Just Had To

Rigel Black had a problem. A big problem. And she had no idea what to do. It didn't help that her two best friends found it hilarious either.

That morning she had been informed by Parvati Patil that Lilith Moon fancied herself in love with her. Now, for a regular bloke, which is what she was supposed to be, this would be great news! After all, Lilith had pretty blond hair, sparkling hazel eyes, and a decent figure. However, she wasn't a bloke, she was a girl pretending to be a bloke. And she already knew she didn't swing that way.

Of course, it wasn't Lilith's fault. Even her best mates hadn't known she was a girl until about a month ago. And only then because Draco had walked into the bathroom and seen her figure through the shower curtain. It was embarrassing to say the least.

Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy were two brilliant mates, always there for her, even when her potions obsession got out of hand. But they had seriously wacked up senses of humor. Draco, once he heard, burst into laughter, which rarely happened outside the common room(but was a common occurrence within), and because Rigel had told him the moment she got back to the common room, he felt safe enough to do so.

Pansy, however, had truly betrayed Rigel. She rarely laughed, even at the funniest of things, but this time, she gave a startled gasp, mixed with a choking noise, and started laughing. Which of course drew the attention of the entire common room, because when Pansy laughs, you know something is hilarious.

So that's how Rigel Black, whose real name was Harriet Potter, found herself being stared at along with her two comrades-in-arms. She'd rather die.

"What's so funny, Pans?" asked Aldon Rosier, one of Pansy's closest friends, and Rigel's associates.

Pansy was still gasping, much to the shock of everyone there, so she pointed to Draco, who was finally calming down.

"Well?" said Rookwood, closest friend of Rosier, "What is it?"

Draco took a deep breath and said, "Someone fancies Rigel."

The effect was instantaneous. The entire common rooms eyes focused on Rigel, who had a slightly betrayed look on her still horror-stricken face. And slowly, one by one, every person in the room burst out laughing. Of course, Rigel Black was well known for her distaste of anything romantic, so the entire house found it hilarious. Rigel groaned. And of course, everyone laughed harder. Finally Blaise Zabini decided Rigel needed a snide remark.

"Of course there will be a nasty break-up. Rigel, shall I give my regards to your cauldron?" Rigel sighed. Blaise had a talent for making the most innocent things sound wrong. Ok, maybe she had a potions obsession, but was that any cause to mock a poor girl and fellow housemate?

"Oh yes," she replied, "But I might have thought you had forgotten to breathe, much less speak with how involved you and Abbott are." She got a few chuckles for that, but not many. Blaise dating a Hufflepuff was a sore point for many in the house.

And of course she could count on Theo to ask the ever-so-important question which would seal her humiliation. "Who's the bird? Or bloke, I suppose?"

Rigel groaned as Draco grinned and said, "Oh, she is a fine-looking bird, of course. She is roughly 5'6", so even shorter than Rigel here," there he stopped and smirked at her while she glowered. Her height, while perfectly fine for a female, was short for a guy. "Then she has lovely curly locks, and shining hazel eyes, and the poor girl, who will never be loved is: Lilith Moon!"

The whole common room froze for a breath, before all the girls shrieked "WHAT!?" and all the blokes said "What's the problem?"

Rigel stood up and left the room, knowing that Draco-with Pansy's discreet help- would soon be teasing her about her lack of interest in anything but potions, and was probably already mocking her. She sighed, and hopped onto her bed (Still fully clothed, of course) and fell asleep.

The next few days were torturous. All Rigel's male year-mates had found out eventually, and all were asking what her problem was. She wanted to yell back that her problem was she didn't swing that way, but everyone thought she was a bloke, so she'd be spreading it around that Archie (whose place it was she had taken at Hogwarts) was gay, and he most certainly was not. No, her cousin would NEVER forgive her for that.

Eventually, even a few girls began to wonder why Rigel never showed romantic interest in anyone. She wanted to reply that she was only 14, because it was the truth, but it hardly seemed to matter to most blokes. They hit 13 and began liking girls. Not her. Of course, she didn't like blokes either. She imagined that the comments that she was too devoted to potions probably had some truth to them.

Draco POV:

When he had found out his best mate was a girl and not a bloke like he'd always thought, he got over it fairly quickly. After she had explained the potion she took, he felt better for missing it. However, he couldn't forget the silhouette of her, and he sometimes found his gaze drifting to her chest, wondering how tightly she had to bind her chest.

Now, he wasn't perv, but he had to admit, Rigel was attractive. Even as a "male" he was attractive. So he could understand why the Moon girl had a crush. But he knew Rigel would have reacted the same way even if she was free to be herself and it was a bloke. Because frankly, Rigel was one of the only people he knew who had never had a romantic thought in her life. And he thought that she might never. Rigel truly had a talent for obsession.

Of course, he was still a little stung she hadn't told them until she was caught outright, but suddenly with the name Potter, so much more made sense: Her potions prowess, her clumsy manners the first few weeks of first year, the fact that she was so powerful….he had to wonder why he didn't see it before.

But the past few days, Draco had been feeling testy. The idea of somebody liking his best mate was irritating, because quite frankly, that she could never return the favor made him feel a strange ache of sympathy for the poor girl. And he hated feeling sympathetic. Malfoys never were.

No, the only thing he could do was find a way to help Rigel. And he knew exactly what to do.

No One POV

Exactly one week after the entire 4th year discovered Lilith Moon's crush, Draco Malfoy and Rigel Black walked into the hall together discussing something furiously. As per usual, talk quieted when they entered the hall, and people strained their ears to see if they were talking about Lilith. However what they heard was totally unexpected.

"So it's official then. All the documents signed?"

"Yes," Rigel sighed. "It's weird though. It's like being engaged to my sister. With the new SOW laws, though, I have to protect her. Luckily for Harry, there is a clause that says we're allowed to date, which is good because I know she's in love with somebody, but I'd just feel weird to be dating and engaged, even if it's allowed. You understand, right?"

Now, every Slytherin in the room could hear the ploy. A few people from other houses could to. Rigel was never that open about anything. However, it worked on the intended subject, as Lilith Moon stood up, walked over to Rigel, kissed her full on the mouth and walked away, calling out, "Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. Good luck with the single life, I understand." And Rigel stood there stupefied until Draco helped her sit down. Luckily the problem was solved. Unluckily, a few girls were now eyeing him up like they were planning on doing the same thing. Rigel prayed that she could avoid those girls who wanted to pull a moon. Thank god she had Draco and Pansy.