Chapter 6

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The next week was hell between Hermione and Ron. Me and Harry spilt up, Harry stuck on Ron, I stuck on Hermione, trying to get them to apologise or to make some sort of forgiveness move to each other.

"She can't complain," Ron told Harry, "she snogged Krum, so she found out that someone wanted to snog me too. Well it's a free country. I haven't done anything wrong!"

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," Hermione whispered at me furiously in the library.

In the evenings, when Ron is busy wrapped around Lavender, and Hermione locked herself in her dorm so she can avoid seeing Ron, Harry and I were often left alone, finishing our homework together.

"So," Harry began one night, "am I allowed to ask you if you've found anything interesting when you tailed Malfoy?" he asked jokingly, flicking through a giant book.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that actually, I was dealing with girl stuff with Hermione," I said, not answering his question, my heart beating.

"Well?" Harry urged.

"He stayed in the Slytherin common room for the entire match. I couldn't go in to see what he was doing. But I did stay out in case he came out, but he didn't," I said, telling him the half-truth. Malfoy did stay in the common room while I was unconscious. I felt no less guilty though, as my cheeks burned.

"Oh ok, thanks Skyler, I owe you one," Harry said, sounding disappointed.

"Why did you want me to follow him anyways?" I asked, curious.

"He looks so tired all the time, so he has been working hard on something during the night, and it has been stressing him or something. When I learnt that he was supposedly sick for the match, I immediately thought that he just needed time to work on whatever he is doing when the school was empty. Anything involving Malfoy can't be good," Harry explained.

I nodded, not sure what to say. It did make sense, he did look sick and tired lately.

"So," Harry began again, after a few minutes of quills scribbling, "who are you bringing to Slughorn's party?" he asked.

I groaned, I had completely forgotten about the party for his stupid "Slug Club".

"I don't know Harry, I'm not sure that I even want to go," I muttered. I wasn't a big 'dress up in dresses' person.

"Well, how about we go together? As friends," he added quickly.

I smiled at him. "I'm sorry Harry, I can't go with you, because you're asking Ginny, I heard that she broke up with Dean," I added slyly.

"What?" Harry asked suddenly, pretending he didn't hear me.

I rolled my eyes. "You heard me, go ask Ginny."

"But-.. I..," he stuttered.

"Oh Harry, it's obvious you like her. I'm not sure what Ron would say if he knew you were taking her, but he's usually too busy with Lavender these days, I doubt that he'd notice," I explained.

"Does anyone else..." Harry whispered, sounding half-strangled.

"No, I doubt anyone else noticed, except maybe Hermione. She watched people very closely these days," I replied, thinking about her comment about me liking Malfoy, however absurd that is.

My brick wall was still as strong as ever. I tried hitting myself over the head. I've tried imagining a pick-axe to chip away at the wall. I've tried drinking some memory potion that I sneaked out of Professor Slughorn's class. Nothing.

This wasn't normal Amnesia. I would have gotten my memory back in a day or two. It's been more than a week. No, someone messed with my head, big time. I wasn't unconscious because I somehow hit my head. Someone used magic on me. This wasn't an accident. And believe me, I was going to figure out who.








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The day of the party arrived. Hermione had asked Cormac McLaggen, in some attempt to make Ron jealous. I didn't blame her, the guy had it coming.

Harry had asked Luna, even after the big lecture I gave him to ask Ginny. I rolled my eyes when I heard that news. Men!

I had asked Neville. Well, I didn't particularly ask. I was passing the corridors a few days before the event, on my way to the common room when I saw Blaise Zambini and a few other Slytherins bullying Neville because he didn't have a partner for the party. I marched up right beside Neville and said, "Oh yes he does, he asked me this morning. Who are you taking Zambini? Pansy Parkinson? I thought that even a Slytherin would have had better taste than that!"

That shut them up. Earning a few glares, they walked away, but one of them stayed behind. Malfoy. I didn't realise that he was in the group. He looked at me for a few seconds, his face betraying no emotion, before he turned and walked quickly to catch up with his friends.

"What was that about?" Neville asked, indicating to Malfoy.

"I don't now, Neville," I said honestly, "I don't know."

Back in the common room, Neville began thanking me. "Thanks Skyler, but you don't have to go to the party with me," he said quietly, looking at his feet.

"Nonsense Neville," I scolded him, " I can't think of anyone better to go with!" I smiled kindly. It wasn't exactly a lie, I couldn't think of anyone to ask, so at least I'll be with one of my friends.

Neville blushed, and muttered something about meeting him at eight, before running up to the dorms, no doubt to tell everyone he had a date.

I smiled after him.









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I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the girl who doesn't look familiar. I sent an owl with a letter to mum, a few days ago, begging for a dress for the party. The package arrived the next day. I found a beautiful floor-length gown and high heels, both the exact shade of blue as my eyes. I also found some make-up, even though my mother knows that I don't wear it most of the time, and a stern letter telling me to be responsible.

I smiled, and the girl in the mirror did the same. Her blue dress hugged her body from her shoulders to her waist, but from her waist down, it was a loose sort of silk that went to near transparent at the end, enabling you to see the outline of her high heels. She had gained about four inches in height because of those heels. I ran my fingers through my hair, and my reflection did the same. My hair was dead straight, thanks to some straightening potion that Hermione made. With my hair straight, it reach half way down my back. I decided to wear it down, as I always have.

I looked closely at my face. I barely used any of the make-up that my mum sent me. Just some mascara, lipgloss and bronzer. But it made such a difference. My eyes pop, my teeth look whiter than before, my cheekbones looked defined, and somehow my freckles seemed to disappear even more. Yeah, my reflection was a complete stranger to me.

Neville was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. When he saw me, he straightened up.

"Ready m'lady?" He asked the well-rehearsed line, holding out his arm. I knew that he probably spent ages just practising that line in front of a mirror.

"Ready, my prince," I sincerely replied, taking his arm. Neville blushed.

A little way out of the common room, Neville muttered, "They were all staring at you."

"Who?" I asked.

"Everyone in the common room," was the reply.

"Now why would they do that?" I asked, running my hands through my hair, wondering if I had a random stray strand. Nope. I looked down, my dress seemed fine.

"I think that they thought you'd be going to the party with someone better," Neville whispered, not looking at me.

"Or... Maybe they were looking at me in jealously for snapping a guy like you to this lame party," I said, trying to cheer Neville up.

Neville blushed even deeper.









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The party was fine. Harry was putting up with Luna's random facts and strange conversations. McLaggen was chasing a ruffled-looking Hermione. All was well, until the door of Slughorn's office door burst open, and Filch dragged Malfoy in by the ear.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to to invited to your party, and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Malfoy pulled himself free from Filch's grip, looking enraged. "All right! I wasn't invited, I was gate-crashing. Happy?"

Everyone was watching as the scene unfolded, Neville holding our ButterBeer mugs, handing one to me before sipping from his.

Malfoy stared at me. Well, not at me, but more at my waist. I glanced down. Neville seemed to have put his arm there. Malfoy's eyes seemed to zone in on the arm, looking as if he wanted to snap it. I mentally shook myself. I was seeing things. Maybe it was too much ButterBeer. Luna once told me that if drunk in large quantities, it can make you tipsy. Who would have thought that a random fact by Luna turned out to be true? No wonder Neville was more confident, and I couldn't see any FireWhiskey to explain otherwise.

"I'd like a word with Draco," Snape said suddenly. I saw that Harry perked up at this. When Snape and Malfoy left, I saw Harry mutter the toilet excuse to Luna. I did the same with Neville, before following Harry. Somehow he understood that I was behind him, as he nodded before opening the door.

I took off my heels, as Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over us, I didn't want to be clicking down the corridor. Eventually, we found the room that Snape and Malfoy were in. I let Harry listen by the keyhole while I strained to hear through the door. Whatever I was hearing, Harry heard it much better.

"...... Can't afford mistakes Draco...." I heard Snape say.

I heard indistinct murmuring.

"........what thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco....."

More murmuring.

"So report me to Dumbledore" I heard Draco sneering.

".......I made the Unbreakable Vow......." Snape said.

"It is an act crucial to success!" Snape said yet again.

I heard more indistinct murmuring.

Suddenly, Harry grabbed my arm and threw himself to the side, dragging me down with him. Malfoy left the room a second later, followed by Snape. We barely dared to breath.

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