In Which Angeline Helps a Certain Blond Syltherin
After the detention incident, most of the bullying died down for Angeline. Which was just as well, as she needed more time to do her essays and study for her tests. As it happened, to make up the grades she missed for practical examinations, Angeline had twice if not thrice as many written tests as the average student. Her friends noted that it had begun to wear on the girl's nerves, and tended to walk softly around her for fear of her ire.
With the exception of Veronika, whom seemed convinced that anything could be cured with a guitar lesson, or possibly singing.
"Come on, you know it's fun," the blonde Gryffindor said, bounding around her friend as they made their way into the Forbidden Forest.
"It is not," Angeline said, cheeks coloring slightly. "I refuse to make a fool of myself in front of everyone."
"What's this then?" Rochester asked as the girls approached. Veronika skipped right up to the dragon.
"I keep telling Angeline she should try singing to relieve some stress, but she says daft and should mind my own business," the girl said. "Would you help me out, Rocky?"
"You are daft, and I am not stressed!" Angeline said, glaring at the ground as she sat on a rock. Rochester and Veronika rolled their eyes.
"You are stressed, even I can tell," the dragon said, moving to nuzzle his sister's cheek gently. "And maybe you should try singing. Come on, no one's here but me and VV."
"I do not want to," Angeline said. "I will sound terrible."
"How do you know that if you won't try!" Veronika said, plopping down next to her friend. Angeline said nothing.
"Come on, just try it," Rochester said. Angeline frowned. "You sing, or I will."
"Fine, do not be a bother," the girl snapped, jumping to her feet. Veronika giggled as Angeline walked off a few steps. The blonde Gryffindor and the dragon waited expectantly as the girl composed herself. Then she sighed.
"You are going to laugh at me," she said.
"We won't, promise," Veronika said, Rochester nodding in agreement. Angeline faced the two of them, then sighed again.
"Fine. If you laugh, I will stop," she warned, and Veronika crossed her heart. Angeline bit her lip, then began.
"Come little one let us go to the woods,
Your eyes are shining and it will do you some good
Stop making trouble there rascal or I'll have your tail
Come little one let us go to the woods."
"Oh, how pretty! Did you come up with that yourself?" Veronika asked. Angeline turned crimson.
"You are making fun of me," she said. Veronika leap to her feet.
"I am not! It was really pretty!" she said.
"She used to sing it to me when I was being a nuisance," Rochester said. Veronika didn't hear, however, insisting that Angeline sing some more. With enough convincing, the girl sang until Fred and James joined them, bringing food with them. Dougal showed up a bit later, and the five took a lunch picnic that day. At one point, Rochester sat up.
"Is something wrong?" Angeline asked. The dragon glanced at her.
"Not wrong, per se. I will be back shortly," he said, and ambled off into the forest quickly.
"… should we be worried without him here?" Fred asked. Angeline shrugged.
"I am not," she said, taking a bite from a sandwich.
"He can probably still hear us, you know," Veronika said, setting the others at ease.
Rochester, however, did not reappear, and the students needed to return to classes, or else risk being late. Angeline looked to where he had disappeared into the forest, until Fred tugged her arm.
"I'm sure he'll understand, I mean, we do this a lot, you know," he said, clearly anxious not to be late. Angeline sighed, then cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Brother, we're leaving. See you again tomorrow!" she yelled. Then she shook her head, following the others out of the forest.
"Excuse me."
Angeline looked up from writing one of her many essays. She was at her usual table in the library, just finishing up her homework. The person who had interrupted her was a sallow, mousy haired girl. She was soft spoken, wearing Hufflepuff colors.
"Yes?" Angeline asked, having a hazy memory of the girl…. Sheila, that was it. Sheila Ambedor.
"I was asked to give this to you," the girl said, handing a note to Angeline. The older girl took it curiously.
"Thank you, Sheila," she said. Sheila blushed for some unknown reason, and ran off. Angeline stared curiously after her, then shrugged and opened the note. It was written in neat script letters, but simply read:
By the whomping willow.
8pm tonight.
Angeline stared at it for a few moments. Then she sighed lightly, tucking the note into her pocket and checking the time. It was a quarter past seven.
Well, Angeline thought to herself, if I finish this essay in time, then I will go to this mysterious meeting.
Though, honestly, she could not think of who could possibly have need of so much secrecy.
Angeline arrived at the meeting place at five minutes past the hour. Fred had attempted to accompany her, however, Veronika had turned the young Gryffindor back, insisting that Angeline might have a secret admirer, and how awkward would it be for some other guy to be there if it was? To which Fred replied that it could also be a trick for some cruel prank, and that someone ought to go with Angeline. The argument continued back and forth, until the older girl tired of it and slipped away on her own.
Now that she was there, however, wrapped in her warm clothes against the snow, she wondered if she shouldn't have brought Fred along. For the company, if nothing else. Standing, alone, in the dark, uncertain as to whether or not she were in the right place was not exactly entertaining.
Someone cleared their throat, and Angeline jumped and turned. A few paces off, wrapped up as much as she, though with perhaps more expensive robes, stood Scorpius Malfoy.
"You're Angeline, right?" he asked, not moving any closer. Angeline nodded once.
"Yes, and you are Scorpius Malfoy," she said. There was no question in her voice. They stood in silence a few moments, then Scorpius half turned.
"Would you, uh… take a walk with me?" he asked. Raising a brow, Angeline nodded. Scorpius fell into step as she came abreast of him.
"I would think there would be more to this meeting than walking," Angeline said. Scorpius chuckled sheepishly, glancing at her.
"The dragon in the Forbidden Forest-"
"Rochester, Rochester Charlotte Grayheart, my brother," Angeline said. Scorpius nodded slowly.
"You… you can understand him, can't you? I mean, speak with him, like anyone else?" the third year Slytherin asked. Angeline looked at him curiously. He sounded strangely… hopeful.
"Yes, I can," she said carefully. Scorpius nodded, more to himself than her, and they walked in silence for a time.
"I know him; your brother," Scorpius said at last. The older Slytherin stopped, and Angeline turned to face him. "We talk… well, I talk, I can't really… you know."
"I … see. I was not aware of this," she said evenly. It was the first thing she could recall Rochester not telling her about. Scorpius scratched the back of his neck.
"Well… well, I was just wondering if… if maybe you would… ah…"
"Yes?" Angeline asked.
"Translate?" Scorpius asked quietly. Angeline looked at him, and blinked once slowly.
"Tell me about him," she said, walking again. It helped to shake off the cold. Confused, Scorpius jogged to catch up to her.
"What? Who?" he asked.
"My brother. Tell me about him," she said.
"Why-"
"Indulge me," Angeline said, heading towards the castle.
"Ah… he's… what do you want to know?" he asked.
"Anything," she asked.
"Well… he's… well, he's a dragon, but I'm sure you knew that." Angeline rolled her eyes. "Right. Uh… sarcastic. He's very sarcastic, and plays at being melodramatic, even though he really isn't. He's kind of a pain in the ass, really. But the good kind, the kind that makes you laugh. Well, he makes me laugh. And he's… he's a good friend. A really good friend."
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, it doesn't sound like you need a translator to me," Angeline said. Scorpius's head shot up. They had made it to the inner courtyard.
"What? But-"
"Scorpius," Angeline stopped. She smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "My brother, as you might assume, has very few friends that are his alone. In fact, I believe you are the only friend he has that he has not met through me. And, as he has not told me about you, I must assume he would like to have his own friend without my interference. Besides that, you do seem to understand him well enough on your own. I honestly do not think you require my assistance. All I ask is that you continue being friends with my brother, as clearly he likes being friends with you."
Scorpius was at a loss for words. Finally, he laughed.
"Miss. Portur, you have yourself a deal," he said. Angeline snorted, her face returning to its typical impassive state.
"Angeline, please," she said. Scorpius nodded, turning to go to his dorms.
"Thank you, Angeline," he said. Angeline nodded, and they parted. When Angeline returned to the Gryffindor common room, she was greeted by a pissed off Fred Weasley and an enthusiastic Veronika Voski.
"So? What happened?" Veronika asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Angeline looked between her two friends, and came to a decision.
"Nothing. They did not show," the girl said, stepping past them while shedding her winter gear.
"You were gone an awful long time for nothing to have happened," Fred pointed out. Angeline shrugged, heading up to the girl's dorm.
"It was a nice night. I decided to go for a walk," she said. Her friends watched after her a moment. Then Veronika punched Fred in the arm.
"See? It must have been a secret admirer, and now she's too embarrassed to tell us!" she said. Fred rolled his eyes.
"No, it must have been some nasty prank, and she won't tell us because she doesn't want us getting involved," he said.
And the argument resumed where it had left off when the two had realized Angeline had left.