A/N: Sorry for the late update! I got caught up in classes and homework. I'm hoping to update again very soon. I know you probably want actual dialogue, and I must say this chapter lacks it a bit. But I PROMISE the next chapter will have lots of (meaningful) dialogue! So don't give up on me yet! :) Please R&R!

Chapter 3: A Little Trouble

After breakfast, I hurried off to my first class. Since the morning hadn't started off well (no thanks to Zabini), I had a feeling that the rest of the day wouldn't get much better. And I was right. I accidentally knocked over my cauldron in Potions, spilling its contents all over the table and floor. Then in Charms I ended up sitting next to Seamus Finnigan who somehow managed to blow up the pillow we were supposed to be levitating, and we both ended up with black ash smeared all over our faces. So when I walked into Transfiguration after lunch, I was actually prepared for things to go wrong, especially when I saw Zabini sitting at the back of the classroom.

I dropped my bag on the table and moved to take my seat. But when I bent my legs to sit, I realized too late that the chair that had been there a moment before was no longer behind me and I not-so-gracefully fell onto my arse. Ignoring the muffled laughs, I pushed myself up, whipping around to face the back of the room, already knowing who the culprit was.

Zabini smirked at me, his dark eyes twinkling as he flicked his wand and returned my chair to it's original place.

I didn't even think about it as my hand went into my robes and pulled out my wand. I didn't even think about it when I aimed the wand at the dark-skinned Slytherin. And I didn't even think about it when his smirk slipped away at the same moment I thought Densaugeo!

Catching him off guard, he didn't have time to protect himself. The spell hit him square in the face, and immediately began working. I watched smugly as his front teeth started growing rapidly, and within a minute he looked like a beaver. But his teeth kept growing. I flashed him a smirk of my own as he angrily shoved his chair back, glaring at me.

"Ou ich," he hissed, his lips unable to form the correct words.

I grinned, my satisfaction giving me courage. "What was that? Couldn't quite understand you."

He pointed his wand at me, his handsomely dark face pinched in anger. Woah! Did I really just describe his face as handsome? What the bloody hell was wrong with me?

Too distracted by my thoughts, I didn't notice the spell leave his wand. It hit me on the side of my head, and I stumbled back. My top lip curled back in a small snarl as I ran my hand over my head where the spell had hit, looking for damage. When I pulled my hand away, cold horror gripped me. I looked down at my hand and my eyes widened as I stared at the chunk of hair I was now holding.

Anger flared up in me and I raised my want again, not caring that his wand was still aimed at me. I was going to hex that prick into the next century!

"What is going on here?" McGonagall snapped as she walked into the classroom. Her gaze zooming in on Zabini and me, our wands raised at each other, both sporting the damage of spells already cast. "You two, come with me. And leave your things." She waited until we had filed out of the room to follow us after giving the rest of the class reading instructions. Then she marched us up to the hospital wing. "I don't know what you two were thinking, but you just bought yourselves two weeks' detention, starting tonight. And fifteen points from both houses."

The rest of the walk consisted of her lecturing us on the trouble we were in and how hexing each other is strictly against the rules. All I could focus on was how my hair was slowly falling out, and I was pretty sure that half of my head was already bald. I should have just skipped all my classes today and stayed in bed!

In the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey made quick work of fixing both spells after McGonagall left, and we were able to head back to class within forty-five minutes. As we walked down the corridors, I made sure to keep a good distance between me and the bloody Slytherin.

"Since when do you retaliate?" Zabini asked suddenly, glancing at me, his usual cold expression in place.

"Since I got tired of letting people bully me," I said heatedly. "And seriously? A hair-loss curse?Didn't your mum ever teach you that a girl's hair is very important to her?"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have cast that teeth-enlarging spell on me! Didn't your mum ever teach you not to start something if you can't handle the consequences? Oh, I forgot. Muggles aren't very smart."

"Why do you Slytherins have such a problem with muggles? The only difference between you and them is that you can wave a stick in the air and cast spells with it."

"That doesn't even deserve a reply," he said coldly just as we reached the classroom. He opened the door and walked in, and I followed.

When the bell rang, I quickly shoved my things in my bag and stood, eager to get out of the room and away from the stupid Slytherins.

"Delaire and Zabini, report to my office at eight o'clock sharp," McGonagall called to us as we left.

So a little before eight that night, I was walking to her office, feeling extremely sour. Not only did I have my first detention ever, but I had to spend it with Zabini. In the professor's office, we waited in silence for the prick, who walked in five minutes after me.

"You two will be polishing trophies in the trophy room for three hours every night for the next two weeks."

I inwardly groaned.

"What if we finish the trophies before the two weeks is up?" Zabini asked.

McGonagall's sharp eyes narrowed at him. "Then you will spend the rest of your detentions writing lines."

Suddenly polishing trophies sounded great!

McGonagall ushered us to the trophy room and handed us rags and polish. She held out her hand. "Wands."

My lips pushed into a pout as I handed her my wand, feeling very vulnerable as the slim wood left my grasp. After giving us brief instructions, she left, closing the door behind us. I glowered after her for a minute before turning and walking to one side of the room. I grabbed a trophy and started working. Zabini appeared next to me and mimicked my movements silently.

For some odd reason, having his so close was making my nerves hum.