Someone To Know Me Too Well

To Aja, my co-captain of the H.M.S. Heart of Darkness, and Fran, who thinks I am "barking": if it weren't for your work, I wouldn't be here.

To those who reviewed, thank you, thank you, thank you: JamieLesMaths , Kailani00, JediGinny , DancingRain , Zorb , Superflux, and Sofie Elisabeth.

*

Lisa came back to the broom closet that she had locked Draco and Sam in, hoping against all hope that the two would at least have learned their lesson and would be civil to one another. And maybe Israelis and Palestinians will join hands and open the next session of Parliament. She got part of her wish.

The two in the closet blinked as she opened the door. They were sitting across from each other, silent.

"So. Any snogging going on?" Lisa asked cheerfully.

Sam got up. "Nothing of the sort." She stalked out of the closet and down the hall without another word.

Lisa looked at Draco, the question written on her face. He stood up and smiled at her. It was a secret smile, full of promise. She swallowed. How does he do that?

"I’m looking forward to Saturday. Are you?"

She nodded, lost in his eyes.

*

That night, in the dormitory, Lisa tried to get Sam to talk about what had happened in the broom closet, and finally gave up, filing it under the category of Things Samantha Won’t Talk About. It was a pretty long list, actually.

Samantha finished the letter she'd been composing and stood up. "I’m off to the Owlery. I need to get this out. Then Fred and I are going to, er, feed the giant squid."

"Okay. I’ll see you later."

Sam paused with her hand on the doorknob, her back to the other girl. "So. Did Draco ask you out?" The question took Lisa by surprise.

"Yes, he did."

Sam nodded. "He told me he would." She paused. "I hope you have fun."

Lisa stared after her, wondering if someone had slipped some sort of hallucinogen into the pumpkin juice at dinner.

*

"I’m going to get him back, Fred. I swear I will."

"What did that slimy git say to you?"

"Doesn’t matter. But I’m going to get him. He knows something, and I'm going to find out what it is.

"It does matter." Fred took Sam’s arms and turned her to face him. "It matters to me. I hate seeing you like this. Tell me what he said. I'll take it out of his hide, I promise."

Yes, I do believe he would.

"Like what?"

"All…closed up. Angry. Cold. Your eyes…I’ve always loved the twinkle in your eyes, but it’s not there now."

"Fred…I can’t…"

Fred's voice was uncommonly gentle. "We’ve been dating for a year now. I think I know you better than almost anyone else on this planet does, but you still hide so much from me. After a year, don’t you trust me? Haven’t I proved myself to you? You know I'll take care of you. No one can hurt you."

"Oh, Fred, it’s not that, I do trust you…but…" Fred, Fred, I can’t do this…

"But what?"

If you don’t open up to him you’ll lose him forever. Do you want that?

Do you?

She sighed. "Let’s go sit by the lake. This may take a while to explain."

*

The giant squid was doing laps and the moon had risen by the time she fell silent. Fred reached out and took her in his arms. She leaned back, lulled by the scent of him and his warm arms.

"I’m so sorry. The thought of you being all alone…I wish I could have known you then. Or done something…I’ll never, ever leave you like that. I promise. But why didn’t you tell me this before?"

I may have done some wicked things in my life, but I must have done something good to deserve him. "I don’t know…the topic just never came up. I mean, you knew my parents were dead, and really, that’s about all I knew. Then Malfoy comes along with his big mouth and then I remembered bits and pieces of things I’d heard and it all came together. And it’s like he’d been waiting to spring this on me…so I sent off an owl to a family friend tonight and I’m going to find out what really happened to my father. If he really did kill himself, fine, but if he didn’t, I want to know."

Fred seemed to be having a hard time finding words. "You know that you’re part of our family, don’t you? We…I…well, you're one of us now. Certainly the cutest one."

"Ah. Trying flattery now?"

Fred looked at her. "Flattery will get me everywhere, I think. I know you."

"Just because you’ve gotten the Quaffle through the hoop a few times…Okay, more than a few. But you think you know me so well because…?"

"Well, for one, blue eyes, because I know where you’re ticklish."

Sam laughed as Fred grinned at her. He landed on top of her and the two fell to the ground, wrestling playfully in their old familiar game. Soon they were kissing.

*

A short distance away, Draco Malfoy watched them, a small smile on his face.

*

The next day at breakfast, the Great Hall was even louder than usual. Sam and Fred sat with George, their heads together. Lisa was doing her best to look at Draco Malfoy without appearing to do so, and, over at the Gryffindor table, Colin Creevy had home fries stuck in his nose, snorting and trying to imitate a walrus. Pansy Parkinson was feeding grapes to Draco.

Let it never be said that Hogwarts wasn’t educating the leaders of the future.

"Lisa! Lisa! Come to the light, Carol Ann!"

Lisa jumped. Fred was gesturing to her. She walked over to the Gryffindor table. Sam and Fred leaned closer. "Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get Malfoy back with the potion. All we need is some of his hair. So, all we have to do is get in his dorm," Fred said, with a wicked smile.

"Oh, is that all? How does the potion work, anyway?"

"You give it to the person, and that night, after drinking it, you wait until they go to sleep and are dreaming. There’s a simple incantation and presto! You’re in their dream and can direct it any way you want. If you don’t do the incantation, even if they drink the potion, nothing happens," Fred explained.

"So, why didn’t it work on Percy?" Lisa asked, a grin on her face. Pansy Parkinson is feeding grapes to Draco?

George replied, "We think it’s because Percy doesn’t dream."

Lisa blinked. "But if you don’t dream, doesn’t that mean you’re insane?" Pansy Parkinson is feeding grapes to Draco.

George put his arm around her. Lisa couldn’t see Draco frowning at George. Had she known, her heart might well have done one of those happy little flips that indicate you are, at the very least, in serious like with someone. "Just what we’ve been saying all these years. He is insane. I mean, first there was the Amway thing—"

"And the Mary Kay thing—" Fred added.

"And the Home Shopping Channel incident—"

"Are you sure Percy doesn’t dream? Cause he was, ER, moaning quite a bit one night last Christmas," Sam put in, with a beatific smile. Fred and George looked at her.

"What? The walls at the Burrow are thin."

"Anyway," Fred said, with a quelling glance at his beloved, "Are you in?"

Lisa thought for a moment. It might be fun to find out just what Draco Malfoy dreamed about.

As long as he doesn’t dream he’s a giant lime floating in a swimming pool filled with vodka tonics.

She smiled. "Yes, I’m in."

Sam ruffled Lisa's hair. "I'm sure you can find a way to get some of his hair without him noticing, or at least not minding."

Lisa blushed slightly and tried to look nonchalant. "Why are you doing this, Fred?"

"To get back at him. I told you that. Anyway, what are you going to do if you get in his dreams and he’s dreaming about you being Margaret Thatcher and him being Fidel Castro?"

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Why are you doing this, Sam?" She’s up to something.

She’s always up to something. Remember the armadillos?

Big sigh. "Because you’re my friend and I love you and want you to be happy, and maybe if you get in his dreams and realize what a slimy git he is you’ll see some sense and start dating Percy."

"Percy?! Percy Weasley?"

"Face it, Lisa. Percy’s hot for you. Ever since you came to the Burrow last summer, he dreams of you every night…dreams of holding you close to his chest—a hairless chest I might add—whispering wand measurements in your ear…"

Lisa’s dark hair flew as she hit Sam with the closest thing she had on hand, which, unfortunately, turned out to be a copy of Hogwarts: A History.

Their conversation was cut short as several owls swooped in with mail. One of them landed in front of Sam.

She laughed and looked up at Fred. "Did you send me a booty owl again? It’s a bit early for that, don’t you think?"

Fred shook his head. "That’s not from me."

Her face quizzical, she untied the parchment and read it quickly.

The smile faded from her face.

Lisa, watching closely, saw her go white. Sam stood up, looked around the Hall, and then walked out quickly. Fred and Lisa glanced at each other and followed.

A movement at the head table caught Lisa’s eye and she looked back. She saw Professor Snape frown. He started to stand up, but sat back down again quickly.

Fred and Lisa stopped outside the Great Hall. Sam wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

"What happened, Fred?"

"I don’t know. She took off. I swear that girl can Apparate."

"Okay, look, I’ll go look in the dorm. You go look by the lake."

Fred left, and Lisa started to leave as well. A hand on her arm stopped her.

"I think there’s something I’d better tell you," Draco began.

*

Lisa and Draco were in a deserted classroom, talking.

She folded her arms and sat down. "Is that what she was so mad about when I let you out of the closet?"

Draco nodded, pacing. "Yes. I wish I’d handled it better, but she…she made me really mad, and I retaliated…"

And I’ll bet you’re good at it.

"But why would you even say something like that? Is there something that you know?"

Draco looked stricken. "I can’t answer that." He sat down next to her.

"What do you know about her father, Draco?"

"I told you… I can’t answer that."

"Being enigmatic, are we? Fine." Lisa stood up. "She’s my best friend, and you’ve… hurt her… and that’s not something I forgive easily. I thought I could trust you, but now, I don’t know."

Draco pulled her down next to him. "Just hear me out, okay? I’m not the Smug Evil Git that everyone thinks I am."

Lisa raised an eyebrow.

Draco amended his earlier statement. "Okay, maybe smug. Filthy rich. Dead sexy. Sorry. Just… trust me, okay?"

"Trust you? I hardly know you." But I sure would like to.

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "What has Samantha told you about her father?"

"Nothing much. He died right after the Yule Ball fourth year, and her mother about two months after that, but no one really knows how they died. I don’t think anyone ever told her what really happened. I’m not sure if anyone really knows."

"What about the rest of her family?"

"She’s an only child." Draco raised his eyebrows but said nothing. "She spends her holidays and the summer with the Weasleys, since she and Fred hooked up. She has relatives, but I get the impression they’d rather have nothing to do with her."

"And did she say anything to you yesterday evening?"

"Nothing more than the usual…there was an article in Cosmo for Witches that she showed me about Engorgement Charms wearing off…" Lisa felt herself getting a bit red and rushed on. "But nothing…oh wait…she did say…what was it? She said she was going to the Owlery because she had a letter that she wanted to get off. And then she and Fred were going to feed the giant squid."

Draco smirked. He has a very expressive mouth, Lisa thought. I wonder what it would feel like to kiss him—

"Feeding the giant squid. Is that what they’re calling it these days?"

"Actually, I think they call it Quidditch practice."

Draco looked at her.

"You know, how many times can Fred get the Quaffle through the hoop…?"

"I see." His eyes rested on hers and Lisa began to shift uncomfortably. "I play Quidditch, you know."

She nodded. "Yes, I know." Where is he going with this? Is he going where I think he’s going?

Draco leaned closer. "Perhaps you’d like to come to practice with me one night?" Draco Malfoy’s coming on to me. And then I died.

"I don’t know. I don’t know much about Quidditch," Lisa replied coyly. She kept her hands clenched in her lap. They were trembling, and she was hot and cold and shivery all at once and was pretty sure she didn’t have a fever.

Just from Malfoy. Little hunk of burning love that he is.

"No problem. I know all the rules. I can teach you everything you need to know. I’m an excellent teacher," he breathed.

And no, that’s not a random gust of wind, that’s his breath in your ear and his hand stroking your hair. Can it get better than this?

Slowly, Draco put his hands on her shoulders. His long fingers turned her to him, and he bent his head down to hers. He paused for a moment—giving me a chance to duck away if I don’t want him to kiss me, as if—her mind noted, and then…

And then.

He kissed her. His lips met hers. She marveled at the softness of his lips--bet he useschapstick--and opened her mouth under his. He pulled her even closer, putting his arms around her, his tongue lightly brushing hers. Lisa had been kissed but this, this with Malfoy, this was…

Heaven.

Rapture.

Paradise by the Hogwarts lights.

This was what the fuss was all about.

Lisa’s mind quite conveniently left her then, and nothing existed for her, nothing except the feel of Draco Malfoy’s lips on hers, his hands leaving cool trails as they traveled down her sides, making her shiver, her hands tangling in the fine silk of his hair, his heart beating against hers. She moaned as his lips moved down to her neck, heard him gasp as she nibbled at his earlobe, heard him murmur something incoherent as the two lost themselves in the shared heat of their emotions.

It was all quite poetic. The heavens ceased to weep. The clouds that had darkened the skies all day cleared away. Birds flew out of the Forbidden Forest, shrieking as the sunlight glanced off their feathers, reflecting back waves of glory and sunlight, dying, dying, dying.

And, for the two lovers, all was right with the world.

Houston, we have a snog.

 

*

"Samantha."

"What?" Her voice was muffled.

"Are you okay?" Fred had finally tracked her down in her dorm room, in bed with the curtains pulled around her. Cho Chang, a prefect and fellow Ravenclaw, had let him in, worriedly swearing him to secrecy.

"What do you think?"

Fred pulled the curtains apart and looked down at her.

"I think you need to tell me what the letter said."

She wouldn’t look up at him. Holding the letter out, she said, "Read it yourself."

Fred took it. The writing was very distinctive, but very hard to read. Still, the message came across.

Leave it alone, little girl. Stop asking questions.

He looked up at her, shocked.

"Who is this from?"

"I don’t know. Not the person that I sent it to. I know his writing and I know his owl."

"You sent the letter to a…family friend?"

"Yes. Someone who would know what happened to my father. And he wouldn’t—I mean, if he didn’t know anything, he’d say so. He wouldn’t threaten me."

"Then who--?"

"I don’t know, Fred."

 

Lisa and Draco ran down the hallway. Due to the Great Hogwarts Snogfest, they were both late to Potions class. Rounding the corner, Draco stopped in surprise. Lisa barely managed to avoid running into him.

Following his gaze, Lisa saw a tall man standing in the hallway. He had the same blond hair as Draco, the same gray eyes, the same long hands, and the same elegant lines to his face. It was very obvious where Draco got his good looks. The man was wearing a black velvet cloak and did not look particularly friendly at the moment.

Wonder if he ever does.

He stepped forward when he saw Draco.

"Father! What a… nice surprise… to see you here."

Is it my imagination or does Draco sound nervous? Lisa thought.

"I am here on urgent business. This is not a social call."

"Oh, of course not." Draco regained his composure. "Lisa, may I introduce my father, Lucius Malfoy? Father, this is Lisa Turpin. She’s a fellow classmate."

Lucius was very polite. Cold, but polite.

"Pleasure to meet you. Are you of the Turpins that hail from Newcastle-upon-Tyne?"

Lisa gulped. This man scares the shit out of me. "Yes, sir."

"A very old wizarding family. You have a fine pedigree, my dear."

Pedigree? What am I, a poodle at a dog show? "Well, Mr. Malfoy, I—"

A voice came from behind them.

"Bugger!" From the thump she heard, Lisa knew Sam had tripped.

Lisa and Draco turned around. Neither saw Lucius’ eyes narrow as he looked at the red-haired girl, now cursing quite creatively as she tried, vainly, to mop up a puddle of ink. Her books lay around her.

Lucius strode over to her, the two teenagers following.

"May I be of some assistance?"

Sam looked up. "What? Oh, no sir, I was just in a hurry and—"

Draco stepped forward. "Samantha, may I introduce my father, Lucius Malfoy? Father, this is Samantha Fawcett."

Lisa, watching closely, saw a look of disgust cross the elder Malfoy’s face. Almost as soon as it appeared it was gone, to be replaced by…

Fear? No, not fear… uncertainty. Curiouser and curiouser.

Sam stood up, holding her hand out. "Pleased to meet you."

Lucius looked down at her hand, but did not take it.

Awkward silence.

Snape saved the day by sticking his head out of the Potions room.

"Class has started. Are you planning to spend your social hour with—oh, Lucius. Hello."

"Severus."

The two men stared at each other for a moment.

Lucius turned on Draco. "I believe the professor said class has started?"

"ER, right, we’ll just be going then." Draco put his hand on Lisa’s arm and steered her toward the classroom. Lisa balked, looking at Sam, as did Snape. Lucius spoke.

"Miss Fawcett will be with you in a moment, Severus. It looks like she needs some help." He was one of those people with one of those voices that you didn’t argue with.

"Draco. Miss Turpin." The audience was over. They had been dismissed by Lucius Malfoy, Grand High Poobah of whatever he wanted to be Grand High Poobah of.

The last thing Lisa saw before she stepped into the Potions room was Mr. Malfoy stepping closer to her friend. And Snape looked…

Worried.

*

As soon as the door to the classroom shut, Lucius turned on Sam, eyes blazing.

"What do you think you’re playing at?"

"I just dropped my books, sir. I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Yes, you do. I have had to take time from my busy schedule to come up here to Hogwarts—"

"Did somebody ask you to?"

He grabbed her arm.

Hard.

It hurt.

"Don’t take that tone with me. I will not stand to be treated with such disrespect."

"Mr. Malfoy, honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I tripped, I dropped my books, and then, well, you were there for the rest. And speaking of respect, why wouldn’t you take my hand? Are you always this cranky and rude? It’s not my fault Viagra doesn’t work for you."

Pause.

Please, please, please, whoever’s listening, please tell me I didn’t just say that last sentence out loud.

She decided that, when praying, one had to be specific as to the deity to whom one was supplicating.

No one heard her prayer. And from the look on Lucius’ face, she had, indeed, spoken aloud.

He pulled her close. He was much taller than she and she stifled a yelp as he yanked her off of the floor.

His face was so close to hers that he could have kissed her.

But then, why would he? Viagra didn’t work for him.

"You would do wise to heed my words, Miss Fawcett. You are asking about things that do not concern you. Back off."

"I don’t—"

"I was told that you were fairly smart. I see that I was misled. I am referring to your father’s unfortunate passing. Leave it alone, little girl. It’s of no consequence to you. I am telling you this for your own good."

Yeah, and this is going to hurt him a lot more than it hurts me.

Sam didn’t take too kindly to being told what to do. She set her jaw and glared up at Lucius.

Anyone walking by would have marveled at how eerily the two resembled each other at the moment.

Then what he had said hit her. Leave it alone, little girl.

"You sent that owl, didn’t you?"

"As someone who has your best interests at heart, I am telling you again to turn your mind to more mundane pursuits. The Weasley boy should be adequate for that. He’s certainly mundane enough," he spat.

Fred Weasley would have been very flattered had he seen his girlfriend’s hackles rise in his defense.

"Leave Fred out of this! It’s obvious that he’s a better man than you. He knows manners, at least. Unlike the Malfoys. I don’t know what the problem is here and I don’t know why you think that you can tell me what to do but I do as I please, and if you don’t like it then just go moan about it at some Death Eaters Anonymous meeting—"

She never saw it coming. She saw his eyes darken to slate, his mouth twist into a thin cruel line, and then… she was on the ground. Her left cheek—indeed, the whole left side of her face—was numb. She put her hand to her mouth in shock, and it came away bloody. Lucius stood above her.

He hit me?

He hit me!

"I will tell you this one more time. Leave the past alone. I cannot be held responsible for the outcome should you choose to pursue this. Your father is dead. He killed himself like a coward and that is all you need to know. You would do well to reflect on his untimely demise."

He held out a hand to help her up. She shrank back.

"This is getting most tiresome. I will not hit you again. You have my word."

"You can take your word, Mr. Malfoy, and stuff it up your—"

Snape's voice saved the day.

"Lucius? Miss Fawcett? Is everything all right out here?"

Mr. Malfoy was smooth. In an instant, his eyes were back to their normal light gray and his facial expression had changed to one of concern.

"I don’t think so, Severus. Miss Fawcett here seems to be having a bad day. I am sure that any ministrations you could offer on her behalf would be most welcome." Lucius looked down at Sam again. "Good day, Miss Fawcett. Please extend my good wishes to your… family. Severus."

Snape watched Malfoy walk off and then knelt beside the girl. "Are you all right?"

She didn’t answer, still frozen.

He gripped her arm. That woke her up.

She tore her arm from his. "I’m getting a little tired of being manhandled, thank you."

He looked at her, face inscrutable. "Go to my chambers."

"W-what? The hospital wing--"

"Go to my chambers. They're closer. Around the corner, behind the tapestry of St. Miggs and Michael. My door is behind it. The password is ‘Latibulum’".

"Professor, really, I’ll be fine, I just need a minute to collect myself—"

"You are bleeding. I will not have you walking into the classroom looking as you do and disrupting everything. Go."

Sam figured she’d been brave enough for one day. She’d successfully pissed off Lucius Malfoy. Looking at Snape, she didn’t feel like trying again.

*

Snape strode into the classroom.

"I have some business to attend to. Miss Granger, please supervise the class in the making of today’s potions." He wrote on a piece of parchment and handed it to Hermione, who looked stunned. He then turned to the class.

"I will be most displeased if Miss Granger is treated with anything other than the utmost respect. Do I make myself clear?" Wordlessly, the class nodded as one.

Lisa looked at the empty seat beside her. Where is Sam? And why is Snape suddenly rushing out of class? She looked at Draco. He appeared to be avoiding her gaze.

What does he know?

 

"Drink this." Snape put a small glass vial in her hand.

Sam was reminded of an old vaudeville skit. Have some Madeira, my dear.

"What is it?"

"It’ll help with the pain."

She touched the side of her face experimentally. It still hurt. Of course, Lucius had only left ten minutes ago.

"Yeah, but it’s really going to hurt tomorrow. What is it with guys? Why do you have to hit so hard? And on the face? It’s like pow, out of nowhere, and you feel like your whole face is on fire or something and you walk around with a headache for two days."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You’ve been hit before?"

Without thinking, she answered him. "My father. He didn’t like… being talked back to. Said women should be kept in their place… and I was always speaking my mind…"

Snape nodded. "Yes, Paul Fawcett certainly had… archaic ideas."

Sam looked at him in shock. "You knew my father?"

"We were… colleagues, for want of a better word." Snape paused. "Did he… hit you often?"

"Often enough. After a while, I learned to keep my mouth shut and my eyes down, no matter what he did to me…"

"And what did he do to you, Samantha?"

"Made me go bowling with him every Thursday and wear those nasty rental shoes."

"Miss Fawcett…" Snape said warningly.

She looked up at him.

You can trust him.

It took her a while to find her voice, but she finally managed to speak. "Please, Professor, don’t make me remember what I’ve spent years trying to forget. Please."

Snape looked at her, and for a moment she thought she saw…

Regret. He’s sorry for what happened to me.

But how does he know my father?

Getting a little too weird for me. Better drink the potion now.

For one of Snape’s potions, it wasn’t bad. It tickled her tongue and tasted like raspberries.

"So, when does it start working?"

Did Snape just try to laugh?

"Give it a few minutes. Now, I’m going to ask you some questions. Please answer them truthfully. Half-truths, evasions, or wisecracks are not going to help. You’ve a very sharp wit, but you may well cut yourself on it some day. Tell me what happened just now. It will help me."

Sam stared at him. "Help you?"

"Yes, help me. Something is going on, and I’d like to know what it is. Lucius Malfoy can be very… nasty… when he wants to be."

And here I was hoping I’d catch him as the next guest on Martha Stewart.

"Tired of his dark dominion swung the fiend…"

Snape looked at her.

"Muggle poem," she explained.

"Yes, I know. Lucifer in Starlight."

Snape’s being… nice.

Snape reads Muggle poetry.

What exactly did I just drink?

"You’re, ER, right about Mr. Malfoy. I don’t even think I’ve met him before. I was going to invite him to my Tupperware party but now—" The look on Snape’s face stopped her.

She sighed. "Well, Professor, the trouble all started with Draco Malfoy…"