Uncomfortable Situations

Rain splattered the ground the next morning. It must have started after she had fallen asleep. There were large puddles everywhere with little ripples from each raindrop. Each puddle reflecting the color of the morning sky. Grays and whites blending together, painting gloomy pictures across the sky. Jennifer was getting soaked to the bone but she didn't mind.

Rain storms she always seemed to like. There was something of how the drops would make the leaves dance to unheard music. If she were ever woken up in the middle of the night by thunder, she would always sneak out and stand in it. She didn't have to be worried about getting woken up though. Sleep didn't come as it use to.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sweet smell of freshness floating in the wet air. It had been a while since she had done this. Sighing, she opened her eyes only to find two blue eyes staring back. She smiled.

"Why Blaise, what a lovely surprise. Thought you'd be off in the library," she teased.

He pulled a wet lock of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry about that but I really had something I needed to do. Forgive me?" He put on a fake pout. She looked at him. His dark brown hair sticking to his forehead and neck, blue eyes sparkling with boyish charm. She leaned forward and kissed him, putting her hand on the back of his neck pulling him closer. He brought his hands to her waist, pulling her closer. Kisses traveling down her jaw line and down her neck. Kissing Blaise was like feeling your stomach drop to your toes.

"Blaise, it's too early," she whispered.

"It's never too early for a bit of snogging." Lips clashed before they broke apart, both sopping wet and breathless. "Suppose we should head in and get dry? You must be freezing!" he said. Kissing her forehead, he helped her to stand up.

They both entered the Entrance Hall in silence. But for some reason, it wasn't comfortable silence she was so used to. She got a feeling there was something up with him. She could feel it. He seemed detached, distant, somewhere else. And it hurt. Was there something he wasn't telling her? "Is there something wrong, Blaise?"

Silence....

"Blaise?"

"What?!" She jumped at his tone.

"N-nothing..." was all she could choke out. This couldn't be the man she was talking to just a few minutes ago. She stopped as he carried on. Something was going to happen soon. But what?

Jenn looked at the bulletin board. A Hogsmeade trip so early in the year.

"Looks like I'll have to find a way to ditch the thugs," a voice said behind her.

"Good morning, Draco."

"Looks like you're a little wet. Aren't you cold?" He took off his cloak and put it on her.

"I'm fine." She inhaled and a wonderful smell invaded her nose. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. Realizing quickly that it was the smell of Draco's cloak, she opened her eyes quickly shrugged it off her shoulders. "I don't need this."

"You are a feisty one, aren't ya?"

"Sod off..." and she walked away. Why was Draco always right there? Sure, if she were a typical girl, she would be thrilled. Draco had a smile that would make a girl melt. She liked it but before she melted, she would want to know the reason for the smile. She wanted to have that connection. The more she thought about it, did she even have that connection with Zabini? There was this feeling in her chest every time she looked at him, talked to him, thought about him, or talked about him. Yet, what if what Draco said was true? What if Zabini was snogging other girls behind her back? She laughed. Since when was Draco right about stuff like that?

She stopped suddenly and turned back to see if Draco was till standing there. "Draco?"

He was still there. "May I help you?"

"I know we don't have to start our Herbology project until Thursday but is there a chance we can meet before? I need to make sure I'll have time set aside for it every day," she said rather fast.

"Didn't you just tell me to 'sod off' a minute ago?"

"Look, I'm sorry about that but you touched a nerve. Come on, please? I have to study a lot this year to make up for last year. Right now I'm free to decide when we can get together for research and shit like that. Please?" She smiled sweetly.

"How do you know I'm free now?"

"Because you're bloody standing here talking to me! If you were standing there with a 'to do' list in your hand or something, then I would leave you the hell alone! Now are you coming or do you want to be a bruised Prefect?"

"Well," he smirked, "even though the thought of you smacking me around is tempting, I would rather just get there on my own. I don't want to get my hair messed up."

She reached up and ruffled his hair. "Well, now you don't have to worry about it. Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him to the library but when they got there, the library wasn't open yet. "Mother bloody fucking hell! Now what are we going to do." She was just about to walk away when Draco grabbed her arm.

"Hold on." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a key.

"Why don't you just use Alohomora?"

"Because this lock doesn't work that way, Jenn. And you take Muggle Studies!" He laughed. "And besides, this is the Prefect's part of the library, or didn't you know that?"

"No, I didn't know. But I'm not as smart as some people. I came close to failing two classes last year."

"Well, whose fault is that?"

"You say 'well' a lot don't you? And I couldn't help it. I had a lot on my mind." This was true. She would get letters from her parents every week reminding her to do her "duties" that she had been ordered to do. "Make sure your doing this; don't forget to do that, blah, blah, blah." On and on and on. "Damn! I hate them." She sat down.

"Hate who?" At his words, she snapped out of her trance.

"My parents. Sorry, I must have been thinking out loud."

"They send people that do that to St. Mungo's."

She stuck out her tongue at him then took out a schedule book. "Let's just get this figured out. I want to try and get my grades up. My parents went ballistic on me. So if we're doing this man-eating plant thingy, we'll probably have to feed it everyday. When's good? Mornings or afternoons?" She waited for him to respond. "Draco?" She looked up only to see him fast asleep, his head turned to the side, resting on his arms. A smile crept over her lips. Some of his silver blonde hair had fallen over his face. Without thinking, she brushed it away, letting her fingers linger longer by his cheek. His hair and skin were so soft. He looked so innocent. So unlike him.

She looked at her watch. There was about an hour and a half before classes stared. He had tome to sleep but would she let him? Jenn knew how it felt to be so tired. When she was nine, Jenn and her parents were invited to the Malfoy's annual New Year's Eve party. Draco and Jen, being the only children there that year, they would stay up and watch the New Year roll in. Blushing at the memory, Draco had been the one to give her her first kiss. It was really one of her happiest memories. Her heart would race just thinking about it. But why? This made her question her feeling that she didn't want to think about.

Shaking her head, she took out a book to read but her thoughts kept going back to the sleeping Draco. His face showed no emotion, making him look like a child sleeping. His lips, no longer in the sneer, but in a straight, relaxed line. He was so handsome he was beautiful. Nearly sickening of how beautiful he was. Silver hair, lightly tanned skin, broad shoulders, and muscular arms. No wonder all the girls fawned over him. He was gorgeous. Why did the sight of him suddenly take her?

She looked at her watch again; they only had fifteen minutes to get to class. Jenn got up and kneeled beside him. She placed her hand lightly on his cheek.

"Draco..."

"Hmmm?"

"You need to wake up. We need to get to class."

"Do I hafta?"

She laughed, "Yes, you hafta."

"But I wanna stay here, with you and her hand on my cheek. It's so warm."

She felt her own cheeks flush. "Come on now. You're still half asleep. You don't know what you're saying."

He opened his eyes. "No, I'm fully awake now and I can fully comprehend what is happening and your hand is warm."

Quickly, she took her hand away and stood up. She turned away, her heart pounding once again. "Let's go. We can figure out what we're going to do about the time later." She walked towards the door and waited for him to catch up. She felt sick. She wanted to run and hide but that was the coward's way out and she wasn't a coward. He opened the door for her and followed her out.

"Jenn?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't we hang out like we used to? Like when we were kids?"

"Well, I...I...I don't know. I guess we're not kids anymore." She hadn't really thought of why she stopped talking to him or "hanging out" with him. Maybe she was afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't like her because she was becoming a Death Eater but not willing to. Well, nobody knew really. She had been in the process for six years now with the worst instance three years ago.

"Why do I get the feeling that you hate me as well?"

"Hate? Isn't that a strong word?"

"You said you hated your parents."

"That's different. They did something that...Oh never mind. And I don't...hate you. You just get on my nerves and, well, it's hard to explain."

"On your nerves? That's nothing new. I get on everyone's nerves practically."

"But this is different! It feels like you try harder on me! The question should be, why do you hate me?" She couldn't help but ask. It seemed like he tried to make her life a living hell. More then it was already.

"I don't hate you. I don't even dislike you. It's just your so much fun to aggravate," he said coolly.

"Then why is it that no one makes me as mad as you do?"

"Don't know. Maybe it's fate."

"Why can't you sleep all the time?" She smirked. "You're so sweet then."

"You thought I was pretty sweet when we were six. You wouldn't leave me alone whenever you and your parents came over to the Manor. I couldn't hide anywhere from you."

She laughed. "I knew your whole house by heart. I wonder if I still do..."

"I don't think you would. There are places there that even my father doesn't even know about, let alone you."

What was happening? Was she having a nice conversation with Draco? She liked it. He started down the dungeon stairs before her. "Think you could still hide from me? I'm very good at..." she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping and she missed a step and stated to fall. Hearing her gasp, and with his seeker reflexes, Draco caught her right before she hit the ground.

Her eyes met his silver eyes. Her heart hitting her ribcage. He began to speak. "Why..." he set her down on the floor but didn't let go of her, "would I want to hide from you?"

"W-why wouldn't you?"

"And hide from such a pretty face?" He brushed her hair out of her face and let go of her. "Now you're even prettier." And he walked away.

Her breath caught in her throat. Why was she letting his comments get to her? "I can't let him weaken me! I have a boyfriend that I love and that's that!" She took a deep breath and finished her short walk to the potions classroom.

Snape walked in just as the bell rang. Potions was going to be difficult this year. It was going to be more complex, able to reverse the effects of deadly poisons. She shivered at the thought.

"You know the rules. No wand waving, etc. etc. Now let's get on with it. Quills out! Parchment out! And start copying the ingredients down," came Snape's greasy voice. He turned around and sat back at his desk.

Snape was an okay teacher. If you were in Slytherin that is. But that hair! Would it kill the guy to actually wash it?! It was so greasy. But other then that, he was fine. Years ago, he had been a Death Eater but for some reason, he turned his back on Voldemort. She had seen pictures of him when he was going to school at Hogwarts. Jenn found him rather handsome. He was well-built, tan complexion, eyes so brown that they were nearly black, and well-groomed hair. But all those years with Death Eaters took a toll on him. Though he had gotten paler and thinner since Voldemort had come back two years prior. Now it was like he didn't care what he looked like. Although, he still kind of did look good but she wouldn't admit that out loud.

"I will be choosing your potion partners today...Nott, Zabini. Granger, Parkinson. Potter, Hall. Malfoy, Weasley..." Snape growled.

"Oh, screw it all to hell!" she mumbled to herself. Just what she needed. Mr. Boy Wonder Potter. She picked up her things and slammed them on the worktable. Potter didn't look too thrilled either. Dirty looks flung, they began their antidote for a freezing potion. Reaching for the salamander tails, her hand laded on Potter's. She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly drew her hand away. "Take it." She took the mandrake root instead and began to cut it. In ten minutes time, all the ingredients were in the caldron, simmering. No words passed between them, only looked of loathing.

She finally spoke. "Your hair looks terrible! Looks like you just rolled out of bed and not bothered to look in a mirror."

"Wow," he seethed. "Can't remember the last time someone insulted my hair. It sounds so.... you."

"What? You want I should call Draco or Blaise over? I'm sure they could do worse."

"Sod off," he said and turned to talk to another Gryffindor.

There she was. Sitting there by herself. Everyone else was so involved in their own conversations. She didn't have any friends to talk to. Well, she did have Blaise, Ginger (a fellow six year Slytherin), Millicent, and Pansy but not they aren't type you want to tell secrets too because if you did, they would be spread around the school faster then wildfire. There were times she felt utterly alone in the school. No one feeling what she was feeling or going through similar things.

She scanned the room. Blaise was talking to Pansy. Both seemed too caught up in their conversation to care about their partners. Snape was hovering over a cowering Neville Longbottom. Then her eyes fell on Weasley. The youngest of six boys with a younger sister with gorgeous red hair to die for. Their parent's with more children then they could afford. But Roger, or whatever that Weasley's name was, could see most of his siblings any time he wanted. Jenn hadn't seen her brother Ben for about six years. He was 10 years older the she so she didn't have anyone around the house to play with when she was growing up. It was a good thing that the Malfoy's lived closed by.

"Your potions should be finished. We shall test them on Longbottom's toad. If one of your potions fails," Snaped glared at Longbottom, "Mr. Longbottom... will have a permanently frozen toad." Surprisingly, all of the potions worked, even Neville's.

The bell rang and everyone headed towards his or her next class. Jenn took out her class schedule. Transfigurations was next for Gryffindors and Slytherins together. She had just turned the corner on the forth floor corridor when someone slammed into her. Before she could catch it, her bag slipped and rammed on the floor, splitting the seem and ink bottles breaking.

"Dammit! Watch where in the hell you are going! People are trying to walk here!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to be late and..." came the voice that could only belong to Potter. He knelt down beside her and started to clean up her things. "Let me get this..."

"NO! No, I've got it. Just go."

"No, I'll hel..." Just then the bell rang.

"Great! Now we're both late!" She tore a book out of his hand and shoved it in the holy, inky bag and stood up. "We're going to get it. McGonagall hates it when people are late." She walked to the class room door with Potter at her heals. She opened it.

"Miss Hall and Mr. Potter! I will not tolerate tardiness in this classroom! Do you both understand?"

They both mumbled in unison, "Yes Professor..."

"To make sure you will be on time next class, you both shall serve an hour detention after supper in this room. Understood?"

"Yes Professor."

"Good. Mr. Potter. Please go to your seat. Miss Hall, you need to see the nurse, you're bleeding."

"I...I'm what?" She looked down at her hand. There was a gash in the palm of her hand and blood was dripped to the floor. "Oh crap!"

"Language! Now go to Poppy so she can fix you up and get right back here."

"I'd rather not. I'll be fine. Really!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes professor. See? It's not very deep and the blood is starting to clot..."

McGonagall looked at her over her glasses. "Alright. If you're sure. Take your seat quickly so we can start."

And class began. Turning rabbits into carrots. A refresher course almost. "Remember from last year. Its 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Latnemele. Your carrots should not have a tail nor whiskers," said the professor. "Now you try." A wave of a wand and rabbits turned into carrots. Well, most of them. Some of the "carrots" were hopping around the room with disgruntled spell casters running after them.

The school day ended a little too fast. Now all Jenn could think about was the detention. She just wanted to get it over with. She would have to spend, God knows how long with a Gryffindor.

Deciding to skip supper, she went straight to the transfigurations classroom and sat by the door. It wasn't her fault that she was late. It was Potter's. She closed her eyes. She was surprised he got detention. He had to be all valiant and help her with her books. He's such a git. She yawned and slowly drifted away into sleep.

Slowly she blinked awake. She was lying on a bed in the middle of a dark room. There were no doors or windows and the only light was a single candle floating by the bed. Panic rose in her throat. How did she get out of the hallway and into this room? This surely couldn't be part of Hogwarts.

Jenn got up and quickly ran to a wall, desperately tapping and pounding trying to find a way out. She wasn't supposed to be here. She had detention in less then an hour. She looked at her watch but found to her astonishment, that it was gone. Her school robes were gone too only to be replaced by a long black dressed and covered by what seemed to be a black hooded cloak secured in front by a silver clasp. Jenn gasped in shock. This was the dress that she was made to wear to the Death Eater meetings her parent dragged her to.

A shiver ran down her spine. Why and how would her parents bring her here now? She wasn't due to come to one for another two and a half months. It was the next meeting she was dreading. It would be when she would receive the mark that would call the shots for the rest of her life.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment and walked back to the bed. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want any part of this whole war-to-be! Her parents were stupid. Voldemort was stupid. The idea of a superior race was stupid. Everything was stupid.

She sat down on the bed. Finding it comfortable, she laid back and closed her eyes. "Playground school bell rings, again. Rain clouds come to play, again. Has no one told you she's not breathing? Hello. I'm your mind, giving you someone to talk to...hello... If I smile and don't believe. Soon I know, I'll wake from this dream."

"You always had a beautiful singing voice."

"Shut up. I do not..."

"You should believe everything you are told."

"I can't."

"It isn't written anywhere is it? That you can't believe in what you are told. The truth can be found in more places then in just books. You shouldn't have to rely on just facts. You should rely on word of mouth as well."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"I've been told otherwise."

"I do love you."

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"The question is...do I trust you?"

"If you don't trust me, how can you love me? Love is based on trust, understanding, and honesty. The doubt in your voice tells me that feel neither for me."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't love you."

"But you never said you trust me, you can't love me."

"I hate the word trust now. Lets stop talking about it."

She opened her eyes and found Blaise lying beside her. He laughed and rolled on top of her. If it were any other time, she would have liked this but now, she didn't want anyone to touch her.

"Please get off. I don't want to right now...I'm...I'm not ready."

"But I've always wanted to be in this position. After tonight, we can do it anytime." He stroked her cheek. "You'll belong to me." Jenn gasped as she felt his hand fondled her breast.

"I won't 'belong' to anyone but myself! Please just get off."

"Fine. It's time to go anyways."

"I'm not going! Not yet! It isn't time. I have two months left. Please, just two months and I'll be ready. I promise."

"NO! We are doing this now."

Suddenly, the room dissolved away, and they were standing in front of a hooded person. "It is time. Zabini, prepare your arm." Jenn watched in horror as Blaise took a knife from his pocket and pulled it across his bare arm, creating a vary large deep gash. Amazingly, he did this all without flinching. Gulping, she looked down at the ground. A sizzling sound flooded the surroundings and as did the smell of burnt flesh. "Now the girl."