Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 23

Ky's POV

I reached for the library door but it opened before I could grasp it. I followed the hand up to a familiar face, he smirked as was his customary greeting and I walked through, exiting the library.

I glared as a redhead Claw girl with a thick black Alice band gave us a nasty look, "Need me to straighten that nose out for you?" I asked threateningly and her eyes widened with fear and confusion.

She scampered away and I heard Theo's soft chuckle, "I fear all I do is bring trouble to poor Linda Skyfield's doorstep."

"They bring trouble to their own doorstep." I glared after the girl, who had disappeared behind a portrait. If people just mind their own business…the past two days had been nothing but whispers and nudges and points and stares. This made my confusion grow, "Teddy, it is Friday right?"

He stopped stock still for a few moments, a thoughtful expression on his face and then nodded his head, "Yes, it is Friday."

I didn't even want to know what his thought process was for the conclusion, I laughed, taking the stairs down to the first floor, "Where's Mi? She usually gets a head start on homework in the library on a Friday but she wasn't there? Actually, nobody was there…"

I glanced around the next corridor, empty just like the others, this was extremely creepy. I just went upstairs to drop my bag off in our dorm and then I headed off to the library, but I never realised how empty the castle was. Until I realised I couldn't locate Mi.

I stopped walking as the muffled steps of Theo's school shoes on the plush carpet of the first floor disappeared. I turned around; catching him seated at one of the quieter alcoves that littered the first floor, the one right at the corner with the stone wall as a backdrop opposed to a bright sunlit window. He patted the bench next to him and I sighed, walking up to him, these Snakes and their love for the dark.

We sat in silence for a few moments, I turned, lifting my legs off the ground and folding it underneath me and leaning my back against the side wall of the alcove, my body facing Theo's. He had a small smile on his face, observing something in his head, facing straight and seated in a more typical position. I never realised what great posture he had, like Mi's. Where was she? I sighed and he turned his head to me.

"Are you and Potter back together?"

I frowned at the question, "What would make you think that?"

He smiled, his hazel eyes dark with the lack of light, "I heard some very peculiar…sounds…coming from the secret passage of the Hula Dancing Wolf Pups on Wednesday…"

I covered my face with my hands, oh Godric, he did not!

He laughed, "Calm down Kitten, I merely opened the passageway, saw that it was in…use…and shut it again. It was poor lighting, much too dark for me to see a thing."

I grumbled, he opened and shut the door and we didn't hear a thing! How! How many others opened the door, saw us and closed it again. How did we not hear him!

"Is this the matter you wanted to consult Hermione on?"

I raised my head from my hands, nodding. "You think I'm a complete idiot, don't you?"

He frowned at me, turning his body more in my direction to look me in the eye, "When did you care what anybody thinks of you, least of all me."

I sighed, "Maybe I'm not as sure of myself as I pretend to be. I'm sure as hell not as strong as I thought I was. I cannot believe I did that! I mean…" I had this conversation plenty of times in my head and I grumbled out, "He cheated on me! And how do I retaliate…I reward him with…" I stopped, I could speak candidly with Theo but there was no way I was going to give the sounds he overheard accompanying visions.

He laughed, "Retaliate? Why do girls treat love like its some kind of battlefield? Like you're going out for war. Why does everything have to be a tactic, a mission, such effort?" He laughed, "Not that I'm complaining, Salazar no. I think its fun playing Commander of war like the next guy, but where is this book that you lot read from that says you shouldn't be with someone just because they cheated on you?"

I looked at him, my eyes wide; this was crazy talk, even for him, "You can't have love without trust! And cheating is a core way of breaking that trust." I emphasised the breaking with my two fists that I had closed, thumbs to the side, I then tilted it, now with the thumbs at the top of the fist.

He grabbed my wrists in his hands, "And who says this trust thing is like a rigid wand, that just bends and breaks. What if it was flexible," He tilted my fists back to their original position, "fixable."

I scowled at him, "Why are you taking his side?"

"Again with the sides." He laughed, "Honestly, you lot should just discard your uniforms and don battle gear." He tilted his head in thought at that; I waited patiently for his next comment. I nudged him and he snapped out of it, "Sorry…what was I saying..."

"You picturing a bunch of girls having it out in armour, weren't you?"

"You know for something that isn't supposed to be form flattering, Hermione still manages to make it look like the sexiest thing ever. Although I think I'm going to have to minus the sword, yeah…I'm going to want her hands free-"

I nudged him again, "Will you stop!"

He laughed, "All I'm saying is that you sounded like you were having a lot of fun on Wednesday…were you?"

I scowled, leaning back against the side wall of the alcove, "That's different."

"Why? Because that was physical and you don't need emotions for that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. For some people it seems the case." Selina, Ron and Jules seemed to be able to do this whole physical relationship without any emotional attachments.

"And for you?"

My nose flared in defence, "What do you want me to say Teddy, you want me to say I didn't think it was just physical, that there were emotions involved, that I still love him?"

"Then why not date him again?" he shrugged as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

I gasped, "Did you not hear me! He CHEATED on me!"

"So. He FUCKED up." He copied in the same tone. "He's a guy. That's what we do, right? Look, I've been watching you be all miserable for weeks, and it's unnecessary. Don't worry about what the masses think, if you want to date Potter. Go for it. What's the use of loving him and not doing anything about it?"

I thought about his words, angered by the way he made it sound so simple. "What if he hurts me again?" I mumbled out.

"And does it hurt any less, this? Not dating him?"

I bit my lip, Wednesday was…amazing. It was so intense, I mean, Harry was just everywhere and so sure of himself and I was actually disappointed that it didn't conclude with us having sex. I mean, it was sensational; there were no words, no thoughts, just him on me and his touch and all I felt was that. No worries…no pain…it was breathtaking…and then after wave after wave of pleasure left me…there I was…lying on the stairs of a secret passageway staring up at those sincere, emerald green eyes…and it all came back tenfold. The thoughts, the pain, the worry…what did I just do?

"What did I do…" I banged the back of my head softly against the wall.

"You experienced it Kitten. You lived in it. You embraced it." He stood, pulling me up with him, "It's not meant to be thought about."

I looked up at him, smiling at the sure look on his face, "When did you get so wise Theodore Nott."

"No wisdom at all…I guess I'm just experiencing it…and living in it…and embracing it." He laughed, pulling me down the Great Hall stairs, "And I'm telling you Kitten, there ain't a thing like it."

I stopped halfway down, his hair glowing light brown by the light that spilled through the opened door, "You really?"

He turned, a genuine smile on his face, his hazel eyes glinting up at me, "Of course. It's not one of those things you do halfway, now is it?"

"Nott!" He turned and I ran down to his step, he was blocking me from her view "I sent you for her like ten minutes ago!" Mi scolded, "What's taking you so long! Oh Ky!"

Mi smiled up at me but I froze on the step at the sight of her…I didn't know how to react but to burst out laughing.

I didn't know what to take in first, the fact that she was sporting a wig that was almost a clone of my own hair, the fact that she was using her blue one piece swimsuit with her white beach dress, or the fact that she was standing with this combination in the middle of the Hogwarts Entrance Hall.

"What is going on!" I laughed, taking the remainder of the steps two at a time and touching her hair in fascination, it was so soft. "Oh my fuck, is that a tattoo." I touched the star tattoo that was on her left breast and she swatted my hand away in chastisement.

"Language!" She spat out and I rolled my eyes, playing with her hair again.

"KY!" I turned to the front doors, they were a few figures shadowed in the entrance.

I walked up and I let out another laugh, "I think I might be in one of Teddy's porno dreams."

Bobby laughed, her tall figure clad in bright red, no beach dress hindering the full effect that was Bobby in a bikini. She sauntered forward, a wide smile on her face, and a large summer hat covering her…she was also wearing a wig…a my hair wig! "Welcome! To Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's First ever Beach Day!"

"For just five sickles you can enjoy a waddle in our beach," Parvarti leaned in conspiratorially, her sand skin covered in a blue bikini, her dark hair out of its usual plait and hugging her waist, our hair was very similar in colour so I don't think she was wearing a wig "When we say beach we mean Black Lake…"

"But Flitwick put some wards up that make it safe to swim in." Added Ginny, she was using her white bikini, and unlike the rest of them she actually seemed to have taken a swim, her now dark locks soaking wet.

"And all proceeds go to charity!" Bobby added with a smile and then frowned, "And when I say charity I don't mean the Muggle Studies Professor. I think Professor Burbage was going to hex Neville when he tried giving her ten galleons."

I stood there, laughing with shock, "That's great and everything…but…why!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Bobby stated, affronted.

Mi sighed, "I know, I didn't get it either."

"Well this is a big slap in the face to whichever slut-"

"Pansy Parkinson." Parvarti coughed under her breath.

"-pulled that stunt on Wednesday. She thought she could ruin your image because the school saw you with just a bra-"

"That wasn't me-"

She battered my words away with her gesturing hand, "And then I thought! It wouldn't be such a big deal if everyone was seen walking around with just a bra-"

"And I told her that was the craziest idea that she ever had and no teacher would sign off on it." Mi muttered.

Bobby rolled her eyes, "We scratched the pink bra protest-"

"What protest?" Theo gagged out and she ignored him

"And decided that bikini's are practically the same thing, so we settled on having a beach day! And so as to not detract from our original plan of dealing with the skanks that put that Poster out. We decided what better way to deal with it, than instead of treating it as some kind of embarrassment, we rather, embrace it!" She gesture with jazz fingers, "Hence the wigs and star tattoos-"

"Which I don't have-"

"And if I say so myself I look HOT as a brunette." She pouted at me and everyone laughed.

"I don't know what to say…this is…"I shook my head, "This is…thank you." I can't believe they would go through all this trouble, because of me…I mean…the poster didn't affect me, not really, I knew the truth. I guess if it was done to Mi I would have been angrier, more offensive…maybe that's the way they felt.

Bobby rolled her brown eyes, "Can it with the sob fest, we all know I really did it to rock this bikini bod."

"Miss Brown." Minnie stood at the entrance, her face sterner than usual, "The rules were you are allowed to adorn such…clothes…if you stay in the vicinity of the black lake! Ten points from Gryffindor for each of you."

Bobby rolled her eyes as Mi ushered us all outside, I smiled at Minnie, and her face softened slightly. The grounds were littered with students in a colourful array, they were beach umbrellas stuck in the green grass and somebody had conjured a diving board on the side of the area they allocated for swimming in the Black Lake. Fil Zio stood at the Lake Embankment, a keen eye on the students swimming in the lake.

Mona Zia was overseeing the sand castle contests, Godric knows where they got the soft white sand from but the students were going crazy, one guy was building a statue of the staff table, with the staff seated at it!

Sev like Minnie was patrolling, and I could see a lot of prefects doing the same. I laughed, running up to a stall that was bedecked with dark haired wigs, there was a long line of girls outside it, and the stall was manned by none other than Luna.

"Thank you for supporting the Search for The Crumpled Horned Snorcack Foundation! Your galleon would be put to great use. Well hello Ky!" I waved at Luna as she handed over a wig to a second year Gryffindor.

"Th…thank y…you." Angelique was in a stall next to Luna, handing over a small patch adorning a star on it to a group of giggling Third years who were debating where to put it. I waved at her and she returned the wave, her pale face made paler so by the dark mane she now sported. This was way too weird.

I found Mi sitting at a long table, next to Bobby and Parvarti and I joined them. "What are we fighting to save?"

"Children." Mi stated, gesturing at the sign just in front of the desk, "St Mungo's children's ward. This is the donation desk, anyone who feels like giving what they can, may do so here. Plus," She smiled with glee, pulling out a large tomb, staring at it in awe, "This is Lady Kensington's first edition to Ladies Treating Maladies, it's such a rarity! I don't know where Snape found it!"

"Sev?" I asked confused.

"Yes." I heard the snarky voice behind me, and I turned. He looked like he was in a terror of a mood, "Miss Granger, I thought you said that insipid contraption would only be out for one hour, it has been sixty three minutes and the line for the infernal thing isn't getting any shorter!"

Mi jumped up in fright, "I told Professor Flitwick to stop letting students use the diving board at four Professor. I'll go and remind him. Ky, man the desk."

She scuttled away, righting her wig which jostled off slightly whist doing so and I slumped in her place, "So Sev, care to donate to the wee little ones."

He glowered at me for a moment, turning on his heel to snap at some couple that were getting too close at an umbrella nearby.

"You know I cannot believe that creepy freak signed off on this. When I sent Hermione to ask him I didn't think he would actually say yes!" Bobby squealed, playing with a dark strand and smiling at a passing boy. "We'll be legends for this, we would."

I shook my head, the action turning into full out laughter when I clamped my eyes on Dean and Seamus. The both of them were wearing shorts, with a matching bikini top, a star tattoo on their left pec, their matching dark wigs blowing in the wind.

"Well hello my pretty ladies." Dean smiled, winking at us. Bobby and Parvarti burst into giggles, "Ten galleons to your worthy cause, whatever it may be."

He handed me the bag and I opened it, rolling my eyes when I saw there was only five knuts in there, I didn't say anything and added it to box with the other pouches and wrote his name down on the register Mi left on the table. Bobby was expressing her gratitude to him in soft tones and he was too enthralled by it to accept the sticker I saw Mi give out when someone made a donation.

Just then Juliette bounced by, waving at us and Seamus' head whipped around… "By Godric I love this day."

"A hundred and eight galleons, two sickles and fifteen knuts." I looked at the bulging bag and followed the hand up to Duncan Igleby.

My brows rose and I opened the bag, it was glistening gold. "Thank you Igleby. This is really good of you." I couldn't help the slight tone of surprise, the boy didn't exactly make a good first impression.

He shined his perfect teeth down at me, "Every knut counts, doesn't it?"

I nodded as he walked away, turning to Bobby who had a huge smile on her face. "What?"

Parvarti smiled guiltily next to her, "What!" I added.

"So you can't tell Hermione-"

"It's just that nobody would want to contribute any money if it was for some dumb book by some dead healer-"

"And Snape would never had signed off on it-"

"So we secretly added a little something to the book to make it more worth their while-"

"To loosen their pockets a bit-"

"It is for a good cause-"

"And we sent word around on the down lo letting everyone know what it is." Bobby smirked in satisfaction at her own sneakiness.

I grabbed the book from under the desk, flipping through it and seeing what they did. I sighed.

"It's the last copy, and you said so yourself-"

"It's not you from the neck down-"

"So we wouldn't think you would mind."

I laughed, it's not like the whole school didn't see it already. "Who forged my signature?" I looked at the now autographed poster that had started it all.

"That was me." Parvarti added with pride.

"There's two n's in Kyrianna." She frowned and Bobby rolled her eyes, "I told you!"

"A thousand galleons."

We snapped our head away at that, and I smiled at Daphne. She wore large shades which blocked her intelligent green eyes, her lips a dark pink which matched her bikini, she had a floral wrap on her pale hips but she looked every bit the glamour model, even with the dark haired wig. I could feel the jealous vibes ooze of Bobby and Parvarti, both standing and walking off, whispering to each other.

"Why Greengrass, if you wanted to see me naked, you should just ask."

She laughed, "Oh please, like I'm doing this for that tasteless picture of the fake breasted harlot. I hear this is for a good cause and I'm nothing but generous to good causes."

I took the paper she handed to me, it was a cheque for a thousand galleons in her name. I looked past her, there was a few boys hovering behind us, watching the transaction. One of them had very distinctive green eyes, the other was Davis, the idiot that Harry pummelled the other day.

"I see you have some fans." She glanced backwards at the boys, and her face fell into a scowl.

"More like flies."

She muttered, turning on her heel and walking off. The boys followed and I frowned at that.

"One thousand galleons!" Mi grabbed the cheque from me, staring at it with wide eyes, "I knew Greengrass was rich…but this is insane. Wow, who was the large sack of gold from?"

"Headboy. A hundred and something galleons."

She placed it all in the box, tapping it with a wand and it disappeared, which was sometimes an effect of placing up wards on something, a smug smile on her face, "I knew it would be a great idea to give Lady Kensington's gift as a prize, Lavender thought it was boring but look at all the money we're making!"

"Hello Hermione. Ky." We turned, Terry Boot stood before us, tilting his head in greeting to us both. He smiled wider at Mi and I had to refrain from rolling my eyes at his obviousness. The shirtless boy next to him nudged him and he looked startled for a moment before coming to, "Oh Ky, this is Tommy Lee."

"Thomas Lee." He corrected, walking forward and holding out a hand, I took it, I wasn't one for handshakes and I became less so has I had to tug to get my hand back from the blonde boy. His blue eyes twinkled down at me and I couldn't help thinking that he looked like a Ken doll in beach accessories. He frowned…oh shit…was I laughing out loud?

"Fifty galleons." He said, holding out the sack to me and I took it appreciatively.

"Thank you." And he smiled back smugly.

"That's from all the sixth year Ravenclaw boys." Terry added, frowning slightly at Thomas Lee who didn't seem bothered by the least that he had tried taking all the fame. "I must say Hermione, you look positively radiant with that hair."

"Really?" I heard a voice behind me, I tilted my head up to see Teddy standing behind me, smiling down at Mi, "I beg to differ; I would say that even though this look is indeed beautiful, I much prefer the look that lies underneath." He added, his voice warm.

"That's positively crude Nott, how dare you say such things about Hermione!" Snapped Terry.

Theo smiled at Terry, "Whatever are you talking about Boot. I was talking about her wig, get your mind out of the gutters."

Terry went red in the face and stomped off, Lee smirked at me one last time and walked off.

"Nott-"

"What Hermione?" Theo said, taking Bobby's seat, "What did I do now, except tell you how beautiful you look. You always look."

Mi's face was so red I thought she might faint, she stood, "I'm going to check if the prefects need any help. Ky, the table closes in ten minutes."

Theo sighed as she stomped away, "War I tell you." He turned back to me, "So you haven't asked me."

"What?" I furrowed my brows at him in question.

"Well I've been waiting since Wednesday but nobody asked me. Hermione almost asked but then she didn't." He said disappointed, "Who was the master mind behind the whole poster thing."

I laughed, "I really could care less."

"You should. Don't you see why they've done it? Don't you realise that suddenly there's all these knew suitors. Yes word went around that Ky Thornton and Harry Potter called it quits over the holiday and they were both on the market, but nobody had the guts to ask you out. And poof, the poster comes and suddenly the male student body aren't thinking with their big heads any more, the more confident are walking forward and actually talking to you. But look around," His eyes flickered to his left and I followed him, there was a group of seventh year boys that I only knew by face smiling at me, "They're like vultures Kitten, and you're the delicious dead carcass."

"Why would anyone want that though?"

He leaned closer to me, "Isn't obvious, with the queen out of the way, the king is ever so easy to get to. Poor Harry Potter, single after Kyrianna Thornton cheated on him with a Slytherin no less."

"What!" I added, completely shocked.

"That's what the rumour mill says, nobody thinks it probable that he was the one that did the dirty deed."

That was absolutely preposterous, "Slytherin?"

"Me." he added nonchalantly, "apparently my coming over to greet you at the Gryffindor table was tantamount to us engaging in carnal activity right next to the porridge. It set the tongues wagging and they only felt what they were doing was right, protect the Chosen one from the narcissistic Headmaster's granddaughter who enchanted poor Harry Potter with her unnatural good looks."

"That's what they think of me!"

"They also think your breasts are fake and that you use a whole array of WonderWitch products."

I looked down, hurt. That's what people thought happened! And that's what they thought of me!

"Kitten, I didn't tell you this to get you upset. I just wanted you to be wary of the outside forces, why do you care what the random voices think. Look what the people who DO know you would DO for you." He glanced around the grounds, "They will always be people who want to hurt you, but there are more than enough that would go above and beyond to protect you. Even if it's from something small like senseless gossip."

I smiled, "You're on a roll today Nott."

He smiled back, "I reckon I have to up my game considering who my opponent is. I plan on winning this war Kitten." I watched as his eyes were on Mi, who was chiding Ron about something or another. "Daphne gave a THOUSAND galleons."

"What?"

"Draco is going to be pissed. Have to go Kitten." He jumped to his feet and I gasped.

"Theodor Nott you little spy." I laughed, he came here just to find out who had raised the most, spotting the name on my register.

"That he is." I turned, shocked at the voice. I didn't know how to react, I hadn't spoken or seen him since Wednesday. He was wearing a pair of black shorts, a thin white tee and he chose to press the star onto the side of his right wrist. His emerald green eyes were bright, his unkempt hair sticking up more than usual.

I smiled, "Took a little dip in the Lake?"

He smiled easily back, pushing his glasses up his nose, "Ron pushed me in. Err…here. For the St Mungo's thing."

"Thanks Harry." I didn't look at how much he gave; placing the cheque in the box like Mi did the others.

"I would have given more but…"

"No, whatever it is, is more than enough."

"Yeah…" his smile faded, "I wish I had enough for the...book. I really wanted to get the book."

I looked up at him through my lashes, "Maybe you can get the book…if you want?"

"Huh?" he asked, surprised.

"I mean…if you wanted to borrow the book again….I mean, you've already read it but the ending sucked so maybe you want to try out…the sequel."

"Well that depends." He added breathlessly, "On the librarian…whether she wanted to let out the book again."

"Well she's given it a lot of thought. And even though you scribbled on the book and tore out pages and-"

"That can be mended." He said, determined.

"It will probably be more fragile then." I looked up at him, Godric I would have been laughing at anybody else who was having this conversation.

He leaned on the table looking me in the eye, "Then I will handle it with the utmost care."

I smiled, handing him the little sticker that we had given every one that donated money, it was a smiley face that changed colour. He took it, touching my fingertips lightly before turning and walking away.

"One thousand and one galleons."

I stopped staring at Harry's back and turned to the familiar voice, "Isn't that a bit obvious."

"No," Malfoy smirked, "Obvious would be giving one thousand galleons and a knut. I'm being generous."

"Really?" I added with a cocked brow, I knew Malfoy and I had our differences but I was kind of disappointed that he had left me at the pool yesterday when I was so obviously in pain. I think I had overexerted myself but he had just walked away without even a question of concern. "Do you even know what charity this is for?"

"Does it matter, as a Malfoy it's necessary for me to raise the most amount." He smirked, looking at Lady Kensington's book. "What, did you think I was doing it for that…book?"

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the cheque from him. Mi walked passed, "Desk closes in a minute Ky."

"Great."I smiled, "I'm just in time then." I grabbed a parchment on the table and scribbled on it and signed, tapping my wand to it as well, "I don't have my cheque book with me, but I've signed magically and that should do right?"

Mi nodded and Malfoy scowled down at me, he snatched his cheque back, "I've changed my mind." He scratched out, "I meant to say one thousand one hundred."

"Funny thing." I scratched out the number I just wrote, "I meant one thousand two hundred."

He glared at me, "Well I actually meant one thousand five hundred."

I laughed, "Ooops, I must have meant two thousand!" He was not getting that poster!

"Ky…" Mi muttered.

"Two." Malfoy scoffed out the word in derision, scribbling away, did he even have any more space to write, "Two and half."

"Did I say two? I meant three."

"Ky, the desk closes in ten sec-"

"Five thousand!" Malfoy snapped, scribbling furiously on the parchment.

I glared at him, he would really go this far!

"Five!" I could hear the girls cheer behind me, "FOUR!" I don't think I could beat him, five thousand was all I had access to. "THREE! TWO!"

"Ten thousand galleons." My head snapped up at the voice and Malfoy turned so fast he might have gotten whiplash.

"And the winner of the first edition of Lady Kensington's Ladies Treating Maladies is none other than-…"

A/N: I had much too much fun writing that chapter, did you enjoy it?

PLEASE DROP A REVIEW…

Kalina