Chapter Eleven

Draco walked into the Great Hall, his gaze scanning the room warily. He noted Blaise Zabini sitting beside Pansy, both glaring at him in anger.

His looked over them, he wasn't concerned with them at the moment, and his gaze settled unerringly on Taryn, who was sitting with her roommate.

Judging by the whispers that followed him as he advanced on the Slytherin table, his tussle with Blaise was already making the rounds. Pushing down is anxiety, he shrugged his shoulders and moved forward to sit next to Crabble and Goyle, who were sitting, unfortunately, across from Pansy.

"So, I hear you like dirty little half-bloods now," Pansy said, her voice ringing across the table. Silence immediately blanketed the table, as interested eyes landed on Draco.

Chase, who was sitting further down the table with Taryn, nudged his friend nodding his head to the conversation that everyone was most interested to hear.

"How is that any of your business?" Draco asked quietly, his hand reaching forward for a glass of pumpkin juice. Sipping the sweet beverage he waited for her response.

"Not my business?" Pansy sputtered. "What is wrong with you? You accost Blaise in the corridor. You're shagging half-bloods," gasps flew across the table at this, "and you don't have time for your real friends."

"You really want to do this here, Pansy?" Draco wasn't one to air all of his business in public, but it seemed that Pansy wasn't going to give him a choice. He looked down at the first years. He didn't want to say what he was going to have to in front of the younger kids, but they were Slytherin after all. It wasn't like they didn't hear things that were far worse in Slytherin House everyday. Slytherin students had to build tough skins rather quickly.

He didn't glance down at Taryn, but if he had he would have seen her slowly reddening in both embarrassment and anger.

"Why not? If it isn't true then you don't have anything to hide, and if it is, well everyone already knows," Pansy said archly.

"Right then," Draco said pushing his juice away. "I'm tired of your shit, Pansy. You're angry because one: I'm not fucking you anymore, and two: because I didn't cave and ask you to marry me."

Many of the girls, most of which hated Pansy with a passion, laughed out in pure glee at the drama that was unfolding.

Pansy stood, trembling with anger. "You would choose that...that inferior little bitch over me? My family is perfectly Pureblood, right down to the start of the Parkinson line. My bloodline is impeccable. You can't possibly want her over me."

Draco chucked in derision. She wasn't even mad about what he'd said. She was more insulted that he had chosen someone that she considered inferior over her.

"You're making it sound like what we had was far more important than it actually was," he said looking at her, as one brow rose.

"I was your girlfriend for nearly a year! We lost our virginity to each other!" She screeched.

Her voice had risen high enough to reach the high table. Professor Snape quietly left his seat, and began to walk to his house table, black robes billowing.

The other house tables were also listening avidly to the proceedings, ears perked for any juicy little tidbit.

Draco leaned back a bit, his arms crossing over his chest. "I wasn't a virgin when we shagged Pansy."

"What? But you said– ," she began.

"I never said, you assumed," he returned, "Really Pansy? Why pretend? You and I both know exactly what it was and if I remember correctly it didn't take you long to find a replacement."

"You utter bastard!" Pansy screamed.

By then Snape had reached the table and was standing directly behind Pansy. "Miss Parkinson, none of us want to know any more aspects of your private life. The Great Hall is not the place to air your grievances with Mr. Malfoy. I expect more from the both of you. As prefects your are held to a higher standard. You will both report for detention with Filch on Monday afternoon directly after classes."

"But sir, that isn't fair, he..." Pansy sputtered.

"I didn't ask you your opinion on what is fair, Miss Parkinson. Ten points from Slytherin for your very public outburst, and ten additional points for your backtalk." Snape said, his voice quietly menacing. Turning to Draco he added, "Ten points for engaging with Miss Parkinson. Stand up, Mr. Malfoy, and come with me."

Draco gave a quick gaze of longing at the food laden table, before standing with a sigh to follow Snape from the Great Hall and down several corridors to an empty classroom.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing Draco?" Snape hissed once he had spelled the door against eavesdroppers.

"She was the one who started..." Draco began.

"Not that, you silly boy," Snape said watching Draco bristle at being called a boy, "I mean the Katie Bell incident."

"What Katie Bell incident? " Draco asked in confusion. The only things he knew about Katie Bell were that she was a Gryffindor and a Chaser on her house's team.

"Katie Bell was brought to the castle earlier today in Hagrid's arms. She was in severe pain from a curse stemming from her handling a certain Opal Necklace. The only reason that she didn't die is because the necklace touched her only through a tiny hole in her glove. I had to work quickly just to remove the curse. Now, do you have any idea how she came by such an item?" Snape asked, voice low and indicating that he knew exactly from where the necklace came.

"I don't know how she got it. She wasn't supposed to have it at all. I left instructions that..." Draco said, stopping when he realized how open he had worded his command. He couldn't believe that he had made such a mistake. He couldn't afford to make mistakes! He was furious with himself. He was now back to square one. He hadn't came up with plan B. He had thought his plan was foolproof. Rosmerta would deliver the necklace under one pretense or another, and Dumbledore would die. His mother would be safe, and he would be free from burden.

"Well, apparently your instructions were not sufficient enough to do the job! You are leaving me in a precarious position. While you spent your afternoon in more pleasurable activities, I was covering your tracks and convincing the Dark Lord not to kill you for your failure. He is losing patience, but after my firm assurances, he has given you until the end of the year to complete your task. I don't have to tell you what will happen if Dumbledore isn't dead by the time the students board the Hogwarts Express," Snape said.

Draco breathed in a deep breath before stating solemnly. "He will be, sir."

Snape looked at him for one long moment, before nodding sharply. "Make sure that you report to detention on Monday. I don't want to hear anymore outbursts like that at the house table. You don't need any more attention I should think," he said, turning to the door and removing the spells before leaving Draco alone in the room with his thoughts.

Taryn forced herself to eat the rest of her meal, while several eyes burned holes into her back. She was riddled with embarrassment. Now, practically the entire school knew what she had been doing this afternoon. She had expected the scrutiny from her house members, but now that Pansy had aired the news to the entire school, it was now the juiciest piece of gossip around. People needed something to take their mind off of Voldemort, and Pansy had served her sex life up on a platter.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked quietly, concern evident in his voice. He had wanted to curse both Pansy and Draco, only Taryn's whispered plea not to act, and her hand against his forearm had stopped him.

"I'm fine," Taryn said in a clipped tone. She caught Chase's flinch. "I'm fine," she said repeated in a softer tone.

In truth, she was anything but fine. Apart from embarrassment, she was angry.

In fact, she was bloody furious. She couldn't line up the man that she had made love with, with the one that had coldly taunted Pansy. She didn't like Pansy one bit, but Draco's response to her had been harsh. The harsh response hadn't even been the worse part. Even worse was the fact that he had let Pansy call her a dirty half-blood without defending her!

Past her anger was thankfulness. She had felt tender feelings for Draco creeping into her heart, and while his cruelty hadn't erased them, it had made her much more wary. There were many sides to Draco Malfoy, and she'd come to the realization that she didn't understand him at all. He wasn't a book. He was a man with many layers, and she wasn't sure that she liked all the one that he had just revealed.

On the other hand was the way he'd made love to her. It seemed that in bed was the one place where he shed everything. She cold Malfoy exterior peeled away, leaving in its wake simply Draco the man. It was there were she would know him, but first she had to confront him about a few issues.

"Are you finished eating?" Taryn asked Chase quietly.

"Yeah, we can go now if you want," Chase replied, his gaze searching her face.

They both stood, and quickly walked away from the table.

Back in their room, Taryn quickly dressed in a pair of black stretchy shorts and some dance socks, over which donned a pair of pink sweats. She quickly picked out a black halter pulling in on quickly, before heading over to her dresser. She grabbed her pointe shoes, letting them hang from her hand by the ribbons. She threw a few items into a black case, before turning to Chase.

"I'm going to practice. I'll probably be gone a couple of hours," she said.

"Do you want to try some yoga?" Chase asked in concern, "It can be very relaxing."

Taryn managed a smile at her friend. "Thanks, but I don't think relaxation is what I need. I really need to let off some steam."

"Okay, then, I'll see you later," Chase said, frowning.

He watched sadly as his friend left the room. Taryn was being too quiet about what she was feeling, and it worried him. He had learned over the past month to leave her alone when she was upset. That she needed the time alone to gather her thoughts. Eventually she would come and talk if she thought that it would help.

…

Taryn walked down Serpent Hall and past the Common Room, ignoring the whispers that followed her. Her determined stride and pursed mouth discouraged even the the nosy busybodies from tying to stop and question her.

Slytherin house had so many rooms, even surprisingly a dance studio. Taryn had thought that she was going to have to practice in her room. Even though her room in Serpent Hall was bigger than her room at home, it was still a bit cramped for dancing.

The dance studio was of course painted in green, with a long antique mirror on one wall. There was an ancient radio sitting on a pedestal in the corner of the room, but she ignored this. Wizard radios didn't get the kind of stations that she wanted anyway.

She stripped the sweats away, piling them on the floor, and after thinking a moment, she pulled off her dance socks, placing them on top along with her pointe shoes. She didn't think she had the discipline today for pointe work. Instead, she decided to just move, to dance in whatever way the music steered her.

She pulled a CD out of her case, pointing her wand at it with a whispered, "Ludere." The disk lit with a small yellow light that hovered over the CD and began to spin as it worked.

She warmed up quickly, before her body began to work, moving in a fevered rhythm, trying to work away the anger that boiled in her veins.

After Draco worked past his thoughts, and his disappointment in himself, he decided to go find Taryn. He didn't know why her company seemed vital at that moment, and he didn't stop to question himself.

Back in Serpent Hall he knocked on her door, waiting a beat before the door was opened.

Chase sighed as he saw who was in his door. "She's not here," he said bluntly.

Draco was taken aback by the other boy's tone. He seemed...angry. Ignoring this, Draco asked just as bluntly, "Where is she?"

Chase debated a minute on whether or not to tell Draco where Taryn had gone. He knew that his decision might blow up in his face later, but he thought that both Draco and Taryn just needed a firm push. Both were crazy about the other, and both were too damn stubborn to realize it. "She's in the dance room."

Draco's brow rose. "Dance room?"

Chase sighed in disbelief. "Taryn is a dancer. You really didn't know that? What the hell do you guys talk about?"

Draco blushed slightly in embarrassment. To be honest, they mostly argued. They really didn't know much about the other, other than the random facts that one learned about an acquaintance. He really couldn't even be mad about it. He hadn't known that she was a dancer, and he damn sure hadn't told her that he was a fighter. Their conversation was mostly school related, or conversation rife with innuendo and flirting. The one time they had been completely alone, with no threat of interruption, well, they had used that time for other things.

"Never mind that. Thanks for the tip," he said, turning to walk away. A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I know that you could probably kill me if it came down to something physical, but I could wipe the floor with you when it comes to cursework. So I just want you to know, if you hurt my friend I'll make you regret it," Chase said, his voice deadly serious.

Draco looked at him for one long moment. He had heard that Chase was good at defensive spells, but the other wizard hadn't grown up with a Deatheater as a father. What he thought were defensive spells might work here in Hogwarts were there were certain limitations, but the other boy had no idea of what Draco was really capable of, however, he did appreciate the sentiment. He was glad that he wasn't the only one looking out for Taryn.

"She's safe with me," was all Draco said in reply. He started to walk away before turning back. "Where is the dance room anyway?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "Its four doors past the library."

Draco nodded his thanks.

Chase watched the boy walk away, heading directly for the dance studio. He pushed down a twinge of unease. Maybe Taryn was physically safe, but he wasn't sure that his friend was protected emotionally.

…

Draco watched her dance, his gaze riveted. Chase had said she was a dancer, but...she was an artist. Art in motion. He silently laughed at himself for his overly sensitive thoughts. Thank Merlin he was an accomplished Occlumens. He shuddered at the notion of his very confused thoughts being made public knowledge.

The music was so loud that she hadn't noticed him walking into the room. Either that, or she was totally immersed in dance, her movements graceful despite the anger that she was so obviously exercising away.

Draco understood anger. He lived with it everyday. Fighting was his only outlet, to drain away the excess emotion. It kept the flame of his anger from turning into wildfire, and instead maintained as carefully burning coals.

What confused him was the root of her anger. He just didn't know why she was so angry. He should be the one that was pissed. She was the one that had left before he woke. It wasn't like he had planned breakfast in bed or anything, but still.

Taryn finally noticed him leaning against the wall, watching her.

"What do you want?" she asked in irritation. She pushed a sweat dampened piece of hair that had escaped her bun from her face.

She frowned when he didn't answer her promptly.

"You can leave the same way you entered," she said, walking over to her case to pull out a water bottle, taking a drink from the chill container.

"Why didn't you tell me you danced?" Draco asked instead, making no move to leave.

"Why don't you tell me anything about yourself?" she retorted. "Oh, I know why. Its because we don't talk about anything important. We argue and now we have sex. That is pretty much it," she said, pursing her lips.

Draco was taken aback. " I never made you any promises, and before now you haven't indicated that you wanted them. What do you expect from me Taryn?"

She went rigid for a moment, before grabbing her wand and murmuring a locking spell at the door. She turned back to Draco.

Obviously he wasn't going to leave her alone, so they were going to have this out. Even though she had locked the door she wasn't worried that anyone would interrupt them. The dance studio didn't have much traffic beyond her practicing and the occasional meetings of Chase's yoga group when he gathered enough people, so no one would be there to witness the hell she was about to reign on one Draco Malfoy.

"You asshole!," she said striding forward and punching him in the jaw with one small fist. She hissed, shaking her hand in pain. Merlin, his face was like stone! This made the second time that she had hit him, though he didn't know that. She vividly remembered the first time during their third year. He had deserved it then as well.

"What is your problem, woman?" Draco asked, rubbing his face with one hand. He couldn't believe that she had hit him! It really hadn't hurt, he had taken much harder hits in his life, but he was still amazed. Amazed and confused.

"My problem," she said her chest rising with angry breaths, "is that you you let that bitch, Pansy, call me a filthy half-blood in front of the entire school! And you didn't say anything! You want to know what I expect from you? I at least expect you to defend me."

She watched his brow crinkle. "I didn't realize...Taryn you have to understand. People expect certain things from me."

"So, you're a coward then?" she asked angrily.

Anger suffused his face. "Don't call me that! You have no idea of the things that make me the way I am, and you don't have the right to judge. You aren't my girlfriend!"

"I didn't ask to be!" she practically screamed.

"Then why are you acting like one?" His voice had risen to match hers.

"I don't know why I thought that this would be a good idea! What the hell was I thinking starting this with you?" Taryn said, almost to herself, talking about more than just the fact that they had had sex. Her plan was unraveling and she didn't know how to pick up the pieces.

She paced the room, not noticing Draco taking in her attire. He had noticed how little she was wearing in the back of his mind earlier, but he had been distracted by the beauty of her dance. Now he was distracted by how much of her body was showing. The tiny shorts and halter didn't leave much to the imagination, clearly outlining the curves of her body. He'd seen girls in much less, even at bouts the ring girls wore less, but they didn't affect him in the way Taryn was.

Draco strode forward, pulling her to him, ignoring her struggles. "Why? Because you knew that we would be combustible together. You knew just as I did, that it would be like this," he said before his mouth crashed down to hers.

Taryn moaned, before breaking away from his lips. "This doesn't change the fact that I'm still mad at you," she breathed against his mouth, as her hands were busily unbuckling his belt.

"Well, I'm not exactly pleased that you hit me in the face," Draco said smirking.

He peeled the halter over her head, and threw it to the floor, leaving her breasts bare. The rosy peaks of her breasts puckered in the slight chill of the room, and he couldn't resist the temptation. His mouth went down, drawing a nipple into the hot cavern of his mouth. Flicking his tongue against the bud, he reached a hand up to toy with other breast.

Taryn hand rose to his chest, slightly pushing him away. "Strip," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Draco said, smirking again. He quickly removed his remaining clothes, before glancing around the room. The floor was rather...hard. Not at all conducive to shagging. He spied a pile of mats against one wall.

He hoisted her into his arms, her legs twining around his waist as he walked them forward to the pile of mats.

"I'm not having sex with you on those mats," Taryn sated emphatically. Who knew what was on them? She shuddered at the thought of the germs that resided there.

"I got it," Draco said, pulling the wand out of her hair and casting a quick Scourgify on the mats.

Taryn was still dubious about the cleanliness of the mats, but the thought soon left her as his mouth covered hers again, tongue caressing hers, overwhelming her senses with his taste.

He set her down gently on the mats, his hands reaching down to pull the shorts away from her hips, before covering her once more with his body, threading his fingers through hers and raising her arms above her head.

He resumed kissing her, his lips hot and feverish against hers. She drew in his scent, loving the deep woodsy smell, the thump of the music almost drowning out her moans as he once more turned his attention to her breasts, palming the mounds gently, before grazing his hand down her ribs.

Pulling her left leg higher on his hip, he slid inside her in one deep thrust, his hips moving rhythmically as he surged within her again and again.

She gasped into his mouth, only slightly hearing him as he chanted her name like a benediction.

"More," she moaned unashamedly, her hands raking his back as she arched against him with a sob of pleasure.

"Shit," he hissed, his hips moving faster. She was burning him up. He was surprised that the mats hadn't caught fire. His hips danced into hers, as he drank in her small cries of pleasure.

When felt her contract around him, her scream of pleasure barely drowned by the music, he focused on himself, pistoning inside her fiercely before coming with a low growl.

He breathed deeply for a moment, before separating them and flipping over taking his much heavier weight from her.

He reclined for a second before sitting up at the sting in his back.

Taryn glanced at his back, wincing when she saw the damage her nails had made said, "Shit, Draco I'm sorry." She leaned over to kiss the skin at his shoulder.

He smiled. "Its nothing. I barely feel it...Don't worry about it love," he said before lying down again and pulling her to him, her head resting on his chest.

"I'm sorry," he said in the sudden silence of the room as the song ended.

She raised her head, and looked into his eyes. Blue into grey. She knew that he was apologizing for not defending her. "Its okay."

"No, its not," he said, "You deserve better than this. Merlin, Taryn, I don't know what I'm doing with you. I don't know where we stand," he said.

His voice revealed an insecurity that she had never heard from him before. She was beginning to feel...wrong about what she was doing.

Her determination regarding her plan was starting to wane. She no longer wanted to use him in this way, but she didn't know how else she was going to help Harry. She felt her new purpose draining away and now she was at loose ends. She loved her friends, but she was...reluctant...about hurting Draco. She knew, intuitively, that she now had that power. The power to hurt him, and it scared her.

Instead of answering his unasked question she said, "Let me fix your back," and murmured a quiet Episkey pointing her wand at the scratches, before lying back in his arms.

Snape was in his quarters brooding.

He was bound by his Unbreakable Vow, and Draco wasn't making it easy. He had promised Narcissa that he wouldn't tell Draco about the vow, a regular promise, and while he wanted to keep that promise, he was finding it difficult. Especially when the boy persisted in his idiotic plans to kill Dumbledore.

It was almost as if the boy didn't really want it finished. He had to know that his mother's safety hinged on the successful murder of Albus Dumbledore, but Snape didn't think that Draco had the stomach for murder.

On another matter, Snape thought that he had an idea on who had fathered Draco. The theories that had been forming in his mind as soon as he heard Narcissa's story had been crazy. At least he had thought so at first.

There were only a few creatures that could successfully fool a fully matured witch, not to mention getting past the plethora of charms and wards on Malfoy Manor. Wards that had been in place for centuries. It would have taken an awesome amount of power, as well as a certain disregard for rules, to bypass the security.

If Draco's father was who or what he thought he was, then Narcissa and Draco had more to worry about than a visit to Azkaban.

If what he thought was correct, Voldemort would want use the boy, draining him, until he was nothing but a husk blowing in the wind.

If he could get Draco on the right side he might have just stumbled upon a resolution to all of their problems. A solution that could help turn the tide in this war.

He walked over to a shelf of his personal library, pulling down a huge dusty tome.

On the cover of the heavy brown leather bound book were the words Фольклор и бестиарий etched in gold.