Something big is about to happen y'all! Just a fair warning! Have fun!

Chapter Quote:
"Curiosity is not a sin… But we should exercise caution with our curiosity… yes indeed."
~Albus Dumbledore in the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 22

Ziva

For the next three weeks, life went back to normal. Ziva studied for her classes, hung out with Jade, Elliot, Seamus, and Neville, and focused on getting good grades on her O.W.L.s. All the fifth years were stressing out while the seventh years were stressing out over their N.E.W.T.s. All the other years avoided those particular years, not wanting to get chewed out for disrupting their studying.

Ziva was walking back from the potions room to the Gryffindor Common Room when she had the tragic luck of crossing paths against Malfoy. But he wasn't alone. Astoria was with him, chatting amiably. Ziva wondered vaguely if Miss Greengrass had lied about not having a crush on Malfoy anymore. She wouldn't care of the younger Slytherin did though.

"Hey Ziva," Astoria greeted with a smile. Even with a just a glance, Ziva knew the girl was being genuine in her greeting.

"Hi Astoria, how are you?" she replied, not looking at Malfoy even though she knew his eyes were on her.

"I'm good, and yourself?"

"Oh you know, just studying and get ready for my O.W.L.s. They're a pain in the ass but I have no choice in the matter. At least I don't have Umbridge teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. There's no way I would pass the class let alone the test. That woman… Eesh." Ziva shuddered at the thought of the pink toad. "Anywho, I better head back to the common room. Jade and Elliot might wonder what trouble I've gotten myself into now."

"You do attract trouble from what I've heard," Astoria laughed, "Hopefully I don't count as trouble."

"You don't," she said, trying to hide the tone her my voice that hinted Malfoy counted as the 'trouble.' Unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend did catch the tone and said bluntly, "You'd be dead ten times over if I hadn't been there so I think I should count as a savior rather than trouble."

"Whose friends caused me to break my leg? Whose friends used the Cruciatus Curse on me?"

"Who just stopped ignoring me for no apparent damn reason?" he snapped.

"I ignored you?!" Ziva's nostrils flared. The audacity he had. "I'm the one who sent you a note for our next meeting place but you never showed up. Left me to dry for three hours."

"I never got that bloody note Ziva!" Draco hissed, "Or else I would've damn well shown up."

"Jade and Elliot sent it for me!"

"And you trusted those two to actually do it? They hate my guts more than Potter, which is saying something. Read my lips when I say I never got that damn note."

Ziva felt the color draining out of her face. It couldn't be… Jade and Elliot wouldn't… it's not possible…

"Ziva? You okay?" Astoria queried, stepping closer and looking sincerely worried.

"I-uh- I need to go back to the Gryffindor Common Room. I'll… see you later," Ziva said, already walking away. Disbelief was slowly being replaced by anger, and by the time she reached her destination, her stomach boiled with fury. She plopped down in the arm chair, crossed her legs and arms, and waited patiently for Jade and Elliot to get back. They were going to have a little talk…

Elliot

"Hey, Nev and I going to go get something to eat. We'll see you two in a few minutes," Seamus said, giving Jade a kiss. She smiled before heading up the stairs with Elliot.

"You two are adorable," Ellie remarked.

"Thank you." Jade blushed, her hair turning a deep fuchsia. "Now how are we going to get you and Neville together? I mean, you two are obviously crushing on each other."

"I don't know. Let's go find Ziva. She always has ideas on this type of stuff." The two girls bounded up into the Gryffindor Common Room. No one, besides Ziva, was there. She looked utterly calm, but there was a pissed off expression in her eyes that was impossible to miss. Jade and Elliot halted, eyeing their friend cautiously.

"Hey Z, everything okay?" Ellie asked hesitantly.

"You know," she began, not looking up at them, "it's funny how well you think you know people because they've never given you reason not to trust them, but then you realize that they abused that trust?"

"What are you talking about?" Jade questioned, but Elliot knew exactly what was being talked about, and she knew Jade did too. This whole situation was about to get extremely ugly.

Ziva met her friend's eyes; they were practically glowing with rage. "Did you really think you would get away with it? Did you honestly believe I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out about what?" Elliot inquired, playing the innocent card and hoping her irate friend would fall for it. Naturally, it didn't work.

"The note I sent with you to send to Draco. That damn note I stupidly entrusted you with. You never sent the thing and because of you, I lost the nicest boyfriend I've ever had-"

"He's the only boyfriend you've ever had," Jade pointed out

"Shut up," Ziva hissed. "You're one to talk. How could you two do that? How could you lie to me like that? What have I ever done to either of you that would possess you to do such a thing?"

"We thought you were turning into someone like him!" Elliot blurted out. She felt her eyes widen. She hadn't meant to say that, but it simply came out. No secrets were going to be held between them in this conversation, and if Ziva wanted the truth, the truth is what she was going to get.

Ziva's eyes narrowed in on Ellie. "What the hell do you mean you thought I was turning into someone like him?"

"We thought he was converting you into a Death Eater!" Jade exclaimed angrily.

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"It's not stupid Ziva! He's a freaking Death Eater and you're sneaking out in the middle of the night to see him and you didn't tell us but we know he's a Death Eater! And you kept this a secret for two years! Of course we're going to be pissed!"

"Oh I'm sure you do know about him being a Death Eater. And you're mad at me keeping a secret for you for two years? Well you can imagine how mad I am knowing that you've kept a secret from me for over a decade!" Ziva spat.

"What secret are you talking about?!" Jade demanded, her voice squeaking unnaturally high.

"You know I had to find out from Draco? He and I went out on a date and your dad passed us in the street. Draco pointed him out to me, not knowing I knew him. Not knowing is daughter was my best friend. He's the one who told me your father was Death Eater."

"How dare he!"

"What was he supposed to do?! Lie to me like you did about it?" Ziva turned to Elliot. "Did you know her father was a Death Eater?"

As Elliot nodded, a voice asked furiously, "Your father's a Death Eater?"

The three girls whirled around on the newcomers. Seamus and Neville stood there, with the former looking pissed and the latter looking uncomfortable.

"Seamus-" Jade began, her voice trembling.

"Were you ever going to tell me? I bet not if you wouldn't even tell Ziva."

"I was going to, I swear, but I was scared! I didn't know how you'd react!"

"Save it, Jade." Seamus stormed away. Neville started walking towards the dorm but then turned around and went after his friend. Jade turned to face Ziva.

"You happy?" she sneered. "You just cost me my boyfriend."

Ziva remained calm. "It's not my fault he happened to walk in right when I was saying that. Maybe if you had told me all this before, none of this would've happened. And now you know how it feels to have your friend be the reason you don't have one anymore. But unlike in your case, I didn't know my friends had the guts to do something like that. I'm done with the both of you. When you want to apologize for screwing me over, let me know. You know where to find me."

With that, Ziva strode out of the room, going somewhere unknown. Jade plopped down onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. Elliot sat down next to her and started comforting her.

How many of you saw that coming? Well I know SACarter did but that's because I had to tell her since I promised her I'd put this chapter up last night and then this morning and that didn't happen… BUT NOW IT'S HERE SO NOW SHE HAS TO POST MY CHAPTER FOR HER STORY. Review! :)