Adderley was yawning and coming down for breakfast when she heard the bickering: Malfoy's inveterate voice was rarely heard in two flights of stairs from her .
- What-what did you say?! - he uttered in astonishment. - Sorry, I couldn't hear.
- Then you have to wash your ears in the morning!
- You're one to talk, Weasley, - said Draco with incredible contempt.
- Why are you following us? - Granger joined us.
- Me?! - Malfoy marveled. - Follow you?! Why would I need this? I already know everything about you...
- Well, what do you know? - Potter said with a broken voice.
- Alas, I can't tell you, - to all appearances, Draco scattered his hands.
- Look, Malfoy, stop showing off! - Weasley was clearly angry. - Get off of us!
- Oh, what a lexicon! Just a find... And that's a descendant of a Pure-blood family! I can understand Granger, I can understand Potter, they grew up with Muggles, but you, Weasley... If I were your parents, I would have choked on the shame of a progeny like you!
- Malfoy, stop insulting my friend! - Potter intervened.
- As I have already told you: you should choose your friends with carefulness, - Draco said. - But you didn't listen to me, now you have to suffer with them... You would get to Slytherin, you would be quickly taught good manners there, while here... Look at what a descendant of an ancient family looks like! Scarecrow, not a wizard!
- As if you are so good!? - Boy who survived clearly pissed off. - Clown!
- Yeah, without your friends you're not fit for anything, - added Weasley. - Weak! You even look like a girl!
- Should we go at it, Weasley? - Malfoy suggested funny. Apparently, something came over him in the morning. - I don't offer Potter, he has no chances.
- I will punch you in the face now! - Ron said.
- Try it, - Draco replied with a clear desire to try out a couple of techniques that were shown by Adderley. - Well, come on, I'm waiting!
- No! - said Weasley all of a sudden. - It is better to have a duel! A magic duel!
- With you?! - he was amazed by that. - Listen, which one of us is a clown? For Malfoy to fight a duel with Weasley... Hilarious!
- You're scared, aren't you? - Potter's back in. Judging by the squeak, Granger tried to stop them, but she was pushed aside. - What about me? Will you accept my call or will you chicken out again?
- Merlin... - Adderley knew that grimace: Malfoy must have rolled his eyes. - Buddy, you don't even know how to make this challenge right. You don't know how to choose second and stipulate the terms of a duel. Anyway, you don't know anything at all. Fighting with such a chicken is below my dignity. Try to call... well, someone of your level... maybe Weasley.
- I'm sick of him!
- Ron, don't you dare...!
- Stop it!...
It was obviously time to intervene until it came to a serious fight.
- What's all the hubbub in here? - asked Adderley easily running down the stairs and standing exactly on the attack line. Well, the disposition is clear: three with wands, Malfoy - without. He either didn't have time to pull out or didn't consider it necessary. Rather, the second one, very angry eyes, he definitely decided to break someone's nose.
- Get out of here, Adderley! Stop sticking up for this caramel boy!
- Malfoy, are you a caramel boy? - she asked and smelled it. - No, I don't smell anything like that.
- Go away, - he said not loudly.
- You wish, - Adderley answered quietly as well. - There are three of them.
- I don't care.
- What is going on here? - there was an icy voice.
- Nothing, sir, - Adderley responded surprisingly before anyone could open their mouth. - Mr. Malfoy wanted to ask me something, that's all.
- Is that it? - Snape crossed his arms on his chest and measured the freshmen with his eyes. - Then why were these three holding the wands ready?
- I have no idea, sir, - Adderley shrugged her shoulders. - I just came up.
- Mr. Malfoy?
- I don't know what got into their heads, professor, - he quickly slammed his eyelashes. - You see, neither me nor Miss Adderley have wands in our hands. I really wanted to ask her something... It is not forbidden, right?
- It's not forbidden, five points from Gryffindor for trying to spell in the hallway. - Granger sniffed her nose. - From everyone, - Snape said with incredible pleasure, waiting for another sob and added: - Except Miss Adderley.
- You are so fair, sir, - Malfoy said sincerely. - Can we go now?
- Of course you can.
- Let's go, Adderley...
- With you, - Snape looked at the three gryffindors, - I'll have another chat...
- Nothing, forget.
- Malfoy, I will hit you!
- Hit me, just leave me alone.
- Did something happen at home? You're a strange one.
- Nothing has happened. I'm just sick of it! - Draco knocked on the table so that cups jumped.
- What exactly did you get sick of? - Adderley didn't back down.
- Don't talk to me like with Crabbe and Goyle!
- Ooh... - she stretched it out. - This is a very neglected case. Tilly! Bring me some ice and a towel. Mr. Malfoy needs a cold compress on his head!
- It's not funny... - he spiked that one. - Oh!... Adderley, crazy! Come on, stop it!
- Chill? - Adderley already seriously asked. - Now tell me what happened. Why did you want to get into a fight?
- I don't know... Everything goes wrong. Yesterday McGonagall yelled at me, then Snape blew my essay, everything is falling out of hand, some shit is dreaming... Today I didn't even wait for anyone, and then meet them. They were standing, whispering, probably, about that corridor again, the conspirators are miserable. Weasley said something, I don't even remember what exactly... Something about the spy. I thought when I'd fight, I'd let it go.
- Well, you could called me, we would have arranged a scuffle with you...
- No, I really wanted to fight. To the blood.
- It wouldn't have worked out for you, - said Adderley. - There are three of them. Somebody would have thrown Stupefay, and then Weasley would have break up your face.
- Yeah, I'm a fool, and you're smart. Potter is a fool, too, but everybody admire him! - Malfoy evil snorted.
- Draco, - she said softly, and he twitched. Adderley used names very rarely. - Are you jealous of the glory of Potter? You must be the star of Hogwarts, right? Heir to the family, handsome, smart... And then suddenly there's some Potter! Is that so?
- Sometimes I hate you, Adderley, - Malfoy said sadly.
- You really are a fool, - she sighed. - Well, think about it, would you like such glory?
- What do you mean?
- Look... You said you had a beautiful house, right?
- Yes, it's very beautiful... An old mansion, there are such paintings on the ceiling... And the park is huge! Dad also holds of horses and hippogriffs!
- Well, now imagine that all this has been destroyed. The park is burnt, the house is destroyed, one foundation is left, the beasts have scattered. Your parents were killed, and you were given to Muggles for education. They can't stand magic and you. You were grown up not spoiled prince... Here, you were grown up as an ordinary boy, you walked in updatings, eat something, you were constantly punished. You don't even know the truth about magic and your parents, you thought that they were alcoholics and crashed in an accident. Then, you got into this world where you and your face are recognized by everybody. Everyone wants to be friends with you because you're the Chosen One... However, they still send you on holidays to the Muggles, - Adderley added recalling some conversations in the Gryffindor living room. - So, how would you react?
- First of all, - Malfoy said evil, - I would think "where have you bastards been before?". Then I would have hated this world for having been deprived of my normal childhood and tried to return everything that I had been deprived of. With interest. I would have sent my selflessness away, but I would have visited my relatives, found out why nobody took me under guardianship...
- That's right, you can immediately see the true Slytherin! Potter is some pathologically altruist, - she nodded. - He did not even think about his relatives. I, by the way, looked - you are also related to him, quite close.
- We are all relatives here, - Draco said grimly. - You know that.
- Yes, I do. So, did you like the picture?
- No.
- Well, leave him alone. Do you also want to stand next to the Favorite? - Adderley asked.
- No, - Malfoy frowned. - Well, if he really wants - we should let him go anywhere he wants, I care about my life!
- At last, I hear the voice of intellect! By the way, get away from Longbottom too.
- Why is that? This laggard...
- This laggard is the best in Herbology, - Adderley interrupted. - You know, many geniuses in childhood were considered idiots. Don't spoil the relationship even more, okay? Your own aunt left him without parents, and he knows about it!
- What should I do now, ask him for forgiveness?
- No, it's not your personal fault. Just think: we will grow up, you will continue the family business. What if you need a smart Herbologist for something?
- What about you? - Malfoy suddenly asked. - What are you going to do in the future?
- Actually, I wanted to be a doctor, - she replied thoughtfully. - Here, it turns out, I will be a healer. This is a close link to the Potions and Herbology. Do you understand what I'm saying? You've already told me that.
- Useful people? - Draco spoke slowly.
- That's right.
- I have to think about it, - he confessed. - Okay... I promise I won't start it. Only if Weasley comes in on his own...
- Give it in his eye and calm down, - Adderley concluded. - Now let's go, because Madame Sprout will make fertilize from us... Look at Longbottom, just for the sake of interest.
- Okay...
Halloween morning was marked by an incredible event: Malfoy accompanied by his retinue approached Longbottom (the Gryffindor trinity immediately strained in anticipation of some nasty things), coughed and said softly:
- Longbottom... I ask to excuse me for that case with a reminder. It was not nice from my side.
- I... - Neville was so worried that he froze with his mouth open, while Draco patiently waited for an answer. - It's okay... I was not offended...
- Well, that's good, - Malfoy replied, went to his desk and hissed aside, - Are you happy, Adderley?
- You were brilliant, - she replied gladly looking at the dumbfounded face of Longbottom and freshmen who completely dropped out of reality.
- It seems that somebody bit Malfoy, - said Patil.
- He would bitten more often, - Brown sighed. - He is so... ah...
- Ugly, - Weasley said.
- Slippery, - Potter added.
- Stylish, - Adderley inserted in the same tone, and everyone'd nodded before they realized what they had agreed with. - You guys have been sitting on this... Surprisingly...
Simus and Dean laughed. They knew how long Adderley had spent to convince Malfoy to apologize. However, the shock of most gryffindors was worth it...
- Eat, - Dean said. Today, against custom, all eight gathered in the kitchen in full. - For dinner there will be a pumpkin, only a pumpkin and nothing but a pumpkin! Percy said it!
- I can't stand the pumpkin. - Simus said trying to chew pudding. - Not in any form...
- I love it, - Goyle said suddenly. - But only baked. They don't make one of these here.
- He's talking! - Dean gazed out and immediately laughed. - I'm sorry, man, but you usually don't say anything.
- What's there to say?
- Well, there's what to say! Explain to me why you gave Crabbe a pass, even though Finnigan was open?
- I didn't think so...
Malfoy looked at Adderley and smiled. It was not so easy to talk for his buddies, if Gregory suddenly opened his mouth of his own free will... It already meant something.
On the other side of the table Zabini and Nott were drawing something on the piece of parchment. Maybe they were building a line of defense or maybe they were trying to understand how the spell worked.
- So, let's go to this stupid feast? - Adderley asked.
- Let's go, - the rest of them agreed, without any wish.
The feast, of course, was good. Pumpkins, flying candles, ghosts...
Draco was desperately bored. He couldn't eat pumpkin pie, pumpkin casserole and other pumpkin delicacies after the feast in the kitchen. He didn't want to talk, he was bored. Apparently, Nott and Zabini were bored, too.
- I would rather go to bed, - he thought sadly and looked at the Gryffindor table. Apparently, Adderley slept with her eyes open not responding to what was happening. Malfoy began to hypnotize her with his gaze, hoping to at least her look, it's not so dull.
- Troll! In the dungeons, a troll! - there was a scream, and Professor Quirrell fell on the doorstep without feeling.
Adderley blinked and woke up. The fuss began: the prefects were told to take everyone to the living rooms and not to let students out of there.
"In the dungeons?!"
Adderley intercepted Malfoy's gaze and showed him a soccer gesture - "stop game", he had already learned this. There was interest in his eyes.
She poked her finger at Malfoy, then depicted with two fingers a man walking down the stairs, then showed an angry face and for fidelity once again pointed down. Draco blinked, frowned and suddenly understood.
- I will not go anywhere! - he said sitting at his previous place.
- Malfoy, it is not time to show off! - the prefect shouted at him. - Come, now!
- Have you gone mad?! There is a troll in the dungeons, we actually live there! Maybe it is a conspiracy?! To put all Slytherin at once?! - Draco's voice was unusually sharp and quite nasty. - And Hufflepuff at the same time! It is good for gryffs and ravens, they have nests on the towers, but we?!
- He's right, - students talked around. - Professor Snape!
- Madame Sprout! - The hufflepuff have called. - What should we do?
- Slytherin! - Snape's voice easily covered the noise of the Great Hall. - Stay where you are until my order. Elders! Count the junior students, do not allow anyone to leave!
- Hufflepuff! - Madame Sprout had a quieter voice, but it was enough. - Sit in place, wait. The professors will manage.
- We are going, - said Percy Weasley. - Line up and let's go, we're going upstairs... Adderley?
- I'll sit here, if you'll excuse me, - she said unceremoniously squeezing between Malfoy and Nott. - Do you mind? No? Well, that's fine. Otherwise, nobody knows where the troll will go for a walk...
- Adderley!
- What? I won't move from here, don't worry... By the way, Percy, we have Granger missing somewhere, did you not notice?
- Granger!...
- Well, as usual, noise, running, Gryffindor in all its glory, - Malfoy snorted.
- Now Potter and Weasley are gone, too, - Zabini remarked. - Probably, they went to look for this shaggy. Adderley, I sincerely feel for you. Being at the same House as these jerks. You have to be either as crazy or have an incredible self-control. I'm sure, you have the second one... although you have a lot from first variant.
- The hat offered me a choice of Slytherin or Gryffindor, - she said thoughtfully.
There was silence.
- You...
- I knew you wouldn't accept the Muggle-born. So... Anyway, we still met. I don't regret my choice...
Draco put his head down. So, they could have studied together...
"Then I didn't notice her at all or I would have noticed and would have tried to humiliate her. The war would have started, Adderley knows well how to fight... No, that's better!" - Malfoy thought.
- That is, you are half ours, - the judicious Nott said. - I was wondering why you're not acting like a crazy Gryffindor but as a Pure-blood Slytherin...
- I'm not a Pure-blood, I'm a Muggle-born, - Adderley reminded looking at him with interest.
- Slytherin is not about just blood, it's a state of mind, - Theodore answered and kept quiet.
They waited quite a long time, many had already begun to be bored but did not dare to go out until the teachers returned, they were anxious and angry. They sent everyone to the bedrooms. Troll, it was announced, almost bruised Granger who decided for some reason to cry in the toilet. Potter and Weasley heroically saved her. True, if the teachers had not come soon, there would be no one to save her, but the heroes are not judged...
- Are you still jealous of fame? - Adderley asked Malfoy in a whisper.
He shook his head in silence. To be heroically smeared on the wall of the women's restroom was in no way part of Draco's life plans!
- Well, I will see you tomorrow then...