The Perfect Plan

All the other houses (and the majority of the professors) thought of the dungeons as a dark, dismal part of Hogwarts (since most of their experience was linked to the Potions classroom, which would never be mistaken for a cheerful place). Countless Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors wondered how the Slytherins could exist in such conditions. Few of them ever got friendly enough with the Slytherins to discover the secret. The common room, having no windows, had a tendency to be cold and damp, but the dormitories were another story altogether. One thing that no student had yet discovered was how the Slytherin dorm rooms had windows to the outside.

Fiona awoke to find the morning sunlight breaking through the autumn clouds and brightening up the room. Rolling over, she remembered the potion and scrambled out of bed to check on it. The liquid in the cauldron had deepened in color overnight and was now a deep red. She searched through her trunk and pulled out a wooden box. Carrying it to her bed, she sat down and opened it.

Over the years of working with her father, she had seen many beautiful items pass through the store, many of which were containers for various potions and ingredients. When one caught her eye, she would plead with her father to allow her to have it, usually in exchange for extra help with his tasks. He almost always agreed in the end - this is a man who was heavily into bartering.

The box contained her most cherished treasures - an assortment of bottles and vials. She gently removed one of the bottles from the box. It was a tall slender crystal bottle that reflected light in different colors from its many facets. Fiona took the bottle to the desk and carefully poured the potion into it. The sunlight struck the potion-filled decanter and the room was suddenly awash in a rich garnet tone.

"What is that? Is that the potion? Is it done?" Dara scrambled over her bed toward her friend and tried to grab the container from her. Fiona moved swiftly and stored it carefully in her trunk.

"It is ready. And I'll use it after classes."

"Can't we do it now?"

"No, we can't. We are going to breakfast and then to class and then later I will use the potion." Fiona managed to say all of this to her friend as she pulled on her clothes and straightened her robe.

"You get to have all the fun."

Fiona looked over at Dara who was pouting on her bed. "You know I have to do this on my own, Dar. It's the only way to make sure the spell will work. Besides, you will get to hear all the details later."

This appeared to satisfy the Slytherin beauty, and the girls started their day.

Fiona found that it was nearly impossible to keep her mind on her work. In Charms, she lost concentration in the middle of practicing a binding spell, and her partner (a Hufflepuff) ended up with his wrists bound to the curtain rods rather than being bound together. She had been embarrassed, and the rest of the Slytherins had laughed at the poor boy. Professor Flitwick had taken ten points from Slytherin for her attempt, but it had been rather comical, as the curtain rods were ten meters off the ground.

Divination had not been much better. She was still uncertain why she continued to take this class, as the only thing she had ever correctly predicted was a rain shower. Like that wasn't hard to do in Scotland. However, today had been worse than other days, as Professor Trelawney had caught her with a copy of Teen Witch under the table and then gone on to predict that a great error due to her inattention would cost Fiona dearly. Stupid old bat. Well, at least she hadn't lost any more House points. Or her copy of Teen Witch.

Finally, classes were over and her roommates were under strict orders to stay away from the dorm room until after dinner. Fiona sat alone in the room with her eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths. She pulled out her parchment and quill and sat for a moment, deciding how best to word the note. Finally deciding that the simple approach would be the best, she wrote:

Meet me in the Trophy Room at midnight tonight.

Now for step two. The dark-haired girl reached into her trunk and removed the crystal bottle, then slipped on her dragon-hide gloves. Laying the parchment flat on the desk, she carefully dripped the potion onto it, being sure to cover it entirely. She picked up her wand and dried the document and then repeated the process until the potion was finished. She then charmed the note for human touch.

Folding the parchment carefully, she turned to the raven perched on her bedpost.

"Mabon, please deliver this to my true love."

The raven bobbed his head as if nodding and grabbed the note in his beak before flying off.

My plan is now underway. Fiona smiled to herself. If only she had seen the expression on Mabon's face as he flew toward the Great Hall. Even a Slytherin should know better than to trust a raven.

The raven circled the Great Hall and not finding his target began to circle the castle. He finally sighted him on the Quidditch pitch having just finished practice. The black bird landed on his shoulder and after delivering the message shrieked loudly. The boy unfurled the parchment and his eyes widened as he read it. Shoving the note in his pocket, he stared hungrily up at the castle before continuing to the changing rooms.

Fiona arrived in the trophy room at 11:30, having scouted the perimeter first to check for Filch and Mrs. Norris. Whispering, she put out all of the lights on the far side of the room, leaving only the two near the west doorway lit. She then spent a few minutes ensuring that the charm was in place. Only a few more minutes now. She could hardly stand still.

It was time.

He entered the room slowly, pulling out his wand when he noticed the darkness.

"Lu-"

"No," Fiona quickly interrupted. "Leave it dark."

He walked slowly across the room. Fiona kept her head down, suddenly nervous.

"Fiona?" He whispered her name softly. "You sent me the note?"

"Yes." She whispered back. Somehow, whispering seemed the only way to speak in the semidarkness.

"Why me?"

He was standing very close now, in order to hear her whispered response. She could smell the scent of his skin; the smell of citrus mingled with sweat. Was he as nervous as she was? He, who had most of girls in the school lusting after him?

"Why not you? You know that you are one of the most desirable men in the school. No one can keep their eyes off of you when you enter a room - you make certain of that fact. And besides..." She broke off, uncertain of how to continue.

"What?" He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers gently, urging her to continue.

"You will think it's stupid."

"Tell me." He tried to raise her head to look into her eyes, but she resisted.

"I had a vision. In Divination. I know that you think it's all worthless, but I saw us together."

His hand stilled for a moment when she spoke these words. He then moved his hand and ran it through her hair. Fiona closed her eyes as shiver ran through her. Bringing his other hand up, he tilted her head back and leaned in to kiss her gently. She relaxed into the kiss, and suddenly found her hands running through his hair as well. Soft, she thought. The kiss deepened, their lips parting and tongues lightly teasing each other.

As they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and seeing this, he smiled as well. Her head was leaning against the warm wool of his jumper. Funny, I thought of him as a cashmere person.

A few more minutes of tender whispers and kisses and Fiona knew his lips as well as her own. Lips that could be firm but at the same time gentle. Kisses that said nothing, but at the same time said everything.

"We'd best be going now," he whispered to her. She didn't want to leave, but knew that he was watching out for them. Filch could show up at any moment.

"Yes," she whispered back, still reluctant to meet his eyes, afraid that he may see more than she wanted him to. What if he discovered the charm?

"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked her quietly, as he stepped towards the door.

"Oh, yes."

"Good." She heard the smile in his voice as he turned and left the room.

A wicked grin flickered across her face.

Draco Malfoy, you are mine now.

The curtains on the four-poster bed were closed, but the teenager lying on the bed could still hear his roommates' snores. He had crept back into the dormitory without anyone noticing, after passing through a common room that was unusually devoid of late night inhabitants. There were no games of Exploding Snap underway; no student sitting up to finish reading a chapter. He was disappointed in a way that the excuses that he had planned came to naught.

After stripping down to his boxers, he had crawled into the bed that had been warmed by the house-elves. He lay silently, replaying the last hour in his head. It had been a shock to receive the note, and even more of a shock to discover who had sent it. But when he had reached the trophy room, there had been a pull from across the room that he could not ignore. He hadn't really noticed Fiona before.

You never noticed her before? Are you blind?

Not like THAT. I mean, she is pretty. Her hair is gorgeous. And those eyes. But she's not one of the girls that the guys are tripping over to snog in the Astronomy Tower.

But you noticed her tonight...

Oh, yeah. I couldn't help but notice her. It was almost like being in a trance. I saw her across the room and I felt as though time had stopped. I have never felt that way around anyone before. My heart jumped up into my throat and somehow I just knew that it was meant to be. Sounds crazy, right?

So, what now, Romeo?

Er...Wait, am I talking to myself?

No, this would be thinking to yourself.

As long as I'm not going crazy.

So, what's next?

Flowers.

Flowers?

Girls like flowers, right?

You're asking me?

Er, right.

Flowers, eh?

Tomorrow.

With that settled in his mind, he turned over on his side. Tomorrow he would give Fiona some flowers at breakfast.

And Ron Weasley fell asleep with a smile on his face.