Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Jade and Emma's Story

Chapter 6

The hour was finally over, and Jade jumped up to rush out of Umbridge's room. "Jade!" a familiar voice called out. She and Jessica slowed their pace to wait for Emma to catch up, Hermione, Ron, and Harry following behind her cautiously. "You look about as eager to leave there as us."

"She's a monster," Jade said bitterly. "And she obviously has a bias against the Gryffindors."

"I wouldn't think a Slytherin would mind that," Hermione said honestly.

Jade smiled slightly. "I'm not exactly one of them."

"You've always done your own thing," Jessica piped in. "That's why I liked you."

Jade beamed at her friend. "You're the only one I can stand. Though I somehow don't consider you a 'Slytherin' either." She looked back to her Gryffindor acquaintances. "I've always had a bit of an identity crisis," she joked. "I don't dislike being a Slytherin, exactly. Just being grouped with those who give our House a bad name."

"Like Malfoy?" Ron spat.

Jade nodded grimly. "He's a jerk. I feel I should apologize for his continued cruelty along with the detentions he earned you today, Ronald."

"You should be wary of Malfoy. Being friends with him could get you...in some bad situations," Harry told her.

She felt her cheeks burn. "He's not my friend! More like my stalker."

Emma laughed. "He does drag you around a lot. Has he always done that? I feel like I've never seen you around...and I would have noticed if you were hanging around Malfoy...?"

Jade shook her head. "No. He talked to me for the first time this summer. And ever since then he won't stop harassing me."

"Over the summer?" Harry inquired. "How did you see him then?"

Jade looked at the ground. "He's my neighbor."

"Draco Malfoy is your neighbor?" Ron shook his head in what seemed like pity. "Man, you hit the jackpot, huh?"

"That seems about right."

The Gryffindors groaned at the sound of Draco's drawl, but Jade merely narrowed her eyes. If he was here to drag her away again, she was going to be pissed. He walked around until he was standing before them, hands in his pockets and his eyes glazed with boredom. "And I wouldn't call it harassment, Baem. Merely a protective instinct."

"I think she needs to protected from you, not us," Harry said coolly.

Jade blinked. Of course it was probably to annoy Draco, but it sounded like Harry was sticking up for her - or at least trying to keep her away from him. Her stomach flipped. "What's it to you, Potter? Baem is my Housemate and I need to keep her away from you troublemakers. Don't want her ending up in detention, do we?"

Ron started for a fraction of a second before Emma put her hand on his shoulder and he relaxed. "We don't care about you, Malfoy," she said, her usually friendly voice turning cold. "Just leave Jade alone."

Jade smiled inwardly at Emma's consistent acts of friendship. Draco looked like he was in a good mood, because he only grinned. "You seem to think I care about your opinion." Like many times before, his fingers wrapped around Jade's wrist.

"Really, Draco," Jessica snapped. "Let go."

"Thaw out, Ice Princess."

Jessica scowled at the nickname, and Jade just grabbed her hand. "We've got to go," she told the foursome apologetically. "He's just going to get more annoying if we tell him no."