Disclaimer: All power to Rowling. She owns Harry Potter and all the characters (except Enticima Haldara, she's mine. Ha!). I make no money from this.
Oh, so you're finally back, ay Skeeter? Should I go on then? Lovely...My first few days passed by smoothly until Thursday ( I had arrived on a Monday). I remember how that day started. It was hot, annoyingly hot, and I wasn't in the mood for anything. My first class that day was Defence Against the Dark Arts and it was the first time I'd been to that class. I entered the class and sat down in the seat that Draco had saved for me.
"Jesus Christ, she's ugly," I said aloud accidentally when I noticed the teacher for the first time.
Several students snickered including Draco. He whispered into my ear, "That's Umbridge. The Ministry of Magic put her here. She's really an arse."
"Silence now, class. You, new girl, who are you?," asked Umbridge.
"I'm Miss Haldara."
"Well, Miss Haldara, stop whispering to Mr. Malfoy or you'll end up having the pleasure of serving detention with me," said Umbridge sweetly.
She got up then and began to walk around the classroom. I took this time to whisper to Draco.
"What she gonna do? Force me to swap clothing?"
Draco looked at Umbridge and smirked. She was wearing a pink and green patterned sweater vest over a neon pink turtle neck sweater with a plaid skirt.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?," asked Umbridge into my ear suddenly.
I jumped and my head collided with Umbridge's. Umbridge swore, clasped her hand over her forehead, took a step back, and crashed into the desk of a nearby student. Instant laughter. The class exploded. Umbridge smoothed out her clothing and sheepishly told the class to quiet down as she walked back to her desk. She looked rather pink and her eyes seemed to be bulging out more than usual, but she pretended as if nothing had taken place.
After DADA, I headed, alone, to my first Arthmancy lesson. I remember strolling to the class thinking about my week as of then. I'd gotten a chance to chat with Harry in the hall on Tuesday.
"So you're in Slytherin?," Harry asked dejectedly.
I pointed to the Slytherin emblem on my robes and answered, "Yeah, I sorta am."
We stood in silence for a bit, him fidgeting with his books and me watching as a group of Ravenclaws ran past loudly. We ended up speaking at the same time as each other.
"Look, Harry, what is it?"
"So, how's classes been so far?"
"Sorry, you go first, Enticima."
"What is it that is makin you so uncomfortable?"
Harry looked away as he spoke, "It's just that you're in Slytherin now. It's weird. Slytherins are unfriendly, annoying arseholes and you don't strike me as that."
He caught my eye. I smiled. He smiled back.
"So until I prove to be an asshole, I guess we're friends then, huh?," I said. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, "We're gonna be late for class. I'll see you 'round, Harry, 'k?"
"Yeah, I'll see you around then...."
"You're laaaaaaaaaaaaate," said a ghost as he passed me by, bringing me back in touch with what was the here and now.
The halls were completely empty. I sprinted to my class while cursing myself for getting caught up in my own thoughts.
"How kind of us to grace us with your presence, Miss Haldara," said Mistress Vector, the Arithmancy teacher. She was young at the time, in her 30s, and tall with olive skin and short brown hair. She was pretty even tempered but always assumed that incorrect answers were the result of having not enough homework. She accepted my excuse that I had gotten lost and continued, "Very well. Take a seat next to Miss Granger. She can be your tutor until you get caught up. Miss Granger, please raise your hand so our newest addition can see where you are located. I suggest that the two of you make up a study schedule that works best for both of you."
I looked around and spotted the girl known as "Miss Granger". She had bushy brown hair and resembled,in my opinion, a chipmunk or a squirrel. I took the empty seat next to her and shook her hand as it was out there waiting for me to shake it.
"Hi. I'm Hermione. I'm a Gryffindor Prefect."
"I'm Enticima and I'm not a Gryffindor Prefect."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know if you knew about Prefects and that that's what the "P" on my badge stands for. So, where are you from? You have an American accent."
"Yeah, I'm from New Jersey."
"Really? Did you live in a Muggle town or among other witches and wizards?"
"Muggle town, actually."
"Well, I think you'll like it here. Most everyone here is nice and friendly," she frowned slightly as if she tasted something sour, "I see you're in Slytherin. Well, I'm sure your housemates are nice to you..."
Mistress Vector cleared her throat and class commenced. My goodness, how annoying Hermione was! All during the rest of class she kept looking over my shoulder at what I was writing and how I was making my charts. "No that's wrong." or "No, no, no, not like that." were her favorite phrases. And when the teacher actually commended me on the chart I was making, Hermione went, "Well, I could have shown you an easier way, but that's good too I guess." I swear that was the longest hour of my life. When Arithmancy was over, Hermione took my day planner and opened it to the next day, Friday.
"We'll meet tomorrow after dinner in the Great Hall. We can go over some past lessons and discuss anything you have a problem with or don't understand."
I rolled my eyes while she wrote and said sarcastically, "I'll be looking very much forward to that."
"Really? Me too," she answered with a smile.
"See you, Mione."
I ran away without looking back. I was so glad to be free from her. I nearly ran Draco over on the stairs on the way to my next class.
"How was Arthimancy?," he asked curiously as we walked to class with Crabbe and Goyle close behind.
"Geez, why didn't you tell me how unbearable Hermione Granger is?"
"First off, call it Granger, and second of all, what else would you expect from a know-it-all mudblood?"
Crabbe and Goyle smirkedat Draco's commented and I sighed with annoyance. I whispered to Draco, "Do they always have to be around?"
"Them?...No, but they happen to be very useful to me at times so I keep them around," he answered as we arrived to class.
"Hmph, it seems like everybody has their uses...," I muttered underneath my breath.
"Yeah, they do," said Draco with a smirk.
The rest of the day and the week, including my meet-up with Hermione, passed smoothly. Monday dawned cool and cloudy. The only events that took place during the school day were minor. Hermione reminded me during Arithmacy that we'd meet-up on Wed. (Hermione: "There's so much we have to go over and the N.E.W.T.S. are coming soon."
Me: "McGonagall told me that they weren't till..."
Hermione: "That's besides the point. Everyday must be treated as if the N.E.W.T.S are coming tomorrow.") . Then, before Charms, one of the other Slytherins, Blaise Zabini, "accidentally" lit a passing Hufflepuff's robes on fire. Was funny, for about two seconds but then it just got sad, as the student froze the part of her robes that were on fire, but didn't know how to unfreeze her robes so she had to drag the block of ice behind her. It wasn't till after dinner that things began to happen. When I got to my room, there was an envelope with my name written across it on my bed. I recognized the handwriting immediately to be Draco's. I opened it and read the piece of parchment that was inside:
"Haldara,
Meet me in the Entrance Hall at the foot of the stairs at ten o' clock.
Draco Malfoy"
"That's rather vague," I thought as I put the parchment into a dresser drawer.
It was 8pm then, so I started some homework. At 9:45 I changed clothes and left for the Entrance Hall.
"You're early," remarked Draco quietly as I made my way down the staircase.
"You're not accompanied by your henchmen. Tis a miracle!," I whispered back.
He smiled and pushed the doors open to the outside. He held out his hand, "Shall we?"
"Why, yes we shall," I answered taking his hand and allowing him to lead me onto the school grounds.
It had cleared up since the morning and the inky blue sky was a glow with thousands of stars and a large full moon that lit up the grounds of Hogwarts like a giant searchlight. I remember how nervous I was. I was very aware of myself and how awkward I thought I was. We walked along quietly, Draco looking at me occasionally. It was one of those occasionally times when I chose to break the comfortable silence.
"So, Draco, to what do I owe the luxury of having this moonlit stroll with you?"
Draco turned fully toward me and looked into my eyes. The moonlight struck his hair making it look as though he were surrounded by a halo. Took my breathe away, he always took my breathe away....
"Enticima, have you heard anything about a wizard called Voldemort?"
I had to laugh inwardly at how sheepishly he asked me that, it was so noncharacteristic of him. I answered truthfully to him, "No, I haven't."
He smiled smugly at this and then began what seemed like a rehearsed speech, "Voldemort is known to some as 'He-who-must-not-be-named' or 'You-know-who.' But that's only to those who fear or despise him. To his faithful and the hand selected few that he chooses as his equals, the Death Eaters, he is known as the Dark Lord. To my family, he is known as the Dark Lord. You see, Voldemort has held my family in high-esteem ever since he first came on the scene. Voldemort came from a poor wizarding family. He went to Hogwarts and became a star student. But, Dumbledore never liked him. He never trusted Voldemort because he knew that Voldemort would become a stronger wizard than him.
"After Voldemort left Hogwarts, he spent years learning everything there is to know on the Dark Arts. He began to despise how the wizarding world was, how the Ministry of Magic ran things, and how mudbloods and muggles were....treated. He wanted power and he gained power. Slowly at first, but then he gained followers and the Death Eaters, his true family if you ask me, were formed. Dumbledore tried to stop him by creating an Order. At first, Voldemort was winning, but then...I don't know. There was another wizard, Tom Riddle, who challenged the Dark Lord to a duel. During the battle, Riddle cast the killing curse at the same time as Voldemort. Riddle was weaker, he died, but Voldemort was ripped from his body, his powers left him, and he was forced to flee, barely alive. Many of the Death Eaters that weren't killed or tossed into Azkaban were still loyal afterwards, but didn't help the Dark Lord, so he was forced to live off another for a time. He slowly regained his strength and last spring, he regained his body.
"The Dark Lord has been thwarted many times, but now that he's almost back to full power, things are coming together for him. A war is brewing and in this war, you're either for him or against him. The foolish will die and the only way to truly ensure your survival will be to join with him as a Death Eater, one of the Dark Lord's most loyal and cunning servants, doing everything in your power to help him in his plight.
"Enticima, I have been watching you now for a week, taking in your attitude, your intelligence, all of your characteristics. In July, Voldemort is throwing the Death Eaters' Ball. It's a turn of the century kind of costume ball with fancy ballroom gowns and costumes and tuxedos that's filled with food and drinks and dancing and music. Its only put together to either celebrate an accomplishment of Voldemort or to initiate the children of already existing Death Eaters. This ball is for both those reasons. I want you to be there. I want you to be a Death Eater, Enticima."
I remember everything about that moment. It was quiet, very quiet. The fact that I hadn't answered was so obvious in that silence. I didn't know what to say then. As Draco had spoken, there was this odd, excited gleam in his eyes. The longer I stayed quiet, the faster that gleam seemed to disappear. I had to speak.
"I....Draco.....I don't know. This is a lot to get in such a short time. I can't even go to the DEB, no one in my family is a Death Eater."
"I actually have that all taken care of, almost. That's really why I wanted to watch you in school. I could have asked anyone to be a Death Eater, but I could tell that you weren't just anyone. I knew you'd be good by your interest in the Dark Arts and your skill is almost better than everyone in our year. There are some things that need to be worked on, but we'll address that later. I figured that the best way to get you in on Voldemort's good graces was to have you with me. So, I watched to see if you were compatible, to see if my family would like you. I think we fit together well and that my parents would like you and would be willing to represent you and, for the night, be your Death Eater parents. I know this is a lot, but think of what could happen if you join. Think of the power you'd have. You'd be able to do whatever you wanted and to whomever you wanted. You'd be set for life. This is what being a real Slytherin is all about. Besides, not joining is pure stupidity and may even lead to your death. I need to know now whether you're in or not because if you are, I have to set up a time for you to meet with my parents. Enticima, I know you may be....mudblood, but that doesn't really matter, no one has to know. We'll need you and it's folly for you not to join, not to be on the winning side."
I didn't want to argue. I didn't even care. I was 15, I was young. I had watched him just as much as he watched me. I had taken in his whole speech. I felt I could trust him and Voldemort's cause. I wanted power. I wanted to get into Draco's pants!
"Yes, Draco, I'll join."
"Yes!," he said as he hugged me and lifted me off the ground.
After he put me down, we held hands and walked back to the castle.
"It'll be me, Goyle, Crabbe, Zabini, and Parkinson being initiated at the DEB, plus you if my parents allow. There's a thing though. Both Parkinson's and Zabinin's parents have pissed Voldemort enough for them to be practically out of the loop and in, ha,serious pain. It's an interesting story actually, both families are looking to their children to put them back in good graces with Voldemort," commented Draco as we reached the Slytherin Common Room. It was deserted but for a warm fire burning in the hearth. He sat down on the couch and said, "Well, I'm staying down here for a while."
"Well, I'm goin up. Nite."
"Good night."
I tossed myself onto my bed happily. It was a obvious to me that I liked Draco and him wanting me to become a Death Eater during the DEB made me feel that he liked me as well. It was 11:30pm when we got in and it was midnight when I realized that I had misplaced one of my Dark Arts books. After I couldn't find the book in my room, I headed down to the common room figuring that it would be there. I flattened myself against the stairwell instinctively when I heard voices coming from the common room.
"She said yes." It was Draco.
"That's good isn't it?" and Crabbe.
"Oh, yes its perfect for me."
"Voldemort will like her," chimed in a voice who I assumed belonged to Goyle.
"Yes, he will. He'll see her potential and he'll be overjoyed. This of course will put my family back on a pedestal with Voldemort and as a result my father will be prouder than ever. And do you two realize what that means for me? It means that everything I want will happen and once again, I will be officially better than Potter in the eyes of all those who matter. Mates, this is our time to celebrate."
I ran away. I just ran away to my room. Never in my life had a boy I liked actually liked me back, so I don't know why I thought Draco would. I didn't cry when I got to my room, I didn't regret either. I didn't want to back out of my choice, so I decided then and there that when I was Voldemort's favorite, I'd use my position to make Draco's life a living hell. sighs> I was such a Slytherin.
