Chapter 5: Firebolts, Forgotten Memories, and Flying Mashed Potatoes
Draco sat down on a large plush green sofa, deep in thought. The common room was empty; he supposed everyone was still out at Hogsmeade or elsewhere. He wanted to go out and see what MacNamara and Potter were doing exactly on the field...it would be fun to find McGonagall and possibly get them detention if they were doing anything...inappropriate. He smiled meanly, but his look soon turned sullen.
"Hullo sugar---oh, what's wrong?" Pansy Parkinson, his on/off girlfriend purred, trying to curl up beside him on the sofa. Draco gave her an annoyed look, and got up, causing Pansy to fall onto the couch, and he paced in front of the fireplace. A second later he pointed his wand at it.
"Infiernus," he muttered, and a huge blazing fire roared in the fire place. Pansy, on the other hand looked put out.
"Draco, baby, please come play. We haven't had any fun lately," she pouted, lying on the couch, her head propped up on her elbow, trying to look sexy. Inwardly, Draco was disgusted. He was now seeing more flaws in her than before: she was getting pudgy, her hair was too short and badly dyed, her face looked much like a pug's. But in his head, the voice of experience (was it experience? Or maybe it was just the voice of stability who hated change) told him just to stay put with her until someone better came along. He decided to agree with that plan, and tried to soften his expression.
"Pansy babe, I'm sorry I haven't been paying you much attention lately. I've just been swamped with schoolwork as Headboy and Quiddidch--I'm sorry," he said, mustering up his best apologetic tone. He strode over to her pulled her up to him and kissed her. It was easy enough, and it wasn't a deep kiss so that was a relief, but then Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck and stuck her tongue in his mouth. "Great, grand, wonderful," Draco thought sarcastically, but he responded. They sat down on the sofa, still kissing. "Well, if I'm going to have to do this, I may as well have fun," he thought smugly, even though in his heart (that thing worked?) for the first time ever it felt like something was telling him no. He paid it no mind as he pushed Pansy down and his hand started traveling up her shirt.
"STOP!" a voice shrieked. Draco sat up instantly, tearing his lips away from Pansy's and taking his hands out from under her shirt. She pushed herself up on her elbows.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked, confused and beginning to get annoyed. He stared at her. Hadn't she heard the high-pitched scream? It was crazily impossible to miss--Draco had felt the whole room shake.
"Pansy, I've got to go--I just remembered--No time to explain. I'll see you later," he mumbled, getting up and walking to his dorm. As he came out with his Firebolt and left the dungeons, he glanced at the ceiling, and saw the chandeliers swinging slowly, as though there had been a tremor in the room.
~*~
"Harry be careful! You're so high up there, aren't you afraid?" Aquaria asked, admiring the courage Harry had that she didn't. She had her shoes and socks off, and was soaking her feet in the squishy mud, which felt good between her toes. Harry came down and landed beside her.
"Aqua, how can you worry about height when you're like a bird up there? Won't you please just come with me, just once?" he begged her. Aquaria shook her head firmly.
"I prefer the ground or the water, thank you," she answered, her prim tone, then scrunching her nose up, which made him smile like it had when he first met her, almost a half a year ago.
"I promise I won't let you fall! Honestly, how can you be so comfortable in the water, especially in the lake, with the Giant Squid, Merpeople, and Grindylows for starters?" he asked unbelievingly. "I mean, I know I'm in no hurry to get back there!" Harry was talking about the last time he'd been in the lake, which was in his fourth year for the Tri-Wizard Cup. Aquaria laughed.
"The merpeople aren't all bad. They're misunderstood--like werewolves," she added, somewhat pointedly. Harry gave her a skeptical look.
"Werewolves aren't always in that form--and they don't enjoy their state of being, and they're not proud of it," he told her defensively.
"Merpeople don't always stay in the same shape; some can change, and what's so shameful about them?" Aquaria argued. "Anyways, it's a beautiful day, isn't it? Just look at the sky," she added hastily, hoping to change the subject, and stared unblinkingly up at the sky. In the distance, she heard a small humming sound.
"What's that sound?" she asked Harry. Something was zooming in their directions. "What the hell--" The thing zoomed between them, knocking them both down. Whatever it had been, it had black school robes and a Firebolt like Harry's...
"Malfoy! You fucker, what the hell is your problem?" Harry yelled.
"Temper, temper, Potter; do you think I meant to knock you down? Well, maybe not Aquaria here..." he answered smugly. Harry glowered at him. Draco turned to Aquaria, and offered his hand to help her up. She took it and muttered a thank you as he pulled her up without making eye contact, and dusted herself off.
"So what were you two doing out here all by yourselves?" Draco asked slyly.
"Flying; what do you think?" Aquaria answered. The second the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.
"Hm, yes, well...not really proper for me to say, now, is it?" Draco smirked triumphantly as Aquaria's face turned red. "If that's the case, I'll teach you how to really fly anytime you want, MacNamara." This made Aquaria a little angry, but was her heart pounding so fast because she was a little mad? Besides, the last comment Draco said was sort of funny; she knew she'd have laughed had it came from Harry, and decided not to take it personally. Aquaria returned his smug smile.
"Sure Draco; let me know anytime you want to go swimming, too," she replied sarcastically.
"Don't worry, I will," Draco said defiantly. Inside he was laughing, something he rarely did when it wasn't about someone else's misfortune. Everything was quiet a minute.
"C'mon, Aqua, let's go in," suggested Harry, glaring still at Draco.
"Okay, I've to put my shoes and socks back on, but I'll catch up, you go ahead," she said. Harry nodded and started on the way back to the school. Aquaria gave Draco a small smile, then sat down to put on her socks and shoes.
"So, um, Aquaria...need a ride back to school?" Draco asked after a minute, trying to sound casual. He wanted to talk to her kind of, but he wasn't sure what to say, and it wasn't as easy without Potter around to get annoyed. Aquaria glanced up at him.
"Er, no. I'm afraid of heights, 'member? And I won't ride with Harry, why would I ride with--" Aquaria clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. That was so rude, she couldn't believe she had almost said that. Draco's cheeks tinged pink.
"No that's all right; I'm not offended. We both know I've heard worse," he muttered, not meeting her eyes. "And said worse," Aquaria couldn't help but think.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."
"I said it was all right, didn't I?" The words came out colder than Draco meant for them too, but he figured he couldn't take it back, because that would mean apologizing, and he couldn't apologize if he really was sorry, especially to a Gryffindor. Now it was a very awkward atmosphere. After an uncomfortable short silence, he said, "Goodbye then," and got on his broom. Giving her a last icy glare and not waiting for her goodbye, he sped off the way Harry went. Aquaria sighed. How could she have said such a thing? "Nobody deserves being told they're not good enough for you, that's just ignorant and conceited," she scolded herself harshly. She wandered around aimlessly a while, and wound up at the lake. Aquaria glanced around. No one was near, and the sun was setting...no. Aquaria resisted the urge to return to the water and turned to go inside.
"Aquaria, where were you?" asked Hermione, laughing a bit. She was sitting with Harry, Ron, Seamus Finnigan, Ron's sister Ginny, and Dean Thomas. Aquaria had just came into the common room, her cheeks red from running all the way.
"Out and about," she said, trying to sound mysterious, but Harry snorted. "Well, Harry and I were studying a while, but it got boring, so we went flying," she explained sheepishly. Everyone rolled their eyes.
"Flying; sure, that's what we all call it," Seamus teased under his breath. Aquaria scrunched her nose.
"Why does everyone think that when we say we've been flying? First Draco, now Seamus..." said Aquaria, ticking off the people on her fingers.
"Who's Draco?" asked Seamus. Aquaria raised her brow.
"Malfoy...?" Everyone snickered.
"Oh, him. Forgot his first name," laughed Seamus.
"Why were you, and Harry of all people, hanging around with that prat?" Dean asked.
"He...he came outside to the Quidditch field where we were, that's all," Aquaria said quickly, wishing to move on to a new subject.
"Aquaria sure can tell Malfoy where to stick it, though; I'll tell you what," chuckled Harry. "She isn't the sweet innocent little angel we thought she was. Aquaria glanced over at him and he winked.
"Just standing up for truth and justice," she joked.
"Mmm, I'm hungry! What about the rest of you?" Ron asked.
"Yes!" The vote was unanimous as the group went down to the great hall for dinner.
~*~
The dorm room was still empty; everyone was down in the hall for dinner. Draco was glad because he had something he needed to find out. Privately. He rummaged through his trunk.
"Aha!" He went sat on his bed, looking through the scrap book his mother had made for him since his birth that he had brought with him from home, full of wizarding pictures and such. Narcissa loved her son very much. Draco knew there were many times she had taken his beatings and stood up for him against Lucius, especially after Draco's fifth year, when Draco had begun rebelling. She was really the only person he cared about. If Potter had only known how much Draco's mother was like his own, he wouldn't have said what he did in fourth year. Draco still remembered those words, and they still cut like a knife. He shook the memory from his head and opened the scrap book, starting at the first page. It had been a long time since he had thoroughly looked through the whole thing. There were a few baby pictures. Then a page of pictures with his parents when he was four years old. There he was standing with his mother and father. Draco was wearing his that ever-present smirk, even at that young age, giving one lazy wave. His mother was smiling, and his father, totally expressionless. There was a separate shots of each of them with Draco. He had his arms wrapped around his mother's legs, and they were both laughing. Narcissa picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek. Then they both looked out at him and waved. Draco smiled weakly back at the picture. He remembered that day well. The picture of his father and him...the four year old Draco was now stone- still, and he was trying to maintain a stern look like Lucius was wearing. Every time Draco would fidget in the picture, Lucius would give him a disapproving look. Draco looked away. He remembered how much he had always craved his father's approval. He also remembered what had happened later, all too well. When they'd finally finished taking pictures, Draco had asked, "Daddy may we please go to Diagon Alley to see the racing brooms? Please?" Lucius's eyes flashed angrily as they turned on him. He slapped Draco so hard he landed flat on the ground.
"Draco!" his mother had cried out, and rushed towards him, but Lucius held out an arm to prevent her from helping him.
"Don't call me daddy. And you had better not start crying if you know what's good for you." Then Lucius had went into the house. Narcissa knelt down beside Draco and embraced him.
"It's all right love," she murmered, stroking his hair. "You can cry." But Draco had refused to. He sighed now. His father only wanted someone to carry on the family name, that was all. He turned to the next page. There he was five years old, and on his first broom. It was a Twigger 90. Draco remembered how he loved flying from that minute on. He still had that Twigger; it was tiny compared to his Firebolt. He smiled. Then there was a picture of him, one he had never really noticed before. He was still five years old, and a little girl, about the same age it looked, was standing beside him. The five-year-old Draco kept glancing at the girl slyly, and she returned his stare, although hers was dubious, not sly. Suddenly, the Draco in the picture began tugging the girl's short, curly hair and she looked like she was screaming bloody murder as he laughed maliciously. "Even in those days I was quite the charmer," Draco thought arrogantly. Something around the girl's neck caught his eye and he peered closer at the photograph. The little girl noticed, pushed five-year-old Draco away, and proudly held up the necklace. It was a silver locket with an emerald stone in the middle.
"Aquaria MacNamara," Draco breathed. The two children began arguing again, and Draco looked to the picture above. It was of his mother, holding him as a baby, and of another woman, holding her baby too. The two women looked like very close friends; smiling, laughing and chatting. The other baby, a girl, it appeared from the pink blanket; was smiling and blinking her big green eyes. It was Aquaria again. Draco looked closer at her mother. She was very beautiful indeed. At first glance, he thought that Aquaria and her mother looked nothing alike. Aquaria's mother had a natural tan, long shiny golden hair that was wavy, and round baby-blue eyes. But when he looked closer, Draco could see Aquaria had inherited her mother's smile and charisma. He could even see the same smile in the eyes.
"I remember now. We used to be playmates...'til we were six...then something happened....what was it?" Draco muttered. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten how he knew Aquaria though; even though it had been eleven years since he'd seen her. "We used to hate each other; always fighting, and I was always teasing her," he said, a guilty grin coming to his face. "Well, we haven't grown up from that, I see...well, maybe she has grown up. Quite noticeably, actually, since I last saw her." Not so bad looking now, is she? A little voice in the back of his mind said gleefully.
"No, not at--Eurgh! Bloody sick; she's a Gryffindor!" Malfoy spat out, not realizing he was answering the voice out loud. In fact, he had not noticed he had been talking to himself until now. "I can do a pretty good impression of a dumbass like Weasley sometimes." Draco threw the scrap book in his trunk, and ran down to dinner.
~*~
Down in the Great Hall, Aquaria was finishing her sausage and mash when she spotted Draco at the Slytherin table, staring at her. She waved to him, wondering why he always watched her. His eyes never showed any emotion, she'd known that a long time. Aquaria blinked; he now had a mischievous grin on his face and she knew he was planning something. About a minute later, Aquaria saw something white and gooey sailing towards her from the Slytherins' direction. She held up an empty bowl and it ricocheted off the bowl into the side of Parvati Patil's face. Parvati gave a little shriek that had actually not called the attention of any teachers. Aquaria glance back at Draco and saw him grinning impishly and waving.
"OH my God, who threw that?" she said angrily, her eyes narrowed. Parvati glared at Aquaria; Aquaria had been trying hard to repress her giggles. Parvati picked up her spoon, and flung some peas at her and then Aquaria, not wasting her time with silverware, grabbed a handful of creamed corn and shot it at Parvati, but Parvati ducked and it hit Lavendar. Seamus, who was sitting across from Lavendar, laughed, and Lavendar splashed the pumpkin juice in her goblet in this face. Dean Thomas grinned.
"Food fight!!!" he yelled, and in that second, every student in the Great Hall was flinging food and screaming and laughing. The houses were mixing together. They were getting along as they hadn't in years and teaming up, Slytherin and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. No one was taking any of the food being thrown personally, and no one was staying in the same seat. Aquaria soon found herself under the Ravenclaw table, armed with half a pumpkin pie.
"Mind sharing that?" came a voice over her shoulder. Aquaria turned. It was Draco. Now to get back at the one who had started it all.
"Not at all," she replied, scooped up the filling, and smeared it on his face. Draco wiped some off, ate it and grinned.
"Not bad; want to try some?" he asked innocently, holding it out to her.
"Okay--Umph!" He had shoved some quickly into her mouth as she opened it, although some didn't make it and was around her lips. Aquaria swallowed quickly.
"Lovely. Any tea to go with that?" she smirked.
"Probably on the floor here somewhere." They both laughed.
"You were the one who flung the potatoes at me, weren't you?" Aquaria asked, giggling.
"Yep. I guess things haven't changed since we were kids," he snickered.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Professor McGonagall had come running into the hall, her hat askew. Everyone froze, including the other teachers, who had been trying to settle things down. Well, except for Professor Dumbledore, who had quickly put down the chunk of Yorkshire pudding he had been about to throw. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Who started this?" the tone to Professor McGonagall's voice was dangerous.
"It was Aquaria MacNamara," Parvati Patil answered shrilly. "She flung the potatoes at me."
"No, no, no! Draco Malfoy was the one who threw them, you stupid prat!" called Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw seventh year.
"My Draco isn't that immature, of course it was MacNamara!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. Aquaria and Pansy were complete opposites. They didn't actually hate each other; although there was the usual dislike between Gryffindors and Slytherins. They looked totally opposite, and people told Aquaria that their personalities were like white and black as well.
"What, are you blind? I saw Malfoy fling the potatoes from all the way over here! If you couldn't seem him do it and you were sitting right beside him, you need your eyes checked!" yelled Kevin Whitby, a Hufflepuff fourth year. The Great Hall erupted now into arguments of who started it.
"Listen, everyone's fighting about us," giggled Aquaria.
"I know. I can't believe Parvati is on my side though; she's one of your kind," Draco sniggered. Aquaria pouted and scrunched her nose.
"And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?" she asked pointedly.
"She's a Gryffindor, I'm a Slytherin," he said, sounding like it was the most obvious reason in the world.
"That didn't stop you from messing around with her. Several times, I've heard."
"I was bored and in a fight with Pansy," Draco shrugged.
"So you fooled with the next cheap floozy because your girlfriend was mad?" Aquaria asked disbelievingly.
"What, do you expect me to stay loyal or something when I can have any girl I want?" Draco laughed heartlessly as Aquaria's jaw dropped.
"Draco, that's horrible! I can't believe this, but I don't think I've heard anything worse come from your mouth!"
"Hm, looks like I'm going to have to work harder."
"I'm not joking!"
"Me either."
"Your mother didn't raise you like this, Draco; I know she didn't."
"Don't bring my mum into this!"
"SILENCE!" McGonagall yelled. "I notice that the two that have been the topic of conversation are also the only two missing. Where are they?" Aquaria sighed and glared at Draco.
"I'm atleast going to take my share of the punishment for this, even though I didn't do anything!" she hissed at him. Draco shrugged.
"Be my guest," he snorted.
"Ooh! You are egregious!" she muttered, and crawled out from under the table.
"Aquaria, who is responsible for this mess?" Professor McGonagall hard eagle stare, which wouldn't let her look away, dared her to lie.
"It was me," Aquaria said quietly, and was finally able to look away. Draco, still under the table, could see Aquaria twisting the ring on her thumb nervously, and felt...was it...could it actually be guilt? Draco Malfoy could actually feel guilt? No, guilt was not an emotion Malfoys felt. Ever. Well, what ever it was, he knew she shouldn't have to take the blame all by herself, especially since she really, in the honest truth, had done nothing.
"Why the bloody hell I'm doing this, I don't know," Draco muttered as he pulled himself out from under the table and stood beside her.
"It was my fault," came a defiant voice from beside Aquaria. She turned her head and saw Draco giving her a ghost of a smile.
"Couldn't let you take my credit," he whispered smugly. Aquaria almost wanted to hug him and cry. Draco Malfoy wasn't the biggest moronic asshole she'd ever met in her life after all. At the head table, Professor Dumbledore rose, his eyes shining brightly.
"Professor McGonagall, would you be obliged to escort both Miss MacNamara and Mr. Malfoy to my office?" he asked, his voice grave. Draco and Aquaria darted glances at each other and looked away, and they followed about ten feet behind Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall. Aquaria couldn't believe it; they'd just gotten a confession out of Draco, and still she was in trouble. How was this fair?
Harry sulked. Why did Malfoy stand up for Aquaria? That wasn't something he knew Malfoy wouldn't have even done for a fellow Slytherin. What if Malfoy liked Aquaria? "Malfoy will be sure to get her, because he always gets everything he wants, and he'll change her into someone I'll hate, because he probably knows it'll near kill me," Harry thought angrily.
"You know, Dumbledore was throwing food, too," Draco mumbled as they walked down the hall.
"What are you talking about?" Aquaria hissed.
"Dumbledore. He was throwing food too. I saw him at the high table with some Hufflepuffs throwing biscuits at Snape," Draco whispered stubbornly. Aquaria rolled her eyes.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Draco was quiet a minute before he realized what she'd said. He stopped.
"Hey, you just called me 'Malfoy'," he said, feeling somewhat irritated. He had no idea why, though. Before, he hated hearing her call him by his first name, but it was now utterly annoying to hear her say his last name instead.
"Didn't you want me to?" Aquaria replied stiffly, and Draco gave up. Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a stone gargoyle.
"Draco Dormiens," she commanded and the gargoyle jumped aside. The two followed her up a spiral staircase that moved like a Muggle escalator to an office. Large and circular, Aquaria thought it must have been the most beautiful office she'd ever seen. There were silver contraptions on various spindle-legged tables, buzzing and giving off small puffs of smoke. There were portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses covering nearly every inch of the walls. And on a golden perch near the window was a beautiful crimson phoenix.
"Stay here. Don't touch a thing," Professor McGonagall ordered crisply. She left Aquaria and Draco by themselves. Aquaria touched her cheek, not able to take her eyes off the phoenix.
"How lovely," she half-whispered.
"It's just a phoenix," Draco contemplated boredly.
"Shut up you numskull," Aquaria answered absentmindedly. Draco narrowed his brows at her back. Aquaria wasn't even putting any effort into insulting him now because of a dumb bird.
"His name is Fawkes." Professor McGonagall had returned with Professor Dumbledore. He sat behind his large, claw-footed desk and gestured to the chairs in front of it. "Sit, please Miss MacNamara, Mr. Malfoy. And you too, Minerva."
"These two are the ones who started the food fight in the Great Hall, as you know, Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said bluntly. "What shall their detention be?" Aquaria and Draco opened their mouths protestingly, but Dumbledore spoke.
"Besides a spectacular mess in the Great Hall, do you know what exactly Aquaria and Draco have caused, my dear Professor?" he asked seriously, although his mustache quivered slightly. "Did you notice, among the flying bits of rump roast and treacle tart, that the houses were mixing, and having fun together? That hasn't happened in nearly a hundred years. In a single lump of mashed potatoes, grudges dissolved, walls were broken down and hatred was put to rest, just so they could laugh and throw food. I must say, Minerva, I'm wavering greatly between punishing these two or not." Dumbledore sat back in his chair. "Despite this great feat, I do not think it would be at all fair to the house-elves to clean up this immense melange, so if you will, Mr. Malfoy, Miss MacNamara, I would greatly appreciate it if you would clean the Great Hall."
"But Prof--" Draco and Aquaria started in unison, but were cut off by Dumbledore as he raised his hand.
"You may, however, use your wands," he smiled.
"Thank you sir," they murmered, knowing their punishment could be worse. Draco glanced over at Aquaria, hoping to make eye contact with her, but still she refused to look at him as Professor McGonagall took them to start their task.
Draco sat down on a large plush green sofa, deep in thought. The common room was empty; he supposed everyone was still out at Hogsmeade or elsewhere. He wanted to go out and see what MacNamara and Potter were doing exactly on the field...it would be fun to find McGonagall and possibly get them detention if they were doing anything...inappropriate. He smiled meanly, but his look soon turned sullen.
"Hullo sugar---oh, what's wrong?" Pansy Parkinson, his on/off girlfriend purred, trying to curl up beside him on the sofa. Draco gave her an annoyed look, and got up, causing Pansy to fall onto the couch, and he paced in front of the fireplace. A second later he pointed his wand at it.
"Infiernus," he muttered, and a huge blazing fire roared in the fire place. Pansy, on the other hand looked put out.
"Draco, baby, please come play. We haven't had any fun lately," she pouted, lying on the couch, her head propped up on her elbow, trying to look sexy. Inwardly, Draco was disgusted. He was now seeing more flaws in her than before: she was getting pudgy, her hair was too short and badly dyed, her face looked much like a pug's. But in his head, the voice of experience (was it experience? Or maybe it was just the voice of stability who hated change) told him just to stay put with her until someone better came along. He decided to agree with that plan, and tried to soften his expression.
"Pansy babe, I'm sorry I haven't been paying you much attention lately. I've just been swamped with schoolwork as Headboy and Quiddidch--I'm sorry," he said, mustering up his best apologetic tone. He strode over to her pulled her up to him and kissed her. It was easy enough, and it wasn't a deep kiss so that was a relief, but then Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck and stuck her tongue in his mouth. "Great, grand, wonderful," Draco thought sarcastically, but he responded. They sat down on the sofa, still kissing. "Well, if I'm going to have to do this, I may as well have fun," he thought smugly, even though in his heart (that thing worked?) for the first time ever it felt like something was telling him no. He paid it no mind as he pushed Pansy down and his hand started traveling up her shirt.
"STOP!" a voice shrieked. Draco sat up instantly, tearing his lips away from Pansy's and taking his hands out from under her shirt. She pushed herself up on her elbows.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked, confused and beginning to get annoyed. He stared at her. Hadn't she heard the high-pitched scream? It was crazily impossible to miss--Draco had felt the whole room shake.
"Pansy, I've got to go--I just remembered--No time to explain. I'll see you later," he mumbled, getting up and walking to his dorm. As he came out with his Firebolt and left the dungeons, he glanced at the ceiling, and saw the chandeliers swinging slowly, as though there had been a tremor in the room.
~*~
"Harry be careful! You're so high up there, aren't you afraid?" Aquaria asked, admiring the courage Harry had that she didn't. She had her shoes and socks off, and was soaking her feet in the squishy mud, which felt good between her toes. Harry came down and landed beside her.
"Aqua, how can you worry about height when you're like a bird up there? Won't you please just come with me, just once?" he begged her. Aquaria shook her head firmly.
"I prefer the ground or the water, thank you," she answered, her prim tone, then scrunching her nose up, which made him smile like it had when he first met her, almost a half a year ago.
"I promise I won't let you fall! Honestly, how can you be so comfortable in the water, especially in the lake, with the Giant Squid, Merpeople, and Grindylows for starters?" he asked unbelievingly. "I mean, I know I'm in no hurry to get back there!" Harry was talking about the last time he'd been in the lake, which was in his fourth year for the Tri-Wizard Cup. Aquaria laughed.
"The merpeople aren't all bad. They're misunderstood--like werewolves," she added, somewhat pointedly. Harry gave her a skeptical look.
"Werewolves aren't always in that form--and they don't enjoy their state of being, and they're not proud of it," he told her defensively.
"Merpeople don't always stay in the same shape; some can change, and what's so shameful about them?" Aquaria argued. "Anyways, it's a beautiful day, isn't it? Just look at the sky," she added hastily, hoping to change the subject, and stared unblinkingly up at the sky. In the distance, she heard a small humming sound.
"What's that sound?" she asked Harry. Something was zooming in their directions. "What the hell--" The thing zoomed between them, knocking them both down. Whatever it had been, it had black school robes and a Firebolt like Harry's...
"Malfoy! You fucker, what the hell is your problem?" Harry yelled.
"Temper, temper, Potter; do you think I meant to knock you down? Well, maybe not Aquaria here..." he answered smugly. Harry glowered at him. Draco turned to Aquaria, and offered his hand to help her up. She took it and muttered a thank you as he pulled her up without making eye contact, and dusted herself off.
"So what were you two doing out here all by yourselves?" Draco asked slyly.
"Flying; what do you think?" Aquaria answered. The second the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.
"Hm, yes, well...not really proper for me to say, now, is it?" Draco smirked triumphantly as Aquaria's face turned red. "If that's the case, I'll teach you how to really fly anytime you want, MacNamara." This made Aquaria a little angry, but was her heart pounding so fast because she was a little mad? Besides, the last comment Draco said was sort of funny; she knew she'd have laughed had it came from Harry, and decided not to take it personally. Aquaria returned his smug smile.
"Sure Draco; let me know anytime you want to go swimming, too," she replied sarcastically.
"Don't worry, I will," Draco said defiantly. Inside he was laughing, something he rarely did when it wasn't about someone else's misfortune. Everything was quiet a minute.
"C'mon, Aqua, let's go in," suggested Harry, glaring still at Draco.
"Okay, I've to put my shoes and socks back on, but I'll catch up, you go ahead," she said. Harry nodded and started on the way back to the school. Aquaria gave Draco a small smile, then sat down to put on her socks and shoes.
"So, um, Aquaria...need a ride back to school?" Draco asked after a minute, trying to sound casual. He wanted to talk to her kind of, but he wasn't sure what to say, and it wasn't as easy without Potter around to get annoyed. Aquaria glanced up at him.
"Er, no. I'm afraid of heights, 'member? And I won't ride with Harry, why would I ride with--" Aquaria clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. That was so rude, she couldn't believe she had almost said that. Draco's cheeks tinged pink.
"No that's all right; I'm not offended. We both know I've heard worse," he muttered, not meeting her eyes. "And said worse," Aquaria couldn't help but think.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."
"I said it was all right, didn't I?" The words came out colder than Draco meant for them too, but he figured he couldn't take it back, because that would mean apologizing, and he couldn't apologize if he really was sorry, especially to a Gryffindor. Now it was a very awkward atmosphere. After an uncomfortable short silence, he said, "Goodbye then," and got on his broom. Giving her a last icy glare and not waiting for her goodbye, he sped off the way Harry went. Aquaria sighed. How could she have said such a thing? "Nobody deserves being told they're not good enough for you, that's just ignorant and conceited," she scolded herself harshly. She wandered around aimlessly a while, and wound up at the lake. Aquaria glanced around. No one was near, and the sun was setting...no. Aquaria resisted the urge to return to the water and turned to go inside.
"Aquaria, where were you?" asked Hermione, laughing a bit. She was sitting with Harry, Ron, Seamus Finnigan, Ron's sister Ginny, and Dean Thomas. Aquaria had just came into the common room, her cheeks red from running all the way.
"Out and about," she said, trying to sound mysterious, but Harry snorted. "Well, Harry and I were studying a while, but it got boring, so we went flying," she explained sheepishly. Everyone rolled their eyes.
"Flying; sure, that's what we all call it," Seamus teased under his breath. Aquaria scrunched her nose.
"Why does everyone think that when we say we've been flying? First Draco, now Seamus..." said Aquaria, ticking off the people on her fingers.
"Who's Draco?" asked Seamus. Aquaria raised her brow.
"Malfoy...?" Everyone snickered.
"Oh, him. Forgot his first name," laughed Seamus.
"Why were you, and Harry of all people, hanging around with that prat?" Dean asked.
"He...he came outside to the Quidditch field where we were, that's all," Aquaria said quickly, wishing to move on to a new subject.
"Aquaria sure can tell Malfoy where to stick it, though; I'll tell you what," chuckled Harry. "She isn't the sweet innocent little angel we thought she was. Aquaria glanced over at him and he winked.
"Just standing up for truth and justice," she joked.
"Mmm, I'm hungry! What about the rest of you?" Ron asked.
"Yes!" The vote was unanimous as the group went down to the great hall for dinner.
~*~
The dorm room was still empty; everyone was down in the hall for dinner. Draco was glad because he had something he needed to find out. Privately. He rummaged through his trunk.
"Aha!" He went sat on his bed, looking through the scrap book his mother had made for him since his birth that he had brought with him from home, full of wizarding pictures and such. Narcissa loved her son very much. Draco knew there were many times she had taken his beatings and stood up for him against Lucius, especially after Draco's fifth year, when Draco had begun rebelling. She was really the only person he cared about. If Potter had only known how much Draco's mother was like his own, he wouldn't have said what he did in fourth year. Draco still remembered those words, and they still cut like a knife. He shook the memory from his head and opened the scrap book, starting at the first page. It had been a long time since he had thoroughly looked through the whole thing. There were a few baby pictures. Then a page of pictures with his parents when he was four years old. There he was standing with his mother and father. Draco was wearing his that ever-present smirk, even at that young age, giving one lazy wave. His mother was smiling, and his father, totally expressionless. There was a separate shots of each of them with Draco. He had his arms wrapped around his mother's legs, and they were both laughing. Narcissa picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek. Then they both looked out at him and waved. Draco smiled weakly back at the picture. He remembered that day well. The picture of his father and him...the four year old Draco was now stone- still, and he was trying to maintain a stern look like Lucius was wearing. Every time Draco would fidget in the picture, Lucius would give him a disapproving look. Draco looked away. He remembered how much he had always craved his father's approval. He also remembered what had happened later, all too well. When they'd finally finished taking pictures, Draco had asked, "Daddy may we please go to Diagon Alley to see the racing brooms? Please?" Lucius's eyes flashed angrily as they turned on him. He slapped Draco so hard he landed flat on the ground.
"Draco!" his mother had cried out, and rushed towards him, but Lucius held out an arm to prevent her from helping him.
"Don't call me daddy. And you had better not start crying if you know what's good for you." Then Lucius had went into the house. Narcissa knelt down beside Draco and embraced him.
"It's all right love," she murmered, stroking his hair. "You can cry." But Draco had refused to. He sighed now. His father only wanted someone to carry on the family name, that was all. He turned to the next page. There he was five years old, and on his first broom. It was a Twigger 90. Draco remembered how he loved flying from that minute on. He still had that Twigger; it was tiny compared to his Firebolt. He smiled. Then there was a picture of him, one he had never really noticed before. He was still five years old, and a little girl, about the same age it looked, was standing beside him. The five-year-old Draco kept glancing at the girl slyly, and she returned his stare, although hers was dubious, not sly. Suddenly, the Draco in the picture began tugging the girl's short, curly hair and she looked like she was screaming bloody murder as he laughed maliciously. "Even in those days I was quite the charmer," Draco thought arrogantly. Something around the girl's neck caught his eye and he peered closer at the photograph. The little girl noticed, pushed five-year-old Draco away, and proudly held up the necklace. It was a silver locket with an emerald stone in the middle.
"Aquaria MacNamara," Draco breathed. The two children began arguing again, and Draco looked to the picture above. It was of his mother, holding him as a baby, and of another woman, holding her baby too. The two women looked like very close friends; smiling, laughing and chatting. The other baby, a girl, it appeared from the pink blanket; was smiling and blinking her big green eyes. It was Aquaria again. Draco looked closer at her mother. She was very beautiful indeed. At first glance, he thought that Aquaria and her mother looked nothing alike. Aquaria's mother had a natural tan, long shiny golden hair that was wavy, and round baby-blue eyes. But when he looked closer, Draco could see Aquaria had inherited her mother's smile and charisma. He could even see the same smile in the eyes.
"I remember now. We used to be playmates...'til we were six...then something happened....what was it?" Draco muttered. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten how he knew Aquaria though; even though it had been eleven years since he'd seen her. "We used to hate each other; always fighting, and I was always teasing her," he said, a guilty grin coming to his face. "Well, we haven't grown up from that, I see...well, maybe she has grown up. Quite noticeably, actually, since I last saw her." Not so bad looking now, is she? A little voice in the back of his mind said gleefully.
"No, not at--Eurgh! Bloody sick; she's a Gryffindor!" Malfoy spat out, not realizing he was answering the voice out loud. In fact, he had not noticed he had been talking to himself until now. "I can do a pretty good impression of a dumbass like Weasley sometimes." Draco threw the scrap book in his trunk, and ran down to dinner.
~*~
Down in the Great Hall, Aquaria was finishing her sausage and mash when she spotted Draco at the Slytherin table, staring at her. She waved to him, wondering why he always watched her. His eyes never showed any emotion, she'd known that a long time. Aquaria blinked; he now had a mischievous grin on his face and she knew he was planning something. About a minute later, Aquaria saw something white and gooey sailing towards her from the Slytherins' direction. She held up an empty bowl and it ricocheted off the bowl into the side of Parvati Patil's face. Parvati gave a little shriek that had actually not called the attention of any teachers. Aquaria glance back at Draco and saw him grinning impishly and waving.
"OH my God, who threw that?" she said angrily, her eyes narrowed. Parvati glared at Aquaria; Aquaria had been trying hard to repress her giggles. Parvati picked up her spoon, and flung some peas at her and then Aquaria, not wasting her time with silverware, grabbed a handful of creamed corn and shot it at Parvati, but Parvati ducked and it hit Lavendar. Seamus, who was sitting across from Lavendar, laughed, and Lavendar splashed the pumpkin juice in her goblet in this face. Dean Thomas grinned.
"Food fight!!!" he yelled, and in that second, every student in the Great Hall was flinging food and screaming and laughing. The houses were mixing together. They were getting along as they hadn't in years and teaming up, Slytherin and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. No one was taking any of the food being thrown personally, and no one was staying in the same seat. Aquaria soon found herself under the Ravenclaw table, armed with half a pumpkin pie.
"Mind sharing that?" came a voice over her shoulder. Aquaria turned. It was Draco. Now to get back at the one who had started it all.
"Not at all," she replied, scooped up the filling, and smeared it on his face. Draco wiped some off, ate it and grinned.
"Not bad; want to try some?" he asked innocently, holding it out to her.
"Okay--Umph!" He had shoved some quickly into her mouth as she opened it, although some didn't make it and was around her lips. Aquaria swallowed quickly.
"Lovely. Any tea to go with that?" she smirked.
"Probably on the floor here somewhere." They both laughed.
"You were the one who flung the potatoes at me, weren't you?" Aquaria asked, giggling.
"Yep. I guess things haven't changed since we were kids," he snickered.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Professor McGonagall had come running into the hall, her hat askew. Everyone froze, including the other teachers, who had been trying to settle things down. Well, except for Professor Dumbledore, who had quickly put down the chunk of Yorkshire pudding he had been about to throw. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Who started this?" the tone to Professor McGonagall's voice was dangerous.
"It was Aquaria MacNamara," Parvati Patil answered shrilly. "She flung the potatoes at me."
"No, no, no! Draco Malfoy was the one who threw them, you stupid prat!" called Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw seventh year.
"My Draco isn't that immature, of course it was MacNamara!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. Aquaria and Pansy were complete opposites. They didn't actually hate each other; although there was the usual dislike between Gryffindors and Slytherins. They looked totally opposite, and people told Aquaria that their personalities were like white and black as well.
"What, are you blind? I saw Malfoy fling the potatoes from all the way over here! If you couldn't seem him do it and you were sitting right beside him, you need your eyes checked!" yelled Kevin Whitby, a Hufflepuff fourth year. The Great Hall erupted now into arguments of who started it.
"Listen, everyone's fighting about us," giggled Aquaria.
"I know. I can't believe Parvati is on my side though; she's one of your kind," Draco sniggered. Aquaria pouted and scrunched her nose.
"And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?" she asked pointedly.
"She's a Gryffindor, I'm a Slytherin," he said, sounding like it was the most obvious reason in the world.
"That didn't stop you from messing around with her. Several times, I've heard."
"I was bored and in a fight with Pansy," Draco shrugged.
"So you fooled with the next cheap floozy because your girlfriend was mad?" Aquaria asked disbelievingly.
"What, do you expect me to stay loyal or something when I can have any girl I want?" Draco laughed heartlessly as Aquaria's jaw dropped.
"Draco, that's horrible! I can't believe this, but I don't think I've heard anything worse come from your mouth!"
"Hm, looks like I'm going to have to work harder."
"I'm not joking!"
"Me either."
"Your mother didn't raise you like this, Draco; I know she didn't."
"Don't bring my mum into this!"
"SILENCE!" McGonagall yelled. "I notice that the two that have been the topic of conversation are also the only two missing. Where are they?" Aquaria sighed and glared at Draco.
"I'm atleast going to take my share of the punishment for this, even though I didn't do anything!" she hissed at him. Draco shrugged.
"Be my guest," he snorted.
"Ooh! You are egregious!" she muttered, and crawled out from under the table.
"Aquaria, who is responsible for this mess?" Professor McGonagall hard eagle stare, which wouldn't let her look away, dared her to lie.
"It was me," Aquaria said quietly, and was finally able to look away. Draco, still under the table, could see Aquaria twisting the ring on her thumb nervously, and felt...was it...could it actually be guilt? Draco Malfoy could actually feel guilt? No, guilt was not an emotion Malfoys felt. Ever. Well, what ever it was, he knew she shouldn't have to take the blame all by herself, especially since she really, in the honest truth, had done nothing.
"Why the bloody hell I'm doing this, I don't know," Draco muttered as he pulled himself out from under the table and stood beside her.
"It was my fault," came a defiant voice from beside Aquaria. She turned her head and saw Draco giving her a ghost of a smile.
"Couldn't let you take my credit," he whispered smugly. Aquaria almost wanted to hug him and cry. Draco Malfoy wasn't the biggest moronic asshole she'd ever met in her life after all. At the head table, Professor Dumbledore rose, his eyes shining brightly.
"Professor McGonagall, would you be obliged to escort both Miss MacNamara and Mr. Malfoy to my office?" he asked, his voice grave. Draco and Aquaria darted glances at each other and looked away, and they followed about ten feet behind Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall. Aquaria couldn't believe it; they'd just gotten a confession out of Draco, and still she was in trouble. How was this fair?
Harry sulked. Why did Malfoy stand up for Aquaria? That wasn't something he knew Malfoy wouldn't have even done for a fellow Slytherin. What if Malfoy liked Aquaria? "Malfoy will be sure to get her, because he always gets everything he wants, and he'll change her into someone I'll hate, because he probably knows it'll near kill me," Harry thought angrily.
"You know, Dumbledore was throwing food, too," Draco mumbled as they walked down the hall.
"What are you talking about?" Aquaria hissed.
"Dumbledore. He was throwing food too. I saw him at the high table with some Hufflepuffs throwing biscuits at Snape," Draco whispered stubbornly. Aquaria rolled her eyes.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Draco was quiet a minute before he realized what she'd said. He stopped.
"Hey, you just called me 'Malfoy'," he said, feeling somewhat irritated. He had no idea why, though. Before, he hated hearing her call him by his first name, but it was now utterly annoying to hear her say his last name instead.
"Didn't you want me to?" Aquaria replied stiffly, and Draco gave up. Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a stone gargoyle.
"Draco Dormiens," she commanded and the gargoyle jumped aside. The two followed her up a spiral staircase that moved like a Muggle escalator to an office. Large and circular, Aquaria thought it must have been the most beautiful office she'd ever seen. There were silver contraptions on various spindle-legged tables, buzzing and giving off small puffs of smoke. There were portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses covering nearly every inch of the walls. And on a golden perch near the window was a beautiful crimson phoenix.
"Stay here. Don't touch a thing," Professor McGonagall ordered crisply. She left Aquaria and Draco by themselves. Aquaria touched her cheek, not able to take her eyes off the phoenix.
"How lovely," she half-whispered.
"It's just a phoenix," Draco contemplated boredly.
"Shut up you numskull," Aquaria answered absentmindedly. Draco narrowed his brows at her back. Aquaria wasn't even putting any effort into insulting him now because of a dumb bird.
"His name is Fawkes." Professor McGonagall had returned with Professor Dumbledore. He sat behind his large, claw-footed desk and gestured to the chairs in front of it. "Sit, please Miss MacNamara, Mr. Malfoy. And you too, Minerva."
"These two are the ones who started the food fight in the Great Hall, as you know, Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said bluntly. "What shall their detention be?" Aquaria and Draco opened their mouths protestingly, but Dumbledore spoke.
"Besides a spectacular mess in the Great Hall, do you know what exactly Aquaria and Draco have caused, my dear Professor?" he asked seriously, although his mustache quivered slightly. "Did you notice, among the flying bits of rump roast and treacle tart, that the houses were mixing, and having fun together? That hasn't happened in nearly a hundred years. In a single lump of mashed potatoes, grudges dissolved, walls were broken down and hatred was put to rest, just so they could laugh and throw food. I must say, Minerva, I'm wavering greatly between punishing these two or not." Dumbledore sat back in his chair. "Despite this great feat, I do not think it would be at all fair to the house-elves to clean up this immense melange, so if you will, Mr. Malfoy, Miss MacNamara, I would greatly appreciate it if you would clean the Great Hall."
"But Prof--" Draco and Aquaria started in unison, but were cut off by Dumbledore as he raised his hand.
"You may, however, use your wands," he smiled.
"Thank you sir," they murmered, knowing their punishment could be worse. Draco glanced over at Aquaria, hoping to make eye contact with her, but still she refused to look at him as Professor McGonagall took them to start their task.