Filia de Malignus

Chapter 5: A Hug and a Kiss

In mid-October, the time came to pick the house Quidditch teams. Harry naturally saw the talent in Ron and Seamus as Beaters. What surprised him the most was Ginny and Hermione as Chasers. They were fierce and fearless, and every game he had seen them play, they were doing some severe beating of their own!

Malfoy, on the other hand, was seriously thinking of replacing the team's Seeker. The problem was, he didn't not want be Seeker. It was fun trying to flatten Potter while flying. But Xenia was the best, and could probably beat Gryffindor. She would be a real match for Harry.

Malfoy sat alone, not being able to choose. Crabbe didn't hang around Malfoy as much anymore, (and there went his last "bodyguard") ever since he found out that Malfoy told off Pansy for telling everyone that she was his girlfriend, and so Crabbe was her next choice (No one really knows why). So Malfoy had taken to sitting alone in the common room during the evening, poring through Quidditch Through the Ages, trying to figure out if you can have a reserve player or not, and if it was at all possible for a team to have two Seekers.

Harry and Xenia were now the talk of the school. Word slipped out about the hospital wing scenario and it was all over the school that the "New girl from Slytherin and famous Harry Potter" were a couple. Harry was telling the truth, nothing had happened, all she did was hug him and that's it! Xenia's way of dealing with things were just slightly different. If anyone asked her anything, she would scowl, crack her knuckles and threaten to pound their faces in. This made people stay away from Xenia, and she was always alone.

Of course, ever since the hospital wing incident, Harry and Xenia decided to just be friends for now. Ever since that night, Hermione would keep saying things like 'Expulsion is worse than death!' when Xenia was near, and so they resolved to meet in secret, so nothing else would leak out. They spent nights upon nights talking in the deserted Astronomy Tower. They talked about everything. There were those few nights where they would both feel the same way they did in the hospital wing that one night, but neither ever dared to let the other know it.

Keeping feelings from someone was very hard, especially for Harry. It seemed that whenever he had strong feelings about something, he somehow conveyed those feelings to Xenia. Whether it was about her or not about her, somehow, he would get the message across. Either way, each day they got to know each other a little more, and they became even closer friends.

The Quidditch season was going to begin tomorrow afternoon, and all the other house teams were ready. Malfoy was still begging Madam Hooch to let him have a reserve Seeker.

"Madam Hooch, she could play if I got hurt or something. It would work, really!" he said.

"Malfoy, I thought I told you last time!" she said impatiently. "If you got hurt, the standard procedure is that we would keep playing while you got tended to," she finished. "Besides, it is unfair if the rest of the houses don't have one, and since you are the only one asking," she trailed off.

"Well, every team can have one!" said Malfoy.

This struck a chord with Madam Hooch. "If we start this, we could be famous for creating another rule in Quidditch! 'Every team may have a reserve Seeker in case of injury!' Alright Malfoy, you may have your reserve Seeker, as will the other houses."

Malfoy was grinning as he bolted up to the Slytherin dormitories. Xenia was curled up in a chair by the fire reading a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages.

"Xenia!!" said Malfoy. "I have the best news!" he continued.

She saw the smile on his face and immediately got excited, since Malfoy never smiled unless it he had a good reason. "What is it?" she inquired.

"You are now my reserve Seeker!" he said. "I just asked Madam Hooch! She said it was alright!"

Xenia's smile faltered. "Oh, you mean, I am benched all season 'til you crack your skull open?" she said in a disappointed voice.

"Xenia, you'll play, believe me! I get hurt lots! Bad too! I remember in my second year, I got thrown off my broom and landed in a split on my knees. I was screaming in the hospital wing forever! You'll play, Xenia. I promise," said Malfoy.

She got up and looked him straight in the eye with her arms crossed. "I'm gonna play?"

"Yes!" said Malfoy. "You're gonna play, and you're gonna win!"

A huge smile spread across Xenia's face and she threw her arms around Malfoy with such force that he almost fell over. "Thank you! Draco, you are the greatest I can't believe it! Finally, I'll get to play Quidditch! Oh! I've always wanted to do this!! Thank you!!!"

Malfoy was taken by surprise. He honestly didn't think that she would be this happy. "You must really like flying, don't you?"

Xenia let go of him so quickly that he almost fell down. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, blushing. "I guess my happiness got the best of me!"

"It's alright," Draco said. He thought to himself, yes it was alright, please do it again! Draco Malfoy had many girls in Slytherin obsessed with him, but he hated every single one of them... that was until Xenia somehow revealed a different side of her, of course. In his heart, there was still that love-hate battle going on with her, but he noticed that every time he saw her working in the common room, studying all alone, the hate part of him was getting slimmer and slimmer. Actually, the entire hate thing was really hate for Harry. Xenia was Potter's girl. He would have no chance of winning her over against the living saint himself.

Xenia was looking at him curiously. "Hey, is something up? You look kind of funny," she said. "If you feel weird cause I hugged you or something, I'll leave."

"Oh no, Xenia! It wasn't that," said Draco. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"Sure..." Xenia commented jokingly. As an afterthought, she added, "Hey Draco, thanks again for the spot on the team!" Then she walked out of the room with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

Malfoy sat down in one of the common room chairs. He thought of how happy he just made someone. He made someone's day. This whole being-nice-to-get-the-girl-and-make-her-happy deal isn't as hard as I thought it would be! Now if I could only erase Potter... hmm...

* * *

Xenia was looking out the window at the starry night sky, letting the cool night air wash over her face. She was waiting for Harry to come to tell him the great news. He would like the fact that Malfoy actually let her onto the team, even if it was reserve. It was still part of the team, and Harry would for sure be happy for her... she hoped. She heard his footsteps approaching the door, and then him muttering the password under his breath. The door opened, but no one was there that you could see.

The door shut "by itself" and Harry took off his invisibility cloak. "Xenia, you around?"

"Yeah, by the window," she said quietly.

"Lumos," he said. A dim glow filled the room. He set the lit wand on the small table, as he did with his glasses. The dimness hurt his eyes with the glasses on.

"So, Xenia, what happened with you today?"

"The greatest thing ever!" she exclaimed. "Malfoy gave me a spot on the team!"

"You don't mean..." he started, "no. He is too big headed to give up his spot as Seeker..."

"Well, I'm now Slytherin's reserve Seeker!" she said. "Isn't that great!"

Harry smiled. "That's awesome, Xee!" he said. "I just hope he lets you play, that's all."

"What if I have to play against you, Harry?" she asked.

"Eh..." Harry said, "let's just say that it would be a good match." Honestly, he didn't know if he could measure up to her flying abilities.

"Harry, I've seen you on your Firebolt. You're spectacular. I watch you practice from the common room every night," Xenia said. She suddenly caught herself, saving herself by saying, "I mean, you know, I watch every house team practice. You just happen to fly better than everyone else."

"I'm flattered," Harry said, blushing. "It's the only thing I can really do well in this world. Not like you, good at everything with a twist."

"What's the twist?" she asked.

"It's like you have a split personality," he said.

"Oh, so you are saying I'm a schizophrenic?" she said in a mock-hurt voice. "Do I talk to myself, now?"

"No!" said Harry defensively. "It's just that you somehow, well, conduct yourself differently around m--certain people."

"Now this sounds a bit juicy! Let's hear it, then!" said Xenia eagerly, egging him on.

"Well," Harry started, "you are so totally open with me, but when it comes to everyone else, you threaten to beat their faces in. You hate Malfoy, yet you saved his life."

"I don't hate him!" she said. "He got me to play Quidditch."

"Xenia," Harry pleaded, "he is... evil!"

"Yes, but notice he hasn't been so mean lately. His stupid friend Crabbe deserted him for his ex-girlfriend, and now he sits all alone in the common room reading Quidditch books!" Xenia said. "I feel bad for him sometimes. He looks almost innocent on some days." She recalled the whole hugging incident. "Did you know that I was so excited and happy that he made me a member of the team that I hugged him and nearly plowed him over?"

"You... hugged...Malfoy?" he said in disgust. "You touched the repulsive ferret-boy... thing?"

Xenia punched Harry in the arm lightly. "Hey, my feelings got the best of me again! I mean, I wonder how many rules he is breaking to get me on the team. I'm pretty sure that you can't have reserve teammates unless the game goes on for more than a couple of days."

Harry nodded, stood up, and, while thinking of things that weren't Quidditch, he walked over to the window where the moon was shining. He put his elbows on the windowsill and just gazed out onto the grounds. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The stars and everything..."

"Of course it is, Harry," Xenia said pointedly. "It's very romantic, in my opinion."

"Romantic," said Harry while shaking his head, smiling. "That's not something I would expect to hear from someone like you."

"Okay, if you want me to sound all mean and nasty like everyone thinks I am, I will!" she said, screwing up her face into a sick frown. "EW! Pretty stuff makes me gag! I am cold and unfeeling. Oh, and I specialize in ferret hunting, so all blonde, egotist men, better watch out! I'm coming to string you up... by your balls!"

Harry winced at this. "A bit descriptive there, don't you think?"

"People think I'm like that, Harry!"

He laughed. "People don't think you're like that!"

"Suuuuure!" she said. "What people?"

"I certainly don't!" he said. "Its fun coming up here every so often in secret just to talk to someone!"

"I think it's fun too!" Xenia said in defense. "I really like it a lot! I've never had anyone to talk to since David, and after he was... you know... I sort of went into this abyss of complete and total, well, badness! You made me halfway discover my old self again. I guess I took out my rage on other things and tried to prove myself in such wrong ways... I'm not very popular here with everyone, am I?" Xenia inquired miserably.

Harry didn't know what to say to this. He just kept staring out the window. He knew for a fact that most people didn't like her because she was so mean. He was afraid to tell her, though. He didn't want to hurt her...or himself.

She went on. "And our Headmaster, Dumbledorf I think--"

"Dumbledore," corrected Harry.

"Yeah, Dumbledore," she said. "Anyway, he called me into his office and asked if there was anything wrong, you know, since I'm new and all. I said that I didn't feel really comfortable here at times and that I hated the house I was in. Slytherin... I mean, the name is cool sounding, but the people in it are real jerks! Malfoy is getting better, though," she finished.

"That," said Harry, "is the biggest surprise of all."

"Tell me about it!" she said. "You know, that stupid rumor about the hospital wing has a good side! I don't have to hear any Malfoy-ass-kicking-stories anymore! Jeez, they look to me as if I am some warrior queen or they treat me like something on the bottom of their shoe! Dumbledore talked to me about that, too. He said that they don't approve of fighting here. It loses points for their house. I told him that Malfoy was gonna hit me, and it was in self defense. He believed me. The whole time though, he was looking at me funny. Like he knew me or something. Does he give this much attention to all of the students or am I just special?" She said "special" in a sarcastic tone.

"I dunno," said Harry, looking away from the stars. "I am always in there, but then again, (his tone dropped to sarcasm) look at who I am, you know. Famous Harry Potter, the boy who lived, champion of he-who-must-not-be-named for 15 years running, can he make 16?" he said with the most cynical voice that Xenia had ever heard come out of him.

"Wow," she said sullenly. "You really must hate being famous, huh?"

"Ugh... can we please change the subject, I'm sick of talking about this," he said, plopping onto the puffy couch next to the telescope. Xenia did the same, but on the other side.

"Okay then," she said, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. She racked her brains and found something important that had been on her mind for awhile. "Harry, can I ask you one teeny, tiny question?"

Harry glanced at her. Her body was turned to face him. She was looking really fidgety for some reason.

"Why not?" he said.

"Okay," she started as she drew in a deep breath. "Harry, you know that one night in the hospital wing--"

"Xee, I thought we said the first time we met here that we wouldn't bring that up ever again," he said, cutting her off.

"Oh, I know," she said, wringing her hands, "but I had to ask you something. You had to have been feeling something somewhat the same that I was feeling, I mean, I could just tell. It was weird, I had never felt anything like that before."

"Xenia..." he said.

"Harry, I know you did, please just tell me what it was," she said, moving closer. "Please, Harry..."

He looked her over. She was gazing at him with anticipation, wanting to hear so bad what he had to say. He knew what he had to do, and that was to tell her the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"Okay, Xenia," he said, breathing deeply, now feeling the fidgetiness that she was feeling. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but that night, all that was going through my mind was you. It was perfect, you know? I can picture it in my mind. The moon was full that night. It was shining right on you, illuminating your entire body. I mean, I remember it so vividly. And--"

Xenia looked straight into his eyes. "You wanted to kiss me. You felt it the whole time. But just when you were about to, Ron and Hermione came in..." She finished and broke eye contact with him, looking down at her hands, which were still not cooperating.

Harry was astonished. It was so weird, how she finished his sentences like that. "That was exactly what I was going to say," he said. "I mean, not just 'along the lines of', word for word, it was exactly what I was going to say, you just said it for me."

"I don't know why, but it seemed right to say, since I felt the exact same thing as you," she said. "Its just that--"

Harry could see that she was itching to say something. He could just feel it around him, all of the tension and the strain.

"Just say it, Xee," said Harry. "I won't judge you for it."

She stood up and began pacing in front of the couch. "Do you know it is absolute MURDER coming up here and being with you totally alone?" she said loudly. "Sorry," she said, lowering her voice. "I mean, not every night, just sometimes. If you haven't figured it out by now, Harry, I guess I... well, you see, its sort of hard to say right in front of you, and if anyone said anything, or what if it slipped..."

As Xenia went on and on about what would happen if whatever she was babbling about "slipped", Harry found the courage to stand up and grab Xenia by the shoulders, which successfully stopped her pacing that was making him even more nervous than he already was, along with her constant chatter. For a split second, he looked into her eyes. That was when his nerve basically failed him and his heart took over. He kissed her softly. All of the mounting tension was now quickly dissolving into pure ecstasy crossed with anticipation on what could possibly happen next.

They broke apart quite slowly and Harry said in the softest, most tender voice without taking his eyes off of Xenia, "I like you too."

Xenia finally opened her eyes and looked into his. "Wow..." she said in sigh-like way. She stayed in a sort of a trance-like mode for awhile, but when she snapped out of it, she shook her head and just looked at

Harry. It was a peculiar look, she looked so happy, but you could just see the scared look in her eyes, which were darting around the room. The tension was back and greater than ever.

Harry, with his hands still on her shoulders, looked at her curiously. "What's wrong?" he said.

"Uh... nothing, not a thing," she said. She looked as if she was doing some serious quick thinking. "It's just that... I gotta go because I might have to play tomorrow, you know Quidditch, and I wanna rest up, in case Malfoy, um, dies. Gotta go, bye!" she said quickly, leaving Harry and running out of the door.

"Xenia, wait!" was the last thing that she heard Harry say that night. She rushed up to her dormitory with the thoughts swimming inside her head so mixed up, so mixed between complete fear and happiness. She was out of breath when she said the password and she ran into the common and towards the stairs up to her dormitory. On the way, though, she tripped on a low table and was sent sprawling across the cold stone floor.

She was lying on her aching stomach when she finally opened her eyes. She saw a pair of fuzzy green slippers with the Slytherin emblem on it. "Oh god... not you... not now..." she groaned.

"Yes me," the owner of the slippers said. A hand grabbed her by the scruff of her turtleneck and pulled her upward. "And yes, now!" It was Pansy Parkinson. "You were out of bed, weren't you?"

Xenia was beginning to regain her composure. "That is NONE of your business," she shot nastily.

"Oh yes, it is, I happen to know about you and Draco's little escapade in the common room today," she said.

"Millicent said that you were all on top of him! Were you with him tonight?"

"I was on top of NO ONE!" said Xenia, trying her hardest to keep her voice down. "Why are you keeping tabs on him? Aren't you with Crabbe now?"

"Yes! What do you care?" said Pansy nastily.

"Then why do you care what Malfoy does?" asked Xenia.

"Don't be so thick, Xenia!" she whispered viciously. "Every girl in Slytherin wants Draco and YOU KNOW IT! It's just a shame that the poor boy is too stupid to realize there is better around him... so he hangs around with you," she said with a sneer.

Xenia looked astounded. "How can you even say that when I barely know him, or let alone 'hang around' with him! The only reason I hugged him today was because I got onto the Quidditch team, and it was because of him!!" she screamed, forgetting that around seventy people that were trying to sleep.

"SUUUUUURE!" yelled Pansy, "AND THAT'S WHY YOU WERE OUT WITH HIM JUST NOW!!"

"IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A BITCH ABOUT IT, GO RIGHT AHEAD AND LOOK IN HIS FREAKIN' DORMITORY!!!" yelled Xenia at the top of her lungs.

Although they couldn't hear it, footsteps were approaching throughout the tower.

Another thought hit Pansy just then. "OOH!! WAIT 'TILL HARRY FINDS OUT!! Poor Scarhead, shot down again..."

That was it. That was Xenia's final straw. She said in low, raspy voice, "Don't talk about Harry like that... "

She clenched her fists and rolled up her sleeves. "Gonna test me, Pansy?"

Pansy, for a split second, looked a bit nervous. After a moment's hesitation, she also rolled up her sleeves.

"Have it your way then," she said, as more doors opened and slammed. Footsteps echoed off of the tower walls.

Pansy swung at Xenia's face, but she easily ducked it and swung her fist around and nicked her in the jaw with full force. Pansy cried out, but shook it off quickly and tried punching Xenia again. This time, she hit Xenia hard in the mouth. She felt her tooth jam into her cheek, and then the blood that began flowing into her mouth. She kept going, however, and she hit her hard in the stomach, causing Pansy to gag. In the distance, Xenia heard voices around her, but she was concentrating too much on what to do next. The fight raged on...

Meanwhile, Malfoy, while trying to get his housecoat on, was running down the cold stone steps that led out of the dormitories because of the screaming and yelling in the common room. When he got down there, he saw Xenia and Pansy fighting. Most of the guys were huddled in a corner yelling, "Cat fight!" and watching intently. Malfoy went over to them.

"Hey, what is this all about?" he asked a sixth year.

"Who cares?! When was the last time you saw two girls fight?" he said. Then he remembered the train. "Oh... never mind, Malfoy."

Malfoy scowled and walked to the other side of the room, wondering what he should do. He saw Crabbe at the other side of the room, rooting for Pansy to knock Xenia out. Maybe I should stop it, he wondered. He went over cautiously to the middle of the room where they were fighting.

"What's up?" he asked. "What's with all of the fighting?"

Xenia didn't even look over at him. He repeated himself loudly. "Hey, what is with you two?"

No one was listening. He was getting frustrated with himself and he elbowed Pansy out of the way and grabbed Xenia by the shoulders. "What the hell is going on here?!" he said. A lot of the guys were booing and jeering. They wanted the girls to fight some more.

"What are you DOING, Draco?!" she said, struggling to get out of his grasp. "Let me GO!!!"

"I want to know what is going on!" he said.

"You're just afraid that she can't take Pansy, here!" yelled Crabbe from across the room.

Someone yelled to Crabbe, "Hey, go get that camera of yours! We need some lasting memory of this!"

Draco shot a nasty look at Crabbe as he ran up to the dormitories and then started with Xenia again. "What is going on?" he said.

"Trying to kick someone's ass, now GET OUT OF THE WAY!" she shrieked, pushing him aside.

"Whoa!" said Malfoy loudly.

Malfoy lost his balance as Xenia tried to get to Pansy, who was now nodding her head and telling some of the Slytherin girls around her, "I told you it was Malfoy all along.... pity...", but couldn't. Xenia grabbed out instinctively for something to grab onto as she fell, but all she got were Malfoy's robes and she landed right on top of him with a scream.

The common room just stared for a moment. Crabbe rushed back in with his huge camera and stared at the two of them in a mess on the floor. He hesitated, and then snapped a picture. Almost everyone, with the exception of Xenia and Malfoy, were doubled up with hysterical laughter. Anyone who wasn't laughing was ooh-ing at the sight.

Suddenly, the common room door opened and slammed. The Slytherins became silent. Professor Severus Snape was standing in the firelight with a look on his face so angry that he looked like he was about to explode. Xenia tried to get up off of Malfoy, but she was snagged on something. Her belt buckle was caught on the tie of housecoat. She ripped herself from him hastily, standing up. Malfoy also stood up, looking livid.

There was a gasp, and then a few giggles. Draco looked down and saw a most embarrassing sight. His housecoat was open, revealing his dark green, silk boxer shorts with the Malfoy emblem embroidered onto them. He eyes widened and he shut his robes. He was so embarrassed that he didn't even know that his Head of House was in the room. He nearly screamed when he turned around to face him.

"Mister Malfoy?" said Snape in his oh-so-cold voice. "My office, NOW! Everyone else, get back up into your dormitories." Malfoy looked up at him, finally untangled from Xenia and getting up. Xenia also got up, made a sort of evil sounding growl towards Pansy, who looked extremely frazzled, and walked to the steps. "Except, you, Miss Xanderbilt. You're coming with me as well."

Xenia looked at Malfoy, who avoided her gaze. Snape was silent as they walked up the steps to his office.

When they got there, all he said was "Sit," looking furious. He turned to face them and began.

"I would like someone to explain this... NOW!" he said, shaking with fury. "Never, EVER has anything like this happened in my house before. You were out of bed after hours, that's a detention any day, but to get the WHOLE of Slytherin house riled up by doing something in the common room? That is absolutely not the behavior I would expect from my two best students! I would like to know what it was you two were so keen on doing had I not intervened, and I would like to know NOW. Spare me the intricate details, however, I would rather not hear them." He muttered under his breath, "This is worse than the Crabbe and Goyle incident, my god!"

Malfoy spoke with anger in every syllable. "I was NOT doing anything with her, Professor!"

"I know what I saw, Malfoy! Now, hold your tongue!" Snape spat.

"Professor," started Xenia, "Malfoy wasn't out of bed with me or anything, he just came down because of all of the noise. You see, Pansy Parkinson was in the common room when I got in. She picked a fight with me and swung at me and all I could do was defend myself. Malfoy actually stopped the fight. I tried getting back to her, so I pushed him and accidentally fell onto him. You didn't see what you thought you saw."

"How do I know, Miss Xanderbilt, that you aren't just making this up?" he said, sneering at her.

"Ask Pansy, she'll totally twist the story around but she knows that Malfoy came out of his dormitory and split up the fight," she said.

Snape called down Pansy. She came in looking distraught and when she saw Xenia, she began to wail. When Snape looked away, however, she winked at her with a nasty grin.

"A-a-and then she hit me, because she knew I caught Malfoy and her doing something. Then he broke it all up, but then he started...kissing her! And then they fell over! Oh it was terrible... terrible!!" she lied.

Xenia stood up. "He never kissed me! She are making it ALL UP!"

Malfoy stood up also, glaring at Pansy. "YOU STUPID B--GIRL!!!! I don't like you, I don't like Xenia, I DON'T LIKE ANYONE!" he screamed, now breathing heavily and sitting back down. "Okay?" he said in an attempt to calm himself down. It wasn't working very well, seeing as he was turning very red and look like he was a bomb just waiting to be detonated. He sat back down, frowning.

Snape pondered this, his brow furrowed. A sardonic smile began to form at his lips. "Xenia, you said when you got into the common room. How do I know that you and Malfoy weren't sneaking around the castle after hours anyway, up to absolutely no good." He came up with a brilliant idea that was sure to work. "I have a deal for you," he glanced at Pansy. "Miss Parkinson, you may leave." As soon as Pansy stepped out of the room, he turned to the two of them again.

Xenia's face clearly said 'Don't sweat it! I've done this before!' Draco's was a mixture of pure anger and fear of Snape, who had never given him a detention all the time he had been at Hogwarts. As a matter of fact, Malfoy was usually his favorite student. "Like I said, I have a deal for you. If you can prove that you two were not roaming around the tower together, I will let you both off, no strings attached. If you can't, I will take away 25 points each and you will both have one week's worth of detention."

Xenia's face turned from a deep red to pale ashen. She knew exactly how to get them both mostly off the hook, but she would have to get Harry in trouble and Draco would surely hate her forever for what she did. At least one of them would be off the hook and Draco would like that... she hoped. She gulped. "Professor, I have a confession to make," she said slowly. Draco whipped around to face her. He looked bewildered. And he wasn't the only one, because Snape's smile had dropped.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Well, um, it would be far easier to say if Draco wasn't in here," she said, avoiding Draco's eyes as they tried desperately to make contact with hers. "It is sort of personal and it is hard enough telling you, but I don't want someone innocent to get in trouble."

"Mister Malfoy, if you would step out for a moment," he said.

"Professor, I--" he started.

"Go," he said, pointing to the door.

Draco walked out scowling. He put his ear up to the crack of the door, trying to listen.

Snape turned to Xenia. "What is it, then?"

"I don't deny that I was out of bed after hours. I was up in the astronomy tower, um, catching up on some homework. There is one person that could vouch for where I was, Malfoy-free," she said.

"Who?" asked Snape.

"It's..." she began. But at that moment, her nerve failed her completely and she began to wail. "Oh, please, please Professor, don't get him in trouble! He didn't do anything at all! I just don't want Draco in trouble because he didn't do anything either and this, er, person is, well, nice and honest and would surely not want any harm done!"

"Just say the name, Xanderbilt!" spat Snape.

"It was..." she gulped. "Harry. Harry Potter."