You Want Me to do What!?

Chapter 3

                The next day Anna finally got to meet Harry Potter. Of course he was in some of her classes but they had never actually met or talked. Anna had been taking a break from her classes when Fred and George found her sitting alone in the courtyard.

                “Hey, Anna banana,” Fred grinned at her, “how’s it going?”

                Anna looked up from her book. She had been trying to do some reading. It was Romeo and Juliet. Despite the fact that it was a muggle book and she had read it a dozen times, it was still one of her favorites. “Hi Fred,” Anna smiled up at them both.

                “Can you believe it?” he punched George lightly, “she still knows us apart.”

                “It’s not hard,” George laughed, sitting down on the bench beside Anna, “I am the cute one after all.”

                Anna laughed when Fred rolled his eyes, “Whatever. We actually came over to introduce you to someone.  Anna, Harry Potter. Harry this is Annabelle Blackburn.”

                “Hello,” Harry said smiling.

                Anna could not believe it. She had seen Harry dozens of times from a distance in class and around Hogwarts, but it was different up close and personal. She could not stop her eyes from traveling up to look at the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. She knew all about it because her mother had told her so many times. She could not stop herself when she asked, “Does it hurt?” and then she quickly covered her mouth. Where had that come from? “I’m sorry,” Anna said, her face turning scarlet.

                Harry just laughed, “It’s ok, and no, it doesn’t hurt. Well, at least most of the time it doesn’t,” he said touching the scar out of habit.

                “Yes, well enough about our messed up friend,” George spoke up, “We didn’t just come over so you could meet our old friend Harry here, but also to see if you would be interested in meeting with a bunch of us soon.”

                “Yeah,” Fred continued, “a lot of us are going to meet soon to try to come up with a plan to learn real Defense Against the Dark Arts and fight Umbridge.”

                “I know that you don’t care for Umbridge’s teaching in our class, so I thought I might ask you,” Harry added.

                Anna couldn’t believe Harry was asking her. Of course she wanted to fight back against Umbridge. She thought of all the terrible punishments she was giving the students who disagreed with Umbridge, “Sure Harry, I would love to. Just let me know exactly when and I’ll be there.”

                “Great,” Harry smiled brightly, “Well, I’ll see you later.”

Draco

                “Dammit,” Draco mumbled to himself. He looked out across the outer courtyard where a lot of students went to socialize, do schoolwork or whatever else they did between classes. He had seen Anna sitting alone on a bench in the corner and had been about to go over when none other than Harry and the Weasley twins beat him to it. What the hell did they want? Then Draco watched angrily as Anna smiled up at him. That same lovely smile she’d given him that first day he’d met her on the train.

                Draco half listened to whatever Goyle was laughing about and then watched as Harry and the Weasley twins finally left Anna alone. He watched her intensely, hoping she looked his way, because if she did he was going over to her. She looked back down at her book. And then a few seconds later she lifted her head and looked directly at Draco. Anna blushed slightly, having been caught looking his way. She quickly looked back down at her book.

                “Too late,” Draco laughed to himself.

                “Excuse me guys, but I’ll see you later,” and Draco made his way over to Anna.

Anna

                “Oh no,” Anna moaned. She knew he was headed her way. Damn, she thought, why was it that she was always seeking him out, even when she wasn’t trying, she was attracted to him.

                “What you reading?” Draco asked, sitting beside her and quickly snatching her book.

                “Dammit Draco, give it back,” Anna cried, trying to grab it, but he kept it out of her reach causing Anna to grab his other arm. Anna could practically feel sparks between them as her face was close to his. She quickly pulled back.

                “Ugly words don’t become you, Annabelle,” Draco smirked. He looked at the cover, “Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Is this a muggle book?” he asked looking at her smartly.

                “So what if it is? Like it’s any of your business,” she huffed.

                “You know if Umbridge caught you with this you would have detention. I hear it can be quite painful,” he sneered, “Ask Potter, he’s had plenty of experience with Umbridge’s detentions.”

                “Detentions he did not deserve,” Anna said angrily.

                “So what is your book about anyway,” he said handing it back to her.

                “Really, like you would care. Love and tragedy, two things you probably know nothing about,” Anna snatched her book back, putting her book mark in it quickly.

                “Oh, you wound me, Annabelle Blackburn,” Draco said melodramatically, and laughed harshly, clutching at his heart. “Actually you might be right. The second one, tragedy, I can do without, but the first one might be worth pursuing. Would you be interested in teaching me to love, Anna?”

                Anna looked up at him in shock. Was he serious? He looked serious, no smirk or sneer marring his handsome face, but Anna knew he was messing with her.

                “Don’t toy with me, Draco Malfoy. I know all about you and heard all the rumors, so you can forget it. A girl would be crazy to love you. You must know that you are known for using and breaking hearts,” Anna said, looking him in the eyes. Oh, it would be so easy to fall for him, especially when he gave that little grin that screamed “Bad Boy” or when he was pretending to be nice and serious. But Anna could also see the vulnerability in him; all his meanness was just a façade to protect him from hurt. He was so good looking and charming when he wasn’t being a smart ass.

                “I wouldn’t know about all that,” he laughed, “maybe I haven’t found the right girl, or maybe she’s right under my nose.”

                “Whatever,” Anna scoffed at him, rolling her eyes.

                “Back to the book,” Draco said, acting all serious, “I will make a deal with you. You meet me on Tuesdays and Fridays in the Astronomy tower at 7 o’clock and bring your muggle book so you can read it to me and I will not turn you over to Umbridge.”

                Anna gasped, “You want me to do what?! Have you gone mad? You have got to be joking!”

                Draco looked at her hard, “No, I’m not. I am being perfectly serious. I want to find out what is so interesting in that muggle book and you’re going to read it to me and tell me why you like it. It’s that or detention with Umbridge.”

                “You are nuts,” Anna hissed, “and I will not do it.”

                “That’s up to you, but if you are not in the tower at 7 Friday with that book you leave me no choice,” he looked at her straight.

                “You’re despicable,” Anna fumed, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

                “Oh, come on Anna, it won’t be that bad,” he stood up, standing over her, his blue eyes twinkling, “I’ll see you Friday,” he said as he started walking away.

                “No, you will not,” she called after him.

                “Yes, I will,” he threw back without looking.

                Who did he think he was that he could order her around, Anna thought as she watched his black robe and shiny platinum head go into the school? That was easy, he is Draco Malfoy and he could do just about whatever he wanted at Hogwarts. Well, he was not going to order her around, he didn’t own her. But deep within Anna knew she would probably be at that Astronomy tower at precisely 7, her worn out copy of Romeo and Juliet in her hand.

Draco

                ‘Why did I do it?’ He didn’t want her angry at him, but he could think of no other way to get Annabelle Blackburn to spend time with him, and especially away from his fellow Slytherins’. He knew he would never really turn her in to Umbridge, but she didn’t know that. And that hurt Draco in a way, but he did have a reputation and it wasn’t a good one. He had to maintain that reputation. Maybe by spending more time with him, alone, she could get to know him better and see he wasn’t so bad. Draco knew that threatening her was not getting on her good side, but he knew she would never have agreed to spend time with him like this if he had asked her.