CHAPTER 7: The Diversion
The winter holidays passed pretty quickly. Draco had barely noticed that it was already January when Professor Snape walked into the fire-lit common room. He and Piper were sitting on the couch when he did.
"The rest of the students are coming tomorrow morning. Get to bed." he ordered them.
He waited to make sure they were getting their books, then walked back out of the room, his cloak swishing side to side as he took long strides. "Oh, well, I guess I'll go then." said Piper.
She got up and so did Draco.
"' Night." she kissed Draco on the cheek and left the room.
"' Bye." said Draco.
He picked up his Arithmancy homework and headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
The next afternoon after lunch, Draco decided to go up to the Library to possibly find Piper before his next class. As he turned the corner into a hallway, someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into an empty classroom.
"What the? - " he said. The person pushed him against the wall and he immediately saw who it was. "Pansy!" Draco cried in surprise.
He was staring into the eyes of a pug-faced girl with long dark hair.
"Shh." she covered his mouth with her hand, "you don't want anyone to hear us.do you?" said Pansy; still keeping her palm firmly on his mouth and not letting him admit even a single peep.
Draco raised his hand to try and push her away, but thought better of it. Her wand was poking out from under her robes.
"I'll take my hand off only if you promise to be quiet.. Agreed?" she said.
He nodded and Pansy did as she said.
"What do you want?" said Draco, still staring occasionally down at the wand.
"Ha! 'What do I want?' Very interesting question Draco. Hmm.. What do I want? Isn't it obvious? I want you."
"W-what do you mean me?" said Draco.
He was confused. What did she mean by ' I want you?' Was she jealous of Piper that he was giving her more attention than he ever gave Pansy when they were dating? Well what whatever she was feeling, either jealousy or hostility, he wasn't going to give Piper up.
"Oh, don't play games with me. Can't you tell.I still love you Draco?" said Pansy.
She began to move closer to him, so there wasn't any space left between their bodies.
"This is a joke right? Parkinson, I'm with someone else now! You have to move on, I did!" said Draco, anger rising in his chest.
"Don't yell at me! You're going to want me after you find out what happened to your precious girlfriend!" she yelled and then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Draco ran after her.
"Wait! What do you mean? Will you stop?" as soon as he reached her, he grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around.
"Leave me alone!" said Pansy. Tears rolling down her face, she ran out of the hallway, clutching her hood on her head.
Before he had time to process why she was crying, he heard a loud scream. He ran to the source of it. Draco thought it came from the second floor, so he ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He almost fell off of one of them because it began to move.
As soon as he reached a door, he turned the rusty handle and stepped inside the corridor. He ran through it. As the torches lit up, he could se an outline of a person lying on the dusty floor. Draco reached the figure and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Piper!" said Draco. He landed on his knees and held her head up in his arms. There was puddle of blood underneath her.
"D-Draco," said Piper in a hoarse whisper, "don't leave me."
"I-I won't.. Who did this to you?" he said, choking on his own tears, which were helplessly coming out of his eyes.
She opened her mouth in reply, but no words came out. Her eyes began to close and her head cocked to one side. She was dead. He kissed her lips softly.
"No! Piper wake up.please! Piper! Wake up!" Draco cried.
He had lost the one person he had cared for most, the only one he had ever loved.gone.
As he was crying in great mourning over her lifeless body, he heard a loud meow in the direction where the entrance to the corridor was. Draco looked up and wiped the tears away from his face. At first he thought the sound came from Mrs. Norris, Filch the caretaker's cat, but then noticed that the creature was darker in colour. The cat ran closer to Draco. All of a sudden, Draco heard some footsteps in the distance.
"Kaelan? Here girl.. Where are you?" said a girl's voice. Draco thought he recognized it as Aisinn Njass'.
She walked into the corridor, looked left then right, and spotted Draco just as she did. Her eyes widened in shock. She looked from him to Piper's body, to the puddle of blood under Piper.
"No, it's not what it looks like.." said Draco, trying to explain.
"C-c-come on Kaelan." said Aislinn, then bolted out the door, Kealan following her.
Great, now she'll probably tell everyone, and they'll think I'm the one who killed Piper, he thought, I wonder who did?
He thought about this for a while. Was it Pansy? After all, she did hate Piper.Then he heard footsteps; these ones were heavier, as if more people were coming. He listened as hard as he could.
"What is it Albus?" it was Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Miss. Njass has informed me that there was a student up here. I believe she said it was Mr. Malfoy?" said Dumbledore, a note of concern in his voice.
"Mr. Malfoy is a good student.. What would he be doing up here? Especially in a corridor allowed only for teachers and Prefects?" this, unmistakably was Professor Snape's voice.
"Well I don't know Severus, why don't we ask Mr. Malfoy himself?" Dumbledore said.
All three teachers appeared in the entrance. Snape looked somewhat concerned and McGonagall's lips were pursed, Draco could tell she looked furious. Dumbledore on the other hand, looked calm. They all looked around and then their eyes settled on Draco. Professor McGonagall gasped when she noticed Piper's limp body covered with shining red blood.
"Explain." said Snape.
"Now, now Severus. Don't be hard on the boy. I'm sure he didn't do anything wro -" said Dumbledore, but he was soon cut off by Snape's pitiful cries of hatred.
"Didn't do anything wrong? He killed a student!"
"Severus! I'm surprised! Surely you would have some trust in Mr. Malfoy? After all.he is in Slytherin." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at him. "Now, Minerva would you be so kind as to take Miss. Haliwell up to the Hospital wing and see if Poppy can determine the cause of death? Severus - get Argus to clean up this mess. Mr. Malfoy - you come with me."
Snape and McGonagall both nodded and did as they were told.
Draco got up, took one last look at Piper and followed Dumbledore down to his office.
When they were in Dumbledore's office, he motioned for Draco to take a seat opposite his desk.
"So, Mr. Malfoy.would you like to explain what happened?" said Dumbledore quietly. Draco explained to him how he was going to find Piper, but was cornered by Pansy. Then how he heard a scream and went to investigate. Then, at last when he found Piper, lying on the floor.
"Then by the time Aislinn saw me in there, Piper was already dead." said Draco.
Tears were welling up in his eyes.
"How did you know she was in that corridor?" said Dumbledore.
"I - I don't know.. It was like something told me she was in there.and there was also the scream." said Draco. He looked back up at Dumbledore. He seemed as if he actually believed his story. Draco knew Snape or the rest of the teachers probably never would have.
Dumbledore nodded, "I heard somewhere that Miss. Haliwell and yourself were a couple. Is that true?"
"Yes." said Draco, wondering where he could be going with this. It felt strange talking about this with a grown up, especially one that wasn't even related to him or anything of the like.
"Do you perhaps think that someone murdered her out of jealousy?" said Dumbledore.
Draco sqiunted at him. Could he be right?
"Well.Mr. Malfoy.I'll let you return to your common room now. Lessons will be canceled for the day, I shall inform the rest of the school."
"But, I want to see Piper!" said Draco.
Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him.
"I will make sure Professor Snape tells you to come to the Hospital wing when Miss. Haliwell is all cleaned up. In the meantime, I will try to see if there is anything Madame Pomfrey can do to revive her.. Now please go up to your dormitory."
"But -" Draco started to say, but was cute off by Dumbledore.
"Go.' said Dumbledore.
Draco got up and slumped out the door.
When he walked out into the hallway, he saw Potter, Granger and Weasley.
"Well it's about time you got in trouble. What's the matter Malfoy, does Snape not like you anymore?" crowed Potter, he and Weasley smirking, waiting for Draco to say something crude back.
"Shut up Scarhead, if you know what's good for you." said Draco.
He continued to walk back down to the dungeon. What really made him think about was not that the fact that Piper's Memory Charm worked, but the fact that Granger looked at him in a very strange way. She looked as if she fancied him, looking at him in a sort of swooning, droopy expression.
The winter holidays passed pretty quickly. Draco had barely noticed that it was already January when Professor Snape walked into the fire-lit common room. He and Piper were sitting on the couch when he did.
"The rest of the students are coming tomorrow morning. Get to bed." he ordered them.
He waited to make sure they were getting their books, then walked back out of the room, his cloak swishing side to side as he took long strides. "Oh, well, I guess I'll go then." said Piper.
She got up and so did Draco.
"' Night." she kissed Draco on the cheek and left the room.
"' Bye." said Draco.
He picked up his Arithmancy homework and headed up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
The next afternoon after lunch, Draco decided to go up to the Library to possibly find Piper before his next class. As he turned the corner into a hallway, someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into an empty classroom.
"What the? - " he said. The person pushed him against the wall and he immediately saw who it was. "Pansy!" Draco cried in surprise.
He was staring into the eyes of a pug-faced girl with long dark hair.
"Shh." she covered his mouth with her hand, "you don't want anyone to hear us.do you?" said Pansy; still keeping her palm firmly on his mouth and not letting him admit even a single peep.
Draco raised his hand to try and push her away, but thought better of it. Her wand was poking out from under her robes.
"I'll take my hand off only if you promise to be quiet.. Agreed?" she said.
He nodded and Pansy did as she said.
"What do you want?" said Draco, still staring occasionally down at the wand.
"Ha! 'What do I want?' Very interesting question Draco. Hmm.. What do I want? Isn't it obvious? I want you."
"W-what do you mean me?" said Draco.
He was confused. What did she mean by ' I want you?' Was she jealous of Piper that he was giving her more attention than he ever gave Pansy when they were dating? Well what whatever she was feeling, either jealousy or hostility, he wasn't going to give Piper up.
"Oh, don't play games with me. Can't you tell.I still love you Draco?" said Pansy.
She began to move closer to him, so there wasn't any space left between their bodies.
"This is a joke right? Parkinson, I'm with someone else now! You have to move on, I did!" said Draco, anger rising in his chest.
"Don't yell at me! You're going to want me after you find out what happened to your precious girlfriend!" she yelled and then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Draco ran after her.
"Wait! What do you mean? Will you stop?" as soon as he reached her, he grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around.
"Leave me alone!" said Pansy. Tears rolling down her face, she ran out of the hallway, clutching her hood on her head.
Before he had time to process why she was crying, he heard a loud scream. He ran to the source of it. Draco thought it came from the second floor, so he ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He almost fell off of one of them because it began to move.
As soon as he reached a door, he turned the rusty handle and stepped inside the corridor. He ran through it. As the torches lit up, he could se an outline of a person lying on the dusty floor. Draco reached the figure and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Piper!" said Draco. He landed on his knees and held her head up in his arms. There was puddle of blood underneath her.
"D-Draco," said Piper in a hoarse whisper, "don't leave me."
"I-I won't.. Who did this to you?" he said, choking on his own tears, which were helplessly coming out of his eyes.
She opened her mouth in reply, but no words came out. Her eyes began to close and her head cocked to one side. She was dead. He kissed her lips softly.
"No! Piper wake up.please! Piper! Wake up!" Draco cried.
He had lost the one person he had cared for most, the only one he had ever loved.gone.
As he was crying in great mourning over her lifeless body, he heard a loud meow in the direction where the entrance to the corridor was. Draco looked up and wiped the tears away from his face. At first he thought the sound came from Mrs. Norris, Filch the caretaker's cat, but then noticed that the creature was darker in colour. The cat ran closer to Draco. All of a sudden, Draco heard some footsteps in the distance.
"Kaelan? Here girl.. Where are you?" said a girl's voice. Draco thought he recognized it as Aisinn Njass'.
She walked into the corridor, looked left then right, and spotted Draco just as she did. Her eyes widened in shock. She looked from him to Piper's body, to the puddle of blood under Piper.
"No, it's not what it looks like.." said Draco, trying to explain.
"C-c-come on Kaelan." said Aislinn, then bolted out the door, Kealan following her.
Great, now she'll probably tell everyone, and they'll think I'm the one who killed Piper, he thought, I wonder who did?
He thought about this for a while. Was it Pansy? After all, she did hate Piper.Then he heard footsteps; these ones were heavier, as if more people were coming. He listened as hard as he could.
"What is it Albus?" it was Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Miss. Njass has informed me that there was a student up here. I believe she said it was Mr. Malfoy?" said Dumbledore, a note of concern in his voice.
"Mr. Malfoy is a good student.. What would he be doing up here? Especially in a corridor allowed only for teachers and Prefects?" this, unmistakably was Professor Snape's voice.
"Well I don't know Severus, why don't we ask Mr. Malfoy himself?" Dumbledore said.
All three teachers appeared in the entrance. Snape looked somewhat concerned and McGonagall's lips were pursed, Draco could tell she looked furious. Dumbledore on the other hand, looked calm. They all looked around and then their eyes settled on Draco. Professor McGonagall gasped when she noticed Piper's limp body covered with shining red blood.
"Explain." said Snape.
"Now, now Severus. Don't be hard on the boy. I'm sure he didn't do anything wro -" said Dumbledore, but he was soon cut off by Snape's pitiful cries of hatred.
"Didn't do anything wrong? He killed a student!"
"Severus! I'm surprised! Surely you would have some trust in Mr. Malfoy? After all.he is in Slytherin." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at him. "Now, Minerva would you be so kind as to take Miss. Haliwell up to the Hospital wing and see if Poppy can determine the cause of death? Severus - get Argus to clean up this mess. Mr. Malfoy - you come with me."
Snape and McGonagall both nodded and did as they were told.
Draco got up, took one last look at Piper and followed Dumbledore down to his office.
When they were in Dumbledore's office, he motioned for Draco to take a seat opposite his desk.
"So, Mr. Malfoy.would you like to explain what happened?" said Dumbledore quietly. Draco explained to him how he was going to find Piper, but was cornered by Pansy. Then how he heard a scream and went to investigate. Then, at last when he found Piper, lying on the floor.
"Then by the time Aislinn saw me in there, Piper was already dead." said Draco.
Tears were welling up in his eyes.
"How did you know she was in that corridor?" said Dumbledore.
"I - I don't know.. It was like something told me she was in there.and there was also the scream." said Draco. He looked back up at Dumbledore. He seemed as if he actually believed his story. Draco knew Snape or the rest of the teachers probably never would have.
Dumbledore nodded, "I heard somewhere that Miss. Haliwell and yourself were a couple. Is that true?"
"Yes." said Draco, wondering where he could be going with this. It felt strange talking about this with a grown up, especially one that wasn't even related to him or anything of the like.
"Do you perhaps think that someone murdered her out of jealousy?" said Dumbledore.
Draco sqiunted at him. Could he be right?
"Well.Mr. Malfoy.I'll let you return to your common room now. Lessons will be canceled for the day, I shall inform the rest of the school."
"But, I want to see Piper!" said Draco.
Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him.
"I will make sure Professor Snape tells you to come to the Hospital wing when Miss. Haliwell is all cleaned up. In the meantime, I will try to see if there is anything Madame Pomfrey can do to revive her.. Now please go up to your dormitory."
"But -" Draco started to say, but was cute off by Dumbledore.
"Go.' said Dumbledore.
Draco got up and slumped out the door.
When he walked out into the hallway, he saw Potter, Granger and Weasley.
"Well it's about time you got in trouble. What's the matter Malfoy, does Snape not like you anymore?" crowed Potter, he and Weasley smirking, waiting for Draco to say something crude back.
"Shut up Scarhead, if you know what's good for you." said Draco.
He continued to walk back down to the dungeon. What really made him think about was not that the fact that Piper's Memory Charm worked, but the fact that Granger looked at him in a very strange way. She looked as if she fancied him, looking at him in a sort of swooning, droopy expression.