He followed her, feeling a bit dumbfounded. She had come to him for help
and yet she was running away yet again. Why couldn't she trust him? He
tried to think of a possible reason. Had he, Crabbe and Goyle ever done
anything directly to her that had her distrust of him so high? He wracked
his brain as he walked... Had they tormented her as a cat? Had they done
something to her as she was?
She was in the same year that he was, he ought to remember if there was a particular instance – shouldn't he? However, there had been so many people over the years that he and his flunkies had tormented that he could barely recall anyone that wasn't a member of, or close to the Golden Trio. So... what had happened?
She never really talked about her family, save to say that they were almost all proficient animagi. She never talked about her life outside of Hogwart's. All she'd ever let on was that at some point, she'd had to grow up. But what did that mean? Perhaps he'd have to do some research. He'd have to be subtle, but sneaky and underhanded was something that came naturally to Draco Malfoy.
So, who was Eiliethyia Belerofyn...really? What was her story? He wished he could just ask her, but the last time he'd tried to get to know her, it hadn't gone well. She'd thought that he was trying to pry... He hadn't meant to. He just wanted to get to know her. She didn't make it easy that was for sure. It was almost as though she had something to hide.
He decided to ask his mother if she knew anything about the Belerofyns. It stood to reason that if the little Allie Cat was his age that her parents should be around the same age as his. He wrote his mother a small note, hoping she'd know something. Then, he finished his rounds and made his way back to Slytherin House. He slipped into the common Room, still thinking about possible reasons for Allie Cat's fear of him. He couldn't come up with any. He made his way back to his room and decided to just sleep on it for now.
She say there on her bed, reading. It wasn't anything for homework and you couldn't really call it fun, either. It was more something – necessary. Te book was leather bound and worn by time, there was also something embossed upon the cover, but it too was fading. Eiliethyia looked sad as she poured over the yellowing pages of that book.
Finally, she wrapped it up in some black cloth and settled it into her trunk. She laid back upon the pillows with a sigh. She couldn't let herself get caught up in it, couldn't let it drag her down.... But neither could she forget it or leave it in the past... She sighed and turned over, hoping that tonight, sleep would come early and be dreamless...
In the morning... both awoke and tried to put their thoughts aside for the day. Though in different areas of the castle, both had similar morning rituals... Cleaning themselves up, putting on their uniforms and getting their things together for classes before going down to breakfast. Then they went about their days... trying to act normal... or at least what was considered normal for each of them, though neither felt the same way anymore.
The owl came today. Draco opened the letter and read it carefully. He couldn't believe his eyes. To his mother's knowledge, there hadn't been anyone with the last name Belerofyn during her time at Hogwart's, nor had any been mentioned during her search for a viable husband among the pureblood wizards... She would have remembered so unique a name.
So, what did this mean? Were her parents from different schools? Had they changed their names at some point, and if so, why? Had the little Allie Cat lied to him? Had she known she was lying? There was a possibility that the information had been kept secret from her as well. What to do now? He'd been hoping to gain some answers, and all he had were more questions... this was getting terribly frustrating.
Should he confront her? Or should he perhaps try to find more information first? It was difficult to say, he was sure this was something of a delicate situation. After all, whom could he ask? Whom could he ask that might know and yet wouldn't tell her? At the moment, Draco was stumped and that bothered him. He just didn't know how to deal with this, or the little Greek mystery.
Very few things challenged him anymore. Very few things offered him such intrigue. The longer he was around his little Allie Cat, the more confusing and complex things became. He honestly didn't know what to make of it all anymore. She was fading from the little Greek Allie Cat and becoming more like an Egyptian Sphinx. The only difference was, she wasn't posing the riddles, she WAS the riddle.
He kept wondering just how he should go about solving this. He'd tried doing research and that had failed. He had tried talking to her... again – failed. He had been misunderstood and she didn't seem to even want to tell him anyway. She didn't seem to have any friends that he could ask, so that was out. Teachers would ask too many questions and would tell her he was snooping around... again – not an option.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He was in a place he'd hoped never to be, yet here he was. Perhaps he should have just saved himself the trouble and scared her off. He should have left well enough alone in the beginning. However, he hadn't and now he was stuck. At least he finally had a worthy opponent... If only she would relax and stop running away... If only she'd let him in just a little... but that was part of the challenge he supposed... even if it was starting to wear thin...
She was in the same year that he was, he ought to remember if there was a particular instance – shouldn't he? However, there had been so many people over the years that he and his flunkies had tormented that he could barely recall anyone that wasn't a member of, or close to the Golden Trio. So... what had happened?
She never really talked about her family, save to say that they were almost all proficient animagi. She never talked about her life outside of Hogwart's. All she'd ever let on was that at some point, she'd had to grow up. But what did that mean? Perhaps he'd have to do some research. He'd have to be subtle, but sneaky and underhanded was something that came naturally to Draco Malfoy.
So, who was Eiliethyia Belerofyn...really? What was her story? He wished he could just ask her, but the last time he'd tried to get to know her, it hadn't gone well. She'd thought that he was trying to pry... He hadn't meant to. He just wanted to get to know her. She didn't make it easy that was for sure. It was almost as though she had something to hide.
He decided to ask his mother if she knew anything about the Belerofyns. It stood to reason that if the little Allie Cat was his age that her parents should be around the same age as his. He wrote his mother a small note, hoping she'd know something. Then, he finished his rounds and made his way back to Slytherin House. He slipped into the common Room, still thinking about possible reasons for Allie Cat's fear of him. He couldn't come up with any. He made his way back to his room and decided to just sleep on it for now.
She say there on her bed, reading. It wasn't anything for homework and you couldn't really call it fun, either. It was more something – necessary. Te book was leather bound and worn by time, there was also something embossed upon the cover, but it too was fading. Eiliethyia looked sad as she poured over the yellowing pages of that book.
Finally, she wrapped it up in some black cloth and settled it into her trunk. She laid back upon the pillows with a sigh. She couldn't let herself get caught up in it, couldn't let it drag her down.... But neither could she forget it or leave it in the past... She sighed and turned over, hoping that tonight, sleep would come early and be dreamless...
In the morning... both awoke and tried to put their thoughts aside for the day. Though in different areas of the castle, both had similar morning rituals... Cleaning themselves up, putting on their uniforms and getting their things together for classes before going down to breakfast. Then they went about their days... trying to act normal... or at least what was considered normal for each of them, though neither felt the same way anymore.
The owl came today. Draco opened the letter and read it carefully. He couldn't believe his eyes. To his mother's knowledge, there hadn't been anyone with the last name Belerofyn during her time at Hogwart's, nor had any been mentioned during her search for a viable husband among the pureblood wizards... She would have remembered so unique a name.
So, what did this mean? Were her parents from different schools? Had they changed their names at some point, and if so, why? Had the little Allie Cat lied to him? Had she known she was lying? There was a possibility that the information had been kept secret from her as well. What to do now? He'd been hoping to gain some answers, and all he had were more questions... this was getting terribly frustrating.
Should he confront her? Or should he perhaps try to find more information first? It was difficult to say, he was sure this was something of a delicate situation. After all, whom could he ask? Whom could he ask that might know and yet wouldn't tell her? At the moment, Draco was stumped and that bothered him. He just didn't know how to deal with this, or the little Greek mystery.
Very few things challenged him anymore. Very few things offered him such intrigue. The longer he was around his little Allie Cat, the more confusing and complex things became. He honestly didn't know what to make of it all anymore. She was fading from the little Greek Allie Cat and becoming more like an Egyptian Sphinx. The only difference was, she wasn't posing the riddles, she WAS the riddle.
He kept wondering just how he should go about solving this. He'd tried doing research and that had failed. He had tried talking to her... again – failed. He had been misunderstood and she didn't seem to even want to tell him anyway. She didn't seem to have any friends that he could ask, so that was out. Teachers would ask too many questions and would tell her he was snooping around... again – not an option.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He was in a place he'd hoped never to be, yet here he was. Perhaps he should have just saved himself the trouble and scared her off. He should have left well enough alone in the beginning. However, he hadn't and now he was stuck. At least he finally had a worthy opponent... If only she would relax and stop running away... If only she'd let him in just a little... but that was part of the challenge he supposed... even if it was starting to wear thin...