Annabella and Artimis were walking to Care of Magical Creatures when Sky jogged up to them, giving Annabella a hug and Arty a kiss on the cheek.
"I am sooo cold," complained Annabella, and Skysong nodded, her white cheeks flustered red from the cold. Artimis grinned, shaking his head. The boy never seemed to be cold! They trudged through the heavy snow, in a comfortable silent for a while.
"AHEM! Since we obviously are being bored to death on the way to our next fabulous class, I'm going to sing to you," Arty offered, smirking. Sky clapped her hands and Annabella giggled.
"Hey, you know what? When I want to sing to you guys you cover your ears!" Sky pouted, and the other two just laughed. Artimis jumped ahead of them, then started singing,
"Am I more than you bargained for yet
I've
been dying to tell you anything you want to hear
Cause that's just
who I am this week
Lie in the grass, next to the mausoleum
I'm
just a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song,"
He sang happily, in his best voice. Then he started singing as loud
and horribly as he could, making Skysong crack up and Annabella
smirk.
"Drop a heart, break a name," he
paused for a breath,
"We're always sleeping in, and
sleeping for the wrong team
"We're going down, down in an
earlier round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your
number one with a bullet
A loaded god complex, cock it and pull
it
"We're going down, down in an earlier round
And
Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a
bullet
A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it
"Is
this more than you bargained for yet
Oh don't mind me I'm watching
you two from the closet
Wishing to be the friction in your
jeans
Isn't it messed up how I'm just dying to be him
I'm just
a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song
"Drop
a heart, break a name
We're always sleeping in, and sleeping for
the wrong team
"We're going down, down in an earlier
round
And Sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number
one with a bullet
A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it-"
He did all of that in one breath, taking a long breath, he laughed;
they were there. And anyway, he had forgotten the rest of the Fall
Out Boy song, but would find the lyrics he had written down a while
ago.
"Can I get a whoop whoop!" called Sky, laughing. Hagrid saw her and laughed, muttering something that sounded like 'Whoop whoop'. Hagrid had grown considerably warm to Sky, since her Slytherin qualities were hidden under the happy glow in her pink and sometimes blue eyes, her warm voice and loving looks.
"So, class, today-" the rest pretty much faded for Artimis, who was thinking sadly of a letter that had landed in his goblet -- which he had barely managed to save from being ruined -- and felt uncomfortable. He looked at Annabella, sighing softly and frownig. He looked at Sky and felt sad in a different way than he had felt sad when looking at Annabella. He come over and rested his head on her shoulder, which was VERY hard seeing how much taller he was than her. He settled on letting her lean on him as Hagrid showed them some short of squealing insect. He didn't think Hagrid noticed the fact that this wasn't Arty's period to be in Care of Magical Creatures, seeing how he was in 7th and was surrounded by 6th years, but the bulky teacher didn't seem to mind in the least.
The class over, Sky and Artimis went to rest in the Slytherin Common room. After a while of just laying next to each other they started on their homework. They did Potions last, even if they both had different chapters to work on. They were done, and Skysong went to find Annabella.
Arty walked around aimlessly, then saw Cameron, his worst nightmare and sometimes best friend, heading over. Next to him was Draco, his pain-in-the-ass brother, and Blaise. They were all in deep conversation, and Artimis didn't really want to know why. But something did spark his interest. Everyone knew Cameron and Blaise swung both ways-- and Draco had always claimed he never had an interest in boys when asked why he hung out with Blaise so much. Artimis knew sooner or later he would come out. Cameron's hair swung around him. He had recently colored the almost-white blonde hair a slightly darker shade, and the inside of his hair a darker-ish black. It came out to look in a very nice-fag-fashion. But even Artimis admitted it looked good. Greasy Draco looked the same, if a few inches taller. And Zabini was as dark and good-looking as ever. But nonetheless they were in to each other. Artimis had explored that field and knew the opposite sex was what attracted him.
He decided to see what they were talking about. But the second he got to them, Draco looked down and Cam seemed shy--Cam? Shy?--, and Blaise looked like he wanted to dissapear.
Then Artimis remembered. "So, dearest beloved brother of mine! I expect you got good-ol' father's letter, eh?" he said, swinging a hand over his brother's shorter shoulders.
"Yep," Draco said. For the first time in about ten years, Draco and Artimis seemed to be on each other's side, "What do ya' reckon?"
"I dunno," Artimis said with a sad sigh. Cam smiled at Artimis, and Arty shook a 'no'.
"What? That's not it...This time. I think we can help. Blaise and I are going to go talk to Dumbeldore about it and how much you really, really, don't want to...You know. Get it. And I'm sure he can help you. No offense, but Dumbledore is more powerful than Lucius," Cam said, putting HIS arm around Arty's neck, and Blaise put his around Cam's. Arty shook his head, muttering something about it looking wrong.
"But what can Dumbledore do?" Arty asked, frowning.
"Leave that to us," Blaise said, flashing a grin. Artimis shrugged and waved them off, looking for Sky and Annabella. He decided to go look at the letter one more time.
Up at the boy's dorms, he went to the four-poster he had thrown the almost-pumpkin-ridded note on, and picked it up more gingerly this time. He ran a hand through his hair and re-read the letter:
My Dear son Artimis,
I surely think by the end of this you'll start celebrating with your brethren, Draco. It is time for you to become a real man and join the side that will win. The powerful side. The loyal side. It is time for you to become a Death Eater, my son, and pledge yourself to the Lord. I know you've been waiting years to get your Dark Mark. The time has finally come. True, Draco is getting it a bit earlier than he should, but I did not want him to be jealous of you. I will send for you any day from now until the New Year. Be ready. How I can picture your face filling with pride! Do me right, my son.
Sincerely yours,
Lucius Malfoy
Artimis ripped the note into three thirds, then went to tell Sky. He had to come out, it was killing him in side. He didn't want this. He didn't.
