Nicole yawned and stretched to the annoying symphony of beeps that her
alarm clock had been making for about an hour. In the past few weeks she
had been grown accustomed to Hogwarts' life, and her classes kept her very
busy. The talent competition grew closer as December began. Her and Tabitha
had become very close, and their two-hour lunches were filled with gossip
and music.
It was during today's (December Second) that she worked up enough courage to ask, "Tabitha, would you like to come to Toronto with me on Christmas break? I know you planned to spend it with your family. but is there anyway you can possibly-"
Tab didn't even let her finish before bursting in to excited conversation. "What an AMAZING idea, Nikki! We can see all the great clubs and go to parties! Think of the shopping! I'll start planning right now! See you after class!" And with that she ran across the freshly fallen snow towards the castle. Presumably to her laptop to look up shopping opportunities.
Nicole was nervous... Clubs? Parties? The only clubs she knew wouldn't be very fun for Tabitha. The only people she really associated with were addicted to more things than she could count.
'What am I going to do?' She asked herself, then mentally cringed at thinking in British again. That annoying accent had worked itself into her brain! 'Of course... its not annoying when Draco does it...' She smiled guiltily over her newly developed crush on him.
Interrupting her thoughts, Draco came up behind her and smacked her on the head.
"HEY! YOU ASSHOLE... I'm gonna get you for that errr...."
Draco just stood there with his arms crossed, long blonde hair blowing the wind. No childish smirk decorated his features. He had meant it.
"Nicole. Come with me. Now. Don't ask questions. "
His voice froze her more than the below zero temperatures outside. He forced her to stand and pushed her roughly forward. They walked around to the back of the ancient school slowly, so no one would notice anything was wrong.
Her mind was numb. She could barely keep her feet moving, dread was constricting around her. There was no one around now. No way she could even be seen. There were no windows here. Draco pushed her against the wall. A look somewhat like intense pain crossed his face for an instant, then it snapped back to its usual emotionless state.
He cleared his throat.
"Nicole..." he started, in a voice that was almost gentle. She heard his throat catch and his eyes betrayed him. She knew even before he pulled the needle out of his robes that she was busted.
She locked eyes with him, mentally cursing herself for being so careless. She wondered if he'd turn her in to the headmaster. She'd be expelled for sure.
As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head. "I have a better idea." He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hears. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. He seemed to be gathering strength from her.
Just as suddenly he leaned back, and touched a small brick on the wall behind her. A grinding sound filled the air, and a door was revealed in the wall. Draco grabbed Nicole's sleeve and pulled her into the newly formed doorway and as soon as they stepped inside, the door slid shut again.
They were in a small corridor, but she couldn't tell much more until Draco muttered "Lumos." A second later and the passageway filled with light. The moist walls were covered in disgusting mold, and the smell was overpowering. The ceiling was just above her head; Draco had to duck.
The passage turned several times, and went up stairs and down more stairs. Checking her Gucci watch, Nicole knew they had only been in the tunnel fifteen minutes, but it seemed like hours. She had completely lost all sense of direction.
Finally, they came to a solid oak door in surprisingly good condition given the current state of the passage behind them. Draco tapped three times, and, hearing a responding tap, opened the door magically. He stepped out, dragging Nicole with him.
The sudden light flooded her eyes. "Why, Miss Robinson. This IS a surprise." The sultry voice of Snape exclaimed.
Before she could respond, Draco stepped in front of her. "You owe me Snape! I convinced my father to let you live, remember?" He said the last word with heaps of sarcasm.
"Yes, yes, I remember, Mr. Malfoy. How can I repay you TODAY?" He sounded very annoyed. Draco pretended not to notice. He turned around and pulled Nicole forward, making her sit on Snape's bed. Blinking profusely, she had managed to clear the purple marks from her vision. Draco glanced at her, then pulled the needle from his robes again.
Professor Snape had been calm and collected up until then. The sight of the syringe had mentally slapped him. He stared openly at Nicole; all illusions of her innocence were blown out of the water.
Draco began. "I don't want her expelled. What can you do?""
"I'll have to see. I need to speak with her alone. Leave her with me. I can't think with you around." Snape glared at Draco, but Draco just nodded, spun on his heel, and closed the door behind him. She could hear his footsteps retreating down the corridor.
Snape waited a few moments before beginning. He cleared his throat and his dark eyes demanded her full attention. His first question, not surprisingly, was "Why?"
She just smirked. What she had wasn't very much of an answer, but she gave it to him anyway. She had been asked 'Why?' so many times in her life, it seemed she had become immune to the question. Immune to thinking about an answer. She simply said, "It was the only one I couldn't break."
The signs had always been there. Her enlarged pupils, the marks on her arm. How could they not have known? Better that they had found out earlier, when she had no reason to stay here. But to take it all away from her now! When she had a reason to stay! It was too ironic. In her mind, expulsion meant death. Because she wouldn't have any reason to live after expulsion. Tabitha and Draco kept her sane. They kept her thoughts from wandering to suicide. Oh well. Hell, she was already killing herself slowly, wasn't she?
Her mind snapped back to Snape. He was looking at her expectantly. "What?"
"I said how long"
"About three years at least."
Shock registered on his face. He knew about the effects heroin had on witches and wizards. "No known potion can cure you." He simply stated.
"I know. I've looked."
He nodded knowingly. It had dawned on him. Her amazing potions abilities, her attitude towards her school work. Her poor performance in Defense Against The Dark Arts, the one class that required a clear mind and healthy body. That there was no hope for her.
He finally lowered his dark eyes from her hard violet ones. He hung his head, and sat down beside her.
"I will try. Maybe there's something."
"There's nothing. I've tried."
The heightened effects of her drug addiction would slowly deplete her body and mind. She was stronger for now at certain things than the average witch or wizard, but that wouldn't last more than five years. Her veins would shut down, her internal organs slowly dying, until they would drag her down with her. Her mind would die slowly, painfully, and she would be a hollowed out version of herself. Her life would be choked out of her. And if she ever stopped, she would die faster.
"I have less than ten years to live."
It was during today's (December Second) that she worked up enough courage to ask, "Tabitha, would you like to come to Toronto with me on Christmas break? I know you planned to spend it with your family. but is there anyway you can possibly-"
Tab didn't even let her finish before bursting in to excited conversation. "What an AMAZING idea, Nikki! We can see all the great clubs and go to parties! Think of the shopping! I'll start planning right now! See you after class!" And with that she ran across the freshly fallen snow towards the castle. Presumably to her laptop to look up shopping opportunities.
Nicole was nervous... Clubs? Parties? The only clubs she knew wouldn't be very fun for Tabitha. The only people she really associated with were addicted to more things than she could count.
'What am I going to do?' She asked herself, then mentally cringed at thinking in British again. That annoying accent had worked itself into her brain! 'Of course... its not annoying when Draco does it...' She smiled guiltily over her newly developed crush on him.
Interrupting her thoughts, Draco came up behind her and smacked her on the head.
"HEY! YOU ASSHOLE... I'm gonna get you for that errr...."
Draco just stood there with his arms crossed, long blonde hair blowing the wind. No childish smirk decorated his features. He had meant it.
"Nicole. Come with me. Now. Don't ask questions. "
His voice froze her more than the below zero temperatures outside. He forced her to stand and pushed her roughly forward. They walked around to the back of the ancient school slowly, so no one would notice anything was wrong.
Her mind was numb. She could barely keep her feet moving, dread was constricting around her. There was no one around now. No way she could even be seen. There were no windows here. Draco pushed her against the wall. A look somewhat like intense pain crossed his face for an instant, then it snapped back to its usual emotionless state.
He cleared his throat.
"Nicole..." he started, in a voice that was almost gentle. She heard his throat catch and his eyes betrayed him. She knew even before he pulled the needle out of his robes that she was busted.
She locked eyes with him, mentally cursing herself for being so careless. She wondered if he'd turn her in to the headmaster. She'd be expelled for sure.
As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head. "I have a better idea." He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hears. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. He seemed to be gathering strength from her.
Just as suddenly he leaned back, and touched a small brick on the wall behind her. A grinding sound filled the air, and a door was revealed in the wall. Draco grabbed Nicole's sleeve and pulled her into the newly formed doorway and as soon as they stepped inside, the door slid shut again.
They were in a small corridor, but she couldn't tell much more until Draco muttered "Lumos." A second later and the passageway filled with light. The moist walls were covered in disgusting mold, and the smell was overpowering. The ceiling was just above her head; Draco had to duck.
The passage turned several times, and went up stairs and down more stairs. Checking her Gucci watch, Nicole knew they had only been in the tunnel fifteen minutes, but it seemed like hours. She had completely lost all sense of direction.
Finally, they came to a solid oak door in surprisingly good condition given the current state of the passage behind them. Draco tapped three times, and, hearing a responding tap, opened the door magically. He stepped out, dragging Nicole with him.
The sudden light flooded her eyes. "Why, Miss Robinson. This IS a surprise." The sultry voice of Snape exclaimed.
Before she could respond, Draco stepped in front of her. "You owe me Snape! I convinced my father to let you live, remember?" He said the last word with heaps of sarcasm.
"Yes, yes, I remember, Mr. Malfoy. How can I repay you TODAY?" He sounded very annoyed. Draco pretended not to notice. He turned around and pulled Nicole forward, making her sit on Snape's bed. Blinking profusely, she had managed to clear the purple marks from her vision. Draco glanced at her, then pulled the needle from his robes again.
Professor Snape had been calm and collected up until then. The sight of the syringe had mentally slapped him. He stared openly at Nicole; all illusions of her innocence were blown out of the water.
Draco began. "I don't want her expelled. What can you do?""
"I'll have to see. I need to speak with her alone. Leave her with me. I can't think with you around." Snape glared at Draco, but Draco just nodded, spun on his heel, and closed the door behind him. She could hear his footsteps retreating down the corridor.
Snape waited a few moments before beginning. He cleared his throat and his dark eyes demanded her full attention. His first question, not surprisingly, was "Why?"
She just smirked. What she had wasn't very much of an answer, but she gave it to him anyway. She had been asked 'Why?' so many times in her life, it seemed she had become immune to the question. Immune to thinking about an answer. She simply said, "It was the only one I couldn't break."
The signs had always been there. Her enlarged pupils, the marks on her arm. How could they not have known? Better that they had found out earlier, when she had no reason to stay here. But to take it all away from her now! When she had a reason to stay! It was too ironic. In her mind, expulsion meant death. Because she wouldn't have any reason to live after expulsion. Tabitha and Draco kept her sane. They kept her thoughts from wandering to suicide. Oh well. Hell, she was already killing herself slowly, wasn't she?
Her mind snapped back to Snape. He was looking at her expectantly. "What?"
"I said how long"
"About three years at least."
Shock registered on his face. He knew about the effects heroin had on witches and wizards. "No known potion can cure you." He simply stated.
"I know. I've looked."
He nodded knowingly. It had dawned on him. Her amazing potions abilities, her attitude towards her school work. Her poor performance in Defense Against The Dark Arts, the one class that required a clear mind and healthy body. That there was no hope for her.
He finally lowered his dark eyes from her hard violet ones. He hung his head, and sat down beside her.
"I will try. Maybe there's something."
"There's nothing. I've tried."
The heightened effects of her drug addiction would slowly deplete her body and mind. She was stronger for now at certain things than the average witch or wizard, but that wouldn't last more than five years. Her veins would shut down, her internal organs slowly dying, until they would drag her down with her. Her mind would die slowly, painfully, and she would be a hollowed out version of herself. Her life would be choked out of her. And if she ever stopped, she would die faster.
"I have less than ten years to live."