Chapter Forty-Four

"Don't tell anyone you saw me" Archibald spoke to Lucy after the remedial class.

"I won't. I don't want anyone blabbing either" Lucy assured him.

The fourth-year lad just nodded and made his way back up the stairs. His friends think he has a morning flight every Saturday. Hence why he's never there in the mornings on that day. Lucy felt safe enough that her friends wouldn't blab as they knew exactly where she's been. The teenager made her way back up, Argus was sweeping the floors as always. She looked into the now empty great hall, well aware she missed breakfast.

"Where were you?" Argus asked her with general concern, Mrs Norris following behind him.

"Oh. I was outside...Enjoying the grounds" Lucy spoke without looking him in the eye.

She hated lying at the best of times, never mind when it's to one of her best friends. Argus could sense she was lying as she looked very guilty. Lucy wasn't cunning at all, nor was she emotionless.

"Tell me the truth otherwise you will be put on my list. You do not lie to a member of staff" Argus spoke up in a harsher tone of voice.

"Argus-"

"No! Were you with another friend?"

"If I tell you, promise me you won't say a word?"

"Promise"

Lucy sighed as she gently pulled him towards the caretaker's office. As she entered with him away from passing students and prying eyes. She knew he wouldn't let her rest until he discovered the secret. She supposed she doesn't have to tell him Archibald was there. He urged her to go on quickly as he waited impatiently for her to tell him as he sat across from her in the office. Mrs Norris jumping up on the squib's lap.

"I'm taking Slughorn's remedial class" Lucy admitted with a small sigh.

"Is that all? I thought you were going to tell me something really gossipy for a moment" Argus replied.

"Sorry to disappoint"

"Never mind. Well I got something gossipy to tell you anyroad. That giant boy coming in September was spotted in Diagon Alley this morning. So now the word's going to be out here soon. So act surprised and all that when it does" Argus explained in a giddy tone of voice.

"Oh blimey. Did he get his wand?"

"I think so. I overheard Dumbledore saying that the shop owners complained he was breaking some of the stuff. His father caused a bit of a ruckus by enlarging a broomstick to prove his son could ride one given the right size"

"In the shop?"

"Oh yes. So Hagrid and Hagrid Jr were a bit of a spectacle" Argus said.

She laughed at the thought of a large broomstick breaking through a shop window. Argus hushing her as he heard footsteps coming towards the door. Oakleigh Burton slammed open the door to find his assistant once again shrinking his duties in favour of Lucy Norris.

"You are suppose to be making my life easier. And yet again I find you gossiping like an old biddy in here. So unless you want me to write a letter of complaint to Headmaster Dippet. I suggest you get back to work!" Oakleigh scolded as he got out his wand.

"I'm sorry, Sir...I am" Argus meekly answered while flinching.

"You will be. You make one more mistake and you will be hung up by your thumbs. Because you're not a student, are you?"

"No"

"No. Go on then...back to work!"

Mrs Norris jumped back down from his lap as he got up. He just took his mop and bucket, leaving without giving a glance at Lucy. The girl was about to get up herself but found herself being pushed back down by Oakleigh. The caretaker placed his wand back in his pocket and instead took out a cane. Lucy had never gotten the cane before and she was in panic. Argus was still close by as he stood by the door, concerned as he placed his head against the closed door.

"Hand out" Oakleigh instructed to the teenager.

"I haven't-"

"I said hand out!"

With choked back tears, Lucy placed her hand out. Oakleigh pulled back his cane and she felt the hard feel of the wooden cane twice. Leaving the smallest red mark but she refused to cry. He put his cane back in his pocket and said in his raspy voice..."Let that be a lesson, girl. No distracting Argus. Now get out of my sight"

"Yes, Sir" Lucy said quietly but clearly before leaving the room.

Argus quickly moving on as he pretended not to notice. As he carried on mopping the floor. Oakleigh came back out the room, making the two teenagers suddenly go the opposite way of one another to avoid his wrath.

...

For the next couple of days, the teenagers only stole glances at one another. Sometimes passing notes as Lucy did on this particular Friday night. He quickly snatched it and put it in his pocket. Moving on with his mop and bucket down the great hall as the students ate dinner. Her other friends were slightly confused as to why they were suddenly only communicating in notes and looks. Lucy hadn't really explained the incident with Oakleigh. Lucy stole another glance as she spotted him talking to his brother on the Ravenclaw table.

"Oakleigh won't do anything. He's not going to sack you, he can't. Only Headmaster Dippet has the power to do that and he's a pushover, you know that" Archibald tried to assure him.

"He said he will write to him if I make one more mistake. Who knows what he will write to him and I can hardly defend myself. I'm just some stupid squib who is only here because my parents begged me to be"

"Well I will defend you. That old codger has no right to stop you talking to anyone. You're his assistant, not his house-elf"

"Well I may as well be for all the good it does me!" Argus snapped before storming off.

Archibald just putting his hand up in defeat as he let him go. Lucy knew he was in a foul mood from her own table but felt trapped to the chair. If he did get sacked, she would blame herself and so she remained seated. She just hopes he reads her note as it might make him feel better. Her friends looked at her again but she just remained sat down as she carried on eating.

"You're not going after him?" Ruth questioned as it wasn't like her at all.

"I can't. I might get him in trouble if I do. He's on a warning with Oakleigh and it's all my fault" Lucy answered in a sad tone of voice.

"What did he say?"

"He said if Argus makes one more mistake. He will write a letter of complaint to the headmaster. I can't do that to him" Lucy explained with a sigh.

Her friends trying to assure her it's alright and that's it's not her fault. Not like it made a difference as she was all moody for the rest of the evening. Argus himself was in a worse state than usual as his only warmth in this cold castle had been taken away from him. He just kept looking down at the note as students walked past him as they began making their way to their common rooms for the night as the curfew was nigh. A bunch of Slytherin fourth-years girls suddenly stopped in front of him. Walburga and her friends were here again.

"Where's your shadow?" Walburga asked in a nasty tone of voice.

"Do anything to me and I'll tell Oakleigh" Argus nervously warned.

One of the girls just smiled before snatching the note from his hand. Argus tried to grab it back but was scared away as Walburga put her wand out. He knew most of the girls in the Black family were as heartless as the boys so he took this very seriously as he put his head back down. Awaiting the mocking as he could sense them reading every word Lucy wrote to him...

"Aww...The mudblood really cares about you, doesn't she? Don't know what the daft parasite sees in you though. Even most mudbloods don't bother with squibs" one of the Slytherin girls hissed.

"She is quite thick though, isn't she? She can barely brew a potion. She's going to be one of the first to go" Walburga chimed in.

Argus still looking down as he took every insult thrown about her. He knew he couldn't defend her properly. Besides, it wasn't his style to cane girls. Not even these sorts of girls. Instead he tried to walk away and remove himself as he began a slow walk down the hallway, the girls behind him every step of the way. Thankfully for his sake, Eileen Prince was walking down the hallway not far away as she was on her to her dormitory. She was going to grow her hair back today (Abraxas had sent one of Fleamont Potter's hair products). She looked up...

"Ganging up on a squib, are we? At least make your bait fair game, Walburga. You're going to pick on house-elves next. How is Kreacher by the way?" Eileen asked with her arms crossed.

"Kreacher's fine, thank you so much for asking. I would ask how your parents are but I would have to ask the maggots underground instead" Walburga replied.

Her gang of friends giggling in the background.

"The dead parents jokes are really getting old" Eileen said. Trying not to sound as upset as she felt inside.

"Something the dead parents themselves will never be" Walburga continued.

"Just leave Argus alone"

"You don't tell me what to do, you little scumsucker!" Walburga shouted.

Now this was a slur rarely used as it was so vulgar. As even Walburga's friends barely cracked a smile. Eileen was slightly taken aback as she hadn't heard that used before in company. Argus himself once again tried to leave but Walburga said a jinx which resulted in him yelling out in pain as a blister formed on his hand. Thus Eileen felt the need to take direct action as she managed to block the second jinx about to come his way with her wand. The squib making a run for it as he escaped into the caretaker's office.

"You're so pathetic!" Eileen yelled at her as she watched the girl lower her wand again.

"He was asking for it. And so are you!" Walburga yelled back.

Her wand raised up again and thus the girls began to say jinxes. Blisters forming on one another's skin or one of them tripping over themselves. Walburga's friends cheering her on as a small duel began in the deserted hallway. Eileen tried to block as many spells as she could but she was only thirteen and wasn't great at it yet. Walburga went to say an awful spell as she began...

"Crui"

Though she stopped herself as she put her wand back down. Slightly scared of herself for what she was about to do. Her friends stopped cheering as the duel was suddenly not fun anymore. Silence filled the air as all were aware of what curse she was about to cast before finding a conscience at the last second. She just walked back to her friends, saying..."Let's go" before making their way towards the Slytherin common room. Eileen breathed in. Looking down at the blisters that were all over her hands. They suddenly didn't seem so bad, knowing what almost happened.

...

The following day was dreadful. Argus' hand raised a few questions as he had wrapped it in a bandage. Lucy couldn't take the radio silence anymore as she made her way over to him after another remedial potions class. She saw his hand and wanted to know how he did it. He took one look around to make sure Oakleigh wasn't sniffing about before taking her into the office and into his little bedroom. He shut the door and sat on the bed with his head in his hands. He felt pathetic and worthless...

"Argus. You know you can tell me anything" Lucy spoke softly as she sat besides him with her arm around him.

All those nasty words Walburga and her friends said were still ringing in his ears. Lucy being the first to go scared him. He wondered what they meant by that. The worse thing was that he knew he couldn't defend her in any capacity. He knew they only stopped because Eileen showed up.

"Just Walburga again" Argus admitted as he removed his hands from his face.

"Oh don't listen to her, please. She's like that with everyone. That girl doesn't know how to be nice" Lucy began.

"She jinxed me"

"She did what?"

"She jinxed me" Argus repeated in a firmer tone of voice.

He pointed towards his hand. The girl looked horrified at the thought as she pulled him in for a hug. Wanting to jinx Walburga herself, see how she likes it! The lad leaning against her afterwards. It's been a week since they last spoke like this but it felt more like a month. He forced himself away as he didn't want to look even more pitiful. Lucy still with her arm around him.

"I would jinx herself myself but I'm nothing like her and never want to be" Lucy declared.

"Eileen managed to fend her off me" Argus told her.

"Good. I'm sorry I weren't there but she would only have tried to get me expelled again. My friends say she's a banshee"

"She's worse. At least banshees get it over and done with quickly"

"I'll like to see her try anything with the half-giant boy coming in September" Lucy joked half-heartedly.

Argus giving the faintest smile in response.

...

TBC