Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Drop in the Ocean	By : AndreaLorraine Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 3498 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
�I will not stop you from arresting Selena,� Dumbledore
said, lacing his fingers together and leaning toward his former student.� �But Professor Flitwick
will accompany her as her spokesperson.�

�� The Ministry would appoint one for her,�
Lucius said through his teeth, unable to contain his irritation.

�� There is no need for that, as Filibus has quite a bit of experience in this area.�

�� We do not have room for him.�

�� Then you will make room.� He�s a small man.�

�� The Ministry will not agree.�

�� You are not yet powerful enough to
make decisions for the whole of the Ministry, Lucius.� Filibus will
accompany you, whether you like it or not,� Dumbledore said, staring over his
spectacles warningly.� He looked every
bit like a parent ordering a child to never, ever do that again.

�� Lucius�s lips pursed into a thin,
bloodless line.� One ankle
twitched over the other in a mirror of a nervous gesture of his school
days.� That fidgeting had occurred most
often during a particularly difficult Transfiguration class, when he couldn�t
remember the answer to a question or his specimen was not changing the way it
was supposed to.� He had never had to
concentrate on anything the way he�d strained his mind in that class.� And now he was straining similarly, trying to
find a way around the accompaniment of the diminutive Charms professor.

�� It is a useless gesture,� Lucius
said at last.� �He will only be pulled
into the trial.�

�� Dumbledore chuckled.

�� You have never seen Filibus at work.� The
trial does not pull him.� He pulls the
trial.�

�� The Ministry will not---�

�� Professor Flitwick
will be with her at all times, and that is final.� Do not push me, Lucius.�

�� Lucius bit the inside of his lip,
willing the words that wanted to spill out to be silenced.� It would do him no good to annoy the elder
wizard any further.� It had been rather
stupid of him to assume Dumbledore � or Severus, for that matter � would leave
Selena to a Ministry-appointed spokesperson.�
He hadn�t known that Flitwick had experience
in that area, and even with that new knowledge, he still couldn�t picture the
tiny, cheerful man grilling a suspect, making fiery speeches, or swaying a
jury.� Then again, he�d never paid the
man much attention at all.� And besides,
he�d always suspected that the cheeriest people were the ones who held the most
secrets.� Nobody was that happy�

�� When will she be ready to leave?�
he asked finally.

�� Half an hour at
most.�

�� I will be back.�

�� Lucius rose from his seat and took
his leave, resisting the urge to smack Dumbledore�s ogling phoenix with his
cane.� That certainly wouldn�t earn him
any points, but oh, someday�

�� He made his way down the spiral
staircase and passed by the gargoyle, deep in thought already.� His feet led him on a familiar path.� Madam Pince gave
him an odd look when he breezed into the library, no doubt recognizing him and
wondering why in the name of Merlin he needed to disrupt her territory
again.� In spite of his less than
immaculate reputation with the library, however, he found the books he wanted
in minutes.

�� He took a seat at an empty table,
settling back into the chair as if he belonged nowhere else.� He saw a few young Slytherins
whispering excitedly a few tables away.�
The corners of his lips twitched.�
It must be thrilling for them to see such a famous person, and a Slytherin no less, sitting in their own library.

�� He began to read, but halted a few
moments later when he could not shake the sense that someone was watching
him.� He looked up, making it seem like
he�d simply paused his reading to contemplate something.� There, to the far right, was the Granger mudblood.� She was
staring at him, and boldly, too, without any pretense of disguise.

�� The room suddenly felt too dirty for
his tastes.� He closed the book and
tapped the small stack he�d gotten with his wand, muttering something.� They shrunk to palm size, and he stuffed them
in his pocket.� He�d have more time to
pour over them if he kept them, anyway.

�� Yes, if he could not prevent Flitwick�s presence, he could at least know what to expect
from the deceptively simple Charms Master.

�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *

�� Earth to
Hermione!� Hermione?�

�� Oh!�
Ron.� Sorry.�

�� What�s the matter?� You looked as if you�d been petrified again.�

�� I was just thinking.�

�� About what?�
Ron asked, catching the book she�d brushed with her
elbow as it threatened to tip off the table.

�� Lucius Malfoy was just in here.�

�� Oh, yeah, he�s been around all
morning, the ugly git.�

�� He has?�

�� Yeah, Selena predicted him coming
about ten minutes into Divination.�

�� Did she say why?�

�� Ron shook his head.

�� He took some books with him.� I think something is up.�

�� Did you see what he took?�

�� No, but they were from that section
over there.� Should we look?�

�� Can�t hurt,� he shrugged.

�� They stood and cautiously retraced Malfoy�s steps, making sure to avoid Madam Pince�s hawk-like vision.�
As they rounded a shelf, however, it became clear why she hadn�t yelled
at them for tiptoeing into the Restricted Section.� She was staring at one of the shelves, her
hands on her hips, and sputtering angrily to herself.

�� Curse that Malfoy!� Taking books right under my nose, thinking I
won�t notice��

�� Is�everything all right, Madam Pince?� Hermione asked hesitantly.� �We heard you��

�� Oh, Hermione, dear, there�s nothing
you can do.� Unless you can tell me why
on earth that Malfoy prat would want to clean me out
of books on our dear Professor Flitwick,� she said,
gesturing angrily at a rather obvious gap in the row of books.

�� Professor Flitwick?�
she asked incredulously.� That definitely
didn�t bode well for the jovial Charms professor.

�� Yes, all four books we had on him
are gone and I saw Malfoy lurking about a few minutes ago.� And now both he and the books are gone, how strange,�
she said sardonically.

�� I�m sorry, Madam Pince.� Are you sure
there�s nothing we can do to help?�

�� No, Hermione, but thank you
anyway.� If you see any spare books lying
around the castle do be a darling and bring them back.�

�� Of course,� Hermione said, nodding
and then turning, pushing Ron in front of her until they were out of the
flustered librarian�s earshot.� Ron shook
his head, trying to dispel the feeling that he hadn�t existed for the last few
minutes.

�� What does he want with Flitwick?� he asked, his face taking on a familiar baffled
expression.

�� I don�t know!� she whispered
fiercely.� �But whatever it is, it can�t
be good.�

�� Maybe we should go ask Dumbledore?�

�� I think that would be a good idea.�

�� Should I go get Harry?�

�� She nodded.� In all likelihood, this involved Harry in
some way. �Everything involved Harry
these days.

�� Ok.�
Meet you at the gargoyle in fifteen minutes?�

�� Deal.�

�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *

�� Ron made his way through the drafty,
labyrinthine hallways.� Harry had mentioned
something about a letter to Sirius at lunch, so he directed himself towards the
Owlrey.� If he
was lucky, he�d catch Harry on his way out.

�� The Owlrey
was on the exact opposite end of the castle from the library, so he increased
his pace to a light jog.� The halls were
fairly full since lunch had just ended, and he thanked Merlin for all the
pick-up Quidditch games he�d played with his
brothers, because if he�d learned anything from them, it was how to make it
through a crowd at high speed.

�� He sped up a bit as he freed himself
from the more traveled hallways.� He was
about halfway there, and he�d be crossing over the main entranceway in a
moment.� He heard the tell-tale echoes
and prepared himself to dash around several dozen people.

�� However, he found as he came to the
junction of the two hallways that there was no way he could get through.� A large crowd several rows deep was assembled
and gave no sign of moving.� He began to
push through, but stopped dead in his tracks as the whispers around him
processed in his mind.

�� What did you say?� he asked the
diminutive Hufflepuff that was plastered against his
side.� She squeaked in fear and pointed
to a tall Ravenclaw boy in front of her.� Ron reached out and tapped him on the
shoulder.

�� What�s going on?� he
whispered.� Ron Weasley
was by no means short, but the other boy was taller and probably had a much
better view.

�� The Ministry is taking Snape�s sister,� the other boy whispered back.� The hall had gone quiet, and loud, crescendo
boot clicks could be heard.

�� Don�t look so sad, Weasley,� Draco Malfoy�s voice
piped up.� Ron whirled to face the
sneering blond boy.

�� What are you looking so smug about,
Malfoy?� I�d say you had a shit-eating
grin on your face but that might be too close to the truth.�

�� Ron had the momentary satisfaction
of seeing Malfoy�s cheeks redden.� A few people had the audacity to giggle and
point; most just backed away, having seen the blond and redhead tangle before.

�� She�s a murderer, Weasley,� Draco snapped, his grey-blue eyes flashing
dangerously.� �She�s going to rot in
Azkaban.�

�� She didn�t kill anyone,� Ron said
through his teeth, his temper rising to match Malfoy�s.� �It was that idiot Death Eater
Karkaroff!� I bet you and your stupid prat of a father sat and had tea with him and discussed how
to frame her!�

�� The semicircle of people around them
had inched away even more, and when Draco lunged forward, their space grew by a
few more feet.� Malfoy�s
fist was headed for Ron�s stomach, but Ron managed to get his arm down to block
the punch.� Seconds later, Draco was on
the floor looking stunned as blood began to pour down his face.

�� You ugly, disgusting, second-hand
commoner,� he hissed, standing more quickly than he should have and advancing
on Ron.� Ron did not back away in spite
of the fact that Draco looked more than a little crazed, especially with blood
rapidly covering his front.� �Don�t you
ever insult my father again or I swear I will find a way to land your ugly
whore of a mother in Azkaban right next to the Snape bitch.�

�� Ron�s eyes had gone wide, but it
wasn�t because of Draco�s threat.� His glance was fastened firmly above his
opponent�s left shoulder.

�� Would you care to repeat that, Mr.
Malfoy?�� Snape�s
voice was like molten silk, soft enough to calm a baby to sleep and so full of
malice that it made the entire circle of witnesses shudder involuntarily.�

Draco blanched.�
Ron would have laughed, but he was too tense to do anything but stare at
the obviously irate Potions Master.� He
thought that if he ever saw Snape glaring at him like that, he would turn on
his heel and run.� Run faster than he had
ever run.� He knew now that the sharp,
acerbic glances usually reserved for Neville, Harry, Hermione, and himself were
far from murderous.� In fact, they seemed
like simple exasperation compared to this.

�N-no, Sir,� Draco stammered, finally reaching up
to wipe the blood from his face with the sleeve of his robe.� Ron was not fooled; he knew it was a
deliberate gesture to conceal the quivering of his lip.

�Twenty points from Gryffindor,� Snape enunciated,
his eyes flickering to Ron.� �Start
another fight, Weasley, and you�ll have detention in
the dungeons for the rest of your career at Hogwarts.�

Ron�s mouth fell open, but he didn�t have the
courage to yell at the ridiculous man.�
It was unjust, but twenty points was a relatively low amount coming from
Snape.� But he couldn�t imagine that the
head of Slytherin would ignore such a personal
insult�he let his house get away with a lot, but the man did have a measure of
pride.

Ron�s anger faded as Snape seized Draco by the neck
of his robes and pulled him roughly about.�
This was a moment to be remembered.�
Snape was actually going to discipline a Slytherin.

�And fifty points from Slytherin,�
he said, the molten silk returning.� He
leaned in until his face was inches from Draco�s.� �I hope Weasley has
taught you to hold your tongue.� You
certainly don�t want me teaching you that particular lesson.�

�N-no, Sir!� Draco squeaked, shrinking
away from the extremely intimidating Potions Master.� Ron thought to himself that the only thing
that could have made Malfoy more pathetic was if he wet himself.� Unfortunately, much to the audience�s
disappointment, Draco was able to control his bladder.� A moment later, Snape straightened to his
full height, still glaring imperiously at the fair-haired boy in front of him.

�Now get yourself to the Infirmary before you make
any more of a mess.� Any more blood on
the floor and Filch will be after you,� the Professor snapped, steering Draco
away from the crowd with a grip so tight that the boy was cringing visibly.

�What just happened?� the tall Ravenclaw
boy said out loud.� He was not the only
one who was shocked and confused.�

Ron felt as if he�d survived a brush with death.� The twenty points meant nothing.� He simply stood and breathed for a minute,
and then he could not contain a snort of laughter.� He doubled over and eventually sat on the
floor.� He knew it was completely
inappropriate, but Ron could not help himself.�
He laughed until he cried and Seamus Finnigan
pushed through the crowd to pick him up and drag him off.

*�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *

�Have you gone loopy?� Seamus practically screamed,
throwing him onto the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room.� �If Snape had come back and seen you giggling
like that---!�

�Come off it, Seamus!� Didn�t you see the look on Malfoy�s face?!�

�Of course I did, but it would have been the look
on your face if I hadn�t dragged you away!�

�I broke his nose, Seamus, and all I got was twenty
points off!�

�In case you didn�t know that Selena woman was
being dragged off to Azkaban during your fit.�

That sparse statement made Ron�s grin disappear.

�She didn�t do anything,� he mumbled, looking at
his hands as they rested in his lap.

�Well it was Lucius Malfoy that was seeing her out,
and that spells doom.� Flitwick was with them, though.� I don�t know why.�

�Flitwick?� Ron asked, looking
up.� �He wasn�t under arrest, was he?�

�No,� Seamus said, shaking his head.� �But he didn�t seem like himself.�

�What do you mean?�

�He wasn�t smiling.�
He looked��

�Authoritative?� a female voice supplied.

�Exactly,� Seamus agreed.

�Hermione, I couldn�t get through the crowd�� Ron
started.

�No worries, Ron.�
She found me,� Harry said, looking over her shoulder with a smile.� �Heard you cracked Malfoy a
good one.�

�And we heard something really weird, too,�
Hermione said, plopping down next to him on the couch.� �We heard that Snape took points off his own
house!�

�He did,� Ron said, the
grin returning.� �Fifty
of them.�

�What?!� Harry and Hermione
shrieked in unison.

�Who was it?� Harry demanded.

�What did they do?� Hermione asked at the same
time.

�Draco Malfoy.�
He insulted Selena and Snape was right there.�

�Oooohhh,� Harry
breathed.� He couldn�t keep himself from
smiling.

�It must be tough for him to just let Malfoy take
her away,� Hermione said.

�He can�t protest, though, because�� Ron stopped himself, his glance shifting to Seamus.� Seamus rolled his eyes.

�I know Malfoy�s a Death Eater,�
he said, sounding exasperated.� �I can�t
stand when you guys are all secretive like that.�

�It�s better that way.� I mean, look at our track record,
Seamus.� Hermione�s been petrified and
tied up underwater and called that awful name.�
Ron�s gotten clobbered in a lifesize version
of wizard�s chess, broken his leg, and also been tied up underwater.�

�And stuck in a room with Gilderoy
Lockheart,� Ron added.

�That too.� I�ve�well, it would be a long list.�

Seamus shrugged.

�So why do the most
informed people in school think Flitwick was with
her?� he asked.� There was no ill meaning
in his statement; he simply knew that if anyone would know, it was the three of
them.

�No idea,� Hermione answered for them.� �But if I could get some time in the
library��

�Well, let�s look at it from a different angle�what
possible reasons are there for him to go with her?� Harry said.

�We know he�s not in trouble.�

�Maybe they need him to testify?�

�No, that doesn�t make any sense.� She didn�t mention him at all.�

�Well hey,� Ron said.� �He is the head of Ravenclaw.�

�What does that have to do with anything?� Seamus
asked blankly.

�Selena was a Ravenclaw,�
Hermione clarified.

�Not a Slytherin?�

�Nope.�

�Wow.�

�So Flitwick definitely
dealt with her,� Harry mused.� �He probably
knows the whole story.�

�Well whatever the reason, he didn�t look too happy
with Malfoy,� Seamus said, shaking his head.�
�I�m going to see if I can find Lavender.� If you hear anything, let me know, ok?�

�Sure,� Ron said amicably, patting Seamus on the
shoulder.� �And thanks.�

�No problem,� the other boy said, getting up off
the couch.� �Just don�t go into any
giggling fits without me around.�

�I�ll try to restrain myself.�

The three of them watched him go, and a moment
later, Hermione shot up and announced that she was going to the library.

�What�s the point, �Mione?�
Ron asked.� �Malfoy has the books on Flitwick.�

�Why would there be books about Flitwick,
anyway?� Harry asked.

�He must�ve done something important.� Maybe he was an Auror?�

�Can you picture him as an Auror?�

�No, but I never pictured Sirius as my godfather
until I got up close and personal,� Harry said.

At that moment, the portrait swung open and the
stern-faced Professor McGonagall stepped in.�
Her glance went first to Ron, her lips pursing in disapproval.

�I�m not going to ask how you only managed to get
twenty points off for breaking Draco Malfoy�s
nose.� Professor Snape must be in an
excessively sunny mood,� she huffed.�
�And as for the rest of you, the Headmaster wishes to see you.� He would rather clear the air now instead of
having you traipse all over the castle in search of the answers.�

Hermione was the only one who didn�t smile.� She had been looking forward to immersing
herself in the library, and now Dumbledore was depriving her of her fun.

*�� *�� *�� *�� *�� *

April, Fifth Year:

�� There were very few people in the world who knew, but
Selena Snape didn�t play Quidditch because she liked
the game.� In fact, it annoyed her most
of the time.� It was exceedingly
dangerous for everyone but the Beaters, and more often than not, she found
herself nursing bruises and other assorted injuries that would bench an athlete
in the Muggle world.

�� No, she played Quidditch
because she liked to fly.� The added
bonus that she was extremely talented on a broomstick was what had made Ludo beg her to join the team less than a month into her
first year.� She remembered sitting
across from him one day during lunch.�
Even then he�d taken a liking to her, treating her much like the little
sister he never had.� It had been a day
before the first Quidditch match of the season, Ravenclaw versus Slytherin, and
of course the Slytherin team was in fine form.� The Ravenclaw table
had been ducking bits of food for the entirety of the meal so far, and the
assault showed no sign of diminishing.

�� It had just been a reaction, an instinctual movement born
separate of conscious thought.� Her hand
had shot up as a clump of mince pie flew towards Ludo.� It never reached him; instead it met a soggy
end in her fist.� Ludo
had grabbed her by the wrist to keep her from firing it back at the Slytherin table, and then just stared at her for what
seemed like a full two minutes.� During
that time a gob of mashed potatoes hit him on the temple, but he didn�t care.

�� Can you fly?� he�d asked very simply, ducking a wad of
bread.

�� Of course,� she answered, looking perplexed.� �All first years learn how to.�

�� No, I mean�Can. You. Fly?�

�� I�guess I�m pretty good at it.� Madame Hooch said so�� she replied, stifling
a giggle.� The potato had begun to drip
down his cheek.

�� Come to the Quidditch practice
tonight.� It�s at seven.�

�� Why?�

�� Because I think you can play, Selena.� You just don�t know it yet.� Will you come?�

�� She shrugged.� Ludo had been good to her thus far, very good.� She supposed she could do him this little
favor.� They�d only find out that she was
awful at Quidditch anyway�people didn�t just hop on a
broom and suddenly know how to play the sport, did they?� It took years of practice.

�� Sure,� she said.

�� His thousand-watt smile lit his face.� He looked like someone who�d awakened on
Christmas morning to find an Olympic-sized swimming pool full of presents
waiting for him.� To this day she still
believed that his smile was the single happiest expression on the face of the
earth.� It always made her blush, no
matter what.� It was just so ridiculously
jubilant that it made her feel guilty for not being as happy as him.

�� A moment later he�d shot to his feet, grabbing a
hard-boiled egg from his plate.

�� Ravenclaw!� To arms!� he shouted.� The entirety of the table had been waiting
for this command, obviously not enjoying being pelted by food every other
second.� In a beautiful flurry of blue
and yellow, the worst food fight in the history of Hogwarts began.

�� She smiled to herself as she remembered the
aftermath.� Since the teachers hadn�t a
clue where the fight started, they�d simply decided to punish everyone.� The punishment took the form of not being
able to change their robes before their next classes, so the whole of Hogwarts
(except for those who�d been holed up in the library � lucky Severus) spent the
rest of the day in a mingle of salty smells and soggy robes.� Even that backfired, though, when the sixth
and seventh years decided it might be fun to lick the food off each other.

�� Those had been the days.�
There had been a sense of fun at Hogwarts, a youthful penchant for
mischief that always kept things interesting.�
But lately�the slow rise of the Dark Wizard Voldemort
had put a damper on life.� Three students
had returned home over the Christmas holidays and found a charred, smoking heap
where their homes had once been.�
Everything became more somber after that; jokes didn�t fly as easily,
pranks were put off, and everyone, teachers included, was jumpy and agitated.

�� That was part of the reason she snuck out to fly every
other night.� She knew it was dangerous,
but that had never stopped her from doing anything.� The curfews and restrictions had gotten much
worse since the holidays, and she couldn�t help feeling like she was under
house arrest at times.� It made her
restless; she wasn�t like Severus, she couldn�t spend all day inside.� Besides, the grounds of Hogwarts were safe.� No one could apparate
onto them, and she would be able to tell if someone was coming through the Forest.� Being on her
broom in the air gave her a distinct advantage if anyone was stupid enough to
try to sneak into or attack Hogwarts.

�� And, above everything else, obeying all those ridiculous rules
would be giving that Dark Wizard what he wanted.� Panic, paranoia, an entire nation of wizards
and witches living in fear�she refused to contribute to it.� Flying under cover of darkness after curfew
wasn�t much of a protest, but still, it was something.

�� It was an oddly warm and humid night, and she found
herself sweating beneath her heavy robes.�
This wasn�t typical April weather.�
After twenty minutes she felt so saturated and disgusting that she
simply had to get her robes off.� She
dropped down near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, hoping as she tossed the fragrant robes aside that
the heat would break before the next Quidditch match.

�� She was wearing Muggle clothing underneath.� She hesitated for a second, wondering what
would happen if anyone saw her in it.� It
was a rather skimpy outfit compared to the austere nightgowns most young
witches wore to bed.� Well, what did it
matter; there was no one out her but herself and whatever creatures lurked in
the Forest.� And she
wasn�t about to go plunging in to see what those creatures were.

�� She fanned herself for a moment, willing the wet
stickiness on her skin to dry.� She�d
definitely have to change before she went to bed; her tank top and shorts were
too soggy to sleep in comfortably.

�� Selena hung her robe on a branch and was about to soar
back into the sky when a distinctive snapping noise sounded from within the Forest.� She�d seen
enough Muggle movies to know when a twig was snapped under the tread of a
villain.� She listened closely, and was
not surprised to hear more sounds, rhythmic crunching of dead leaves.� Footsteps.

�� She got onto her broom quickly and distanced herself from
the lip of the woods.� She was glad she
had tucked her wand into the waistband of her shorts instead of putting it in
the pocket of her robe, as she usually did.�
This way, she could defend herself � and Hogwarts � from whoever or
whatever was about to come out of those woods.

�� As a black-clad figure broke from the trees, she pointed
her wand.� Ready�aim�

�� Stupefy!�

�� The figure went down with a muffled cry as the spell hit
him square in the chest.� He fell rather
ungracefully to the dewy grass and lay perfectly still.� He was stunned, temporarily unconscious.� She listened hard for the footsteps of anyone
following him, and when her ears could pick up nothing more than the normal
sounds of night, she slowly lowered herself to the earth.

�� Selena approached warily.�
She had also seen enough Muggle movies to know that half the time a
villain appeared unconscious, he wasn�t.�
But it soon became clear that this person was definitely passed out, his
limbs splayed awkwardly and his hooded face turned away from her.� A worm of fear wriggled its way into her
stomach; she hoped he wasn�t someone important, like a teacher or anyone she shouldn�t
have been shooting spells at in the dead of night.

�� She knelt next to him and gingerly checked for a
pulse.� Well, good, she hadn�t killed
him, at least.� Could a stunning spell do
that?� She supposed if it was done too
many times in succession it could be harmful � the whole too much of a good
thing concept.� But he was fine, as far
as she could tell, just knocked out.� Now
to see who he was�

�� She turned his head towards her and pushed the hood
back.� Her jaw dropped.� She cursed softly, lifting him so he was
cradled in her lap.�
What the hell had he been doing in the Forbidden Forest?� The idiot�

�� Innervate,� she murmured, touching the tip of her wand
to his chest.� His body jerked briefly
and then his eyelids rose slowly.� He
groaned and turned his face into her chest.�
He lay there for a moment, and then, obviously remembering what had
happened, his hands shot up to her shoulders.�
He expected to find a handhold there in the collar or her robes, but
there was nothing but the thin straps of her tank top.� He settled for her skin instead, his fingers
gripping tightly as he sprung from her lap and pinned her in one smooth
movement.

�� Lucius�!� was all she managed before his hand went over
her mouth.� She thought about biting him,
but that would just piss him off or turn him on, and she didn�t particularly
want to invoke either.� So she lay still,
painfully aware of his knee pressing into her hip and the bruises his fingers
had caused along her shoulders.� For a
moment she was afraid; he looked angry, very angry, and much more dangerous
than usual.� But then his brow furrowed
and his eyes lost their lethal gleam, and he whispered,

�� Selena?�

�� She nodded and he quickly lifted his hand from her mouth.

�� I�m sorry,� he murmured.�
�Did I�what the hell are you wearing?�

�� It�s Muggle clothing,� she
said, pushing him off and sitting up to fix herself.

�� Why are you wearing it?� he asked, wrinkling his
nose.� There was an edge of disdain in
his voice.

�� She rolled her eyes and replaced the strap of her tank
top.� �What, you don�t like me hanging
out of my clothes?� she teased.

�� Of course I do,� he amended, trying not to look at
her.� He�d never seen shorts that short,
and was trying to ignore just how attractive her long, muscled legs were.� �But��

�� It�s more comfortable than those ridiculous nightgowns,�
she said with a shrug.

�� Whatever.� I�m
sorry I went crazy like that.� I thought
you were the person who attacked me�speaking of that, we shouldn�t be out here
in case he�s still lurking��

�� I was the one who attacked you.�

�� What?� he said, his head jerking around so he could look
at her.

�� I was practicing flying and I stopped to take off my
robe,� she said, pointing to where it hung on a tree.� �And I heard you coming through the Forest and I thought you might be someone��

�� Bad?�

�� Yes.� So I went
back up on my broom and waited for you to come out, and then I stunned
you.� I�m sorry.�

�� To her surprise, he smiled.� �It�s ok.�
I would have done the same thing.�

�� She looked at him askance for a moment, and then spared a
moment to be annoyed.� �What the hell
were you doing out here anyway?�

�� Nothing any better than what you were doing.�

�� I told you.� Why
can�t you tell me?�

�� One pale eyebrow arched.�
�Because that�s not how it works,� he said, smirking.

�� How does it work, then, oh wise Malfoy?� she snorted,
rolling her eyes.

�� How it works,� he said, leaning forward until their
noses almost touched, �is that I blackmail you until we�re even.� I can get you suspended from the Quidditch team.�

�� You wouldn�t,� she said, her eyes narrowing.

�� Wouldn�t I?�

�� You�re forgetting something, Lucius.� I could have just left you here, you
know.� I could have reported you as a spy
for the Dark Wizard.� And,� she said,
plucking her wand from the waistband of her shorts and pointing it right
between his eyes, �I still can.�

�� He looked faintly shocked.� There was no denying what she had said; the
cool touch of her wand between his brows told him that she was not joking.

�� And you know what else?� she continued, tilting her head
to the side and regarding him thoughtfully.�
�I could say you attacked me.�
You�ve certainly given me enough new bruises to prove that.�

�� All right,� he said grudgingly.� �You win.�

�� She smiled pleasantly and lowered her wand.� He watched her as she went to retrieve her
robe.� God, he�d always known she was
pretty, but he�d never seen her in anything but robes before.� If he�d known that this was what the heavy
fabric hid�

�� Shaking his head, he banished those thoughts from his
head�for the time being.� If she was
going to be difficult, he had every right to get even.� He procured his wand from his sleeve and
raised it.� He just wanted to scare her a
little.

�� Immobulis!�

�� Her eyes went wide as she froze in midmotion,
unable to move.� Her heart began to
pound.� Oh god, maybe he DID work for the
Dark Wizard and he was going to�

�� I swear to god, Malfoy, if you touch me I�ll kill you,�
she said, feeling a chill zip down her spine as his fingers brushed over the
bruises he�d made a few minutes before.

�� Relax,� he said, cupping her chin as he came around to
face her.� �I just want to make a
confession without you tossing hexes at me.�
I want you to listen instead of shooting your mouth back at me.�

�� This is not the way to get someone�s attention,� she
scowled.

�� Don�t make me put a silencing spell on you.�

�� Don�t make me castrate you,� she breathed murderously.

�� See?� This is
exactly what I mean.� You don�t take me
seriously.� Why?�

�� Because you�re a prick, Malfoy.� You�ve never given me a single reason to take
you seriously.� The only reason I�m civil
around you is because you�re friends with my brother.�

�� I�m a prick,� he said thoughtfully.� �I�ve heard that before, but never from someone I cared about.�

�� She blinked, her retort lost in a moment of confusion.

�� Yes,� he said before she could recover.� �I care about you.� I think I even like you.� And you know why?� Because you give as good as you get.� I�ve never met a girl that was as much of a
challenge as you are.�

�� She was quiet, watching him as he bit his lip and began
to pace in front of her.

�� Now,� he said at last, looking up, �that fact can do two
things to us.� It can either make us
bitter enemies��

�� Or?�

�� Or the sweetest of lovers.�

�� Lucius, we�re only sixteen,� she said, feeling her blood
rush through her body just a little bit faster.

�� If it were a hundred years ago you wouldv�e
been married for four years already,� he said, waving a hand dismissively.

�� It�s not a hundred years ago.�

�� That isn�t the point.�

�� Then what is the point, Lucius?�

�� I won�t lie, Selena,� he said, striding forward and
looking down at her.� �I find you very,
very attractive in so many ways.� I would
much rather have you as a lover than an enemy.��
His thumb traveled gently over her lower lip and his eyes lingered where
his touch had been.� For a moment she was
afraid he was going to kiss her, but then he turned away.� �Of course I am not the only one who has a
vote on this matter,� he said with a sigh.�
�So I leave it up to you.� Take as
long as you like to think about it.� But
please let me know, so we can get on with the hating or loving.�

�� I can�t love you if I can�t trust you, Lucius,� she
replied softly.

�� You�re psychic, aren�t you?� he asked.

�� Yes� to a degree,� she murmured, caught off guard by the
question.

�� He raised his wand and flicked his wrist.� �Finite incantatum.�

�� Her first instinct was to take a step away from him.� The second was to wrap her arms around
herself.� This was the oddest encounter
she�d ever had with Lucius, and it was bothering her.� And it was mostly because she didn�t know how
to feel.� Usually it was easy to pick an
emotion to apply to him, but now she was lost.�
Most disturbing was the fact that he seemed lost, as well.

�� Read me,� he said simply, dropping to his knees.

�� What?�

�� Read my mind.� See
everything.� I know you can.� Severus told me.�

�� You don�t want me to, Lucius, trust me.� I�ll see things you don�t want me to see.�

�� I wouldn�t ask you to do it if I had anything to hide.�

�� Everyone has things to hide, Lucius.�

�� There is nothing for me to keep hidden from you.� I trust you to do this, Selena, and I know
you won�t trust me any other way.� After
all,� he said, smiling faintly, �the most dangerous part of people like us is
our mind.�

�� I can�t,� she said, shaking her head.� �I don�t have the right.�

�� I�m giving you the right.�

�� I�I don�t want to hurt you.�

�� You won�t.�

�� How do you know?� she asked fiercely, blinking back
tears.

�� I don�t know,� he said.�
�But I believe.�

�� It was her turn to pace.�
He hadn�t thought she would be antsy about this, but then again, there was
a lot he didn�t know about her.

�� You�re serious?� she said, giving him a sideways glance.

�� He nodded.

�� And you won�t be angry about it later?�

�� He shook his head.

�� You swear?�

�� He let out an exasperated sigh and lunged forward to grab
her by the wrists.� She let out a small
cry as he pulled her off her feet and into the fragrant, dewy grass.

�� Just do it.� It�s
only a one-time offer.�

�� Finally, after a few more tense moments, she allowed her
eyes to drift up to his.� They were the
same cool, clear blue as always, a bit glassy and bloodshot from
exhaustion.� But for once they weren�t
filled with contempt or gloating; he was sedate, the moonlight giving his
irises a deep, reflective quality that reminded her of the softly rippling Caribbean seas.

�� You promise you�ll tell me if I�m going too far, or if
I�m hurting you?� she asked.� It was
really more of command than a question.

�� He shrugged one shoulder lazily.� She responded with a lethal glare.

�� Fine, fine,� he said.�
�Don�t get all worked up about it.�

�� I�m not.� Give me
your hands.�

�� He obliged, watching as her fingers twined with his.� Her hands were rather surprising; they were
not small or delicate, and yet still distinctively female.� He�d never gotten a close look at them in
spite of the fact that he was glued to her side during their Quidditch matches.�
The game was just too fast for idle contemplation.� But yes, nice hands�strong, lithe, the kind
of hands an artist might like to draw.

�� What happened here?� he couldn�t resist asking, poking
her ring finger up with his own.� The
appendage in question was a bit crooked and did not straighten as well as the
others.

�� Hm?� she said as her eyelids
fluttered open.� He had not even noticed
that she�d begun to concentrate.�
�Oh.� Severus happened.�

�� What do you mean?�

�� Petty childhood fight.�

�� You two used to beat on each other?�

�� Don�t all siblings?�

�� I wouldn�t know.�
I mean, I�ve got a brother, but he�s a decade younger than me.� An accident, I think.�

�� Oh?� I didn�t
think the Malfoys made mistakes,� she jibed.

�� I didn�t think you�d be so weak as to let Severus beat
you up,� he returned immediately.

�� Take my word when I say I came out on the better end of
that fight,� she smirked.� �I wound up
with a dislocated finger, but he came out with a black eye and sore ribs.�

�� Careful, you�ll spoil his reputation.�

�� Because he�s after so many girls,� she sniffed, rolling
her eyes.� �Now shush.� We�ll be out here all night if you don�t let
me concentrate.�

�� He quieted, settling himself into a comfortable
position.� He had never been good at
sitting still, especially not when he was waiting for something.� After a few moments, though, he focused on
her steady breathing and willed himself to match it.� It had an incredible calming effect, and soon
his entire body lost its anxious tension.�
It barely registered in his mind that his head had drooped forward
slightly and their foreheads were touching.

�� He did start, however, when he felt the first tentative
probe slip into his mind.

�� It might feel a bit odd.�
Do you want me to stop?� she whispered, pulling back.

�� No,� he mumbled, willing himself to relax.� �I just wasn�t expecting it.� Keep going.�

�� She stilled again, and after a minute the strange
sensation returned.� It was like a tickle, the sort of feeling that could make a person smile
and cringe at the same time.� He hoped it
wouldn�t be like this the whole time; his entire body wanted to squirm, to itch
at the intruder in his brain.

�� He released a shaky breath a moment later, however, when
her touch deepened from the fleeting tickle to a full-blown caress.� She was everywhere, touching, stroking,
cajoling�he had to bite his lip to stifle a moan.� God, why did she even worry?� This felt�incredible.

�� When she withdrew a few minutes later, his hands tightened
convulsively over hers and he fought a tide of dizziness.� He felt curiously empty now, empty and light
and unattached.

�� Don�t know what you were worried about,� he murmured,
not even realizing that he was slumping against her.� �I feel like I�ve gotten into the illegal
potions��

�� That�s exactly why I shouldn�t have done it,� she said,
adjusting herself so she could support him.�
�It messes with the normal brain�s chemistry.�

�� So?�

�� So it could really screw you up.� It�s how the Dementors
keep the prisoners in Azkaban in check.�
It�s also the reason so many of them wind up at St. Mungo�s.�

�� m fine,� he muttered.

�� You should be.� I
didn�t stay very long.�

�� Mmm.�

�� He lay still for a while, so still that she thought he
might have fallen asleep.� Then, just as
she was about to slowly extract herself from
underneath him, he opened his eyes, made himself comfortable in her lap, and
said,

�� Pop quiz time.�

�� She gave him an amused glance and replied, �Ask away.�

�� What�s my middle name?�

�� You don�t have one.�

�� What�s my brother�s name?�

�� Cassius.�

�� My Mum?�

�� Helen.�

�� When�s my birthday?�

�� June 21.�

�� My familiar?�

�� White cat, green eyes, named Apollo.�

�� What�s my wand made of?�

�� Willow with a core of dragon
heartstring.�

�� What do I want to be when I grow up?�

�� You have no idea.�

�� How many girlfriends have I had?�

�� Three.�

�� Names?�

�� Samantha Edgewood, Patrice Mendelsohn, and Lorraine Vermillion.�

�� Why did I break up with them?�

�� Samantha broke up with you but you won�t admit it.� Patrice was too passive.� Lorraine was only after your money.�

�� He was quiet for a moment, frowning slightly.� Then he spoke again as he began to toy with
the end of her braid.

�� How long have I liked you?�

�� Since the first time you saw me on the train,� she
answered softly.

�� How sorry am I for acting like a prick?�

�� Not sorry at all,� she snorted, giving him a gentle slap
on the cheek.� He grinned and turned his
head to nip at her retreating hand.

�� Well, nobody�s perfect,� he shrugged after a comfortable
pause, pulling himself into a sitting position and staring at her intently.

�� Are you satisfied with your interrogation?� she
demanded, crossing her arms in mock irritation.

�� One more question.�

�� Last one.�

�� What do I want to do right now?�

�� She sighed, genuine annoyance present in her mannerism
now.

�� I only looked into the past, not the future.�

�� If I think it, will you be able to pick it up?�

�� Probably��

�� Then focus,� he said.�
His brow knitted as he began to concentrate on what he wished to convey
to her.� She was momentarily overwhelmed
by the vividness that was infused into the images he projected; she had
forgotten that it would be much easier to pick up on his thoughts now that
she�d taken a tour of his mind.� She
backed off slightly, allowing the images to wash over her mind and permeate her
senses.

�� He was really very good at sending his thoughts�the scene
that played behind her eyelids was like something out
of a risqu� Muggle movie.� Wet bodies,
limbs tangled, lips red and swollen from rough kisses�her nerves tingled as nimble fingers swept up her sides.

�� She severed the tie with his mind quickly, gasping as she
returned to the warm, sticky night.� She
couldn�t stand any more of that; the desire in his thoughts was so strong that
she had been unable to discern a real touch from a phantom touch.

�� He hadn�t moved, but her skin still tingled in
remembrance of his roaming hands.� His
eyelids had dropped low over the Caribbean tidepools and he stared at
her intensely, his lips slightly parted.

�� If she had been lost before, she was completely adrift
now.� That was not what she had expected
from him.� She knew he had a lewd mind �
what sixteen year old male didn�t?� But
that hadn�t simply been a vulgar fantasy; it was ridiculously sensual, soft, and
intimate.� She had to admit she had not
thought him capable of such feeling; he seemed to be the type that would use a
girl for his own personal enjoyment and then leave her behind like last year�s Quidditch broom.� But
that was not what she had seen.

�� Before she even understood what was happening, he had
tackled her to the ground and slanted his lips over hers.� She froze for a moment, remembering the
unpleasant circumstances of their first kiss.�
But then his fingers slid lazily up her side, pushing the thin fabric of
the tank top out of his way.� It had the
same effect that blowing on smoldering coals did; all the questions were
banished from her mind and she met his questing mouth eagerly.

�� He growled his approval, causing their tongues to vibrate
against one another.� She bucked against
him, digging her heel into the ground and using the leverage to flip them
over.� He fought back, refusing to be
dominated, and they tousled in the grass until they were breathless and had to
separate.� His robes were twisted and her
shirt had torn a few inches up the side seam.

�� Wanna go for a swim?� he
breathed from underneath her, lazily raising a hand to point at the lake over
her shoulder.

�� What about the squid?� she murmured, straightening his
robes.

�� It�s a nice squid,� he replied with a crooked
smile.� She cocked a disapproving eyebrow
at him.

�� That thing�s nocturnal.�

�� We�ll stay close to shore.�

�� I swear, the second I feel a
slimy tentacle wrap around me��

�� I promise that I will be the only thing wrapped around
you, Selena,� he purred, sneaking a hand under her shirt.� She let him push it up and sweep it off her
torso and then sat patiently as he cautiously touched her exposed flesh.� �I�m beginning to like this Muggle clothing,�
he murmured, gently cupping one of her breasts.�
�It�s easy to remove��

�� She smirked down at him and gently pushed his hands away.

�� Am I swimming by myself?� she asked, lifting herself
gracefully from her perch over his midsection.�
She tried not to laugh as he scrambled to his feet behind her and
attempted to run and strip at the same time.

�� She waded into the water and he was right behind her,
catching her around the waist and trapping her against his body.� She play-fought his grip,
enjoying the feeling of the cool water and his slick skin against her back.� It was strange how natural and right it felt,
being with him like this. �She quickly
stilled, however, as his hands began to roam both above and below the
water.� Her head arched back to rest on
his shoulder and he nibbled the soft skin of her neck.� He certainly did not waste any time.� She made a soft sound, turning her head to
brush her lips over his and then whispered,

�� Lucius�easy.�

�� Mmm�sorry,� he said, slowly
returning his wayward hand to the surface.�
He turned her around nuzzled her chest, strands of his pale blond hair
sticking to her wet skin.� She wrapped
her arms around him and they floated, exchanging soft kisses every now and then
until the distinctive sound of hooves on earth caused them both to look towards
the shore.

�� An impressive stag had stopped at the edge of the
water.� It seemed to be staring at the
naked couple, the moonlight reflecting in its eyes and causing them to glow
eerily.� The large animal dipped its head
to drink, but continued to observe them.

�� A moment later the silence was broken by the loud,
staccato bark of a dog.� They could see a
black blur against the grass, streaking towards the Whomping
Willow.� It barked again as it went by,
its eyes catching in the moonlight just as the stag�s had.� The stag lifted its muzzle from the water and
stared at them for a few more seconds before turning and bounding off.

�� Lucius and Selena watched the animals until they
disappeared over a small hill.� It was
then that he noticed that goosebumps had begun to
form on her skin.

�� Lucius,� she said, her voice
strangely distant.� �I want to go
inside.�
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

A Drop in the Ocean