Episode Five: Don't Rid of the Squid!

Previously on All My Wizards: Season 2:
--Harry's meeting with Professor Stein is uneventful, and Draco is pleased
--Hermione and George make plans for a Hogsmeade date
--Crabbe and Mona decide to take their relationship more seriously, to the dismay of Pansy

--[AMW2]--

"Well I'm happy that the two of you understand that meeting me is in both of our best interests," hissed a sleek female voice. She closed the door behind her and lit her wand. Her overlarge facial features were both menacing and stunning in the wand's light, and her sleek black hair seemed to shine faintly.

"R-Romilda Vane!" cried the petrified Harry. Draco was somewhat confused, considering that he had no eyes for silly Gryffindor girls.

"Umm, duh," responded Romilda. "But I'm just curious. Who did you think it would be?"

"Nobody," murmured Harry. "So how did you find out?"

"Well I used to be ashamed of this fact, but now I flaunt it. I've taken stalking you to a new level, Harry." Romilda's ensuing cackle made Harry shiver.

"Okay you crazy bitch, I'm hungry so let's get to the point," said Draco, "You know that I am willing to offer you any monetary fulfillment."

"I don't want galleons. What would I do with those anyway? I have all of the clothes and hair care products I'll ever need."

"Fine then," replied Draco through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"

Romilda Vane winked at the pair. "I want in."

There was a pause. "In…in what?" asked Harry, afraid of the response.

"I'm thinking that we turn this two-person arrangement into a three person arrangement. The Chosen One, the Slytherin prince, and me, the vixen of Gryffindor. Sounds perfect, yes?"

Draco grimaced and Harry buried his head in his hands. The small room was filled with heavy silence until one boy finally gave up. Draco stood, took a step towards the dark-haired beauty, and placed his lips tenderly on hers. Harry was not just shocked at the act, but he was shocked at the soothing way Draco's hands seemed to hold her. What do he and I have? What is it now?

When Draco broke the kiss, he turned to Harry. "Get over here, Potter. It's our only option."

No it isn't.

"All right."

"I knew we could work out something," said Romilda maliciously before her lips became occupied.

--[AMW2]--

The dark trio had no idea that there was another being listening. Nagini heard every word of the conversation from a nearby pipe. She'd grown so lonesome; now that winter was approaching, it was far too dangerous to make any trek outside of the castles walls, so she'd resorted to forlorn strolls along the plumbing system. Sometimes, she imagined that she heard something, a cry from a friend, but she never met another snake. Her only company was that bore Georgiou, who'd been driven rather senile from Draco Malfoy's attack on him. Nagini hoped that the dark-haired girl would bring down the pair as revenge, but like with most everything, her hopes were unfulfilled.

But what if she used that information? Her old master had never tried to bring Potter down through publicity, but it might just work. Too bad there weren't any Parselmouths on the Daily Prophet…

"Georgiou, I have returned," murmured Nagini as she entered the Chamber of Secrets where the two animals had made base. "And I have a new idea for the plan to bring down Harry Potter."

"I thought that you were already working on a plan," replied the perplexed giant squid. "Isn't that why you've been leaving me all alone for these long hours? Because things get very lonely down here without you, not that I really mind, you know? I mean you have—"

"Silence!" roared Nagini. "I mean…let's just get to the point. Your tentacles seem to be able to hold a quill…do you know how to write?"

"Oh, certainly! Why there's not much to do at the bottom of the lake except for dance with the merepeople and go on a date with a cute Grindeylow but none of them have been as beautiful and—"

"Well then it's a good thing I didn't rid of you. Let's begin, shall we? It's a letter to the Daily Prophet informing them of a certain misdeed being performed by the golden boy…but we shan't include any information yet! We need payment for our services…"

Georgiou responded but Nagini wasn't listening. All she could hear were Harry Potter's screams of anguished embarrassment when his secret affair was revealed.

--[AMW2]--

"Keep your eyes closed now," said George as he happily guided Hermione through the snowy paths of Hogsmede.

"We must've walked half a mile by now!" yelled a pink-cheeked Hermione. Her palms were sweating, and it wasn't just because of the warmth of the mittens. George was quite charming and she couldn't resist the fact that he was also a rather wealthy self-employed man. He wasn't anything like any of the boys at school who seemed like they were still finishing puberty. She needed someone mature and smart, and something made her feel just right next to George.

"Alright then open your eyes if you wish to see the setting for our date!" Hermione obeyed and gasped in disapproval. The two were standing right outside of Madam Puttifoot's!

"George! Didn't I say—"

"Whatever do you mean?" asked George innocently. "I meant this apartment building here. We're having a nice lunch at my flat. I could use a woman's opinion also, since I'm still decorating. Where'd you think we were going?" He gave Hermione a wink.

"George, you are insufferable!"

"Uh, thanks?" With that and a smile, he led his date up to his apartment, which had been prepared for a delicious picnic style lunch right atop the carpet on his floor which had been charmed to turn into fluffy grass.

"I never thought I'd be having a picnic in December, George."

"So I take it the date is going well?"

"Without a doubt." The two clinked glasses and the good time continued, at least until George began to walk Hermione back to the castle. The girl looked at Madam Puttifoot's, feeling as if she could certainly warm up to the place, when she spotted a familiar face sitting right by the window. Theodore Nott was sipping coffee as a female companion, Susan Bones, was laughing at something he'd said. The two were holding hands. Hermione realized that she was doing the exact same thing, but Theodore crossed the line in her opinion when he leaned over and gave Susan a deep kiss on the lips. The rest of the walk back to Hogwarts seemed to be colder and icier than the one there, and George's presence just wasn't enough to help.

God, what is wrong with me, wondered Hermione. If it was George in the window, I'd feel just as bad…and maybe even worse if it was Ron! I need to make a choice. I need to settle down.

--[AMW2]--

"Hannah, you can't date Justin," pleaded Ernie quietly in the corner of the Hufflepuff Common Room.

"Look Ernie, you've been at this for like twenty minutes. I refuse to believe that he's secretly dating Millicent Bullstrode, he cares too much about his schoolwork, his mom hates me, he'll never love anything more than his owl, he's gay, or that he wants me to marry him and run away with me to Romania. Any other ridiculous reasons I shouldn't date the guy I love?"

"Because you don't love him," replied Ernie indignantly.

"That's ridiculous," hissed Hannah. But ridiculous as it is, the Hufflepuff girl knew that Ernie had the slightest shred of truth in his statement. Her seventh year thus far had been filled to the brim with drama, from switching houses to witnessing her suddenly-gay boyfriend's best friend's bloody dead body. She wasn't sure if she was emotionally ready for such a relationship, even with someone as kind and caring as Justin. It was just that when the moment came when he asked her out, she felt so loved that there was no possible way to turn him down.

"Don't lie to me, Hannah."

"I'm leaving," she said while storming out the door. She nearly bumped into a disheveled and snowy Susan Bones while stomping out. The girl who'd just entered turned to Ernie with a sigh.

"What did you do to her?" she asked with a half-smile.

"I told her the truth," replied Ernie while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Right," murmured Susan, who began to walk up to her dormitory.

"Not so fast, missy. I know what you were doing today." That made Susan stop right in her tracks.

"What…what are you talking about?"

"I saw you with Nott," said Ernie smugly as Susan's jaw dropped. "You'd better be more discreet next time. Remember how Hannah was completely excommunicated from her friend group when we found out about her and Dean? And he wasn't even a Slytherin."

"You can't tell anyone," whispered Susan gravely.

"Well you'll need to do me a favor. Convince Hannah to dump the pretty boy."

Susan sighed, knowing Ernie's feelings for her best friend. She knew that no matter what, Hannah wouldn't go for him, but she agreed to the plan nonetheless. "I can't make any promises but I'll do the best I can."

"Very good, because I expect nothing less."

--[AMW2]--

On the next episode of All My Wizards: Season 2
--Hermione confronts Theodore about what she saw, and Ron overhears
--Harry breaks down at his appointment with Professor Stein
--Nagini receives her response from The Daily Prophet