A War of Nerves

CHAPTER 8: In Which There is Confession

"Hello Hogwarts!" Lily said fearlessly into the magical microphone. "Y'all have the privilege o' listenin' ta the greatest rock group on the Eastern Seaboard! At my left are the Matson twins, Katie and Gwen playin' bass. Behind them is B-chan on the drums. At the tables is Morgan Le Fay herself, Raja. Now let's get it goin', we ain't got all night ya know! One, two, one, two three..."

The twins started with a clear melody which was quickly interrupted by Lily sliding down her electric. The turn tables came to life and Brigid began away at the drums.

"It's all in your mind/She said the darkness and the light/The clock it bleeds for you/But you never got the time in right/I woke you up and I slit the throat of your confidence/And we laughed in the night/And I felt alright/Whoo!

"All hands on deck boys 'cause this ship was made to sink/Your swabber salutes you now/But I know what he's thinking/I woke you up and I slit the throat of your confidence/And we laughed in the night/And I felt alright.

"Thanks a lot.

"Thanks a lot.

"You don't even know.

"Thanks a lot.

"The clothes she wears mis-fit/And she stutters when she speaks/Her zombie mom and dad live in a separate house of freaks/I woke you up and I slit the throat of your confidence/And we laughed in the night/And I felt alright.

"Thanks a lot.

"Thanks a lot.

"You don't even know.

"Thanks a lot."

Then Lily broke into a flamboyant solo. She looked focused on her music, biting her lip ever so slightly as he hit the last note and made it tremble before she let it go.

"I'm the one for you 'cause I know all the dirty things you like to do/I'm the fear in your eyes/I'm the fire in your flies/I'm the sound that's buzzing round your head.

"Thanks a lot.

"Thanks a lot.

"You don't even know

"Thanks a lot.

"Thanks a lot."

The girls pumped the music tempo up for a loud and heavy conclusion. And when it ended, the Great Hall cheered louder than Lily thought they would if finals were cancelled.

"Thank you, thank you," she said breathlessly into the microphone.

(A/N: That was 'Thanks a Lot' by Third Eye Blind off of their self titled album. I love 3EB. I worship 3EB. My philosophy is 'I love 3EB! Hey you over there, do you love 3EB? WHY NOT?' You may see more of them. Oh, okay, I won't leave you in suspense, you will see them again. Don't like it? Complain to the author then. Oh, wait! That's me! Sorry, guess you're just SOL then. Enjoy!)

Ginny clapped as hard and she could for Lily and her group.

"Aren't they wonderful!" she shouted at Harry over the noise.

Harry had never heard anything quite like that, and he grew up in the Muggle world. He shook his head and almost had to plug his ears when the next song started. It was heavy on the bass and drums.

Harry was hoping sometime they would play a slow song, but he was content to watch Ginny dance in time with the movement. Fast music had its perks he decided after observing how tight her dress was and how little it held things in place. He joined in, not entirely sure of how to dance to this type of music, but content just the same.

"Your so sick just to make me prove/It takes a fight to move you/I know just what's on your mind/It's been this way a thousand years/We torture each other/So why the hell'd you call me here/When you know/I don't want to go to London/I told you I don't care/I don't want to go to London/To live there/I don't want to go to London/Are you friends afflicted/I don't want to go to London/She's addicted," his friend sang out in the surprisingly sexy singing voice he had never suspected she had.

After that another fast song came on, disappointing him only minimally. Ginny was so alive, she seemed to be on fire; which was appropriate considering her dress and hair. He was going to have to ask her where she had got her dress and what she did to it. It was almost too much when she had walked down to greet him. It had taken most of his control not to march her back into her rooms and ravish her for a long while. But he had restrained himself. As he was trying to do now. He needed a distraction. Where was Malfoy to pick a fight when you needed him? Then he looked for Ron. He was talking to Neville, for some crazy reason, he didn't really even like Neville.

A few more songs passed and then came the one Harry was waiting for. Slow, romantic, and Ginny seemed look especially ready for ravishing. No, he told himself, later. Now dance, ravish later.

Harry winced as Snape passed, monitoring the dance like a fun Nazi. Harry looked him in the eye as if daring to say something to him and Ginny. He pulled Ginny closer to him and was rewarded with the feel of her chest on his, and a nasty glare from Snape. Snape turned on a heel and went to sit back down at his table. Yeah, that is right Snape, back off, he said victoriously in his head with a smile at Snape's back.

Snape frowned. He hated dances. He hated students. He hated music. And he hated public functions. How the hell was he supposed to enjoy this?

And then he took one look at Lily and decided he needed a few very cold showers. Black leather trench coat that barely covered her and only enhanced her already impressive cleavage. An incredibly short skirt and knee high boots. This was his fantasy. Except for the students. And the dance.

He did his best to ignore her fantastically sexy stage voice. But it was everywhere. Obviously, he thought darkly, she is on stage and those things are making the noise unbearably loud. Everyone can hear her.

But there finally came a song that he could tolerate. It was much slower than the rest. He was heading back to his seat when he caught the eye of Potter. He had a dangerous look in his eyes as he pressed the Weasley girl closer to him, almost like an dragon guarding its gold, daring him to say something. Snape rolled his eyes at the adolescent behavior and continued to his seat.

He sat down and felt eyes upon him. He looked around a bit and saw no one was looking at him. Dumbledore and the rest of the staff were captivated by Lily's performance. She really was quite good. He looked up as well and found the reason he felt some one watching him. It was Lily. She was doing the soul piercing stare he hated and loved and aiming it right at him.

And then she opened her mouth.

"Everything is quiet/Since you're not around/And I live in the numbness now/In the background."

She was looking right at him.

"I do the things we did before/I walk Haight Street to the store/And they say, 'Where's that crazy girl/You don't get drunk on red wine/Or fight no more'/I don't see you anymore/Since the hospital."

She was looking straight into his eyes, her greener than green meeting his coal, and she knew it.

"But the plans I make still have you in them/Cause you come swimming into view/And I'm hanging on your words like I always used to do/The words they use so lightly/I only feel for you/I only know because I/Carry you around/In the background/I'm in the background.

"Words they come and memories all repeat/Lift your head while/They change the hospital sheets/And I would never lie to you, no/I would never lie to you, no/I felt you long after we were through/When we were through/."

She was singing about them! In front of all these people! Sure they had no idea, but how could she put her emotions up for show like this? It was ridiculous! Here she was, spilling he heart out...

"The plans I make still make you in them/Cause you come swimming into view/And I'm hanging on your words/Like I always used to do/The words they use so lightly/I only feel for you/I only know because I/Carry you around/In the background."

Then it hit him. 'The words they use so lightly, I only feel for you.' She was singing to him, not about him. And if she was actually singing what he thought, he was in a hell of a lot of trouble. Not to mention the inconvenience. The 'inconvenience' Snape, his conscience commented.

Damn it, I thought I left you in November!

I'm back! And you say 'inconvenience' and I disagree. You now how you feel...I mean really feel.

"Cause I felt you long after we were through..." she strung the last word out beautifully, while skillfully making her guitar whine in a high pitched way. And he thought he saw a glimmer run down her cheek.

And how does it make you feel? She is in pain...

I don't care! I don't care! I don't care! He repeated like a mantra in his head.

He saw out of the corner of his eye, Dumbledore giving him a semi-sympathetic/understanding look

You do too! You know what she is saying! Look at her! His conscience said.

But Snape wouldn't have been able to take his eyes off her if Voldemort himself had walked into the room.

Isn't she beautiful?

Yes, he answered in defeat.

And wouldn't you do anything to make her happy?

Yes.

Then why don't you?!?

I can't.

The voice sighed and went away.

"When you come swimming into view/And I'm hanging on your words like I always used to do/The words they use so lightly/I only feel to you/I only know because/I'm way, I'm way in the back ground/ I'm in the back ground."

Then he watched as Lily practically ran off the stage. Their performance was over. The curtains dropped and the Hall broke out into another round of applause.

"Lily! What the hell is wrong with you?!?" Brigid yelled as she chased Lily off stage.

"Nothing," Lily said as neutrally as possible, but she knew her voice must have shook.

Brigid looked like she was thinking very deeply about something. "That wasn't just some random song was is Lil?"

Lily shook her head forlornly. He had just looked at her. She had just poured her heart out...what did she expect, a happy ending? Fat chance Lil, she thought, you had to fall for the ice man.

"No," came Lily's answer in a soft voice.

"Hm...I think I understand. But Lil, you've got to be strong for a while longer, you've still got a dinner to go to."

Lily nodded and said, "Let's get dressed."

They walked out later in their dress robes, Brigid and the twins having done their best to make Lily laugh and Morgan doing her best to give her some backbone.

Lily opted for a dark green dress with a high caller that ended right before her chin and long gothic sleeves. The dress was a satin material and it clung to her like a second skin and then flowed out as it reached the floor. She put on the gold watch that Hermione had given her in her time.

The twins were both dressed in black, velvety dresses with long sleeves and low neck and back cuts, showing off their feather spear tattoos. The only way to tell the difference between the two was Katie had a red sash around her waist and Gwen had a blue one.

Brigid wore a blue dress so dark it almost looked like the Great Hall's sky. It was a conservative cut, but it stopped at the shoulders and had long dark velvety gloves that matched her dress. This insured people saw her tattoos.

Morgan, however, never missing the chance to show off her riches, had worn what must have cost more than the queen's crown. It was a pale green that matched her eyes and had long sleeves and a v-shaped cut going down tastefully low. It displayed the magnificent silver and diamond choker-necklace that covered her whole neck. It was spotted with peridot (A/N: That is a pale green gemstone.) and diamonds. In her hair, which she left down, she had tiny diamonds and peridot. She wore an insane about of silver, diamond, and peridot bracelets and rings. And for the final touch, a single peridot tear on a chain that rested on her for head.

"Well," started Gwen.

"Not trying to show anyone up are we Raja?" finished Katie.

"Just letting people know I'm not to be messed with. And food is going to be served soon, we are keeping people waiting," she answered imperiously, smiling so her sparkling lip gloss shimmered and her diamond incrusted eyelashes glimmered.

Lily rose forlornly out of the chair and put away her dark green eye shadow, "Yes, let's go now."

Brigid looked worriedly at Lily and followed them out of the room. Something was seriously wrong with her, and she would find out, sooner or later.

They entered the hall and the students applauded again. Lily noticed that most of the boys were looking at her friends like sex craved dogs, I'm just happy it isn't me. Good Merlin I'm depressing even in my head. She took her seat in the reserved section with Brigid on her far left, Morgan to her near left, and the twins to her right.

"Thank you ladies!" Dumbledore cried out after they sat. "I would just like to thank you again," the hall erupted in cheer once again. "And now, lets eat! You are free to dance you your hearts content with what Muggles call, 'recorded music,'" he added as he sat.

Food appeared on all the plates. Lily pushed the steak and potatoes around her plate for a good five minutes before Morgan interrupted her.

"Lily," she said quietly so no one else could hear, "you look positively morbid. I like your dress though."

"I feel morbid," she said into her plate, "But thanks."

"Do you want to find some one to dance with?"

"No."

"God damn it Lil," Morgan said a little louder, "What the hell is wrong?"

"Nothing," Lily said quietly.

"Merrins," gruff voice said, making Lily look up. It was Crabbe.

"What?" she said, sharper than she meant.

"Do you-"

"No," she said quickly. Things were looking up, she won the bet. Ron would be upset. And all she had to do was make eye contact with him in one song. It was too easy.

"What was that about?" Brigid asked dangerously as Crabbe retreated to Goyle and a miffed Malfoy.

"Oh, I made a bet with Ron that I could get propositioned by anyone at the school. I jus' won," she said, a little cheerier.

Brigid laughed heartily.

The twins smirked.

A few minutes later, a Ravenclaw seventh year named Terry Boot came up to their table and asked Brigid to dance. She accepted and was swept off to the dance floor. Katie and Gwen started a conversation that no one in their right minds should have been able to follow.

"It is about a boy isn't it?" Morgan asked after a while.

"Yes," Lily conceded.

"Well, you usually can get any one your age, so I'm guessing it is an older man."

Lily nodded.

"Taking a leaf out of my book I see," Morgan mused.

Lily's eyes grew wide, had she figured it out? The amused look on Morgan's face suggested she was about to.

"My," she continued, "you really have taken a leaf out of my book haven't you?"

"Ya, canna tell a soul," Lily whispered desperately.

"You realize you are compromising your mission by falling in love at all?" Morgan whispered even quieter.

Lily simply nodded again.

"Which teacher?" Morgan asked her.

Lily shook her head.

"Oh, so you're going to make me guess. This is a very childish game Lil," she said condescendingly.

Lily made sure not to change her facial expression.

"I'm going to go with Lupin, that nice looking Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. He is very sexy looking. He is friends with Sirius, which is how I know him."

"You didn't," Lily started. "Raja, I thought you stopped chasing after him in seventh year?"

"I didn't fuck him if that is what you're asking. He's a smart bastard, but maybe I'll get him...But anyway, is it, Lupin, I mean?" she asked sincerely.

Lily shook her head.

"So I can..." she trailed off.

"Sure," Lily said.

"Hm," Morgan said as she thought, "I'm thinking it isn't that giant over there dancing with the Gryffindor head. What did you say her name was?"

"Minerva McGonagall," Lily supplied.

"Yes, it isn't him is it? Cause Lil, that would be really-"

"No."

"Good. Dumbledore is a little old for you," she mused comically. Then her eyes fell on Snape. They widened in understanding and she said, "Snape, Lily?"

"No," Lily said none too convincingly.

Morgan smiled in victory and she said, "Your secrets safe with me, Lil. Though I don't know what you see in him..."

"I know," Lily said sadly, "It is rather pathetic, isn't it?"

"No, I don't think so," Morgan said, her eyes flickering towards the Slytherins for the second time in two minutes.

Lily saw this and said, "Go. Talk to Zabini, I'm sure you have a lot to discuss. I'll go dance with Ron, or any other loser who asks me."

Morgan looked at her sideways for a moment and said, "Alright. Don't expect me in my room tonight though, nor Brigid or the twins really."

Lily nodded her head knowingly and looked around for the twins. She saw them doing something suspicious at the punch table. She rolled her eyes and looked for Harry, Ginny, and Ron. She spotted Harry and Ginny on the dance floor, Harry making moon eyes whenever Ginny looked at him, but dangerous slits at other people he thought were looking at her. She spotted Ron sitting and talking to Dean and Seamus and headed his way.

"Want ta dance, Ron?" she said when she got over there, noticing how Dean got when she approached. She smiled sweetly at him and faced Ron again.

"Sure," he said jovially. They headed out on the floor and he said, "I have to warn you, I'm not a top notch dancer."

"'S okay," she said with a fake smile, and Ron knew it.

"What is wrong?" he said, then smiled apologetically as he trod on her toe.

She flinched and said, "The usual."

"Oh, good," Ron said.

"Oh, and you get to do my Arithmacy homework for the rest of the year," she said with a smirk. This was sure to put her in a good mood.

"Damn!" Ron said, stepping on her foot on accident.

"Hehe, I told ya so. I warned ya fair an' square, Ronald Weasley," she said with a laugh in her eyes.

Morgan left Lily feeling a little guilty, but she quickly steeled her self up to meet with the Slytherins. And let the games begin, she thought with a smirk. She approached Blaise and saw again that he was using Morse code to talk to that girl at the other side of the Hall.

"Cousin," she said as she sat next to him, taking a drink out of his punch.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked after a look at her attire.

"You know I couldn't resist," she answered.

"I suppose you want to dance," he drawled.

"Of course," she said rising and taking his hand.

They strayed onto the dance floor and she felt people's eyes on her automatically. She put on a half smile as Blaise twirled her gracefully about the room, he was an excellent dancer.

"Who is she?" Morgan asked him when his eyes flickered to the direction of the Gryffindors again. "The one you keep looking at."

His black eyes met hers in a startled manner before steeling up again.

"No one," he said about as convincingly as Lily had. How was she cursed with this twice in one night?

"I see," she said in a low voice, "Well, does this no one happen to be a Gryffindor?"

He looked at her with hatred in his eyes. Morgan wasn't startled by this however. "Did she tell you?"

"No one told me anything, you're advertising it loudly enough so anyone who cared enough to figure it out could," she said coldly.

His eyes flickered away from her again and then he said, "I apologize. I thought...well, it doesn't matter what I thought. I can't let any one know, especially any Slytherins. I wouldn't be able to bear it if...if she weren't with me."

Morgan nodded. Then she asked the question of the hour, "How did you meet?"

To Morgan, it looked like the beginnings of a wistful smile forming on his face, but he stopped as soon as he remembered where, and who, he was.

"It is a long story."

"I'd like to hear it," she said sincerely. She and Blaise were as close as brother and sister; perhaps closer than some because they could talk freely around each other.

He looked a bit apprehensive, but he took a deep breath and said, "It all began in my second year..."

Blaise sat at the Slytherin table waiting impatiently as the Sorting Hat did its job. He silently wished that Pansy would stop looking at him and whispering like that with Millicent.

"Creevey, Colin," McGonagall said. A mousy boy sat on the stool and the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" before it even hit his head.

"Great, another Potty lover," Draco muttered at his side as Colin took a picture of a surprised looking Harry Potter as he entered the Hall with Filch and his red headed friend. (A/N: I know it doesn't happen like that, don't kill me. And I know Natalie is in the wrong year.)

"It is bad enough that we have to but up with Weasel and the mud-blood," Draco continued, earning a sigh from Pansy as she looked at him with 'hero-worship' written in her eyes. Blaise had to concentrate hard not to gag.

Another Slytherin was called, a Fletcher, and he clapped his hands. A few Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff were called. Another Slytherin, the only son of the Lestrange's, Bradley, was called.

"McDonald, Natalie!" McGonagall called out, breaking his daydreaming. A petite little girl with bright blonde hair and serious blue/gray eyes walked up to the hat. Slytherin, Slytherin, put her in Slytherin, he thought desperately for some reason even he couldn't even comprehend.

She put the hat gracefully on her head and sat there quietly for a long while.

"My father says that McDonalds are useless Gryffindor scum. Unfortunately, they are rich because the last bazillion or so of them have been successful Quidditch chasers. My father calls it easy money, they didn't even have to work for it," he heard Draco's comment. He could have killed Draco at that moment.

He was holding his breath and he let it out, and at that moment the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the girl went to her table with a dazzling smile. Blaise frowned.

"That is it? One moment when you are like twelve and now you are dating," Morgan asked.

"I said that was just how it began," Blaise said coldly.

"Well..." Morgan prompted as the next song started.

Blaise sat in his charms class listening to the incredibly boring lecture that Flitwick was giving. Charms was a stupid class, for wimps really. The only class he could really pay attention to was DADA. Moody was by far the greatest teacher they had gotten so far in this class. It didn't help that he hated all Slytherins though. But, he had turned Draco into a ferret, the annoying prick, so Moody was okay in his book.

"Mr. Zabini!" Flitwick said in his squeaky voice and Blaise tried hard not to laugh.

"Yes, Professor," he said in his normal drawl.

"Can you please demonstrate the Dexetrus Charm for the class?"

Blaise didn't even know what the Dexetrus Charm was supposed to do, much less it's incantation.

"I'll pass," he said casually, earning snickers from the rest of the Slytherins.

"I see," Flitwick said, "You'll need to stay after class young Zabini." Then he turned back to the class.

Great, all he needed was to stay after with the stupid shrimp of a Ravenclaw. But at the risk of loosing house points, he stayed afterwards. And as the class left, he immediately regretted it. She had walked into the classroom. She had grown a lot over the years, her body was filling out in way Blaise liked a lot.

"Professor Flitwick," she said in her smooth Irish accent. "You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, Miss McDonald," Flitwick squeaked. "This concerns both you and Mr. Zabini I believe."

She glanced briefly at him and flashed a brief smile, turning away quickly. Blaise smirked and walked over to the desk.

"I wanted to speak to you both about your Charms marks. They are both undesirably low."

Blaise looked over at her, she was biting her lip uncomfortably. But ever the Gryffindor, she was staring Flitwick in the eye and owing up to what he was telling her.

"I'm starting a tutoring program and would like both of you to be in it. There are of course other people joining, a few second years, a fifth year Hufflepuff, a seventh year in Slytherin, and for some reason Hermione Granger...ever the goal getter, eh? But I am telling your head of houses about it and requiring that you attend. The meetings are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Now, see you both later," he said with a squeaky laugh.

This was really the last thing he needed. And the Granger girl had to be there, fantastic. He looked over his shoulder and saw that she was a few steps behind him, walking slowly. It wouldn't be all that bad with her their however.

The next week, Blaise was sitting in a corner of the library with the handful of Charms students in the tutor program. To his left was the big and burly Slytherin seventh year Olson Derrick, the beater for the Quidditch team. To his right was a Ravenclaw second year, and directly in front of him, was Natalie. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail with golden wisps of hair falling out in a semi-sensual way. Every once in a while she would have to blow it up out of her face, or brush her quill with it to keep it back. Her eyes were down on her paper, studying the incantation list Flitwick had given them. She shifted in her seat a bit and her foot brushed lightly against his.

Her bluish gray eyes flashed at his and she said in a hushed whisper, "Sorry," and when back to her list.

Blaise smirked, it was almost perfect. He ran his foot up her calf and down it and then set it right next to her foot. She stiffened and looked slowly up at him, giving him an unreadable look. He smirked at her, but to her credit, she stayed calm, and she drew her foot away.

Unfortunately, Hermione Granger was sitting to her right and she looked up at him with murder in her eyes. He smiled at her and she turned back to her work. Blaise looked down at his paper; with Granger there, this would be harder.

"That was in your fourth year?" Morgan asked.

Blaise nodded.

"That was when your Tri-Wizard Tournament was held, I remember reading about it. How fascinating," she said non-commentally.

"Yes well, it was okay, that boy died you know."

"Yes," Morgan answered, "A Hufflepuff wasn't it?"

"Cedric Diggory," he supplied. "He was a good guy, always decent to the Slytherins, decent to everyone really."

"Hm...continue," Morgan prompted.

"After that she stayed away from me in that charms tutorial. I never really saw her until just last year when..."

Blaise sat in the stands of the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. He was of course wearing green and silver, supporting his house and all.

"And off they go! Collard, O'Connell, McDonald, Venns, Weasley, Weasley, and Captain Harry Potter!" Rhonda Lane, the Ravenclaw announcer, said.

She had made the Gryffindor House team this year. He watched as she soared above the crowds, a smile on her face and her long blonde braid flapping behind her.

Before he knew it, the match was over, she had scored a total of sixty points, and he knew nothing of the rest of the game. He walked to the locker rooms, determined to catch a word with her. He was sure he was loosing his mind, what was he doing? But his feet seemed to have a plan and he was led on by them. He stopped in a shadow and waited for the Gryffindors as they exited the locker rooms. There went the Weasleys and Potter. There went Richard Collard, a seventh year who really wasn't that good, but they needed a warm body on the field, Orwell Venns, and Henry O'Connell. Where was she? Did her team just leave her in there? He was moving towards the door when he saw Nathan Bole, a beater on the Slytherin team whom he thought had a brother with that occupation too, waltzed in.

Blaise clenched his teeth, he knew Nathan's reputation, he liked forcing younger girls to do what he liked, usually he raped them. Blaise walked smoothly into the locker room and saw that Nathan had pinned her on the ground, a hand over her mouth.

"Stupefy!" he bellowed. He infused so much rage and hatred in his spell, Nathan was thrown backwards and hit up against the wall of the locker rooms, unconscious on impact.

He turned to Natalie quickly and held out his hand. She looked at him fearfully, shivering with tears unshed in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm the lesser of two evils," he said as calmly as he could. Damn but he was glad he was there before that bastard had his way with her.

She took his hand and he helped her up. Still shaking, she said, "Thank you. I...I don't know what to say..."

Blaise looked down on her. No wonder Nathan was after her, she is so tiny. I bet I could fit my hands around her waist, he thought. "No problem," he murmured.

They stood their in silence for a minute and she bit her lip. Then she blurted out, "I'm Natalie, Natalie McDonald."

She stuck out her hand and looked at him expectantly.

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm Blaise Zabini."

"I know," she said. She was already looking more sure of herself, no longer

shivering. Gryffindor bravery I suppose, he thought.

He took her hand and shook it. Then reluctantly he withdrew.

Another moment of silence ensued. And then she cocked her head to the side and said, "Meet me at the Shrieking Shack next Hogsmeade visit."

Then she turned to pick up her bag and left.

And Blaise did, meet her that is. The very next Saturday he slipped away from Draco as they entered Hogsmeade's joke shop and slunk away to the Shrieking Shack. He briefly wondered why he was doing this. Wasn't she a Gryffindor? Wasn't she the enemy? But before he had the time to back out, she entered and pulled back her hood. Then she smiled at him and took her cloak off.

"I'm so happy you came," she said with another smile, her golden hair framing her face as it fell down to her back.

"Why," he drawled, "did you ask me, is the question."

"Why did you save me?" she countered.

"Why were you in the locker room by yourself?" he said confidently.

"Why were you outside the locker room?" she said smiling in victory. She had him there.

He didn't answer.

She tilted her head to the side and said, "You're not like the rest of them, are you?"

He looked at her, a shocked expression on his face, "If you mean the other Slytherins, then no."

"I thought not," she said, looking away. "How," she said, looking him in the eye now, "hypothetically of course, would you react if I said I liked you?"

He stared at her, disbelieving. "Hypothetically?"

She nodded, golden strands of hair fluttering on her face.

"I'd say you don't even know me."

"Well, then, hypothetically, I'd say, you don't even know me, but you met me here, so that must mean something," she said with a toss of her hair.

"It would be dangerous, for you and me, to know each other," he said, no longer playing 'hypothetically.'

"It would be a lie to ourselves not to try," she countered.

"And you would be living a lie if we did become something," he said back.

"But how would we know unless we tried?" she said breathlessly, her blue/gray eyes burning holes in his black ones.

"We wouldn't," he said, taking a step closer, close enough for him to feel her breath on his face.

She licked her lips in expectance and tilted her head up a bit. Blaise felt himself moving forward. He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek; she leaned into him and closed her eyes. She really was beautiful, so fragile, so innocent, so tiny, a tiny dancer that could fit in his hands. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She was sweet like honey, and smooth like silk. His hand moved from her cheek to her hair, tangling itself in her long blonde locks like he had wanted to do for so long. She put her hands on his chest and he immediately felt warmed as they slid around his neck, pulling him down, more into her. To his surprise, he felt her tongue on his lips and he opened his mouth. She flicked delicately in and out before running along his own tongue.

He backed her up into the wall of the shack pressing her close to him, her full chest heaving against his. He bent down and ran his hands up the back of her thighs and under her skirt, smiling into her lips when he found she was wearing a thong. He squeezed her tight ass before heaving her up and pinning her against the wall. She immediately locked her legs around his waist and he shuddered. Leaning more heavily into her, he began sucking on her neck, licking and biting when he felt like it. She moaned and he felt her breath coming quickly in his ear and he knew he had to slow down soon. The problem was he really, really, really didn't want to.

"Blaise," she finally said, her breath ragged against his face. He continued kissing her, "If we don't stop now, the first kiss is going to be really hard to top."

She was right of course. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, she had flecks of silver running through them, that was why they looked gray at a distance, he liked them. "True," he said slowly.

"And as much as I'd like that," she continued, "not here, not now."

He nodded and let her down carefully. He looked down on her and saw her staring fearlessly into his eyes. She was slightly pink and he saw the beginnings of a bruise forming on her neck. He smirked. "I should go," she said quietly, "Ginny will be waiting for me. When," she said with a pause, "When can I see you again."

"Next Hogsmeade," Blaise said quickly, "pretend to be sick and meet me by the green houses."

She nodded and as she was about to leave eh grabbed her hand and said, "It wouldn't be a good idea to tell your friends about us. Or make eye contact in the halls. Or any contact whatsoever at Hogwarts."

She looked up at him with a hurt expression, "If you don't want-"

"It isn't like that," he said quickly, "I'm a Slytherin, you're a Gryffindor, you're smart, you do the math."

She looked up into his eyes and nodded minusculely, not breaking eye contact. Then she flung her arms around his neck again and placed a searing kiss on his lips.
Then she rushed out the door, grabbing her cloak on the way out.

Morgan was silent. She couldn't believe it. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor, and it was working out.

"You can't tell anyone," he repeated.

"I know," Morgan said softly. It was absolutely beautiful.

Morgan watched as Blaise's eyes traveled over in her direction again. They seemed to soften.

"Ahem," a voice said behind her. They stopped dancing and turned around.

"Draco," Blaise said with a nod, his eyes as steely as they got.

"Blaise," Draco said in a cold voice, "Perhaps you would like to share Miss Estellan for a dance?"

Blaise looked at Draco with undisguised threats in his eyes. He always was protective of me, Morgan thought. But he backed off, "I'll talk to you later, cousin," he said to her, making sure to enunciate the 'cousin' bit. Then he walked off.

"Mr. Malfoy," Morgan said with a smile and a spark in her eyes.

He looked down on her and smiled almost evilly and they picked up where she and Blaise had left off.

"Tired of dancing with the bulldog girl, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked snidely.

"Pansy has her uses," Draco said.

"I suppose a good lay is hard to find at this school," she said with a smirk.

"Not as hard as you may think," he answered.

"Too bad," she said with a fake pout, "I do so like a challenge."

Draco looked a little shell shocked at this so Morgan continued, "At Salem's I was working on our DADA teacher."

"Black," Draco coughed.

"The one and only," she said with an imperious toss of her head, "Why," she added with a hint of mischief in her eyes, "did you know him?"

"Know of him, but I guess you American witches with shag anyone," he said coldly.

"I'm not American," she said sharply.

"Oh, is that so?" he questioned.

"My family is purebred English. We came over to India when the Raj started. My grandfather Marcus owned a sixth of India before it gained its independence," she informed him.

"Well, that explains the British accent," Draco said, a bit of surprise still present on his face.

"And what do you want Mr. Malfoy?" she asked seriously. "What could you possibly want with a witch like me?"

Draco didn't answer.

"Power you have. Money you don't need. You obviously don't need a person to fuck. What does the great Draco Malfoy want with poor Morgan Estellan?"

He didn't answer.

"Well," she said softly, leaning in close to his ear so that she could feel her own hot breath reflecting off his skin, "Why don't you find me when you figure it out...Draco."

Then she licked the edge of his ear and walked off the dance floor, turning to wink at him when she was several steps away.

This was so fun.

She was heading out the Great Hall and towards the guest rooms when someone stopped her. The little blonde Gryffindor, Natalie. She looked at Morgan with murder in her eyes and a frown on her lips. Morgan moaned inwardly and stopped in front of the tiny girl, who had crossed her arms and managed to look semi-intimidating.

"What do you want?" Morgan asked coldly.

"Stay away from him you whore," the younger girl spat angrily.

"Who? Blaise?" she asked innocently. Hell, she may as well have some fun with the girl.

"Yes, Blaise!" she almost shouted. "Just stay away and I won't be forced to mangle your pretty face."

"And why would I do that? He is so handsome-"

"Shut up!" she shrieked.

"-and strong-"

"Shut up!"

"-and big-"

"Shut up!" she said, pulling her hand back for a punch.

"-and my cousin," she finished.

The little girl's fist stopped inches from her face. "His..."

"Cousin," Morgan supplied.

The younger girl's lip began to quiver, but to her credit, the tears welling in her eyes, didn't fall.

She swallowed hard and said, "I'm-I'm so s-sorry."

Morgan smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. I'm aware of what we look like. But I assure you, we were just catching up on old times."

"He never mentioned you," she said suspiciously.

"Has he talked about his brother yet?"

"He has a brother?"

"Had," Morgan corrected. "He isn't too open with those memories. Tell him, the next time you see him, that I told you to ask."

"I-I'll do that," she stammered.

"That's a good girl," Morgan said softly, "Now up to bed with you, no sense sobbing in the halls."

The girl's tears were flowing freely as she looked at Morgan, "Sorry again."

"Don't mention it," Morgan threw over her shoulder as she headed to her rooms, a touch of a smile on her face.