Chapter four is here! So please, comment, give me the feedback, and let me know your opinions! I hope you enjoy! Thank you xXMizz Alec VolturiXx for your encouraging comments. You are pretty much the only one writing a review even though I know there are more of you out there reading this!
*Cheesy russian accent* Do not be shy, I do not bite! *End cheesy russian accent*
I do not own a single thing, everything but the characters I create belong to me, the rest is courtesy of J.K Rowling.
Chapter 4:
"Clara!" Adira moaned, banging her head against the coffee table in the Slytherin common room attracting looks from passing students. "I don't want to do this anymore."
"Oh please, you the girl who almost got sorted into Ravenclaw saying she can't handle a week's worth of homework?" Clara busily began writing a sentence down on her parchment of paper, her quill scratching loudly against it.
"No!" She cried, dropping the feathered quill in her hand to the floor, not bothering to pick it up as she pushed herself against the black leather couches leg. "This is ridiculous, if it weren't for you, I'd probably leave this for Sunday." Adira pulled her legs towards her chest, resting her chin on her knees as she observed Clara with tired eyes.
Adira felt exhausted, her eyes were heavy and stung with lack of sleep. She felt like in order to get through her day she needed a heavy dose of caffeine and even then she had to fend off Draco who continued to harass her day after day which wasn't easy to do considering how persistent he was being. Theodore Nott no longer had to walk her to class, though he really never tried and instead Draco took his place always eager to spend every moment with Adira, annoying her to no end.
"And that my dear friend is called procrastination which might I add you are quite the professional."
Adira rolled her eyes at the sarcastic tone "Yeah, well it's better than actually having to do work when all I want to do is sleep!" she grumbled.
Clara stopped writing, the scratching ceasing as she turned to her best friend with a rather smug look, "But see, now you can do whatever you want on the weekend, like perhaps, I don't know, maybe hanging out with that Malfoy bloke?"
"Oh come on Clara, you weren't even subtle about it! I don't want to hang out with him! He is so annoying, all he ever wants to do is touch me inappropriately—"
"Touching your hand or your leg isn't inappropriate."
"It is to me!"
"Prude."
With a huff Adira got up, collecting her books and scattered papers, sticking her tongue out immaturely at Clara before stomping her way up to her room, ignoring her dear friend's laughter.
She threw herself onto her bed; her legs sprawled about as she lay on her stomach, her eyes drooping with weariness. Classes had been dreadful all week, not even Snape was giving the Slytherins a break like he usually did, making them brew potion after potion and write essay after essay in the short span of seven days. Adira had completed a total of ten essays already with her class work combined as well as practiced several charms and transfiguration spells. If Umbridge let them actually do magic, she would probably be practicing defense spells as well!
Professor Umbridge had to be the foulest teacher she had ever encountered with her sickly sweet attitude. She took it upon herself to give Harry grief all through class and the only thing she allowed her students to do was to read from the text book and then right paragraph after paragraph on what they had just learned. It was terrible and she wanted to strangle that woman's fat neck every time she giggled that high pitched little girlish laugh of hers.
People weren't kidding when they said that fifth year was the worst year they had ever had preparing for their O.W.L.s and Adira wasn't sure how long she would last before she cracked under pressure. Her mother's owls weren't helping; a few 'how are you dear?' and 'I miss you very much' then 'don't fail your O.W.L.s! It's your future and I will be severely disappointed in you!'
Adira felt like she couldn't get a break. With a final deep sigh she shut the green silk curtains around her bed incasing her in darkness. She rolled onto her stomach, pulling the silver embroidered blanket over her shoulders, snuggling into the warmth of the thick duvet. The sound of the lake lapping against the window lulled her to sleep, it was the first good night's rest she had since summer vacation.
Morning came all too soon with Clara coaxing Adira out of bed, sunlight streaming into her groggy eyes. She groaned and moaned and mumbled rude things under her breath before hauling herself out of bed, pulling on some jeans and a black jumper, sluggishly pulling on her suede black boots and finally tucking her ebony wand into her pocket.
"What time is it any way?" Adira mumbled, attempting to smooth down her wild curly hair before giving up, letting the dark brown mess cascade down her shoulders.
"It's almost nine I think." Clara replied ignoring Adira's protesting at being woken up so early as they made their way into the Great Hall, taking a seat at their table for a spot of breakfast.
"What are we doing today?" Adira asked, reaching for some hotcakes. Before Clara could reply the screech of owls broke through the sound of chattering students, soaring over the tables to deliver either letters from parents or the Daily Prophet. Clara took a copy, putting a knut into the leather pouch hanging from the owls leg before it flew away, leaving a few feathers behind.
"I hate it when they do that!" Adira cried pushing the feathers away from her plate.
"Hate what?" Clara thoughtlessly asked her pale face buried into the newspaper.
"When they molt!" Adira took a bite out of her hotcakes; she really didn't want to be up at nine in the morning.
"Anything interesting today?"
"Same as every day, Potter lies, Sirius Black on the loose, you know, the same."
"You never answered my question you know."
Clara stopped reading the Daily Prophet, peering down at Adira from the top of the paper. "Well, Miss grumpy, probably finish up our homework and maybe hang out with some people." She replied her eyes glinting mischievously.
Adira sighed knowing what Clara had meant by 'people'. Clara was never one for subtlety or for being sneaky about anything. It was clear to Adira that Clara was trying to force her friend to pursue Draco Malfoy whether she wanted to or not. She didn't bother finishing her food as she looked around the Great Hall, staring at happy faces chatting with friends about nonsense things. For some reason Adira felt like the more Clara pushed her to do something, the more she was pushing herself away from Clara. She felt rather annoyed with her pretty blonde friend for trying to create this fantastical relationship out of Adira and Draco, which in Adira's opinion would never happen.
She spotted the curly fair head of Eledie sitting across from the Weasley twins at the Gryffindor table, watching as she burst out in laughter from a joke one of the twins had said; she could never tell the two apart. She, at that moment, wished she was sitting at their table, laughing along to their jokes and their pranks, and enjoying their company. She felt like it would be far more relaxed than sitting with Clara who was too busy talking with Theodore Nott now than with having a conversation with Adira.
Adira felt so isolated, so alone from everything and for what? Because her best friend was ignoring her or perhaps it was the constant workload from her teachers causing her to distance herself from the usual people she associated with? She already felt stressed out and it was only the first weekend of the school year.
"Fancy yourself a blood traitor Reed?" Draco Malfoy spat, bringing her back to reality.
"Fancy yourself a broken nose Malfoy?" she hissed back, pushing her half eaten plate of breakfast away from her.
"Feisty in the mornings aren't you?" his cronies chuckled with him as Adira glared at the stone wall across the room.
"More like feisty all the time." Clara joked, only to earn herself a harsh look of resentment from the girl sitting on the other side of the table.
"Not to worry," Draco leaned towards Adira's ear, his breath warm against her skin as he whispered, "I like them feisty."
Adira scoffed in disgust, trying to calm her erratic heart; for such a pig, he sure knew how to get a girl nervous. She leaned away from him, rolling her eyes not even bothering to remove his hand from her knee; he would only place it right back, if not higher than its current position.
She tried her hardest to push everyone's conversation out of her head, choosing to ignore the company of her new 'friends' and instead opted for day dreaming about better times when she didn't have to worry about a thing. Clara who looked rather excited as she practically skipped out of the Great Hall followed Draco's group of friends and all too soon pulled up Adira from the bench.
"Where are you taking me?" Adira cried as she attempted to keep up with their fast pace.
"You don't listen very well do you Adira?"
"I don't listen at all. I have very selective hearing." She joked, not being able to stay mad at Clara for too long.
"Yeah, and you 'select' to not hear the most important conversations. We are going to watch the Gryffindorks quidditch practice!"
Adira gaped at Clara, slowing her pace, as she looked her friend dead in the eye. "How is that important? And you know how I feel about picking on other houses Clara!"
With timid eyes Clara shook her head, "We aren't going to pick on them! I swear Adira, honest it's just to see our competition, and it will be fun!"
Sighing Adira looked down at her black suede boots "Fine. But if you start joining in on Malfoy's 'fun' I am leaving. I hope you know that."
The pretty blonde saluted Adira, attempting to get a giggle out of her to lighten the mood "Aye aye Captain!"
"What are we five?" she smiled, giggling at how ridiculous Clara looked pretending to salute her.
"I thought we were three!"
The two girls walked onto the Quidditch pitch bleachers just in time to see the Gryffindor team fly up into the air, kicking off the ground and getting into formation. Adira still had her doubts about Clara keeping her word as they sat down onto the cold benches watching them fly around in the air.
"What's that Weasley's riding?" Draco drawled receiving a few sniggers from Crabbe and Goyle. "Why would anyone put a Flying Charm on a moldy old log like that?"
To Adira's disdain Clara began to chuckle, quietly laughing along with the foul group they had accompanied. Adira watched guiltily as Ron Weasley's ears turned a vibrant red and with a sinking feeling, she knew this was a terrible decision.
Within fifteen minutes of watching them practice, she had witnessed Pansy Parkinson shriek with laughter, snort and guffaw at every little thing Draco Malfoy said and it made her feel sick to her stomach. Was it really not obvious to him that she was absolutely obsessed with him?
Adira sat down, pulling at the sleeves of her jumper to cover her fingers, she felt uncomfortable and out of place. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves; except the poor Gryffindors that is. Adira couldn't see how any of her 'friends' could enjoy picking on other people. Did it make them feel better about themselves? Were they really that heartless and cruel, or was there something else behind their nasty behavior towards others.
"Gryffindor are losers, Gryffindor are losers!"
Adira couldn't stand it anymore, especially when she looked back at them in disgust to see that Clara had joined in on their malicious festivities. Without a word Adira got up, a look of pure rage on her face and stalked out of the pitch silently, shoving her hands into her pockets forcefully with fury.
She was reeling inside, of course she should have known nothing good would come of joining a group of Slytherins to watch the Gryffindors practice for Quidditch, but she thought Clara would at least respect her request of not picking on other houses. She thought this would be different, that Clara wouldn't be so selfish for once in her life.
Adira's shoulder bumped into someone, sending her things flying into the air.
"Watch it!" she snarled, only to realize that she had run into a frazzled Eledie.
Her hair was tied up in a messy bun today, her green eyes glinting brightly as she laid eyes upon her forbidden friend. Adira helped her pick up her bag filled with sweets that she probably grabbed from first years, chuckling to herself at how many chocolate frogs sprawled about.
"What's got you all riled up this fine morning?" Eledie giggled, taking the bag graciously from Adira who gave her a wry smile.
"Malfoy and his gang of miscreants."
Eledie smiled, "Sounds like a terrible time." Her voice rang through the empty hallway, filled with warmth and kindness. Adira watched as the pretty Gryffindor's face lit up with an idea.
"Say, if you aren't doing anything right now, maybe you'd like to hang out with me and my friends?" Eledie looked hopefully, her lips pulling into a pout as Adira stalled, unsure if she should accept.
"I don't know Eledie, you know how my house is—"
"No one would know! I promise. You would have way more fun with me breaking the rules than following them and being angry at your friends for the rest of the day."
Adira silently mulled over the offer. If she went, she risked being caught by a member of her house, who would then blab off to someone else that she had been hanging out with a Gryffindor which would circulate to Draco Malfoy who very well had authority over their house and then to Clara who would be fuming considering that Eledie was a muggle born witch. Or it would end brilliantly, she would have a lot of fun and expand her social network to other people at the school and end her day on a positive note while still maintaining her Slytherin image.
She could hear the loud screeching laughter of Pansy Parkinson approaching. She knew that it was now or never, get caught by the group she socializes with, or leave with Eledie, which could potentially have a magnificent outcome.
With determination set in her eyes Adira pulled Eledie down a different hallway, pushing her into an alcove in the wall, praying they wouldn't take this path to the Slytherin common room. Once their loud, echoing voices began to fade away Adira let go of the breath she had been holding looking at Eledie with skepticism.
"I better not have made the wrong decision, and this better be the best day of my life."
"You won't regret it, I promise, and I always keep my promises."