6«Truths and Lies

A little over two weeks passed. Justine and Draco had grown quite close, yet as far as they knew, no one else was aware of the time they spent together. However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were becoming concerned of Justine’s disappearances after dinner and before Slytherin Quidditch matches.

One day during dinner, Hermione had to bring the topic up, but in her own sort of way. “We’re going for a slay ride after,” she told Justine. “Did you want to come with us?”

Justine thought quickly of an excuse. “I’m not feeling well, actually. Headache. I think I’m just going to go sit down and relax in warmth.”

“Suit yourself. The slays are really cool,” Ron pointed out.

Justine gave a half smile, feeling terrible to deny and lie to her friends.

When she finished her meal, Justine excused herself and left the Great Hall. The others watched her in wonder. “I think she’s up to something,” Ron whispered to the others.

“But what?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know, but I agree with Ron. She’s never around anymore. It’s strange, really. I mean, she leaves but we can never find her later on.” Hermione patted her mouth clean with her napkin. “Perhaps we should go see what she’s up to?”

Harry shot her a look of surprise. “You never cease to amaze me, Hermione. You want to spy on your own friend now?”

“Well, it’s the only way we’ll find out what’s wrong with her.”

Harry thought for a moment. “No, I think we should leave her alone. Maybe she just doesn’t want to be bothered by anyone.”

Just as Harry finished his sentence, he noticed Draco Malfoy leave the Great Hall, without Crabbe and Goyle. “That’s odd,” Harry said. “Since when does Malfoy go anywhere without his goons?”

“You’re right,” Hermione said. Then the thought struck her. “You don’t think…”

“That Justine goes off to meet Malfoy somewhere?” Ron finished.

“She wouldn’t do that, I’m sure,” Harry said, although, the very same thought passed through his own mind.

Justine waited patiently in one of the green houses. It wasn’t that cold, but just enough to give her a shiver every once and a while. She jumped a bit and looked up when she heard the door open slowly.

A smile appeared on her face when she saw Draco walk in and towards her. “We really need to find a warmer place,” she said as he leaned down to kiss her.

After his kiss, Malfoy looked up, pulling her closer to his own body. “You don’t like the green house? Where do you suggest we go where no one will notice?” He brushed his thumb over her cheek.

“I don’t know,” Justine admitted. “It’s just that it’s a little cold in here, don’t you think?”

“Well, I’m not cold.” He kissed her forehead and ran his fingers through her long hair. “I have a my last regular Quidditch game tomorrow, remember.”

“I remember.” They kissed for a moment, and then parted for breath. “I was thinking, Draco. Maybe we shouldn’t meet right after dinner for a little while.”

“Why?”

“I’m starting to think that my friends are starting to become suspicious.”

“Suspicious? Weasly and Potter probably haven’t noticed, and Granger I doubt even cares.”

“No, I think they do. They’re always asking me to do something with them and I can’t, or they’ll ask me if there’s something wrong, and I say no of course not. You wouldn’t find that suspicious after a while?”

Malfoy gave his trademark smirk. “Let them think what they want. They’d never in their dreams think that you’re with me. And who cares, really. You want to be with me right now, right?”

“Yeah…”

“So, its your choice, not theirs. Just forget them.”

“Draco, you know I won’t do that.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine, but don’t think about them when you’re with me. Spare me, if you can.” He got a small laugh out of her.

After another passionate kiss, Justine spoke. “Do Crabbe and Goyle say anything to you?”

Malfoy laughed. “They’re too stupid to tell the time. They’d never suspect a thing. Stop thinking about it, would you?” He looked at her chestnut eyes, and he felt as if he could just melt by their stare. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he felt the need to be with her all the time. And people like Potter and Granger were not going to ruin anything for him that was one thing he would make sure of.

The next morning was cold, but sunny. It had snowed again, leaving about a total of two feet of a white blanket thrown on the ground. The Quidditch field was cleared, but the cold north wind made it difficult to fly in.

Ron and Harry were walking quickly down the hall that led to the back doors of the school. Hermione had gone ahead of them to save seats, as they went to find Justine. Last week when the game was Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw, they met her in front of Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. However, it seemed today that she had forgotten again, and this time it was Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff.

“Doesn’t it seem odd to you, that every time Slytherin plays, she’s never in our meeting spot? Or she’s always late?” Ron asked Harry as they continued down the stone floor.

“Maybe she’s already outside, and just forgot. Maybe she met up with Hermione and went with her instead.”

“You’re always making up excuses for her, Harry. What do you know that I don’t?” Ron asked, but the sound of a small giggle silenced him and Harry as they turned the corner.

What the two six year boys saw was the very last thing they’d expect to see. Harry pulled Ron back around the corner, and the two slowly peered around to watch the two students not far from where they were.

“Is that…Justine?” Ron asked in amazement.

“Looks like it,” Harry said. Then the guy she was with moved his head, exposing his blonde hair. “And Malfoy!” He shouted in a whisper.

“What’s he doing to her?” Ron asked in shock.

Draco Malfoy was in fact tickling Justine’s ear with his teeth. She giggled under his head and turned to kiss his cheek. He did the same, and kissed her deeply.

“NO WAY!” Ron almost shouted. Harry covered his mouth and pulled him back. They waited a moment before they looked again. “He’s like seducing her right in the hallway before his own game!”

“I don’t think its quite like seducing, Ron. I think she’s letting him.”

Ron looked at his friend with wide eyes. “You don’t think that they’re…having a secret relationship, do you Harry?”

“I don’t know, but now I’d bet any money that they have been meeting each other after dinner.”

“Told you.”

“Malfoy lets go!” The Slytherin Quidditch team captain called from inside the locker room.

Draco broke the kiss. “Coming!” He shouted back, a little annoyed. “I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck.” Justine watched him leave and walk into the locker room. She sighed as she started down the hall. Then she noticed Ron and Harry walking around the corner. “Oh, hey you guys! Didn’t you go with Hermione?”

“We were looking for you,” Harry said. They joined up and went out to find their seats among the Gryffindor stands.

The game wasn’t a very good one. Needless to say, Slytherin was kicking Hufflepuff’s face into the ground. The score was already up to 130 points for Slytherin and 40 points for Hufflepuff, and it was only the first half hour of the game.

On the field, Malfoy looked all around for the golden snitch. Unfortunately, his mind was having more problems dealing with the cold wind than finding the snitch. However, after another fifteen minutes of looking, he noticed the gold ball hover in front of his face. He swooped down after it.

“And there goes Draco Malfoy after the snitch!” Lee Jordan announced to the audience. “He’s almost there…almost…got it! Draco Malfoy has caught the golden snitch, giving Slytherin 150 points and the game.”

Justine jumped a bit and clapped her hands as Malfoy landed on the ground and tossed the snitch to Madam Hooch. The others noticed and looked at her a bit concerned. “What?” She asked. “We can finally go inside and warm up,” she said for her excuse.

For once, Justine went along with Harry, Ron and Hermione back to the Gryffindor common room. They all sat on the large couches, only a few other students walking about. There was an awkward silence for a moment, until Ron couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Justine, how could you!?” He blurted out. Harry jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

“Whatever do you mean?” She replied innocently.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and then at her. Harry decided to be the one to break their spy news to her, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. He shifted to sit on the edge of the couch, folding his hands in front of him and looking up to Justine.

“Justine,” started Harry. He searched for the right words. “Where exactly were you before the Quidditch game?”

Justine looked at him a bit surprised. “Well, I was, eh,” she thought for a moment. “I was dropping off my Herbology homework, and then I went…”

Ron practically jumped out of his seat. “There’s no denying it, Justine. We saw you with him!”

Harry pulled Ron back down. Justine tried to look confused, but in fact she was starting to become scared. She knew that they knew now. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice a bit shaky and uncertain.

Harry sighed. “We saw you and Malfoy.” Justine’s eyes lowered to the ground.

“Is he the reason why you keep leaving the Great Hall and disappearing after dinner?” Hermione asked calmly.

Justine was silent, with her eyes focused on her knees. She knew she blew it. How was she going to explain to them that she thinks she’s in love with their enemy?

“Justine, you can’t honestly love him or anything,” Hermione went on.

Justine shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know what I think anymore. I mean, I know you guys hate him, and that he’s bad sometimes…”

“Sometimes!” Ron interrupted, but this time getting a jab from Hermione.

“I just don’t know what I think of him right now. I know I like to be with him…”

“But do you ever think he doesn’t truly care about being with you?” Hermione added.

“How would you know?” Justine almost snapped.

The young Gryffindor girl got up to sit next to her friend. “Justine, I’m not telling you because I don’t like Malfoy. I’m just telling you this for your own good.”

“I’m listening.”

Hermione took a deep breath. “You do know that Malfoy has been with other girls, right? And his relationships don’t last more than a month. He just uses girls, Justine. And he’s probably just going to use you too.”

“Do you know that for a fact, Hermione?” Justine asked, giving her a semi-harsh look.

“No, but I have a good hunch.”

“Look, its my decision. I do know right from wrong. Don’t lecture me about my choices.”

“We’re not trying to lecture you, just trying to warn you before you get hurt,” Harry told her calmly.

“Besides,” Ron said. “Its not bound to last with him because you’re a muggle-born.”

Justine looked at him shamefully. “He doesn’t know I am.” The others gasped.

“He doesn’t know? You didn’t tell him?” Hermione said. “What if he does find out?”

“Well, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about that part yet,” she admitted. “Look, I’ll figure it out. But right now…I just want to get to know him my way, all right? Please, don’t hate me because of it.”

Hermione put her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “We’ll never hate you. We’re here for you no matter what happens.”

“And if he goes after you, we’ll be there to rub his perfect face in the mud,” Ron said truthfully.

“Um, thanks.”

«««

Later on, when dinner was over, Justine told the others that she promised Malfoy she’d meet him again. And they made her promise to be careful and think about what she’s getting herself into.

Justine walked through the torch lit halls of Hogwarts. It only took her three hallways to get to the green houses, but she still found that she was later than usual. When she walked through the door, an arm pulled her to the side and a mouth immediately seized hers.

Not thinking, Justine had tried to hit the person that grabbed her. “Hey! Its me,” he said almost laughing.

“Oh, sorry. I’m just…not in the mood.” She said turning away.

Draco moved behind her and kissed her neck as his arms wrapped around her waist. “Where were you after the game? I expected to see you.”

“I went with Harry and the others to the common room.”

“Oh.”

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Justine said, “They know, Draco.”

His head lifted away from her’s. “About you sneaking away all the time?”

“Yes.”

He let her go. “What did they tell you?”

“To be careful. They told me about your history with girls.”

“So, you think you’ll just fall into the history books along with them, am I right?”

“No, I didn’t say that. I’m just telling you what they told me.”

“And do you believe them?” There was a hint of fear in his voice.

Justine bit her lip. His eyes were almost burning right through her. “No.” She put her arms on his and he tried to look away. “I like you too much, Draco. I’m not letting them influence me on you, or visa-versa, ok?”

He playfully turned his head farther away. “Draco,” she laughed and hugged him. She already knew that she was seeing a side of him that no one else has ever seen.