The Daemon Diaries
Little Miss English Nerd
Chapter 8
It was Halloween, and everyone was in a panic.
"Has anyone seen my fairy wings?"
"Where's my wand? I have to cast the pumpkin spell!"
"No, Nott! I've never kissed Hermione Granger!"
"I heard that he still likes her-"
"Does my makeup look okay, Susan?"
"WHERE'S THE CANDY?"
"Clara! I don't know if Neville likes me or not! What if he doesn't like my costume?"
"Okay, who stole my Wicked CD? I'll kill you!"
Fed up, I finally stood on the couch and yelled, "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" They all closed their mouths and turned to me.
"Thanks! Anyway, Charlie, your wand was on the table; Lav, your wings were under your bed; Theodore, I doubt that Draco has ever kissed Hermione, your makeup looks perfectly terrifying, Seamus; the candy is on the table out front, Dean; Susan, the only way he couldn't love your outfit is if he was blind; Michael, you used your CD in the kitchen last night, remember? Oh, and does everybody have their costume ready? Where are your fangs, Seamus?"
Everyone was a lot calmer, then, so I decided to go change into my costume with my roommates. Lavender had helped me pick out an adorable "Alice in Wonderland" costume, which even included a little, starched apron. Of course, I thought it wasn't freaky enough, so I decided to make it so. She once again use the curling spell on my hair, though this time, she turned it a platinum, gray-ish blond that looked similar to Draco's hair, adding a huge black bow that looked slightly decomposing and heavily spraying my locks with "extreme extreme hold" hairspray. She added pale makeup all over my face, painting a random scar here and there. I straightened my intentionally torn and wrinkled skirt and dirty apron and happily appraised my imagine in the mirror, nodding in approval before I slipped on my worn, dark flats.
Susan was already wearing a very cute pirate costume, and we straightened her red hair for her until it could qualify as "poker straight..." whatever that meant. She wore makeup that showed off her pretty, freckled face.
Lav was dressing as a fairy with a green, pink, and purple outfit that shimmered each way she turned. Her wings were covered in iridescent fabric, and she had curled her hair and added a cute halo of green ivy to her head. She wore makeup that made her green eyes pop, and she looked exactly like I always thought a fairy would look...though I doubted that anyone would think that she was scary at all.
After twenty minutes of extreme primping, we were ready.
We got back to the common room and helped the boys finish up the decorations in the hallway. Draco had volunteered to stay behind and pass out candy, so we set up his throne of fake bones outside and took a step back to admire our work.
Charlie had cleverly used the fog spell on random locations so that it absolutely filled the surrounding area; if it weren't for the floating, lighted pumpkins that had been strategically placed, the poor trick-or-treaters wouldn't be able to see a thing. The stifling fog continued to roll until the top of the winding staircase, where Draco sat, wearing a rather realistic skeleton suit and holding the candy on his lap, unmoving. The plan was that whenever somebody grabbed the candy, he would yell at them and scare them out of their wits. At the bottom of the staircase, our huge pumpkin sat, fog coiling scarily out of its mouth while a sign covered in spiders (yes, conjured, real spiders) stuck out of the top, warning people to "Enter at your own will..."
We'd sort of gone overboard, but Dean and Seamus had charmed "bats" to fly around randomly through the fog, particularly at people; random, freaky sound effects played sporadically; a few...surprises were also hidden throughout the mist, creating the freakiest atmosphere I'd ever experienced.
Honestly, it'd be a miracle if people actually made it up the staircase to get any candy at all!
"Alright, let's get going!" Michael grinned, pulling his creepy mask over his head. His voice became slightly muffled. "I say we split up to cover more ground; if any nasty people try to take your candy, don't back down-especially you, fairy princess!" Lav pouted at him and crossed her arms. "No matter what your costume is, don't let people push you around! Collect as much candy as possible, alright? We'll totally kick butt! Okay, find your buddies and lets get going!"
I was going with Theodore and Charlie; Theodore was dressed like a mummy, as we'd laboriously taken the time to wrap him in layers of old sheets and cast a "yellowing spell" on the "bandages," and Charlie was going as "the angel of death." He'd been able to keep his wings out (as nobody would know that they were fake), and he wore an all black suit. Lavender and I had attacked his face with makeup to make him appear pale and creepy, giving him gaunt circles under his eyes. His hair was gelled back slickly, and he'd been practicing a psychotic smile to show people...
"Ew, you guys are too creepy," I said as we walked toward the first year common rooms. "I'd hate to meet either of you in a dark alley..."
"Says the startling, undead Alice," Theodore shook his bandaged head.
The night went well; Draco was happy to report that only ten people had managed to be brave enough to take any candy, our common room got first place for the most candy and the best decorations, and we all had quite a fun time, though I didn't particularly enjoy it.
My thoughts were still plagued by the "prepare yourself" warning in Daemons Through the Ages. I looked at Charlie out of the corner of my eye and found that he was watching me...for about the five-thousandth time that night.
I really need that missing information from the book, I decided. I'll go to the library tonight...hopefully I'll be able to cast the charm correctly...
It was quiet; the book was lying on its shelf in the middle of the restricted section, as it had stayed for thirty years. Suddenly, a finger touched its spine, sending shivers down the ancient, untouched leather. A quiet voice muttered an exclamation of contentment as the book's title was revealed; Daemon or Demon? A Dark Guide for all Your Daemon needs.
The loose pages that had been unceremoniously stuffed between the yellowed page 114 and holey 115 fell as the guide was opened. The blond haired boy stooped and picked them up, grinning like mad as he saw "Daemons Through the Ages" printed across the top of the ripped papers. The guide was closed again, and the boy who held the book briskly strode off, tomb under his arm.
"Malfoy!" A voice viciously whispered.
The book fell to the dusty floor, its new owner letting out a cry of fright.
"Fulton!" Malfoy hissed at me, glaring. "Don't ever do that again! What do you want?"
"I know what you're looking for," I said, stooping and nabbing the book from the ground. "And I want to know more, too. Can you please let me read with you? I've been looking for those pages, and-"
"Fine. Just keep quiet about it; I have a theory, and-"
"Who's there?" A voice called out.
Our eyes widened simultaneously, and we both pulled out our eyes at Filch's call. We rushed to the corner, sitting as close as possible and breathing quietly. The appropriate charms were used, and we could do nothing but hope that we were invisible. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders, pressing me into him almost indecently and in a manner that made me blush like crazy.
The light of Filch's lantern fell over us, and neither of us dared to breathe. He soon passed on, and we waited for his footsteps to fade completely before disentangling ourselves. My face felt like it was on fire as he helped me up in a very un-Malfoyish way.
"Okay, Fulton," he whispered, taking the book. "You can help me do some research. But I must warn you, if my theory is correct, you might not like it."
"I don't care, I need to know." I insisted.
"Blaise won't be pleased about this, but we have an accord."
I shook his proffered hand somewhat awkwardly, and we walked cautiously out of the library together.
The Daemon will be relentless until the spell is cast, going so far as to commit suicide if the female or male mate in question refuses the offer or does not preform the spell of bonding. The suicide will always happen on the Daemon's eighteenth birthday, which is when Daemons reach their full potential. Some of the signs that a Daemon might have found his or her mate are...unexplainable absences, being overprotective of a certain person, odd excuses, hormonal moodiness, infatuation with a certain person, sudden disappearances, and being willing to do anything for the male or female in question.
All over the margins of the page, in the same handwriting as before, another message could be found.
If you are reading this, I already told you; your Daemon must tell you these things. But, I suppose that you are very persistent...perhaps you should test this theory before you jump to conclusions. Best of luck to you, possible mate. And remember...the spell must be cast by the time your Daemon turns eighteen, or all will be over. You and your mate are supposed to experience an extremely special bond; even if your Daemon dies and you don't care, you will eventually realize that no one else in this world is meant for you and that no other romantic relationship will ever be satisfying. Again, best wishes...
I gasped in shock, staring at Malfoy.
"You think this is true?"
He shrugged. "I don't see any other possibility. But if this guy is at all right, then we'd better 'test this theory' before we decide on anything..."
"You..." I blinked at him, completely surprised. "You don't mean-"
"Sadly, I do. But only when Blaise is watching..."
"He'll kill you if it's true!"
"It's worth the shot...besides, if you're there, I'm pretty sure you could stop him. As the book said earlier, the Daemon will do anything for his mate...hopefully that means that he'll listen if his mate tells him not to kill someone."
Looking up at this brave, Slytherin boy, I did something I wouldn't have ever dared do a few days ago-I hugged him.
"Thank you so much, Draco...this is still really impossible for me to believe, but I'm glad that you've been here...no matter how awkward our past has been..."
His white arms wrapped reluctantly around my back, and he leaned his head onto my shoulder just a tiny bit. After one of the weirdest hugs of all history (possibly even weirder than his and Voldemort's), he pulled back with a slight smile.
"Okay, Fult-er, Clara...let's get back to the common room...we have to try out this next bit of information...I apologize ahead of time for anything...er, weird, that I might do..."
"Same here..."
CHARLIE'S P.O.V.
I walked toward the portrait hole, a smile on my face because I couldn't wait to see Clara. The portrait swung open, though something on Sparkle's face made her look very reluctant to let me in. I raised an eyebrow at the silly fairy and whistled my way through the door, stopping abruptly when I saw the scene on the couch.
Draco was holding Clara in his arms, kissing her ardently and obliviously as I stood there, a mix of a million emotions...none of them good. Her eyes were closed, though she didn't look like she was enjoying the kiss all that much.
With a roar of anger, my wings shot from my back, and the room seemed to get a thousand degrees hotter. The fire in the grate jumped about four times higher, nearly spilling out onto the carpet viciously. Malfoy pulled his bloody hands off of Clara, and I had grabbed the front of his expensive cloak so hastily that it ripped. He was up against the wall then, and the words that I used were words to never be repeated again. I could feel a fire building up inside me, and I used the rage I had to warm my palms, slowly burning the little scumbag.
"Charlie, sto-"
"Get back, Clara. He's going to pay." My voice sounded like liquid venom.
"Charlie!"
"Charlie!"
"Blaise, please," the son of a hag hissed breathlessly as my ever warming hands began to burn.
"Charlie! Charlie! You listen to me!"
I didn't move.
"BLAISE CHARLES ZABINI! AS YOUR MATE, I COMMAND YOU TO LET GO OF HIM RIGHT! THIS! SECOND!
I was so shocked that I dropped the little freak immediately, turning to the only girl I'd ever love and watching the tears streak down her face.
"C-Clara," I stuttered, approaching her. "How-how did you-"
"Get away from me."
Her words actually hurt, I realized as a dull pain throbbed in my chest.
My voice was saturated with utter despair and desperation. "Clara, please-"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"
She rounded on me, getting up in my face as much as she could with our extreme height differences. "You thought you could just make me your mate without telling me? You thought that you could just woo me into doing whatever spell you need to survive? Well guess what...I WON'T! I could never love someone who selfishly kept all these secrets, tried to kill an innocent boy-"
"He is not innocent!" I interrupted, getting slightly angry at this beautiful creature. "He kissed you! That little-"
She glared daggers at me and rushed to his side, propping his now-unconscious form against the wall. "It. Was. Planned. We wanted to see whether or not I was your mate...and how well that went, right? Please take him up to the hospital wing."
With that, she went up the stairs to her dormitory, not even sparing me a second glance. The obedient Daemon in me hurriedly followed her directions, but the emotional, Daemon half just wanted to break down into a fit of distressed anger. But I knew she wanted Malfoy to be helped, and so I did it at quickly as physically possible, arriving back in just under five minutes, out of breath.
Lavender was sitting on the couch, looking confused and scared.
"Lavender!" I panted pathetically, dashing over to her. "Where...where...is...Clara?"
She shook her head. "She...said she was going somewhere. What happened? Did-"
"Tell me where she went!"
Surprised, she told me that all leaving students usually went to McGonagall.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Zabini, you literally just missed her," McGonagall said sincerely. "She told me everything that happened, as well, and I'm afraid that I'll have to give you a month's worth of detention for attacking Mr. Malfoy. But onto bigger issues; what in the world possessed you not to tell her that she is your mate? You made things much, much harder than they needed to be..."
"Why didn't you stop her?"
She furrowed her thin eyebrows at me. "Mr. Zabini, Miss Fulton happens to be seventeen, which is the wizarding age of maturity. She did ask to leave very nicely, as well."
"My apologies, Headmistress. Do you know where she went?" I pleaded.
"Yes, I do, but I'm afraid she told me specifically not to tell you. I warn you not to go looking for her yet, though...perhaps you should just send her an owl and give her some space, alright?" I got up with a nod and walked to the door. "Oh, and Mr. Zabini? When exactly is your birthday?"
"Not until April 26th, Professor...I have time..."
"Good. And I trust that you'll utilize it well?"
"As well as I can in this situation, Professor..."
Dearest Clara,
Please don't burn this note until you finish reading it, alright?
I want to inform you that I'll leave you be; I miss you terribly, I feel like dying, but you can have your space. Will you be back soon? Also, you probably have a ton of questions about my stupid behavior and Daemon stuff, so you can ask away.
I miss you...
Love,
Charlie
Don't worry; I didn't burn it.
I should probably apologize for the other day...I was really mad, and I said some things that I shouldn't have. I'm still really emotional and confused, so I think that I'll stay away for a while...
Anyway, yeah, I do have some questions and events that should be explained. I'll go in order of appearance.
1) What was with the weird look when we first looked at each other, the first day of homeroom?
2) What about the moodiness when we went shopping for the music box parts?
3) Why did the room get hot when you got angry? (with Brody and with Draco...speaking of which, how's Draco doing after your little attack?)
4) When did you actually know that I was your...mate?
5) Why didn't you tell me?
6) What would've happened if I had died at St. Mungo's?
7) Why did you randomly get up and leave? Like that one night when I was hopped up on Madam P's potions?
8) What will happen to you if I don't come back soon?
~Clara
Dearest Clara,
I must say that I really like your handwriting...kind of cursive and print combined.
Anyway, I don't much like your questions, but I guess I should answer them.
1) I acted weird because I felt some kind of...weirdly deep attraction to you in that moment...it was so strong that it made me feel sick...sorry about that...
2) I was moody because you were flirting with the underpaid, Starbucks employee...
3) The room got hot because Daemons can control fire...it usually only happens with strong emotion until a Daemon's 18th birthday...then it's easily controlled. And Malfoy's fine; Madam Pomfrey fixed him up in no time flat, he's not very angry with me, and I got detention for a month...
4) I didn't quite figure it out until after we got to Hogwarts...it was the night that I met you on the roof of the Ravenclaw tower, when we almost kissed. You see, a Daemon will never be physically affectionate with anybody but their mate...so, yeah...
5) I didn't tell you because I thought it would send you away...like now...
6) I would've been completely distraught, and eventually died as well.
7) Yeah, sorry about all the sporadic disappearances...it was just that, when you leaned in and smelled my neck, it just about drove me crazy. I didn't want to do anything that you didn't want me to do, so I decided to politely leave.
8) Well, I'm already depressed. I feel like someone is repeatedly punching me in the chest...in time, I'll get worse and worse until my birthday, when...well, I think you know.
I miss you more than words can say...
Love,
Charlie
Thanks for answering all of my questions; things make a lot more sense now...tell Draco and the others that I say "hello," will ya?
~Clara
His hands shook in utter disparity. His right hand yearned to pen a deep, convicting reply, but he knew that it would make her sad if he did anything like that.
His thoughts soon became a mantra of sorts as he went from day-to-day in a zombie-like trance ...
She'll come back. Leave her be. I miss her. She'll come back...
A/N: Hello, dearies! Thank you SO, SO much for reading! I promise that there's more mate drama to come! Pretty, pretty please review? You knoooow yoooou waaaaant toooo! :D
Love,
L.M.E.N
