Nicole Stevens: Roses and Mistrust

Chp. 9 Quidditch, maybe.........

It was ever so close to Christmas, sort of. Actually, it was still November, but that counts for something. Right?

Draco and I had met in the library every day since Hogsmeade, even on weekends. This meant I had little or no time to spend worrying about the scrap of paper that lay at the end of my bed, in my school trunk. It had disturbed me, but I couldn't figure out why. Go figure, I was more worried about a more-than-likely useless piece of parchment, instead of Draco. Big laugh, huh?

There was an upcoming Quidditch match, upcoming meaning tomorrow. Harry had been practicing almost nonstop. Every evening after practice, Harry, Seamus, and the new keeper girl, whose name was Lizzie Rymon and who I had quite come to enjoy talking to, came trudging in, covered in mud. Tonight was no exception.

"Hey everyone!" Lizzie called out as the portrait swung open.

"Hi Lizzie, come here I wanted to show you this new spell I learned," I exclaimed as she sat down beside me on the couch.

"What is it?"

"It's a spell that sews things back together, with a perfect seam. I thought it might be useful in case your Quidditch robes ever tore, because last year that happened to me, and I had to sew it all by hand, which really sucked."

"Oh, cool. Show me."

"Budge over, Liz," Harry said as he walked over.

"Excuse me?" she asked in mock bewilderment.

"He means move over, so he can sit by me."

"Yeah, let Harry sit by Nicky," Ron said from the armchair, where he was sitting playing a game of chess with Dean. He had taken to calling me that, as I often called him Ronniekins, but there was one flaw in his plans, I liked to be called that, my parents had alternated between calling me Nicole and Nicky.

"Hey, Harry. Everybody, call me Nicky if you want, it was my nickname back in America," I called out, addressing anyone in the Common Room. Ron's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to complain.

"Sure Nicky," Harry grinned slightly at the way it sounded. "Ron shut your mouth, your starting to drool." I laughed and Ron closed his mouth with a frown. "So, budge up, Liz."

She obliged and he plopped down beside me. "So, been training hard?" I asked knowing perfectly well what the answer would be, but still asking it all the same, just for fun.

"Have we? Yeah, Fred and George are putting us through like fifteen workouts!" Lizzie yelled, so the twins would hear.

"Hey, you new people needed it!" Fred called indignantly. "We're only doing what's best for the team."

"Yeah, right," she muttered under her breath. "So show me that spell, Nicky."

"Do you have anything torn?"

"No, I don't."

"I do," said Harry, holding out the edge of his scarlet crimson robes. The seam was ripped and frayed. I held up my wand and pointed it at the rip.

"Alright, Ferula Dendrato!" a blast of icy-cold, silver sparks shot out of the tip and hit the fabric. There was a sound of sewing for about five seconds, then, silence.

Lizzie leaned over to look at the robe. It was good as new. "Not bad, Nicky. It might be a useful charm sometime."

"Nice clean stitch. I like it. Thanks." He kissed me on the cheek. "So, you're coming to our game tomorrow, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it. It's Gryffindor verses Slytherin, isn't it?"

"Yeah, we always play each other first. I hope we win," he said thoughtfully.

"How could we not?" Lizzie asked rhetorically.

"Well," I said, just because she hadn't meant for anyone to answer her, "Slytherin could score loads of goals, Malfoy could get the snitch--"

"Not likely!" said Ron, laughing. "He's not a very good player. Oh, alright, he's okay, but Harry's the best in school. He won't catch the snitch."

"I agree, but still, I'm just listing the ways that Gryffindor could lose." That sort of conversation followed until after ten o' clock.

"I'm going to bed," Lizzie announced at ten 'till midnight.

"Yeah, me too. Have to be able to stand up to get down to the Quidditch pitch," I said yawning. We stood up and went up the spiral staircase.

"You're so lucky," she said to me as we went upstairs.

"How so?"

"You're going out with the famous Harry Potter. AND you're one of the smartest people in school."

"'The famous Harry Potter'? Oh, is that what we're calling him now? C'mon, you're his friend, you can use his first name."

"I know that, but, still. I'm not his girlfriend."

"And you want to be?" I raised my eyebrows confusedly. "What's the big deal? I mean, yeah sure, it's nice knowing I'll have a date to the ball, but it's not the best thing in the world."

She turned to me, "Is it true that the day after you met Harry, that he asked you to be his girlfriend?"

"Look, to tell you the truth, I sort of pushed him into the situation. George was kind of hitting on me, and he asked me if I had a boyfriend. I told him to ask Harry. So, when he asked him, Harry said that he and I were 'sort of, kind of, maybe, going out'. After, he told me that since the twins would be telling everyone that we were dating, we could 'make it official'."

"But, it was only the day after you met him?" she asked looking at the floor.

"Well, yeah. Kind of quick, aren't we? But, you know, I think you might want to keep you're eye on Seamus. He's cute, and he has been looking at you a lot lately. I wouldn't be surprised if he asked."

"Really?" she asked, brightening visibly.

"Definitely."

"Thanks," Lizzie said stopping at her door.

"Don't mention it. Seriously. If Seamus found out I'd said anything, he'd die." She nodded and went into her dorm.

I walked up to my room. The rest of the girls were asleep already, Parvati and Lavender liked to get their 'beauty sleep', which was one of the reasons I liked to set my alarm extra early, but on the mode that I couldn't hear it, but anyone else could. I was evil, so very, very evil. I loved it. Mwahahahahahhahaha.

I undressed and changed into my pajamas. I threw my dirty clothes onto my trunk and pulled back the covers. I crawled underneath them, and drifted into a restful, dreamless (thankfully) sleep.

================

Oh, time to get up again, I thought as I heard Parvati trying to shut off my alarm clock (I had it on the 'ANNOYING' mode, ha, ha, ha).

"Make it shut up! NICOLE!" Parvati yelled as she bashed my alarm clock against the wall. Luckily for me, (and not so luckily for anyone else) the clock couldn't be broken. Or, so I'd thought........

Crash! My eyes flew open as the clock shattered and broke, pieces of it flying in every direction. Parvati threw the remnants of my faithful, finally silenced, alarm clock onto the floor.

"What'd you do that for?!" I yelled as I sat up in bed.

"I told you to stop setting it so early, because you never woke up when it went off, and I always had to listen to it wail until you finally shut it off. So, today I thought I'd try a different approach."

"Well, you didn't have to beat the crap out of it! That thing cost five galleons! It was supposed to be unbreakable!"

"Maybe you shouldn't believe everything you read. It DID break, and now you're going to have to pick up the pieces."

"Like heck I will! YOU broke it! Not ME! YOU pick it up." I brushed the plastic-like bits off my bedspread. "I was trying to sleep."

"Well so were WE!" Lavender joined in on the row. "Every morning you set it to the time the sun rises, but you never wake up when it starts shrieking. You get to sleep extra, while we can't, because of your bloody siren!" It was the first time I'd ever heard her swear. I gave her a mental gold star. She was making improvements.

"Look, sorry about the clock. I'm not going to make you pay for it, Parvati. Shut up Lavender, you always go to sleep at eight, you're getting PLENTY of sleep even with my clock. And you don't see Katharine and Caitlyn complaining about my alarm. Leave me alone, the both of you. I'm going to sleep until breakfast." I lay back down and cuddled into the warmth.

"You are not. You are going to get up now. If we have to, then so do you." Parvati smiled coldly at me.

"No," I said shortly.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes you are." Lavender grabbed my forearm and tugged me out of bed. I fell onto the floor and cursed.

"Fine." I stood up and dressed quickly in tight jean capri pants, and a light blue shirt. Over it, I wore a Jean jacket. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and slipped on my light blue Nikes with the strap-back (you know what I mean). I put on the charm bracelet Harry gave me to add the last touch.

I went downstairs. There was no one there, except for Parvati and Lavender. I was lucky that the other two girls in my dorm were heavy sleepers, or I'd have them on my case all the time, too. Ugh, sometimes people could be so annoying.

I sat on the couch and tried to catch up on my missed sleep. Unfortunately for me, I had the habit of not being able to sleep on a couch. It had really all started when I was twelve, I had fallen asleep on the sitting room couch, and woken up levitating six feet into the air. My cousin Shawn, who was three years older than me, had been staying at my house for the summer break. He always loved to tease me, so, of course, while I'd slept, he'd decided to punish me. Shawn had began levitating me up in the air. I was lucky I'd woken up just when I had, because he was just about getting ready to pelt me into the ceiling. I'd been traumatized ever since.

Harry and Seamus came down about five minutes after we had. It seemed that they couldn't sleep for any longer, and the pre-game tension was high. Harry tiredly fell onto the couch beside me and ran his hand through his hair.

"What's wrong Harry? You look half-dead."

His shoulders slumped as he replied just a bit scathingly, "Oh, thanks so much, Nicky. I was just dying to hear someone say that."

"Sorry. You just look really tired, is all."

"Not only do I look it, I am. I only got to sleep three hours ago."

"That's not good. Not good at all. You want, uh, a shoulder massage, maybe? It might help you fall asleep for a while longer," I suggested uncertainly.

"I'd love one, but I don't want to be asleep for the game. I might take you up on the massage after, though."

"What makes you thing I'd still be willing to give you one?" I teased.

"Because you're wonderful, and kind, and caring, and please, I want one after the game."

"Fine, I'll give you a massage after you beat Slytherin. If you lose, then I don't think you deserve one of my famous massages," I said, joking.

"If we lose, then I don't think Malfoy will let us live!" Lizzie called as she walked down the stairs into the Common Room. "He'll probably gloat so much, we'll die of exhaustion!"

"He's not so bad once you get to know him. I mean, yeah, he still likes to smirk and be sarcastic, but really, he isn't as evil as everyone thinks," I said to her as she pranced over to an armchair.

"Nicky, I hate to burst your bubble of good will and peace toward Malfoys, but he really is 'that bad'. I mean, he tried to hex me when I had my back turned, he calls Hermione a mudblood, and he's always a jerk to Ron. Malfoy is dangerous. He isn't a nice person. When it comes down to his family, well, his father is like a--" he paused and considered his words, "he's like a great big vampire bat, with huge fangs."
"'Vampire bat'? Really? I hardly think you should be criticizing people, Harry. We all have our faults. I have many, MANY flaws. So do you, if you want to be personal about it. But, the matter remains the same, it's not fair to criticize others, and it's certainly not right to pick at their parents. I think you're just being stubborn."

"Yeah, well, maybe I am. But, you haven't met Lucius Malfoy. I know I shouldn't critique Malfoy's parents," he admitted. "But, he makes it impossible to like him."

"Does he now? Well, to me, it seems that he has been just short of chivalrous. Alright, maybe not to you, but he's been overly nice to me," I shut my mouth quickly. Oh, I SHOULDN'T have said that.

"Excuse me?" Harry inquired. I could tell that under his calm exterior, a spark was beginning to flare. His green eyes looked pointedly at me. I tried not to squirm under his harsh and calculating gaze.

"Look, he was nice enough to remember my birthday." Oops. There goes cool, calm, and collected Nicole, I thought bitterly to myself. Harry's eyes widened and I bit my tongue. I had done enough damage with my big mouth.

"Oh? He remembered your birthday? Did he happen to buy you a gift?" his head tilted slightly, and I knew I had struck a nerve with my blunder.

"Oh, just a little one, nothing huge....." I mumbled, trailing off.

"What was it Nicole?" I now knew positively that Harry's possessive and controlling side was beginning to make an appearance. I bit my lower lip as I considered my answer.

"It was a hair comb....made of, uh....." I left off there.

"Made of WHAT?" he asked coldly.

"White g-gold," I stuttered slightly.

He could tell I was still leaving something out. "And?"

"Opals, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds," I whispered looking at the floor.

"Lord! He must really like you!" Lizzie exclaimed from her chair. That girl was so daft, sometimes.

Harry silenced her with a look. "And WHEN exactly were you planning to bring all this out into the open?"

"And that's not all," Parvati said from across the room. She was smiling cruelly at me. She was a------never mind. "He also gave her a quill, a diary, and a ring."

I raised my gaze to Harry. He was staring at me with a fixed expression. I cringed, visibly. "What else did he give to you?" Harry whispered. His voice was so cold that I would swear that it could have frozen the lake through. I looked at the floor again.

"Well, I saw a white rose with black edges on her nightstand. Does that count?" Lavender asked from beside Parvati. She had the identical smug look that Parvati was wearing.

"He gave you a rose, then. So, it's a rose, a book and quill, a comb, and a ring. Is that all?" Harry looked like he was trying, and failing, to stay calm and fight off his anger.

"No," I whispered, still not looking into his face.

"What else?" I could hear sadness, and disappointment in his voice. God, that alone made me guilty! If his voice had been a stone, then the stone would have been etched with extreme pain.

"A necklace, and a cloak, and that's all."

"The necklace you got at breakfast? Yes, it all fits." He was sitting straight as a rod, with his fists clenching at his sides.

"I am so sorry, Harry. I was intending to tell you, but I just didn't because--"

"Lying to me would be better than telling me that you were accepting gifts from a SLYTHERIN." I shook my head.

"No, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to ruin everything."

"Well, you've certainly failed that point," he said coldly, standing and storming out the portrait hole.

"Sh*t!" I yelled. I stood up and went over to Lavender and Parvati, the DEMON Girls. "You--you...are...dead..." I said slowly. I suddenly lost control of myself. I punched Lavender in the face and kicked Parvati in the shin, all so fast that neither had time to fight me back. I turned around, ignoring the fact that they were both crying, and that I'd heard the sharp 'crack' of a bone breaking when I'd punched Lavender.

I ran out the portrait hole and down the stairs. I would find Harry, I vowed to myself, and I would make him believe me. I would make ME believe me. I ran full-speed into the Great Hall. I stopped at the door and scanned the room for Harry. He wasn't there, I hadn't really expected him to go somewhere public. The room was nearly deserted. The high ceiling was stormy and I heard thunder rolling from outside.

I spun around and ran out the door. My tennis shoes made a racket, slapping hard on the floor as I dashed outside. I shoved the doors open. Outside, it was raining hard. The ground was muddy and wet. I ran down the front lawn, my feet slipping in the soaked shoes. I could hardly see; it was nearly as dark as night, because of the pouring rain. I turned around in a circle, searching for a familiar landmark. My wet hair was wet and straggly.

A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the dark landscape. I jumped at the sudden light, and then fell down when the crack of thunder followed shortly. I landed on the ground in a puddle of mud. The muddy water splattered all over my already soaked clothes. Why didn't I just go jump in the lake? It would be a quicker way to die than being frozen to death.

Summoning the last of my courage and what little strength I had left, I pulled myself up onto my feet. I was nearly frozen. Another lightning bolt shot through the sky, and I saw the outline of a tree ahead. The wild wind was whipping my hair, and the branches of the trees, wildly around.

I stumbled blindly ahead to the tree, my arms outstretched before me to feel my way. My face was cut by one of the flailing branches, just as another branch came whistling down, lashing at my shoulder. I fell back down into the mud. I threw out my left hand to break my fall. Another branch whipped down and slashed across my forehead. The heel of my hand crashed into a knot on the tree, and I heard another crack, this time not thunder, but bones. I clutched my hand to my chest and rolled onto my back. The trees branches weren't whipping in the wind as much anymore, though the gale was no less. I didn't worry about this, at least the leaves blocked some of the cold rain and hail.

I pulled myself wearily into a sitting position, leaning back, using the thick trunk of the tree for support. I looked at my hand, but I could hardly see it. My wrist felt swollen, and I couldn't rotate it. I felt my face with the other hand, and found that I had a gash across my cheek. It was bleeding profusely. I raised the hem of my jacket to the cut, and tried to control the blood flow. It was no use.

I don't know how long I sat there, but I know that it was more than half an hour. I finally yanked up the last dregs of my energy, and forced myself to stand. I wobbled but I could walk, just barely. I stumbled up the lawn, but only made it half way. I fell forward on my knees and sat down with my legs under me.

My brain wasn't acting right. It was telling me that everything would be okay if I just lie down and took a long nap. But, a vague thought kept running through my head. It was saying, if you lie down, you'll die of exhaustion and cold. I fell backward and passed out.

===============

Those voices. What were they saying? I tried to bring my thoughts together. I was wet. I was being carried by someone. Who was it? Where was I? What had I been doing before I'd blacked-out? Who was I? Oh, wait, I remember, I'm the girl whose life fell apart in one half hour, Nicole Stevens.

"I found her outside....I was going to the Quidditch Pitch....I think it was the Whomping Willow....covered in mud....blood all over...broken wrist...will she be okay?" The voice was one of worry and concern. It was from the person carrying me.

"I don't know...we'll take her to the hospital wing...rest..."

The voices were coming through clearer now. One was a boy, one was a woman. The boy was carrying me, cradling me in his arms. The woman was somewhere on the right.

My body felt horrible. It felt like I'd been frozen through, beaten, and slashed. I was lip, and couldn't move. I opened my eyes a bit. Everything was blurry.

"Indtgtwhrmi?" I mumbled incoherently. Hmm, I hadn't meant to say it like that.

"Oh, thank the gods," the boy's voice said. "What happened Nicole?"

How did he know my name? "I need to go. My head hurts. Where am I?" At least they'd been complete thoughts.

"Nicole, don't try to move. We're taking you to the hospital wing. You're at Hogwarts." I obeyed his command and stayed still. My vision was still too blurry to see anything. Whoever was carrying me was very strong. He acted as though I weighed fifty pounds (about twenty-three kg). I blinked repeatedly to try and bring my vision back into focus.

I turned my head as I heard a door creak open. The boy walked through the door and I heard a new voice.

"Minerva, what happened to her? The girl's bloodied all over."

"Poppy, she was outside on the lawn. It's possible she ran into the Whomping Willow. Her wrist is broken and she's got cuts on her face and back."

"Yes, yes, tell me later. Go lay her on a bed." The woman's voice was strict and commanding. I was carried over to a bed, where I was gently laid down on the covers. I saw a woman standing over me. "Here, drink this dear." She tilted the goblet to my lips and I drank the warm liquid gladly. It brought my vision back.

I was in the Hospital wing. It was dark. The nurse bent over me looking at my face.

"I--I'm cold," I whispered.

"Minerva," the lady turned to McGonagall, "go fetch a PepperUp Potion for me please. She'll freeze."

"Yes, of course."

The nurse held the goblet for me as I drank. It was warm and burned my throat. Steam came pouring out of my ears, but I was warmer.

Madam Pomfrey softly raised my wrist for a closer inspection. "It's broken, no doubt. She'll need for it to be set. I can't use a bone-mending spell on it, because there's muscle damage, as well." She laid my hand on the bed. "And these cuts will not heal completely by magic, not with the Whomping Willow's magic fighting it." She took her wand from her pocket. "Close your eyes dear. Disinfectio! Repartem Tissio!" She repeated the spells on the other cut. It wasn't a good feeling, it stung. "Now, can you sit up, dear?"

In answer, I moved into a sitting position. Madam Pomfrey propped up pillows behind me. She used the disinfecting and healing spells on my wounded shoulder. I leaned back on the pillows. "Who carried me here?" I asked hoarsely. I hadn't seen the boy; he'd backed off when the nurse began working.

"I did," he said, stepping out of the shadows. It was Draco. Why was it always him? Every time I turned a corner, there he was. "I was on my way to the Quidditch Pitch. The match is in a half hour and I wanted to be early."

"Thanks." He shook his head, his bangs falling in wet tendrils across his forehead.

"Mr. Malfoy, you might want to head down to the Quidditch Pitch, now," the nurse suggested. He nodded and walked out of the room.

I had decided that I didn't really need to explain what I'd been doing, but apparently it wasn't enough for McGonagall that I had chosen not to. "What were you doing outside Miss Stevens?"

Oh, well. "I--I was looking for Harry."

"Are you saying that he might be outside wandering about, too?" asked the nurse worriedly.

"N--not likely. He's probably--cough--somewhere inside--cough--the castle."

"But you don't know where?"

"N--no. It's not like he'd tell anyone--cough--where he was going to--cough--storm off to."

"'Stormed off'? Please tell us the whole story, Miss Stevens," the Professor asked.

"I don't--cough--want to. It's not--cough--really my favorite story. Could you please--cough--wait a while--cough--for me to have time to make up a good one to tell?"

"No Miss Stevens, I want the truth."

"No, no I can assure you that you don't," I told her.

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I really do."

"No--"

"Miss Stevens, don't play games with me. I will hear the truth from either you or Mr. Potter. So I will hear it no matter what."

"Yeah, but--cough--I could put off serious punishment if I just let you go wring the truth out of Harry."

"Punishment is the last thing I am aiming to give you, Miss Stevens."

"Maybe that's true now, but you haven't heard the truth. Once you did, it'd be the first thing on your list."

"Well, tell me and let's find out."

"Oh, alright. Well, Harry was talking with me in the Common Room. Lizzie came down and said that if the Slytherins won, Draco would be bragging. So, I defended him and said that he wasn't so bad. Harry started pointing out all the things he'd done, and I told him accidentally that Draco had remembered my birthday gift. Well, Harry wasn't very happy at that. But then those--uh, Parvati and Lavender, I mean, told him about some other things he'd given me, and Harry got really mad. He was seething. He stood up and stormed out of the portrait hole. Well....I sorta' got very upset. I hit Lavender, and kicked Parvati. Then--"

"Excuse me? You hit another student?"

"Uh, yes ma'am."

"Go on."

"Alright," I said drearily. "I followed out after Harry. He hadn't gone to the Great Hall, so I went outside. It was pouring, and I could barely see. But, I stumbled over to this huge tree. I was cut on my face twice and once on my shoulder by the branches. Then, I fell and tried to break my fall with my hand. I heard a bone break as my hand hit the tree's trunk. After a while, I made myself stand up and walk back to school, but I couldn't make it. I think I fell down before I blacked out."

"Well, it all fits. Poppy, set the girl's wrist and let her go fetch some clean clothes. Miss Stevens, if you would like to shower, you may. The moment you're finished with all that, you will come to my office and I will escort you to the Headmaster's office."

"I know where his office is, you don't have to lead me."

"Maybe not, but as much as I trust you, students tend to do the strangest thing when they believe they are going to be in trouble." I nodded, and she left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"Alright. Let me get my setting kit." She walked away and came back carrying a small box. She opened it and took out a roll of bandage and some tape. "I don't trust this to magic," she explained. The woman began delicately wrapping around the bandage; around the wrist, up onto the back of my hand, in-between my thumb and forefinger. She did this process several times before she was satisfied. Madam Pomfrey put a layer of tape over it, and said, "Stiffissium!" The cast-like bandage hardened even more, so that I could only move my fingers. "How is that, dear?"

I flexed my fingers, "Thanks. I should be fine."

"Come back in a week, and I'll check it again. It's water resistant, so you can shower with it on."

"Alright," I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She had obviously given me a strengthening potion. I waved goodbye to her and walked out the door. Draco was standing against the wall outside. "What're you doing here? You're supposed to be playing Quidditch."

"Don't I know it? Potter's gone missing. Weasley asked for half an hour to try and find him," he sounded slightly concerned. "Do you know where he is?" I looked blankly at him. "Hello? Nicole? I asked you if you knew where Potter is."

"No, no I don't. I don't know where he'd have gone. When he left that other time, he just said he walked around the castle," I muttered to myself. "Oh, no. I think I might actually know."

"Tell me where you think he might be," he said.

"Well, you see, he's really not very happy with me, or you."

"Oh, good I've finally achieved my life goal, I managed to make him angry," Draco scoffed with his usual air. "Now, seriously, a bit more specific."

"You see, he's really, really mad. He might be somewhere we'd least expect. He might just be where we would look last."

"And?"

"He might be in the Common Room," I suggested uncertainly.

"Alright, then you can look there, and I'll just walk around twiddling my thumbs, shall I?"

"Shut up. You will go walk around the castle. And I'll go get some clean clothes, I'm soaked."

"Yes, but it looks good on you. She is sporting a wet, bloody, grunge look," he said like an announcer.

"Did I tell you, Draco, that I was serious about the 'shut up' thing?"

"Oh, no, you forgot to mention that. Okay, I'll go walk around the castle, you'll go change. Right?"

"Yeah." I turned around and went up the stairs to the portrait hole. The fat lady was asleep in her frame. "Hey! Hello?"

"Wh--what?" she asked sleepily.

"Tempus." The portrait swung forward, and I walked in. Harry wasn't there. Had I really expected him to be there? No, not really. I went up the girl's staircase. The door to my dorm was open a bit. I wondered at this and pushed the door open farther. I saw a piece of paper lying on my freshly made bed.

A house elf was bustling around the room cleaning. It saw me and squeaked, "Oh, Miss! Dobby is sorry, Miss."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Thanks for making my bed."

"Dobby likes making Miss's bed. Dobby thinks work is fun."

"Really? Alright then. Do you know where Harry Potter is, Dobby?"

"Harry Potter is Miss's friend?" he asked in his high-pitched voice.

"He was, but I don't think he'll ever be my friend again after what I've done," I said wearily, sitting on my bed and picking up the paper.

"Oh, Harry Potter is very kind, Miss. Harry Potter will surely forgive you. He saved Dobby from the Malfoy's three years ago, Miss."

"You belonged to Draco's family?"

"Yes, Miss."

I nodded and unfolded the paper. It was a letter. It said:

Well, I didn't expect it. Was I the only one who didn't see? Hermione says that it really all started on the train. She won't tell me why she says that though. Says I have to ask you. No one besides Ron and Hermione knows where I am. I'd like to be alone. I'm blowing off the Quidditch Game altogether.

Ron certainly isn't being helpful. Some of the things he said have been outrageous. One was that Malfoy brainwashed you with the Imperius Curse. But, no, I know that it isn't so. I know that you chose for it to be that way. I wish it had ended differently. I really do.

Hermione says to talk with you, that you'll explain everything. But, what more is there to be said? I don't really need anything more than I've heard. I don't think I could take it.

Maybe we'll be able to patch up our friendship one day, maybe not. I can't change the past, or I would've a long time ago.

Harry

Tears started flowing uncontrolled onto the letter. I folded it up and laid it on my bed.

"What's wrong Miss?" Dobby asked concernedly.

"He hates me."

"No, no, Harry Potter doesn't hate you. Harry Potter would never do that. Dobby knows Harry Potter cares about you."

"How do you know that?" I asked, still sobbing unrestrainedly.

"A few days ago, Harry Potter visited Dobby in the kitchens. He told Dobby about his American girlfriend. He said he was in love with her."

"Yeah, but that was then, this is now. Times change, and so do appearances."

"No, Harry Potter was telling the truth. He said he'd always love her."

"Oh, what have I done?" I asked myself. Well, you screwed up, for one. I got some fresh clothes and changed quickly. I had to give my wet and bloody clothes to Dobby for special care. I put on sandals, and walked out the door with a farewell wave at him.

"Come see Dobby sometime in the kitchens," he called out after me.

"Sure." I ran down the stairs and over to the portrait hole. It swung over just as I reached it.

"...Can't find him anywhere," Fred was muttering to himself. He saw me and asked, "Nicky, d'you know where Harry is?"

"No, I don't know where he's gone. Have you seen Hermione?"

"Er, yeah. I think she's in the library. And Ron's there, as well."

"But, you're positive Harry's not there?"

"They both said they can't find him."

"Yeah, well, they would. I'm going down there to see for myself. I don't care what McGonagall...." I left off.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked.

"Broken wrist. I fell."

"Oh, and your face?"

I felt my cheek and forehead, "Just scrapes. Look, I really have to go."

"Oh, yeah. No problem," he held open the portrait.

"Thanks." I walked out and hurried away. I was walking down the stairs when I saw a sight to chill the bone. Or, at least, it did to me; Harry and Draco.

Harry had his wand out, pointing it at Draco. Draco was standing with his back against the stone wall. His hair was tousled, and he had a bloody nose. A cut was blossoming with blood on his left cheek. I froze, watching, waiting.

".....you just couldn't stand it, just couldn't bear that I had something you didn't. It's just like first year when you were jealous that I had the skill to be a seeker. And you didn't. You were jealous. And I know you don't care about her, really."

"That's not true," Draco said hoarsely. "I do care about her. More than you ever will. And, maybe she doesn't feel the same way, I don't know. What I do know is how I feel. And if you want to know how much I care about her--" don't say it Draco--"I love her. I'm in love with her. You're not. You may think you are but--"

"Shut up," Harry whispered so softly that I could barely hear.

I suddenly regained the use of my legs. I rushed down the stairs, causing both boys to look at me. I walked over to Harry and took his wand from him. He didn't fight to stop me. I stuck it in my pocket.

"What're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"What does it look like? I'm stopping you from murdering a fellow classmate. Draco," I said, turning to him, "Go, leave, now. Go talk to Professor Snape. See if he can fix your cuts. Harry, come with me," I ordered. I pulled him away by the arm and dragged him up the stairs.

"I wasn't going to kill him," Harry said.

I didn't stop walking. "It certainly looked like you were."

"Well, I wasn't."

"You can tell that to the headmaster. I'm in no mood to hear it."

We walked the rest of the way in silence. As we arrived at the stone gargoyle, it jumped aside, and the door opened. Professor Snape walked out, looking surly.

"What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be out showing off Potter?"

"Professor, we've come to see the headmaster. Draco Malfoy is looking for you. Now, if you'd excuse us we have to be going."

"The headmaster is busy. He does not need to be bothered by the ramblings of two students."

"I can assure you, he is expecting me. Professor McGonagall told me to come."

"Very well," he snapped stalking off.

Harry and I went through the door and stepped onto the moving staircase.

We stopped at the landing and I pushed open the door. Professor Dumbledore was sitting at the desk. He looked up as we walked in.

"Ah, Nicole. I've been waiting. You found our missing seeker then."

"Yes, sir. Are you going to cancel the match? Because both of the team's seekers are not in fit condition."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid it is," Harry said as we both took a chair in front of the old man's desk.

"Please, would you kindly tell me what happened from the beginning?"

Harry nodded and began telling his story from the beginning until when I'd broken in on his fight with Draco. Then it was my turn.

"Well, after Harry stomped out of the room, things got out of hand. I went over to Parvati and Lavender, kicked and hit them, respectively. Lavender's nose broke, I think. I ran to the Great Hall, looking for him. When I saw he wasn't there, I ran outside. I couldn't see because of the rain. I ran into a tree and got cut on my face and shoulder. I fell and broke my wrist on the tree trunk. I sat there for a while, before I got really cold. I tried to get back up to school, but I fell down and fainted.

"When I woke up," I continued, "I was being carried. I couldn't see or hear well. I was carried to the Hospital wing and given a couple of potions. When I asked later who had carried me, I was answered by Draco, who left right after to the pitch. Professor McGonagall told me to go change clothes and then come straight to her office once I was done there. She left and I was healed and had my bone set by Madam Pomfrey. I went outside, where Draco was waiting. He said that Harry was gone and no one could find him.

"I told him to go look around the castle. Then I went and got some clothes. There was a letter on my bed. A house elf named Dobby was there cleaning. I talked to him, before opening the letter. I read it and ran down to the Common Room. Fred was coming inside. I asked him if he knew where Harry was, and he didn't. Then I asked him if he knew where Hermione was. He said she was in the library, so I was on my way there when I saw Harry and Draco.

"Harry had Draco virtually pinned against the wall, at wand-point. I heard them talking and--"

"How much did you hear?" asked Harry quickly.

"I heard enough. Then I stopped Harry from blowing Draco's brains out, and here we are!"

"Very well. Harry, fifteen points from Gryffindor for injuring another student. Nicole, thirty points from Gryffindor for the same thing. And Mr. Malfoy has not done any wrongdoing so no points will be taken from Slytherin. You may go."

I stood up, feeling guilty about hitting the girls. I walked back with Harry to Gryffindor tower. I went up to my dorm, and fell onto my bed. Within a second, I was fast asleep.