Seven.
"Keep your eyes closed!" Kingsley instructed the following Friday, guiding Amelia in and out of corridors to keep her from guessing where exactly he was taking her. He had tied a bandana around her eyes just to make sure she was completely in the dark.
Amelia had been returning to Ravenclaw Tower later and later each night, leaving her little time for socializing. Her sessions with Malfoy were improving mainly because they hardly spoke, which she was finding to be key. The less communication they had, the better. Regardless, she found herself looking over material for Malfoy during all of her free time, which meant that there was very little attention to be paid to Kingsley. Understanding as he was, he asked if he could take her somewhere special Friday night. Feeling guilty, Amelia agreed.
So far, he had taken her in several different directions. She knew they had walked through the Great Hall at least twice. He was determined to make their first official date special. He knew that impressing Amelia would be hard; she came from a family where lavish gifts and fountains of the finest were at their fingertips. But what he had planned was something that not many wizards could pull off.
"Kingsley." Amelia said. "Are we almost there? My feet are starting to hurt."
"I told you to wear sensible shoes." He said, and she could hear the grin as he spoke.
"I thought we were taking a walk, not going on an expedition." She teased, attempting to lift the blindfold.
"Hey!" he said, pulling her fingers from the thick fabric. "We're almost there. No peaking."
"I'm not, I'm not!" she assured.
She felt him stop her from moving and heard the latch of what she could only guess was a door or a window. She wanted to say window, but when he started moving her forward again, she felt the cool night air on all sides of her.
"Now?" she asked, turning herself in a circle trying to locate him.
"Now." He said, his voice coming from the spot directly in front of her. With grace, he untied the bandana and unveiled her eyes to the starry night sky.
Amelia looked around the unfamiliar area. She had only been here once before when she had taken Astronomy in her third year, which had been a blur. That was the year Caradoc had kissed her. Edgar was ecstatic and did all he could to help them spend time alone together. But Caradoc's mother was having another baby and he was more focused on helping his parents then having a girlfriend, which Amelia understood. She would have rather spent more time preparing for her exams than snogging. Just the same, she had taken Astronomy, and remembered very little about stars.
"Kingsley . . . " Amelia trailed off, looking up at the constellations, trying to remember what they were. "What is all this?"
"Well," he said casually, pulling his wand from his pocket, "You said to make this unforgettable. And I thought, 'Merlin. How am I supposed to do that?' So I started thinking about all of the things that are special to you, about all the people that are important to you. Your family, obviously, your friends, hard work, integrity. And then I started to wonder what all of these things had in common and found," he said, beginning to point his wand at certain spots in the sky, teardrop shaped points standing in where the tip of his wand had been, "that everything was connected. Your friends are your family and you love them because of their hard work and integrity. And it's all of these . . . connections," he stated, drawing more dots above her head, "that make you who you are. You're incredibly honest and loyal, beautiful and kind – and that's to everyone. But to me," he said, shoving his free hand into his pocket, twirling his wand between his fingers, "To me you're not just those things, but you make my life unbelievably bright." He finished, casting his wand to the floating dots.
In a great flash, they left their hanging balance and swirled around Amelia, her hair swept back from her face. Dancing around her small frame they cast themselves up to the sky, outlining various constellations. Amelia squinted her eyes as they formed the various shapes, trying in her mind to identify each one. When they finally settled into place, they formed the one arrangement of stars Amelia was familiar with.
"Aries." She said, her face upturned to the sky, the pattern of her own zodiac before her eyes. Of course she thought, her lessons from nearly three years before coming back to her. They had done an entire unit based around Greek Mythology and what each sign meant. She and Emmeline would stay up late during the winter months stargazing.
She turned back to Kingsley for a brief moment. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shirt untucked and his tie loose around his neck. He looked so casual, so carefree, so much of what she needed. Her entire being was wrapped up in precision, exactness and perfection. Kingsley was very much the opposite. He took the time to appreciate the smaller things, to pay attention to what everyone else overlooked.
"Thank you, Kingsley." She said with much gratitude, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
"You're welcome, Lia." He said against her hair, kissing her forehead before lying down atop the Astronomy Tower, nodding for Amelia to do the same.
The sky was darker than she had ever seen it before; a navy blanket with thousands of twinkling eyes. Occasionally, they would find the outline of another alignment, but none of them shone brighter than the ones he had set earlier. After a moment, Kingsley closed his eyes, Amelia at his side. It was peaceful, dreamlike. Just as she was about to let herself drift off, a shooting star made it's way across the sky. In her short sixteen years of life, Amelia could not recall having ever seen one before. She knew that in muggle traditions, children and adults alike make wishes on such stars. Whether or not they came true, she supposed didn't matter. She thought for a moment about waking Kingsley but decided against it.
Casting her deep blue eyes toward the traveling star, a curious thought danced across her brow and she wasn't sure why. She wondered for a moment what, if presented with the opportunity, would Malfoy wish for?
–––––––––––––
All students of all years and houses had a sort of routine to help get them through their day. The only variation lied in circumstance and cause, but for the most part, all schedules consisted of attending classes, completing assignments, spending time with friends and attending Quidditch practice or another extracurricular activity. Whether or not the tasks were done in this order also varied, but there were all things to be done for everyone.
Amelia Bones' repertoire mirrored the aforementioned very much so. She attended class and completed her work ahead of time. She spent her evenings with her brothers, Emmeline, Xeno and at least five times out of the week, with Kingsley, who she was beginning to enjoy spending more and more time with. At least two evenings a week, she was required to make rounds around the castle, fulfilling her duties as a Prefect. Everything had a place and everything was in its place.
Though there was also twenty-six hours for the week each week during which time Amelia was to venture to the seventh floor to meet Malfoy in attempt to bring him up to par in his Charms studies. When making such journeys, she used the library as her alibi, but had to switch her excuse from time to time, just incase she began to look suspicious. It was not uncommon for her to spend a good deal of time in the library anyway, so no one asked any questions. When she wasn't studying, she reveled in the moments with her friends and Kingsley. Not only did she genuinely enjoy his company, but also it kept everyone from asking questions about her other activities.
While Amelia would have rather been in more pleasant company, the situation with the Slytherin had mellowed considerably over the past three weeks that they had been studying. They had eventually gone through each book in the Room of Requirement and thus far, each exam she had given him, he had done fairly well on. They were finally civil enough with each other to sit at the same desk so that they could communicate easier. His problem, she concluded, was not lack of understanding, as his questions were rare. The issue lied in inability to concentrate. Only three reports had been given to Professor Flitwick but progress was seen in the seventeen year olds work ethic. One month would call for an evaluation between Amelia and the Charms Professor to discus further tutoring.
It was the second week of October when the school became overwhelmed with talk of the annual Masquerade Ball. The past two years that Amelia had been of age to go, she went with Emmeline and the two alternated dancing with Xeno, who was more then happy to accompany the two girls. This year, however, was a bit different. Both girls had steady boyfriends, which was fantastic for them, but it left Xeno in an odd position. While Xeno would most likely not even bother, as formal occasions did not matter to him and his only motivation in previous years had been the Ravenclaw females, Amelia was content to add to her own to-do the task of finding Xeno a date. Unfortunately, anyone who did not know Xeno automatically deemed him as uncommonly odd and everyone in Ravenclaw was spoken for. With the exception of one person, which was why Amelia had hunted down Rita Skeeter during her free period.
"Rita." Amelia had called out when she spotted the girl in the courtyard alone, her composition books clutched in her hands, of course.
At the sound of her name, Rita looked up. It was not rare for Rita to hear her name called during the day. In fact, she was quite used to it. Her talent for spreading news faster than an owl was not appreciated by her peers and on more then one occasion, she found herself being threatened. But, as always, she talked her way out of things. Rita Skeeter had made a good habit of knowing more about her victims then they though she knew so whatever tid-bit of information she may have leaked was nothing compared to the overwhelming truth she possessed. Her brilliant epiphany last year helped her gain some battleground – ground she would undoubtedly need in the following years.
"Rita." Amelia said again as she sat down beside the blonde, catching her breath.
"Amelia." Rita nodded.
"How are you?" Amelia asked conversationally as she set her books down.
Rita put the tip of her pen in her mouth, looking over Amelia. They were in the same house and year and yet, the never really had a proper conversation. When Rita needed opinions about her stories and how to go about exploiting her classmates, Amelia almost always lent an ear to be polite. But never in their six years of having known each other had Amelia sought after the blonde. 'This,' Rita mused as she took off her glasses, 'is going to be good.'
"Well, thank you." She nodded. "And yourself? Busy with Kingsley, I imagine."
"Busy with many things." Amelia mended as Rita smirked. "Kingsley being one of them, especially with the Masquerade Ball coming up."
"Ah, yes. The Ball. A busy season for a budding journalist, you know." Rita said pointedly, stuffing her pen into her book bag.
"You know Rita, I've been thinking. Maybe you need a night of fun. Put your writing aside for a bit." Amelia shrugged.
Rita looked at Amelia curiously. She should know, Rita thought, better than anyone else that there was no taking a break. Rita was honing skills for the future. She couldn't be bothered by taking part in formal events with scandal was about. She would attend, of course, but not to have a good time; to see who was having a good time.
"Amelia." Rita said matter of factly. "I know that you're snagged yourself a boyfriend and that's fantastic for you. But it's not really becoming to play matchmaker. As Oscar Wilde once said, 'the only charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception necessary for both parties.'"
Getting to her feet, Rita slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to depart. Amelia had realized that getting Rita to agree would be a daunting task, but she figured that they could come up with some sort of bargain.
"Wait!" Amelia said, hopping to her feet.
"I thought I made myself clear. I-"
"What if we make a deal?" she offered. "You do me a favor and I do you one."
"What exactly would I be doing for you?" Rita questioned, folding her arms across her chest. There were a number of things that she could think of off the top of her head, but she was anxious to hear the girl's proposal.
"Xeno needs a date for the Masquerade Ball." Amelia said quickly. "And I know that you don't want to even go for yourself and neither does he, but it's his last year here and I'd really like him to go, but he won't if he doesn't have anyone to go with. You won't even have to spend any time with him. I love Xeno and all, but he won't even notice if you leave the second we walk through the door."
"That sounds terribly unpromising." Rita said, bored. "But before I say no, what do you plan on doing for me?"
"Anything, I suppose." Amelia shrugged. She hadn't thought that far ahead, but figured Rita would take the bait regardless.
Just as Rita was about to open her mouth and say 'no,' she spotted Malfoy along with his cronies walking along the corridor. She watched him carefully as he passed. His mouth was twisted into a frown, as usual and he nodded curtly to whatever Walden MacNair had just said to the group in a whisper. Turning back to Amelia, Rita again readied herself to turn down the unappealing offer when something about Malfoy caught her eye. It wasn't his reply to the Slytherins or the slight slowing of his pace. It was the direction of his gaze. He had been focused on where he was headed, his destination when he spotted something else – a distraction. Rita followed the boy's gaze all the way to Amelia Bones.
Turning his attention away, Malfoy continued on his way, masking his wandering eye with a retort to his fellow housemates. It had all happened so quickly that unless Rita hadn't been looking for something she wouldn't have found it. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was just scanning the crowd, taking in his peers. But as someone who looked for these moments on a near daily basis, Rita saw his the line of his eyes as something else entirely. As she turned back to an oblivious looking Amelia, Rita had an idea.
"Of course, I'll go with him." Rita said in a tone that was so sweet it was likely to form a cavity.
"You will?" Amelia asked, slightly caught off guard by Rita's change of mind and the tone of her voice.
"Yes. Anything for a friend." Rita said, patting Amelia on the shoulder.
"Great!" Amelia beamed. "Well, what can I do for you?" she asked fairly.
"I'm not sure." She said innocently. "But I'll get back to you."
"Thank you, Rita. I really, really appreciate it." Amelia stressed as Rita nodded accordingly.
"Like I said, we're friends." Rita commented before slowly changing the direction of the conversation. "So, you're going to the ball with Kingsley, then?"
"Yes. We're sort of going as a group. Kingsley and myself, Edgar and Nathalia, Elliot and Cordelia and Emmeline and Amos. And now, you and Xeno."
"Such an honor it is to be a part of something." Rita said sarcastically. "Its funny though, isn't it?" she mused.
"What's funny?" Amelia asked, confused.
"Haven't you noticed it?" Rita said, turning to face the girl.
"I don't follow you. Noticed what?"
"Of course, you wouldn't. You don't think in the same … patterns that I do." She waved her hand, dismissing the small subject. "You, your brothers, Emmeline, Amos, Kingsley, now myself and Xeno, this little 'group' you're talking about … we're all Pureblooded. Kind of like sticking with our own breed, don't you think?"
Of course the idea of this had crossed Amelia's mind before, but it was unintentional. Though, for a group of people so vehemently against Pureblood-only behavior, the image of them all together was confusing. They represented something they were working to shut down. But it wasn't by choice.
"That's just a coincidence, Rita. If Kingsley were half-blooded, I would still-"
"Love him?" Rita interrupted with a smirk.
"Feel the same way." Amelia corrected. "So would Edgar and Elliot. We all would."
"It's curious though." Rita shrugged. "Think about it. Such a rare position to be in."
"Rare?"
"Of course. You could be with anyone you wanted. Fanatics about that sort of thing would look at you as an ideal candidate. Anyone of lesser blood would be thrilled to be with someone of your heritage."
"Rita, I-" Amelia began, but the blonde cut her off.
"Meaning that any set of parents looking to pair their child off with a fine genetic chain couldn't possibly object to you. Whether it be the Lovegood's, Shackelbolt's, even the Malfoy's-"
"I think that's enough." Amelia said uneasily.
"But you agree, don't you?" Rita pressed.
"With what?"
"That there wouldn't be a problem if someone like you decided to date someone like Malfoy."
Almost instantly Amelia felt her stomach flip at the idea that Rita had somehow managed to piece the very scattered pieces of the puzzle together. But there was no possible way that Rita or anyone could have any knowledge of Amelia's meetings with Malfoy. They arrived at different times; departed separately, never spoke to each other in public. Amelia hadn't told anyone, not even Emmeline, and it was just as important to him that they remain private. It must be, Amelia thought, Rita's obsession with the Malfoy Family. Of course, that's all.
"There wouldn't be a problem blood-wise." Amelia said slowly. "But seeing as I hardly know him and would take no pleasure in getting to know him, yes, there would be a problem. Thank you for your time, Rita. I'll see you later." Amelia finished, and began walking about.
"It's a pity." Rita called out. "Because the two of you would make for an intriguing couple."
Amelia almost stopped and turned to ask Rita what she meant but decided against it. Rita was far too occupied with pushing people's buttons for her retort to mean anything significant. Still, it was hard for Amelia to keep herself from wondering just how deep Rita's words ran.
–––––––––––––
"Malfoy." MacNair said for the second time.
"Hmm?" Malfoy finally answered, tearing his gaze away from the courtyard.
"He's staying at your house right now, isn't it?" MacNair repeated.
"Yes." Malfoy nodded curtly before glancing one last time at the Ravenclaw with her back turned to him. "Yes. He said it would be until after the holidays."
"See." MacNair said to Evan Rosier who swatted at Rabastan Lestrange.
Malfoy, however, kept his eyes trained forward, his mind wandering. It wouldn't be long before he had Bones out of his hair, and time to concentrate on more important things, the least of which being N.E.W.T.s. With the Dark Lord keeping residence at Malfoy Manor until after the New Year, that meant only one thing; He had something prepared for the holiday break, during which time the seventeen year old would be home. There was, he knew, only one thing it could possibly mean; He didn't want to jinx himself by speaking it aloud but it had been his only thought for years.
As of late though, he had grown slightly bolder about the situation. He had his mind on other things. He would never admit it, but spending his evenings in the Room of Requirement gave him some peace of mind. He was not obligated to be the head of Slytherin House or his father's son. In fact, he was more inclined to not be these things because that was what Amelia Bones expected from him, and he liked surprising people. Under her eye, he was merely a student trying to better himself. He felt normal, and he preferred it that way.
"Either way Lestrange," MacNair said loudly, bringing Malfoy back to his current surroundings – the corridor that led to the Slytherin Common Room. "I bet I'll get it before you.
"Both of you need to quit bickering about it." Rosier chimed in. "I'm sick of hearing about all the things you two are going to do. All talk, no action." He said knowingly.
"Just because you took out your brother-" Amycus Carrow began.
"That's enough." Malfoy said sternly as they reached the final corner, silencing the group.
Evan Rosier was the older of two sons at one point in time. Alex being the second born. Evan's father, Xavier, was always second best to his own older brother and had promised to change the predicable cycle with his own children. Xaiver showed Alex with attention and affection while Evan was left by the wayside. It was why it was Evan, who was never good enough, saw fit to change it. It was why there was an accident in the garden on the Rosier's 850-acre estate.
The boys had been playing in the maze; running and jumping along the hedges. The gardener had gone home for the day and had left his tools behind, unattended.
Alex Rosier was found entangled in a pair of garden sheers, his jugular cut and head nearly severed. All eyes turned to the oldest son, the silver medal. 'It was an accident.' He had said. 'We were just playing.' At the funeral, Evan Rosier didn't cry, a curious sight for a ten year old that had lost his only brother, his only friend. But everyone failed to see what the death meant – he was number one again.
It wasn't the fact that Rosier already had one killing under his belt; it was that it had been his own brother, a child. He had done it even before he knew about Voldemort, which meant that he did it for himself. His ruthlessness made him a perfect candidate for a Death Eater.
"Alecto." MacNair said upon being asked whom he was taking to the Ball, much to the distaste of Amycus, who scowled.
"And you?" Augustus Rookwood prompted of Malfoy.
"Narcissa." Malfoy answered systematically.
"As if you even had to ask." Rosier grinned.
"I guess that leaves me with Astoria Madley." Rookwood sighed.
"Why the long face?" MacNair smirked.
"You of all people know how she is. Merlin, she never gives it a rest!"
"Tell me about it." MacNair nodded. "Alecto has me up all hours of the night."
"Watch it." Amycus said upon the mention of his younger sister. "Why do we even have to go to these things anyway?"
"Keeping up appearances." Malfoy said, closing his eyes. "Be involved, don't be suspicious."
The future Death Eaters sat on the black leather couches in the Common Room surrounded by tables and desks and bookshelves, all while water reflected across the walls. The room was dark and damp but it had been home to Malfoy and the others for so long. In fact, Malfoy thought, the room reminded him of his home in Whiltshire; the mahogany wood, the leather, the dim lighting. It was both comforting and eerie. It almost made him wonder what he was working toward. A cause that believed in, of course. But what else? No new life, no new home, no new lover. It was all the same. But it always would be, for his son, too. It was to be expected.
Malfoy listened as his housemates talked about their 'bright futures,' which were actually very dark. The lives they'd be taking and the difference they'd be making. He nodded in agreement with them.
"It'll all be better one day." MacNair said.
'Yes.' Malfoy thought. 'One day.'
–––––––––––––
Had it been any other day Amelia would have mulled over Rita's words in great detail, contemplating each possible scenario in which to ask the blonde to define what she said. However, it being a Saturday, Amelia had more important matters to attend to.
Besides meeting Malfoy after dinner at six, which would keep her busy until midnight, she had promised Emmeline they could get together and talk. Amelia had assumed this meant in the Ravenclaw Common Room but Emmeline had another idea. Because Emmeline had been spending much of her time with Amos, she had been to the Hufflepuff Common Room several times. And, thanks to Amos' charm, the kitchens, which were located almost directly across from the Hufflepuff Common Room. Although Amos had tried to be discreet about how to enter the kitchen, it was hard for Emmeline to miss the tickling of the pear. Seeing as Emmeline and her best friend had hardly any time to see each other in private, she thought that the kitchen would be the best place for solitude and snacks.
"Well," Amelia said as she down at one of the kitchen counters, "You're just as sneaky as Kingsley. That's the second time I've been ambushed in a month's time."
"Really? What did Kingsley manage to pull off?" Emmeline asked with a grin, popping a grape into her mouth.
"A few weeks ago he blindfolded me and took me up to the Astronomy Tower and we stargazed for … it must have been hours." Amelia grinned.
"Lia! That sounds so romantic! Why didn't you tell me? Or Edgar so he could tell the rest of us." She laughed.
"I made Kingsley promise not to say a word about it to Ed for that very reason." She joked. "Things have been hectic." Amelia shrugged, which was in part true.
When she wasn't in class she was doing homework or 'in the library.' Thus far she played off her nightly jaunts well. No one asked more then 'did you get a lot of work done?' And Amelia always replied 'I would have done it all but then I would have nothing to do tomorrow' which seemed to be satisfactory and humorous all at once. Now that Malfoy was close to passing, Amelia didn't see the harm in telling Emmeline. She knew how to keep a secret. Just the same, she wondered if maybe she should wait until after she and Malfoy were no longer meeting.
"I know what you mean." Emmeline nodded, her voice suddenly turning bleak.
"Emmeline? What's wrong?" Amelia asked, concerned.
If she had been talking to anyone else, Emmeline would have averted her gaze and changed the subject. But she never lied to Amelia and the subject on her mind was not foreign to the two friends.
From her pocket, Emmeline pulled a letter with her own name written neatly across the front of the envelope. Amelia would know Elizabeth Vance's handwriting anywhere; her penmanship was undistinguishable.
"From your mum." Amelia declared. She stopped asking questions long ago. She knew the situation and the details. Emmeline did not like to talk about it, Amelia knew, but there were certain things that needed to be addressed. "How bad?" Amelia asked, raising her eyes from the letter to Emmeline.
"No more then usual." Emmeline said with a small shrug. What Emmeline had really said was that Mrs. Vance could conceal the new bruises easily enough until they went away. No bones had been broken and no fatal injuries had been issued. It was a normal night in the Vance household.
Emmeline set the letter on the counter top, inhaling sharply. Amelia knew that if she could, Emmeline would leave her father, but she made it clear a very long time ago that she wouldn't leave without her mother. It was something that could not be compromised. Placing a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, Amelia said,
"It's almost over, Emme. Just a little over a year and you can, we can," she mended, "help your mum get away."
"And where would she go?" Emmeline said, harsher then she intended.
"Anywhere; with my parents, Xeno's family. Merlin, even with Rita." Amelia said with a small smile.
"I appreciate it, Lia, but I really don't need your help. I can take care of my family's problems."
"Emme," Amelia grinned, "With the exception of a similar genetic makeup, we're sisters. This is our family. And I refuse to let you do this alone. The same goes for Edgar and Elliot."
"But they don't know." Emmeline said nodding to the letter.
"No." Amelia agreed. "But they'd do anything for you, and you know that."
Emmeline, whose eyes were filled with tears, smiled lightly at Amelia. She knew this. Amelia reminded her constantly of the support she had in her friends. When the safety of her mother kept her awake at night, it was comforting to be reminded of those bonds.
Without thought, Amelia enveloped Emmeline in an embrace; a reassurance that she would always be there, no matter what.
"Thanks, Lia." Emmeline said, grinning.
"No problem." Amelia said gently.
Amelia listened as Emmeline chatted happily about her time with Amos and how fond she was growing of him, of how she was making top marks in Potions, finally coming out ahead of Alecto Carrow, who was not as daft as she appeared to be. Amelia was only half listening as her friend spoke. The words that Rita had said came flooding back to her. It was almost ironic that Rita should mention the one person that Amelia was now spending the most time with. And it wasn't really that Rita had even said it that made Amelia angry, it was how she said it; so knowingly, so sure of herself. Then again, that was how Rita said everything. Rita tried to irritate anyone and everyone just to get a rise out of them. Still, Amelia dwelled.
"Lia?" Emmeline asked. "Lia? Are you listening?"
Amelia shook her head, Emmeline's voice bringing her back to reality. Offering an apologetic look, Amelia shrugged.
"Sorry, Emme. I was just thinking. Go on."
"No, no." Emmeline said with a wave of her hand. "Please, I'm talking too much as it is. What's going on?"
Amelia stopped before responding. This was her chance to tell Emmeline about what was really going on. It was killing her not being able to talk about it with her best friend in the world. Meeting with Malfoy everyday had become so commonplace; Amelia almost forgot that nearly everyone else was afraid of him. In her own mind, she knew that Emmeline would react with concern and loads of speeches about being careful around him. The façade that Malfoy had everyone else fooled by no longer fazed Amelia. What she was just now coming to understand what that his outward behavior was just that – outward.
Should she tell Emmeline? Most certainly. Amelia hated lying, especially to people she cared about.
But would she? Well …
"Emmeline," Amelia began, biting her lip, "You know how I've been so busy lately? Working all the time and all?" She said as Emmeline nodded, "What I haven't been … I mean, I've really been trying … did I tell you Rita and Xeno are going to the Masquerade Ball?" Amelia blurted out.
"Together? You're kidding?" Emmeline laughed. "Why's that?"
"I wanted him to be there but I knew he wouldn't go alone. So Rita said she'd go if I did her a favor." Amelia explained.
"What favor?" Emmeline asked, raising her eyebrows.
"She didn't say yet." Amelia said slowly. Perhaps she could test Emmeline, she wondered, by slipping Malfoy's name into the conversation casually. "You know, when I was talking to her, she said the strangest thing."
"What's that?"
"She implied that Malfoy and I have something in common." Amelia said tonelessly.
"You do." Emmeline shrugged and Amelia almost fell off her stool. At Amelia's almost offended facial expression, Emmeline laughed. "What I mean is, you both have a large circle of friends, or in his case followers, you both make top marks," Amelia held back a laugh, "you have similar personality traits and the two of you have a disgusting amount of money that goes back for generations."
Amelia hadn't thought about Rita's remark in that sense. Emmeline's facts were accurate. Perhaps Malfoy and Amelia were more alike then she'd like to think. Stubborn, proud, bold. She couldn't deny that these things were true, but something still didn't feel right. Amelia decided that that was enough talk about Malfoy for the day.
"I suppose so." She shrugged.
"Don't worry. Not even Rita would imply a romantic relationship between you and that git."
"True." Amelia nodded. "She's not that low."
Amelia put the thought out of her head for the rest of the evening. She enjoyed her time with Emmeline and indulged in a fruit salad and pumpkin juice. By the time she and Emmeline had left the kitchen, she had forgotten all about Rita's comment. That is, until she realized that she had to meet Malfoy in the Room of Requirement to teach him more about a subject that removed from it's academic context he excelled at.
Forget It by Breaking Benjamin
