[5:45 P.M.]

Bellatrix hid among the labyrinth of bookshelves from her Head of House (or at least, she hoped she was hidden) and sitting at the same table where she and Peyton had discussed their CoMC egg project. It was sort of their own private table where it was well out of range from eavesdroppers. She had slipped him a note in Transfiguration class that morning that was very simple.

Meet me at our table in the library during study break.
 - Bellatrix

The scheme had come to her only the night before when she lay awake in bed after tedious hours spent pouring over her notes for the up-coming O.W.L. exams. What a brilliant plot it was, too, and she only hoped that it would work. It had, of course, required some work and since it was a last-minute conspiracy, Bellatrix had become more than a little frustrated at getting it all organized. The first thing she had done that morning was sent a letter to her mother for certain accessories that were in a trunk at home. Her dress and boots were already at Hogwarts and she felt the effect to others may be worn out since she'd already used the for Ketteridge's masquerade, but Xavier had never seen it; the boots she had worn to the Halloween ball. She only hoped that her mother would oblige to send her the necklace and earrings. Secondly, she had to find the right cosmetics and she spent almost her entire lunch digging around in her trunk for certain make-up items. The hair had to be perfect, but she already knew who to go to for that: Beatrix or Kitty Li. Then again, she could do it herself. Something elegant and yet also intricate would work perfectly, but Bellatrix wasn't entirely sure how complicated she could weave her hair by herself.

The third and final requirement was a date. After all, Bellatrix couldn't go to the dance without one. It had to be arm candy, someone that would make Xavier furious. It also had to be someone that she could have fun with and the only person that came to her mind was, of course, her egg project partner: Peyton Wentworth. If everything worked out the way she hoped, Xavier would be sore at himself for letting her go. She didn't necessarily expect nor hope for him to come running back to her, but the realization that she wasn't fazed by their break-up would (she prayed) taste pretty darn sour in his mouth. Bellatrix Dark always got revenge one way or another.

So, her plan was set forth that very morning and now she was waiting for Peyton to arrive. Every few minutes, she would get up, pretending to be looking up something important in a book on the shelves surrounding their table, and then sit back down again. She was anxious about this plan. What if he said no? It wouldn't entirely ruin her plans, but it would be a major set-back.

'You shouldn't be asking him for that reason,' her conscience reasoned. 'Be sincere about going with him. Why do you have to make it all about Xavier?'

"Shut up," she muttered in quiet, harsh tones to herself. "I-I want to have a good time. I want to be sure I go with the one person that..."

Again, Bellatrix fell into her own thoughts that had been keeping her company for the past month. Since Xavier's return, she had been unable to face him--and herself. She hadn't enjoyed anything and kept going with the most logical excuse of trying to prepare for O.W.L. exams. The truth was that studying for the exams and staying away from everyone actually kept her temper at bay and as stressful as it was to try and remember everything, she had to admit that she was less prone to jinxing, psychotic episodes, and--best of all--thinking about Xavier. If only Peyton would hurry up. Again, out of nervous habit, Bellatrix loosened her tie before undoing it completely while she paced back and forth around the table.

Peyton was excited and relieved to have received the letter from Bella asking to meet her at their table in the library. He had been really worried about her lately. He hadn't spent much time with her their first four years of school but after having been partnered together during the Care of Magical creatures egg project they had gotten rather close, or at least Peyton had thought so. Coming back to school Bella had been distant and then he had heard about the break up. He hated what his brother had done to her and wanted nothing more than to comfort the girl. Now he was finally getting his chance. She had sought him out and Peyton was going to do everything he could to help her out.

He entered the library with his book bag slung over his shoulder. He didn't want to come in empty handed. It was always good to look as though he was studying. He didn't think Mr Morgan would appreciate him coming in to have a covert meeting with a girl, hidden in the stacks at the back of the library. The Head of Slytherin would likely think the worst of him. The thought made him scoff and Myrtle's words ran through his head - Ooooh, so you fancy the blondies & brunettes with their devilishly handsome smiles? In a way he wanted to prove her wrong but he knew there was truth in those words.

Peyton rounded the corner and smiled at the blue haired Slytherin, "Hey Bella, how you doing?" He threw his bag onto the table and slipped into the chair next to her giving the girl a friendly warm smile.

He was here! She could hear him coming and it was only a few seconds before he rounded the corner and dropped into the seat next to her. It was a common routine with the two of them and she was glad that rumors about her and Peyton hadn't started up yet; this was supposed to be a complete surprise to the school. After all, the rumors about him were... She shifted nervously in her seat in order to trek her mind away from those thoughts. Bellatrix had a purpose for meeting him.

"I'm fine." Lie. "Listen, P-Peyton," it was unusual for her to use anyone's first name, "I was wondering... Look, I've heard some funny stories going on about you and I..."

Harshly muttering "Ridiculous" to herself, the Slytherin girl jumped out of her seat and began to pace back and forth again. She couldn't sit down. Everything was going to go awry if she didn't learn to keep her mouth shut! Plus, she was anxious. The only person she'd ever asked to a ball had been Erin and that hadn't turned out well at all. Besides, look at how he had come out of that predicament... Her blue eyes, encircled by dark rings from lack of sleep and hours of crying, shifted uneasily to the sight of Peyton. He was a Quidditch player for crying out loud and hadn't he proven that he was a nice enough guy already? That was what bugged her so much: he was an innocent. How could Bellatrix bring herself to use him the way she wanted to? But to see his face when she walked into the ball with Peyton...

Abruptly, Bellatrix stopped her pacing and turned to face him. She watched his reactions carefully before relaxing her scrutinizing gaze and favoring him with a more understanding one. They were both the victims of strange rumors, weren't they?

"I don't care what they say about you. People have said enough about me. I think it's time we proved them wrong. Peyton," she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, "will you go to the Valentine's ball with me? I-if you don't have anyone else to go with, that is?"

Peyton's attention piqued the instant she called him by his first name. He didn't think Bella had ever called him Peyton before. He couldn't help but think that something was really wrong with her, something beyond just a bad break up  but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. He had always been horrible at reading girls, he just never understood them and Bella wasn't exactly the easiest of girls to understand.

His cool grey blue eyes widened when she mentioned stories going around about the two of them. He hadn't heard any but that didn't mean they weren't being spread around. That would be something though. He liked to think that they were close but rumors of them together in the sea of rumors about him and Sasha or just him in general. Perhaps she hadn't meant it that way, maybe he was just misunderstanding her again.

He moved to stand when she suddenly shot up and started to pace. There was definitely something bothering her and it was obvious by the look on her face and the dark circles under her eyes that she was losing sleep over whatever it was. His cheeks went scarlet when she said she didn't care what people said about him. Once again Myrtle's words rang through his ears and he thought about the whispers he had heard in the halls about him. Could it really be possible that the buff Quidditch star was gay?

He sputtered when she asked him out. He flopped back into his chair and stared at her for a moment. Going to the ball with Bellatrix Dark, well that was just . . . that was just brilliant! Even if he wasn't interested in her that way if everyone else saw him on the arm of a pretty girl the rumours would stop and he could go back to admiring his fellow quidditch players in peace. He scratched at the back of his neck and smiled, "yea, alright. Let's do it. Let's prove them wrong. Let's go to the dance together."

He was blushing. Of course he was blushing! How many girls asked him out? She tried to scrap that thought; no girls were going to ask him out as long as they thought he was swinging it the other way. Like she had just said, she didn't care what they said about him (and she honestly didn't) because he was a good guy, a Quidditch guy, a guy that Xavier loathed.

"yea, alright. Let's do it. Let's prove them wrong. Let's go to the dance together."

"Brilliant!"

In a single sweeping motion, Bellatrix returned to where she was sitting, swept her own bag off the floor near her chair, and slung it over her shoulder. She was in a hurry to make sure everything was perfect before the ball tomorrow, but in her haste, she almost forgot the time and date. Half-stepping around the corner, she leaned backwards into view and gave him a cheerful smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 7:45 outside the ball tent."

It wasn't a request or a question, it was simply the way it would be. With her final word, Bellatrix rushed off through the library to place the last pieces of her conspiracy puzzle into place. There would be no messing this up for her!