Out of the Darkness

By Trephinia Cealyn

Chapter 8 | Flute's Promise

          Flute cautiously got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom trying not to wake her sleeping dorm mates. They had been particularly bothersome ever since Flute had gone to the ball two months ago and they hadn't. Flute opened the bathroom door and closed it as quietly as she could.

          "Flute!"

          Flute jumped and almost screamed. She groaned and turned around only to find herself face to face with the one person she didn't want to be talking to at this moment. Melinda Zabini.

          "Flute, you told me you would talk to Seymour about the whole him me thing that is happening," Melinda complained. Flute brushed past her and went over to the sink. "You promised me two months ago that you would talk to him THE NEXT DAY and now two months later--"

          "Whoa, hold on a minute!" Flute said a little ticked off, "What I said is that I would talk to him, I didn't say how, when, or where. When the time is right I'll talk to him."

          "NO I want you to talk to him today!" Melinda yelled. "Flute," she continued in a quieter voice, "Flute please! I've already gotten offers from other guys about going out with them and I need to know if Seymour will be one of them so that I can have the pick of the litter, okay. Do you understand that?"

          "Of course I don't!" Flute shuddered, "First of all this is Seymour, I wouldn't be caught dead going out with him, second of all we're eleven! We shouldn't even be thinking about dating until at least second year or maybe halfway through first!"

          "My dear Flute," Melinda said laughing, "you just haven't matured yet. You should at least wait for second or maybe even third year before thinking anyone would go out with you."

          "Yea," Flute said in a meek voice, "what about your brother?"

          Melinda laughed, "Can't you see Flute? He was just going with you to be nice. There wasn't any attraction involved in that."

          "I could get any guy in Hogwarts," Flute yelled, "You – you're just a slut!"

          Melinda looked shocked, "Is that so? Hmm, well if you can get any guy. I bet you couldn't get Seymour Malfoy."

          Flute glared at her, "I hate him!" Flute protested, "Can't you pick someone else?"

          "No, no see I need to know if he is willing to go out at his age or if he is more interested in other things. You will be the guinea pig. Stepping onto new ground. You should be proud of yourself Flute," Melinda said in a bright cheery voice.

          "Oh go kill yourself," Flute muttered, "Alright, alright I'll get Seymour Malfoy to go out with me."

          "You have until the end of the school year. If you lose you have to buy me something." Melinda said.

          "Buy you what?" Flute had already stopped listening.

          Melinda paused thinking, "A new broom."

          "Okay," Flute smiled. Melinda left with an even bigger smile on her face, "Either way I win.  I have enough money to buy three broomsticks for that wench and getting Seymour Malfoy will be a piece of cake." On that note of triumph Flute slipped and hit her head on the toilet seat.

          "Poor dear," a young witch said. She readjusted something on Flute's head and then looked back down at Flute. Flute's eyes fluttered open, "Hello there, nice to see you're awake. Quite a nasty spill you had there."

          "Who are you?" Flute said.

          "Madame Popery." She replied in a cheerful voice, "After the old school nurse retired, they asked me if I would take the job."

          "Oh," Flute said, "when can I get back to class?"

          "How's your head feeling dear?" the witch said bustling around underneath Flute's bed.

          "It feels fine," Flute lied, "I really need to get back to class, today we are doing…"

          "You've been out for a week," the nurse said carefully, "you've been unconscious."

          "What?! A week!" Flute jumped out of bed. The nurse stopped her.

          "Honey it's 6:00 at night. You can stay here and return to classes tomorrow. A Seymour Malfoy brought your back work and a Talon Malfoy brought you a change of clothes. Now since you're awake you have some visitors. I'm only allowing one at a time."

          "Is Seymour here?" Flute said a bit quickly. The nurse looked back on the parchment she was reading off and nodded, "Send him in." The nurse left and a few minutes later Seymour walked in.

          "I never thought Flute Malfoy would want to see me." Seymour said in his infuriatingly superior voice. 

          "Seymour, Seymour, Seymour!" Flute said very quickly, "I have a problem and only you can help me. Alright so Melinda Zabini was insulting me and saying that I couldn't never get a boyfriend so of course I got offended and said that I could get any guy in the school."

          "Any guy?" Seymour asked with a raised eyebrow. Flute glared at him.

          "Will you shut up an listen?" Flute hissed, "Anyway she bet me that I couldn't get you to date me and I accepted so now either you go out with me or I have to buy that little wench a broomstick."

          Seymour grinned a mischievous little grin, "Flute both you and I know that you could buy her a broom and it wouldn't even make a dent in your pocketbook. I need a better reason than that."

          "Malfoy pride," Flute said. Seymour shook his head, "I want to prove her wrong…"

          "Come on Flute," Seymour said moving closer to the bed, "You mean to tell me you don't feel even the slightest bit of attraction for me?"

          "Well… " Flute said getting a little uneasy, "maybe a little," she said quietly.

          "What was that I couldn't hear you?" Seymour said coming right up next to the bed. He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger, "Could you say it a little louder?"

          Flute blushed and pulled her hair away from him, "I said, maybe a little."

          "A little what?" Seymour asked twirling a different piece of hair around his finger.

          "Attraction," Flute whispered. "Only a little."

          "Well if it's only a little then I don't think I can help you," Seymour said turning around and starting to leave.

          Flute almost fell off the bed trying to grab his arm, "Wait!" She said in a panicked voice.

          "Yes?" Seymour said turning around and smirking.

          Flute sighed, "I uh, maybe a little bit more than a little, like a lot?"

          "Really?" Seymour said. Flute nodded, "Good then should I do the honors or should you?" Flute looked confused, "Oh bother, Flute will you be my girlfriend?"

          Flute giggled, "You sound like your proposing!"

          "Shouldn't I be?" Seymour smiled at her. "I think your brother wants to see you so I'll be leaving now."

          "Bye," Flute said smiling at him. Seymour gave her a smirk and left. Talon rushed in and flung himself to the bed.

          "Flute are you okay? They told me that you were unconscious and that you lost a lot of blood and that you might not make it and that you couldn't have any visitors!" Talon said in a very rushed voice.

          "I'm fine," Flute said laughing at him, "I'll be back in classes tommorow."

          "Oh well then you probably shouldn't carry your books it wouldn't be good for you in your weakened condition." Talon said quickly, he stopped and glared at Flute, "Don't ever do that again! I can't be a twin with the other twin dead now can I?"

          "Sorry," Flute said.

          "As you bloody well should be!" Talon looked behind him to make sure no one was looking and gave Flute a quick brotherly hug, "Now make sure you get lots of sleep."

          "Is Tom here?" Flute asked trying not to sound hopeful.

          Talon sighed, "No he said he couldn't come. Something about a lot of homework or something, he's been taking care of Schmoo for you."

          "SCHMOO!" Flute yelled, "How is he?!?"

          "I'm not sure, you'll have to ask Tom," Talon smiled at her, "I'm glad you're alright Flute I don't want to be an only child."

          Flute yawned and stretched a bit in her hospital gown. She smiled and hummed to herself, as she got dressed. She skipped out avoiding the nurse and slamming the door behind her. She inhaled deeply and then ran off to the Great Hall for some breakfast.

          Stepping into the Great Hall and heading for the Slytherin table she was pulled into a hug by Seymour Malfoy, "Oh my love I thought I would never lay my unworthy eyes upon thine beautiful face again!" He exclaimed.

          "What are you doing?" Flute hissed into his ear.

          "Just play along," Seymour commanded. Flute grinned and flung her arms around him.

          "Let us vow never to separate again!" She cried in one of those theatrical overdramatic voices. "So that every morning I will arise and be happy to know that thou art by my unworthy side!"

          Seymour smirked, "Let us go now and feast for on this joyous day my love has been returned to the sanctuary of my heart so that I can keep thine beautiful face with me forever." He grabbed her hand and led her over to the Slytherin table. He pulled out her chair and motioned for her to sit down.

          "Thank you my dearest love," Flute said smiling at him and sitting down gracefully. Seymour smiled back and sat in the chair next to her.

          "What was that all about?" Talon asked Seymour harshly.

          "Fear not oh brother of my love I will not harm thy sister! For she is most dearest to me and I would sooner pick a flower than break her fragile heart." Seymour said this while staring into Flute's eyes.

          Flute giggled and blushed she ducked her head and played with the edges of her robe, "Oh my love, thou art too kind," she said in a hushed voice.

          "Eat and regain thy strength!" Seymour said. He piled everything in his reach on Flute's plate. When Flute made no move to eat any of it Seymour picked up her fork and scooped up eggs with it, "I see thou art too weak to lift thy fork! I will not let this stop our love!" On that note of triumph Seymour moved the fork towards her mouth.

          "Oh please spare me the theatrics," Tom groaned. He grabbed a piece of burnt toast and left huffily.

          "That was splendid acting," Flute whispered to Seymour taking the fork from him.

          "But of course," he said winking and kissing her lightly on the cheek. At the far end of the table Seth whistled.

          Flute downed her orange juice and hastily ate her scrambled eggs, "Walk me to class oh my dearest love."

          "Of course," Seymour laughed. Flute bent down to pick up her books but Seymour stopped her, "Allow me," he said with a smirk. "Are you coming?" He held out his hand.

          "Of course," she said holding her head high and grabbing his hand, "Wouldn't want anyone to get any ideas." She said with a glare in Melinda's direction. "Let's go my darling."

          "Yes let's." Seymour said.

          "Would you two hurry up?!" Talon shouted.

          Flute and Seymour ran to catch up with him, laughing.

          "Those two are disgusting," Tom whispered to Talon, "I thought she hated him."

          "Obviously not," Talon whispered back.

          "You two walk too fast," Flute said when Seymour and her had caught up to Tom and Talon.

          "Maybe you two walk too slow," Tom retorted and sped up.

          Flute grabbed Talon's arm stopping him, "What's wrong with him?"

          "I think he's a little jealous," Seymour said.

          "Of what?" Flute asked.

          Seymour smirked at her, "Not of what, of whom."

          "Oh," Flute said as realization dawned on her.

          "I'm not jealous," Tom, said stopping and turning around to face Seymour off in classic stance, " How could I be jealous of an insufferable git like you?"

          "I've got your little girlfriend," Seymour said smirking and putting his arm around Flute's shoulder, "I know you had your eye on her."

          "Oh please," Tom said rolling his eyes, "She's just the little girl my dad forced me to hang out with." Tom smirked back and walked into the Potions classroom.

          Flute burst into tears, "I can't believe he just did that to me!" She wailed.

          "Don't worry about it Flute." Seymour said trying to console her, "He doesn't deserve you."

          Flute smiled hesitantly but was still crying, "It's just that I thought he was my best friend and friends don't say things like that to you."

          Seymour wiped away her tears, "Well then I'll be your friend." Flute grinned.

          "Oh Seymour!" She hugged him.

          "Miss Malfoy, Mister Malfoy get into my classroom now," Snape yelled, "Or do you want me to deduct points. Yes from my own house Mister Malfoy." Snape shouted to Talon, "Oh dear this could get confusing," he groaned.

          "Yes Grandfather," Flute skipped into the classroom. Seymour followed at a more respectable pace. Flute had situated herself next to Lily and Cecilia leaving Seymour the opportunity to sit next to Tom. Seymour sighed and sat down. Tom whispered something to Talon, who snickered. Seymour rolled his eyes.

          "Is there something funny about my class, Mister Malfoy?" Snape said hovering over Talon.

          "Of course not Grandfather," Talon replied smirking. Snape grimaced and retreated to his desk.

          "Page 382 and I don't want any talking unless it's absolutely necessary." Snape ordered. Flute appeared at Seymour's shoulder.

          "Be my partner," she said setting up her things next to him.

          "Wouldn't have it any other way," Seymour said glaring in Tom's direction. Tom sniffed and turned towards Talon.

          Flute carefully added the fire faerie wings and stirred the potion, "Now all we have to do is let it sit for five minutes and wait for Grandfather to check our potion."

          "Whatever shall we do for those five minutes," Seymour said yawning and leaning back in his chair.

          Tom walked by, "Oops," he said as he kicked the back legs of the chair causing Seymour to fall backwards.

          "Tom you did that on purpose!" Flute yelled while helping Seymour up. Tom shrugged and went back to his potion, "You are so mean! I can't believe you did that," Flute yelled at Tom's back, "He wasn't doing anything to you and you go and tip over his chair! He could have had a concussion or worse been in a coma or something! He could have cracked open his skull and bled to death and all because you're jealous!"

          "I'm not jealous of him," Tom said setting down the faerie wings that he had been so viciously chopping. He turned around to face her, "I wouldn't be jealous of him because of you so just drop it Flute."

          "You are a slimy git Potter!" Flute screamed. "I hate you! Grandfather I'm taking Seymour to the hospital wing!" Flute announced, she grabbed Seymour's arm and led him out into the hallway, "Are you okay?"

          "Yah, I'm fine." Seymour said, "I really don't need to go to the nurse you know."

          "Well we can't go back to Potions now that I've convinced Grandfather that he should let us go I can't waltz back in there and say that you decided that you don't have to go after all!" Flute complained.

          "Then let's just go back to the common room," Seymour said moving in that direction.

          "And do what," Flute said allowing herself to be pulled towards the common room.

          Seymour glanced back and grinned, "I'm sure we'll think of something."

          "Seymour!" Flute said, "We're eleven."

          "I don't know what you were thinking my dear but I was thinking that we could do our homework," Seymour smirked again.

          "Oh, well in that case lead the way my knight!" Flute ran ahead of him, said the password, and disappeared into the common room. Seymour sighed and followed at a more dignified pace.