[Disclaimer: see Chapter 1]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour after the Banquet had begun, it was over, and most of the students were in their dorms, or on their way back. Adelaide was in the process of finding her rooms when she came upon a knot of Slytherin students. Smack in the center of them was the Slytherin prince himself, Draco Malfoy, and his little whore Pansy Parkinson. Adelaide knew Patricia Parkinson, Pansy's mother. And like mother, like daughter. Draco looked up, the mocking expression on his face from whatever conversation she had stumbled upon was replaced with a cool and distant look. Adelaide noted his polite expression, and allowed herself to slip behind the role of Professor and adult. Pansy hopped up, openly appraising Adelaide as to whether or not she'd be a threat. Adelaide was tempted, so very tempted to make all of Pansy's clientele hr little following of puppies, lovesick and at her heels. But no, Lucius would probably be angry with her for disrupting Pansy's popularity. "Cousin Adelaide."
Pansy had opened her mouth--always an unfortunate thing, really. And worse yet, she had attempted to bring Adelaide down to her level. Adelaide noted with hidden amusement that Draco was either going to smack Pansy, or start laughing. He knew very well the blunder she had just made, and so he sat back to watch the fireworks. Adelaide narrowed her eyes at Pansy, and took a step forward. She crossed her arms, annoyed that she could do little more than cradle her breasts. Men always could look more threatening since they had nothing on their chests to get in the way.
"We may be relations, Miss Parkinson, however distance, but I will be addressed 'Professor Gentry'. If I must remind you a second time, it will cost your house points, and I shall see you ever night for a month. And perhaps I will find time to speak with your mother as well."
Pansy looked at her stupidly, her mouth halfway opening, before sinking back into the crowd. Draco glared at her for a moment, before pushing his way from between his two goons, presumably Crabbe and Goyle-they looked like their fathers.
"Professor, please allow me to apologize. Those of us who know you, or of you, were quite shocked to see you here. I am surprised my father did not mention it to me." Adelaide nodded, accepting the apology. Draco was much like his father-a silver-tongued diplomat. However, Lucius would have let Adelaide bury Parkinson in the hole she had dug for herself.
"It came from a..common acquaintance..that I was to tell no one."
Draco nodded, his gray eyes locked onto his. For a moment, panic rose up in her again. Did he know? Did he know all the things she was hiding? [Perhaps. He is Lucius' son, and he does have access to much information. Or maybe he just has his father's irritating habit of seeming to know everything, even if he doesn't.] Adelaide took a deep breath, and regarded the group with cold eyes. Draco, however, was quite eager to have her there, for whatever reason.
"If I may.." He smiled at Adelaide, and then turned to his court. "Our new professor is something of a celebrity," he began. "We have in our presence not just Professor Gentry, but the Lady Gentry."
A murmur went through the gather of two dozen or so Slytherins. Adelaide frowned, but flushed pink with what they mistook for embarrassment, when really she was trying to decide whether to smack Draco for his impertinence. She frowned faintly at him, her delicately arched eyebrows pulling towards the center of her forehead in disapproval. Draco smiled at her; the same smooth and flirtatious smile Lucius used. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
"My father did tell me you were coming. So you're to make friends here?"
Adelaide pursed her lips. What else had Lucius told his son? "I'm here to teach. I don't know what you're babbling about."
Draco watched her for a moment with gray eyes eerily like her own.
"I do hope I shall see you in my class, Mister Malfoy? I do believe I am correct in remembering that your family has a number of tomes that are highly valued. It would be good for you to know how to access the information within, if need be."
Draco smiled at her, more predator than seducer this time. He was certainly his father's son.
"Yes, I will be in your class, and I am certainly looking forward to it."
Adelaide nodded, and surveyed the rest of the Slytherins.
"Very well then. Don't expect special treatment. I do, however, look forward to seeing all of you there."
Draco nodded, and correctly took her words as a dismissal.
"Good night, Professor."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco Malfoy, Slytherin prince, was a puzzle. The son of Lucius Malfoy through and through, there was no doubt of that. Yet, it seemed to Adelaide that there was more to him that just 'Lucius' son.' He seemed serious behind the arrogance and bravado. Did Lucius treat him the way Edward had treated her? Like so many other students had suffered at the hands of their parents? Many wondered why Slytherins had children who in turn were placed in the same house. It could be argued that the same happened with any house- the child usually followed the parents. But violence begets violence, and the children of Slytherin were raised to fear their family, to hurt others or be hurt in turn, to use violence as a tool, lest it be used against them. It was the world she was raised in; the world so many had fallen into, never to see the light of day again. Except this time, she might break away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
[A/N: If you haven't caught my rather strong reoccurring theme yet, I'll point it out so that all those who love Gryffindor and hate Slytherin can stop reading now, if you're already angry: I do rather sympathize with a lot of the Slytherin kids. There's more than just 'I'm bad, I hate you, I'm evil' going on in their minds. And yeah, I still have hope for Draco to find the right side. Because as many Death Eaters and supporters as there are, they've left many more victims in their wake, muggle and wizard alike. Thanks again to Forbee, Normwifey, Erin, Christy, Steph, and everyone else who has been pestering me. Please R&R!]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour after the Banquet had begun, it was over, and most of the students were in their dorms, or on their way back. Adelaide was in the process of finding her rooms when she came upon a knot of Slytherin students. Smack in the center of them was the Slytherin prince himself, Draco Malfoy, and his little whore Pansy Parkinson. Adelaide knew Patricia Parkinson, Pansy's mother. And like mother, like daughter. Draco looked up, the mocking expression on his face from whatever conversation she had stumbled upon was replaced with a cool and distant look. Adelaide noted his polite expression, and allowed herself to slip behind the role of Professor and adult. Pansy hopped up, openly appraising Adelaide as to whether or not she'd be a threat. Adelaide was tempted, so very tempted to make all of Pansy's clientele hr little following of puppies, lovesick and at her heels. But no, Lucius would probably be angry with her for disrupting Pansy's popularity. "Cousin Adelaide."
Pansy had opened her mouth--always an unfortunate thing, really. And worse yet, she had attempted to bring Adelaide down to her level. Adelaide noted with hidden amusement that Draco was either going to smack Pansy, or start laughing. He knew very well the blunder she had just made, and so he sat back to watch the fireworks. Adelaide narrowed her eyes at Pansy, and took a step forward. She crossed her arms, annoyed that she could do little more than cradle her breasts. Men always could look more threatening since they had nothing on their chests to get in the way.
"We may be relations, Miss Parkinson, however distance, but I will be addressed 'Professor Gentry'. If I must remind you a second time, it will cost your house points, and I shall see you ever night for a month. And perhaps I will find time to speak with your mother as well."
Pansy looked at her stupidly, her mouth halfway opening, before sinking back into the crowd. Draco glared at her for a moment, before pushing his way from between his two goons, presumably Crabbe and Goyle-they looked like their fathers.
"Professor, please allow me to apologize. Those of us who know you, or of you, were quite shocked to see you here. I am surprised my father did not mention it to me." Adelaide nodded, accepting the apology. Draco was much like his father-a silver-tongued diplomat. However, Lucius would have let Adelaide bury Parkinson in the hole she had dug for herself.
"It came from a..common acquaintance..that I was to tell no one."
Draco nodded, his gray eyes locked onto his. For a moment, panic rose up in her again. Did he know? Did he know all the things she was hiding? [Perhaps. He is Lucius' son, and he does have access to much information. Or maybe he just has his father's irritating habit of seeming to know everything, even if he doesn't.] Adelaide took a deep breath, and regarded the group with cold eyes. Draco, however, was quite eager to have her there, for whatever reason.
"If I may.." He smiled at Adelaide, and then turned to his court. "Our new professor is something of a celebrity," he began. "We have in our presence not just Professor Gentry, but the Lady Gentry."
A murmur went through the gather of two dozen or so Slytherins. Adelaide frowned, but flushed pink with what they mistook for embarrassment, when really she was trying to decide whether to smack Draco for his impertinence. She frowned faintly at him, her delicately arched eyebrows pulling towards the center of her forehead in disapproval. Draco smiled at her; the same smooth and flirtatious smile Lucius used. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
"My father did tell me you were coming. So you're to make friends here?"
Adelaide pursed her lips. What else had Lucius told his son? "I'm here to teach. I don't know what you're babbling about."
Draco watched her for a moment with gray eyes eerily like her own.
"I do hope I shall see you in my class, Mister Malfoy? I do believe I am correct in remembering that your family has a number of tomes that are highly valued. It would be good for you to know how to access the information within, if need be."
Draco smiled at her, more predator than seducer this time. He was certainly his father's son.
"Yes, I will be in your class, and I am certainly looking forward to it."
Adelaide nodded, and surveyed the rest of the Slytherins.
"Very well then. Don't expect special treatment. I do, however, look forward to seeing all of you there."
Draco nodded, and correctly took her words as a dismissal.
"Good night, Professor."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco Malfoy, Slytherin prince, was a puzzle. The son of Lucius Malfoy through and through, there was no doubt of that. Yet, it seemed to Adelaide that there was more to him that just 'Lucius' son.' He seemed serious behind the arrogance and bravado. Did Lucius treat him the way Edward had treated her? Like so many other students had suffered at the hands of their parents? Many wondered why Slytherins had children who in turn were placed in the same house. It could be argued that the same happened with any house- the child usually followed the parents. But violence begets violence, and the children of Slytherin were raised to fear their family, to hurt others or be hurt in turn, to use violence as a tool, lest it be used against them. It was the world she was raised in; the world so many had fallen into, never to see the light of day again. Except this time, she might break away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
[A/N: If you haven't caught my rather strong reoccurring theme yet, I'll point it out so that all those who love Gryffindor and hate Slytherin can stop reading now, if you're already angry: I do rather sympathize with a lot of the Slytherin kids. There's more than just 'I'm bad, I hate you, I'm evil' going on in their minds. And yeah, I still have hope for Draco to find the right side. Because as many Death Eaters and supporters as there are, they've left many more victims in their wake, muggle and wizard alike. Thanks again to Forbee, Normwifey, Erin, Christy, Steph, and everyone else who has been pestering me. Please R&R!]
