Chapter 27

11:49 a.m., Dinning Hall, Slytherin Table, Hogwarts(Friday)

Draco escorted Vixen through the dinning hall quietly and sat next to her at the Slytherin table. Draco looked to his right only to catch an obvious glare from Blaise Zabini. He narrowed his eyes back at him. Blaise shook his head in disappointment before breaking the eye contact and turning to talk to Pansy Parkinson who was seated beside him. Draco scrunched his nose up at the two and looked back to his left at Vixen.

In her small, tanned fingers she held a silver fork that had a green snake etched on it. Her plate was bare when Draco picked it up in his hands. Vixen watched him quietly as he placed peach slices, a green apple, and a few plump strawberries on the silver plate. He placed it back in front of her smiling at the selection of fruit he had picked out.

"I know that these are your favorites. Go ahead and eat," he told her calmly nodding his head down at the plate once. Vixen smiled slightly at him.

"How did you know that?" she asked him. He shrugged beside her.

"It's all I've seen you eat other than bread," he admitted. Vixen smirked at him.

"So you've been watching me, Draco?" she asked while nudging him slightly. He laughed lightly and smiled at her.

"Trust me it's more entertaining than participating in the discussions at this table," Draco said loud enough for Pansy and Blaise to hear. The two scowled at Draco from their seats.

"It doesn't look like your friends agree," Vixen whispered noticing the angry expressions on Blaise and Pansy's faces. Draco shrugged.

"I don't care what they think. They don't really matter anyway," he told her casually. If Pansy had narrowed her eyes anymore she wouldn't be able to see.

"Well I hope they don't treat you differently since I'll be with you this week," Vixen said before taking a bite out of the green apple that was on her plate.

"They aren't brave enough to shun me," Draco told her in a cocky manner.

"I'm a little nervous Draco," Vixen said quietly. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why is that?" he asked her, concerned. She sighed quietly.

"Well, I'm going to be sleeping in the living area this week. I'm a little worried someone will do something to me while I'm asleep. You know, pull a prank on me," she confessed. Draco's heart became heavy with sympathy.

"Don't worry about any of that, alright? I'll figure something out," he told her. Vixen nodded but she was still nervous.

6:19 p.m. Hillside, Hogwarts(Friday)

After spending the rest of her day in class with Draco, Vixen suggested that the two should take a walk outside for some fresh air. Surprisingly enough, Draco agreed. The sun was starting to set as the two walked side by side around the school grounds. The two ended up stopping on the hillside and sitting down on the soft grass.

"Vixen, can I ask you a question?" Draco asked.

"Well you just did. But yeah, sure," she said while turning to look at him.

"Why don't you ever ask anyone to do something for you?" he asked her. She remained silent for a brief moment lightly biting her bottom lip.

"Whenever somebody does anything for you after you ask them to, it's kind of like you owe them one. So I figure if I don't ask anyone for anything, then I won't owe them anything," she told him.

"That question made you nervous," Draco told her. She furrowed her brows together.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Whenever something makes you nervous or you get anxious you bite on your lower lip. I bet you do that when you lie too," he told her smiling slightly. Vixen remained silent.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone has a tell," he told her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Even you?" she asked.

"I suppose so," he admitted while nodding his head.

"Well what is it?" she asked him. He smirked.

"As if I'd tell you," he laughed. Vixen smirked at him now.

"I'm sure I could make you tell me," she said while placing her hands on the grass and leaning closer toward him. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh you think so?" he asked her, still smirking. She bit her lower lip seductively while slowly batting her eyelashes.

"Oh I know so," she told him as she lightly kissed his lips. She could feel him smiling before she pulled her face back from his slowly.

"Well you did say I shouldn't underestimate you," he said to her as they locked eyes. Vixen smiled before kissing him again.

Vixen pulled away from Draco quickly when someone cleared their throat from behind the two. Draco quickly turned over his shoulder and ended up scowling. Vixen remained silent as she stared at Jacob. His fists were clenched at his sides and his jaw was visibly clenched. Vixen wasn't positive but he seemed a bit more dark than usual. Draco slowly stood up from the ground, turning his body toward Jacob. Vixen remained on the ground looking from Draco to Jacob quickly.

"Did you need something Jacob?" Draco angrily asked him while clenching his fist at his side. Jacob scoffed loudly.

"Don't you think it's time to tell Vixen about that letter from your father?" Jacob angrily said. Draco felt his heart leap into his throat.

"What letter?" Vixen asked slowly getting off of the ground now. Draco narrowed his eyes at Jacob.

"Shut up, Jacob," he told him angrily.

"Oh c'mon Blondie. You know what I'm talking about. The letter that your pureblood father sent you the other night. You know, the one about Vixen," Jacob continued with a crooked smile on his face. Draco started to breathe harder and he clenched his fist tighter.

"Draco, what is he talking about?" Vixen asked looking up at him, completely confused. Draco kept his eyes on Jacob.

Draco remained silent as he kept his eyes locked on Jacob. Vixen was staring up at him waiting for an answer about what Jacob was talking about, which didn't help matters. Draco's teeth were grinding against one another as he clenched his jaw harder and harder out of anger. He knew that eventually Vixen would need a response from him.

On one hand, this could be the perfect opportunity for Draco to tell Vixen the entire truth about what was happening. He could then get her out of Hogwarts and get her to safety in time to devise a plan on what to do about the other Slytherin's and his father. But there was always the possibility that Vixen would completely shut him out and return to the Gryffindor members of the group with her new found knowledge.

No, no he didn't need that at all. On the other hand, there was always the possibility that Jacob could reveal the truth about his father's letter to Vixen. That would then make him her hero, and of course she would leave behind a villain for a hero. What girl wouldn't? Draco had even said it himself, every girl deserves to find a hero. So maybe it was better for him to just tell her rather than Jacob. He took a slow, deep, breath before responding.

"Vixen, do you remember a few nights ago when I found you in the Courtyard?" Draco asked with his eyes still on Jacob.

"You'll have to be more specific, Draco," Vixen told him. He felt his heart beat accelerate.

"Right. The night we discussed heroes. Do you remember that?" he asked with his eyes still stuck on Jacob's grinning face.

"I do. You said I should be looking for a hero," Vixen replied while nodding her head slowly.

"Oh c'mon already! Quit stalling. Vixen, Draco received an awfully interesting letter from his dear old daddy the other night. I was intrigued to see that it was mainly about you," Jacob started to say. Draco knew he had to stop this.

"Draco, is he telling the truth?" Vixen calmly asked, placing a hand on Draco's arm.

"Vixen, just listen to-," Draco was cut off by an interruption.

"Vixen? What are you doing out here?" Hermione Granger asked as she approached the three teenagers on the Hillside.

"Hello Hermione. We were just taking a stroll when Jacob stopped us," Vixen quickly answered. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco who was staring Jacob down.

"Is that so? What exactly is it he wanted to tell you?" Hermione asked slowly looking to Jacob, afraid that she already knew the answer to her question.

"Draco's father wrote a very interesting letter about me apparently," Vixen told her. Hermione felt her heart skip a beat, and she looked over at Draco quickly.

Draco glanced over at Hermione quickly, only to reveal fear in his eyes. Hermione took note of this and swallowed hard. She knew that Vixen approaching Lucius weeks ago was going to cause nothing but trouble. She realized that Vixen was now looking at her for a response and snapped out of her thoughts quickly.

"Is that so?" Hermione added, her voice slightly cracking. Everyone focused on Jacob when he pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket.

"Fine. This is taking too long. Here you go Vixie. Proof that Blondie here isn't such a

great guy," Jacob said walking up to her with the paper in his hand extended toward her.

Without thinking, Hermione quickly intercepted the paper before Vixen could take it. Draco felt sweat forming on his temples as he waited for Hermione to open the letter and completely ruin him. Vixen raised her eyebrow at Hermione questioningly. Hermione quickly pulled out her wand and pointed it at the parchment. She quickly yelled out a spell that would change the writing on the parchment to exactly what she had been thinking in her mind.

"What are you doing?" Vixen asked as light engulfed the letter and then disappeared. Hermione sighed a mental sigh of relief.

"These letters are magical. They won't open for a Muggle," Hermione lied before handing Vixen the letter. Draco started to calm himself down.

"That's a lie! I was able to open and read the letter on my own!" Jacob yelled. Hermione tensed up and Draco spoke.

"Only because I had already unlocked the letter with the same spell Hermione just used. However, I left the letter open, which is why when you picked it up you were able to read it," Draco added to the story, also lying. Jacob's face became red with anger.

Vixen quietly read over the letter as the others argued with one another. She couldn't help but feel confused about what Jacob was implying. The letter she had just read wasn't bad at all.

Dear Draco, Your mother and I are so looking forward to having Jade over for a visit. We would love to get to know the Charm's. She really is a beautiful young woman, son. You best be on your best behavior around her! Love, Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione watched Vixen intently as she read the note. She hoped that she didn't get any of the details wrong that would give her away. She tried to remember everything that Vixen had told her about her encounter with Lucius. When Vixen smiled slightly at the letter, Hermione had figured her plan worked.

"You're such a filthy liar," Jacob sneered at Draco. Draco smirked in response.

"Is that so? Were you present when I opened my letter?" he asked cockily. Jacob gritted his teeth together.

"No," he replied through clenched teeth. Draco's smirk became even larger.

"Draco, I had no idea your father liked me so much," Vixen said in a surprised tone. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh…really?" he replied trying to sound as casual as he could.

"What? Vixen, they're going to kill you!" Jacob yelled throwing his hands in the air.

"What a terrible thing to say!" Hermione yelled back at him. Draco finally realized Hermione's plan.

"Honestly Jacob, I can't believe you would say such a terrible thing," Draco added while

shaking his head. Jacob's chest started to rise and fall quickly.

"Vixen, you can't believe them!" Jacob screamed. Vixen raised an eyebrow at him and scrunched up her nose.

"Jacob, my closest friends wouldn't lie to me," Vixen shot back. Hermione and Draco glanced at one another quickly before looking back at Jacob.

"I can't believe how vapid you are! I'm trying to save your life!" Jacob angrily continued to scream.

"I think you need to leave, Jacob," Vixen told him. His face dropped when he realized he was defeated.

He shook his head in disbelief and anger as he stormed away from the three. Draco smiled as he watched Jacob stalk off and out of sight. He turned his head and his smile slowly faded as he noticed Hermione's angry expression.

"Vixen, I need to speak with Draco in private for a moment," Hermione happily told her muggle friend. Vixen shrugged.

"Alright I guess. I'll be over there," she replied before walking over to a tall apple tree a few feet away from the two.

When Vixen was out of earshot and Jacob was out of eye sight, Hermione glared daggers at Draco. He placed his hands in his pockets and lowered his head slightly. He knew that Hermione wasn't going to let this go.

"He knows, doesn't he? Your father," Hermione whispered. Draco exhaled loudly.

"No," he replied. Hermione looked around the hillside before speaking again.

"Then what was in that letter, Draco?" she asked harshly. Draco had to come up with a lie and he needed to come up with it fast.

"My father looked into the Charm name. I'm sure you won't be surprised that it definitely did not trace back to a Pure-blood family from Australia. He isn't aware of her being a muggle. Nor is he aware of the others. But he wants answers about who she really is," he lied. Hermione looked him over a few times before responding.

"I wish I could tell if you were lying to me. But I can't, so I'm just going to say this. If your father does know the truth about Vixen then you need to tell her and get her out of here. If you don't and something happens to her, I will not let you live with yourself," Hermione threatened. Draco glared at her.

"I'm taking care of it, Granger," he harshly told her.

"You better be," she warned before turning away from him. She waved at Vixen who waved back at her.

"I'll see you later Vixen!" Hermione happily yelled to her before walking back toward the castle. Vixen jogged over to Draco's side.

"What did Hermione want?" Vixen asked him. Draco smirked at her.

"You know Granger. Just making sure you haven't died on my watch," he joked, slightly grimacing at the hint of truth in his statement. Luckily for him Vixen laughed it off before grabbing onto his arm.

7:34 p.m., Dining Hall, Slytherin Table, Hogwarts(Friday)

Vixen sat quietly next to Draco at the Slytherin table during dinner. She couldn't help but notice that the other Slytherin's made sure to sit away from the two. It was as if they were in quarantine and were forced to eat alone on their end of the table.

"You look really great tonight," Draco said staring at her, his head resting on his hand. She smiled at him.

"I'm not sure why, but thanks I guess," she said after looking at her ordinary appearance.

"No problem. So, what are you nervous about?" he asked while raising an eyebrow at her. Vixen froze when she realized she was biting her lip again.

"You. I mean before I came over here you were always surrounded by Slytherin students. But now they're shutting you out and it's all my fault," she confessed sadly.

"Thank goodness for that. Honestly, it's pathetic how those simpletons cling to me. I never got a moment's peace with them around. It's nice to be able to breathe for once," he said making sure the others at the table heard him. Once again, he received a scowl from Pansy.

"Simpletons are we?" Blaise angrily asked standing up at his seat. Vixen looked over at him and Draco slowly did the same.

"Well look who finally found a voice," Draco taunted as he smirked at Blaise.

"Draco, don't be so rude," Vixen whispered as she noticed the tension.

"Yes, Malfoy. How rude of you to speak so lowly of your friends," Blaise threw back. The rest of the Slytherin table watched the boys argue.

"Malfoy, eh? Well look at you, Blaise Zabini. Throwing out last name's like insults. What's the matter, can't think of anything harsh to say to me on your own?" Draco continued to taunt while still sitting at his seat.

"There are plenty of harsh thing's I'd love to say," Blaise replied. Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"But you won't, will you? Yes, that's what I figured. Really Blaise, enough with the dramatics. Sit back down, shut up and continue to look pretty," Draco told him. Vixen raised her eyebrows at him.

"Be careful who you order around, Draco," Blaise warned before sitting down.

"So it's Draco again is it? Good for you for learning your place," Draco said before turning back to Vixen.

"What the hell was that?" Vixen whispered looking from Blaise to Draco. Draco smiled at her.

"Oh that's just Blaise. A real drama king that boy. Don't mind him," he told her calmly. Vixen sighed.

She looked around Draco slowly only to catch sight of the Slytherin girls staring her down angrily. She felt her stomach drop when they started whispering to one another, pointing and laughing at Vixen. Her temper would normally make an appearance now, but she was already causing problems. She didn't need to cause any more.

"Ignore them," Draco told her without taking his eyes off of her.

"How did you know what they were doing?" Vixen curiously asked looking back at Draco.

"They're so predictable. It's sad really. Listen, let's get home. I'm bored here," Draco told her before standing up. Vixen sighed before doing the same.

It took all of her power to not look at the Slytherin students as she walked behind them. Draco walked beside her with his head held high. It felt good to put Blaise in his place tonight. It wasn't very often that he had the chance to do that. Vixen followed beside him quietly until they reached the Slytherin common room. They entered the painting and walked through the tunnel way.

Vixen walked over to the black couch in front of the fireplace and took a seat. Draco walked over and took a seat next to her. The fire roared in the stone fire place, casting a bright glow over Vixen's tan skin and light hair. Draco smirked as he replayed their hillside kiss earlier that day in his mind.

"Why do they always let you talk down to them?" Vixen asked him, hugging her knees to her chest.

"You mean those Slytherin's? It's simple really. I'm kind of an important person around here," he boasted with a grin on his face.

"Why though?" she asked.

"My entire family has gone through Slytherin. It basically makes me famous. Plus, I'm very wealthy which doesn't hurt," he continued to brag.

"So what? I wouldn't let you talk to me that way if I was in Slytherin," Vixen pointed out. Draco shrugged.

"That's because you and I are leaders, Vix. We don't play by anyone's rules but our own," he told her. She laughed.

"Maybe that's true. But you know, you can't have two leaders," she told him. He nodded.

"True. I suppose the best looking person would have to claim the title as leader then. Sorry love," he teased patting her on the shoulder. Vixen smiled.

"I suppose you think that would be you? Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm way hotter than you," she replied while poking him in the chest with her polished index finger. Draco smirked.

"It's cute how you believe that," he joked. The two started to lean in toward one another but Draco quickly pulled back away from her when he noticed Goyle walk into the room.

"Hi," Goyle said to the two. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Hi," Vixen happily said while waving at him. Draco groaned.

"Sleep tight, Vixen," Goyle told Vixen before smiling menacingly at her. Draco raised an eyebrow at him now.

"Thanks," Vixen replied, not realizing his change of expression.

"Vixen, go get changed for bed. I'll meet you back here in five minutes," Draco told her.

"Why will you meet me back here?" she asked him. He looked over at Goyle quickly.

"I'll be sleeping down here with you. You know, just to be safe," Draco replied. Goyle's smile faded into a scowl. Draco glared at Goyle with a smirk on his face.