Note: Here's the Final Chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry for the length!
Chapter 37-Final
7:31 p.m., Hallway, Hogwarts(Wednesday)
Jacob jogged to keep up with Pansy as she quickly stormed out of the Slytherin House and made her way down the hallway. The two continued for a few more minutes before they entered an empty classroom. Pansy closed the door to the dark room and pulled her wand out of her Slytherin embroidered cloak.
"Lumos," she calmly said. Jacob watched as a tiny ball of light appeared at the tip of her wand, which she placed on a nearby desk.
"What do you think Pansy?" Jacob asked her, referring to Vixen's announcement. Pansy gave him a serious look.
"I'm not quite sure, actually. It was a very clever plan and it did work as Draco and Vixen intended it to. I'm just curious about the underlying truth of the information," Pansy told him. Jacob swallowed, hard.
"You don't honestly believe that she is a werewolf, do you?" he asked her in a calm but rushed tone. Pansy chuckled.
"I think you already know the answer to that dear Jacob," she laughed. He nodded with a sad expression.
"Listen, as far as we know, you and I are the only ones who know the Hogwarts werewolf's real identity," Pansy said as she placed as hand on Jacob's shoulder.
"Vixen mentioned something about a full moon tomorrow night. Do you think it's actually going to awaken the werewolf?" Jacob asked Pansy nervously. She shrugged.
"Nothing is certain. Full moon's definitely provoke the shift of a werewolf. However, I think that only occurs if they look to the moon when it is full. So as a precautionary method, we need to make sure everyone stays inside of the castle tomorrow night," Pansy explained as she removed her hand from Jacob's shoulder.
"I'm taking Vixen to the ball tomorrow night. What if I can't protect her from the werewolf, Pansy? What if everything happens like in my dream? What if Vixen gets hurt because I can't protect her?" Jacob anxiously asked. Pansy held his angular face in her small hands.
Jacob stopped talking and stared into her eyes. He slowed his breathing and tried to calm his rapid heart rate. Pansy stroked his smooth, tanned cheeks with her thumbs before giving him a soft smile. Jacob exhaled and returned the smile.
"I told you that I can help you. As long as you stay calm and focused you will be able to protect her," she calmly explained, still stroking his cheeks. Jacob's round eyes showed a hint of worry.
"But what if I slip?" he asked her.
"Then I will step in. I'll protect the both of you," she confirmed before releasing his face. Jacob nodded at her.
"Pansy, I don't want to go through with our plan anymore," Jacob told her. Pansy sighed before turning her back on him.
"Truthfully Jacob, neither do I," she whispered in the dimly lit room. His eyes widened slightly.
"You don't?" he asked her, slightly confused. He watched her shake her head.
"No, I don't. It sounds strange, I know, but something is different now. When I look at Vixen, I don't feel disgusted anymore," she explained before she turned back around to face her muggle. Jacob grinned.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with what happened between the two of you at that dress shop, would it?" he asked her. Pansy shrugged.
"I suppose that could be it. Or when she helped me off of the ground. I think I'm starting to realize why everyone around here loves the bloody girl so much. She's…nice," Pansy admitted.
"Don't tell me that you love her too!" Jacob joked. Pansy playfully hit him in the arm.
"Absolutely not! I barely even like the girl. Let's just say that she is tolerable," Pansy told him. Jacob nodded in agreement.
"So that's it then. We are no longer carrying out our Polyjuice plan," Jacob said firmly.
"Correct. Now, let's get ourselves home before we get stuck in detention for breaking curfew," she told him as she grabbed her wand.
"Nox," she whispered, the light at her wand tip disintegrating. Jacob followed close behind her as they quickly ran through the hallways and back to the Slytherin House.
8:11 p.m., Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts(Wednesday)
After watching the fire dance within the fireplace in the silence of the Slytherin Common Room together, Draco stood up from the couch. Vixen was slumped over against the arm of the couch with her head resting against her hand and her legs curled up on the couch. Draco smiled at the sleeping girl before his attention was drawn to the tunnel way. He raised an eyebrow at Jacob and Pansy.
"Hey Blondie!" Jacob yelled a bit too happily. Draco quickly held a finger to his lips and pointed to Vixen.
Jacob nodded before signaling an "ok" motion with his fingers. Pansy scrunched her nose up at the sight of the muggle girl as they walked over to the couch. Draco waited for her to create some kind of obnoxious noise to wake Vixen, but she didn't. Instead, Pansy motioned Draco to follow her into the tunnel way. He hesitated at first, but finally gave in and met her inside of the tunnel.
"What do you want?" he asked her, his voice no more than a whisper.
"You need to go sleep in your room. It's not good on your body to sleep in a chair every night," Pansy whispered back. Draco narrowed his eyes at her.
"You know I can't do that," he shot back. Pansy lifted her brows at him.
"Why not?" she asked.
"I'm not going to leave Vixen by herself down here. Who knows what these bloody ingrates could try and pull," he explained. Pansy chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Draco defensively asked her. Pansy smiled at him.
"Nothing. It's just that…those ingrates used to be your friends. It's strange to hear you say something so true," she admitted. Draco simply shrugged.
"What can I say? I've been around decent people lately. You should try it sometime, it might put things into perspective for you," he shot at her. Pansy nodded once.
"That's what I intend to do. I'll stay down here and watch after your mug-…I mean, Vixen," Pansy told him. Draco gave her a confused look.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.
"I'm going to sleep down here and make sure nothing happens to her for you. I don't want you all stiff for the ball tomorrow," she told him as she ran a finger over his chest. Draco sneered at her.
"How do I know that you aren't planning to do something terrible to her?" he asked.
"Oh come off of it Draco. Like I would do something to upset a werewolf," she joked as she winked at him. Draco didn't change his expression.
"Oh come on, that was funny," Pansy said as she pointed a boney finger at him.
"You have been around Jacob far too long," Draco said as he shook his head. Pansy smiled.
"Well I've already decided I'm watching her tonight, so good night Draco," Pansy said as she exited the tunnel and made her way over to the couch. Draco poked his head out of the tunnel.
Jacob had been sitting in the chair across from the couch and staring at Vixen then entire time the two had been having their discussion. Jacob had what appeared to be a pensive look on his face which Draco rolled his eyes about. He walked out of the tunnel as Pansy took Jacob's seat in the common room. He didn't like the idea of leaving the two girls alone together, but he did like the idea of sleeping in his own bed tonight.
"You had better watch yourself," Draco warned as he pointed a finger at Pansy. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Shut up and get her a blanket," she said back. He smirked before making his way up to his bedroom and gathering some bedding.
He returned to the two girls and Jacob quickly. He covered Vixen with his black blanket and slowly slid a pillow under her head. Pansy pulled her knees onto the chair as she watched Draco silently. He turned to her and gave her a friendly smirk. She raised an eyebrow when he handed her a green blanket and a silver pillow. She happily took them from him and he and Jacob went up to their room.
"That was precious," Jacob teased as they walked up the stairs.
"You're still not funny," Draco dryly stated. Jacob laughed.
They entered the bedroom together where the other boys were already sleeping. Draco grabbed a blanket off of Jacob's bed as he passed it and took it to his own. Jacob stared at him with an eyebrow raised. Draco shrugged at him as he threw the blanket onto his mattress.
"I gave all of mine to those bloody women," he explained before pulling his shirt off. Jacob simply nodded and pulled his jeans off before climbing onto his bed. Draco grimaced at the sight before getting into his own bed.
3:15 a.m., Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts(Thursday Morning)
"Draco!" a startled Vixen yelled as she sat up on the couch, sweat pouring off of her body. Pansy jolted awake.
"Vixen? What's the matter?" Pansy asked as she quickly made her way to the couch and sat next to the girl. Vixen gripped her side as she rocked back and forth with her eyes squeezed shut.
"It hurts," she said through gritted teeth as she started to shake. Pansy's heart started to race as she grabbed onto Vixen's arms.
"Where?" she asked nervously. She then noticed where her hand had been.
"What does it feel like, Vixen? You've got to help me out here," Pansy urged. Vixen let out a painful groan through clenched teeth,
"Burns…they burn," she managed to spit out. Pansy grabbed onto her tightly and hugged her into her chest.
"It's going to be okay, you're going to be alright," Pansy told her, trying to be comforting as she held onto her. She watched the sweat drip off of her face.
"It's because of the full moon tonight Vixen," Pansy told her as she stroked her platinum hair quickly. She felt her body tremble beneath her arms.
"Why? It never…burns," Vixen managed to tell her.
"Vixen I don't know. Let's just get through this. Breathe with me," Pansy urged.
She knew exactly why Vixen's scars were burning so badly, she just didn't have the heart to tell her. Yes, it was because the full moon would make an appearance later tonight, but the reason she was having a reaction was because the werewolf that injured her was near. Pansy wasn't stupid like she had just put on in front of Vixen. She just couldn't tell her.
Pansy sighed a sigh of relief as Vixen's breathing turned regular once again. She wasn't dripping sweat anymore and she removed her hand from her side. Pansy released her and sat back on the couch, staring at her. Vixen turned to her.
"Why are you here?" Vixen asked in an exhausted tone.
"I gave Draco the night off," Pansy replied. Vixen nodded as if she wasn't surprised by this.
"I know that you told him about me," Vixen said without looking at her. Pansy raised an eyebrow at this.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, confused as to what Vixen was referring to.
"That Dark Lord guy. I know that you were the one who told him who I was and that Draco was going to kill me," Vixen elaborated. Pansy's eyes widened.
"I want you to know that I'm not angry about it. I was at first, but not anymore. I guess I just wish you would have been smarter about it," Vixen continued.
"Excuse me?" Pansy said defensively.
"You didn't think that if Draco wouldn't kill me that they would kill him," Vixen told her as she now turned to look at her. Pansy's eyes continued to widen.
"Do you really think they would do that?" she asked in a frightened tone.
"Draco seems positive of it," Vixen told her. Pansy placed her hands to her mouth.
"Pansy, we are going to get out of this. I know we will. I just don't think that you need to continue getting involved," Vixen explained in a calm tone. Pansy was still in shock.
"I didn't want them to kill him. Vixen, you have to believe me," she begged. Vixen placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know. I believe you. It's going to be alright, Pansy," Vixen told her. Pansy remained silent for a moment.
"We should get back to sleep," Pansy said as she got off of the couch and took her seat on the chair again. Vixen simply nodded and stretched out onto the couch.
"We have to think of something," Vixen thought to herself before closing her eyes again.
3:30 a.m., Slytherin Boys' Bedroom, Hogwarts(Thursday Morning)
Jacob sat up quickly in his bed after abruptly waking up from a deep sleep. His chest felt as if someone were pressing all of their weight down on it, making it difficult for him to breathe. He gripped the thin material of the red shirt that he was wearing with his right hand. The once soft fabric was now drenched in sweat, much like the rest of his body.
His eyes darted around the dark room only to reveal that his roommates were fast asleep. The room seemed fairly well lit for it being so early in the morning. A few coughs escaped Jacob's throat which in turn caused Draco to be startled awake. Draco let out a quiet groan before propping himself up on his mattress. He squinted his eyes to try and see through the blackness of the room.
His pale eyes widened as he noticed two shining orbs staring him down from across the room. His heart started to beat faster and faster with every second that passed as he stared at them. He swallowed hard as he felt sweat starting to form on his brow.
"J-Jacob?" Draco nervously whispered. His heart leaped into his throat when he received a response.
"I can't breathe," he heard Jacob's deep voice reply. Draco unintentionally focused in on his own breathing after hearing this.
"What do you mean? If you couldn't breathe then you wouldn't be able to speak," Draco replied in his usual harsh tone. Jacob coughed again.
"Why won't you look at me?" Jacob angrily spit at him. Draco felt his heart continue to beat faster.
"I am looking at you," he replied as he squinted his eyes once again.
"I can see you perfectly fine and I know that you're looking around me so stop lying!" he yelled, his voice much deeper. Crabbe let out a loud snore across the room as he rolled over.
"Jacob, calm down. I can barely see anything in this bloody room, it's too dark," Draco explained in a hushed tone. He heard Jacob scoff.
"You're afraid of me. You can't even look at me you fucking coward," Jacob cockily spit at him. Draco narrowed his eyes in the direction of where he thought Jacob was.
"Go to bed Jacob," Draco ordered. Another snort came from Jacob.
"I may go to sleep or I may not, but if I were you, Blondie, I would keep my eyes open," Jacob threatened.
"Don't you mean sleep with one eye open?" Draco cockily asked.
"Trust me, you're going to need both eyes to see me coming," Jacob threatened before lying on his back on his bed. Draco swallowed hard.
He slowly lowered himself onto his side as he kept his eyes wide open. He looked around only to see darkness surrounding him. He furrowed his brow when he started replaying what had happened just happened in his mind.
"He could see me perfectly fine?" Draco thought. He let out a deep breath before clearing his mind and attempted to fall back asleep.
8:46 a.m., Slytherin Boys' Bedroom, Hogwarts(Thursday)
Draco opened eyes slowly only to feel a rush of panic wash over his body. He climbed out of his bed and directed his attention to Jacob's bed only to see that he wasn't there. He placed a hand over his heart and exhaled deeply. He entered his closet area and changed into his usual Hogwarts attire before a second wave of panic washed over him.
"Vixen," he thought as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the shattered mirror within his closet. He quickly ran from the small space and out of his bedroom.
He ran down the stairs, skipping a few in the process as he did so. He stopped himself by placing a hand on the wall at the bottom of the staircase. Pansy was sitting in the common room chair talking to Vixen who was sitting on the couch. He sighed when he
realized Jacob was not present in the room.
"What's the matter with you?" Vixen asked looking over at Draco. Pansy looked over her shoulder at him.
"Nothing, just getting in my morning exercise. What are the two of you talking about?" Draco asked as he approached the two. Pansy smiled up at him.
"Just girl stuff. Nothing that would interest you," Vixen simply stated. He nodded.
"I can't wait for the ball tonight," Pansy said happily. Draco's stomach churned.
"Oh, the two of you are going together?" Vixen asked in a surprised tone. Draco remained silent as Pansy nodded.
"That's right. We're going to look fabulous!" Pansy exclaimed while throwing her arms up. Vixen gave her a small smile.
"Pansy, shouldn't you go find Jacob?" Draco asked.
"Oh I suppose so. I'll be seeing you later," Pansy said with a wink. Again, Draco's stomach churned.
Pansy happily exited the room and Draco looked down at Vixen. He raised an eyebrow at her upon realizing that she was already dressed. Normally she wouldn't even be awake until Draco would wake her.
"You're up and ready fairly early," he pointed out.
"Pansy accompanied me into the Slytherin girls bathroom this morning. It's quite nice in there," Vixen replied. Draco gave her a confused look.
"Pansy? As in Pansy Parkinson?" he asked in disbelief. Vixen nodded.
"Precisely. She's not as bad as I thought she was," she admitted. Draco's expression remained the same.
"Pansy Parkinson?" he repeated, still in disbelief. Vixen laughed before standing up.
"Can we just go to breakfast?" she asked. He shrugged and motioned for her to lead the way.
The two exited the Slytherin House and headed for the Great Hall to have breakfast.
5:32 p.m., Hallway, Hogwarts(Thursday)
"It feels like we have been in class forever," Vixen complained as she walked next to Draco through the crowded hallway. He nodded.
"Tell me about it. At least you don't have to listen to what is going on," he pointed out. Vixen nodded as they continued to walk.
"Vixen!" a familiar voice yelled. Both Draco and Vixen stopped walking and turned around.
Hermione Granger had approached the two with a grin on her face. Draco grimaced at the sight of the Gryffindor girl, but made sure to keep his expression neutral so as not to upset Vixen.
"Hi Hermione," Vixen said, greeting the frizzy haired girl.
"Where are you going? We have to go and get ready for the ball," Hermione reminded her. Draco's expression hardened as he looked away from the girls.
"It takes a half an hour to get ready for a ball?" Vixen asked obliviously. Hermione's jaw dropped slightly.
"Wow. You really haven't been to a formal event," Hermione laughed. Vixen shrugged.
"Have fun," Draco dryly said before walking away from the two. Vixen watched him walk away sadly.
"So, I take it the two of you won't be attending this ball together," Hermione pointed out in a quiet tone. The two girls started down the hallway.
"That's right," Vixen added unhappily. Hermione frowned slightly.
"You know, regardless of what happened between the two of you, there is no reason to make yourself miserable tonight," Hermione told her. Vixen shrugged.
"Who says I'm miserable?" she asked.
"It's pretty obvious Vix," Hermione admitted as they entered their Muggle Studies classroom.
Vixen's eyes widened as she watched all of the girls rushing around the room in a frenzy. Two Ravenclaw girls were fighting over a tube of mascara while a few Slytherin girls were attempting to fix a tear in one girls dress. Vixen followed Hermione through the crowded room only to get bumped into numerous times. Hermione fingered through a rack that held dress bags before she grabbed one.
"Here you go," she said handing the dress to Vixen. She took it from her and waited until Hermione grabbed her own dress.
The girls helped each other change into their dresses as quickly as possible. Vixen smiled as she took a look at Hermione's dress for the first time. It was very chic with one strap that was covered in a ruffle. Her dress was long with a slit on the side that exposed her toned leg and strappy black heels. The bright white dress fit her body perfectly, accentuating her curves.
"Hermione, you look beautiful," Vixen told her honestly. Hermione blushed.
"Thank you. You also look beautiful," she replied. Vixen smiled at her.
"Hermione, can you zip me up?" Ginny Weasley asked as she approached the two girls. Hermione nodded before zipping the back of her dress for her.
Ginny's dress was less extravagant but still looked stunning on her. The light red material made her fiery red hair shine in comparison. Her dress had a deep V neckline and a white flower design flowing over the material. Vixen had never realized how slender the tall girl was until now.
"Ginny, that dress is gorgeous," Vixen complemented. Ginny simply smiled a small smile at her.
Vixen hoped she wasn't being awkward by complementing the girls on their attire. She tried to remember what the actors in movies did at formal events and all she could think of was how the women always fawned over one another's dresses. She jumped when Luna spoke from behind her.
"Hello," Luna simply said. Vixen slowed her heart and caught her breath,
"Hi Luna," she replied.
Vixen was surprised at the dress that Luna was wearing. She expected something ridiculously flamboyant with a kooky design but instead, this dress was rather average. It was a simple blue color with some silver beading throughout the torso. It really complemented her light eyes. Vixen smiled a toothy grin at her when she placed a pair of large rimmed, purple glasses on her face. Now that was the Luna she was expecting.
"Vixen, we need to do your hair and makeup," Hermione informed her as she spun her around. Vixen shrugged.
Hermione quickly applied Vixen's makeup and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. She allowed her bangs to fall freely into her eyes as she curled the loose strands of hair into tight curls. When Hermione was finished, Vixen eyed herself in a nearby mirror. She looked formal which is exactly what she wanted.
"Alright lovelies! Go ahead and meet up with your handsome dates!" Burbage chimed to the girls. Vixen took a deep breath as she exited the room.
5:53 p.m., Outside of the Great Hall, Hogwarts(Thursday)
Draco stood outside of the Great Hall leaning against a large pillar as he waited for Pansy. He was in a traditional black on black suit with a scowl on his face. He watched numerous students enter the Hall with their dates happily, his eyes landing on Rylen who was escorting Luna Lovegood. He raised an eyebrow at him and Rylen gave him a simple nod, indicating he had fulfilled his duty on bringing Myrtle her flowers.
Draco's scowl turned into an expression of pure hatred when he noticed Jacob leaning against the pillar directly across from him. Jacob smirked at him as he flicked the hat he had been wearing up slightly. Draco grimaced at the boys appearance. His attention was taken away from Jacob when he heard someone speak.
"Hello Draco," Pansy quietly said. He unhappily turned toward her.
She was wearing a short, black dress that had two ruffle straps over her shoulders. Her hair was tied off to the side into a small bun and she was smiling up at him. He couldn't smile back at her. She looked nice, that was certain, but he didn't want to be here with her.
"Hi," he unhappily replied before looking away from her. Pansy's smile slowly faded.
"How do I look?" she asked, hoping for a compliment. He shrugged.
"Wow!" Jacob yelled loudly. Draco turned his head to see Vixen approaching them.
His mouth opened slightly as he stared at her. She looked wonderful, as if she had just stepped out of a magazine. Pansy watched Draco's eyes light up as the muggle girl approached. She sighed a small, sad sigh to herself.
"Hello," Vixen said happily. Jacob smiled at her.
"You look wonderful," he told her. She gave him a small smile.
"Vixen?" Pansy asked. Vixen turned over her shoulder.
"Yes?" she asked. Draco raised an eyebrow at Pansy.
"I want Jacob to escort me," Pansy said calmly. Vixen, Draco and Jacob gave her a surprised look.
"You do?" the three of them asked in surprise. Pansy stood up straighter before nodding.
"Yes, I do. Draco can escort you instead," she told her. Vixen and Draco looked to one another.
"What? No," Jacob angrily said as he walked closer to the two girls.
"Pansy, are you sure?" Vixen asked. Pansy nodded again.
"Yes," she replied. Vixen gave her a small smile before surprising he with a hug.
"Thank you so much Pansy. I'll never forget this," she whispered to her. Pansy smiled a small smile before patting her on the back.
"What?" Jacob yelled unhappily.
"Draco, will you be my date to the ball?" Vixen asked him happily. He smiled at her.
"I thought you'd never ask," he replied before extending his arm to her. Jacob's face had turned red.
"This is bullshit!" he screamed. Pansy narrowed her eyes at him.
"You need to calm down," she warned. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Forget this," he replied before storming off down the hallway. Pansy rolled her eyes.
"Are you going after him?" Draco asked. Pansy shrugged.
"Why don't we just allow him to settle down? Pansy, would you like to share my date?" Vixen asked. Pansy smiled at her.
"If that is alright with Draco, then yes," Pansy said. Draco smirked before extending his other arm into the air.
Pansy grabbed onto it and the three entered the Great Hall together. The decorations were beautiful as they floated above the crowd. Music started to play and the students started to dance with their muggles and their dates.
Draco seemed quite nervous at first when Vixen pulled him onto the dance floor. The music was fast and he simply stood with his hands in his pockets while she started to dance. He smiled at her as she grabbed onto him and forced him to move with her. Once he started to feel the beat his movements synced up with hers.
Vixen frequently started dancing with the other students around her making Draco laugh at the surprised looks Vixen received. He rolled his eyes when she grabbed Harry and started dancing with him. By the look on Ginny's face, she wasn't too happy about it either. The two separated and returned to their own dates. The music transitioned from upbeat into a slow, romantic song.
Vixen stood in front of Draco, smiling up at him as he walked close to her. He lightly touched her waist with his fingertips and she placed her hands on the back of his neck. He pulled her close into himself and rested his face against her head as they moved slowly together. Draco aught a few nasty glares from his fellow Slytherin's, but it didn't bother him. Nothing was able to ruin this moment for him.
Vixen smiled as she realized they were dancing next to Ron and Hermione. The two were gazing into one another's eyes with happy smiles on their faces. Vixen nodded to herself before tightening her grip on Draco. The song ended and many couples parted, but Draco kept his hold on Vixen. He pulled away from her slightly and looked down into her light eyes.
"This has been one hell of a night," he told her. She smiled at him.
"How so?" she asked.
"Well, I ended up bringing the most beautiful girl to this ball purely by luck," he told her. She laughed and he let go of her.
"Well, I think you owe someone a dance," Vixen said as she pointed over at Pansy who was sitting alone at a table. He nodded.
"I'm going to go get some air," Vixen said as she exited the Great Hall. Draco called Pansy to the dance floor and started to dance with her.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mister Filch asked Vixen as she entered the hallway.
"I'm sorry?" she asked him.
"Nobody is allowed to leave the Great Hall," he told her. She smiled.
"I just needed to use the restroom," she lied. He nodded.
"Alright then," he said allowing her to leave. She smiled before making her way out into the Courtyard.
8:46 p.m., Great Hall, Hogwarts(Thursday)
Draco held Pansy loosely around her waist as the music turned slow once again. He made sure to leave some space between their bodies so as not to give her the wrong impression. The small, pug nosed girl smiled up at him.
"Thank you for asking me to dance," Pansy said, thanking him. Draco gave her a small smile.
"It's nothing, really," he replied calmly. She nodded.
"That Vixen sure is something," Pansy said. Draco looked down at her.
"She is, isn't she?" he asked with a smirk. She nodded.
"The two of you actually do make a lovely couple. Are you going to be alright tomorrow?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"When she gets sent home, I mean," Pansy elaborated. He frowned slightly.
"I will," he simply replied. The two continued to sway slowly.
"I'm glad she is going to make it home safely," Pansy stated. Draco nodded.
"I hope that Jacob is alright," Pansy admitted. Draco stopped moving.
He looked out of the high window in the Great Hall only to catch a glimpse of the full moon. He felt his heart start to accelerate when he realized Vixen had said that she was going to get some air. He released Pansy's waist and she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Draco?" she asked questioningly. He started to walk away from her.
He opened the doors to the Great Hall quickly only to be greeted by Filch. He sneered at the rough looking man.
"Going somewhere?" Filch asked.
"I need to get by," Draco said angrily. Filch shook his head.
"Nobody leaves the Great Hall without the proper identification," he told him. Draco swore under his breath.
"Just let me by," he angrily said. Filch stepped in front of him.
"Can't do that, lad," he replied. Draco angrily hit the wall and leaned over slightly.
As he did so, something fell out of his shirt pocket that was buttoned beneath his suit jacket. He bent down and picked the item up. He smiled to himself when he realized it was his Prefect badge. He knew for a fact that he had placed it in a different shirt, but this was no time to worry about that. He flashed the badge at Filch.
"Oh, alright then. Go ahead," Filch said giving him clearance. Draco started to jog down the hallway.
Meanwhile… 8:51 p.m., Courtyard, Hogwarts(Thursday)
After entering the Courtyard Vixen took a seat on one of the stone benches. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth. There was a light fog rolling in around the area as she sat quietly enjoying the fresh air. She lifted her head to the sky.
"I went to a ball, mom," she said happily to the stars above her. She jumped when she heard a familiar voice.
"Hello Vixen," the voice said. Vixen stood up from the bench and turned toward the person who was speaking.
"J-Jackson?" she asked, her voice shaking. Standing nearly ten feet from her was her ex-boyfriend, Jackson Maverick.
"I've missed you," he said with a smirk on his face. Vixen shook her head form side to side.
"This isn't possible, you can't be here," she said as her heart pounded in her chest. He tilted his head slightly.
"Aren't you going to greet me?" he asked calmly. Vixen's eyes continued to widen.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"A girl brought me here. She said you were getting to close to her boyfriend," he admitted. Vixen narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What girl?" she asked.
"I think her name was Pansy," he said. Her heart dropped.
"W-what?" she asked, stunned that Pansy would betray her this way.
"Now now, don't worry. I'm not angry at you for hanging out with some boy. I know that your heart still belongs to me," he said as he advanced toward her. Vixen wanted to back away, but she was frozen.
"Your hair has gotten much longer then when I last saw you," he said as he twirled a piece of her platinum hair delicately in his fingers. Vixen jumped when someone yelled.
"Get away from her!" Draco yelled as he ran into the Courtyard. He grabbed onto Vixen and pulled her away from Jackson.
"Ah, I suppose you're the boy toy?" Jackson said cockily. Draco placed himself in front of Vixen.
"Shut your filthy mouth! How did you get here?" Draco yelled. Jackson smirked.
"Pansy brought him here," Vixen said. Draco looked back at her with a confused look.
"Vixen, students can't leave Hogwarts. They especially cannot go to the muggle world," Draco informed her. Vixen looked to Jackson.
"Don't listen to him Vixen. He's lying to you," he said. Draco sneered at him.
"I'm a liar, am I? Why were you sleeping with another girl while you were dating Vixen?" Draco shot at him. Vixen winced slightly as she heard this.
"That was a mistake," Jackson replied.
"Was it now?" Draco added.
"I love Vixen! You need to leave us alone!" he yelled. Vixen perked up at this.
She placed a hand on Draco's arm and slowly moved him out of her way. She stood staring at Jackson silently as Draco stared at her. She narrowed her eyes slowly.
"You're not Jackson," she said.
"Of course I am," he laughed. Draco glared at him.
"No, you're not. The real Jackson would never say that he loves me," she pointed out. He remained silent as his expression turned into one of anger.
"Who are you?" Vixen half yelled.
The three stood in the Courtyard silently. Draco's eyes started to widen as he noticed the boys face starting to move. His heart started to beat faster as he realized what was going on. He whirled Vixen around to face him.
"Vixen, that's Jacob. He used Polyjuice Potion to mimic the appearance of Jackson," Draco explained quickly.
"Congrats, Blondie. You figured me out. Pansy cooked up the Potion and we took the hair from the hat that Vixen had in her bag to finish it," Jacob said as his face started to shift back to his own. Vixen stared at him in disbelief.
"You bastard!" she screamed. Jacob shrugged.
"I had to get you away from him somehow," Jacob told her, his eyes changing into a bright gold shade.
"What's happening to you?" Vixen asked as she watched his eyes change. Draco's eyes widened.
"Vixen, Jacob's the werewolf!" Draco yelled. She turned to him quickly.
"You're on a roll tonight, Blondie," Jacob said in a deep voice. He lifted his head back and looked up into the white, full moon above him.
Draco pulled his wand from his pants and said a spell that changed Vixen into a tank top and jeans. She looked at him in confusion.
"You need to be able to move. Vixen, you have to run," Draco told her as he grabbed her arms and forced her to listen to him.
"We have to help him," she replied as she looked over her shoulder at Jacob. Her eyes widened as she watched him.
His spine started to crack loudly as it extended, making him taller. His shirt ripped across his chest and his jaw started to extend outward. Her heart beat faster and faster as she watched him slowly transform. Draco shook her once.
"We can't help him! He's after you, Vix! You need to run, now!" Draco yelled. She shook her head from side to side.
"Not without you," she stated. Draco gritted his teeth as he looked over at Jacob.
He was nearly 8 feet tall now, his once clothed body now tight skin stretched over an animalistic body. His spin was sticking out from his hunched over back as his pointed teeth stuck out of his jaws. His body had become more muscular that when he was in his human form, making him even more of a threat.
"Oh my goodness," Vixen said in shock as she saw him.
"That's Jacob, Vixen. Do you understand? He's not your friend," Draco tried to make her understand.
Jacob let out a loud howl, and Draco stood in front of Vixen. Her scars started to burn and she grabbed onto her side with one hand as she let out a scream herself.
Meanwhile… 9:16 p.m., Great Hall, Hogwarts(Thursday)
"Are the two of you enjoying yourselves?" Harry happily asked Ron and Hermione as they stood next to the refreshments table. They nodded.
"Have you seen Vixen around?" Hermione asked Harry. He shook his head.
"Not lately, no. Why, haven't you?" he asked her. She also shook her head.
"Not for quite some time now. I'm a little worried," Hermione admitted.
"Why don't we ask Malfoy?" Ron asked. Pansy scoffed as she walked past them.
"Good luck. Draco took off not too long ago," she told them. The three exchanged nervous glances.
"Uhh, guys," Ron said nervously as he caught a glimpse of the full moon. They looked to him and he pointed to the window.
"Oh no, didn't Neville's tea leaves say something about a moon?" Hermione asked. Harry tensed up.
The three walked into the crowd of dancing students in search of Neville. They found Luna dancing with Rylen and they found Neville nearby. Harry grabbed him and pulled him out of the crowd. Hermione and Ron followed them.
"What's wrong?" Neville nervously asked.
"What were the tea leaf signs?" Harry asked. Neville thought for a moment.
"There was a moon, love, Vixen, danger and death," he told them. Hermione tapped her chin.
"Wasn't there another symbol?" she asked. Neville nodded.
"Yes but it didn't really relate," he reminded her.
"What was it, Neville?" Ron asked.
"A dog," Neville told him. Hermione thought to herself for a moment.
"Oh no. Neville, that wasn't a sign for dog. It was a sign for wolf," she told him. Ron raised an eyebrow at her.
"So?" he said.
"So, a wolf during a full moon would mean a werewolf. It's a full moon right now!" Hermione explained frantically.
"Oh no," Harry said. The three left Neville and ran through the doors.
"Nobody can lea-" Filch started. The three ran past him.
"I'm getting your Head Professor!" Filch yelled after them.
9:36 p.m., Courtyard, Hogwarts(Thursday)
"Jacob, don't do this!" Vixen begged as she gripped her side. Draco pushed her out of the way when he lunged forward.
He missed them and the rolled a few feet in the grass. Draco propped himself up on his forearms and looked over at Vixen who was now covered in dirt.
"You can't honestly believe that you can reason with him," he yelled to her. He scrambled onto his feet.
"It was worth a shot," she yelled back as she stood up as well. Her Converse slid against the grass slightly.
Draco started to walk slowly as the werewolf started to circle them. Vixen stayed as close to Draco as she could. Her scars started to burn worse and she let out another scream. She started to fall when Draco caught her. Before he could ask her what was wrong Jacob lunged again. Draco jumped out of the way at the last second, evading the attack once again.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked quickly as he pulled her to her feet.
"My scars burn!" she yelled through tear filled eyes. Draco's eyes widened.
"Vixen, Jacob was the werewolf that attacked you! That's why you're scars are burning!" he told her. Jacob howled.
Draco knew that Jacob had figured out how to attack them now. As long as Vixen was barely able to move, he wasn't going to be able to keep dodging him. Draco hugged her tight to himself and closed his eyes shut tight as he watched the large wolf jump for them.
"Flipendo!" Hermione yelled as she ran into the Courtyard followed by Ron and Harry. The werewolf was pushed back away from Draco and Vixen.
Draco looked up to see the three Gryffindor's as they ran toward him. He had never been so relieved to see their faces in his entire life. Hermione dropped to her knees next to Draco and grabbed onto Vixen. Vixen looked up at her.
"It hurts Hermione," she told her.
"I know, we're going to get you out of here," Hermione told her. Her head shot up when Ron spoke.
"Hermione, we need your help up here," Ron yelled as the werewolf got to it's feet again. She left Vixen in Draco's care and joined Harry and Ron.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled a she cast the spell in Jacob's direction. Jacob dodged it quickly.
"Conjunctivitis!" Hermione yelled casting her spell. It hit Jacob, damaging his eyesight as it was intended to.
Draco lifted Vixen from the ground and started to walk her away from the scene. He was taken off guard when Vixen pushed him away from her. She ran in front of her three Gryffindor friends. Jacob tried to focus in on her.
"Vixen come back here!" Draco yelled.
"Jacob, I know you're in there somewhere. Leave all of them alone. You're here for me, not them," Vixen told the werewolf. He howled, sending chills down her spine.
"Vixen, move!" Harry yelled. She ignored him.
"Flipendo!" Draco yelled as he sent his spell toward Jacob. It hit him and Draco grabbed Vixen by her arm.
"You need to stay away from him!" he scolded her.
"I won't let him hurt anyone else!" she yelled back. Jacob started to bound forward once again.
"Stupefy!" both Ron and Hermione yelled. One of them hit him dead on.
They stood at the ready when he rolled backward through the grass. Jacob got to his feet and turned his back on the lot. He ran off through the Courtyard and away from them. Harry lowered his wand slightly.
"Is he gone?" Ron asked. The others looked around.
"I think so," Draco replied as he walked farther into the Courtyard. They sighed and Vixen took a deep breath.
"You see! Just like I said, they left without permission!" Filch complained as he, McGonagall and Snape entered the Courtyard.
"What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall asked angrily. Harry, Ron and Hermione approached her.
"Professor we can explain," Harry started. Snape raised an eyebrow at Vixen.
She turned away from him and looked to Draco. He was a few feet away from her with a relieved look on his face. Vixen lifted her head a bit higher as her scars started to burn again. Jacob was close again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she saw two gold orbs appear behind Draco. Before she could think it through, she ran.
Draco furrowed his brow at her as she started running toward him. He held his arms out to embrace her into a hug, but she quickly pushed him out of the way. As he hit the ground below him he saw a large figure jump over him. He yelled when the figure pinned Vixen to the ground. The others turned to see what had happened and erupted into screams themselves.
"Incendio!" McGonagall yelled, sending a fire at the werewolf. It hit him and his body caught on fire quickly.
With pained growls and howl Jacob ran off once again, is body burning as he did so. Draco scrambled to his feet and ran to Vixen, who was on the ground. He dropped to his knees and grabbed her body. He lifted her into his lap as he propped her up with his arms. Hermione fell to her knees, tears streaming own her face as she let out a pained scream. Ron grabbed onto her as he allowed tears to escape his eyes as well.
McGonagall quickly rushed to Draco and Vixen and kneeled down next to them. Snape stood idly by with wide eyes as he watched the scene unfold. He had never expected that the girl would get murdered by a the werewolf. Harry stood frozen, his eyes turning red as he watched his friends crying.
"Vixen, stay with me," Draco said as he rocked her slowly in his arms. Her eyes drooped slowly as she smiled a weak smile up at him.
"Draco…," she muttered quietly. His mouth quivered as his throat turned dry.
"Oh Dear," McGonagall said as she pulled her hand to her mouth. Vixen's torso had been slashed open too deeply to fix.
Students started to flood in around the Courtyard to see what all the commotion had been about. Many erupted into whispers while others started to cry. Rylen pulled a distraught Luna into his body as he felt tears forming in his own eyes. Pansy stood shaking with her hands clasped over her mouth.
"What were you thinking?" Draco angrily asked her. Vixen smirked at him.
"I was the hero. I saved you," she said quietly.
"I didn't ask you to do that!" Draco yelled at her as tears started to stream down his pale cheeks. Vixen's eyes widened and got smaller a few times.
"I really did love you," she told him as a trickle of blood started to fall out of her mouth. Draco started to let loud sobs escape his mouth.
"Don't do that! It's not over yet! Someone will help you," he assured her. He looked to McGonagall who shook her head slowly at him as she herself started to grow red eyed.
"Vixen, stay with me….Vixen!" Draco yelled as she started to close her eyes in his arms. He hugged her tighter to his body.
"I love you. I always will," he told her between sobs. McGonagall placed a hand on the young boys shoulder when Vixen's eyes closed for the last time.
"Everyone return to your House's!" Dumbledore yelled as he entered the Courtyard with more staff members.
Madame Pomfrey made her way over to Draco and urged him to allow her to take Vixen's body from him. He refused for quite some time, but was eventually forced to give her up as Snape pulled him away from the area. Pansy walked up to him.
"Draco," she said with tears staining her cheeks. Her glared at her.
"This was all your fault! You made that Potion!" he yelled at her. Snape tightened his grip on the boy.
"I'm sorry I didn't know," Pansy screamed sadly.
"I hate you!" Draco yelled. Snape dragged him out of the Courtyard on that note.
McGonagall managed to get Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the Courtyard as well. The four students were placed inside of the empty Potions classroom and locked in by their Head Professors. Ron held onto Hermione as she cried loudly and Harry rubbed her back. Draco paced the room quickly grabbing at his hair as he did so. Within a second, a crystal ball fell into his hands.
"Vixen Charm," Draco said. The ball remained blank.
"Vixen Charm," he tried again. Nothing appeared.
"Vixen Charm! Vixen Charm! Vixen Jade Charm!" he screamed as he shook the ball.
"Draco, she's not going to show up!" Harry yelled. Draco sat the ball on the table and shook his head.
"I can't find her…I just can't find her," he cried as tears fell onto the desk top. He grabbed a nearby chair and threw it across the room.
"Why did we turn our backs?" Hermione cried. Ron squeezed her tighter.
"I don't know," he whispered. The door opened.
"Ron, Harry, Hermione, please return to the Gryffindor House," McGonagall told them. They waited momentarily before complying.
"Aren't you going to dismiss Draco?" she asked Snape. He shook his head.
"He needs to calm down first," he told her. She nodded slowly.
"Professor, why isn't Vixen showing up in the crystal ball?" Harry asked McGonagall.
"Harry, the crystal balls are linked to muggles in the muggle world. Vixen died in our world, therefor she isn't going to show up like a muggle who died in the muggle world would," McGonagall explained. Snape remained silent as he listened to the conversation.
"What is going to happen to the muggles that knew Vixen and Jacob?" Harry asked.
"They are going to be left in the oblivious state that they are currently in. They will go on with their lives as if they never existed," she explained. Harry nodded sadly.
"Come, we should go," McGonagall said as she motioned for the Gryffindor students to follow her. They did as they were told and Snape groaned quietly.
Draco walked around the classroom silently. He stopped when he approached Snape's desk. He hunched over the desk and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill. As he continued to cry, he started to scribble onto the paper. After writing nearly a page, he scribbled out the majority of it and shoved the paper into his pocket. Snape entered the room.
"Let's go to the Slytherin House," he coldly said as he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and walked him back to his House.
9:30 a.m., Muggle Studies Classroom, Hogwarts(Friday)
Charity Burbage sat quietly behind her desk in her classroom with one hand rubbing her forehead. After the incident with Group 6 and their muggle she couldn't wait to send the rest of the muggles back to their world. It made her sick inside to think that her experiment had gone so wrong that it resulted in the death of a young and innocent girl.
Naturally, Group 6 was excused from class today due to the emotional trauma. Burbage let out a deep breath as she pictured the look on the children's faces. Poor Hermione was on her knees in the dirt, her white dress tainted with stains as she screamed and cried. Then there was Ron who was gripping her around her tiny waist as he let out pained, angry screams as Vixen fell to the ground. The thought of this made her feel as if someone was squeezing her heart.
Harry's face wasn't one that was going to be easily forgotten. He simply stood there, frozen as his eyes grew puffy and red as he started to cry. Burbage felt her own eyes start filling with tears as she thought of Draco's reaction the previous night. Draco Malfoy, the notorious bully that always sported a self righteous smirk as he did as he pleased, exposed his vulnerability completely.
He was holding her as she laid on the ground, slowly dying what couldn't have been anything less than a painful death. He hugged her as he cried and begged for someone to help her. He was begging for the life of a muggle. His scream of pain, sadness and anger rang through Burbage's ears as she slammed her hand onto her desk top. She lifted her head when she heard someone cough.
Her entire class had entered as she was deep in her horrible memories. The class was dead silent, sitting in their assigned seats as all of the students kept their heads down. She looked around at the young children who were present at the scene as well as herself. Luna Lovegood's usually unexpressive face showed nothing but pain while her muggle, Rylen, sat with his head in his hands and his knees bouncing up and down.
Her eyes landed on Hugo now, who was holding his hearing aid in his hand and inspecting it with sadness in his eyes. The sadness that filled the room was tugging at her heartstrings. She looked over at Group 9, where Pansy Parkinson sat with puffy, red eyes as she sniffled a few times. As she had expected, Jacob was not present today. As her eyes landed on the empty table that Group 6 would have been sitting at, she let a few tears escape her eyes.
She could see them, all of them. Hermione would be sitting quietly next to Ron who would most likely be oblivious to something they were discussing. Then Harry would be there, happily talking to Vixen while she would be awkwardly perched on top of the desk rather than in a chair. Finally, there would be Draco sitting in his chair that was pulled slightly off to the side away from his Gryffindor classmates as he stared off into space. She cleared her throat and wiped her cheeks clean of her tears before addressing her class.
"Good morning, class. As you well know, we will be sending your muggles home today. If the muggles would come up in Group number order, I will send you home. As for my students, just hand in your papers and feel free to take the day off," Burbage announced sadly. She stood behind her desk and watched the groups say their goodbyes to their muggles.
Burbage started to send the muggles home one by one, until she was face to face with Rylen Delrue. He stared at her blankly as she frowned slightly at him. This boy wasn't exactly a nuisance, but he never left Luna's side making this assignment impossible for the other group members. She jumped when he spoke.
"Neville," his loud voice called. Neville Longbottom's head shot up.
"Come here," Rylen told him as he waved him over. Neville nervously approached the boy as the rest of the class watched.
"I want you to look after Luna for me. Keep her safe, Neville. Keep her happy," Rylen told the boy as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I will," Neville replied as he nodded. Rylen gave him a pat on the shoulder before releasing him and turning back around to face Burbage.
"Alright, I'm ready," he told her. With that, she sent him home.
The line continued to grow smaller and smaller until the muggles were all back in their normal muggle lives in their normal world. The Hogwarts students remained in their seats, still with their heads down. Burbage looked over them sadly as they sat with their papers in front of them. Her head shot up when someone opened the classroom door. Many gasps were heard as Draco Malfoy entered the classroom.
He was still wearing the clothes that he had been in last night in the Courtyard. His dark shirt was covered in dirt and blood, his pants had a slight tear in the knee and his shoes were noticeably scuffed. He definitely didn't comb or style his hair and judging from the bags under his eyes he hadn't slept a wink last night. Burbage's heart leaped into her throat as he started to approach her with a paper clutched in his hand. The other students simply watched him, their heads turning slowly as they visually followed him from their seats.
Draco stopped nearly three feet in front of Burbage. He looked up at her with his bloodshot eyes. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she waited to see what he wanted. He held the paper out to her. She hesitantly took the crumpled paper from him before he spoke.
"I apologize if it isn't what you were looking for," he said with a shaking voice as if he were about to burst into tears. Burbage simply nodded as she stared at him.
With that, Draco turned his back on his professor and started to walk back through the classroom. Pansy let out a pained sob when he passed her desk. He exited the room quietly and closed the door shut behind him. Burbage cleared her throat again.
"Leave your papers on your desks. Class is dismissed," she announced. The students did as they were instructed and flooded out of the classroom.
Charity Burbage waited for her classroom door to be shut before she took a seat on her desk top. She smoothed out the crumpled up piece of parchment with her hands before reading it to herself.
"My Week With a Muggle by Draco Malfoy
When I was first informed that we were going to be examining actual muggles for some experiment, I was disgusted. I hated the idea of wasting my time on a filthy muggle, and I hated you for making us partake in such a ridiculous experiment, but then I met her. She was a rude, smart mouthed girl in serious need of anger management. Her boyfriend had been cheating on her with her best friend, which supposedly broke her heart. I was terrible to her. I was rude, mean and downright foul toward her, but the best part was that she treated me the same way. She didn't fear me like the others. She didn't put up with my shit. She made me suffer consequences when I messed up. She was one tough and firm bitch."
Burbage squinted her eyes at the parchment. After that line, there was definitely more writing on the parchment, but it looked like Draco had scribbled it all out. She followed the scribbled out writing to the bottom of the paper where she found the last few words on the parchment.
"She was a muggle and I loved her."
Burbage placed a trembling hand to her lips as she started to cry. She placed the parchment down on her desk and reached for a nearby quill. Through her tear filled eyes, she stared down at the parchment as she marked it with an "O" for Outstanding. Granted this was used for O.W.L. grading but she felt it was appropriate in this situation, With that, she gathered the other students papers and took her seat at her desk.
It was said that Draco Malfoy remained distant from many of the students at Hogwarts after the incident. Many described him as sickly looking and very reserved. He was often seen coming out of Myrtle's Bathroom with puffy eyes as if he had been crying. He didn't attempt to befriend Harry, Hermione or Ron after Vixen had died. Instead he went back to tormenting them every now and then.
None of the Hogwarts students spoke of the Muggle Studies experiment from that day on. Draco never dated Pansy again which many figured was out of respect for his deceased muggle girlfriend. It was said that due to his failure to kill Vixen, the Dark Lord ordered him to kill the Headmaster of Hogwarts to redeem himself. It was also rumored that he was present when Charity Burbage was murdered. Of course, a rumor is just that, isn't it? Nothing more than senseless gossip.
However, there was indeed some truth behind all of these rumors. A day didn't go by that Draco didn't think of her at least once. He had her crystal ball hidden away in his families Manor which he would use every now and then to try and see if he could find her. As was to be expected, he never did. Eventually he broke the ball so he couldn't torture himself anymore. He later married a beautiful young woman who gave him an equally beautiful son. He went on with his life as he was expected too, but that still didn't change the one secret that he held onto.
Vixen Charm was a muggle and he loved her.
End