Draco eyed Nemesis's multi-coloured eyes with his red-rimmed own.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to sound like his usual cocky self, and not succeeding.
"Looking for you." She answered calmly as she sat across from him. The passage was so narrow the two had their legs against the opposite wall.
"Pardon? Why?"
"Because I figured you'd be sobbing somewhere, after what happened with your father."
"How do you know? You and Artemis haven't been seen for the last week!"
"I know a lot, Mr. Malfoy."
"Don't call me that. Enough people call me Malfoy. God, I hate that name." Draco leaned his head against the wall and blinked away tears.
"Don't break down again, Draco. A good cry is always useful, but only for emotional support. It won't actually do anything for your current situation."
"I wasn't going to cry."
"Yes, you were." Nemesis stated this as if it was fact, and Draco knew it was.
They sat there for a little while. Nemesis's usually icy stare had softened, but her eyes were still appraising as she scanned Draco's face. He broke the silence.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked defensively.
Nemesis didn't answer. She simply kept gazing. Then she answered, rather distantly, "If you look and listen closely, a man will show you what he is." She reached across the small space between them and touched the back of her hand to his cheek. Draco's breath caught. Her hand was so warm. There was emotion there, emotion she was determined not to let out. He reached up to touch her hand, but she pulled it away.
"You, Draco, are lost, lonely, and confused."
Draco turned from her inquisitive eyes. There was another silence. The Draco turned back, and Nemesis gave a small smile that was without sarcasm or malice, very rare.
"But then again, aren't we all?" Nemesis stared into space. "Aren't we all. . ."
Draco swallowed and decided to venture a question.
"Where are you and your sister from, anyway? The two of you are rather odd, you know; no wands, no spells, just results."
"We're from Canada! As Artemis would say." Nemesis said, sounding mock- perky. "However, I'm the only one really from Canada. Artemis hasn't been to Canada in a long, long time."
"Ah." A pause. "I didn't know that Canadian's had such. . . unique powers."
"They don't. Only Artemis, our two sisters, and me."
"There's more of you?!" Asked Draco in shock.
"Yeah. Never get the four of us in the same room. Bad idea."
"What happens?"
"Everyone is happy for about, oh, 3 microseconds. Then huge fight ensues, and everyone, be they one of my sisters or an innocent bystander, gets hurt. And I am left to calm my sisters down, usually quite violently."
"Makes me happy I'm an only child."
"These kind of fights aren't usual. Only when you're dealing with us."
Draco ventured another question. "What did you mean, when you said it was me, not Potter?"
"Oh, that? Well, Artemis thought Potter was the one with the power, and true, he has it, but he can't use it. It belongs to you."
"That doesn't really answer the question."
"No, it doesn't, does it?"
Realizing that this would be all he would get on the matter, Draco changed the subject.
"Do you hate your sister, or something?"
Nemesis sighed. "No, she's just. . . very annoying, somehow. I can't believe you wanted to date her, Draco!"
Draco blushed, his pale cheeks turning a slight pink. "How do you know that?"
"I'm her SISTER, Draco. I have my ways." She hesitated. "You liked her because she was mysterious, right? And what ever was in her head made the hat scream, correct?"
"Yes. . . I suppose so." Answered Draco. He was getting even more miserable.
"However, then you found out she was a horribly optimistic and energetic person that gets on your nerves and is adored by the Weasley twins, correct?"
"Yes! I thought she was more like, well, more like YOU and then she was so bubbly and disgustingly happy!"
"It gets annoying."
"Yes, it certainly does."
"Especially when things go wrong."
"Oh, like in Potions! I got one ingredient wrong and Snape was breathing down my neck and she goes 'Oh, I'm sure it's all okay, Draco! Here, let me fix it!' Drives me nuts, really."
"Try living with her. Thank God she only comes home once in a while."
Draco gave a rare smile.
"You should do that more often."
"What?"
"Smile."
"My father. . . doesn't like me smiling."
"My father doesn't like me writing so much, yet I do every day."
"Yes, but you're, well, powerful."
Nemesis shook her head as she smiled and leaned her head back. "Yeah, well, he doesn't know that, now does he?" She murmured.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hey, what time is it?"
"We've been gone a while. It's past lunch."
"WHAT?" Draco jumped up. "I'm hungry now."
"Well, you didn't really eat breakfast, so that would make you hungry."
"Or 'famished', as Artemis would say."
Nemesis gave a small laugh. "Well, nice talking to you, Draco."
"Hey, wait, where are you going?"
"No where in particular."
"Mind if I come?"
"No, I don't. You may accompany me." She said with a straight face. Draco was a little thrown off. Then she smiled, another one of her rare, genuine ones. "Come on. I'll get us some food."
Draco returned the stoic look. "That would be greatly appreciated." He said, in a snooty tone.
"Doesn't suit you. Stick to the old 'Think you're better than me, eh, Potter?' sarcasm thing."
"Hey! I'm not THAT bad! Well. . ."
"Well?"
"See. . . I always run down Potter, you know? But do you want to know why?"
"I know why. If he did to me what he did to you, hell, he wouldn't be nearly as good looking."
"What did he do to me? I don't even know! I just know that I don't like him!"
"Something that happened a good decade and a half ago, your time. I'll talk about that later. Now, let's go eat."
Draco fell into step with her, and the two started to walk away. Suddenly Draco stopped dead.
"Do you think there's any hope for me?"
Nemesis didn't have to ask what he meant.
"Of course. There always is."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Hat was right. There are some beyond salvation, but those in here are not. And now that I've clued into the signs, I can see it really is Malfoy- Draco, who has the power. I guess I just wanted it so bad to be Harry. So that it was the whole gang, y'know? But you can't always get what you want.
I still don't get why Skelly- no, sorry, NEMESIS, is here. Why does she need to check up on me? I mean, sure, she had the Draco thing right, but I would have figured it out!
I saw her walking with him. They went to the kitchens to get some food, I reckon. He looked - happy, I guess. There wasn't as much pain in his eyes. And Nemesis just kept herself slightly cold and distant, but there. As moral support, I suppose. They were talking about one of the Potions we made in class. I never thought I'd see Draco looking so interested in something. He was always so distantly scornful, the I'm-better-than-you attitude. Just like Skelly. They're made for each other.
I heard him say something about his father, and I guess Sigmund Freud was right.
It all goes back to your childhood.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I suppose you are either going to love this chapter or hate it, because of the way I've represented Draco. So, reviews, even flames or constructive criticism, are always welcome!
"What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to sound like his usual cocky self, and not succeeding.
"Looking for you." She answered calmly as she sat across from him. The passage was so narrow the two had their legs against the opposite wall.
"Pardon? Why?"
"Because I figured you'd be sobbing somewhere, after what happened with your father."
"How do you know? You and Artemis haven't been seen for the last week!"
"I know a lot, Mr. Malfoy."
"Don't call me that. Enough people call me Malfoy. God, I hate that name." Draco leaned his head against the wall and blinked away tears.
"Don't break down again, Draco. A good cry is always useful, but only for emotional support. It won't actually do anything for your current situation."
"I wasn't going to cry."
"Yes, you were." Nemesis stated this as if it was fact, and Draco knew it was.
They sat there for a little while. Nemesis's usually icy stare had softened, but her eyes were still appraising as she scanned Draco's face. He broke the silence.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked defensively.
Nemesis didn't answer. She simply kept gazing. Then she answered, rather distantly, "If you look and listen closely, a man will show you what he is." She reached across the small space between them and touched the back of her hand to his cheek. Draco's breath caught. Her hand was so warm. There was emotion there, emotion she was determined not to let out. He reached up to touch her hand, but she pulled it away.
"You, Draco, are lost, lonely, and confused."
Draco turned from her inquisitive eyes. There was another silence. The Draco turned back, and Nemesis gave a small smile that was without sarcasm or malice, very rare.
"But then again, aren't we all?" Nemesis stared into space. "Aren't we all. . ."
Draco swallowed and decided to venture a question.
"Where are you and your sister from, anyway? The two of you are rather odd, you know; no wands, no spells, just results."
"We're from Canada! As Artemis would say." Nemesis said, sounding mock- perky. "However, I'm the only one really from Canada. Artemis hasn't been to Canada in a long, long time."
"Ah." A pause. "I didn't know that Canadian's had such. . . unique powers."
"They don't. Only Artemis, our two sisters, and me."
"There's more of you?!" Asked Draco in shock.
"Yeah. Never get the four of us in the same room. Bad idea."
"What happens?"
"Everyone is happy for about, oh, 3 microseconds. Then huge fight ensues, and everyone, be they one of my sisters or an innocent bystander, gets hurt. And I am left to calm my sisters down, usually quite violently."
"Makes me happy I'm an only child."
"These kind of fights aren't usual. Only when you're dealing with us."
Draco ventured another question. "What did you mean, when you said it was me, not Potter?"
"Oh, that? Well, Artemis thought Potter was the one with the power, and true, he has it, but he can't use it. It belongs to you."
"That doesn't really answer the question."
"No, it doesn't, does it?"
Realizing that this would be all he would get on the matter, Draco changed the subject.
"Do you hate your sister, or something?"
Nemesis sighed. "No, she's just. . . very annoying, somehow. I can't believe you wanted to date her, Draco!"
Draco blushed, his pale cheeks turning a slight pink. "How do you know that?"
"I'm her SISTER, Draco. I have my ways." She hesitated. "You liked her because she was mysterious, right? And what ever was in her head made the hat scream, correct?"
"Yes. . . I suppose so." Answered Draco. He was getting even more miserable.
"However, then you found out she was a horribly optimistic and energetic person that gets on your nerves and is adored by the Weasley twins, correct?"
"Yes! I thought she was more like, well, more like YOU and then she was so bubbly and disgustingly happy!"
"It gets annoying."
"Yes, it certainly does."
"Especially when things go wrong."
"Oh, like in Potions! I got one ingredient wrong and Snape was breathing down my neck and she goes 'Oh, I'm sure it's all okay, Draco! Here, let me fix it!' Drives me nuts, really."
"Try living with her. Thank God she only comes home once in a while."
Draco gave a rare smile.
"You should do that more often."
"What?"
"Smile."
"My father. . . doesn't like me smiling."
"My father doesn't like me writing so much, yet I do every day."
"Yes, but you're, well, powerful."
Nemesis shook her head as she smiled and leaned her head back. "Yeah, well, he doesn't know that, now does he?" She murmured.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hey, what time is it?"
"We've been gone a while. It's past lunch."
"WHAT?" Draco jumped up. "I'm hungry now."
"Well, you didn't really eat breakfast, so that would make you hungry."
"Or 'famished', as Artemis would say."
Nemesis gave a small laugh. "Well, nice talking to you, Draco."
"Hey, wait, where are you going?"
"No where in particular."
"Mind if I come?"
"No, I don't. You may accompany me." She said with a straight face. Draco was a little thrown off. Then she smiled, another one of her rare, genuine ones. "Come on. I'll get us some food."
Draco returned the stoic look. "That would be greatly appreciated." He said, in a snooty tone.
"Doesn't suit you. Stick to the old 'Think you're better than me, eh, Potter?' sarcasm thing."
"Hey! I'm not THAT bad! Well. . ."
"Well?"
"See. . . I always run down Potter, you know? But do you want to know why?"
"I know why. If he did to me what he did to you, hell, he wouldn't be nearly as good looking."
"What did he do to me? I don't even know! I just know that I don't like him!"
"Something that happened a good decade and a half ago, your time. I'll talk about that later. Now, let's go eat."
Draco fell into step with her, and the two started to walk away. Suddenly Draco stopped dead.
"Do you think there's any hope for me?"
Nemesis didn't have to ask what he meant.
"Of course. There always is."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Hat was right. There are some beyond salvation, but those in here are not. And now that I've clued into the signs, I can see it really is Malfoy- Draco, who has the power. I guess I just wanted it so bad to be Harry. So that it was the whole gang, y'know? But you can't always get what you want.
I still don't get why Skelly- no, sorry, NEMESIS, is here. Why does she need to check up on me? I mean, sure, she had the Draco thing right, but I would have figured it out!
I saw her walking with him. They went to the kitchens to get some food, I reckon. He looked - happy, I guess. There wasn't as much pain in his eyes. And Nemesis just kept herself slightly cold and distant, but there. As moral support, I suppose. They were talking about one of the Potions we made in class. I never thought I'd see Draco looking so interested in something. He was always so distantly scornful, the I'm-better-than-you attitude. Just like Skelly. They're made for each other.
I heard him say something about his father, and I guess Sigmund Freud was right.
It all goes back to your childhood.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I suppose you are either going to love this chapter or hate it, because of the way I've represented Draco. So, reviews, even flames or constructive criticism, are always welcome!