Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Rowling and Warner Brothers do. All power to them. I own Enticima Haldara though. Ha!
Time seemed to move quickly after that night. I made friends with most of my housemates who were in my level (I got into tiffs with Parkinson every now and again; I really could not stand her). I had lost my crush on Draco, but we were friends. Actually, I think I might have been one of his only real friends in Slytherin house...I would make sure to talk to Harry and Ron when I had time, so we had an acquaintance kind of friendship going. I still met up with Hermione for Arithmancy help, but she began to annoy me more and more as time went by with her constant scoldings about how I did my charts and how I study for tests. Before I knew it, it was almost time for Christmas vacation. I remember the conversation I had with Draco a week before holidays started. I had been in the common room talking to Zabini.
"So, Zabini, where you goin for the holidays?," I asked as I sat on the couch in front of the fire place.
It was freezing outside and inside, so most everyone was trying to get warmth from the fire. Zabini was sitting next to me and Goyle was next to him. Draco was in an armchair across from me and Parkinson was in one next to him. Crabbe was at the hospital wing, trying to get Madame Pomfrey to rid him of the flu.
"Home, of course," answered Zabini while taking a sip of his hot cocoa, "Mum and dad are having the whole family over."
"Even that git Samantha?," asked Goyle between bites of his sugar cookies.
"Of course not. Like mum would allow her into our home. For Merlin's sake, Samantha married a muggle."
There was a collective shudder then, as if the thought of marrying a muggle was disgusting and not welcomed.
"So, where are you headed, Haldara? Home to your mummy who doesn't want you? Or here with the mudbloods and the rats?," asked Parkinson snidely while sipping on her warm butterbeer.
"Heeeeeeeeyyyyy," broke in Zabini before I could retort, "that is right. You don't have any place to go, do you?"
Everyone in our year knew something about what happened between me and my mother, but they only knew that my mom didn't want me to know that I was a witch. Draco and Harry were the only ones that knew that I might have been part muggle.
FLASHBACK
Me: "So, if you don't mind me askin.....how is it that you're an orphan?"
Harry: "My parents were killed when I was a baby..."
Me: "I'm sorry...I'm an orphan too, in a way. I don't want to see my mother again and I doubt whether she cares if I'm alive right now. I belong to no one, especially not that crazy hag."
Harry: "Crazy hag....What exactly happened between you and your mother?"
Me: "After she forbid me from being a witch, she put me under the Imperius Curse and I broke out of it two months later. Then, I ran away."
Harry: "Couldn't you have gotten your father to help?"
Me: "No. I don't know. He's probably just like my mother. She hated being a witch and thought of herself as a freak, I don't know why. If my father was a wizard, he probably thought of himself in the same way, so she'd probably have lied and said she was a muggle. But then again, she wouldn't have wanted a wizard child, so she probably got with a muggle in hopes that I wouldn't have any abilities."
Harry: "You might not be pure blood? Doesn't it get to you the way Malfoy talks about muggleborns and half bloods?"
Me: "That's just how he is. If I didn't ignore what he said, I'd be having a war with him and the rest of my house everyday, and that would definitely be a losing battle."
END OF FLASHBACK
"I don't know where I'm going. I'll probably stay here," I said thoughtfully.
"Actually," drawled Draco as he finished his butterbeer, "I was going to invite her to spend the holidays with me and my family at Malfoy Manor. So, Enticima, would you like to stay over the holidays with me and my family"
"Why, I'd love to," I said while smirking at Parkinson.
"Looks as though you won't be spending the holidays with muggleborns after all, aye Enticima," said Zabini while patting me on the back.
"Looks as though to me that there's something going on right underneath our noses," grumbled Parkinson.
"What are you talking about, Parkinson?," asked Draco in annoyance.
"Well, you and that are so close and together a lot. It seems fitting that you two are more than just mates,"
"Honestly, Parkinson, if I fancied Haldara, you lot would know it instantly. I'm only inviting her because she has to meet with my parents for something and because it would be disgusting for her to have to stay here. Besides, you don't fancy me either, right Enticima?"
"Right you are, Draco," I said, "I'm not one of your screaming little fan girls."
"Screaming fan girls? Since when, Malfoy?," asked Zabini in amusement.
"I know you could get any girl you want, but fangirls...Ha. You make me laugh, Haldara," said Parkinson, though she was blushing slightly.
"It's the first and second years. They love him. Honestly, they worship the ground he walks on. I think it's the stunning, white blonde hair, the piercing gray eyes, and the mad Quidditch skills that make these girls quake in their training bras," I said dramatically while tossing myself sideways against Zabini as if I were swooning.
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," said Draco sarcastically amidst our laughter, although he was smirking as well, "If having them swoon over me wasn't so useful, I would have turned them off me from the beginning."
He turned and looked behind him, drawing our attention to a nearby table where two 2nd year girls were sitting. One of the girls looked up and noticed Draco staring. She tapped her friend who looked at us, then at Draco. Draco gave a little wave and the first girl turned pink and the second girl squealed, covered her mouth, and ran away. The first girl grabbed her books, tried to give Draco what I'm sure she thought was a sexy smile and ran away after her friend. After we finished laughing and making fun of the girls, I wished them all a good night (it was 11pm and the common room was starting to empty out).
The next day, Wednesday, was boring up until Potions with the Gryffindors. It started off the usual way; note taking, Hermione volunteering to answer questions and not being picked on, Neville managing to drop and break several vials, etc. Then, while we were all attempting to create a flu draught (Madame Pomfrey begged Snape to teach the potion to us. There was like a flu plague going on in the 7th and 5th year classes and frankly, she was getting sick of treating everyone, plus, she kept running out and having to make more) something happened. Snape was writing at his desk, the Slytherins who weren't at the hospital wing (all of nine of us) were on the left on the dungeon, and the Gryffindors were on the right. Draco, me, Goyle, Crabbe, and Kyla Dourf (she was so annoying and had long black hair, that is until she dyed it electric blue, thinking that the boys would find her more attractive that way.) were standing in the middle row, tending to our potions.
"Dourf, Dourf!", hissed Draco.
"What?," came the return hiss.
Draco coughed and tugged his ear at the same time. Then he went back to doing his potion.
"What does that mean?," I thought while bringing my attention back to Dourf.
She obviously understood Draco, because she was now digging in her purse for something. I gazed curiously as she pulled out a lime green potion inside a glass vial. I watched as she slipped it into her pocket and walk over to the table where the items needed for the potions were. She grabbed several brown roots and upon her return, she tripped over foot and flung her roots at Harry.
"Geez, Potter. I'm so sorry about this," said Dourf apologetically.
"It's...okay," said Harry cautiously.
While Harry was picking up Dourf's roots, I watched as Dourf took the vial from her pocket, uncap it, and pour it's contents into Harry's cauldron.
"Thank you, Harry."
As soon as Dourf got back to her cauldron, Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe burst into snickers and then began whispering the reason why they were laughing to the other Slytherins. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't care. I just frowned and went back to my cauldron. A few minutes later, I heard whispering.
"Hermione! Hermione!", whispered Harry.
"What?", answered Hermione while stirring her potion.
"Look."
Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her toward his cauldron. Then, he knocked on the surface of his potion.
"It's rock solid!", exclaimed Ron, drawing the attention of several Gryffindors and Snape.
"What did you do? Did you copy all the ingredients correctly? Did you follow the directions?", asked Hermione as she looked through Harry's notes.
"Is there a problem here?", asked Snape coolly as he approached Harry's cauldron.
"Nothing, professor," said Harry, Ron, and Hermione in unison as Harry pressed his hand against the surface of the draught in an attempt to hide it from Snape's view.
"Then I suggest that you all go back to your own cauldrons because theere is only 15 minutes left of class and only 5 of them remain for you to perfect the flu draught."
Snape turned around and strode back to his desk, his black robes floating slightly as he walked. I must say, I always had a crush on Snape. laughs Why wouldn't I? Dark, mysterious, brooding good looks. Mmm! He just screamed sex and radiated sexiness. Honestly, that Snape...Huh?...I'm getting off topic?...Oh, sorry. Where was....I had been gazing absentmindedly as Snape took his seat, when there was a loud crack from Harry's direction. Everyone turned toward Harry to see his arm elbow deep in his potion. Apparently, he had applied too much pressure on the surface of his potion when he was trying to hide it and his hand broke through the surface, Harry swore and pulled his arm out of his cauldron. The other Slytherins were rolling with laughter as Harry wiped the puke green potion off his arm.
"Mr. Potter, I do believe that the flu draught is supposed to be light blue in color," said Snape coldly with a smirk on his face, "You didn't have to destroy a perfectly good potion, I would have been more than willing to fail you if you had just came out and asked."
It seemed as though it was taking Harry all his strength not to talk back to Snape and as the rest of the class began to hand in their flu draughts, Harry sat with his head down on the table. As soon as class let out, the Slytherins began to taunt Harry. I shoved Draco as I ran to catch up with Harry and Co., who were trying to power walk away from the jeers.
"Potter, Potter!," I yelled as I caught up.
"Come to mess with me too have you?," spat Harry angrily.
"Look, Potter, I was only coming to you to apolo-what the hell?!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed my line of sight. It was Harry's arm, the one he dipped into the draught, it was covered in green scales.
"Harry," said Hermione, "you should go see Madame Pomfrey."
"No, it'll be fine," answered Harry.
"Look mate, this isn't the time for you to be stubborn," said Ron carefully.
"What do you mean stubborn. You're the one...."
"I know this!," I said, interrupting the argument that was about to take place.
They all looked at me. While they were talking, I was trying to remember where I had seen that effect before.
"That potion is supposed to turn you into an animal for up to 5 hrs at a time. It's like an advanced version of the Polyjuice potion. This potion takes a shorter time to create and while drinking the potion transforms the person, coming into contact with the potion on your skin will do half the effect; you will take on the animals appearance. Vertere potion! That's what it's called."
The three of them looked at me blankly. Harry spoke first.
"How do I get rid of this?"
"Give me your arm. I do believe it's like this."
I gave him an Indian burn and the scales underneath my hands came off, revealing his regular pale skin. After we had peeled off all the scales, the four of us walked quietly to the library to work on homework.
"Why didn't you know that potion, Hermione?", asked Ron cautiously as we turned a corner.
"Yeah, why not?", asked Harry.
I answered before Hermione could open her mouth, "It was a Dark Arts potion and I doubt Mione is very well versed in that kind of magic."
"I figured as much," said Ron and we all fell silent again.
I remember what happened when I entered Slytherin common room that night. I had skipped dinner and spent time bonding with Harry and Co. in an empty classroom after being kicked out of the library for laughing too loudly, so it was the first time I'd seen my house mates since the Vertere potion incident. As soon as I entered, a momentary silence fell. I took my usual spot by the fire while everyone stared at me. The chatter began again though, and I was left in peace to pour myself a cup of hot cocoa. After drinking, I left the common room and entered my bedroom, only to find Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe seated on my bed. Draco stood up instantly when he saw me and Crabbe and Goyle followed suit.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!", spat Draco angrily as he walked toward me.
I had never seen Draco enraged before; he wasn't very attractive then. I answered him, "What are you talkin about?"
"I'll tell you what I'm 'talkin' about. I'm talking about you helping that Potter boy!"
"You saw that?"
"Yes, I saw it!"
"So what? Am I not allowed to help my friends?"
"You're friends with that little shit?! What the hell is wrong with you?! What? You want to be shunned and looked down upon too? You like hanging around with filth?"
"Fuck you, Malfoy, for being such a closed-minded prat. If I wanted to hand around with filth I'd be your fuckin girlfriend."
He slapped me the. Draco slapped me. Mr. "I'm too good for physical violence" slapped me...and I just laughed. I laughed like some sort of lunatic.
"What the hell was that, Draco? I thought you left that stuff to your lackeys, you being all 'above it all.'." I said challengingly, "What is it darling? Do you not like me being friends with Harry and his friends?"
I was trying to make him mad, make him lose it again, take his ass down a peg. It was working. He was struggling to keep his proper composure. For those few minutes, I had power over Draco and it felt so darn good. Draco always manipulated and controlled others, now he was my puppet and I was loving how the tables were turned.
"Fine. I don't care," said Draco.
Crabbe and Goyle looked at Draco, stunned.
"Be mates with whomever you want. Just know that it's your mistake. Potter will be your downfall. Lord Voldemort won't stand for it. Yeah, you'll regret this," said Draco spitefully, but with an even face.
Goyle stepped up to me with his fists clenched and commented, "Yeah, you better watch yourself cause Voldemort doesn't take well to mates of that...."
"Wait, stop," said Draco as he pushed Goyle back.
He looked as if something had just hit him, an idea.
"Voldemort won't be mad at all."
"He won't?", asked both Crabbe and Goyle in surprise.
"No, fools, he won't be upset with her for being friends with the great Harry Potter. I think he'll be pleased with her acquaintance with Potter and her loyalty to him."
"Wha?.....Oh!", said Crabbe densely.
Draco shot him a look and put back on his angry face. Goyle still did not get it and neither did I. I couldn't figure out why it mattered that I worked for Voldemort and was friends with Harry? I couldn't get how that would be an advantage to anyone.
"Well, love, I guess it's okay for you to be mates with anyone you want," said Draco smugly as he tapped the tip of my nose with his index finger and then passed me by while calling to Crabbe and Goyle.
The next day Draco told me the routine for Friday. We'd wake up early, finish packing what we needed, take our trunks with us to breakfast, and then leave.
"We're leaving Hogsmede at 10am, so we'd better eat fast," sad Draco while flicking pieces of paper into the common room fireplace.
"Why? How are we getting to Hogsmede?", I asked lazily as I rolled over on the couch to face him.
"We're walking to Hogsmede and then taking a carriage to Malfoy Manor."
"We're walking? Your parents must love you to death."
"Ha, ha, ha. Usually they take a carriage up here to get me, but they aren't in the mood to be anywhere near here at the moment. That's why we're walking to a carriage in Hogsmede," said Draco in exasperation.
I sighed and got up.
"Where are you going?"
"Class," I said simply as I gathered my books together.
The rest of the day passed in a slow, lazy stupor. No one wanted to do work and the teachers were trying and failing to keep the students' attention. I fell asleep during History of Magic that day, ended up dreaming about Snape killing Harry. Was a bit spooky you know, because....Fine, whatever, the dream isn't relevant, I'll keep going. The next day I woke up to the dawn and someone knocking on my door.
"I'm coming," I said through a face full of pillow.
The knocking continued as I tossed on a bathrobe. I grumbled underneath my breathe as I unlocked the door.
"Draco, what is your....oh. Hey, Zabini."
It was Blaise, not Draco at my door. He let himself in and sat down on my bed. His hair was a mess, he was sweating and shaking, and he looked completely horrified.
"Jesus Christ, Zabini, what's wrong?", I saked while grabbing a quilt from my trunk and draping it around his shoulders.
"C-c-c-curse. Tr-tr-tremoris febris c-cast on me," said Zabini through shivers.
"Damn it, Zabini, it'll take me at least 30 minutes to make the antidote. Try not to shiver so much," I said in annoyance.
Geez man, I was so worried then, I didn't know how long he had the curse on him. The Tremoris Febris is a little known Dark Arts curse, only used by advanced wizards. It starts off with a feeling of chills. Then you get a fever that gets higher and higher until the body can't take it and it combusts; your skin gets hot and flames erupt out of you. The fire can't be put out be an extinguisher or water, so you end up burning to death slowly and painfully. There is no counter curse, only the potion that reverses the effects. I remember the anxiety I felt while making that potion. I was rushing and I was spilling and I was substituting ingredients . If it wasn't for my dark arts books, Zabini would have been a lost cause. He was moaning in pain and steaming slightly by the time I had finished the potion.
"Here you go, Zabini. Come on, drink the potion for me Bini," I said while holding Zabini's head back with one hand and serving him the potion with the other.
The potion was sky blue and it stained his chin as some of it trickled down the corner of his mouth. Smoke rose from his head as if he were a freshly extinguished candle. The tips of his hair were burnt.
"Thanks. cough, cough," said Zabini quietly as he shivered slightly, his body temperature coming back to normal.
"Anytime, Blaise," I said while taking a seat next to him on the bed.
He looked at me then. He had a worried expression on his face and his eyes were tearing up.
"What's wrong, Zabini?"
"Enticima, please don't become a Death Eater," he said, crying.
I held him against me and rocked him back and forth. I had no idea what to do then, so I remained silent. Blaise continued, "Tell me you won't go to Malfoy Manor. Tell me you won't try to become a Death Eater."
"Why, Blaise? Why shouldn't I become a Death Eater?"
"They did this to me. A Death Eater did this to me. My parents upset Voldemort again, so to get to them, he sent a Death Eater after me. It's not worth it to become a Death Eater. You think you're safe, you really think you are, but you're wrong. It doesn't matter how close to him you think you are, you're never safe from his wrath when you're a Death Eater. Never safe....never safe. cries."
I was about to speak when I heard a knock at the door. I looked at my clock, it was 5:30am. I realized who it was and yelled out, "Go away, Draco."
"Let me in. I have my trunk with me. We have to hurry up," said Draco annoyedly through the door.
"Sorry, Draco, but not now. I finished packin anyway. I'll see you at breakfast."
"Well at least let me see what you packed."
I looked at Zabini. He had stopped crying and wiped his face on his robes. He gave me a nod and I assumed that meant it was okay to let Draco into my room.
"Wait," said Zabini as he stood up, "promise me you won't go. You're my mate and I can't allow you to put yourself in danger."
"Wow, Blaise, don't go all Gryffindor on me," I said with a smile in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"This is serious. Even Slytherins have to show loyalty to their true mates at some point. So, please, Enticima, don't go."
I didn't answer him. I went over to the door and let Draco in.
"What took you so.....Zabini?", asked Draco.
"I'm just leaving now," said Zabini while walking towards the door.
He gave me one last look and then left.
"What was that all about?," asked Draco while making himself comfortable in one of my armchairs.
"Nothin, just a chat between friends," I said while I opened up my trunk.
