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A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I hope you like this. Sorry it's taken me so long on updates. Still working on others. See you at the bottom!

A Tale of a Greengrass

"Astoria stop pacing!" Betsy insisted, pulling at the sleeve of my robes.

I shook her off and resumed pacing.

"It's not that bad, you only have detention for an hour with Professor Hagrid."

"Not bad?!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in the air. "Betsy, I'm a first year Hufflepuff. Do you realize how many first year Hufflepuffs get detention?"

"None," she mumbled. "Ever."

"Correct! And my darn sister has never had one detention in her life," I told her.

"You aren't like your sister remember?" she reminded me.

"I know, but still. My parents already consider her the perfect child. Me? I'm that awful Hufflepuff daughter of theirs."

We sat in the back of the library. Well, I was pacing and Betsy sat with her Charms book open. We were about two months into school and I had got myself a detention. All of the Hufflepuffs couldn't believe it. They started thinking that maybe Slytherin, or any other house for that matter, may have suited me better. Especially that horrid third year, Zacharias Smith. He seemed to never let me forget it.

"You stepped on a rude boys' foot. I would have done the same," she admitted, maybe trying to comfort me.

I pulled out the chair across from her and started playing with the end of my braided hair. The memory over washed me.

*Flashback*

Potions had just ended and I was on my way out of the dungeons. The school was still so big and new to me that I got lost easily. On his way to his common room (yes I knew the Slytherin house was in the dungeons) was mister Slytherin himself. I was surprised his gang wasn't all over him.

"Malfoy," I said politely. "How's the arm?"

A week ago that Hippogriff named Buckbeak had hit him to the ground. He claimed he 'almost lost it'. That had immediately turned me off to him. He was an attention seeking little prat.

"It still hurts," he told me, with a sober expression. He looked down at his feet sadly.

"Cut it with the trash Malfoy. We all know you didn't get as hurt as you claim," I said with a dark look on my face.

His jaw tightened. "How do you know you stupid little Hufflepuff?" he sneered.

"Who's the one talking Malfoy?" I quickly replied. Then I picked up my foot and stepped as hard as I could on his foot.

Malfoy flinched but did not show if it hurt or not.

"Explain yourself Miss Greengrass?" I heard an familiar voice behind me.

I turned around and came face to face with Professor McGonagall. She looked very displeased with me. I actually felt ashamed for what I had did and maybe even a little bit embarrassed.

"Professor, I---" I began.

"I'm sorry to say but you will be given a detention for the action you just did," she explained to me.

I turned around and looking at Malfoy. He stood there smirking.

"You too Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said. "I saw you provoking her," came her long drawn out reply. "You two will be working with Professor Hagrid in the Dark Forest this Friday night." Then she walked past us.

"Nice going Greengrass. I knew you were no good," and he pushed past to continue to the Slytherin common room.

Friday was going to be one of the worst experience ever, I thought to myself miserably. I arrived to Herbology late and was docked two points.

*End of Flashback*

I stood in the entrance hall waiting for Argus Filch to show Draco and I where to go. I was surprised that Dumbledore was still allowing us to have detentions outside, seeing as the dementors were out there at the moment.

It had been ten minutes and still no show on Filch. From the stair well to the dungeons I saw the pale blond emerge.

"I was told to lead us to Hagrid's Hut," he said bitterly.

"I'd rather not go with you you know," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Besides, there are gosh knows how many dementors."

"Suck it up and follow me Greengrass. Dementors aren't that bad."

"Maybe because you're related to them," I muttered under my breath.

"You know, I'm not missing this detention because I just made the Quidditch team. I'll be forced to quit by Flint. He already despises me enough. He got his broom my father paid for. Why not kick me off and find and older and better player?" he said.

"Malfoy, why are you telling me all of this?" I asked him.

"Just forget it alright. Now let's go." He took hold of my hand and started leading me out of the school.

His hand was freezing cold along with the coldness outside. I prayed that we would not meet any dementors on our way to Hagrid's.

We were lucky, no dementors. When Malfoy and I reached the front door of Hagrid's, he made me knock.

"There yeh' two ar'," he said to us. "Bin' waitn' hours."

He handed us each a basket and instructed us to pick the blooming moon gardenias.

"Wer' jus' goin' to serch aroun' in there til' we com' across em'. Shoun' be too hard. Werevr' the moon's shinin'," he said, grabbing a basket for himself.

His huge dog named Fang, I think, followed him out. We headed toward the forest.

"God this place brings back horrible memories," Draco whispered to me. His hand was back in mine.

"You know you don't have to continue holding my hand Malfoy," I said.

"No way Greengrass. If you can't stand me holding it then I just continue. Payback for landing me in this detention." He squeezed my hand tighter and I tried to pull away. "Nice try Hufflepuff," Malfoy smirked at me.

The forest was dark and swampy. It was hard to keep up with Malfoy's long strides. We were also following Hagrid who was half giant so that was even harder.

"Yeh two are goin' this way. I'll go thet' way," he said, pointing the the directions of which we were to go.

"Okay, thanks. Let's go you baby," I said, tugging at Malfoy's arm.

"Baby?" he muttered. Once we were a good ways away from Hagrid, Malfoy stopped us and said, "Listen Greengrass there are a lot of creepy things in here. I had detention like this in my first year and well, I saw the Dark Lord," he said in a low whisper.

I stiffened immediately. "Really?" I asked.

"I swear."

We walked in silence for the rest of the walk. Our hands tightened.

"Looks like those are the flowers," I said to him, pointing in front of us. "They're glowing. Might as well get to work."

We started picking the gardenias and placing them in the baskets.

"Malfoy," I said. "I think there is another bush ahead. I'm going to look. I'll be right back." I took my basket and marched forward before he could protest.

Maybe I was wrong. The temperature felt like it dropped about ten degrees. I looked up at the sky. I saw something glowing in the distance. Slowly, I went to see if it was the plant I was looking for. It turned out to be another type of plant. This one was glowing red and looked like a rose. I bent down to pick it.

My hand touched it and suddenly broke out in a purple color. I screamed and threw it. The purple was spreading up my arm. I screamed again. When it reached my shoulder I felt extremely dizzy and my consciousness was slowly fading. My vision blurred as I saw a figure running in my direction as I past out.

I woke up in the hospital wing and knew it was the hospital wing. My arm was bandaged and my leg was too. Betsy was bent over me.

"Tori! Thank Merlin," she exclaimed hugging me fiercely.

"Bets, what happened?" I asked.

"All I know is that Draco Malfoy saved your life. He brought you up to the castle all by himself and he's stopped by everyday so far," she said to me. "I'm going to tell Madam Pomfrey your alright." She stood up and ran to the nurses office.

I sighed and laid back. Then my rescuer himself entered.

"Astoria! You're alive," he said brightly.

"Yes Malfoy," I said referring to him by his surname. "See you have the sling off," I remarked.

"I see your attitude is still there," he said with a frown. He walked over and sat on my bed.

"Thanks for rescuing me," I finally said. "I wouldn't be here unless you had saved me."

"You're welcome, you ungrateful Hufflepuff."

"I just admitted I was grateful you prat," I exclaimed angrily. "Stop trying to tick me off more than I am now."

He laughed. "I know. See you around then Greengrass." He stood up and left.

I came to the conclusion I was never going to understand Draco Malfoy.

Betsy came back with Madam Pomfrey, who said I could leave after examining me over. I had to use a stupid crutch because of my awful limp. She said it would take weeks for the poison to fully leave. I would have to stop by everyday to take an antidote potion as well.

Back in the common room, I was pestered by kids about what happened to me. I simply replied I was hurt, but gave no other information, and the kids didn't seem to go on about it. Except that annoying Zacharias, who I smacked with my crutch, after he asked for the fiftieth time.

Apparently I had been out for a week so I had a lot of homework to catch up on. Hagrid felt so guilty that he sent me a rock cake, which I had a awful time eating.

In three weeks time, the crutch was gone and I was able to use my leg again. Malfoy would give me a smirk every once in a while in the hall, but not that often.

Things went back to normal.

By the end of my first year I felt like Hogwarts was a home. Nothing big happened in the months following my accident. Besides Harry Potter and dementors, my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher being a werewolf, and Sirius Black escaping

I was sad to say farewell to Betsy that day of our departure. We both stood on platform 9 ¾ together.

"Promise you'll owl me this summer?" I asked her.

"Of course Astoria. I wouldn't forget if it was the last thing I did."

"I'll miss you," I said, hugging her tightly.

"As will I. We'll have to meet up this summer," she said.

"Definitely," I laughed.

"Ready to go Bets?" I heard Taylor ask her.

She nodded in reply.

With one final hug, she left. I watched her disappear through the barrier. I sighed and went to find Daphne. When I spun around, I ran into someone.

"Malfoy?" I asked.

"You'll see her soon," he told me.

"Yeah, I know that." I walked around him and then stopped. Was Malfoy just trying to be comforting?

"Thanks for the confidence Draco!" I called to him.

He waved, smirking at me.

I found my mother and sister. We walked in silence out of the barrier and into downtown London.

"I hope your school years went well girls," my mother said. "Time for a break though right?"

"Right," I muttered to myself, but a smile was on my face. I couldn't wait until next year.

A/N: I hope you liked this update. Please review!