Chapter Five
Taryn couldn't say what it was that made her stay behind when everyone else exited the train. Perhaps it was premonition, intuition, or the slight feeling of unease that made her stomach feel like she just downed a shot of firewhiskey. Burning and uncomfortable.
Whatever it was, she was glad that she listened. She had sat in her compartment trying to gain the courage to exit. She had been glad that no one else had decided to join her after Draco left, she didn't think that she would have been able to carry on polite, meaningless conversation.
Taryn didn't trust Draco further than she could throw him, and was used to disdainful looks of loathing at best, and outright hostility at worst. He wasn't doing his part, dammit! She sobered, of course he couldn't act accordingly when she wasn't who she was supposed to be, she reminded herself. But, shit, this wasn't according to script. There should have been insults thrown at each other, threats of pain producing spells, maybe a curse word or two. Not...this.
The heated, obviously interested, glances that he had sent her way had shaken her. And she didn't like the feelings that the glances had produced within her.
Draco had surprisingly developed muscles that had apparently been hidden under his black school robes. They were just right, not huge, but leanly defined. It also seemed that he had dirtied up his style a bit. Instead of the preppy blazer and trousers he usually wore, he had actually been wearing in a pair of dark wash jeans and a black shirt. Of course the black shirt was probably expensive, the jeans custom made to fit his lean hips.
And his eyes. God, his eyes had devoured her, slipping down her frame like a caress. The smirk he threw her had been blatantly sexy. He knew what he was doing, and it pissed her off that she found him appealing. She didn't want to think that he was handsome. Oh she wasn't stupid, she knew that he was attractive, but his attitude had always been able to cloud that fact. Now that he was actually being pleasant, it gave a girl time to notice things. There wasn't an attitude buffer when he was smiling at her and flirting with obvious interest.
Taryn was beyond thankful when Pansy came to abduct him, even though the girl had given her a look of death.
Pansy must think that just because she threw her knickers at the boy whenever asked, that any other witch was bound to to the same. The girl was like a dog with a bone. Taryn smiled at the imagery. It perfectly fit the pug faced girl.
She had to admit that the girl had better be on her game if she wanted to keep Draco Malfoy. He certainly wasn't hiding the sexy behind blazers and slacks this year.
Draco was Hogwarts resident Lothario. Even she had heard the rumors of his many conquests. That she had heard them was saying something, as her nose was usually firmly placed within a book. There had been a particularly infamous rumor that had circled the masses at the beginning of their fifth year. Apparently Draco and Alexandria Emery, a seventh year witch, had been caught in a compromising situation involving chocolate syrup. Filch had gotten more than an eyeful that night. Draco had unrepentantly taken his detention with a shit eating grin plastered on his face, his friends congratulating him on bagging an attractive older witch.
Taryn had ducked down when Pansy and the rest of Draco's gang walked past, cursing herself at her cowardice. She was slipping on her school robe when she saw Draco stride past her compartment door, anger sharpening his features. It made her curious. Why hadn't he left with the others? Of course it could be something as simple as forgetting an item, but she didn't believe that it was anything that benign. It was Draco Malfoy after all.
She had waited until he exited the train, watching him joining his friend in one of the carriages. Her mouth dropped open as she noticed what pulled the carriages. Like many Hogwarts students she had believed that the carriages were autonomous, until Harry had told her otherwise. Being an intensely curious witch she had badly wanted to examine them, but she had never been touched by death, and thus unable to see the creatures. That was over. She could clearly make out the leathery winged horses, their large bony bodies covered with a translucent glossy coat. Their dragon like faces and white eyes without pupil, nor iris, were frankly spooky.
With a tinge of sadness, she turned away from the window and left the compartment. Walking slowly down the corridor, she looked for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. She paused in front of what she thought had been Draco's compartment. She couldn't be sure, but the Slytherin students usually took up the rear of the train, so it was a logical assumption. She entered the compartment, finding it empty. Undeterred she walked ahead, her foot finally bumping into something on the floor. Seeing nothing, she reached down, her hand encountering fabric. She pulled away what she now knew was an invisibility cloak and because she knew of no one else with one, she was unsurprised when it revealed Harry Potter.
She was alarmed when she spied the blood smeared across his face. "Finite Incantatem!" She said, watching his body relax, before he pulled himself into a sitting position. She literally had to stop herself from rushing forward to hug him.
He wiped the blood from his face with the back of one sleeve, before raising his eyes to stare into her face. "Who're you?" he slurringly asked, pinching his nose as he rose to his feet.
"Hermi-um, Tracey Davis, but I go by Taryn," she said, hoping his didn't catch her almost slip. She sighed in relief when he said nothing, simply gazing at her, taking in her black robe with its Slytherin emblem.
"Why would a Slytherin take the time to help me?" he asked watching her with obvious distrust.
It hurt her heart to see Harry look at her in such a way. "Just because I'm Slytherin doesn't mean that I'm evil," she said quietly.
Harry's brow rose before he nodded sharply. He looked toward the window, watching steam cloud it as the train began to leave the station. "We are going to have to hurry. As it is, we will probably be jumping to the platform," he said.
After jumping to the platform, they began to walk toward the school. Taryn handed him back the invisibility cloak, and he murmured a quiet thank you.
"So, who did it?" she finally asked after they had been quiet for several moments.
"Your Slytherin Prince of course, Draco Malfoy," he said, acerbity clearly coloring his voice.
Taryn flinched, before she rallied. "I can fix it for you," she said nodding toward his nose.
Harry stopped abruptly, glancing at her with a sharp look. "I don't know if I want you pointing your wand at my face," he said.
Taryn rolled her eyes. "If I meant you harm, then I could have just ended you on the train when you were completely helpless."
It seemed like he didn't like being reminded of the status in which she had found him. He looked at her a moment before he shrugged. "I guess you're right. Okay, have at it."
She pulled her wand out, aiming it at his face. "Episkey."
She watched at he ran his hand over his face gingerly. "It feels better. Thank you," he said grudgingly.
"We had better hurry. I bet they are worried about you by now," Taryn said as they plodded up the dark, deserted lane. Taryn began to appreciate the convenience of the carriages as she fully realized just how far the castle was from the station.
"Why were you still on the train anyway?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
"I had to see something, not that it is any of your business," Harry said.
Taryn grimaced. Translation: Harry thought that Malfoy was up to something and had gotten caught. She could read between the lines and she knew her friend.
Taryn was silent, musing. It had just occurred to her that she could do more than watch from the sidelines. She was in the perfect position to get closer to Malfoy and find out if he was truly up to no good. He had already pretty much let it be known that he at least wanted her for one thing, and she might actually let him have it if it got her what she wanted.
It was a bit of a ruthless plan but she wasn't Hermione Granger any longer. At least not the Hermione that she had been, and it was time she started owning that.
In addition, it wasn't like Tracey had been virginal, judging by the unsigned love letters that she had found hidden in the girls closet. She didn't think the girl been a sleaze by any means, but the girl had had one lover at least. After she read the letters she had examined Tracey's memories for who the lover might have been and had immediately been the recipient of some very graphic reminiscences. It had been a slightly older boy with dark hair and warm brown eyes that had made love to the girl on several occasions. She didn't have access to how the relationship had ended, but she clearly had memories of being intimate with the man. It had been an uncomfortable revelation at first, the knowledge of someone else's sexual awakening, while still being virginal in her mind. Now, however, she was grateful. Her plan wouldn't work if she didn't have at least something to work with.
She was removed from her thoughts when they finally reached the gates, but was irritated when they found them locked.
She watched as Harry pulled out his wand, spouting a confident Alohomora.
"That won't work. You do realize that Dumbledore spelled the gates himself?" she asked rhetorically.
Harry glared at her. "Fine, we can just climb the wall."
"No, you can't," Taryn said flatly, "This place is chock full of anti-intruder jinxes. Security has been beefed up considerably this year. Didn't you read your welcome back letter?" she asked in exasperation.
Harry groaned. "Merlin, you sound just like Hermi– ," he stopped abruptly, a look of grief filling his face.
Tears pricked her eyes at the emotion on his face. She wanted to scream that she was right here, but wasn't brave enough to endure the punishment that would follow. "I'm sorry about your friend," she said quietly instead.
"Thanks," he said, running a hand through his unruly hair. Pieces that had previously been semi-tamed now stood up with the rest. "Well, I guess we are spending the night out here," he said in annoyance, changing the subject.
A flash of light caught her eye. "No, here comes someone now," she said.
They watched as the light grew closer, revealing itself to be a lantern. It also revealed that it was carried by none other than Professor Snape, her new head of house.
"Well, well, well," sneered Snape. "Nice of you to turn up Potter, however I didn't think it would be in the company of one of my house members. Miss Davis, can you explain yourself?" He tapped his wand against the padlock and the chains snaked away, the gate opening.
"I forgot something on the train, and I found Potter here under the Petrificus Totalis curse. I thought it prudent to aid him," Taryn said, trying her best to emulate how she thought a Slytherin would speak.
Snape's brow rose before he spoke again. "Well don't just stand there like idiots. Follow me."
The three walked in silence for a moment before Snape spoke. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness," he said before glancing down at Harry's attire. "Another twenty for not having your school robes on, and as much as it pains me, five points from Slytherin for your bad taste in company, Miss Davis."
Taryn watched anger suffuse Harry's face. She didn't care if Snape subtracted a thousand points from Slytherin, but she did mind that Gryffindor and her friend suffered, and that she couldn't do a thing about it.
"I suppose you wanted to make a more memorable entrance?" Snape continued. "And with no flying car at your disposal, you thought that you would burst into the feast to create a dramatic effect?"
Harry remained silent, and Taryn had to bite her lip to do the same. Finally they reached the front steps, the great door opening to reveal the vast entrance hall, voices and laughter drifting from the Great Hall beyond.
Harry took the opportunity to walk away, striding to his house table where he was immediately lost in a crowd of housemates.
"You should find your seat, Miss Davis," Snape said quietly.
Nodding at him, she walked toward the Slytherin table, noting the interested glances. Everyone had seen who she had entered the room with and being Slytherins they were all thinking about how best the incident might serve them.
She sat in the first available seat. Determined to act casually, she reached forward for a glass of pumpkin juice. She forced herself to nibble on a chicken leg, taking small bites to better swallow past the lump in her throat.
She felt a burning gaze trained on her. Lifting her eyes from her plate, she looked around, her gaze settling unerringly on Draco Malfoy.
Taryn watched as Draco looked from Harry at the Gryffindor table, then back to her face. She rose her brow at him, daring him to question her.
She was surprised when he merely smirked at her. It pissed her off, and she was determined to wipe the smirk from his face.
Accessing all the Cosmopolitan articles she had secretly read, she locked eyes with his, before lowering her lashes and glancing down slightly to her left. Raising her hand, she slowly pushed back her hair, before glancing back at him. He was staring at her as she grazed her bottom lip with her teeth, before smiling at him.
His eyes widened a bit, before darkening, at her blatant invitation. Taryn felt a blush rush to her cheeks at his intense look.
She lowered her head, letting her hair cover her face. Hook, line, sinker, she thought. Her plan to seduce Draco Malfoy had just started. Soon she would have him exactly where she wanted, complacent and hopefully whipped. All the better for her to spy, and secretly send her findings to Harry.
She didn't realize how in over her head she was. She also didn't notice that she had waved the red flag at the bull, so to speak. The bull being one Pansy Parkinson.