Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, except the plot and Jessica.
Chapter Two: Bittersweet Revenge
The next morning Draco and Jessica awoke at the same time. They changed into their school uniform and went to the Great Hall for breakfast, after breakfast Jessica and Harry left the Great Hall and walked outside. What they didn't know was that Draco was following them. "What's going on with Hermione?" Jessica asked slightly annoyed by the headache she had. Harry looked at her apologetically, and opened his mouth to close it again. "I think the two of you need to talk and work things out. Hermione's making us crazy. She misses you Jessica, she needs you." Harry said, while Jessica shrugged. "She's the one to blame for this, Harry. Not me." she said rebellious, while Harry shook head and looked up into the sky. "Don't you understand that it's hurting her to see you like that with the son of a Death eater?! I mean, he is a Malfoy for Merlin's sake! He is just as mean as Crabbe, Goyle, Zabina and Parkinson. Just listen to a Gryffindor student and don't be so stubborn. You may feel happy to have him as a 'friend', but for him, it's only a game. He uses you Jessica, don't you understand that by now?" Harry said frustrated, while he took the Daily Prophet out of the pocket of his robes. "Then read this. 'Raid at Malfoy Manor, no suspicious items found'. Doesn't that say enough about your lovely fellow Slytherin Draco Malfoy?" he continued, while Jessica quickly read the article.
"This can't be true. Would a Death eaters son protect me from a curse that Crabbe wanted to use against me, by jumping in front of me?! Or do you think that's part one of his plan to gain my trust? I'm sorry but if you can't accept my friendship with Draco, then I can hardly be friends with you. And another thing, there wasn't found anything at Malfoy Manor, so what's your problem anyway!" she said with a lump in her throat, while Draco was grinning and watching the scene from behind the shrubs. Things are getting better. This is what we wanted. She's going to put aside her real friends for me. Now I can begin my actual plan ran through his mind, but in the meantime he was blinded by his actual feelings for her. Harry shook his head in disbelief. "You do believe in his game eh. Jessica, please believe me, he's only trying to gain your trust. You don't deserve to be treated this way. He's going the hurt you badly. Believe me for once!" he tried without a result, while she shook her head and walked away. Draco had to hide quickly when she stood near the bush where he was hiding.
Harry gave up and walked into the castle, while Draco had quickly ran into the castle and came outside as if nothing happened. He saw Jessica and walked over to her, when he got there he put a hand on her shoulder which she shook off and ran into the forest away from everyone and everything. Could it be true, is Draco only playing a game with me, or are they trying to confuse me so I get a fight with Draco. O, what should I do… she thought, but hadn't noticed that Draco had followed her into the forest and was now on his knees in front of her. "What's going on?" he asked, while she looked up and shook her head. "This is something I need to figure out by myself, I'm sorry." she said, while she got up and walked away. She's so sweet, why would I still carry on with the plan. She at least does appreciate me for who I am. If I continue this plan, I'll lose her forever and I put a friendship at stake. "Oh man, don't be such a wuss. Your're a Death eaters son, you MUST continue this. If you don't Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini will never forgive you." said a little voice in his head. But she's so pretty ran through his mind. "What are you thinking about? You know you can't stop this. You MUST do this. Make sure she continues to believe you, Malfoy. Otherwise, the Cruciatus curse will be worse!" Zabini said to him, while Draco jumped. "Yes, I know I need to do this, and I thought about nothing. I'll make sure she continues to believe me." he said at a bored tone, and ran after her quickly.
I just need to ask him. But if I do, I put our friendship at stake. But if I don't, I'll lose Harry, Ron and Hermione forever, if comes out they were right about this. I just suddenly throw the subject to the conversation with Harry, that will be the easiest way to figure it out without putting our friendship at risk. Well, here goes nothing ran through her mind, when someone startled her. "What is it with you the last few days. You're so absent!" cried a known and trusted voice, she turned around and saw Draco. She was startled and didn't know what to do for a moment. "Uh, yeah, well, uh, you see, um… I was just on my way to the hill to sit down and enjoy the view, want to join me?" she asked stammering, while Draco nodded in agreement and walked along with her. I stop with this plan. I don't want to lose her. But what do I say if she's starts talking about what Harry told her. Will she believe me… ran through his mind, meanwhile they arrived at the hill and sat down. "You know Harry wanted to talk to me about Hermione after breakfast?" she asked insecure. "Well, that wasn't exactly about Hermione. But it was about you. And I want to make sure, that Harry is wrong." she continued more uncertain. "Ron, Harry and Hermione think, that you're using me. And I want to know if we are friends for real, or that it's only a game to you." she said.
Draco didn't want to lie, but he had to, he didn't want to lose her as a friend. "No, of course I don't play a game with you. This is a real friendship." he said as convincingly as possible, while she smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I knew all along they were wrong about you. I mean, if you did play a game with me, you hadn't ask for me at the hospital wing when you woke up." she said with a smile, while Draco began to feel guilty. "Jessica, I need to tell you something." he sighed, while Jessica looked at him quizzically. "What do you want to tell me?" she asked uncertainly. This can't be true, he hasn't lied to me, right? raced through her mind. "I uhm… well… I guess it's for the best if I tell you the truth." he said with a lump in his throat. "I did play a…" he started but was interrupted by a screeching Hermione. "Who do you think you are, to call Harry a liar!?" she screeched at Jessica, when she looked up she saw a furious Hermione standing in front of her and a bewildered Draco laying on the floor. She turned to Draco and held out her hand, which he took and got up with her help. "I really thought Draco was speaking, so you just wait until it's your turn to talk." she said piqued. "What did you want to tell me, Draco." she asked sweetly, while Draco smiled uncertain and looked at Jessica quizzically. "I uhm… Can't I just tell when we're alone, just the two of us?" he asked stammering, while Jessica shook her head. "Just tell me, it won't be that bad, right? Besides, Hermione is allowed to know that she was wrong about you." she said reproachfully, while Draco took a deep breath and didn't look at Jessica anymore.
"Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini made me play a game with you. They're watching my every move. And yes, that curse was meant for you, but because in the short time we're here I started to care more and more about you, I increasingly disliked the plans that Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini made. So I wanted nothing else than to protect you, love you and have you with me, just to keep you safe." he said in one breath, while Jessica's jaw dropped. "What did you say?" she asked dangerously calm. "You don't actually think that I believe you, are you. Now you're just saying the same things as Hermione, Harry and Ron, what are these, stupid jokes? Is there something going on that I know nothing about?! she raged on. "You did WHAT!?" Hermione screeched. "Harry spoke the truth all this time! Which means, that YOU owe Harry an apology, Jessica Lilly Granger!" Hermione screeched, while Jessica let it all sink in. "You did WHAT to me?! Unbelievable that I fell for it! Who do you think you are to abuse my trust in you like this?! I lost my REAL friends, because of YOU! I NEVER want to have you near me EVER!" Jessica cried at Draco. "From NOW on she will sleep at Gryffindor! As long as she is away from you, with your dirty filthy rotten game!" Hermione chimed in. "And YOU are going to make your apologies to Harry, NOW!" she said to Jessica.
With Jessica on her tail she walked to the Gryffindor common room. "Harry, there is someone who wants to apologize to you, and will stay here for a while." Hermione said, while Harry stood and looked at Jessica with a smile. "Have you finally figured out about your dear Draco." he asked sarcastically, while Jessica looked at her feet. "Please Harry, can we talk for a while?" she asked, while Harry agreed and together they left the common room. When she saw Draco she froze, but ignored him. "Harry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. He told me himself, when Hermione was there. I couldn't believe it." she said with a lump in her throat. "He said Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini made the plan, and that they black mailed him to do it, but that he cared about me more and more as time passed by. And in the end he really was protecting me." she continued sobbing. "But I can't believe him anymore. Harry, I'm sorry I really am." she said crying, while Harry took her in his arms and comforted her. "It's okay, you're safe here." he whispered. Not much later she felt no more than the grass in her face and heard shouting behind her. "You took her away from me, you wanted her to hate me, just like you do!" Draco yelled at Harry, as they faced each other in dueling stance. Draco made preparations to cast a spell and Jessica jumped in between. "Leave Harry alone. If you want to hurt someone so badly, than hurt me! Like your friends want you to! Do it! If you dare!" She cried furiously at him, while Draco pointed his wand at her, made prepations to cast a spell, when Zabini beat him to it. "Crucio!" Zabini cried, while he pointed his wand at Jessica. "Aaah!" she cried and writhed in pain.
"What are you doing to her, can't you see it's hurting her!" Harry cried furiously at Draco. "That's what Draco felt, because of that filthy Mudblood!" Zabini cried, who had appeared out of thin air. "Good, Draco, this is what we wanted. You let her pay for what she did to you. How does it feel? To take revenge on the filthy Mudblood?" Zabini sneered, while Draco looked at him in shock. "You really want to know, Blaise? It feels terrible, to be like that to someone you care about. She isn't a Mudblood, she's a witch just like us. And yes, I'm her best friend. And yes, I know you have a problem with that, and yes I'm damn proud of it that I was friends with her. But because of that damn plan of yours, I lost my best friend!" he said with a lump in his throat, while Harry looked at him dumbfounded. "Therefore, I demand, that you stop this curse immediately. We don't curse fellow Slytherins." Draco said drawling, while Zabini burst out in laughter and walked to the castle without lifting the curse.
Harry was still in shock looking at Jessica who was suffering. "Instead of just standing there, get some help!" Draco said annoyed, while Harry jumped out of his trance and ran as fast as he could to McGonagall's office. "Professor McGonagall, Jessica is struck by a curse and she screaming and withering in pain." Harry said, while McGonagall jumped up and ran outside. Harry went to get his friends. "We need to get revenge on Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle." he said firmly. "And why only those three?" Hermione asked indignantly, while Harry sighed. "I'll explain that later, just come with me." he said, and Hermione let out a scream of disgust when she saw Jessica like that. Ron grabbed Hermione and held her close. "Mister Malfoy, would you step aside please? Why didn't mister Zabini lift the curse? Finite." McGonagall said in one breath, while Draco shook his head. Jessica didn't stop screaming and withering, while she felt how McGonagall casted a spell at her and took her to the hospital wing and felt how she landed on a bed. Not much later she saw familiar faces at her bed, one of them looked anxiously, but Draco felt only guilt. It was his fault she had to go through so much pain after all. And Zabini's curse was more powerful than those of Crabbe, Goyle or Draco. "What do you think you're doing here? Get out of here!" Jessica said angrily at Draco. Draco looked at his shoes and left the hospital wing, or so she thought.
Meanwhile Harry, Ron and Hermione had walked out of the hospital wing to grab a bite to eat. "No, seriously Draco really meant it what he did for her all this time, we were wrong about him. It were Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini who played a game with both Jessica and Draco, they blackmailed him. Jessica always spoke the truth about Draco." Harry said, while Hermione looked at him with guilt. "We broke their friendship, even though it was Draco himself who told her. She was so upset by my reaction that she didn't believe him anymore. What have I done, Harry?" Hermione asked with remorse in her voice, while Harry shook his head and looked puzzled at Ron. "So, what are we going to do about Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked uncertain, while the three of them looked at each other and formed plans of their own in their heads.
A little further in the hospital wing, Draco stayed with Jessica unnoticed. "Ouch, Ouch, make it stop, please!" Jessica was awakened with a scream, while Draco jumped and look at her anxiously. He quickly ran to the office of Madam Pomfrey. "Are you in pain?" Madam Pomfrey asked worried, while Jessica nodded. "It seems as if the pain doesn't go away. Professor McGonagall may have lifted the curse, but it still feels like the curse is not lifted." she said broken. "How is it possible that she is still in so much pain, Madam Pomfrey?" Draco asked worried.
"Which counter curse did professor McGonagall use?" she asked at Draco. "Finite." he answered. "When professor Dumbledore used that on me, it worked right away. Why didn't it work with her?" he asked with a lump in his throat. "Who cursed you, mister Malfoy?" she asked then. "Vincent Crabbe. Jessica is cursed by Blaise Zabini." he said, while she nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps mister Zabini's curse is a lot stronger than that of mister Crabbe, and therefore harder to stop." she said. "Finite!" she said firmly, and Jessica felt the pain cease. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I think she needed this." Draco said. "I know for sure she needed a double counter curse. If it's true what I just told you, you've got to be careful with mister Zabini." she explained. "You both need to get some sleep." she said, and Draco nodded while he looked at Jessica before he left the hospital wing.
Jessica woke up early the next morning. "Hermione, where's Hermione?" she asked confused. Hermione had just walked in and picked up her pace when she heard her name. "Hey sis, are you finally awake?" she asked, while Jessica sat up and nodded. "What happened yesterday?" Jessica asked, while Hermione looked at her feet. "You want the long or the short version?" Hermione asked. "Short one please." Jessica said, while Hermione took a deep breath. "After breakfast you talked with Harry, refused to believe him about Draco. Then you ran away and wanted Draco to tell you something when I came toward you screaming. Draco told his story, you got mad. I made you apologize to Harry, you did that when Draco attacked Harry and you. When you noticed that Draco wanted to cast a dueling spell you jumped in front of Harry, and got hit by Zabini's curse. Draco told Harry what actually was going on, which proved you were right about Draco all along. Which means that Harry, Ron and I got you in a fight with Draco. I'll send in Draco later to talk to you, so you can hear it from him too what he told Harry." Hermione said in one breath, while Jessica looked at her in shock.
"I don't want to see Draco, I really don't want to. He played me after all. First you didn't believe me, and now you would suddenly believe Draco?" she asked in disbelief, while Hermione nodded. "I understand that you're angry with Draco, but he really was sincere about his feelings. I want him to talk to you, and I want you to give him another chance, you'll have to share a common room and dormitory with him after all." Hermione said, while Jessica looked at her in surprise. "Okay, whatever you want." she said, while Hermione left the hospital wing to find Draco. Not much later she ran into him at the hallway near the hospital wing. "Draco, Jess wants to give you another chance. Please go talk to her and make things right." Hermione begged him. "I know for sure that she would never forgive Harry, Ron and me if I didn't asked this to you." she said, while Draco nodded. "I was on my way, to give it another try." he said as he walked away.
Slowly Draco walked into the hospital wing, and walked over to Jessica's bed where Jessica was still sitting with a breakfast in front of her. Draco suddenly realized how hungry he was and that he hadn't had breakfast yet. "Want some? I don't eat it completely anyway." Jessica suddenly asked, while Draco nodded. "Thanks, but can I say something first?" he asked, while Jessica nodded and let him have his way. He pushed away the table and sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "I know you're mad at me, and I know you really never ever wanted me near you again, but I just need to tell you this. Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini blackmailed me to gain your trust and to make sure you had no one else but me, after you went ballistic on them at the hill and the common room. Then I had to curse you. If I didn't Zabini would curse me. I made sure you felt safe with me, and trusted me completely. After that, it would only be easier to win you for me, since you still wouldn't believe Harry, Ron and Hermione and would choose me and dump them. Like you did yesterday, until I told you my story and you got angry with me. At that point I felt defeated by the three of them, and decided to take that out on Harry, but you jumped in front of him. Zabini's curse hit you and Harry blamed me for it. I couldn't do it. I couldn't curse you. I eventually told Zabini, he wasn't happy about it. Later I explained it to Harry, he believed me and of course Ron and Hermione believed him." he explained, while Jessica's jaw dropped.
"But to convince you of my feelings for you is a lot harder. I have harmed your trust, after all. At the beginning I went along with their plans, but the more time we spend together, the more I cared about you. And the less I wanted to go along with it. And yes, I looked at you at the sorting ceremony. From day one I found you a nice girl. All that time I really wanted to be friends with you, and maybe more than just friends. Jessica, I'm really sorry for what I've done to you and I really want to make things right. Will you please accept my apology?" he asked with a lump in his throat, while Jessica had tears in her eyes and nodded. "Apology accepted." she said sobbing, while Draco looked at her with a smile and gave her a hug. Draco grabbed a sandwich and ate it quickly, while Madam Pomfrey cleaned up the leftover breakfast. "You can go, miss Granger." she said while cleaning. Draco helped Jessica to get out of bed, and decided together to go outside.
Together they walked outside and Draco walked in front of her toward a bench. She picked up her pace and breathed in the fresh air. Draco took her hand, while he looked at her and patted at the empty spot next to him, to asked if she would sit down next to him. When she wanted to sit down Draco pulled her onto his lap. "Why are you always doing that?" she asked nervously, while he grinned and noticed she started blushing. "I just like to have you with me. And I have a feeling that you think the same about me." he said with a friendly smile, while she nodded. Glad they still had the whole day left, they enjoyed the weather. "Now we've got enough of the drama, tell me more about yourself." Draco said with a smile. "Uh, well… Is there something in specific that you wanted to know?" she asked, while he shook his head. "Well, I grew up in London, my parents both are dentists. As you know, Hermione is my twin sister, and before our magical education we went to a Muggle school. I won't bother you with the details about that. I have a cat and an owl, as you know, since you've met Simba already, and Pebbles looks like the owl Harry has. I love to read, and I like to study." she told him, and he nodded once more. "There's one thing I want to know. When Hermione came to Hogwarts three years ago, where were you?" he asked interested, while she giggled. "I went to Beauxbatons, but they never told me why they send me there. It took me three years of complaining and begging to get here. Mom and dad talked to Madam Maxime and she went along with it, after that mom and dad talked to professor Dumbledore, and that's how I got here in the end." she explained. "Why did you want to switch schools?" he asked, while Jessica sighed.
"Do you really want to know?" she asked and he nodded. "Oh, okay. I missed Hermione too much, and I wanted to be closer to home. The journey to France was horrible, and took too long." she explained, while she shrugged. "Oh, there's one more thing I wanted to know." he said with a mysterious smile on his face. "And what would that be?" she asked giggling. "Iwantedtoknowifyouhaveaboyfriend." he said quickly, and Jessica had a puzzled look on her face. "What did you say?" she asked, and he sighed. "Never mind, I think it's inappropriate to ask you right now. So forget about it." he said softly, and smiled. "I think I want to go up the hill again." she suddenly said and stood and walked towards the hill with Draco on her tail. "What's wrong?" he asked, while she chuckled. "Nothing's wrong, Draco. I just think it's beautiful up there. And I enjoy the view." she said, and he nodded in agreement. When they arrived they both sat down against the stone and just sat there for a while in silence. "Draco?" she said, and he hummed in reply. "Why didn't you just tell me what you asked me earlier? Why would it be inappropriate?" she asked, while she blushed slightly. He looked at her and laughed softly. "You're a nosy one, aren't you?" he said laughing and she nodded giggling. "I said I wanted to know if you have a boyfriend." he said slightly blushing and Jessica chuckled. "You're funny, Draco. But no, I don't have a boyfriend." she said. "I never met a boy I liked, to be honest with you. Until I met you." she said blushing. After that there fell a comfortable silence for a while.
"So, do you have a girlfriend?" Jessica suddenly asked, while she enjoyed the view. "No, I don't. I never met anyone I liked, until I met you." he said with a smile, while Jessica laughed softly. "Did your parents sign the permission slip to go to Hogsmeade?" Draco asked her, and she nodded. "They couldn't deny my permission to go to Hogsmeade if they gave Hermione permission last year. It wouldn't be fair if I couldn't go with her or anybody else for that matter." she explained, while he nodded with a smile on his face. "I think there will be a trip to Hogsmeade in a couple of weeks. Would you like to go with me?" he asked her and she looked at him smiling. "I would love to go with you, Draco." she replied and let her head rest on his shoulder. "You think Hermione's okay with that?" he suddenly asked uncertain. "If she isn't okay with that, it's her problem, not mine." Jessica said laughing, while Draco put his arm around her. "Draco?" she said softly and he hummed in reply once more. "I really love it up here, can we come here more often?" she asked softly, and she felt his nod on her head. "Of course we can. The first time you walked to this place, I immediately recognized it, from pictures. My mother and father met each other at this exact spot." he told her softly and she hummed in reply, still enjoying the view. "Dad told me, he followed mom up here. And since that day they spend every second of their spare time up here." he said, while Jessica looked up in surprise. "That's a coincidence." she said, and he laughed. "We're creatures of habit, I guess. If we found a nice spot at the lake, we would be at the lake right now." Draco said simply, something Jessica agreed with. "That's true. But it is a coincidence I like the exact same spot as your mother did." she reasoned, and he nodded.
"So why don't you tell me some more about yourself." Jessica said to Draco, while she laid her head on his shoulder again. "What do you want to know?" he asked her, and she shrugged. "Oh, okay then. I was born June 5th 1980 in London. I was born at the mansion we still live in. My father is Lucius Malfoy and my mother is Narcissa Malfoy-Black. My parents divorced when I was two years old. Mom left us, but I still see her every once in a while, and she writes me a lot." he told her. "I'm so sorry to hear about your parents. It must be strange to be raised by only your dad." she said, while he shook his head. "It's okay, a friend of my father who lives with us for over thirteen years now, raised me if I was her own. She has children of her own though, but she hasn't seen them in years. It's pretty sad actually." he told her, and she nodded. "May I ask why you parents decided to get divorced?" she asked, and he nodded. "My mother didn't agree with it at all when dad took his friend in. For a year everything went fine, but in the second year my mom had enough. She didn't believe my father, when he told her there was nothing going on between him and his friend. They got into a huge fight and dad's friend got quickly upstairs with me. Suddenly a door slammed shut and the silence was back. By the time my dad's friend brought up the courage to go downstairs with me, dad came upstairs and told her what happened while I was asleep." he explained, and she gasped. "That's terrible. Do you think there is more between you father and his friend?" she asked, while he shook his head. "She never got over her deceased husband. It seems he was murdered, by You-Know-Who." he said with a sad face, while he pulled her close. Jessica shifted and looked up at Draco and gave him a hug, while they sat in silence for a while.
"There you are, we've missed you at lunch!" Hermione exclaimed, and Jessica jumped. "And I see the two of you made up." she said, while Jessica nodded. "What time is it?" Jessica asked, while Hermione took a look at her watch. "It's nearly two in the afternoon." she said with a shrug. "Have you been here all this time? After breakfast I came back to the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey said she let you go. So I decided against looking for you and went to the library, but with lunch I didn't saw you, so I decided it was time to come and look for you." Hermione said and Jessica laughed. "Uh… well… we've been here all this time. We talked, to get to know each other, and lost track of time." she said sheepishly and Hermione laughed. "Don't let Ron and Harry see how close the two of you are, they might think Draco makes you sit like that." she said with a smirk, and Jessica giggled. "I know they won't be very supportive about my friendship with Draco, maybe they never will." she said with a small smile.
N/A: I hope you liked it. Please let me know what you think about it via the review button! I don't have a beta but I have changed the miss spellings and added forgotten words.