Chapter 7:
It took a couple days longer than Amalthea expected before Snape finally had enough of her moping around the dungeons. Snape deemed her well enough to go back to class and, if she continued to hide in the dormitory, forbade her dorm-mates from telling her the assignments so that Amathea would be left behind lest she crawl out of bed. In hindsight, Snape could have just forced her out the morning after the incident so she was grateful that he gave her some time to recollect herself (even if she still felt her knees lock whenever she left the common room).
Draco had stuck to her side for as long as he could but they obviously did not share any classes together so they always found themselves walking down different hallways after breakfast. Without her brother by her side, Amalthea was left vulnerable to stares and whispers. Her friends tried their best to scare them off but no one could really match a Malfoy's icy glare and Amalthea really was not up to adding fuel to the flames by glowering.
"Thea, are you coming?" Tanith Nott, Theodore's cousin, asked. Amalthea had stopped walking just before they turned at a corner. Without realizing it, she had stuffed her hand into her pocket where her compact mirror used to be and upong seeing Tanith's curious stare, Amalthea had to force herself to relax.
"Yeah," Amalthea tried to say confidently. Her father would be ashamed of her with the way she was acting. "I just thought I forgot something."
Tanith did not seem convinced but, thankfully, she let the matter go and looped her arm with Amalthea's. They just barely rounded the corner when Neville Longbottm stumbled into their view. He had skidded to a halt, just inches away from crashing into Amalthea. Tanith made a noise of surprise and later disgust while Amalthea felt her heart falter.
"Watch where you're going, Longbottom," Tanith scowled.
"I – I'm sorry," Neville said, shuffling back to create a distance between them.
"You better be," Tanith muttered under her breath and tugged Amalthea's arm. "Come one, Thea, we're going to be late."
Amalthea let out a shuddering breath, she could have sworn her heart had stopped beating, and chanced a glance at Neville. She tried not to think about it but it had not escaped her attention that she had not seen him since since before the accident and she worried that he was avoiding her. Neville, bless his soul, looked nervous to be in the presence of Tanith but when he saw that Amalthea was looking at him, calmed down just a bit.
"Are you okay?" Neville asked, his voice just above a whisper.
"Why do you care?" Tanith said before Amalthea got a chance to reply. Amalthea placed a her hand on Tanith's arm.
"It's okay, Tani," Amalthea said before turning her attention back to Neville. His gaze was now on his feet and she could see that his face was red from embarassment. "I'm fine, Longbottom."
"That's... that's good. I'm glad," Neville said, smiling. He looked like he wanted to say more but Tanith began tapping her foot and Amalthea had to resist the urge to roll her eyes."Yeah. Uhm. I'll just... go."
"Great," Tanith said and Amalthea did roll her eyes.
Neville caught the action and nearly let out a laugh but was smart enough to disguise it with a cough. Amalthea took that as her cue to leave before Neville got himself into trouble. She felt Neville's gaze on her back and resisted the urge to turn.
...
Amalthea's good mood from seeing Neville quickly dissipated and she was left feeling heavy with guilt. McGonagall had announced that Dumbledore was coming back to Hogwarts and that the Mandrakes were ready to be cut which would unpetrify the students. Amalthea tried to her best to rejoice like the rest of her schoolmates but she could not bring herself to. Hermione's revelation the night of the attack screamed at the back of Amalthea's head and she did not know what to do.
She knew she had to tell a professor but she did not know what to say to them. Hermione had said something about a Basilisk and the pipes but no matter how much it made sense to Amalthea, she could not help but think the whole thing was mad. If she told the professors and they did not believe her, she did not know what she would do then. She did not have the evidence to back up her claim unlike Hermione but what use was the young Gryffindor while petrified?
"I need to talk to Potter," Amalthea said with a heavy sigh when she realized that by the time Madam Pomfrey unpetrified Hermione, it might be too late.
"Potter? You mean Harry Potter?" Luna asked, looking up from a vial where she had a gliterring pink flower growing.
"Do you know any other Potter?" Amalthea bit her lip, ashamed by how harsh her tone was. Luna did not seem to mind and instead peaked out the window they were leaning against. "Well, I don't see him or his freckly friend around."
"You wouldn't happen to know where they hang out, do you?"
"I only ever see them in the Great Hall."
"I was afraid you'd say that," Amaltea tugged at her ponytail. "I can't just go up to them..."
"Maybe you can pass them a message?" Luna suggested.
"Like send them an owl?" Luna nodded. "I can't do that...if I sign my name, they might not believe me but I also don't think they'd trust a letter without knowing who sent it."
Luna turned her eyes to the ceiling in thought. "What about your Gryffindor friend? That stuttering one?"
"Neville?" Amalthea asked although it was obvious to her who Luna was talking about. "Like ask him to send my message?"
"Or set up a meeting with Potter," Luna smiled. "Maybe he'd listen to you if you talked to him in person."
Amalthea took a moment to consider her options even though she knew that she had no other choice. If someone was going to make outrageous claims that there was a giant snake slithering through the plumping, it was better Potter than her. After all, people would trust The Boy Who Lived more than a Malfoy.
"Oh! There he is now!" Luna said, pointing at the window. Amalthea looked out to see Neville walking back into the school. She supposed it was now or never.
...
Amalthea tried to look interested in what her brother was saying to the group but she could not for the life of her care at that moment. The school year was over and what Amalthea thought was going to be a magical first year at Hogwarts was probably the most stressful thing she had ever gone through in her life.
At eleven years old, Amalthea did not think she would be in the same vicinity as a monster, have a near death experience (it had only recently occurred to her that Hermione and Penelope had dropped the mirror the moment they saw the Basilisk's reflection. If she had not closed her eyes, she would have had direct eye contact with the beast), and fraternize with what her family would consider the "enemy." She had befriended Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom as well as, in a small way, helped Harry Potter and Ron Weasley save the day which somehow led to her father being sacked. She did not know how that happened but her brother was quick to say that it was all Potter's fault.
Amalthea did not know how Neville was able to do it but she was standing in front of Potter and Weasley and she could not find it in herself to hold her head up high like her father taught her. The two Gyffindors regarded her with caution and she could not blame them. After all, she was there when their best friend fell victim to the monster. If it were the other way around, she would not want to be alone with them, too. But, if she was in there place, she would also want to know anything they knew about the attacks.
"As you know, I was with Hermione the night she was..."
"Attacked?" Ron said with an edge in his tone.
"Yes. That." Amalthea tried her best not to give him the stink eye. She had to remind herself that needed them to trust her. "Anyway, she told me that the... monster was a... uhm..." Ron was starting to really look annoyed at her blubbering while Harry continued to stare at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. She took in a deep breath and tried to gather what was left of her Malfoy pride. "The monster was a Basilisk."
"A Basilisk?" Ron scoffed. "I think we would have seen a bloody Basilisk slithering around the school, don't you?"
"Well–"
"And let's just say the beast was a Basilisk, wouldn't that mean it's a pet of yours, huh, Malfoy? That's a snake ain't it?"
Amalthea took in a deep breath. She was not used to being spoken to this way. "I know what this looks like but–"
"And another thing–"
"Ron!" Harry said the same time Amalthea seethed out "Would you shut up?"
Ron was smart snap his mouth shut before he got another word out and Amalthea made sure to return his dirty look.
"You were saying Malfoy?" Harry said, already looking tired.
"The monster is a Basilisk and it's getting around Hogwarts through the pipes," Amalthea said quickly just in case Ron decided to speak up again. "I know I can't make you believe me but that's what Hermione told me."
Amalthea slipped out of the compartment she shared with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Tanith, and Pansy to go to the comfort room. Or, at least that what she told them. It was still a long way back to the station where her parents would pick her and Draco up and already Amalthea had a headache from all her friends' trash talk. There was only so much "Perfect Potter saves the day" and "Dirty Mudblood" she could listen to before she screamed. It was the image of her mother's disappointed face that kept Amalthea's from blowing up.
"Am – Malfoy?" Someone called from her left, stopping her in her stride. She turned to see Neville peaking out of the compartment he shared with whom she supposed were his dorm-mates. They watched their exchange with wide eyes and Amalthea tried her best not to look irritated. She and Neville had been so careful with their interactions the whole school year and here he was talking with her openly in front of his friends.
"Yes, Longbottom?" Amalthea asked, hoping her tone was pleasant. She needed to reassure herself that Neville was calling her attention for a reason. He would not risk her reputation for nothing. He knew what her brother would do if he caught wind of their friendship.
"I – uh –," Neville froze and swallowed his words. He dared a glance behind him and stepped out of his compartment, closing the door. "Uhm. I just wanted to–"
"Wait." Amalthea looked down both sides of the hallways and saw that no one was around to see them. She gestured for Neville to follow her and she led him to an empty compartment. With a wave of her wand, she closed the curtains so that no one would see them inside. It was a good thing she could still cast magic in the train.
"Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I...hi," Neville said sheepishly.
"Hi," Amalthea replied.
"I – are you mad?" Neville asked and Amalthea realized that her mouth had turned down into a scowl. She tried to relax her face but it was too late. Neville already saw.
"I'm not mad," Amalthea said slowly, willing herself to keep her composure. "I'm just a little...," she took a second to look for the right word, "upset."
"Oh. How come?"
Amalthea pursed her lips and watched Neville fidget with the hem of his shirt. He looked just like he did when he asked her if she was okay after the attack. Her annoyance grew because she just could not stay mad at him. The young Malfoy took a deep breath in until her cheeks puffed out and she slowly exhaled, her cheeks deflating.
"Amalthea?" Neville asked nervously.
"You can call me Thea," Amalthea said, smiling. "We're friends."
Neville blushed and his gaze fell to the floor.
"But, we can't forget that not everyone is going to like us being friends," Amalthea said, bringing Neville's attention back to her. "We need to be careful about who sees us talking."
Neville looked confused at what she said until his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Oh – oh Merlin. I'm so sorry, Thea. I completely forgot. I – I promise Dean and Seamus won't say anything."
Amalthea wanted to listen to Neville apologize for his mistake over and over again but she was not that cruel. She was annoyed, yes, but she knew that he did not mean any harm. After all, it was her own fault that they became friends. She decided to be nice to him when he ran into her. She offered to help look for his toad. She took the crystal from him. She sent him Valentine's chocolate. If anyone was going to apologize for the drama that was to come if they ever got caught, it was her.
But then she was a Malfoy and some apologies were more difficult to give than others.
"It's okay, Neville. I trust you," Amalthea said, stopping Neville from having a panic. "If they do say anything though," she waved her wand, "I can deal with them."
Neville visibly gulped and Amalthea let out a laugh.
"What was it you wanted to talk about in the first place?" Amalthea asked when she realized that they have probably been gone too long.
"I... I wanted to ask if it would be okay if I write you?" Neville asked, blushing.
"Sure," Amalthea replied, already thinking of how to hide their correspondence from her family. "I'll send the first letter, okay?"
Whew. It took a while to get this chapter out, huh? To be honest, I was supposed to write a short story for my class today but instead I decided to update this fic. HAHA. I'm in trouble...
Hope you all enjoyed this piece. This chapter wraps up The Chamber of Secrets and by the next one, we'll be following the story of The Prisoner of Azkaban. Stay tuned!
Don't forget to leave a review! I would love to know what you all think!
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