

"Uh... look at me!" Pansy said, gesturing to her sitting form.

"Yeah, and?" Theo asked, with a confused head shake.

"And what? I didn't know you were blind Theo. I'm gorgeous!" Pansy explained, sounding slightly distressed.

"I'm glad you at least think so." Theo muttered, crouching in his chair to rifle through his bag. Pansy kicked off her shoe and fired it at him, hitting Theo on the side of the head.

"The hell was that for?" Theo barked.

"The hell was that for?" Pansy jeered. "You may get good grades, but you are an idiot."

"At least I'm not delusional." Theo argued.

"You are if you think Tracy's going to date you." Pansy retorted.

"What did Tracy say?" Theo inquired, brows frowned worriedly.

"Oh she didn't say anything, but actions speak louder than words. Heard she went to Hogsmead with Blaise." Pansy sneered, pointing her chin up in a superior sort of way.

"You should leave the lying to your boyfriend, you're horrible at it." Theo spat, opening a text book to show he was finished with the conversation.

"I believe I told you there was to be no talking." Professor McGonagall disciplined them as she entered the room, taking a seat behind her desk to grade papers. With her head bent over her work, Pansy and Theo continued to make faces at each other.

A little while later, there came a hesitant knock on the door. "Come in." Professor McGonagall sighed, removing her spectacles and wiping them with her sleeve.

"Professor, Headmaster Dumbledore needs to see you in his office immediately! He said it was about a letter Snape-"

"Professor Snape." McGonagall corrected.

"- Professor Snape, received."

McGonagall sighed, "Very well." Turning to face Theo and Pansy as she held the handle, McGonagall warned, "Absolutely no talking. Perhaps you could use this opportunity to finish your homework on time for once Miss Parkinson." Theo smirked, tucking his completed transfigurations essay into his bag.

"You're an arse!" Pansy exclaimed immediately after McGonagall had closed the door.

"At least I'm not an idiot." Theo muttered.

"What do you want from Tracy anyway?" Pansy demanded. "Seeing as you're so difficult to please, I have a hard time believing she satisfies you."

Theo perked up a bit. Malfoy was right - for possibly the first time - Pansy was jealous.

"Who said I was difficult to please?"

Pansy broke out into a fit of laughter. "You're never happy with anything, ever. Everybody is either wrong, or dumb, or ugly… except for you of course." Pansy said the last bit in a sickeningly sweet tone that was dripping with sarcasm.

"Well at least I'm not an overly dramatic, gossiping bitch." Theo countered smartly, turning the page of his charms textbook.

"Take. That. Back." Pansy demanded, standing up.

"Nope." Theo said, picking up his quill.

"Take it back!" Pansy repeated, preparing to go over there if she had to.

"Nah-uh." Theo shook his head, dipping his quill into ink.

"Theo-" Pansy warned, leaning imposingly over his desk.

"What? It's true." Theo replied, Pansy flushed angrily and with one large sweeping motion threw everything off of his desk.

"What the fuck Parkinson!?"

The two stared intently into each others eyes, both leaning forward to better their focus, neither backing down. All of a sudden, Pansy grabbed Theo by the collar of his shirt, thrust him forward and planted an angry kiss onto his lips, Theo grabbing either side of Pansy's face and kissing her just as ferociously.

They broke apart gasping for air, and when their gazes once again found eachother's, they stared intently, and in unison muttered, "Fuck."