Doesn't Matter How

Lisa scowled as she studied the Star Chart in front of her, trying to make sense of the seemingly random relationships between the planets. Why she had signed up to take Divination for the third year in a row, she had no idea. Being a third year, she had taken it because Padma and Mandy were, and she wanted to be in the same class as they were. The reason for taking it in fourth year had been the same, except that she had wanted to prove to her two ex-best friends that she could do anything just as good (or better) than they could. Maybe it was just her stubborn self that was refusing to give up.

Groaning, she tucked a strand of brown hair behind one ear, and re-read the topic. "Explain how the fact that both Mars and Venus are at an odd conjunction with Jupiter, yet in typical relation with Saturn and Pluto effect the visibility of the inner eye; please make sure to include whether this improves or diminishes the power of the inner eye, what houses the planets are currently stationed in, and how, as a divination student, you can prevent these changes from effecting your skills. Please make this essay at least a sheet of parchment in length."

The only thing that Lisa had ever learned in Divination was that Mandy and Padma were two shallow bigheaded Ravenclaws who needed to get a grip on life. The real life, not the life that they lived with their heads constantly buried in tealeaves and crystal balls. The only way that would help them to become anything was if they became another Professor Trelawney.

She almost laughed at that, picturing Mandy with huge glasses, running around predicting things about the students' lives. Padma wasn't exactly talented in Divination, but anywhere that Mandy was, Padma would be found. So Padma would be lurking in a corner somewhere, whispering eerily, just in an attempt to make it look like she knew what she was doing.

Her attention turned back to the paper at hand. It would have been simple enough to write if Trelawney had said if the effects were good or bad; if Lisa considered herself a master of anything, it was the ability to fake papers that were considered wonderful.

"...Prevent these changes from effecting your skills." Probably bad, she decided. After all, if it were good, then there would be little concern about how the relationships of whatever planets they were would affect you. "God," Lisa breathed, dipping her quill into the inkstand that sat close by. Maybe if she wrote really big, then it would look like more than it was. After all, she had learned that writing a page and a half in large writing was much better than writing one page in small lettering.

There was a laugh from nearby. "Are you still working on that?" Padma's voice was full of scorn. "Mandy and I finished yesterday, and it didn't take us very long. We helped Terry with his, too."

Lisa bit her lip at the mention of Terry; it was a very well known "secret" that she had been head-over-heels for Terry last year. Mandy had taken it upon herself to do anything and everything that she could that involved Terry, such as trying out for the Quidditch team.

Now that was something to laugh about. Her hair perfectly groomed, nails painted in a fresh coat of pink, Mandy had looked like an over-dressed duck perched on top of the Nimbus. Lisa, however, had shown up, done decently, and become a chaser, much to Mandy's disgust.

"Should we throw a party?" Lisa snapped. "I mean, the day that you two actually finish an assignment has got to be written down, at least. Maybe made into a holiday, don't you think?"

Unable to come up with a retort, Mandy just smirked. "Well, we'll see how happy you are whenever we get grades handed back, okay? Just do good- you've already lost enough points for Ravenclaw."

The brunette smiled maliciously. "Oh, I'm sorry, me losing five this week for being an inch short on Professor Binn's homework is so much worse than you losing ten for mouthing off to Snape. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to go take a round on my Nimbus. Maybe you can come along? We're playing Hufflepuff next week. I need practice against a bad keeper."

Without waiting for a reply, Lisa gathered up her parchment and quill, heading back upstairs to the girls' dormitories. A good long trip on her new Nimbus 2001 was exactly what she needed to calm down. Just so long as there was no one else out there. Gryffindor probably had the field booked. Spinnet or whatever her name was scheduling all of those extra practices, in hopes that the team would bring home the Quidditch cup again. Not likely.

She grabbed her Nimbus and strode down the stairs, ignoring some whispers from Mandy and Padma's direction. What it was that had caused them to turn into useless airheads at the end of third year, Lisa had no idea. Well, it was actually rather obvious. Boys.

Lisa was interrupted from her thoughts as she approached the Quidditch field; a single, black-robed player was zooming around on a broom identical to the one that she held in her hand. His head was a blonde blur as he sped by her, and the word "Malfoy" came to her lips. Out of all of the boys in their year, Malfoy was probably the most despised. 'And the hottest,' a voice whispered in her mind, but she quickly brushed it away.

After one more lap, he pulled his broom down to where he could converse (and scowl) at her. "What are you doing here, Turpin? Come to try and get an edge up on the competition, so that Ravenclaw will at least be in the running for the cup this year? When was the last time that your house won it?"

Lisa sighed; she had just left the common room to escape the constant bickering, and here it was again. "It's not as if we need any help beating you," she scoffed, leaning on her broom in what she hoped was casual confidence. "And we haven't won yet because I haven't been on the team. You, however, seem to be helping Slytherin lose quite magnificently."

The blonde seeker lifted one eyebrow, which only accentuated his chilling silver eyes. "You might want to learn to be able to back up the crap that you're talking," he warned. "Wouldn't want something bad to happen to you."

"Two laps around the goalposts," Lisa growled, having reached the breaking point. "We're both on brooms, and you probably weigh a little more than me, so it's all fair." He probably weighed quite a bit more, she reflected. He was taller than her by half a head, and built. God, he was built.

"My pleasure, Turpin." Smirking, he kicked off from the ground, Lisa quickly mounting her broom and following, already behind.

'Damn him,' Lisa thought, leaning foreword, encouraging her broom to race ahead. Malfoy was already miles ahead, and although she managed to close the gap some, he easily won. "That wasn't fair," she scowled, landing next to the smirking fifth year. "You didn't give me any warning."

"Life isn't fair. Learn to deal with it." A rather attractive smile on his face, he put his Nimbus over one shoulder and walked away. "Be on your toes next time, Turpin. Maybe you won't get your arse kicked so badly, hmm?"

Lisa felt the sudden urge to abandon common sense and make an attempt to punch Malfoy out. However, she resisted, mounting on her broom again and taking off. The air was wonderful, dense and heavy with the promise of rain, whipping against her slender frame and pulling her hair every way.

She swerved and dove, letting the freedom of flying take away all of her worldly concerns, rendering her an airborne creature with no mind for what was what going on below.

If she had bothered to look, she would have noticed a certain pale-haired Slytherin standing some thirty feet off, looking up at her with a look of decided interest on his face.

~~~~~

"Ugh," Lisa muttered, glancing at the corrections that had been written in bright red ink on her Divination paper. She had guessed entirely wrong; the effects on the inner eye were entirely positive, and that had warped her entire essay. The word "incomplete" was written at the top, along with a "possible -5 points". So that meant that she would get to redo this whole entire wonderful essay.

"Do you want some help?" Padma asked mockingly, and Lisa scowled. "I don't want you to loose those five points any more than you do. We're so close to Gryffindor, if we don't win I'll kill you." Her voice was suddenly honest and slightly concerned. "I mean, I want to win so bad this year."

Lisa rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't let Mandy see you doing this," she sneered. "But I don't need any help from two-timing twits, thank you very much. I can do it myself." Gathering up her parchment, she vaguely wondered if she would ever be able to spend an entire night in the common room again.

The hallways were nearly deserted, everyone probably sitting happily in their common room, listening to the rain drum on the windows. She, however, was going to spend the last three hours before curfew in the library, because Trelawney was stupid and wouldn't just take off the points. Lisa couldn't honestly say that she didn't care about the house points, but having to re-write the paper was not worth five lousy points. It wasn't like five would make a difference.

Ignoring the suspicious glares of Madam Pince, Lisa quickly settled into a large chair that looked out on the Quidditch pitch. Not even Spinnet would be practicing today with her "wonder team." The team would never do as well as it had, especially with that scrawny Creevey as keeper. Wood had been part of the reason that they had managed to pull off winning the cup last year, and without him it would fall apart. Even if Spinnet was as crazed as he was.

"What are you doing, Turpin?"

Lisa swiveled in her chair, finding herself face-to-face with Malfoy. "Doesn't matter, does it?" she demanded. "Excuse me for wanting a little bit of privacy. I guess that it isn't allowed whenever the all-knowing Malfoy is around, is it?" She was not going to take his crap today.

"Divination, huh?" Malfoy asked, sliding into the chair next to her. "If you knew what you were doing you would get out of that class and into something where you can torment Granger. That's much more enjoyable, I promise." He smirked at her, and Lisa's heart skipped a beat- why was this happening now, with Malfoy, of all people? Why couldn't it anyone else... Weasley, maybe, or Zabini.

She was about to make a retort when she realized that his face was dangerously close to hers. "What the hell are you doing," she growled, forcing herself to meet his silvery-gray eyes. "You need to back off and get a life, Malfoy."

There was plenty more that Lisa would have loved to say, loved to yell at Malfoy for being so goddamned hot and desirable, but she found herself unable to say any more; Malfoy had leaned forward and covered her mouth with his, his tongue prying between her lips. The Ravenclaw opened her mouth gladly, letting the sensations that Malfoy was creating rush through her body, her first impulse to slap him entirely disappearing.

She was about to break off the kiss, purely for the need to breathe, when a loud voice interrupted her thought. "Malfoy! Turpin!"

Malfoy and Lisa broke apart, both turning to find the source of the voice; not surprisingly, it was Granger. What a snotty little prefect the frizzy-haired girl made, Lisa thought. "Why the hell are you snogging in the library?" Granger demanded. "Five points from Slytherin and Ravenclaw!"

"You and Potter were already occupying the Astronomy Tower," Malfoy sneered, and Lisa noted that Granger blushed a bright red, huffing slightly. He leaned forward to Lisa again, kissing her deeply before drawing back. "I'll be leaving now, Granger," he said, the Gryffindor standing, slack-jawed a few feet away. "See you in class, Turpin."

Ignoring the harsh looks from Granger, Lisa turned back to her divination homework, but the memories of the kiss just made everything more confusing. Draco didn't want her for her, she was sure. He was not trying to get her for a relationship, as much as Lisa would have loved to think differently. They did not share the same priorities.

But if this was the only way that she could get him, she'd take it. It didn't matter in life how you got what you wanted. All that mattered was that, somehow, you managed to get it in the end.