Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is JK Rowling's

Chapter 26: To shake hands with snakes.

It didn't take me long to find my favourite mop of brown.

"So, what's your take on the art form that is journalism?"

She didn't look away from the Charms essay she was working on that was due next week, "It's a respectable one and one of the oldest professions. Of course, there are the more debatable facets concerning the writing of a good piece of literature."

"Like anything that is subjective." I looked up at the now warm hazel eyes, aglow with mischief. He nonchalantly took the seat next to Mi, successfully pulling her away from her essay. Sandy Hair hovered behind him.

She shook her head, shuffling the parchment in her hands, "It should be less so. More objective. After all, what better way is there to get a message across than with facts and figures? Less hidden agendas, more proven points."

"Ahh but that's the beauty of writing is it not. An extension of oneself. And a life full of facts and figures Miss Granger," Teddy said with a voice laced with charm, "is very boring."

"A life full of facts and figures Mr Nott, is a life of honesty."

He smirked at her, "Honesty is boring Miss Granger."

She looked at me, "Out of the mouth of Snakes…"

He laughed, and I realised I had a goofy grin on my face at this amusing exchange. "You misunderstand me, Miss Granger, I don't mean any insult to the institution that is truth. I just think that speaking it right out is boring, there's more fun in fishing out the facts, don't you think?"

Mi blushed deeply at the low rumble in Teddy's voice. I continued grinning at the oddity that was Theodore Nott hitting on Hermione Granger. She glared at me, "I suspect there is a reason for your question…and his presence."

I smiled at her, and her glare changed to a look of hesitance, "Does a girl need a reason to see two of her closest friends."

Teddy laughed, "No, but she does need a reason to see a distraught fourth year. What did you do to Rheines anyway?"

I looked up at the sandy haired boy who diverted his eyes quickly. I guess his unquestioned compliance had more to do with the twins on my chest that he had seen moments ago than any threat I could have hit him with.

"Ky?"

I looked at Mi, my smile getting brighter, her look getting warier.

"We're going to start a newspaper. I need you two to figure out the kinks and I can go about unkinking them."

Teddy laughed, "And I suppose we need this done…"

"Now."

"NOW!" Mi shouted in shock.

"Well not now. I'm not ridiculous, like ten minutes. I'm willing to wait."

Mi looked at me, eyes popping. She then took a deep breath. Her face changed to acceptance, "I suppose you have already thought this through. And it is necessary."

"Of course." I knew I could count on Mi.

Teddy returned to his seat; I didn't even realise he had vacated it. "You need to see your grandfather. Tell him," he looked down at the old parchment, "You are reinstating the Hogwarts Xpress. Then you need to get it signed off by all the heads of houses. Come back afterwards, we should have an agenda drawn up by then."

Mi looked at him, mouth hanging open. He smirked back at her; he clearly knew his way around this library, and she was clearly impressed by it. I left the library, leaving my most capable people on the job.

-x-x-x-

I knocked once and then opened. I crossed the room and sat down, staring at his black hair. The soft glow of the lamp reflected off his head, in a halo like fashion. Oh, sweet irony.

Sev continued scribbling away for a few minutes. I stared around his office; he was a fan of minimalism. He shook his head,"Absolute nincompoops…what kind of…"He sighed, putting the script away, leaning back on his chair. "Bane. I thought you were in detention. You're not skipping, are you?"

I smirked back at him, "Me? Would I ever? And miss seeing dear old Dolores. I need you to sign this."

He didn't look down at the parchment, staring at me with discerning eyes, "Need?"

I nodded. He picked up his quill and dipped it in ink, signing the parchment with a flourish. I looked stunned for a moment, and then smiled back at him. This was how Sev showed he cared…all actions and no words.

I managed to catch Nonno a few minutes ago before he flooed to Germany for 'business'. He said that he was more than happy to sign off on something that cultivated inter-house bonding, as this endeavour ought to do. I only fully understood what that meant when I returned to Mi, and she broke the sad news to me.

Sev was now reading the parchment that he had signed blindly, "Well…this should be…interesting. I have two rules though, the first being that this better be a once of, and the second being that you have to write the article." He pushed a quill and parchment towards me and I shook my head in the negative,

"It is a once of thing, but no I can't write the article. I have no talent for it. Mi will write it. That's what we have decided."

"Who said you make any decisions. As this parchment says, the teacher overseeing the newspaper shall make all major decisions. So there."

I growled at him; I should have asked Minnie if he was going to make this into some life lesson. Or perhaps he just enjoyed torturing me. Probably the latter. I can't write this thing. Ugh, he was just as sadistic as Dolores. Well, it's not like I could ask Minnie now, it took me forever to convince her, Mona and Fil to sign. For some reason they though that I was up to no good…I grabbed the parchment, it was already nine in the night, I didn't have time to negotiate so grumbled my acceptance of his terms and left.

-x-x-x-

"sanguinis puri"

The wall slid open and then walked in.

Well, this wasn't fair.

I looked around their lair, seeing leather and mahogany. The whole place stunk of galleons. The green glow that filtered the room, to some might seem eerie but I found an odd comfort in it.

There was a babble of talk that broke out, which I ignored as I walked towards the long leather couch in the centre of the room. I nodded at the portrait of Phineas Nigellus, who I met at Black Manor, and he returned it with a smirk, the man loved taking pleasure in others pain. Afterall, my having to come down to the pits for this was a torturous experience.

I hovered over Malfoy, who was stretched out across the sofa with his eyes closed. His eyebrows twitched together as I cast a shadow on him and he turned on his side, "Fuck away Pansy."

"I agree completely."

The look on his face was priceless, his eyes popped open, and he shot up. Upon processing his uncool response, he reclined back again, scowling at me.

"Don't get comfy. We need to talk. I trust you snakes have somewhere private we can go?"

He continued to scowl at me but stood, walking to a bookshelf. Cliché.

He pulled a book, the bookshelf parted, and he walked in. We both stopped in our tracks however at the image that assaulted us. I bit down on my lower lip, restraining my laugh as Malfoy heaved a huge sigh.

"Fiddling Founders, I am getting sick and tired of walking in on you two fucking everywhere!"

Even in the small, dimly lit room whose singular piece of furniture was a sofa, you could see Greengrass' face glowing red, but not in embarrassment.

"Fuck Malfoy, could you have waited at least another five minutes!"

"Two minutes darling…actually maybe even one."

I heard the disembodied by the darkness voice of Zabini.

"Well forgive me for not knocking, considering this is my scheduled time."

Malfoy lit his wand and sauntered forward, dropping down next to Greengrass who glowered at him on the sofa. Zabini looked up at me…from his position on the floor. Why was he sitting on the floor?

He smirked at me and turned away from Greengrass and leaned his head against the sofa, "You said you wouldn't need it Draco, but by all means considering the company, take your time. And mine."

I smirked at him and walked forward as he got up; he was gesturing for the glowering Greengrass to follow suit. I held my hand up, "Actually, you two should stay."

Zabini's eyes were alight with mischief, "Draco, you heard the girl. Leave."

I laughed and took the seat next to Malfoy, looking up at the two, "Unfortunately his presence is needed. My proposition isn't as…fun in nature as your own."

Zabini's eyes dulled to serious in a blink. He glanced at Greengrass who was finally back to her natural colouring, her intelligent green eyes focused on me, both wondering what I wanted from her.

"I'm in need of a few signatures. Two to be exact."

Malfoy got off the sofa and walked to a cupboard in the corner that I didn't notice in the darkness. I heard the gentle sound of liquid,

"Firewhisky?"

The glass floated in front of me, but I pushed it away, "No thank you. I need a clear mind tonight."

"Evidently, considering you speak as if you're brain- addled at the moment."

I looked up at Zabini, whose countenance was stern as he tipped back the whiskey with a flourish; he grabbed Greengrass and made for the door. She managed to slither out of his grip,

"Aren't you going to ask her what she needs from us?"

Zabini growled low, disliking being challenged. Their playtime was over; he was back to the alpha male he always was save for their private moments.

"We can't help her. Move."

"You don't even know why she wants our signatures. It could just be for cheques, it's the least we can do."

He shook his head at her and shot me a nasty glance, "Thornton doesn't need money and anything she does need is surely going to end with a bucket load of dung on our faces. Or worse, blood. Now Daphne, walk. Now."

He didn't wait for a response and pulled her with all his force through the door.

"That was…exaggerated."

Malfoy leaned closer, his expensive cologne assaulting all my senses. "I disagree. He has a point. What's in it for me?"

I turned and looked him in his steel eyes, "A photo for your notice board."

He rolled his eyes, "Nott and his two-foot mouth. Anyway, we have one of you already. It's decent."

"But do you have one with my shirt off?"

He drained his glass and it disappeared, "The answer is No."

I looked at him shocked, and a tad bit wounded. Well that didn't work as I planned. He laughed which made me feel angry and stupid for even offering. I made to stand, but he pushed me down with a tug of my hand.

"Believe me Thornton, there are very, very few things I want to see in this world more than you topless, but Malfoys' don't think with their lower brains. I know anything that would push you to that extreme must mean trouble. So, what is it?"

"I need two Slytherin signatures to reinstate the school newspaper."

He maintained his bored expression, "To write about?"

"The true nature of Cedric Diggory's death."

He let his expression fall and looked at me with disdain, "Zabini is right, your brain is addled. Why on earth would any Slytherin sign their names to an article ousting the Dark lord, it's a death warrant."

"Jokes on you, I have two already. And anyway, it's the least that you can do, considering you told that Umbitch about Cedric and I."

He cocked an eyebrow at me, "It might come as a shock to you Thornton, but I don't gossip to the staff about your love life. Who did you get other than Nott?"

"I'll tell you if you sign."

"I can't." He stood and walked to the cupboard,

"You mean you won't."

"Can't, won't, who cares. Either way it's not happening." He turned and leaned against the drawer.

I got up from the sofa, angry now. Serves me right for having faith in this coward.

"Why do you need my signature?"

I looked for the panel to open the door, snarling at him, "I told you why."

He pushed lightly at a brick and the door slid open, "Sounds like you don't need my signature, you needasignature."

He grabbed the parchment from my hand and walked ahead to the group of girls seated in the corner. I hovered near the closing bookcase, ignoring the glares. He was back in a moment,

"There. You just need one more now."

I looked down at the neat signature of Pansy Parkinson. I took it with a sigh, "I guess it'll have to do."

I walked ahead and he stopped me with a smooth hand around my wrist, I looked down at the contact, but he didn't let go, "Not so fast Thornton. I do believe you owe me something."

I sighed, stupid snakes and their good memory.

I handed him the photo and walked away with a small smile, turning to wink at his angry face when I reached the exit. It's not my fault that Sandy Hair was a poor shot, he zoomed in too much and whilst aimed for my breasts, he managed to get my left underarm only, not even side boob. Well, I didn't lie, I was topless.

I stopped in my tracks at the exit, the tall figure pulling me aside at the entrance.

Greengrass signed the parchment with a flourish.

"Zabini won't like it."

Her nostrils flared at me, but she still looked dignified, "He's not my boss. Like I care."

She turned and stormed back into the common room.

Snakes…I hope Mi had better luck with the rest of the houses.

A/N: What do you think of Ky's interaction with Draco? I try to write the flirty scenes different to that of Ky and Harry and hope that is conveyed. Let me know what you think!

Kalina