Chapter 42: The one where I kick ass.

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

Chapter 41

What followed was a cacophony of sound. A swear word muttered by Malfoy, a door banging followed by footsteps and somebody screaming, "Barry, what the fuck!"

I didn't wait for a response from dear Barry. I rolled off Zabini and Greengrass, just having managed to knock them out of the way as the curse whizzed above us. Thankfully the caster was weak with despicable aim, but a weak killing curse could still do damage.

I whipped my wand out from the fondina at my hip and sent a stunner at the direction the spell came from.

I felt a hand at my back and whipped around, twisting the hand, bending over, and flipping the body over and onto his back. I stabbed my heel onto the chest and erected a shield charm quickly, seeing yellow and red sparks bouncing off as it hit.

I let the shield charm fall and sent a stunning jinx at the nearest assailant but didn't have to do anything further.

Nott had someone lying at his feet, Malfoy had a boy pinned against the wall and Zabini was still punching his victim, his wand lying forgotten at his side. Greengrass was trying and failing to pull him off the boy. I don't blame him though, I would be just as pissed if someone threw a killing curse, albeit a weak one, at me, and sometimes there wasn't anything as satisfactory as the feel of flesh to feel the redemption.

I looked down at the boy at my feet. He was grunting and I dug my heel in deeper into his chest. He had brown hair and brown eyes and nothing remotely unique about him. Malfoy banged his victim against the wall again,

"What the fuck were you thinking Rosier! You could have fucking killed someone."

"We…we didn't know that was what Barry was going to do. We just heard-"

"Heard what? That Greengrass was with Zabini, so Blishwick wanted to kill him! That makes bloody sense."

I tied the guy at my feet and walked up to Zabini and helped Greengrass pull him off of what I thought was Blishwick, with the amount of blood on his face I couldn't make out. Zabini had done a better job than me at disfiguring his face.

Nott came over and spoke to Greengrass and me, "You two go back to the castle, back to your dorms and pretend like nothing happened."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "The fuck I am. Tell me what's going on and tell me now."

Greengrass tugged my hand, "We should go."

"No. You can go. What do you plan on doing with these boys?"

"Thornton go. This isn't your business." I looked at Malfoy.

"I'm sorry Malfoy, but when people throw around killing curses, I make it my business."

"It wasn't supposed to be killing curses. There wasn't supposed to be any curses. Just a warning."

We looked down at the boy tied up on the floor. Zabini walked up to him and kicked him in the face.

"Zabini."

He spared me an annoyed glance and then bent down, "Speak the fuck up Pucey, or I'll give you a matching one on your left."

Pucey swallowed thickly and started, "Davis went looking for Nott when he didn't come back for her. She went straight to Blishwick, saying that you lot had disappeared. The Farley brothers, Rosier and I went with him just to see what happens. We weren't supposed to get involved. I didn't expect Blishwick to flip out like that and throw a killing curse at you."

"Well, that's what you get when insolent dogs like you try to think." Zabini looked like he was going to hit him again and I put my hand on his arm, he turned and gave me an angry glare. He stood and walked away. Greengrass followed him, looking paler than usual.

Nott turned to Malfoy, "Why don't you take her to her dorm, and I'll clean this lot up and send them on their way."

I looked sceptically at Nott, and he grinned at me, "Relax, I'm going to get them back to the dorms, that's all. You'll see Blishwick's annoying face again. Prats honour."

I nodded and turned around and walked towards the gate we came from, adrenaline still pumping in my veins. Malfoy seized my arm, and I shrugged him off, he grabbed me harder and spun me around, his face red.

"Don't ever do something so fucking stupid again."

I glared at him, "I'm not some weak little girl that takes orders from Snakes. I can defend myself; I won't play damsel-"

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about throwing yourself in the way of a killing curse for a fucking stranger."

"I didn't throw myself in the way of a killing curse. I threw him out of the way, there is a difference. And you don't have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do."

He opened his mouth then closed it. He fisted the wall next to me in anger and swore at the pain. "Why would you do that? You don't even know him."

"I do know him. He's Blaise Zabini, he is fourteen years old. He belongs to Slytherin house, and he has cheek bones to die for. His mother had more than four husbands and that's probably why he's so screwed up. He has a penchant for dark humour, and he is vain but has a soft spot for Greengrass."

"You only learnt all of that tonight; you don't know him."

"No, this is what's wrong with people. We don't let ourselves feel, we protect ourselves and hide behind the fact that it won't hurt if we don't know the person. I refuse to be a coward."

"You're a stupid Gryffindor then and you'll die young like all the other Gryffindors. Like Potter's parents and all those other fools that throw themselves in front of killing curses for strangers."

I looked at Malfoy and sighed. Just when I thought I could make some progress, he's back to being a scared little child. I turned and walked through the corridor. He followed me, breathing heavily.

"Don't follow me. Go back and help Nott. If teachers ask, what should I say?"

"Teachers won't ask, we don't tell on each other. I'll walk you to your dorm."

"I don't want you to. Goodnight."

I turned and walked away, every step echoing across the corridor.

I finally reached the Entrance Hall and made for the stairs. There in the little corner that was behind the staircase stood two lone fingers. One slight and slender, and the other tall and tapered. I tried to tear my eyes away from the scene but all I saw was long fingers in black hair and bodies pressed up against each other. I couldn't see their faces seeing as they were trying to swallow each other whole but I didn't need to see faces to know who they were.

I would know that brown hair anywhere, and as if to make sure I knew exactly who it is, his eyes opened, and fell right on me. An easy job seeing as I was right opposite him, rooted to the spot…he didn't stop though, he continued kissing her, his grey eyes bursting with loathing. I continued to the staircase, hands trembling with anger.

How could he…wasn't it just a few days ago that he was confessing his feelings for me. The image of the two of them was burnt in my retinas and it fuelled my anger all the way up to the common room.

I entered to find Ron, red faced with anger and Harry standing there stunned. I walked towards Ron,

"Everything OK? Did something happen?"

He looked at me and his eyes dulled down from anger to disappointment. He frowned at me and shook his head and walked to the boys' staircase. I turned towards the girls' staircase, not in the mood to talk to Harry.

"Malfoy…. from all the boys in this school, you pick Malfoy."

Well, it looks like he felt like talking. I was already angry; this conversation was going to go south and quickly.

"Look Potter, it's been a long night, and I haven't spoken to-"

"Yeah, it sure looks like it's been a long night." He looked at me up and down and I realised then only that I was still using Malfoys coat and the few strands of hair that was tied up at the back now hung loosely across my cheeks. I turned to walk away,

"You know what I don't get. You claim to be her friend. You two act like sisters or something. Yet you would date a person that thinks she is the lowest of the low." I ignored him and proceeded to the staircase.

"But birds of a feather flock together."

I stopped. He continued, "So you two disappeared for a little while. Initially I thought that it was to do what you so obviously did do, but then I noticed that his cronies were missing as well. I had the urge to race up the stairs and check on all the little muggle-born first years, make sure you weren't floating them down the astronomy tower."

"What stopped you?" I whispered it into the air.

"What?"

"What stopped you from running upstairs?"

"I knew you wouldn't do something like that." I turned around, my face shining with relief. His face though, it was red and scrunched with anger. He gave me a smile laced with hate,

"Oh, that came out wrong. What I meant to say is that you wouldn't do something like that now. I mean what purpose would all these months have served if you let it all go to waste on something so small? I mean you have been making such progress. You have most of the staff wrapped around your finger, and let's not start with the student body that trip over themselves to even talk to you. And then there's me…and Ron and Hermione. Hermione…who thinks you're the friend she always wanted. Who treats you like a sister! Do you know what Malfoy did to her in second year? He introduced her to the prejudices of this world! He wished her dead when the basilisk was unleashed. Just last year she punched him in the face because he was laughing at the killing of an innocent creature! Just a month ago he called her a mudblood! You were there!"

"Been talking to Ginny, have you?"

"I don't have to talk to Ginny to draw these conclusions. I was blind before. By…by friendship and faith. But I can't ignore these signs. Your relationship with Snape, your disappearance whilst the Dark Mark was conjured, and now you're dating Draco fucking Malfoy."

I breathed. Willing myself to turn around, to just walk away. Images of green light, of intertwined bodies kept flashing in my head, making me stay rooted to the spot. The anger burned bitter in my mouth.

"You think I'm a death eater? That I conjured the dark mark?"

"No. I don't think you're a death eater, that would be stupid. But I think everything you say is a lie. You and your brothers were probably brought up by some Death Eaters that taught you the tricks of the trade. What I don't get is-"

He dodged the jet of red and it hit the armchair to his left. My eyes burned and blurred with tears of anger and my hands trembled, "Don't you dare insult my brothers! I stood there and took it the last time because Ginny was a little misinformed girl, but I will not let you stand there and insult them. Say whatever the fuck you want about me Potter. Shout to the world about how I am evil, and I duped Nonno and Mi and everybody else, but don't you dare utter a thing about my brothers OR I SWEAR BY THE FOUNDERS I WILL HAVE YOUR TONGUE FRAMED ON THE WALL!"

There it was. Breaking point. "THE TRUTH HURTS HUH THORNTON! WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, PLOT AND PLAN WITH MALFOY! DO WHAT THE HELL YOU WANT! BUT YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME AND STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM HERMIONE!"

"FUCK YOU POTTER! YOU DON'T GET TO DICTATE WHAT MI DOES! GET YOUR SCARHEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE!"

A blue jet whizzed past my face and hit the torch bracket dousing us in darkness. Unfortunately, the force off the spell flung the bracket off the wall and it hit me hard on the face. I ignored the pain and sent a stinging jinx at him that he dodged, the idiot didn't even know how to perform a shield charm, but he wanted to duel me. A noise from upstairs interrupted us and I heard footsteps. I couldn't see much of him, but I could hear his breathing heavy.

"I'll stay away from you with pleasure Potter. It would be too soon when I see your face again."

I walked out of the room and up the stairs. At least Malfoy held up his end of the bargain. The night definitely wasn't boring.

A/N: I have to admit, some sick sadistic part of me liked writing that fight. I know, I know, most of you want to strangle me for that…but it had to be done. Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop a review, even if it is to shout at me :-D

Kalina