Looks are Decieving

Chapter 5

The next morning Angelina made her way to the hall for breakfast. The threat that Voldemort had promised yesterday hung heavily on her shoulders. Sliding into her seat Angelina barely ate and was lost in thought. When it was ten minutes to their first lesson, Hermione stood up and beckoned for her friends to follow her. Angelina was still staring into space and didn't notice it. Ron nudged her and Angelina jumped. She looked around for the book she had been reading yesterday, but couldn't find it. Nor could she remember that she had left it in the library and Draco probably had it now.

Searching under the table Angelina told her friends to go and that she'll catch up. Ron shrugged and they left for Charms. Angelina swore softly when she couldn't find her book anywhere. Her grandparents had given it to her and she treasured it. How could she so as stupid as to lose it? Checking her watch Angelina let lose a stream of very unintelligible swear words when she realised she had two minutes to dash to Charms. Grabbing her bag and running out the door Angelina bashed solidly and squarely into a figure rushing the other way.

"I am so, so sorry," Angelina babbled as she gathered her fallen books. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Forgive me for my clumsiness." Angelina sighed and stuffed her things into her bulging bag. When the person she bashed into didn't utter a word Angelina raised her head and her eyes widened when she saw it was Draco Malfoy. Fighting down the urge to swear again Angelina backed away quickly in the other direction, towards Charms.

"Wait!" Draco called out to her. Angelina's steps faltered for a second before she continued running, pretending that she hadn't heard.

"Don't you want your book back?" Draco called out again. Angelina stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly.

"What?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Your book that you left on the table yesterday," Draco explained. Angelina swore mentally. It was just her luck that Draco Malfoy had to have her book.

"Give it back Malfoy," she said coldly. Draco was taken back by her behaviour for a moment, but recovered quickly.

"Since you asked so nicely how can I possibly say no?" Draco drawled sarcastically. Angelina rolled her eyes. She was in no mood to listen to Draco's crap that morning.

"Give it back," she ordered through clenched teeth.

"Make me," Draco retorted.

"Fine!" Angelina pulled out her wand and immediately the students in the corridor ducked behind their books. Draco sneered.

"You don't have the guts to do anything."

"Watch me."

"I could watch till the end of time and you still wouldn't have the guts."

"That just proves how well you know me Malfoy. Which is not very well at all."

"Who'd want to know you?"

"Funny, I could say the same thing about you, you slimeball. Why don't you just give me back my book and I won't curse you to smithereens."

Draco snorted in disbelief.

"You, curse me? Now that is funny." Angelina pointed her wand straight at his chest and formed the curse on her lips. Just as she was about to say them a greasy voice interrupted.

"Miss Nadford, do I have to remind you that use of magic in corridors is prohibited?" Snape asked nastily. Angelina shook her head and lowered her wand.

"But professor, Malfoy has my - " Angelina started.

"That is no excuse for use of magic. Twenty points from Gryffindor." Snape sneered. Angelina couldn't believe it.

"But sir, I didn't even use any-"

"I don't care Miss Nadford."

"But twenty points sir-"

"And a week's detention. Two if you continue arguing with me," Snape said with finality. Angelina closed her mouth with a snap and fumed in silence.

"But professor Snape, isn't that just a bit over the top," Draco said quietly, breaking the silence. Snape turned and stared at his prize student.

"What did you say Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked. Draco straightened his shoulders and looked his head teacher in the eye.

"Isn't that a bit too much?" he asked again, his voice louder.

"Mr. Malfoy I suggest you don't argue with my decisions. A week's detention for you too. Both of you come to my office at seven o'clock tonight." With that Snape turned and headed towards the dungeons. Angelina glared at Draco.

"Thanks for putting him in a bad mood," she accused. Draco stared at her.

"I was trying to help," he said sweetly. Angelina rolled her eyes and glared at him some more, clearly not believing a word he said.

"I didn't ask for it," she snapped and suddenly remembered Charms. Looking at her watch Angelina saw that she was ten minutes late.

"Well thank you for making me late to Charms Malfoy. How can I ever repay you?" she snapped sarcastically. Picking up her bag she ran to Charms.

"Don't think too hard. A simple kiss would do," Draco drawled after her. Angelina flashed the finger at him before she disappeared out of sight as she turned the corner.

Entering Charms Angelina found all eyes on her.

"Miss Nadford, would you like to explain why you are so late?" Flitwick asked loftily. Angelina hesitated for a moment.

"Er, I bumped into someone and dropped my books. Then Sna- I mean Professor Snape came along to talk to me and I was late to this class," Angelina explained. Flitwick glared at her over his glasses and mentioned for her to sit down. Settling down next to Hermione, Flitwick told them to try a new spell.

"This spell will charm the appearance of any object to look like something else, but in actual fact, the object has not changed. Now all you need to do is say the spell and the object you want the appearance to change to and point your wand at the object you're changing. For example you want to change to a cup into a book, you would point your wand at the cup and say fagderis book," Flitwick finished and the cup in front of him changed into a book. Many of the class ohhed and ahhed while Angelina filled with dread. She would like Charms if once in a while she could do a spell. She completely sucked at it and failed miserably at the simplest spells. As the class got their object out, Angelina sighed dejectedly before getting out a piece of parchment.

***

By the end of the period Angelina was very, very short on temper. The fact that she had detention with Draco wasn't going to help. She hadn't even managed to turn the parchment remotely to look like a book. Hermione bounded up to her and laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll help you with it tonight," she told Angelina. Angelina smiled then visibly deflated.

"I'd love to, except that I have detention for the next week," Angelina mumbled. Hermione's eyebrows knitted together as they entered transfiguration. Angelina explained briefly what happened before Charms and Hermione sighed for her.

***

That night at seven, Angelina trudged down to potions. It was autumn and the passages underground were freezing. Pulling her robe tighter around her body, Angelina cursed Snape over and over again.

"Miss Nadford, what are you muttering so profusely under your breath?" Snape's sneering voice came from behind her. Angelina turned around and came face to face with Snape and Draco.

"Uh, reciting a passage from a text book about, uh, herbology," she lied. Snape smirked and Draco tittered softly. Angelina glared at him before turning back to Snape.

"Very well, come with me. I am sure Mr. Flich will have something for you two to do," Snape ordered as he started walking towards Filch's office. Angelina gaped after him.

"Er, shouldn't I be doing detention by myself, so you know, er, I won't fight with Malfoy?" Angelina asked. Snape twirled around and glared at her.

"Miss Nadford, I am the teacher here and I can give your detention punishments as required and as I see fit. You and Mr. Malfoy have troubles amongst yourselves and I would like them sorted out," Snape snapped and continued walking again. Angelina had an urge to go up to her teacher and kick him in the butt, but restrained herself as she didn't want another detention. Following Draco Angelina sighed mentally and nearly crashed into Draco when he stopped. Snape sneered again and knocked on the door. It was answered by the raggy Filch who just passed an uninterested glance over the two students as they squirmed on the spot.

"Come with me," he growled as he started towards the main hall. Angelina found herself nearly running to keep up with Filch's long strides and was surprised when he stopped outside of the Great Hall. He went inside and pointed to the two buckets and mops in the corner.

"I expect this hall to be completely free of dirt by tonight," he snapped and left before Angelina or Draco could argue. The four long tables have been pushed to one side and the middle of the hall left for them to clean.

Stalking over to the bucket, Angelina didn't even notice that Draco had not moved and started wiping the floor with the soapy water.

***

She was sitting in her room and staring into space. Should she or shouldn't she? If she did, what would her family say? But the offer was too good to pass up.

Alright, I'll do it, she thought with finality as everything fell into place. She hadn't realised that her mouth had curved up into an evil smile. Maybe, I could even get him to notice me.

***

He was staring out the window again, thinking about her. Her beautiful hair and sparkling eyes with her lovely smi- no! He wouldn't go there again. It was too painful. If maybe by a small chance that she felt the same way about him, it would make his day. In fact, it would make his life.

He sighed softly as the dormitory door opened and his friends entered. It was time for bed.

***

Angelina swore loudly as the water splashed over her shoes. Draco looked up and smirked. Angelina grabbed her wand and waved it over her splattered clothing. The stain disappeared and Angelina got back to work. It was already ten-thirty and Angelina had done half the hall. Draco meanwhile was mopping leisurely as if there wasn't anything else better to do.

"Hurry up," Angelina snapped at him as she brushed away her hair hat had fallen into her face. Draco looked up again.

"Me?" he asked innocently. Angelina rolled her eyes at him.

"Who else?" she retorted. Draco shrugged and went back to cleaning at his usual snail's pace. Angelina sighed, clearly agitated, but didn't say anything as she glared at Draco with cold eyes. Suddenly her book popped into her mind.

"Malfoy, where's my book?" she asked. Draco stopped mopping and regarded her through his grey eyes.

"Well......" he thought. Angelina sighed.

"Probably in my room," he answered.

"I want it back," she stated firmly. "Tomorrow during DADA."

"Say please," Draco drawled, as if talking to a five year old.

"Please," Angelina said through gritted teeth, deciding that if she had to put up with any more of Draco's crap, she will result to physical destruction.

"Like you mean it," Draco continued lecturing. Angelina narrowed her eyes and moved forward until she was very close to Draco.

Without warning she slammed him up against the wall and snarled at him.

"Don't give me that shit," she hissed. Draco looked shocked at her choice of words.

"My, my Angelina a young girl like you shouldn't even know a word like that," he said sternly. To anyone else, they looked lie they might be doing something inappropriate.

Before Angelina could do anything her bucket flew into the air and sailed straight for her. It hit her straight in the middle of her head and she fell to the ground soundlessly, with a look of surprise on her face before unconsciousness enveloped her.

Draco looked up to see Pansy standing there, with a furious look on her face.

"What was that for?" he asked angrily as he bent down to check on Angelina.

"She was about to- to well you know so I had to do something," Pansy explained, not understanding why Draco was taking such an interest in Angelina. Draco pressed his hand up against the blood in Angelina's head and lifted her easily. Without even looking at Pansy he walked down to the hospital wing.

Without even knocking (how can you knock when you have someone in your arms?) Draco entered the hospital wing and laid Angelina down gently on the closest bed. Madam Pomfrey came over bustling, but calmed down when she saw Angelina.

"What happened?" she asked Draco, giving him a suspicious look.

"She got knocked out by a bucket," he answered. Pomfrey clucked her tongue in frustration and irritation as she sealed the wound. When she was finished, she turned around and was surprised to see Draco still standing there with a look of concern on his face.

"You can go now, she'll be fine," she told him gently. Draco nodded and left.

***

Pansy was furious. How dare Draco Malfoy treat her like that!!?? She was after all a fellow Slytherin of his if nothing more. Mind you she has been hoping that she would become something more.

Pansy threw a pillow at her door in anger. It showered white feathers all over the room as it burst, matching Pansy's desire to do that to Angelina's head.

"Why, why, why???? That bloody Nadford girl has MY Draco all twisted around her finger. Screw her!" Pansy exclaimed as she flung herself on to her bed and cried in frustration. How she hated mudbloods!

Pansy cried for the rest of that night and when she ran out of tears (finally!) she checked her clock. It was one in the morning.

Maybe the Dark lord can help me; Pansy pondered as she got into bed, but knowing that she probably couldn't sleep anyway. Whether he does, or not, I am going to make Nadford's life a living hell. After all, I am a prefect. (A/N does that sound familiar? Slytherins all think a like don't they?)

***

Meanwhile a similar girl sitting in a different dormitory in a different house was having similar problems.

She was sitting on the window sill, in a foul mood. She had decided. Yes she would do it, but was it the best choice? Did it get attention from him? No, he just went off to that girl, but now, now she wasn't so sure that he actually liked her that way. Maybe, maybe this was a big mistake and maybe she shouldn't have even considered his offer. But the deed was done and there wasn't any going back.

For the first time she was starting to have doubts about her choice. Maybe, just maybe she shouldn't have done that.

"Oh well, it's too late now," she whispered softly as a single tear fell down her cheek. Before she felt she had no choice, but now....

Now she was truly alone, trapped with no choice but to face the consequences of her decision.

***

Angelina was in the middle of a field, running for her life or at least running very, very fast. Looking back, she saw nothing, nobody following her.

So why the hell am I running? She thought to herself. Slowing down, and then stopping completely, Angelina panted for breath. Looking around again, she managed to see a distant figure making their way towards her. Squinting, she could just make out the person. It was Ginny.

"Ginny, hi, do you know where we are?" she asked casually. Ginny smiled at her.

"No I don't, but trust me, I'll get us out of here," Ginny promised as she took a hold of Angelina's arm. Angelina allowed herself to be led by Ginny as their wound their way through the forest.

"Ginny, where exactly are we going?" she asked. Ginny turned around and smiled at her again.

"Trust me, I know where we're going," she replied as she tightened her grip on Angelina's arm. Angelina didn't argue, but followed Ginny for a further ten minutes.

"Uh, Ginny, really, I think we're going to wrong way," Angelina muttered. Ginny didn't reply. They had gotten to the end of their journey. Angelina glanced in front of her to see that they were at the edge of a cliff.

"Ginny....." was all she managed before Ginny grabbed her and -

She woke up.