'Ello, you! Thanks for reading my Draco fanfiction. Here's the second chapter. Please, please, PLEASE review! Or critique, or compliment...Anything is good! Enjoy! :3
Draco sprinted back to Snape's office. He banged on the door and demanded to be let in.
The door slowly opened to Snape's scrutinizing glare. "Took you long enough. What do you think of her? Sense anything?"
"Sense...?"
"Is there anything magically weird about her! Boy, you're not in Hogwarts to sit on your bum and learn nothing. Go! Speak!"
"Well," Draco shifted uncomfortably, "she bruises and burns from being touched, and she can't speak. But I learned that from being with her, not 'sensing' anything."
"Stupid boy. Can't you tell that she's been cursed? The amount of them she's acquired is quite impressive, other than the fact that now she can't do anything by herself to get rid of the things!" Snape waved his hands as emphasis.
"But, how'd she get so many curses attached to her?"
"If that information was available, don't you think I'd have fixed the problem already?"
"Can't you just use legilimency? I've heard that you are a Legilimens."
"I would have, if someone had not taught the girl a wordless occlumency. The git wants no one invading her brain, for any purpose," Snape shook his head. "At any rate, the girl needs to be watched. I don't think she would purposely harm anyone or anything around her, but with about seven curses on her we can't risk letting her have free run of the campus. Anyhow, since you are prefect, I'm ordering you to keep an eye on her. Miss Parkinson doesn't have the...patience for such objectives. It is not your job to get involved with any altercations between her and the other students unless they involve her curses. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," Draco nodded. "But please, what is the next plan of action? You know she's going to go through #!*% , being neighbors with Daphne. It doesn't take much to make her get her claws out. Or, in her case, wand out."
"I'm sure Leslia will deal with it whichever way she deems best."
"And how is that?" Draco argued. "She can't talk, she can't protect herself against spells. She can't hide, since she doesn't know the layouts of Hogwarts."
Snape gave him a pitying look. "You don't need to worry about her. Pretend she's not there, if it helps. I'll be working on removing her curses for the next few months, as there is not much else peaking my interest at this time."
"I thought Dumbledore was the best at removing curses?" Draco jumped as Snape's fist pounded a workbench, making the items on the bench shake.
"Insolent boy, Dumbledore needs not to be bothered with a simple matter as this. I can handle it, assuming you don't go making a scene. She shan't be here for long," he snapped. "If you see evidence of the other curses, you take that information to me, immediately. Understand?"
Draco slowly nodded and turned to leave, but Snape grabbed his shoulder. "Do not get involved. She's merely another girl. Treat her as such. I won't have the Malfoy family breathing down her neck. You or Lucius." He shoved Draco, making him stumble out the door as he slammed it behind him.
He rubbed his shoulder, which was imprinted with fingerprint shaped marks from Snape's hard grip. "As if I'd want to be involved any more than I have to with a half-wit git like that, who's stupid enough to collect so many harsh curses."
Leslia sank down on her bed the moment after Draco left. What had she been thinking, letting that mysterious man bring her to Hogwarts? Especially now is a bad time. She felt the urge to make a makeshift rope out of her bedsheets and climb out of the window to...to what? To another place where she is a stranger? Right. Smart idea, Leslia. She shook her head. Glancing at her disheveled appearence in the mirror, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to undo the snarls. No such luck.
"If only I had my brush. Not my clothes, I don't care about that so much. I just want my brush. A brush," she thought unhappily. She spun around to the sound of many doors clattering open in the halls. She peeked her head out. Hearing mumblings about food, she made the decision to forgo a meal to try to get her bearings on her new lodgings. When the hall was clear, she slipped through her door and into the ornate hallway. Draco's words of caution rang in her head, telling her to not be dumb and wait for someone to give her directions or something.
She started moving in a slow jog, her eyes watchful for any movement. For the next hour or so, she wandered the grounds. She would be told later that she was lucky to not have run into Filtch, but for now, she did not know of him. Her mind wandered to Draco Malfoy, the strange boy, the one person she has had contact with who doesn't give her the mild creeps. Not that she thought Mr. Snape was a bad person, only...he was slightly cold, and gave off an offended air.
During her escapade, she found the first floor girls bathroom and met Myrtle, whom moaned so loud Leslia quickly left to explore somewhere more quiet. Hearing cheers and laughter near by, she passed the great hall and peeked in.
Smiling forlornly at the fun to be had inside, she jumped out of her skin to footsteps behind her. She took off running, not bothering to see who the footsteps belonged to. She ran blindly, hearing the footsteps give chase. There were at least two, maybe three sets of footsteps not counting her own. Her only possible sanctuary was her room, except she had made so many random turns in her desparate attempts to get away that she was lost. She stopped short as she ran into a dead end. She turned around to see a brown haired, spiteful faced girl and a blonde haired, sneering girl rounding the corner. Leslia backpedaled until she could feel the solid wall of bricks behind her scrape her back.
"Look what we caught, Daphne! A little spy," the brunette spat. "What did you think you were doing wearing Slytherin clothing, brat?" She reached out to snag the front of Leslia's robe with her fist, but Leslia dodged her grip. The brunette narrowed her eyes and grabbed for her again, but missed a second time.
Daphne sneered at Leslia. "She can't be much of a spy, she can't even make herself presentable. That would have been a better disguise."
Leslia glowered at Daphne, which made her laugh. "Look, Pansy! The little baby can't even talk! Should we make her squeal like the pig she is?" The two mean-spirited girls both reached for Leslia who ducked, prepared to bruise or burn.
"What's going on, here?" Draco appeared behind Pansy and Daphne, making all three girls jump. Leslia looked up to see the sign for the boy's bathroom swinging above. "Pansy, what's going on?"
"We caught a spy lurking outside the great hall!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung like a leech. Draco pushed her away, eyeing Leslia.
"I thought I told you to stay put. This is exactly why. Girls, this is no spy, she's our newest Slytherin. You should be welcoming her, not terrorizing her."
Pansy and Daphne eyed her with distain. Daphne turned on her heel, but not before muttering some bad name under her breath.
Pansy stayed put until Draco detached her arms from his neck and told her to go eat. As soon as she was out of sight, he turned to Leslia.
"What were you thinking? What would you have done if they'd grabbed you? They're not as...as understanding as I am. It's not like you can say anything to defend yourself! I told you to stay in your room! If you'd asked, I could have shown you around with fewer questions asked. Pansy and Daphne couldn't have said anything then, 'little spy'."
Leslia stuck out her lip in a stuborn pout and crossed her arms as emphisis of her ability, or lack of, to follow directions. Draco sighed and gestured for her to follow him.
"Come. Do you want to go eat, or go to your room?" He paused. "Hold up one finger for food, two for room."
Leslia considered her options for a moment, and held up two fingers. She didn't want to face others, quite yet.
"Will you actually stay there this time?" He asked gingerly. She grinned up at him cheekily. He sighed. "If I promise to show you to the great hall when it comes time for breakfast?"
She nodded slowly. After all, he did rescue her. Sort of.
"One more thing. Try not to get on the bad side of Pansy? She and her gang are more than happy to have a new person to bother. Okay?" He turned and began walking away, forcing Leslia to run to catch up with his long strides. It couldn't hurt to listen to his logic. At least, not this time. She was glad of the lock on her door, although she was unsure if the lock was useful against magic users. She would bear it. Whatever got thrown at her, she could take. She would take. After all, it's not like other wizards and witches haven't taken it upon themselves to make her life misery before. Now, she had the strength to win.
And, Draco was rather nice to look at.
Something to enjoy, at least.