Harry Potter fanfiction
THE DARK SECRET

Dedicated to BrutieBoots, because she's been waiting long for the continuation of this story (even though this is the rewrite). (:

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LINKETH

"Linketh, my boy," Professor Slughorn called after his classroom was left empty. Linketh was the last of seventh years from last period's Potions class, taking his sweet time gathering his belongings and cleaning up his cauldron. He was in no hurry to get to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class.

Linketh turned around, his gaunt face spread with no emotion, his bleach blonde curls falling over his visage, almost hiding his mismatching pale green and blue eyes. He watched Professor Slughorn trot towards him, his usual friendly smile gone from his cherubic face, his frown pulling his walrus down along with it.

"Though you should already be getting a move on to your next class, I wanted to talk to you," he began, crossing his beefy arms over his stout and round chest. Linketh always thought that Professor Slughorn resembled that of an extra-large beach ball dressed in vibrant velvet robes. "I am concerned about your lack of attendance to my class. I don't want to have to consistently dock points from our House, Mr. Kelgasus, but your truancy causes me to, regrettably. Is there a reason why you do not attend my class?"

Linketh stared at him with a dulled expression, his thin pale lips sealed shut. He wasn't about to tell him why he preferred skipping class. He wasn't about to tell him anything. Professor Slughorn anticipated his answer, and when he figured he wasn't going to get one, he sighed in defeat.

"You're an intelligent boy, Linketh. Your marks are impeccable, but if you keep this truancy up, you won't graduate. I want so much for you to be successful, Linketh. You're one of my brighter students. It would be such a shame if you didn't graduate with your learned magic. Please stop skipping class, son. You could do wonders in the real world."

After that, he sighed again and clapped a hand on Linketh's bony shoulder and instructed him to get to his next class as quickly as possible. Again, Linketh didn't mutter a word, but he thought about what Slughorn had told him. Linketh knew he was smart, and he knew it was wrong to skip class, but his desire to be at school had lessened. He was interested in Dark magic. He wondered what it would be like to be a Death Eater. Linketh loved nothing more than seeing someone struggle.

But as his thin lips turned into a twisted smile, his thoughts drifted to Aislinn and how she would feel about Linketh being a Death Eater. Aislinn was everything good and angelic put into one body. She was fair, gentle, and loving. She'd detest him, if not already, if he turned to the Dark Arts.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom, his combat boots echoing off the walls.

He couldn't have Aislinn hate him. He longed for her feelings for him. He longed to feel those dainty hands press against his chest, against his cheeks, through his hair. He wanted her bright blue eyes to gaze into his mismatching ones with love, to feel the affection gaze Cain Roman received from every girl at Hogwarts. He imagined himself wrapping his arms around her miniscule waist, leaning down to press his face in her hair and absorb her scent. He could imagine her soft petal lips press against his throat, gently sucking on his Adam's apple, her fragile hands sneaking underneath his shirt …

Linketh paused in his step, frightened of the images he'd just produced with his imagination. There was no denying he was so desperately in love with Aislinn, but the fact that he was picturing such a scene, trying to imagine what her lips would feel like against his skin … it was too much. He'd never felt this way for anyone, nor did he think he ever would, and it scared him that he was thinking such thoughts about the delicate, angelic Ravenclaw girl.

He continued his walk down the corridor, passing through a desolate hall he normally walked through to get down to the Slytherin common room.

Yet, as he neared the grinning gargoyle statue, he heard a muffled moan, and he paused in his step. His heart pounded with curiosity as he wondered what could be causing this moan. It was either from pain, or from pleasure, and Linketh feared that it was the latter.

Curiosity took control of his body and he stepped forward, peering around the corner, only to witness to figures completely engaged in each other, snogging the other's face off, so he thought. As he focused on who the figures could be, he was shocked to see Cain Roman pressing his body against Azazel Zeela Yein's petite form, his arms wrapped hungrily around her waist while hers tangled around his neck, their lips moving quickly with each other.

Linketh quickly turned away and pressed his back against the stone wall, his face hot and beet red with embarrassment for witnessing something as such, especially after he'd just had images of himself and Aislinn in their exact positions.

He heard another lusty moan and his face grew even redder. This moan was longer, and louder.

Oh bloody hell, he thought.

He didn't know what to do. He refused to go to class, but this was the only way to get to the Slytherin common room without getting caught by any prefects, teachers, or ghosts. Perhaps this was why Roman had chosen this area to suck face with Azazel, the prat.

Perhaps they won't be long, he thought with great hope.

But he was wrong. Cain's and Azazel's moans only grew louder and longer, pleading each other to never stop. Linketh groaned silently and rolled his eyes. This was his secret corridor, and it wasn't open to any other couple to snog.

He sighed heavily, but, as soon as he did, the moaning suddenly stopped, and so did his heartbeat. Had he really sighed that loud? Had they heard him?

"Someone appears to be eavesdropping. I wasn't aware we were putting on a show," Cain's melodic voice murmured, however he was purposefully loud enough for Linketh to hear him.

"What are you talking about?" Azazel's voice snapped. "Somebody has been watching us?" Her tone was both angry and afraid, and he could only imagine her hair shifting to a fiery red. He decided he'd stayed long enough. It was stupid for him to even consider them leaving soon. He began to walk away, until Cain called his name.

"Leaving so soon, Linketh? Not pleased with our show?" Cain chimed smugly. Linketh gulped. The last thing he wanted was another taunt from Cain Roman. He'd known how to put Linketh in his place, how to embarrass him and make him feel like an insignificant worm. Nobody knew how to do that Linketh, because it was Linketh who always made others feel insecure.

Linketh quickly walked away, stuffing his hand into the pocket of his cloak, grasping his wand tightly. Suddenly, a hand grabbed hold of his shoulder, squeezing it tightly.

"What's the matter, Kelgasus? Afraid of a little kissing?" Cain taunted in a low whisper, his lips voicing next to his ear.

"Get off of me," snarled Linketh as he pulled out his wand, aiming it at Cain's chest. Cain's eyebrows rose with amusement.

"Ah, a little duel. So this is what you want?" Cain pulled out his own wand from the pocket of his black slacks, the slick dark wood moving aside Linketh's own black wand away from Cain's chest. "Very well."

"Cain, what is—Kelgasus? What's going on? Stop it!" Azazel suddenly appeared from behind the corner, dropping her belongings at the floor as she ran in between them, pushing them away from each other. Her hair was long and raven-colored, glistening in the torchlight from the walls.

Linketh snarled at Cain as he rose his wand to meet his face. "I was just about to hex your boyfriend into oblivion, Zeela Yein. You won't be making out in my corridor any longer."

"Is that what's got your wand in a knot?" Azazel scoffed. "Honestly, Kelgasus, go back to the common room where you can sulk and talk to yourself. We don't need this." Linketh's glaring gaze immediately shifted to her.

"What was that, Squib?" he snapped. Azazel widened her eyes as both her eye color and hair color shifted to a fiery red. Almost in a flash, she snatched Cain's wand from his hand and stunned Linketh, the hit knocking him off of his feet and skidding away on the floor.

"Call me Squib one more time, Kelgasus, and I'll make sure you're hexed into bloody oblivion," she threatened. Linketh's gaze shifted from shocked to a glare as he helped himself up.

"Keep your mouth shut, Zeela Yein, or I'll make you eat those words," Linketh snarled.

"No, you better keep your mouth shut," Cain intercepted, "because if you so much as touch Azazel, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life." He walked up from behind Azazel, took back his wand, and then grabbed a hold of her waist, pulling her close to him. "You've got no idea what I can do to you, Kelgasus. Keep it up and you'll be swimming in a pool of your own blood."

Linketh's blood curdled and he wished to stab Cain Roman right in the heart for threatening him, but he held back and fixed his bag over his shoulder again. Azazel was suddenly pretty brave to stand up to him. Last time he checked, her hair turned white whenever he so much as muttered a word. The coward. Now that she had Roman around her finger, she thought it okay to stand up to him now.

"I might just make you eat those words, Roman," Linketh hissed as he looked over his shoulder. "I'd watch out if I were you."

He walked away, turning his head slightly to watch Cain's expression, hoping he'd tremble in fear. Instead, Cain produced a large twisted grin and he tilted his head back, laughing like a madman.