Two days later, Melissa sat by the lake doing her homework. Vivian, who had
taken to haunting Melissa lately, sat next to her quietly. Occasionally she
would ask a question, but otherwise there was no conversation held. They
had found they didn't need to talk and were comfortable with their
companionable silence.
Behind them they heard laughter and turned to see Harry, Ron and Hermione ambling towards them. Vivian turned back to her homework, not feeling quite so comfortable with the outgoing Gryffindors as she was with Melissa. Melissa smiled at them, but it faltered immediately. She had other things on her mind.
"What's wrong, Melissa?" Hermione asked, plopping down next to her on the bench. "Hi, Vivian." She added politely. Vivian looked up and gave a shy, sweet smile before returning to her homework. Hermione turned back to Melissa expectantly, waiting for her to reply.
Instead the petite redhead turned to Vivian, pulling away the parchments that the blonde had been working on. Vivian began to protest, claiming that she wanted to get those done before the weekend, but they died when she saw Melissa's strained face. Vivian sighed, knowing exactly what was bothering Melissa.
"We're to go to him after the weekend," Vivian answered for Melissa. Harry and Ron, who had been tossing a Quaffel that they had nicked from the supplies room back and forth, looked at Vivian in surprise. She had never muttered more than a quiet "hello" in their presence. This had caught them off guard at first, because she was a Slytherin. They had expected to be insulted when they first saw her.
"Going to who?" Ron questioned.
"To whom," Hermione and Vivian corrected automatically. The two looked at each other briefly before laughing softly. Ron groaned something about having another Hermione around.
"Who are you going to?" Harry asked a minute later, staring at the two Slytherins intently. The two girls exchanged a look before turning away.
"Melissa," Ron began in a big brother voice, "tell us. Now."
Melissa looked up at Ron, then exchanged another glance with Vivian. After a moment Vivian nodded and muttered, "Go on and tell them. They're okay."
Taking a deep breath, Melissa spilled the entire story. When she was finished, Hermione looked ashen, Ron looked terrified, and Harry was grim. Ron sputtered out that she couldn't go, it was too dangerous. Vivian shook her head, though.
"We must go. What do you think He-who-must-not-be-named will do if we don't come when ordered?"
"Your family is known for Dark Arts," Ron spat at her, "don't think that I believe you aren't looking forward to this!"
Vivian stared at Ron for a moment before a pink tinged her cheeks. She stood slowly, advancing on the taller and older boy. Ron glared down at her icily, but was taken aback when she slapped him hard across the face. Hermione and Melissa quickly moved to hold the girl back.
"Don't get self righteous on me, Ronald Weasley!" Vivian shouted. Her eyes glistened with anger. "You don't know the first thing about me. I am not my family, I am loyal to-"
Here Ron cut in.
"To Draco Malfoy! You follow his every order! Malfoy's the most evil, vile- "
"Ron!" Melissa exclaimed. He stopped and looked to her, her disapproving look silencing him. "Let me clear a few things up." Looking around, to be sure no one else was around to hear, Melissa explained calmly that Draco and Drew were as much forced into this situation as she was.
"You.you mean Malfoy isn't.?" Harry let the question trail off in disbelief.
Melissa simply nodded, explaining that he was the one to assure her that she could always turn to him or Drew. After a tense moment, Vivian spoke up.
"You're right, Ronald," She said quietly, "I am loyal to Draco. And to Drew." As an afterthought she added, "Melissa as well. As far as I know, we only have one another." She then silently gathered her things. "I'll see you at dinner, Melissa," was all she said as she walked away, seemingly cool and composed. Melissa, however, sensed that she was simply walking away to cool her raging nerves and avoid inflicting bodily harm on him.
"Never thought such a quiet little thing would be such a firecracker," Ron remarked a few minutes later. Melissa looked up at him to see he looked impressed. "Of course, Ginny's the same way. So I should have seen that coming." They changed the subject after that, talking of the Hogsmeade trip this weekend.
"Snape's letting you come, isn't he, Melissa?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry, Uncle Sev gave me permission. In fact, he also gave me money. Apparently we have to wear all black to this meeting." She trailed off.
"Melissa," Ron began nervously, "I don't mean to sound like we're not here for you but."
"But what?" Melissa asked, dejectedly. They don't want to have anything to do with me now?
"You wouldn't mind if Harry and I sort of ditched you girls, now would you? At Hogsmeade, that is. We're, well a bit squeamish when it comes to shopping.and clothes.and." He trailed off here again.
Melissa stared at him for a moment before beginning to laugh. It felt so good to laugh after brooding for days over the upcoming day. Soon Hermione began to giggle as well, until all four were happily laughing together. Ron smiled sheepishly, still relieved that he wasn't expected to answer the dreaded question: "does this make my butt look big" this weekend.
As if time had suddenly decided that Melissa Lewis needed to be punished, the day of the meeting with the Dark Lord came all too soon. She could not concentrate in classes, which cost Slytherin house a total of 15 points by the end of the day.
The only class she did well in was Potions, and that was only because Severus had decided due to emotional strains on many of the students, and most obviously his niece, he would simply make them take notes. Then before she could ask herself what had happened to the day, she was standing in her uncle's office with a crowd of about 17 other students.
Some of them she recognized, but others were complete strangers to her. She was just grateful that Draco, Drew and Vivian would be there as well. I'm not in this alone she reminded herself.
They still had about 20 minutes until Severus would transport them via portkeys to the designated meeting place. Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she turned to see Vivian looking up at her imploringly.
"Can I talk to you, Melissa?" she whispered softly.
"Of course," Melissa replied with a comforting smile.
"Uh." Vivian looked meaningfully at Drew and Draco, who weren't paying attention to them at the moment.
"Oh," Melissa replied softly with a mischievous smile. "I see."
They walked out into the main part of the dungeons and sat on desks.
"What's up?" Melissa asked.
"I feel so nervous, I think I might be sick," Vivian replied.
Melissa nodded, she felt the same way. She also felt anger and hatred towards the man they were going to see, although she knew in the back of her head that both of those emotions would dissolve into fear once they saw him. She was going to say so but decided she'd try to get Vivian to laugh instead.
"Are you nervous because we're off to have tea with the most evil man in the world, or was it just because Draco smiled at you before?" Melissa teased the girl.
"Draco smiled at me?" Vivian asked a little too quickly. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she clapped her hands to it. Her face was tinged pink with embarrassment as she looked at Melissa. Melissa smiled in glee, hardly believing it but wondering at the same time how she could be so blind.
"You have a crush on Draco?" Melissa asked, giggling slightly.
"Shh!" Vivian hissed, looking at the door, "It's not.I."
Melissa laughed again, "You do!"
Vivian looked pleadingly at Melissa, "Please don't-"
"Of course I won't say anything to him!" Melissa broke in. Vivian began to blush again.
"Did you know that you are the first person, after two years, who has even noticed? And you've barely even known me a month!" She replied with a smile. Melissa smiled back when they heard someone clear their throat. The both spun around to see Drew.
"I hate to interrupt your girl talk, but it's time to go," he informed them, nodding towards the door. Both girls sobered quickly and followed him back into the room. The four friends gathered around a portkey and waited.
Behind them they heard laughter and turned to see Harry, Ron and Hermione ambling towards them. Vivian turned back to her homework, not feeling quite so comfortable with the outgoing Gryffindors as she was with Melissa. Melissa smiled at them, but it faltered immediately. She had other things on her mind.
"What's wrong, Melissa?" Hermione asked, plopping down next to her on the bench. "Hi, Vivian." She added politely. Vivian looked up and gave a shy, sweet smile before returning to her homework. Hermione turned back to Melissa expectantly, waiting for her to reply.
Instead the petite redhead turned to Vivian, pulling away the parchments that the blonde had been working on. Vivian began to protest, claiming that she wanted to get those done before the weekend, but they died when she saw Melissa's strained face. Vivian sighed, knowing exactly what was bothering Melissa.
"We're to go to him after the weekend," Vivian answered for Melissa. Harry and Ron, who had been tossing a Quaffel that they had nicked from the supplies room back and forth, looked at Vivian in surprise. She had never muttered more than a quiet "hello" in their presence. This had caught them off guard at first, because she was a Slytherin. They had expected to be insulted when they first saw her.
"Going to who?" Ron questioned.
"To whom," Hermione and Vivian corrected automatically. The two looked at each other briefly before laughing softly. Ron groaned something about having another Hermione around.
"Who are you going to?" Harry asked a minute later, staring at the two Slytherins intently. The two girls exchanged a look before turning away.
"Melissa," Ron began in a big brother voice, "tell us. Now."
Melissa looked up at Ron, then exchanged another glance with Vivian. After a moment Vivian nodded and muttered, "Go on and tell them. They're okay."
Taking a deep breath, Melissa spilled the entire story. When she was finished, Hermione looked ashen, Ron looked terrified, and Harry was grim. Ron sputtered out that she couldn't go, it was too dangerous. Vivian shook her head, though.
"We must go. What do you think He-who-must-not-be-named will do if we don't come when ordered?"
"Your family is known for Dark Arts," Ron spat at her, "don't think that I believe you aren't looking forward to this!"
Vivian stared at Ron for a moment before a pink tinged her cheeks. She stood slowly, advancing on the taller and older boy. Ron glared down at her icily, but was taken aback when she slapped him hard across the face. Hermione and Melissa quickly moved to hold the girl back.
"Don't get self righteous on me, Ronald Weasley!" Vivian shouted. Her eyes glistened with anger. "You don't know the first thing about me. I am not my family, I am loyal to-"
Here Ron cut in.
"To Draco Malfoy! You follow his every order! Malfoy's the most evil, vile- "
"Ron!" Melissa exclaimed. He stopped and looked to her, her disapproving look silencing him. "Let me clear a few things up." Looking around, to be sure no one else was around to hear, Melissa explained calmly that Draco and Drew were as much forced into this situation as she was.
"You.you mean Malfoy isn't.?" Harry let the question trail off in disbelief.
Melissa simply nodded, explaining that he was the one to assure her that she could always turn to him or Drew. After a tense moment, Vivian spoke up.
"You're right, Ronald," She said quietly, "I am loyal to Draco. And to Drew." As an afterthought she added, "Melissa as well. As far as I know, we only have one another." She then silently gathered her things. "I'll see you at dinner, Melissa," was all she said as she walked away, seemingly cool and composed. Melissa, however, sensed that she was simply walking away to cool her raging nerves and avoid inflicting bodily harm on him.
"Never thought such a quiet little thing would be such a firecracker," Ron remarked a few minutes later. Melissa looked up at him to see he looked impressed. "Of course, Ginny's the same way. So I should have seen that coming." They changed the subject after that, talking of the Hogsmeade trip this weekend.
"Snape's letting you come, isn't he, Melissa?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry, Uncle Sev gave me permission. In fact, he also gave me money. Apparently we have to wear all black to this meeting." She trailed off.
"Melissa," Ron began nervously, "I don't mean to sound like we're not here for you but."
"But what?" Melissa asked, dejectedly. They don't want to have anything to do with me now?
"You wouldn't mind if Harry and I sort of ditched you girls, now would you? At Hogsmeade, that is. We're, well a bit squeamish when it comes to shopping.and clothes.and." He trailed off here again.
Melissa stared at him for a moment before beginning to laugh. It felt so good to laugh after brooding for days over the upcoming day. Soon Hermione began to giggle as well, until all four were happily laughing together. Ron smiled sheepishly, still relieved that he wasn't expected to answer the dreaded question: "does this make my butt look big" this weekend.
As if time had suddenly decided that Melissa Lewis needed to be punished, the day of the meeting with the Dark Lord came all too soon. She could not concentrate in classes, which cost Slytherin house a total of 15 points by the end of the day.
The only class she did well in was Potions, and that was only because Severus had decided due to emotional strains on many of the students, and most obviously his niece, he would simply make them take notes. Then before she could ask herself what had happened to the day, she was standing in her uncle's office with a crowd of about 17 other students.
Some of them she recognized, but others were complete strangers to her. She was just grateful that Draco, Drew and Vivian would be there as well. I'm not in this alone she reminded herself.
They still had about 20 minutes until Severus would transport them via portkeys to the designated meeting place. Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she turned to see Vivian looking up at her imploringly.
"Can I talk to you, Melissa?" she whispered softly.
"Of course," Melissa replied with a comforting smile.
"Uh." Vivian looked meaningfully at Drew and Draco, who weren't paying attention to them at the moment.
"Oh," Melissa replied softly with a mischievous smile. "I see."
They walked out into the main part of the dungeons and sat on desks.
"What's up?" Melissa asked.
"I feel so nervous, I think I might be sick," Vivian replied.
Melissa nodded, she felt the same way. She also felt anger and hatred towards the man they were going to see, although she knew in the back of her head that both of those emotions would dissolve into fear once they saw him. She was going to say so but decided she'd try to get Vivian to laugh instead.
"Are you nervous because we're off to have tea with the most evil man in the world, or was it just because Draco smiled at you before?" Melissa teased the girl.
"Draco smiled at me?" Vivian asked a little too quickly. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she clapped her hands to it. Her face was tinged pink with embarrassment as she looked at Melissa. Melissa smiled in glee, hardly believing it but wondering at the same time how she could be so blind.
"You have a crush on Draco?" Melissa asked, giggling slightly.
"Shh!" Vivian hissed, looking at the door, "It's not.I."
Melissa laughed again, "You do!"
Vivian looked pleadingly at Melissa, "Please don't-"
"Of course I won't say anything to him!" Melissa broke in. Vivian began to blush again.
"Did you know that you are the first person, after two years, who has even noticed? And you've barely even known me a month!" She replied with a smile. Melissa smiled back when they heard someone clear their throat. The both spun around to see Drew.
"I hate to interrupt your girl talk, but it's time to go," he informed them, nodding towards the door. Both girls sobered quickly and followed him back into the room. The four friends gathered around a portkey and waited.