A/N: And. . .here. . .we. . .go. Come on!

The Seventh Year

Chapter 10

The Detention and the Zabini Challenge

Malfoy joined them in detention that night.

"What are you doing here, ferret-boy?" hissed Marisa as she scrubbed a trophy belonging to some long forgotten Head Boy.

"McGonagall caught Blaise and I with one of Slughorn's magazines without permission," Draco said breezily. "Detention for a week."

"Yeah, that's right, Benz-Deux," Blaise grinned as he walked in, swiping Marisa's cloth, who jumped up and growled. "Detention with you for a whole week. What do you think?"

Erin tuned out Marisa's threats, staring at Draco. He had landed himself detention on purpose. They had both landed themselves detention on purpose. She'd heard Vector let Draco take the magazine.

Maybe she actually had a chance with Draco.

But then Blaise—

She tuned back in to the two bickering behind her in shock, just in time to catch Blaise sneering, and saying, "Fine. Prove it. Accept my challenge."

"Marisa!" Erin intervened quickly. "Bet you can't make it to the top!"

"Hell, I can," Marisa said just as quickly, and suddenly the two were scaling opposite sides of the towering trophy case like it were a rock wall.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, you stupid bints?" Draco snapped, aghast.

"They do this every time they have detention in here," Blaise said, looking bored. "You've never had detention with the twins in the trophy room before? Once there was a whole crowd of us. They both made it to the top that night without help."

"They don't usually make it?" Draco asked, confused. "Well, what do they do then?"

"Someone usually catches them."

Both boys stood awkwardly at opposite ends of the cabinet, staring up at the seemingly insane girls as the laughed and taunted each other. "Don't worry Benz, I'm here when you fall," Draco said brightly.

"There's no way I trust a Slytherin to catch me," proclaimed Erin, as she perched on the top of the cabinet, beaming at Marisa, and helping her the rest of the way up. "I win!"

"This time," Marisa groused, rubbing her arm gingerly. "That was stupid. Why is there always a next time? Do you have a wand, ink-arm?"

Blaise smiled good-naturedly. "Yes. McGonagall must like me or something."

"I need it to get down."

"Take my challenge first."

Marisa rolled her eyes. "Yes, fine."

"Wear the Helen of Troy costume I have in my room to the Feast tomorrow."

Marisa's eyes went wide and then narrowed to slits. "What."

Blaise beamed. "I'm going as Paris."

Marisa opened her mouth to retort, but Erin leaned over and nudged her. "He's cute," she grinned wickedly. "And we can modify his costume to fit my design for you. And of course we need to get down. And I'm not letting Draco catch me."

Marisa gritted her teeth. "Fine, Zabini. But that costume better show up in our common room fast, or deal's off."

"Done!" Blaise said, and he tossed the wand up to the twins, who quickly maneuvered themselves to the ground.

"McGonagall told me we have to coordinate on our costumes," Draco muttered to Erin, his attention completely fixed on the gold cup he was polishing.

"I figured, Malfoy."

"Any. . .ideas?" he asked tentatively, and she looked at him, surprised. She was. . .touched that he had actually take Vector's advice.

"Maybe if you removed your pictures from my ceiling I would be able to think more clearly," she suggested, a hint of annoyance creeping into her tone.

"So I distract you?" Draco smirked.

"You don't," she glowered. "It is hard to sleep while being glared at from a thousand different directions at once."

"Well, it's a good thing your pictures are only in my hall then."

"Malfoy—"

"I'll remove them if you get rid of yours."

"Deal," Erin said grudgingly. "And I am not wearing anything embarrassing in front of the school. Like a horse. Or a tree."

A/N: Well, this is going swimmingly.

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