Hi everyone! Surprised there's another update so soon? Me too, to be honest! Couldn't stop writing today though, so here we are! Hope you like it!
CHAPTER SEVEN: APOLOGIES
Weeks had gone by.
I had let weeks go by before I'd finally gotten the courage to speak to Potter. I tried to tell myself that it was because I was distracted with Montague's filthy actions-or better yet the sweet revenge I'd inflicted on him; or the fact that Draco and I still hadn't figured out what our vision meant or how we even managed to have one. But in reality the bitterness and anger I felt toward myself was a direct result of my inability to admit-both to Potter and myself-that I owed him a thank you, and also an apology.
Two very difficult things to admit. And so here I was, weeks later, lamely making my way to the Boy Wonder to express my gratitude.
I've gone soft…
It was bitterly cold on this November evening, flurries of snow had even started to fall, but I couldn't quite feel it. My adrenaline was heating up my body just fine. My nerves about seeing Potter, of all people, were getting the best of me. I couldn't believe it.
I was a bloody fool.
And apparently I was a soft fool now too because yet again I found myself doing something stupid because my mouth just couldn't stay shut.
Ugh.
Before I had even knocked on the door to the entrance I heard his voice; full of disdain.
"What are you doing here?"
I hadn't exactly been expecting his voice to seem so harsh and accusing toward me when he realized I was there but I should've prepared for it anyway. Surprisingly, I almost felt a little annoyed at it; especially since he'd made no effort to be particularly nasty to me since the whole Umbridge incident. In fact, he'd be annoyingly civil towards me, save for the few harsh rashes we would throw at each other when my brother was around to start a fight.
And even then I could tell he wasn't putting in much effort.
Despite those little encounters he'd been perfectly tolerable. Of course, he hadn't exactly made an overly eager effort to speak to me-that was mainly due to my avoiding him-but still.
"Come to have a chat, actually."
Potter raised a curious eyebrow at me as he stroked a white spotted owl which I presumed was his. There was always a rumor going around of Potter's legendary owl and she seemed to fit the criteria that made her the very one. She was a pretty thing, with bright yellow eyes and clean sleek feathers; I could see from here that she was very proud of her owner and held him in high regard.
I looked around the Owlery and shivered a bit from the cold. It was a cold Sunday afternoon and Potter's red ears and cheeks indicated he'd been here quite some time; he looked nearly frozen with just a thin blue jumper on. I had on my jacket and even that wasn't keeping me as warm as I'd hoped-I could imagine how cold he actually was. Vaguely, I wondered how long he'd been up here.
"You're joking," He said finally, his voice full of sarcasm.
I rolled my eyes-perfectly prepared for this type of response-and stepped further into the Owlery.
This was the Potter I was used to dealing with-sarcastic, rude, annoying-and just because I'd come up here to thank him didn't mean I wasn't going to be rude back to him. I hadn't seen Potty with his friends in the Great Hall at dinner and I hadn't seen him anywhere else in the castle and my encounter with him a few weeks ago when he'd been running to the Owlery for a sort of safe haven had given me a good enough inkling to knowing where he was now. It's not like I had been looking for him all day, it's just that there was something I had wanted to discuss with him since our last detention with the toad and I wasn't planning on letting it burden my thoughts any further. I had been far too stressed about Harry Golden Boy Potter for my liking.
It needed to end.
I had let a lot of time pass between this long overdue conversation but I finally figured it was time I had said my thanks to him. I wasn't exactly happy about it-I was much too proud to admit that I had needed help when he'd given it to me-but there was a part of me that was itching at my guilt when it came to him. And finally after all this time I figured it was time for me to act like an adult and suck it up. I sighed, annoyed.
"Do I look like I'm joking, Potter?"
"Surprisingly, no."
His green eyes were narrowed at me but his body was relaxed enough to reassure me that he wasn't going to reach for his wand any time soon. A wand fight was the last thing I was looking for; not that I wouldn't participate and annihilate him, but still it would be inconvenient. Actually, now that I thought about it I'd much rather a fight than what I was about to do-it would certainly be easier to accomplish.
"Yes, because unlike some of my fellow classmates I tend to tell the truth," I shot back at him.
He rolled his eyes. His owl seemed to glare at me too.
"Well, I'm listening," He said, prompting me to start getting to the point.
I sighed in slight annoyance again, wondering if this was even a good idea at all. I had known why I wanted to seek him out and I knew why it was important to me but there was a larger more prominent part of me screaming on the inside that this was a horrid idea and that talking to Potty Golden Boy would probably just end up with me getting myself into more trouble than necessary. It was foolish to bring such things up to him and especially with my brother on my tail about not telling people my opinions of our current state in the wizarding world; especially telling Potter of all people. But I couldn't help it; my mouth couldn't keep itself shut this time; not when Potter had done what he'd done for me.
"I believe you, you know," I said, my voice coming out harsher than intended; most likely due to being on edge about telling him this in the first place.
"About what?" His eyebrows had raised, telling me he had a hunch about what I was going to say.
"About the Dark Lord," I said and saw his jaw clench slightly at my words.
He didn't say anything for a bit, analyzing whether or not he thought I was telling the truth. But in reality I had no reason to lie. If I didn't believe him I'm sure my big mouth would've made that clear too but I did believe him. I could understand his hesitancy to believe me, however, which was clear in his body language.
I tried to ignore how his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides and how his jaw had a little tick as he thought over my words. His eyes-that infuriatingly bright green color that were so solid at the moment that they almost looked crystalline-didn't look away from my face when he spoke and in them I saw that he had what looked like the slight wisp of trust.
"Why?"
I had a feeling this would be the question he asked when I told him that I believed him but I couldn't tell him the truth. I couldn't tell him about all the dark things I'd seen this summer at my own home. I couldn't confirm that which he already knew about my father. I may be against what my father was and why he did it but I wasn't going to dishonor him by outing him. Especially not to Potter. There was no way there would be a happy ending for me if I even thought about telling him what my father was.
My family was too important to me. I couldn't lose them.
"I just do," I said, hoping my face wasn't giving anything away of my thoughts.
It's not like I liked Potter, or trusted him or even tolerated him but he had done something for me that most likely no one else in the entire school would've bothered to think of doing. As a Slytherin, as Malfoy, I felt it was my responsibility to repay him with how deeply my honor ran. I'd felt nothing but guilt and frustration toward Potter for a very long time; it was even harder seeing him in the halls and finding that I would rather run away from him than start our usual banter. I felt like a coward. What type of nemesis was I if I wanted to run away from him? There was no point in it. I knew this was the only way my guilty conscience would flee.
And I'd felt so, so guilty for not thanking him. It would be nice to be free of those thoughts again.
He looked at me with a wary expression but after a very long silence between us with nothing but the sound of the wind outside and the owls cooing, he finally nodded his head at me with what looked like the beginning of a smile spreading across his face.
"I'm glad you do," He said. "Thank you."
"No, Potter-," I shook my head at him and bit my lip, struggling with my next words. Everything I'd been keeping inside was eating away at me and I wanted nothing more than to just turn around and forget I'd even come up here to talk to him. His owl was eyeing me like she expected me to bolt out the door. I certainly wanted to.
But my feet were planted firmly on the ground-I wasn't going anywhere until I said what I needed to say.
"Thank you, Potter. For helping me. With Umbridge."
I didn't particularly mean for my voice to come out so icily but it did; the words were meant to be grateful not bitter but I couldn't help it.
This was all too knew for me.
I didn't like Potter, he was an annoyance and self-righteous and even more annoyingly noble, so it was very hard for me to give him my gratitude.
But-as I had been struggling to come to the conclusion to over the past few weeks-he deserved it.
"You're welcome," He said simply.
I hadn't been looking at him when he spoke but my eyes flew to him when he did. I narrowed my expression at him in suspicion. He had the nerve to chuckle.
"How is this at all funny to you, Potter?" I sneered.
"I guess because it's so hard for you to say a simple thanks." He shrugged and looked at his owl with a hint of a smile on his face.
I growled at him and crossed my arms over my chest. Did he really find humor in my torture? He should be grateful I even felt the need to thank him. What an arrogant git.
"Listen, I don't need you making fun of me for giving you my thanks-,"
"I'm not making fun of you, Malfoy. I appreciate the thanks-honestly I didn't think I'd get one at all so this is quite the surprise."
"What? Are you saying I'm selfish or something? Thinking I wouldn't give you a thank you for helping me?"
"Well, I think you're proud, so admitting it must be a little difficult for you."
"Shove off, Potter." I glared.
He returned the look but with much less malice.
I looked at him with a slightly put off expression.
Were we supposed to be bickering when I was supposed to be thanking him? Most likely not but this was atypical of us.
At least we were consistent.
"Well..." I sighed again. "On the topic of things that are difficult for me to say due to my pride…"
He waited for me to continue and I nearly stomped my foot in frustration. I wanted to run away at this very moment. I didn't want to say this at all but I knew I wouldn't be able to get over the guilt that was nagging at me if I didn't.
I was too damn noble for my own good.
Oh god…I'm turning into Potter! Disgusting! Might as well transfer me over to the bloody Gryffindor's now before my Slytherin comrades have a chance to tear me apart!
"I wanted to-," I swallowed the lump that had grown in my throat. It was making it terribly difficult for me to breathe.
"You wanted to…what?" Potter had a full smile on his face now-quite a nice smile if I was being honest which was yet another thing I would never admit to anyone but my own subconscious-and I couldn't help but snarl at him.
He might not have been making fun of me but he was certainly enjoying the pain I was in while torturing myself.
"I wanted to apologize," I muttered and looked away from him. Instead I let my eyes wander around the Owlery-maybe I'd catch a glimpse of Heracles.
"Sorry, didn't quite catch that, Malfoy." He was still grinning and I was still glaring.
He certainly did hear what I'd said-he just wanted to drag my torture on further. He was such a prat. So instead of giving him any more satisfaction of watching me squirm I looked at him with a look of faux confidence.
"I'm sorry, Potter." I said, trying not to let the words stick in my throat. My plan of a nonchalant façade would go terribly if I couldn't even get the words out. "After that disaster with Umbridge I should've come to you sooner. I'm sorry I didn't. You helped me and I acted rudely, so…I apologize."
His expression of amusement softened a bit. He seemed genuinely content with my apology and I felt a biggest weight lift off my chest-finally I'd be able to go a day without thinking of Potter!
"Apology accepted, Malfoy," He said, his voice very quiet.
He was giving me a very puzzled expression; his eyebrows were furrowed and his face was pinched as he looked at me.
"Right well-," I cleared my throat and flicked my hair behind my shoulder. "I'll be going now."
I started to back out of the Owlery but he didn't give me the chance.
"Wait-Malfoy!" He called just as I reached the door and I sighed in aggravation.
"If you're expecting me to fall at your feet and grovel you just like everyone else in this bloody school, Potter, you're sorely mistaken," I said and turned back toward him.
His expression was amused at my banter but he shook his head.
"No one seems to be groveling this year but I don't really have a problem with that-," He chuckled. I glared at him some more. "Actually, I just have a question."
"No surprise there-you've got that goofy look on your face as if you're trying to actually think."
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Is it possible for you to stop talking for even a minute?" He asked.
"'fraid not, Potter. It's both a blessing and a curse," I said and shrugged my shoulder at him. "So what's that question you've got rolling around that tiny brain of yours?"
"Insult aside-I wanted to ask you why you're acting like this?" He asked me as if he knew what he was talking about.
His eyes were blazing as he looked at me and I felt a twinge of surprise hit my expression.
"What are you on about?" I hadn't the slightest idea what he was talking about, in fact.
As far as I was concerned I hadn't really acted any differently from the other years-aside from my lack of offensive insults towards him.
"Well, to repeat myself from earlier in the year…" He chuckled slightly. "You're not acting very Malfoyish."
I rolled my eyes at him, recalling him saying this to me earlier in the year when we'd almost had to snog. The memory nearly made me gag.
"Do you realize how idiotic that sounds? What does that even mean?" I snapped at him, arms crossed over my chest.
By this point he had let his owl sit on one of the posts and she was eyeing me curiously-no malice in her expression anymore. Hers had faded as soon as Potter's had when I'd apologized.
Interesting…
"It means you're acting more…" He paused, scratching the back of his already messy head of hair, making it even wilder if that was possible. "Nice."
"'More nice'?" I mimicked. "Is that the best you can come up with, Potty?"
He rolled his eyes at me, equal amounts of amusement and annoyance on his face.
"Be serious for a moment, would you?"
"I'm always serious," I said, lifting my chin in a defiant manner.
"Hardly."
"Always."
"Doubtful," He stepped closer to me as he spoke and I instantly stepped back.
There was only so much closeness to Potter that I could take. He noticed my step and I saw something light up in his eyes-something I was sure I wasn't going to like.
"Tell me, Malfoy, what is it about you this year?" He stepped closer again, his voice taking on a tone I'd never once heard from him and could most definitely live without hearing again. It almost sound...husky? Velvety? Who knew what he was up to.
I was against the wall already and I clenched my jaw. He was literally cornering me now and I wasn't happy in the slightest about it. I would not be intimidated by Potter, of all people.
"There's nothing different about me Potter, you've just been so lost in your own fame that you couldn't tell," I bit out, glaring at him.
"You think I haven't noticed that you're different?"
"I'm not-,"
"No, I'm not saying just different this year…I'm talking about in all the time I've known you."
At this, I looked up at him with an expression of mixed curiosity and pure outrage.
The bloody hell does he mean!? Who does he think he is?!
I couldn't help but tell just how close he had gotten during our bickering match. It was far too close, way too close for my liking, we were practically chest to chest. His stunning eyes, yes they were certainly stunning, were boring into mine ruthlessly. Like he was trying to read my every thought.
He needed to stop.
This was Potty, afterall. My enemy.
"Stop," I said.
"Stop what?" He asked. "You are different, you know. You're not cruel like your father, you're not arrogant like your brother. I've never met your mother but I'll bet you're not much like her either…" His voice was low; like he knew he was walking on very thin ice. His expression was eager as he read mine. I could only imagine my fury and panic that was written on my face. I composed myself quickly and blinked a few times to get my mind together. He needed to stop for both our sakes because if he said another damn word, I was going to hex him.
"You don't know anything about me, Potter," I said, keeping my voice as low as his.
He shook his head but said nothing else. Instead he took one step back and suddenly I felt like I could breathe again. I hadn't realized I was holding a breath until I let it out and felt relief in my chest. I unclenched my fists which I hadn't even realized were closed so tightly. He was watching me unravel my tension and I shook my head at him.
He was wrong-I was like my family. I was exactly like them; I was a Malfoy. I was cold and cruel and arrogant and sly and wealthy and beautiful and smart and everything that came with the Malfoy name.
I was like them. I had to be.
"Say anything like that again, and it'll be the last time you speak."
He looked at me with his stupid green eyes that seemed to shake me to the core as they looked at me now and he bit his bottom lip, running his fingers through his hair again, messing it up once again.
"What are you and Hermione up to?"
This question caught me off guard almost as much as his accusations of me not being like my family did. My pulse raced but I wasn't a fool.
"Don't know what you're talking about," I said, flicked my hair over my shoulder in a show of nonchalance.
He laughed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Sure you don't, just like she conveniently doesn't know why you two always end up sitting next to each other in the quiet part of the library on Saturday nights…"
My eyes-which had fallen to the floor at the mention of Granger-then snapped toward him in shock. I felt my mouth move before my brain could tell myself to shut up.
"How do you know about that?"
Oh no! No, Cessy, you idiot!
I gasped aloud from my own stupidity and clamped my hand over my mouth. My confirmation made Potter's eyes light up with an eagerness to know the truth and I felt my cheeks flushing from anger and humiliation.
How can I be so stupid?!
"So it's true then, you admit you two have been meeting up? Why?"
"No," I said, instantly denying.
What transpired between Granger and myself was none of Potter's business and if he was under the impression that was going to get any information out of me he was sorely mistaken. He'd chosen the wrong person to interrogate out of the two of us. I may have let slip that Granger and I were meeting up but that was as much as he was getting.
"You just said-,"
"No. I didn't. You have no idea what you're talking about. Leave it alone, Potty or I'll start throwing punches at you instead of just Montague." I threatened him and for a moment he looked distracted from the current topic at hand.
"I meant to ask about that…" He said, his tone darkening. Apparenlty Montague brought the worst out in everyone. "What did he do that made you beat him up like that?"
I scoffed and threw my head back in a laugh, my hand clutching at my stomach from laughing. He smiled slightly at my outburst but I quickly composed myself.
"Oh..." I paused. "You actually think I'm going to tell you?"
He looked disappointed at my response but he didn't push it nonetheless. I could only imagine the rumor's he'd heard from the school gossips. However, he wasn't the most popular student at the school at the moment so maybe he hadn't heard much? He probably thought I just attacked Montague without cause-as we Malfoy's usually do.
"He deserved it, I'm sure. No matter what he did he's a right prick and deserves anything that comes to him."
I looked at him again and saw the honesty in his expression. He seemed genuinely happy that I'd beat Montague up. Had he heard that Jojo also got a piece of him? Probably not..
"That he did," I said, nodding my head. "But, as lovely as this chat's been Potter I must be going…" I said and started to head for the door.
During this conversation, with the initial shock of apologizing and thanking Potter, and letting slip that I'd been meeting up with his curly haired friend…I hadn't forgotten this was still Potter I was talking to. We weren't friends and the sooner this conversation ended the better off I'd be.
"Ah yes, wouldn't want to be late for a meeting with my friend Hermione, would you?"
"Again, no idea what you're on about." I shrugged, feigning my cluelessness.
I was, in fact, going to see Granger but it's not like he needed to know the truth. He knew too much already.
"See you 'round, Malfoy," He said and waved as I almost reached the door.
I paused at his parting words. I shook my head.
"This-," I said pointing between the two of us. "We are not friends now just because I've apologized. You're still my nemesis and I will continue to make your life as miserable as can be." I ended my sentence with a dazzling smile and a flick of my hair over my shoulder.
I pretended not to notice him stare as I did so.
He smiled back which was not the response I was looking for.
"Sure you will."
I furrowed my brows together but instead of responding to him I stormed out of the Owlery, now fully frozen and ready to get back into the warm castle.
Stupid, Potter. Why must you be so confusing?
"Potter's onto us."
I slammed my book bag onto the table, making my library companion squeal from the abrupt noise. Apparently she hadn't heard me come in.
"Well, hello to you too," She said, pushing a few stray curls out of her eyes.
Granger looked flushed and a bit peeved that I was late but what I was about to tell her would surely keep her off my back for a lack of punctuality.
"Potter knows we're meeting up behind their backs," I said, taking my seat across from her and snagging a biscuit that she had set on a napkin next to her and the text books.
She raised an eyebrow at me taking her cookie but didn't say anything otherwise.
"Of course he does…" She muttered to herself and shook her head.
"Oh? You mean this doesn't come as a surprise to you?" I tilted my head to one side as I asked the question and my tone made her look slightly guilty.
Good.
"Well, he's not dumb-," She said.
"Could've fooled me."
She gave me a look-one that I'd been receiving quite often ever since we had made our little arrangement-and it said 'can you just be nice?'.
"He has uh-," She eyed me before continuing her sentence. Apparently she trusted me about as much as I trusted her and decided keeping things vague was best. "… -something that could easily tell him where I've been sneaking off to on nights that usually I spend with him and Ron. It's natural that they'd be curious as to where I was."
"Yes…so natural that he'd take to stalking you…does Potter have possession issues?" I asked, again that mocking tone evident in my voice.
She gave me the look once more and I rolled my eyes.
"There's no chance you'll tell me what this special something is, will you? So I can take it from him to keep him off our backs? Because otherwise we'll have to stop our meetings and I know how much you don't want that…" I said and kicked my feet up on the table, leaning back in my chair.
I was being mean, as usual, and Granger knew it too but at the mention of me stopping our meetings her eyes lit up in panic.
"No! We can't stop! I'm nearly good now!"
A few weeks prior to this very moment Granger had approached me-much to my complete surprise, slight irritation and also amusement. After the whole debacle with Montague trying to grope at her she had apparently felt so useless against him with even just her wand that she'd gotten the courage to seek me out for fighting lessons. She had told me she didn't want to ever feel as vulnerable as she had with him ever again.
And with me being me, I had asked her where her knights in shining armor were-certainly Potter and Weasley would be against Granger coming to a Slytherin for fighting lessons, and a Malfoy on top of that. She had told me that she hadn't spoken on the incident with Montague to them I fear of what they might try to do to him and risk expulsion. I had laughed and told her I had the same concern about my brother most of the time when it came to boys wanting to pursue me.
"Well, will you do it?" She'd asked me. "Will you teach me how to fight?"
And of course, being a Malfoy, I had agreed but with a price. Draco wouldn't have settled for less. Although if he ever found out I was helping Granger of all people he'd have my head-like for most of the things I did. Granger may be annoying and a Mudblood and a know-it-all, but she was book smart and there were things I needed to find out.
Things about crescent moon birthmarks and the meaning behind them.
Thus, our bargain was struck. She knew the bare minimum of information-just that I was curious about the marks and wanted to know more; there was no way I was going to tell her I actually had a moon birthmark-and she got fighting lessons in return as we dug through the library for information. She'd been sort of a help if I was being completely honest with myself, although I'd never admit it to her. Her ego was almost as big as mine there was no need to inflate it further. She'd started with the most basic of information which were the phases of the moon.
My birthmark was a Waning Crescent so she'd started with the meaning behind that which had been spot on, considering I'd had a bloody vision with my brother and it seemed to ramble on about divination.
It had said, "This is a time for spells that banish, release, reverse. This is a time to break bad habits or bad addictions, to end bad relationships. This is a time of deep intuition and a time for divination."
She had also brought my attention to the meaning of birthmarks in general and it had seemed just a bunch of gibberish until she'd mentioned something omens.
"What did you just say?" I had asked.
"I said that birthmarks are often affiliated with the person's future. It can either be an omen of good fortune or bad. Certain shapes and sizes can affect whether the person's future is positive or negative…"
I had kept my face calm and collected but on the inside, I'd been screaming.
Draco would've had a field day with me reading into this superstitious stuff about our shared mark but too many odd things kept happening where it was concerned. I couldn't risk not knowing-especially if it was going to affect Draco and I negatively.
So now here we were, Granger and I, weeks later with about as much information now as we started with. Though she seemed to be having a great time assigning me passages to read when we weren't meeting up.
"Well, we might have to stop Granger, if Potter doesn't back off!" I said now, looking at her with a furious expression.
"Harry's just protective…" She was flushed and at a loss for words. "If he thought I was in any real danger he'd have come looking for us by now."
"He might still," I said, "When I spoke with him earlier he seemed extremely interested."
"You talked with Harry earlier? About what?" Her interest peaked immediately at my words and I rolled my eyes at her.
"None of your business, Granger."
"If Harry's involved it is," She spoke defiantly.
"Oh? Are you two an item now? Thought you had the hots for the Weasel?" I mocked her and laughed when her cheeks reddened at the mention of her red headed friend.
"It's not like that-Harry's my best friend; I'm looking out for him."
"Potter and I had some unfinished business. It's over with now," I said and sighed at her annoyed face.
She was certainly persistent. Almost reminded me of Theodore. More than once she had reminded me of him and I imagined what sitting between the two would be like if they found a topic that were interested in.
Infuriating to say the least.
"Does it have anything to do with what happened with Umbridge?" She spoke quietly, as if she knew this subject was one I would not want to discuss.
I felt my body tense when she spoke and my hand ached from the memory. It was as if I could still feel the burning of the writing on my hand. The scar was ragged and faded in my flesh but it still burned on occasion. It made me sick still, if I was being honest.
And it also made me mad.
"Oh, so Potter just couldn't keep his damn mouth shut, could he?" I put my feet on the ground and stood from my chair. "What else did he tell you?" I demanded slamming my hands on the table, shots of anger running through me at the thought of Potter gossiping about me to his stupid friends. He no doubt told them I was weak and silly and full of myself. He probably told them I crumbled under Umbridge's quill's and stupid tea leaves laced with veritaserum.
Of course. I thought. Of course he would say things like that.
She jumped and squealed again from the outburst.
"Nothing bad!" She said quickly, her expression shocked but pleading with me. "He said that Umbridge used cursed quills on you two and that he helped you a bit when-,"
"When what? When he had to come to my rescue because I couldn't lie?"
"When you were under veritaserum," She said calmly, her expression somber and a bit sad.
She was always giving me that look like she wanted to help me and say something that would maybe make me feel better but like she didn't know how to comfort me or what words to say.
And she was right-no matter what she said to me or how she looked at me it wouldn't help. No one could help me but my brother. Gryffindor's, of all people, could not help me.
Of course, that doesn't stop them from bloody trying.
I thought angrily. Stupid, proud, Gryffindor's. Why must they always try to help those they don't ask for it? Slytherin's help one another and stick to helping only each other. As long as we stuck by one another we didn't need anyone else.
And that's how I liked it.
"You bloody Lions…" I muttered. "Are too much to deal with."
She didn't say anything but gave me a small smile and pushed her napkin of cookies toward me.
I took one and sat down.
"Let's get back to research, shall we?" She offered. "And then maybe we can get some lessons in?" She sounded hopeful.
I grunted in response and she simply beamed.
Bloody Gryffindor's…
"Cessy?"
I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want to move. My day had been too exhausting-dealing with Gyffindor's did that to you-and all I wanted was some peace and quiet.
I had just gotten back from my meeting with Granger and had gone straight to my dorm. Jojo had just snuggled perfectly under my arm in my bed and was purring softly enough to lull me to a light sleep even-but of course someone had to disturb the peace.
But with that person being my brother I couldn't be too upset. I had barely seen him today so he was probably wondering where I was.
"Hmm?" I peeked an eye open and saw his grey ones looking back at me with slight amusement and slight worry.
I sat up slightly, jostling poor Jojo who wasn't happy about it at all, and raised an eyebrow at him. He had something in his hand, a letter, it looked like.
"What is it?" I asked.
He sat on my bed and shook his head.
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I tried to find you earlier but I couldn't seem to find you," He said, his voice low.
His face was full of dread and I had a sinking feeling in my chest at what he was about to tell me. I had an inkling-and I desperately hoped I was wrong.
"What bad news, brother?" I asked quietly.
Greengrass was on her bed next to mine trying not eavesdrop too obviously and failing miserably. Draco looked at her before he looked at me and lowered his voice even more.
"A letter came in today…" He handed it over to me and on it I saw the Malfoy stamp had been attatched to it.
A lump grew in my throat as a million thoughts ran through my head.
Was mother okay? Was father okay? Had something happened to them? Did the Dark Lord come back to our home? Did they need Draco back for something? Were they going to…induct him or something? Were they going to induct me?!
"What-,"
"Just read," He said.
Dear Children,
It read.
Looking forward to seeing you both tomorrow. Make sure we're not disappointed with what we see.
Lucius Malfoy
I laughed with no humor.
"He didn't even sign 'father'," I said with another dull laugh.
Draco nodded.
"So they're visiting tomorrow? For what? Did they say they were going to earlier at all?"
"No…but it doesn't make it any less unpleasant that he'll be here…" He muttered and I sighed.
I couldn't disagree with my brother on that. It would be wonderful to see my mother if it was just her coming to see us but with my father present she would act differently. Around my father she would act colder, not less motherly or less loving, but there'd be an air about her that never sat right with me when he was around to control her.
I hated that about him.
But he was my father, and there was nothing I could do to change that. I either respect him or face the consequences.
"Well, you should head to bed. You'll need all the rest you can get in order to deal with Father tomorrow," I said, and pat my brother on his back.
He sighed and got up from my bed, kissing my temple and bidding me a goodnight. The dark circles under his eyes didn't go unnoticed and I had blamed the Prefect runs with Tracey. He didn't seem to be able to get a goodnights sleep since he'd started that silly job. My worry for him only grew as the days past and I sighed as he exited my dorm.
Jojo curled up against me again when he left. She looked concernedly at me as I reread the letter.
"He's a prick, Jojo, isn't he?" I said and as a response she swatted at the letter angrily.
I let her shred it with her claws before going to bed.
Author's Note: Oh man...Lucius and Narcissa will be making an appearance in the next chapter! And then after that there will be some D.A. action!
So? What did you all think? Was Harry and Cessy's conversation everything you hoped? Did you hate it? Did you want more? Let me know what you think!
Also, any thoughts on the odd comraderie between Hermione and Cessy? I like the idea of those two working together...but Cecily doesn't branch off from her Slytherin's often...or at all... so we'll see how that goes...
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks!
~Alyssa~
