It's Me or No One

Chapter 2

            Jilli's eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked around, confused at first about where she was.

            “It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead.”

            Jilli looked around, it was Neville.

            “What time is it?” she asked groggy.

            “Well, classes are over and dinner is about to start.” Neville looked at Jillianne sheepishly and then looked down, “Jilli, I want to thank you for what you did. You didn't have to help me out, and now Malfoy is really going to be ticked with you.”

            “I can handle Malfoy,” Jilli told him bravely, wondering how she really was going to deal with Slytherins prince.

            “Well, I'm glad you’re feeling better. I came to help you to dinner or your common room, which ever you prefer.”

            “I am truly starving. Dinner sounds good.”

            “You know,” Neville said as he helped her up, “Harry's been up here to check on you twice.”

            “Potter came here to see me,” she replied shocked.

            “Don't act so surprised, Jilli,” he laughed, “I've seen the way Harry watches you when he thinks no one is looking.”

            “Oh well,” Jilli sighed, “it doesn't matter. I'm Slytherin and he's Gryffindor, and not just any Gryffindor, but the boy who lived. He's not going to waste his time on a pureblood Slytherin.”

            “I wouldn't be so sure.”

            Neville helped her up, took her good arm and they made their way out of the hospital wing. They were turning the corner when Neville ran into someone. It was Harry.

            “Sorry Harry.”

            “It's okay Neville. I just came to check on Jilli. Oh, there you are,” Harry said, a smile lighting his face. Jilli couldn't help blushing.

            “Do you mind if I escort Jilli to dinner Neville?”

            “Of course not,” Neville turned to Jilli, “I'll see you in the dining hall,” and he gave her a hug and whispered in her ear away from Harry, “see, I told you.”

            “Thanks Jilli,” Neville said a loud as he walked away.

            Harry took her good arm that Neville had just released. “Are you feeling better?”

            “Much better, thanks”

            Harry walked a little slowly. He didn't want to rush her since she was still groggy from the potion.

            “You know Jilli, there's something I've been wondering about. Have you ever thought that maybe you were sorted into the wrong house? I mean, Slytherin. I think you could have been a Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, even Gryffindor. You do have all the qualities of each.”

            Jilli couldn't believe Harry was voicing the same things she had often wondered about.

            “I guess the sorting hat must know what it's doing,” she said, “a couple of foolish acts, such as helping Neville, doesn't automatically make one a brave Gryffindor. Neither does it seem smart, so it couldn't be Ravenclaw, as for Hufflepuff, maybe.”

            Harry chuckled, “Don't be so defensive. I don't have a problem with you being Slytherin, but you just don't fit their mold.”

            “Well, molds are made to be broken.”

            “If anyone could do it, it would definitely be you,” Harry replied, taking and holding her hand as they got closer to the dining hall.

            “Thanks for your help Harry,” Jilli said as she started for the Slytherin table.

            “Not so fast,” Harry said grabbing her good arm, “why don't you come and sit with us.”

            Jillianne looked around. Several eyes were watching them, especially at the Slytherin table, “I don't know if that would be a good idea,” she said hesitantly.

            “Come on Jilli, I promise not to bite,” Harry teased.

            “Well, okay.”

            And Jilli joined Harry, Neville, and the others at the Gryffindor table. It was marvelous. Jilli had never had such a fun time just eating. They all asked about her and told her what a brave thing she did helping Neville. And they all liked to joke around, a lot. They particularly liked to give Snape what for and when Jilli tried to defend him, Harry reminded them all that Jilli was top of class in potions.

            One thing she could agree with was Professor Umbridge. She had really enoyed Prof. Lupin last year in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class because not only was he a great teacher, but he actually taught them useful things. Jilli and everyone else believed that Umbridge was nothing more than a puppet, placed at the school by the Ministry of Magic to keep an eye on Harry and Prof. Dumbledore.

            In fact, Harry had an argument that same day with her about He-who-must-not-be-named having returned and the fact that she was not teaching them anything useful. Jilli had found out while sitting at their table that he had detention that night.

            Jilli told everyone goodnight and made her way out of the great hall.

            “Wait up,” Harry called behind her, “I'll walk you to your common room, just to make sure your feeling alright. I have detention anyway,” he said catching up to her.

            “Thanks,” Jilli said, “you know Harry, I believe you about you know who.”

            “You mean Voldemort.”

            “SSSHHHH. I wish you wouldn't use that name.”

            “It's okay. I don't fear his name. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.”

            They made it to the Slytherin entrance.

            “Goodnight Harry.”

            “Goodnight Jillianne.” and Harry headed to detention.

            Jilli entered the common room, and the angry glares she received from her fellow Slytherin made her mind up to go on up to the girls dorm and get ready for bed.

            Once in there she could relax. No one was in there yet. She'd had a tough day and she was tired, she got dressed for bed and lay there thinking about Harry and picturing emerald green eyes and dark wayward hair. She finally drifted off to sleep.

            The next few weeks were pretty uneventful and depressing. Malfoy had started teasing her and saying things to others about her and Harry. But the problem was she hardly saw Harry. He acted as though something was bothering him. He was not talking much to anyone and he seemed depressed and was not his usual cheerful self. Jilli was getting worried about him.

            To make matters worse, Malfoy had again started pressuring her to go out with him. She tried her best to ignore him, but that was hard to do being in the same House. She guessed he realized that she and Harry weren't as close as he thought and now he doubled his effort trying to get her.

            “Come on Ashwood,” Draco said one evening in the corridor outside the library, “I can arrange you a spot on the Quidditch team.”

            “For one thing, my name is not Ashwood, it is Jillianne, and second, no thanks.”

            She walked into the library that night leaving Malfoy standing in the hallway; she had charms homework she had to finish by tomorrow.

            It was late when Jilli finally left heading down to the Slytherin common. For some reason she had a bad feeling come over her. Jilli didn't know why but something told her to head to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She took a hallway that would lead her to it, and then stopped suddenly. There lying on the floor writhing in pain and moaning was Harry. Jilli ran to him quickly.

            “Harry. Harry, are you okay?” she got down on the floor and tried to help him. Harry just moaned, pressing his hand against the scar on his forehead that she knew too well.

            Jilli positioned herself with Harry's head in her lap. She gently smoothed back his hair and began softly rubbing his temples, telling him in a whisper it was going to be alright. Harry still had his hand pressed to the scar and that was when she saw the bloody top of his hand engraved with 'I will not tell lies.' Jilli was furious, it had to be Umbridge.

            Jilli took the flap of her robe and gently wiped the blood from his hand. She then gently moved his hand, and brought it up to her lips kissing the top of it lightly, then she pressed her lips softly to the scar, murmuring for Harry to “please be alright” to “please stop hurting.”

            It must have helped because within a few minutes Harry had stopped moaning and his eyes looked like they were clearer than when he'd been in pain. When he had been hurting his eyes had been glazed with a vacant look to them.

            Harry looked up at Jilli, looking embarrassed and started to rise.

            “No,” she said, pushing his shoulders back down, his head again in her lap, “Not yet. Let's make sure you’re okay.”

            Jilli massaged Harry's temples, smoothing his hair back. “You want to tell me about it,” she whispered. Harry had his eyes closed, enjoying the feel of her hands on him.

            His eyes opened, “I can't,” he said whispered roughly, “”you wouldn't understand. I don't understand it much myself.”

            “Well, sometimes it helps to share things with others.”

            Harry wished he could share it with Jillianne, it and so much more. He had been avoiding her the past few weeks because he hadn't been feeling much like himself. The painful visions were getting worse and much more intense.

            “You want to tell me about your hand then,” she said picking it up in her own small one and looking it over, “I assume Umbridge did this.”

            “Yeah,” Harry sighed.

            “Harry, you need to report this.”

            Harry sat up; sitting across from her, “Report it to who. Dumbledore is avoiding me and I don't have parents. So who does that leave?”

            “I don't know. You can't keep arguing with the toad or you won't have a hand left. Besides it will not do any good to keep doing it because she is not going to accept what you say no matter what. I think it's best for you to ignore her.”

            They were both facing each other, Harry gave her a small smile, “Your right, I'll try to keep quite in her class.”

            “Are you feeling better,” Jilli asked.

            “Much better,” he reached over and took her hand pulling the sleeve of her robe back, “I see your arm is all healed.” Jilli was getting chills, and it wasn't from the cold, Harry's touch felt wonderful. She gently moved his hair away from his scar touching it softly, “does it hurt?” she asked.

            “Not anymore,” Harry answered looking at her full rosy lips, “it just stings a bit.”

            Suddenly Harry's lips were on hers gently. He increased the kiss and Jilli felt her mouth slowly open as the kiss became more intense. Harry brought his hand up into the back of Jilli's silky blond hair, holding her head and deepening the kiss, his tongue playing with her own.

            Jilli felt such pleasure from Harry's kiss, her first kiss, that she brought her hands up to his shoulders, holding on to him. She wished she could never let go.

            Harry continued the kiss until he let his lips travel down Jilli's neck and he began gently sucking there. Who knew what might have happened if they had not heard a door slam not far away. They broke away from each other, panting for breath.

            “Sorry, Jilli,” Harry sighed, embarrassed.

            “Don't be Harry,” she replied looking at him with bright, passion filled violet-blue eyes.

            “Jilli, would you like to go on the next trip to Hogsmeade with me?”

            “I would like that very much.”

            Harry stood up and took Jilliannne's hand to help her up, but once they were on their feet he kept her hand in his.

            “Well, I need to get back. Promise me Harry, you will try not to anger Umbridge again.”

            “I'll try Jilli. Goodnight.”

            “Goodnight Harry,” and she released his hand and made her way down to her common room.            

            Once in her common room Jilli noticed Malfoy still up, sitting in a chair by the fire. She tried to go on past him to her dorm.

            “Wait up, Ashwood.”

            Jilli stopped but didn’t turn to face him, “I told you my name is not Ashwood.”

            “Okay, Jillianne,” he said with false sweetness, taking her arm and turning her to face him, “Where have you been?”

            “I don’t really think it’s any of your business,” she glared at him, “but if you must know, I was in the library.”

            “Really. Well I checked the library about an hour ago, and you weren’t in there,” Draco said suspiciously, looking at her deeply.

            “Are you my keeper now? All this attention is flattering,” she said with a smirk, “but save it for Parkinson, and I don’t need a mother keeping tabs on me.”

            “What’s that on your neck!?” he said angrily, bringing his hand up and moving her head and hair to see her neck better, “Who have you been snogging Jillianne?” he said in a deceptively mild tone.

            Jilli brought her hand up to her neck. And then she remembered when Harry had been kissing her and had started kissing her neck, sucking on it gently. Jilli blushed.

            “I actually think what I do is none of your business,” she said irritably, slapping his hand away from her neck.

            “I know it couldn’t have been a Slytherin, because everybody’s already here. You’ve been with Potter,” Draco sneered furiously.

            “I will tell you one more time,” Jilli shouted angrily, turning red, “it is none of your business.”

            “I’m making it my business. You’re not going to go around snogging just anybody, especially that loser Potter. It’s me or no one. I’ll be damn if you, a Slytherin, will have anything to do with Potter,” he shouted back, grabbing her arm and making her look at him as she was trying to walk-off.

            “You can’t stop me,” she shouted back, her eyes a shining dark purple.

            “Don’t count on it, Ashwood,” he said quietly, in a very serious voice.

            Jilli walked away toward her dorm, a little bit afraid. What could Malfoy do? She was terrified to think on it. She knew he was probably capable of anything.