By the time Arilyn got back to her room, the other students of the castle
were only just waking up. She slipped into her room, unnoticed by all but
one person: Draco.
He has spent the night awake in the common room, not being able to sleep because images of a girl he loved and yet despised played upon his mind every time he would get close to sleep. And if he did sleep, he would dream only of her. He had been like this for three days, ever since their last 'meeting', and the tiredness was taking it's toll on his body.
He felt sick, in his body and in his mind. She was like a plague, she infected every sing pore on his body, even when she wasn't near, he couldn't get away from her.
The other students loved her, of course. She was mysterious, she was new, and she was beautiful. Not the beautiful that so many growing girls would strive with potions and charms to achieve, but a beauty of her own, one that was so alluring yet no one knew why. She was slim, but she didn't have big breasts. She wasn't tall with mile long legs; she was petite, but not too petite as to look strange. She looked many years under her age, and yet at the same time, many years over. And yet she was easily considered the most beautiful creature by girl and boy, man and woman. She was like a doll, everyone felt like they had to protect her.
And the teachers, bar Snape, loved her. She knew everything in class; she never had to ask questions like the annoying Granger, she didn't need any help like the imbecile Longbottem, and she completed her work to an exceptionally high level. She was easily the most intelligent child in all of her classes.
The only off-putting thing about her was that she didn't have any friends, not because no one would approach her, but because everyone who did was turned away with an uncaring, I'm-too-good-for-you response. And she rarely spoke. But when she did, her voice was soft, and yet perfectly clear, and you heard every word she wanted you to hear.
By the time the student were finally ready to face the day, they headed out of their dorm rooms and down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Pulled out of his thoughts, Draco headed down the stairs that lead to the separate dorm hallways, passing Arilyn on the way. He stopped in his tracks and began to look for a place of escape, but she merely passed him by without a glance. Confused at why she was rejecting him, and yet relieved at the same time, he headed back to his room.
When he got there, he lay down on his bed, and, his body finally giving in fell into the darkness filled only with Arilyn and the frightening images of her past, made known to him by a means unknown.
***
When the first class for the day started, the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins filed into the Potions dungeon, and took their seats. After five minutes in whick the talked while preparing for their lesson, Snape barged in, his dark robes flowing dramatically around him.
"Put your books away, today we are making the Revealing Elixir. Anyone care to tell me what it does? After all, you were supposed to read about it."
Hermiones hand instantly shot up into the air.
"As usual, Miss Granger is the only one here who can reply. I'm disappointed."
At this moment, Arilyn walked into the classroom, surveying the people already present, and sitting towards the back of the classroom. She lounged back in her chair, and simply shrugged her shoulders at Snapes piercing glare, giving the look of someone who has no clue of what they've done wrong.
"As I was saying until we were so rudely interrupted, the Revealing Elixir reveals the species of anything on which it is applied. You put a few drops on the skin or fur of the creature, and the Elixir turns a certain colour depending on the species of that creature. The potion is on page 174 of your books, read it thoroughly and begin brewing." He finished by sitting down and ruffling papers about, and began to take the role.
The students quickly gathered their things, they wanted to make sure they got the best ones they could before everything was taken. They then started reading, and preparing as they went along, not wanting to end up having to finishing after class.
Harry and Ron, paying more attention to their conversation that their potion, noticed Malfoy wasn't in class making their time hell.
"I guess that git's gonna leave us along for the day then?" remarked Ron, casually cutting up his ingredients.
"Finally. He's getting annoying; it's about time that he buggered off." Replied Harry.
"Probably off somewhere trying to grow a dick," Harry, seeing Hermione way ahead of them, quickly went on to the next step of the potion.
"Yeah, trying," said Ron with a snigger.
"You know if you two shut the hell up for once, you might actually get some work done in class," observed Hermione, while starting to boil the first ingredients.
"If. BIG emphasis on the if," retorted Ron, but Harry and Ron stopped their chatting for a moment to work on a crucial part of the preparation.
Arilyn worked quickly, almost finished although most of the class had only just started boiling. She didn't have to read about this, she had already done so. She'd read everything else in the book too.
Snape walked by, finished with his various papers. He could find nothing wrong with what she was doing, but wished he could, as then he'd have something to scold her about. He felt the need to get back at her, show her that she couldn't control him. But of course she could, and he knew that he wouldn't tell anyone until he and everyone else she had threatened were safe. So he kept his temper, for the moment. Instead he vented himself on Longbottem, telling him off loudly for the slightest imperfection that really wouldn't make any difference. The potion was easy, he didn't feel like having to send student to the hospital wing for injuries they would surely incur. He just couldn't be bothered, strangely enough.
Suddenly a huge bang issued throughout the classroom. Great, thought Snape, as he felt something liquid slide down his back, Longbottem's done it again.
But when he turned around, searching for Neville to yell at him, he found the boy's cauldron intact. But everyone was splattered with variously coloured splodges of wetness, so he searched for the source.
It turned out to be the least expected student that was the culprit, Arilyn was trying to hide a grin on her face as she looked at Snape.
"Opps!" she said, trying not to laugh. A few giggles issued throughout the class, everyone was looking at Snape. He looked around, and then back at her.
"Detention tonight, Miss Ijsselstein, and for the rest of the week! And clean this mess up RIGHT NOW" he yelled, infuriated. She had caused this on purpose just to provoke him, he knew it.
Soon the giggles turned into outright laughter.
"SILENCE!" he yelled, but to no avail. The class just laughed harder. And every one of them was watching him. He was furious, not having been amusement for an audience against his will for so many years.
He threw his head in annoyance; his long hair was getting in his face. But something about his hair caught his eyes. It wasn't black anymore. He grabbed a handful of it and looked at it. It wasn't any particular colour because it kept changing. Fluro pink to baby blue to deep purple to aquamarine. And it kept going, colour to colour, on and on.
His eyes wide with horror, he quickly stormed out of the room as the bell rang. The laughter became unrestrained as soon as the door closed behind him; he could hear it all the way down the hall as he rushed to his rooms.
He has spent the night awake in the common room, not being able to sleep because images of a girl he loved and yet despised played upon his mind every time he would get close to sleep. And if he did sleep, he would dream only of her. He had been like this for three days, ever since their last 'meeting', and the tiredness was taking it's toll on his body.
He felt sick, in his body and in his mind. She was like a plague, she infected every sing pore on his body, even when she wasn't near, he couldn't get away from her.
The other students loved her, of course. She was mysterious, she was new, and she was beautiful. Not the beautiful that so many growing girls would strive with potions and charms to achieve, but a beauty of her own, one that was so alluring yet no one knew why. She was slim, but she didn't have big breasts. She wasn't tall with mile long legs; she was petite, but not too petite as to look strange. She looked many years under her age, and yet at the same time, many years over. And yet she was easily considered the most beautiful creature by girl and boy, man and woman. She was like a doll, everyone felt like they had to protect her.
And the teachers, bar Snape, loved her. She knew everything in class; she never had to ask questions like the annoying Granger, she didn't need any help like the imbecile Longbottem, and she completed her work to an exceptionally high level. She was easily the most intelligent child in all of her classes.
The only off-putting thing about her was that she didn't have any friends, not because no one would approach her, but because everyone who did was turned away with an uncaring, I'm-too-good-for-you response. And she rarely spoke. But when she did, her voice was soft, and yet perfectly clear, and you heard every word she wanted you to hear.
By the time the student were finally ready to face the day, they headed out of their dorm rooms and down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Pulled out of his thoughts, Draco headed down the stairs that lead to the separate dorm hallways, passing Arilyn on the way. He stopped in his tracks and began to look for a place of escape, but she merely passed him by without a glance. Confused at why she was rejecting him, and yet relieved at the same time, he headed back to his room.
When he got there, he lay down on his bed, and, his body finally giving in fell into the darkness filled only with Arilyn and the frightening images of her past, made known to him by a means unknown.
***
When the first class for the day started, the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins filed into the Potions dungeon, and took their seats. After five minutes in whick the talked while preparing for their lesson, Snape barged in, his dark robes flowing dramatically around him.
"Put your books away, today we are making the Revealing Elixir. Anyone care to tell me what it does? After all, you were supposed to read about it."
Hermiones hand instantly shot up into the air.
"As usual, Miss Granger is the only one here who can reply. I'm disappointed."
At this moment, Arilyn walked into the classroom, surveying the people already present, and sitting towards the back of the classroom. She lounged back in her chair, and simply shrugged her shoulders at Snapes piercing glare, giving the look of someone who has no clue of what they've done wrong.
"As I was saying until we were so rudely interrupted, the Revealing Elixir reveals the species of anything on which it is applied. You put a few drops on the skin or fur of the creature, and the Elixir turns a certain colour depending on the species of that creature. The potion is on page 174 of your books, read it thoroughly and begin brewing." He finished by sitting down and ruffling papers about, and began to take the role.
The students quickly gathered their things, they wanted to make sure they got the best ones they could before everything was taken. They then started reading, and preparing as they went along, not wanting to end up having to finishing after class.
Harry and Ron, paying more attention to their conversation that their potion, noticed Malfoy wasn't in class making their time hell.
"I guess that git's gonna leave us along for the day then?" remarked Ron, casually cutting up his ingredients.
"Finally. He's getting annoying; it's about time that he buggered off." Replied Harry.
"Probably off somewhere trying to grow a dick," Harry, seeing Hermione way ahead of them, quickly went on to the next step of the potion.
"Yeah, trying," said Ron with a snigger.
"You know if you two shut the hell up for once, you might actually get some work done in class," observed Hermione, while starting to boil the first ingredients.
"If. BIG emphasis on the if," retorted Ron, but Harry and Ron stopped their chatting for a moment to work on a crucial part of the preparation.
Arilyn worked quickly, almost finished although most of the class had only just started boiling. She didn't have to read about this, she had already done so. She'd read everything else in the book too.
Snape walked by, finished with his various papers. He could find nothing wrong with what she was doing, but wished he could, as then he'd have something to scold her about. He felt the need to get back at her, show her that she couldn't control him. But of course she could, and he knew that he wouldn't tell anyone until he and everyone else she had threatened were safe. So he kept his temper, for the moment. Instead he vented himself on Longbottem, telling him off loudly for the slightest imperfection that really wouldn't make any difference. The potion was easy, he didn't feel like having to send student to the hospital wing for injuries they would surely incur. He just couldn't be bothered, strangely enough.
Suddenly a huge bang issued throughout the classroom. Great, thought Snape, as he felt something liquid slide down his back, Longbottem's done it again.
But when he turned around, searching for Neville to yell at him, he found the boy's cauldron intact. But everyone was splattered with variously coloured splodges of wetness, so he searched for the source.
It turned out to be the least expected student that was the culprit, Arilyn was trying to hide a grin on her face as she looked at Snape.
"Opps!" she said, trying not to laugh. A few giggles issued throughout the class, everyone was looking at Snape. He looked around, and then back at her.
"Detention tonight, Miss Ijsselstein, and for the rest of the week! And clean this mess up RIGHT NOW" he yelled, infuriated. She had caused this on purpose just to provoke him, he knew it.
Soon the giggles turned into outright laughter.
"SILENCE!" he yelled, but to no avail. The class just laughed harder. And every one of them was watching him. He was furious, not having been amusement for an audience against his will for so many years.
He threw his head in annoyance; his long hair was getting in his face. But something about his hair caught his eyes. It wasn't black anymore. He grabbed a handful of it and looked at it. It wasn't any particular colour because it kept changing. Fluro pink to baby blue to deep purple to aquamarine. And it kept going, colour to colour, on and on.
His eyes wide with horror, he quickly stormed out of the room as the bell rang. The laughter became unrestrained as soon as the door closed behind him; he could hear it all the way down the hall as he rushed to his rooms.