A/N: Well, this has taken me pains and tears and blood to write. If you have been keeping up with other of my works (mainly Timewalker) you'll know what happened. If not, I feel obliged to tell you: I've been having a horrible writer's block of ridiculous length.

I hope you can still enjoy the story even after all this time. Apologies.

Book of the Facts

Chapter 15. Force Your Way

"There are moments when one has to choose between living one's own life, fully, entirely, completely - or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world in its hypocrisy demands."- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

Eyeing the white glove that was lying on her bed innocently Jaquelle sighed tiredly and rubbed her forehead gently. She had a massive headache and it just wouldn't go away and leave her alone, besides her lightning-shaped scar itched and was driving her to madness.

The fact that Draco was still hesitant to approach her or talk to her at all nagged at the back of her mind, which only made her brain hurt even more. She didn't understand why the Malfoy heir had been avoiding her like she was the plague in human form, or why Parkinson sent her some strange glances that she could not stand somehow.

Duelling was something she had never done before, and while she knew some hexes she wasn't confident that it would all end well at all. First of all, maybe Weasley was being too Slytherin for his own good and had actually planted some kind of trap for her to fall into. Second, the duel was past curfew and in the third floor.

The one they were forbidden to go to.

Casualty wasn't something she believed in, it was inevitable that they would get in some kind of mess that they wouldn't be able to get out of easily. While Albus did favour her somehow (she was not blind) Jaquelle wasn't entirely sure that she could weasel out of this issue.

She snorted quietly at her choice of words and snatched her wand from her nightstand and pocketed it swiftly. While patting her robes to erase non-existent wrinkles she blinked. No, Weasley was too much of a brave and hard-headed Gryffindor to actually set some kind of trap. But then again Fred and George were worryingly cunning.

The Girl-Who-Lived was troubled. The animagus training was going… poorly. She could only get flashes of ebon fur and cat eyes but she couldn't go past the first stage. Not knowing which animal she was effectively blocked any progress she could have made. The twins kept encouraging her and giving her tips, but the process was agonizingly slow and it mildly irritated her.

Her mind wandered to the outing the Dursleys and her had gone to at Dudley's birthday. His best friend Piers Polkiss had irritatingly tried to get her to kiss him while the Dursleys watched unbelievingly at the boy. Dudley had merely shrugged and decided that he wanted to go to the ice-cream parlour of the zoo.

After a while of roaming around they had arrived to the reptilian part of the zoo, which fascinated Jaquelle. Cold-blooded beings had always piqued her interest without any reason at all. She had watched as Dudley declared that he was bored because the snakes weren't moving for him.

She had also silently watched as Uncle Vernon had rapped his knuckles against the glass. The snake didn't move and Dudley pouted in ire, afterwards he had moaned that the whole thing was boring and waddled away.

She had also watched as the snake winked at her, which tore a little smile from the petite girl, and proceeded to have a silent conversation. With a snake. Which had seemed very weird and pretty awkward at the time because she didn't even know that she was magical.

Of course Dudley noticed that the snake, a Boa Constrictor read the plate, was looking at Jaquelle's eyes and came rushing back to his cousin's side. He had patted her tiny shoulder and gushed at how the snake was moving her head back and forth. The green-eyed girl had nodded at him and strangely noticed that he had been quite careful not to put too much force in those pats.

That was when the tiny witch had felt a hand on her behind. She had hissed something intelligible and whirled around to face the narrow face of the Polkiss boy. She had glared at him and yelped when he pushed her down to the ground. Dudley had pushed the boy out of the way and that was when they noticed that the glass keeping the boa constrictor in was no more.

Piers had screeched and bolted, running for safety. Dudley merely stared at the snake as it slithered towards the two of them. Jaquelle's hand squeezed her cousin's chubby one in reassurance when the boy looked at her in panic. He understood the warning not to move and watched as the snake came closer.

The snake had bowed to the petite witch and hissed something akin to 'gracias, amiga, I hope we see each other again' and left, slithering down the corridor of the reptilian zone of the zoo. Dudley was still clutching her hand in a vice grip when her relatives had come rushing towards them, Piers Polkiss in tow, and screamed at her for doing whatever freakish deed she had done and dragged her towards the car.

This time Dudley was sitting in the middle so that Piers wouldn't molest her again. She sent a grateful glance at her cousin and proceeded to make herself as tiny and invisible as was possible at the moment. Ignoring Uncle Vernon's glares through the car mirror was hard.

Her mind returned to the present and she let out a shaky breath.

In her troubled state of mind she realized that she did miss Dudley terribly. His hand patting her hair when one of the bad beatings happened had always soothed her to sleep. Even if the morning after she had to wake really early so that she wouldn't get caught while going back to her cupboard under the stairs.

When the bad ones happened Dudley carried her all the way to his room and tended to her as well as he could, for he was just a boy. Sometimes even Aunt Petunia would take some kind of pity with pursed lips and handed her a first aid kit and a square of sweet milk chocolate.

She sighed and walked out of the girl dormitories into the Common Room. Casting a quick Tempus her lips twitched. Half past eleven, it was time to go. Hopefully no Prefects would be on patrol down in the dungeons and even if they were found out by a Slytherin one the consequences wouldn't be as severe.

Blaise was startled out of his silent reverie when Jaquelle touched his forearm lightly. He frowned. He hadn't heard her come up to him. The dark-skinned boy shrugged inwardly and gave the short girl a reassuring smile. She did not return it.

They stepped out of the Snake Pit, as other students called the Slytherin dormitories, with their dark cloaks flowing gently behind them. The Zabini heir stole a look at the petite witch and frowned. He had offered to be her second, in case something went awry.

Magically speaking Weasley was weaker than the dark-haired first year. Still, Blaise worried after her. Not only because of the duel but also for her feelings. The tension between her and Draco was worrisome. Theo wasn't helping either and matters had become more awkward over the days.

He truly ought to tell her.

They stalked the halls silently and made it to the third floor, which was eerily quiet. The Headmaster's warning of a painful death tingled at the back of Blaise's mind but paid no attention to it. The two serpents were pressed against a wall, far from the lights that shone dimly in the corridor.

Suddenly someone passed before them briskly without taking any notice of them. Spotting the wild orange hair and the freckles on the distressed face the dark-skinned snake grabbed his arm. The Weasley whirled wand at the ready and deflated somewhat when he realized he was staring at the people he was supposed to meet.

"Merlin! Don't go scaring people like that, Zabini!" the boy exclaimed.

Jaquelle pressed her lips and hissed at him to be quiet. The Gryffindor gave a pathetic meep and stood there, shuffling uncomfortably as the two Slytherins made sure there was no one around.

Blaise frowned. "Who is your second, Weasley?"

They watched as the boy muttered something and averted his eyes in agitation. The snakes looked at each other. Neither of them had caught the freckled boy's words so they inquired again.

"No one wanted to." He replied, a flush creeping from neck to ears. And as amusing as it was to watch they were wasting time here so Jaquelle nodded and grasped her wand while waving at the Gryffindor boy.

Everyone froze as shuffling steps resonated trough the supposedly empty halls.

The two boys were startled when the tiny witch grasped their wrists and dragged them as silently as possible towards the Charms corridor in a hurry. They crept after her, wincing at the sounds of their steps and wondering how in the blasted hells did the girl walk so silently.

She opened a door to an unused classroom and pushed them in as gently as possible. Closing the wooden door behind her Jaquelle sighed. Of course Filch was going to be patrolling the third floor. How naïve had she been when she had agreed to the duel. She must have at least changed the location.

Jaquelle spared a glance at the two boys.

The Gryffindor looked scared out of his wits while Blaise leaned placidly against an old desk while watching her under dark lashes. This was the plain as day difference between the two Houses. The lions wore their feelings on their sleeves while the serpents crushed them with their boots.

It was not as if they were emotionless. Wary was the word.

She was wary of the world. Muggle word, wizarding world. It didn't matter to her. She had always been suspicious of people, untrusting, and she refused to open up her mind for anyone. Not even her fellow snakes here at Hogwarts. Slytherins understood. Never asked for anything they knew wasn't going to get given at them just because. Everything had a price. Even emotions.

Her emerald eyes locked with Blaise's dark ones and she tilted her head in silent question. He smiled. She frowned inwardly. His lips were curled upwards but his eyes were morose. She couldn't ask anything, for a Gryffindor was there with them and it wouldn't do any good to either of the snakes to go on and spill their feelings.

The petite witch turned sharply on her heels and opened the old door as quietly as was possible and poked her head out into the corridor. It would seem Filch had decided to go the other way, she hoped at least that that's what had happened. She stepped silently outside and beckoned the two boys forwards.

Walking through the Charms corridor suddenly the petite witch froze, which made the two boys backpedal and look at her in silent inquiry. She merely frowned and pressed one finger to her lips. They kept quiet and that's when Jaquelle heard the same sound again.

Pat. Pat pat.

No human walked making such sounds- her eyes widened. Norris! The blasted cat that Mr Filch was in love with. She grabbed the two boys and tried to open the next door but she found it was locked. The fair-skinned snake cursed under her breath and took out her wand swiftly.

"Alohomora!"

The door opened with a soft click and she grabbed the handle quickly, opening the door and pushing the other two in. Again. She let out a weary sigh and watched as Blaise used his wand to conjure some magic.

"I think Mrs Norris was following us. It's good that I heard her. Morgana help us if the cat had found us." Said Jaquelle.

Blaise arched an eyebrow in amusement and silent question. How in the nine hells had Jaquelle heard the cat walking? That should have been impossible. Human ears were not that-

"That was not I!" The ginger-haired lion sputtered in embarrassment at the two snakes that were looking at him in disbelief. He had eaten a lot at dinner so he wasn't even hungry! But then… where had that noise come from?

Jaquelle inhaled sharply at the three gargantuan dog heads that were looking at them. A Cerberus? In Howgarts? Why? How? The painful death warning was not a misleading one but still, seriously? She had thought it was a simple joke!

Ronald Weasley yelped and pressed himself against the wall. Jaquelle heard Blaise curse colourfully at her right but she was too entranced watching the humongous dog to actually reprimand him for his language.

Her mind whirled with possibilities but Blaise took the initiative, he grabbed Jaquelle and pushed her towards the door. While tumbling away she grabbed Weasley's cloak and flung him out of the room. Consequences with Mr Filch be damned.

She watched in slow motion as the Cerberus lunged forward, jaws open full with pointy and moist fangs. Blaise wouldn't make it. He wouldn't.

"Blaise!" She yelled, her voice trembling. She had to do something to help him! Unknowingly for her, her magic was whirling around her and searching for Blaise's. The dark-skinned boy's magic clutched onto her and pulled him backwards, making Blaise tackle the petite girl to the floor.

The door closed with a contempt snap and silence filled the corridor. Jaquelle concentrated on breathing for her mind and body were still panicking and Blaise's weight on her was doing nothing to help.

Blaise got up groggily and looked at his right where the ginger lion was sitting while gaping like a goldfish his face pale and ghostly. He turned to look at his fellow snake with a detached look on his face. The girl was paler than usual, which worried him, her eyes wide and petite hands trembling at her sides.

He pressed his lips and helped her up, while snapping at the Gryffindor boy to get out of his stupor and to move his arse. The boy scrambled to his feet awkwardly. Blaise ignored him and patted the girl's cheek to bring her back to reality.

She let out a shaky sigh and focused her green eyes on him. She muttered that she was fine twice but didn't let go of Blaise's sleeve. He tugged her softly forwards and looked at the Gryffindor, making sure he was following them.

They stalked the corridors and came up to the moving stairs. She gestured to the freckled boy and pushed him towards one set of stairs that went up, hopefully close to the Gryffindor tower.

"Um, Potter? About the duel… uh."

Jaquelle huffed silently and shook her head. "That won't matter anymore if Mr Filch catches us here past curfew. We're pushing our luck tonight Weasley. It's best if we talk tomorrow about this. This is not the place nor the time." She scolded him lightly.

He nodded and hurried up the stairs, tripping twice before the two snakes lost sight of him. Bloody Gryffindors. Blaise tugged her sleeve and pulled her with him towards the set of stairs that went down towards the belly of the castle.

She already missed the green glow of the Common Room. They shouldn't have accepted the duel under these circumstances.

Bloody Gryffindors indeed.

Thank you for waiting for this chapter. Hopefully you will have enjoyed it. Besides, I'm not abandoning this story unless I state otherwise.