As we entered the last week of term more rumors began spreading about the Yule Ball. There were a lot of false and overdramatized reports among the bunch, though some I wasn't too sure about. One fact I did know was that our headmaster had managed to get the Weird Sisters to play at the dance. They were quite popular among the students apparently. The group wasn't bad though, they were actually quite decent.
With the excitement of the Yule Ball being so great among the students some of the professors decided to give up teaching for the duration of the term. Such teachers included Flitwick who didn't pay much attention to the class, so long as we didn't cause too much commotion. Others were not so lenient however. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were two who had not given the class any idle time, even with the event so close by. But I didn't mind those two. The ones that did annoy me were Moody and Bins whom I had hoped would allow me to miss their lessons. I would have appreciated that, almost like a holiday gift.
But it was getting better between classes. Most students, including my roommates, were preoccupied either with homework or the need to pointlessly gossip. It was especially nice during the weekends when they would leave me altogether to do as I wished in our dormitory. Either way it left me at peace in my dorm. Although at the moment I didn't feel too peaceful…
I sat on my bed looking at the parcel in front of me. Inside were chocolates, each piece with a different pattern which only made it look that much more delicious. But I continued to stare at it, not trusting its content. As I did I heard someone walk into the room.
"Oh those look delicious" Daphne cooed, coming to hover over my bed.
"They do, don't they…" I absentmindedly commented not looking up at her. I didn't remember ordering any chocolates or having any of the girls mention they were getting any. Judging by Daphne's surprise they weren't for her either… So why was the parcel here?
"Who are they from?" she asked moving to look for some kind of note or card that would explain their presence. There was none; that was the problem. I had no idea who they came from or why they had been sent. Sure they looked good but just because something looks appealing it does not mean it's trustworthy.
"Something's wrong with them" I muttered looking up to her. Daphne rolled her eyes and gave me a sarcastic looking smile.
"Oh please, the only thing wrong here is that you have a secret admirer and I don't" she joked and reached for one of the chocolates. Before she managed to get her hands on one I pulled the small box back and out of her reach. I gave her a stern look.
"I'm serious. Don't eat them" I warned her. My father had always taught me that if I ever received a parcel without a sender's information I shouldn't accept it. Often things were hexed or altered in a manner that could be dangerous. Though I didn't believe someone would be stupid enough to do that to me I still liked to be cautious. Besides, technically these weren't for me…
"You just don't want to share" she huffed and crossed her arms. I sighed at her.
"Not really, they're not even mine… they're yours" I said and tried to give her another warning look. There was no card, no way of knowing who the sender was, but they had been on her bed. That was the only reason I knew they were hers. Daphne looked confused for a second then became excited.
"Really? Well then give them to me" Daphne called, reaching over for her package. I put a hand over the box and shook my head at her.
"I'm serious, it's a bad idea" I warned her again. Clearly she didn't take this sort of situation as seriously as I did. While a normal person would at least take a moment to consider the possible danger that could unfold from accepting a strange parcel Daphne just rolled her eyes at me and smiled.
"Oh stop it!" she laughed and snatched box from me. I sighed but didn't pull them back.
"I warned you. You can have them but know that I tried to stop you. Whatever happens to you now is your fault" I stated, standing up to get a book. Daphne stuck her tongue out at me and giggled to herself as she sat down on her bed, getting ready to dig into the chocolates.
There was something off about the situation. The parcel contained no signal of who the sender could've been. And even if Daphne was right and this was the work of some secret admirer then he couldn't have possibly gotten in here. Boys were not allowed in the girls' side of the Slytherin dorms. He would have needed a girl to bring it upstairs. Slytherins knew better than to touch my things but then again this was for Daphne... The sender could have also sent a house-elf up to place the parcel but very few people knew how to directly contact house elves. One last option I could think of was paying one of the first year girls to do it; they were naïve and easily persuaded. But for someone to go to those lengths… There were too many missing pieces to allow me to be comfortable with the situation.
I sighed to myself once more and turned back to my bed, book in hand. When I did I noticed Daphne had stopped trying to eat her chocolates and instead had turned to look out the window. There was nothing particularly interesting in the Great Lake at the moment; none of the usual creatures were swimming by so I didn't understand her interest in the area. I walked slowly to her bed curious to see if the proximity would help me see what she was seeing. But even as I stood at the foot of her bed
I saw nothing but the same murky green-blue of the water.
"Daphne?"
"Hmm?" she turned to me with a small smile on her face. It was very calm, almost dreamy in a way. Somehow that didn't put me at ease.
"Are you okay?" I frowned at her. She turned to look back onto the lake and let out a small sigh.
"Never better" Daphne let out a small giggle. Again that in no way helped me feel better about her behavior.
"Are you sure?" I asked Daphne, wanting to be certain.
"Absolutely" she raised her hands up for emphasis, turning back to me.
I continued to frown at her as I stood by her bed. Her behavior wasn't completely out of the ordinary but something was just… not right. Daphne wasn't the quiet type yet she hadn't responded with more than two words since she had gotten the chocolates. As if I wasn't suspicious enough before this was only adding to it.
Behind us some sound came from the door. I glanced back for a second and saw Lev step into the room through his transfigured pet door. It disappeared behind him as he happily skipped over to our side of the room. Lev barked and snuggled himself against my leg. I didn't pay much attention to him; I still had my eye on Daphne. He noticed my lack of attention and became interested, turning to look at Daphne as well.
My puppy jumped onto her bed to get a better look. But instead of moving towards her he turned his attention to the half-eaten box of chocolates. Lev rushed closer to them barking, happy to find a new treat. Suddenly he stopped in front of it and he began to growl. Daphne was still looking around aimlessly as Lev decided to push the chocolates off the bed. I looked at him in shock as he rubbed his paw against his nose. He never pushed food away, especially not chocolate, and it was even more surprising considering it was Daphne's food. Spoiled as he may be he wasn't disrespectful and certainly not towards those he actually liked. He wouldn't have done that, not unless…
"What's wrong?" Daphne asked looking at the ground. I had dropped my book.
"Daphne, you idiot, what did you eat?" I groan moving to pick up the chocolates.
"Chocolates, silly" she smiled, leaning over to watch me pick them up. I sat on her bed and placed them on my lap. Daphne didn't comment on them, she was now preoccupied with my puppy. "Hiiii Lev."
There had to be something in them. Lev wouldn't have acted that way if there wasn't. I opened one of the chocolates to check just what was inside. It was more chocolate; that melted kind of chocolate that was meant to add hidden flavor and texture. Everything looked normal, at first glance at least. The melted chocolate wasn't right; it was too watery to be just chocolate. I brought it closer to my face for better inspection. There was a shiny glow to it. And it smelled... different. While there was an overpowered scent of chocolate there was a tiny hint of something else… like peppermint...
It was a love potion.
"Oh for the love of—" I let out a frustrated breath and stood up. This was why it was a stupid idea to accept parcels from an unknown sender, because stupid things that could easily be avoided would happen. She was lucky it was something as trivial as a love potion. It could have easily contained poison or some other harmful substance.
"Love" Daphne repeated with a giggle, still in that trance. I let out a deep breath and tried not to be too mad at her. This had been a situation that could have easily been avoided but it wasn't completely her fault. Everyone had their skills and clearly self-preservation was not one of Daphne's. Instead I put on a fake smile and tried to find out as much as I could about this.
"So, Daphne," I began in the same tone she usually used when gossiping about something.
"Yes?" she giggled again, happy as always to be a part of idle gossip. At least that part of her hadn't been affected.
"You know, the Yule Ball is coming up. Is there anyone you're hoping will ask you? Someone you think is special…" I asked trying to keep my tone light. If she wasn't so careless we wouldn't need to be doing this in the first place…
"Maybe" Daphne giggled, holding Lev in a slightly tighter hug. I let out a breath, trying to calm my frustration. Ignorance in people was one of the traits I hated most. And it wasn't just her I was frustrated with but whoever was behind the brilliant idea of a love potion, though she wasn't helping me fix her problem either.
"Who?" I asked through slightly gritted teeth. I never did like the coy sort of conversation.
"Who do you think? Robert Solberg!" she squealed, making Lev bark out of annoyance.
"What?" I dropped the tone not sure if I heard right. He couldn't be that stupid.
"Robert Solberg, from Durmstrang! He has that gorgeous accent… And he's just so tall, you know. Tall and handsome. Ugh, and he's so gorgeous I could die!" Daphne let out another squeal. This time Lev decided to abandon his place next to her and moved towards my bed instead.
"Since when?" I muttered to myself. Either she didn't hear or she chose to ignore me.
"Oh I have to go see him!" Daphne exclaimed, standing up from her bed. I stretched over and held her by the back of her robes, catching her before she got too far. I still hadn't punished her for the whole 'dance lesson' incident but I wasn't cruel enough to let her make a fool of herself in front of the entire school, along with Durmstrang. She was my friend after all.
"Why don't you let me get him instead?" I faked a smile standing up with her. Daphne narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously, yet why she hadn't done that with the mysteriously unlabeled parcel of sweets I don't know.
"You're not trying to steal him from me are you?"
"No, of course not!" I let out a genuine laugh. She smiled at me and calmed down. "I mean, like I could possibly do that. I just want to help. I know him, you know, and from the looks of it he hasn't changed"
I shook my head a little at the last comment. Bobby had always been an annoying, self-serving, prat who knew just how to get on my nerves. He always put up a "nice guy" front but all he ever did was use people to get what he wanted. I wasn't exactly in a place to judge on that but it still aggravated me. That and the fact that when I first met him he had been picking on an innocent and quiet kid. And however manipulative I may be I was never purposefully cruel to someone unless I felt they deserved it.
"You would do that for me?" Daphne clapped her hands together happily.
"Yes. But we need to keep you in here until I do."
"Why?" Daphne asked starting to get suspicious again. There seemed to be a side effect of perceptiveness with the love potion. Still, it was probably for the best of both of us that I remedy the situation.
"Because…" I had to take a second to think of a reason. I wasn't sure of what would classify as a good enough reason not to talk to someone. Usually I just spoke to whoever I wanted whenever I wanted. If I didn't do that then I probably wouldn't have friends in Gryffindor. Then again, this was Daphne. "The weather is pretty bad outside."
"That won't stop true love" she cooed and I had to try very hard not to roll my eyes at her.
"Of course it won't. But the wind, it will mess up your hair. You don't want to go see him with hair like a dragon's nest do you?" I asked with an expression of fake shock. She, however, gave me real shock.
"Oh gods no! I'll wait here" she nodded with resolve. I smiled and gave her a nod back.
"Good. Lev will keep you company, right Lev?" I called, turning to give my puppy a look. He understood and moved to stand watch at Daphne's side. I sighed. At least someone in the room wasn't completely clueless.
I rushed down the stairs and into the common room. That idiot Solberg... I wasn't sure what his reasoning was but he couldn't have seriously thought I would let him do that to my roommate without taking action. A few people gave me looks as I stomped out of the Slytherin common room, including Draco. I noticed him frowning in confusion but I was too busy to explain, and too angry.
I could feel my irritation rising as I climbed the stairs towards the Entrance Hall. Idiot. I understood the fun in playing with people, such as using potions on them, but not on my friends. Once on the grounds I rushed to the Durmstrang ship. I knocked loudly, slamming my fist on the ship's door. It was opened by a surprised looking girl, one I wasn't sure I knew, although that wasn't something that really mattered at the moment.
"Where's Robert Solberg?" I called to the entirety of the ship. A lot of the students turn from what they were doing to look at me but I didn't see him among them.
"Katerina?" Vik asked, a little to the side. He leaned in to give me the same confused frown Draco had.
"Where is he?" I repeated a little louder. The girl who had answered the door looked too surprised to answer. Luckily someone behind her did.
"He's on the grounds, around the edge of the forest." I huffed and walked away without an answer, moving quickly to the Forbidden Forest. I was truly beyond angry with him and soon enough he would see that.
"Hey" someone called behind me. I ignore them and kept walking. I was not in the mood for conversation. But some people just couldn't take a hint. "Hey, wait—"
"What?!" I screamed, spinning around to face whoever was following me. But it wasn't just one face I saw, it was two.
"Um… Kitty?" Fred and George gave me a confused look. The same look I had already received twice before.
"Not now" I warned them and continued my course to the Forbidden Forest. I had something to do and I didn't have time to just stop and say hello. I heard them follow but ignored them once again and continued ahead.
Finally I reached the Forbidden Forest. He was standing along the edge of the lake, in a part of the forest we were not supposed to enter. I walked slower, taking the time to calm down, at least enough to sound convincing. Behind me the twins' footsteps stopped though I didn't check to see if they had left. I let out a breath as I approached him.
"Katerina" Bobby called out with a grin. He smiled arrogantly as he stepped closer to me, followed by a couple of other Durmstrang students who were with him. For a second he took a quick look behind me then turned back to me making me guess that the twins were still there. "May I help you vith something?"
"I just wanted to talk" I said casually; calm enough to sound pleasant but not enough to smile.
"About…" he said playfully. I took a breath to stop myself from saying something I shouldn't, or slapping him across his smug face.
"Daphne got some sweets sent up to her… Where they from you?" I asked innocently. He chuckled a little, as did the two boys with him.
"Aww, don't tell me you are jealous" he smirked, giving me a sort of condescending look. I held a small smile waiting for his reply and forcing myself not to speak. "Vell, yes, they vere from me."
"Oh, really?" I asked, not satisfied with the information. He was obviously guilty, the way he was acting was proof of that, but I wanted details. "Might I ask why?"
Bobby gave me another smirk. I smiled as he moved away from his group. It would come in handy if I decided to act. He walked until he was standing directly in front of me. Like most other people he was taller than me, causing him to look down a little to meet my eyes. However, he was about the same size as Draco, maybe just a little taller, which I found funny considering the age difference between them. I heard movement behind me which I guessed meant the twins were still there. Bobby must have heard it too because he looked up for a second and let out a chuckle before turning back to me.
"Now, Katerina," he began with a seemingly sweet smile. "Don't get me wrong, you are a very pretty girl, but let's face it your friend Daphne… She's a little more vell-endowed in certain areas than you are." His gaze drifted to something between us. I frowned and looked down but didn't see anything. When I looked back up to him his smirk had grown.
"Oi, prick!" I heard one of the twins yell behind me. I was taken a little by surprise. I don't think I had ever heard either of them sound angry like that. Both of us turned back to see it was George. I outstretched a hand so they would stay in place. It was cute that they wanted to help but this was not their business. I turned back to Bobby, pretending not to notice their confused expressions.
"While those are all… reasons," I continued, but not being able to say 'good', "I still don't understand why you relied on a love potion. That is what you used, isn't it?" I asked innocently again. He chuckled and moved a little closer to me, a little too close for my liking. The most annoying part was that he wasn't even ashamed. I felt my mouth twitch against my smile; I was quickly losing my temper but he didn't look to have noticed.
"It just seemed a little more fun that vay, you could say." Bobby smirked shamelessly despite his comment. I couldn't fake my smile anymore but I settled for not looking as irritated as I felt.
"That's it? You did this just because you thought it fun?"
"Yes" he continued to smile. Bobby lifted a hand and moved to touch my hair. I backed away in time for him to miss. With a nod to myself I became clear on my decision. I kept walking until I reached the twins.
"Kitty why are you—" I cut off George before he could finish. He still looked and sounded angry; it was still strange to see him like that. I grabbed both of them by the arm and pulled them a few feet back, further away from Bobby. With a look I held up a hand for them to wait and turned back around to the Durmstrang boys, getting my wand out as I did.
All the boys gave me curious looks as I walked to them; this included Fred and George from what I could tell. With a quick flick to the side all the Durmstrang wands flew away from their owners. Bobby turned back to me and his look changed which at least showed he wasn't a complete moron. I pointed my wand at him and his eyes grew bigger.
"Percutiat Fulgetrum!"
I heard him call something out just before the thunder struck. Lightning hit the spot directly next to him, immobilizing him with shock. I had missed on purpose but he didn't know that. Distracted by the attack I took advantage and closed the space between us. When I reached him I kicked his leg from under him causing him to fall into the sunken space where the lightning had hit. The sound of his head bashing against the ground caused the boys around to hiss in response. I kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his neck, placing the wand under his chin and lifting his face to look at me.
"Are you an imbecile?!" I barked at him. The whole situation was still taking a while to process through his mind. It took a second but the wand pressed against his throat helped hurry his thoughts.
"Look it vasn't for you—" Bobby rushed to say.
"I know you idiot, you just said that! If they had been you'd be dead by now!"
"Katerina—"
"Shut it!" I snapped at him and pushed the wand harder against throat. I had been holding in my rage too long and it had built up inside. "Daphne is my friend! She is not an object or trophy and not for you to want like one. Don't you ever try something like that again, do you understand?!"
"I vill not! I swear!" he nodded when I didn't take my wand off of him. "I vas just—"
"I don't care what excuse you could possibly think will justify this! Just know that if you ever even think of trying anything like that again you'll get a lot worse than a little bump on the head! Got it?!"
"Yes. Yes I do!" Bobby called out. If I was in a better mood I may have found it funny how someone of his size could still be frightened of me. Not that he shouldn't but it was still a nice reminder. I stood up and heard him sighed. I wasn't done however.
"Incarcerous!"
Strings shot out from the tip of my wand and wrapped around Bobby. Tightly wound, they trapped him on the ground, immobilizing him where he lay. The Durmstrang boys who had up to now been of no help to anyone started fidgeting, wanting to come help their friend but having enough common sense to know that was probably not the best idea. I stopped the spell before it was complete, keeping the resilient strings attached both to him and my wand; it was a handy trick my brother had taught me. I wrapped my hand around them for better leverage and pulled, dragging Bobby's body along with me.
There was shuffling behind us as someone followed. I continued to walk until I reached the edge of the lake; it wasn't far from where we had been standing. I let go of the string and flicked my wand, tossing him into the lake. Some water splashed back on my shoes but I thought it was a little sacrifice worth the result. He'd probably survive down there.
"And if anyone asks, he fell." I turned away from the lake to see the Durmstrang boys watching me. Not bothering to deal with them I stomped away. I didn't hear any of them move until I was at least a few feet away. There was a splash, which I guessed translated into their attempt at getting Robert out. Ahead Fred and George were still standing where I had left them, looking upon the scene with slightly wide eyes and mouths.
"Umm…" George started though not quite sure of what he wanted to say.
"What?" I snapped at him not quite over my fit of anger. Neither of them looked offended, they just continued to watch me.
"What did he do?" George asked with a tone somewhat cautious. Either hadn't heard what my screaming was about or he was in a minor state of shock.
"I don't want to talk about it" I responded in a dismissive tone. I gave an inward sigh and decided it was probably best for everyone if I just went back to the dungeon to deal with the rest of the problem. Without another word I stepped past them and towards the castle. But being the people they are Fred and George followed me anyway.
"Where did you learn that spell?" Fred asked curiously, already walking right beside me. He and George matched my pace with no effort. As if being tall didn't have enough advantages…
"I read" I replied in a short tone which was of course ignored.
"From what books?"
"Not now" I growled and spun around to face them. Their faces held their usual joyful smiles, though George's was a little more cautious. I sighed at them. I had lost my temper but that was not their fault. "Would you two go get me a cupcake from the kitchen? The flavor doesn't matter; just bring it down to the dungeon for me. I have to go do something… Don't ask."
The twins nodded at me and with a smile made their way towards the kitchens.
"I like her like this" I heard one of them mutter as they both turned the corner and laughed. It made me smile a little. That was why I liked them.
Now there were still a few things that had to be fixed. I turned to the stairs for to the dungeon and let out a sigh. I knew my temper and I had definitely lost it with Robert. I didn't think he would die though. There were some slightly dangerous creatures in the lake but most were decently civilized. Even the giant squid was actually quite friendly towards students.
I headed straight into the potions room. Professor Snape was there looking through some things on his desk. He never minded it when I went in there to work so he didn't do more than nod in my direction. It had become the norm for me to randomly appear in the room to make some sort of potion or other. This had become such a habit that I had set up an area where I sometimes placed ingredients for later use. As I got the cauldron, among other things, ready for an antidote to the love potion I realized there were some things I was missing such as castor oil or gurdyroot. They weren't very common to use and were rather foul. With a sigh I headed up to the professors' desk.
"Why, may I ask, are you in need of these ingredients?" he raised an eyebrow, probably guessing what I was making with said ingredients.
"Because sometimes I underestimate the stupidity of some people" I replied with a sigh. Apparently that was enough for him though. Without another word he handed me the rest of the necessary materials and I got to work.
It didn't take long to get the antidote done; it was quite simple actually. Whilst it cooled I began to clean up and put away the rest of the materials I had used. It would have been rude otherwise considering Professor Snape allowed me to borrow the room, and his ingredients, so frequently. I then placed the potion in its vial, one of the many I kept in the room for this sort of situation, and put the remainder of my things away before heading out.
A ways down the corridor I spotted Fred and George standing not too far from the stairs that led to the Entrance Hall. They were talking to each other and smiling. George was holding on to my cupcake while Fred held on to some treats for themselves. And judging by the bit of frosting smeared on his cheek I guessed they had already eaten a few. The two waved at me when they saw me and handed me the cupcake.
"Are you planning on poisoning him?" Fred asked curiously as he watched me mix the content of the vial into the cake.
"If he's not already dead" George added with a slight laugh. I smiled a little at them but shook my head.
"No, if I ever decided to kill someone I'd rather it be slow and painful. Since I would probably have to be very upset to take that sort of action it seems most likely. Although, I suppose certain poisons will do that… but I probably wouldn't put it in a cupcake" I mumbled thoughtfully to myself.
"Alright, well if you ever decide to poison us just give us a heads up would you" Fred smiled and I had to laugh. They were sweet and very kind to others but I don't think I would ever generalize the two as purely good. But that's what I liked about Fred and George. Although definitely more caring than most Slytherins it was still not too far from what I was used to.
George looked more relaxed now, hearing me laugh. Just as the two were about to leave he came closer and put his arms around me. Swiftly he leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I was left a little surprised, even after he pulled away.
"We'll see you later" George called back, already leaving up the stairs. Fred shook his head at his brother and followed after. I waved at them still a little dazed; George had been acting particularly strange as of late. Either way I shrugged it off and headed down to the Slytherin common room.
I pretended not to notice the few glances that were thrown my way as I climbed back up to the dormitory. Some of the people that had seen me storm out were still in the common room. Draco wasn't there anymore though I had a feeling he would ask what that had been about. But I was feeling better at least. I had taken most of my anger out on Bobby and what had been left was taken care of thanks to Fred and George. I was thankful to them for that; they were among the very few people who could always make me smile. There was still some frustration left in me but it wasn't more than I was used to dealing with.
When I entered the room I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Daphne was sitting on her bed playing with Lev with a vacuous smile on her face. On the bed beside her was Pansy, giving her a very confused yet somewhat amused look. They turned to me when they heard the door close and Pansy stood up.
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" she asked in a quiet tone. Daphne continued to sway on her bed free of worries, still under the effects of the love potion. Pansy and Daphne were on far better terms than Pansy and I were but I wasn't sure if this was something she wanted her knowing.
"She said she was trying some new diet or something. It made her a bit ditzy… I brought her a cupcake to see if it helps" I decided to lie. If Daphne wanted to tell her the truth she could do that later. Pansy shook her head and sighed.
"I don't understand that girl. She looks great the way she is, don't you think" she smiled before remembering it was me she was talking to. Once she did Pansy's smile turned condescending as she stepped beside me. "Whatever. I'll be out on the grounds, not that it's any of your business."
"Didn't ask" I called back as she closed the door behind her.
"I don't want a cupcake. How can I eat at a time like this" Daphne cooed hugging Lev. He growled at her but looking in my direction. I gave him an apologetic look for placing him in that situation before moving to sit next to Daphne.
"It's not from me Daphne. I talked to Robert and we decided you should have this."
That was enough to convince her. Daphne let go of Lev and reached out for the cupcake. I took my puppy into my arms where he snuggled happily. As I turned to pet him Daphne took a bite. There was a muffled thud and I looked up to find Daphne looking around the room as if looking for an answer. She had dropped the cupcake half eaten onto the bed. Lev walked over to it and sniffed it but barked not finding it up to his standards. He came back to me and I pet his head. While we did this Daphne was still looking around not having found what she was looking for. After another second she turned to give me a look of horror.
"Did I…" her question faded out, not being able to get the words out.
"Yes" I answered anyway.
"How?"
"The chocolates" I answered, turning to look at where the treats were. They were tucked against the side of her bed. Lev must have done that.
"What about…" Daphne grimaced remembering what she must have been thinking while under the effects of the potion.
"I took care of it" I smiled at her. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Daphne reached over to me and took Lev from my hands.
"Thank you for watching over me" she cooed, hugging my puppy to her. Lev let out a bark and rushed out of her arms and into mine.
"I think you've smothered him enough for a day" I laughed petting Lev.
"Let's never speak of this to anyone" said Daphne sounding embarrassed. I smiled at her and nodded.
"Sure" I agreed. It was probably best for me too. Robert was probably being fished out of the lake as we spoke.
After a few more minutes of her getting settled we headed down to the common room. Daphne wanted to get out of our room, probably reminded of certain things she didn't want to be reminded of. It was mostly making small talk with a few interesting things here or there. Daphne seemed to be mostly interested with the Yule Ball while I cared more about the events surrounding it. Eventually Draco returned to the common room and came to join us in conversation.
"So is your sister staying or is she going home for Christmas?" I asked Daphne a little curious. Draco frowned next to me at the comment.
"Well I would imagine she'd want to go home. Not really much for her to do here" Daphne shrugged, running a hand through Lev's fur. I had a feeling that, considering the most recent events, she would be a little more affectionate with Lev for at least a while. Lev looked perfectly okay with this, happily enjoying her caress. Draco on the other hand was still frowning, though this time it was at Daphne.
"What is it?" I asked him. For a second I took his scowl to mean he was upset about something but realized his look was more along the lines of confusion.
"You have a sister?" asked Draco. I giggled a little at the comment and Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Yes" Daphne replied simply.
"You don't have a sister" Draco narrowed his eyes at Daphne, not believing her.
"Yes I do" she protested, apparently not liking to be called a liar.
"Since when?" Draco challenged leaning in towards her still not believing her. Daphne gave him a look.
"I'd say about since she was born" she smiled a little thinking herself clever. I giggled again making Draco glance at me for a second.
"I've never seen her" he stated leaning back against his seat. I decided to help.
"She sat with us during the sorting ceremony last year" I added, trying to remind him. He frowned at me this time.
"She's in Slytherin?" Either he really didn't remember Astoria or Draco just really wanted to drag this out. Both Daphne and I rolled our eyes at him.
"Yes. She's sat with us quite a few times since she was sorted last year."
"I've never seen her" Draco grumbled.
"She was also at my birthday party; you spoke with her."
"Says you" he muttered and I sighed, deciding it best to drop the conversation.
"Honestly, why do you keep him around?" Daphne shook her head at me. I laughed at that but Draco frowned again.
"Shut it Greengrass" he mumbled with a glare at her. I smiled at him and patted his head consolingly.
"Don't worry, I'll still keep you around" I teased running my fingers through his hair.
"You shut it too" Draco glowered at me. I giggled at him and moved to ruffle his hair. He wanted to smile, I could tell, but he refused to do so in front of Daphne. Draco leaned away from me and started to straightened out his hair. "Don't do that."
"Don't tell me what to do" I huffed and reached over again.
"Stop it" Draco snapped as I began to play with his hair again. He continued to pull away as I continued to try to play with it. It took a little bit of that back and forth before he decided to end it. Draco grabbed my hand from his hair and pulled it down, placing it between us against my leg. I let out a giggle and he allowed himself a smile.
"I don't understand why he doesn't just ask," Daphne mumble next to us. Draco and I turned to look at her. Daphne was holding Lev in front of her, smiling at him. "Makes him look a bit like a coward, don't you think Lev?"
"What are you mumbling about?" I asked, as Draco let go of my hand. She turned to give Draco a look before smiling at me.
"Excuse me, little miss nosy, I wasn't speaking to you" she teased and stood up. I rolled my eyes at her.
"Well, since you're up anyway, mind taking Lev to get some lunch?" I called as she started walking away with him in hand. Daphne nodded at me.
"It's the least I could do" she cooed at him and wandered away. I shrugged and turned back to Draco.
"What does she mean?" Draco asked. I smiled a little at how quickly he could grasp the meaning of such a vague comment yet he couldn't remember Daphne's sister Astoria.
"I'll tell you later" I shook my head at him. "But do you know what the other comment was about?"
"How should I know? She's your friend" Draco grumbled turning away.
"You're not very helpful, did you know" I grumbled back at him.
"Never said I was" he turned back to smirk at me. I giggled a little and hit him playfully on the shoulder. Draco stood up and offered me his hand. "I'm going for a walk, want to join?"
"Sure," I shrugged and took his hand. I stood up and we made our way towards the common room door. "Just not by the lake... I have a feeling I'm going to have to stay out of that area for a while."
"And why is that?" Draco asked me with a look.
"I'll tell you that later too" I beamed in his direction. Draco rolled his eyes at me and started walking out. I giggled a little and followed after. I knew I had told Daphne I wouldn't tell anyone but Draco was always the exception; I told him everything. He wouldn't tell anyone though, not if he wanted to keep me happy with him. But I trusted him more that I trusted anyone. Besides, it was Daphne's fault for eating the stupid chocolates; I did warn her after all.
.
.
Sorry if this sounded a bit choppy... I tried to smooth it over but one can only read the same thing so many times before completely zoning out on the whole 'editing' thing to the point where things turn counterproductive… But hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and have a super day :3