Maybe it was the wild dark eyes. Maybe it was the way his face was fixed in a wickedly malicious sneer. Maybe it was the dark untamed features or the sallow gaunt face. Nel couldn't put her finger on what resemblance she had to infamous serial killer, Sirius Black.
She guessed they looked a little alike, but not enough to actually look like relatives. She frowned at the portrait she had been looking at that was printed in the back of the Daily Prophet under a WANTED sign.
"Quit it Nel," Tracey said snatching the newspaper out of her hands and putting it away. "Stop fixing on Black. He's not your dad."
She looked down at her dinner feeling a little sick.
"But what if he is?" She asked with a deep sadness in her eyes. Of course, if anybody would be related to a serial murdered it would be her. Why couldn't her parents have been just normal folk? She looked at Tracey with envy why couldn't her father had been a Quidditch commentator? Or why couldn't she know for certain if they were dead like Theo's mother?
"She's got a point," Theo said before taking a bite of a jammed bread roll.
"If he is, he is! Big deal!" Tracey said trying to appease her concerned friend. "Enough talk about Black for now- Onto more important things!" She slapped a colorful poster that read "1994 Quidditch World Cup finals." and had dozens of colorful flag banners and athletes flying with brooms.
"We have to go." Tracey asked brown eyes shining with excitement. She slammed her fists on the table eagerly. "My money's on Transylvania this year!"
Theodore and Nel exchanged a look. As if it were so easy to just waltz into the Quidditch World Cup and get some seats. It might as well be impossible. Not to mention Nel would just be locked up and kept hostage in the laundry room all holiday long.
"How?" Theodore asked with a suspicious expression.
"I'll see if my dad can get us some tickets! You'll definitely come Theo! And Nel I'm breaking you out of that forsaken place! I don't care if I get taken to Azkaban. It'll be the three of us!" She said excitedly.
Both nodded to each other. Maybe Mr. Davis had higher up connections that could get them a good deal. Nel's stingy nature hoped it would be for free or at least cheap.
"Get the tickets first and then we'll talk Trace," Elowen smiled at her finally taking a final forkful of green beans.
"Well, I'm off," she stood up and rudely stretched before swinging her bag over her shoulder. "Lessons with Snape?" Theo asked mindlessly.
She shrugged. "They've been going alright. I mean no one's blown up as of the late." Not unintentionally at least. And that was something!
Elowen descended to the dungeons to make way to Professor Snape's office when instead she bumped into him in the corridor. He was holding what looked to be a large bottle of wine in his hands.
"Come with me Saintday," He simply structed without stopping. Nel didn't' question him simply followed after the Potion Master. "Where are we going Sir?" She asked walking behind the man.
"A favor for Professor Lupin," he simply stated ominously in his typical Snape fashion.
When the two reached Lupin's all the way in the East Tower they were surprised to see the door was ajar. Stepping in curiously Snape placed the potion down on his desk. Nel walked around nosily, her sticky fingers looking for some chocolate she knew Lupin usually kept around his desk. She knew he wouldn't mind. Nel rounded around his desk as Snape looked over some empty vials on a table nearby. When her eyes landed on something most curious. There was some type of map open on his desk. The map had dots were labeled with the names of people in the castle.
It wasn't the map in particular that caught her attention but the name on it: Sirius Black.
She picked up the map in shock and looked at the moving dots. It looked like they were out by the Whomping Willow. Sirius Black, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and a name she had never heard before Peter Pettigrew. Remus Lupin was rapidly approaching them.
She could barely react when Snape snatched the map out of her hands. She was about to protest but the look on his face was just as aghast as hers. His permanent scowl deepened.
"Stay here," he ordered harshly pulling his wand out of his sleeve.
"Professor!" She was about to make a run for the door, but Snape beat her to it slamming it behind as he exited successfully locking her in the office with no escape.
"No!" She shouted banging her fists against the door loudly. Crying for the Professor or anyone to let her out.
"Alohomora!" She casted at the door handle but it was useless. Nothing happened after the faint glow faded. Darn. He must have charmed it.
"I know it was him!" She shouted. "Who left me at the abbey!" She banged again. Breath hitching. There was no response. She looked around the room that seemed to be becoming smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Sometimes it looked like Wool's laundry room. She wasn't sure if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. Flashes came and went. Her small bed was in the spot of Lupin's desk. The bookshelf was the laundry machine. A pile of books a pile of clothes both interexchange able. She felt a strong pressure on her chest, her breathing becoming shallow.
Calm down. She thought to herself. Hands shaking. Calm down.
Empty yourself of emotions. Empty yourself of emotions. She leaned on the door and slid down it hugging her knees close to her person. Repeating Snape's words in her head over and over again. She could hear the window's glass lightly rattling as her anxiety began to seize her. She took in a deep heavy breath and held it.
She wasn't at Wool's.
She wasn't locked in forever.
Snape would be back for her.
He wouldn't leave her here.
Or would he?
What if something happened to him? Afterall he was going to confront a serial murderer. What if he never came back? Worst of all had he abandoned her like everyone else? What if they never found her? Nel didn't know how much time passed since she had been lock in Lupin's office.
She was again banging on the door calling for help, her throat sore from screaming so loud. Tears brimmed the edges of her eyes.
All she wanted to do was talk to Sirius Black. Just a conversation. She just had one question to ask him. Could they at least grant her that before they sent him back to Azkaban?
Her hands were bruised from banging. But she couldn't give up. She had to find a way out of here. She turned eyeing the window uneasily. Maybe… She could break it and somehow Wingardium Leviosa her way out?
A familiar loud laughter echoed the corridor and approached the door of Lupin's office. "Looney, loopy, Lupin!" The loud voice sand over and over again before a wide Chesire cat-like grin phased through the door.
"No, Lupin here," He cackled. "Just a sad Spotted Cod," he looked down at the Slytherin girl with terrifying unblinking eyes and a broad grin on his face. She didn't appreciate the fact Peeves had just compared her to a fish, but then again, she had been called worse. "I take full offense to that," she said dully as she wiped her nose with her sleeve.
"You gone blow up Looney Lupin's office?" He turned levitating midair making his head spin 180 degrees so that he was looking at her upside down. Peeves never listened to anyone other than the Bloody Baron or maybe Dumbledore. But he did have a spot for students that seemed to share his passion for creating chaos and spreading good humor as well as malice. There was something rotten about this one, he could tell.
"No," She said looking up to him. "Snape locked me in here. He's gone after Sirius Black. I need to get to Black. Talk to him before they send him back to Azkaban. He might be my father..." She explained standing up dusting her clothes off.
The poltergeist couldn't help but laugh as if she had just said the funniest joke he'd heard in his ghost life. He clutched his stomach and spun midair.
"Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black," he retorted with a loud raspberry. "I can see the family resemblance." He said turning his body around, so he was levitating in his translucent red and orange body before her. "Hate to break it to ya Freakles, but that Sirius Black ain't going to be taken back to 'Zkaban," He clicked his tongue before giggling loudly with glee, "He's going to pucker up to the Dementors, and you know what that means!" Again, he laughed loudly with wickedness while clapping his hands excitedly.
Feeling defeated Nel dropped her body on top of the large brown trunk that was in the room. It was useless she was never going to reach Black in time.
"How 'bout this Spots," Peeves got terribly close to her. So close she thought his unblinking dark eyes were staring into her soul. "An eye for an eye. I let you out of here and you'll do my bidding, huh?"
The slightest of smirks made way to Nel's face as her mischievous nature showed. She raised her hand and winked at the poltergeist before giving him a thumbs up. She had a feeling she would regret whatever it was she had just agreed to, but for now it'll do. "You've got yourself a deal Peevesy."
The Poltergeist shrieked in excitement before doing a backflip. "Easy," He laughed, and she felt him pull the fabric of her sweatshirt forward tossing her roughly against the bookshelf which spun several times revealing a secret passageway. She clung to the spinning bookshelf for life. Peeves madly cackling at the fearful look on her face as she looked down an empty chute.
"Good luck," He flicked her forehead making her tumbledown and slide headfirst down the concrete chute. She screamed madly in the darkness until there was light. Eyes wide she starred at her familiar surroundings. Shelves of books, dust and wood. The library of course. The secret passageway ended at the end of the library and she came spilling out from behind a portrait that opened like a door and made her messily tumble down to the dark wooden floor.
She lay on the floor catching her breath eyeing the many portraits above. She lay there for a miserable moment. Wondering just how many more hidden passages there were in the castle.
"Ow…" She moaned out in pain as she pathetically lay sprawled out on the floor.
"Shhh!" The many portraits in the library looked down at her and shushed her with angry eyes. Half of the portraits had been rudely awakened by her impromptu entrance.
Still laying on the ground she flicked off the portraits which gaped at her rudeness. She didn't stick around to hear what they had to say before dusting herself off for the second time and running out of the library. She was about to storm out when she heard Snape's nasal voice echoing the corridor. Peeking through the door she saw the three figures. Two walking. One levitating. She noted that Professor Lupin was nowhere to be found, neither were Harry, Hermione or Ron.
Professor Snape and Dumbledore walked speaking amongst themselves. Sirius Black looked beaten and was unconscious being levitated behind the other two men.
"Take him to the topmost cell of the Dark Tower Severus," Dumbledore instructed.
That was right outside of Flitwick's office by the West Tower. Right out by the courtyard. Nel leaned forward slightly making the wooden door creak. She froze and Snape's eyes looked around the corridor scanning for the intruder. She could've sworn he could sense she was there.
"The Ministry of Magic will be here in the morning. The Dementors will be prepared for the kiss." The Headmaster added.
Nel needed to get up there and fast. But the stairs were not an option. Knowing Snape, he'd probably hex them so no student could get up there. She had to fly there, and she had to be fast. She was a decent flyer, but she wasn't the best in her class.
Tracey.
Elowen rushed back to the Slytherin dormitory in the middle of the night, loudly stomping as she walked into the girl's dormitory.
"Tracey!" She shook her groggy friend awake with a loud hiss that made Millicent stir in her sleep. Her cat shot the two girls an irritated yellow eyed glare. "Tracey!" She hissed again shaking her shoulder.
Tracey stood up groggily and looked at her friend confused. "What time is it?" She asked rubbing her eyes sitting up, the blankets falling off her body to reveal her navy blue and yellow colored pajama. "What is it?"
"I need your help," she asked in a hushed whisper. "I need you to fly me to the Dark Tower's courtyard so that I can talk to Sirius Black."
"Sirius B-" Nel clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shh!" She looked over her shoulder to see that all of their dorm mates were still thankfully asleep.
"Get dressed. We need to go now, and we need to be fast. We can't let anyone see us or the Dementors catch us."
"Woah, woah, woah…" Tracey climbed out of her bed. "I can't take you there," she said after pondering on a thought for a moment. Her mind still processing the fact that Sirius Black was in the castle and locked in the highest tower of Hogwarts.
"What? Why not?" Nel hissed back impatiently as she was already making her way out of the room. "I'm not fast enough," She admitted. "Besides we'll need something faster than my Comet 260," she said referring to her broom. Tracey crossed her arms for a moment and shot her friend a knowing look. "You need a Seeker, which I am not." The Keeper said. "And one with a fast broom."
"I'll go get Potter!" She said a little louder than intended which made Pansy snort instinctively in her sleep.
"Yeah? And how are you going to get into the Gryffindor Common Room?" Tracey said raising her brows at her friend grabbing her hand in hers and dragging her out of the girls' dormitory. "I'll figure it out somehow," Nel said racking her brain for any other possible entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. She always did. Maybe she could convince Peeves to help her find another way in.
"You need to ask Malfoy," Tracey said once they reached the emerald Common Room. Elowen stopped in her tracks and looked at her incredulously. "You're kidding…" She said looking at her friend with dismay.
"He's a great flyer, he's fast, he's got a Nimbus 2001 and best of all he's right across the Common Room," She said dragging her to the boy's dormitory area. Girls weren't allowed in there, so they dropped their voices as they tiptoed past the first and second-years' dormitories. "What makes you think he'll even listen to me?"
"We'll make him," Tracey grinned with a determined smile before whipping out her wand and entering the boy's dormitory. Sometimes Nel forgot why Tracey was her best friend. It was moments like this that reminded her just why.
They were immediately greeted by Goyle's loud snoring. Crabbe was sleeping on his side drooling. He looked angry when he slept almost as if he was chasing a donut in his dreams. Theodore was calmly breathing in his sleep and so was Blaise.
There he was.
The two girls spotted him at the end of the dormitory sleeping under the black wood canopy bed frame. His blonde head of hair poking out of the emerald green bed covers. Tracey lead the way holding a dim Lumos in the tip of her wand. Nel clutched her arm tightly as she tripped over one of Zabini's fancy shoes making her loudly stumble. "Shh!" Her friend hissed at her.
Both girls stood on either side of his bed looking at the sleeping boy for a moment. He almost looked like a completely different person in his sleep. Less angry, maybe like a less abrasive person overall.
"Wake him up," Tracey hissed nodding her head towards him.
"Me? No, you wake him," The other girl shot back doing the same head motion.
"You're the one that needs him to take you to the tower."
"But this was your idea!"
"Do you want to reach the top of the tower or not?"
"What if I just fly there alone?" Nel suggested knotting her eyebrows.
"We're already here!" Tracey snapped loudly.
Both were so busy bickering they didn't realize the sleeping boy groggily awoke to the bright light on his face. He blinked twice and saw two glowing faces. "Saintd-" There was a horrified look on his face as a hand was slapped over his mouth roughly. He struggled an attempted to shout.
"Shh!" Nel hissed loudly pressing both of her hands against his mouth pushing him back to his pillow half climbing on the bed.
"Silencio!" Tracey casted silencing the loud boy before anybody else woke up.
Nel removed herself from him and began explaining. "I need your help," She said. Both girls heard Nott twitch from his bed and turned for a moment. "I need you to fly me somewhere," She explained in a rushed hush. The clock was ticking. He sat up and both girls noted he was of course wearing a matching set of black satin pajamas. He looked beyond confused his grey eyes darting between the two of them. Nel reached over to a black sweater that was neatly folded next to his nightstand. "Get dressed," She instructed tossing it in his direction. Without another word the two girls returned to the Common Room.
"He's not going to do it," Nel paced around the room anxiously.
Tracey now looked at her with concern. "If he doesn't show… I'll take you," Tracey offered as a last resort.
"Forget it. I'll just fly myself."
"And face a serial murderer by yourself?" Tracey gaped. She wouldn't stand a chance if Black tried anything!
"You're what?" A third voice butted in an incredulous tone.
Both girls turned to look at Draco who was rubbing his tired eyes standing in the stair entrance of the boys' dormitory. He had changed into a black sweater and matching pants. A black bomber jacket was draped over his arm. How long had he been standing there listening?
Of course, he had completely changed into his nicest clothes. God he was such a peacock.
Now Nel wished she had changed she was simply wearing a pair of old jeans and a dark grey sweatshirt and dirty sneakers that used to be white.
Both girls sighed and took a moment to quickly explain just what they were up to.
"You've officially lost your mind Saintday!" He said eyes wide in disbelief at what he had just heard.
"Fine then!" She snapped with a cross look on her face. She knew he'd be of no help. "I'll just go by myself," She said getting ready to exit the room.
"Wait! Nel!" Tracey called after her.
Elowen felt a pull hold her back. She turned in surprise to see Draco holding her arm back. He had a aggravated look on his face. "You're a lunatic. Facing Black like that on your own," he shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. "I won't let you."
She pulled out her wand ready to jinx his grip off her.
"Which is why I'm coming with you."
She immediately lowered her wand. Eyes wide in disbelief. Even Tracey looked shocked at his easy willingness to go.
"We'd be breaking about a thousand school rules," He let go of her arm and scratched his chin apprehensively. "I'm the one that told you about Black. I'd feel an awful amount of guilt if anything happened to you."
Nel and Tracey exchanged a look. It seemed like both of them had the same thought running through their minds.
What the frick?
To be fair, he wasn't wrong.
So, Draco Malfoy did have a conscience after all. Who would've thought?
"Besides," He crossed his arms over his chest defensively at the look the two girls had just exchanged. "I really am the best flyer in the school," He added pompously.
Nel rolled her eyes at his added comment and made way out of the room. She really didn't care about anything he had to say outside of this mission. Tracey let out a small chuckle standing behind him her arms crossed in a similar position.
"Awe," She coed with a teasing smile. "It almost sounds like you care Malfoy!"
"Watch it Davis," Draco shot back with a warning look that was meant to silence her before following Nel out of the Common Room.
"Goodluck!" Tracey shouted after the two wishing them well.
"Believe me, I would've asked anybody else if I could," Nel sighed irritated as the two made way out of the dungeon and headed towards the Quidditch pitch were Quidditch players kept their brooms.
He was about to respond when he saw Filch taking a turn. "Filch!" He warned and pulled her behind a crouching statue of a three eyed witch. He kept a hand on her mouth and spat something about a 'grimy Squib.'
Both hid waiting for Filch and his red-eyed cat to pass by. It took a moment for Filch to pass and Nel removed Malfoy's hand from her mouth.
"Was that really necessary?" She glared as the two continued on their trek.
"Like I said, I would've done this myself or asked anyone else. But I need to be in and out of there fast."
"Maybe you wanted to actually hang out with me," He suggested arrogantly.
The corner of her eye twitched in irritation and she shot him yet another hostile glare. "It was Tracey's idea to ask you, not mine."
"Why can't you just admit that you don't find me as unbearable as you think you do?"
"Because you're a git," She said with a jaded look on her face before whipping out her wand and opening the broom storage in the Quidditch pitch. Inside she gasped jumping back about a foot when she realized there was somebody already inside.
She hid behind Malfoy clutching his arm tightly as she peered over suddenly feeling foolish that she had been started by a ghost, but he wasn't an ancient ghost like the rest of the lot he was a Hogwarts student, or at least seemed to be.
"Simon," Draco acknowledged casually before reaching for his black broom and calmly walking out of the storage. Nel eyed the ghost with curiosity she couldn't tell what color his robes had been in a past life.
"Lost something whoozy?" He shot in a snarky tone before vanishing into a wall.
"Who was that?" She asked curiously ignoring the insult.
"Sulking Simon. Hufflepuff died a couple of years ago. Some say it was a Quidditch accident, others say there was more to it," he said ominously. He looked at her stunned expression and laughed a little.
'Students actually died at Hogwarts?'
"Get on," She heard Malfoy say in what abounded like an irritated tone. She snapped out of her thoughts and realized he was looking at her expectantly as he was already mounted on his broom.
She decided there was no more time to lose and climbed on the broom behind him placing her hands on his shoulders lightly holding the fabric of his dark jacket.
"Hold on."
"I am holding on." She said impatiently. She felt his body move as he got ready to fly. "I've got a feeling I'm going to regret thiiiiiiiiis!" She let out a shriek as his broom flew up into the night sky. Her body was jerked backward due to the force of the lift off and she scrambled to wrap her arms tightly around his torso and lock her knees around the broomstick.
Wind whooshed past them and through the blur she could see the two were zig zagging and whooshing several Dementors that surrounded the castle. At some point the two were flipped upside down. She held on for dear life burying her face in the back of his shoulder shutting her eyes tightly trying her best to keep quiet.
Peeking over she looked down at the ground and instead of marveling at the stunning sight of the castle felt nauseous by the height. How did Quidditch players do this all the time?
She didn't want to let go and clung tightly to his body. Draco felt his breath a little constricted from the strong grip around him.
"You can let go now," She heard his amused voice vibrate through his back. Heart hammering in her chest from the adrenaline she slowly lowered her feet relieved to feel the concrete ground underneath her soles. They had arrived at the Dark Tower's Courtyard. The tower was a couple of feet away and she could see the metal bars through which she assumed Black was behind.
She didn't apologize when she let go of him simply mumbling a "Thanks," dismissing him, praying he wouldn't the embarrassing pink glow to her face.
Again, he shook his head at her slightly before flying out of her sight.
'Good riddance' she thought to herself before facing Black's direction. Nervous, fearful alone and with a shaking breath she walked towards the cell ready to face the murder.
Sirius Black had killed thirteen Muggles with one curse. He had blown up an entire street. Another thing the two of them had in common, a fan fare for chaotic explosions. She thought about the crazed look on his face that had been printed on the pages of The Daily Prophet.
However, when she reached the bars, she saw a completely different person. There was a thin man with sallow skin miserably sitting on the ground leaning against the wall with a wretched look on his face. She sucked in a breath of surprise and his dark eyes snapped to look at her surprised ones. His prison uniform clothes were tattered, body tattooed with markings and hair was greasy, long and tangled. He looked and smelled like he could have fleas.
He looked at her for a moment just as surprised. In a moment of faint recognition his hazy memory identified the mark on her face, the constellation of dotted freckles. Unmistakable.
"It's you," He acknowledged his voice rasping, yet he didn't move.
Of course, he remembered her. How could he forget?
"Did you…" She had rehearsed this question in her head for days, hundreds and countless of times. Yet she seemed to be choking on the words, stuttering and spluttering as she managed to spit out the incoherent sentence in one long trembling breath. "You… me… the abbey."
He could see the edges of her hands slightly shaking. Despite her incoherent sentence he understood.
"Yes," he confirmed, his voice low.
He never thought this moment would come. That he would encounter the poor child he had left at the abbey on that horrible night.
"Why…" She choked on her cracking voice. Her shaking become more obvious, bottom lip trembling. "Dad."
Sirius Black stood up, groaning painfully as he did and stepped towards the child. She didn't step back simply starred with wide glassy eyes. He looked at the child with sympathy. He still remembered when he took her from that horrid place, saved her from her horrid destiny.
"I'm not your father kid."
Startled she looked at him with a bewildered expression. The words were a blow to her. A part of her wanted him to be it. It would've made her life easier. It would've been easier to have a name and face to hate rather than to take out her abandonment issues and glaring emotions at the world.
"I saved you," Sirius began. He licked his cracked lips and his gaze lowered to the ground at the painful memory.
Elowen was even more struck by this. Sirius Black, serial murderer, had, saved her? Whatever revelation she had been expecting to happen, to reveal itself to her, it had not been this.
"I took you from a bad place," He paused. "Where bad people wanted to do very bad things to you," he explained as lightly as he could, his voice soft as he did.
He took her from a place. A bad place? What did he consider to be a bad place? It was his fault she ended up at Wool's. No place could be worse than that orphanage. And why was he speaking to her like as if she were a toddler? Why couldn't he properly explain what he had done?!
"Horrible things were done to you child. My original mission was to kill you, but I couldn't bring myself to. You were innocent… Just a child, still are."
The grip on her want became tight and her jaw clenched at the revelation.
"From who? From where?" She managed to speak coherently words still angrily stumbling upon each other. "Why did you take me away from my family?!" She demanded to know, her eyebrows knotting into a furious scowl.
She could feel her emotions beginning to boil, to make her head pound and her blood grow hot. She was so distraught she didn't even notice Harry and Hermione had landed on the back of a hippogriff just a couple of feet away.
"You stole me! You stole my life!" She screeched heatedly her voice breaking.
She could feel nothing but hatred for the man. How many times had she wondered what it would've been like to grow up with a normal family? To have a mother and a father. To not be stuck in that hell house that was Wool's. To have people unwaveringly care and love you. She was hurt. She hunched over slightly at the hurt she felt from the revelation. It was this man's fault she had no name, no family, no upbringing, no nothing.
She wanted to hurt Sirius Black. She wanted to kill the wasted man before her.
"No, that's not," Sirius spoke carefully attempting to explain.
"Nel!" Harry and Hermione shouted in unison as they approached her. Both just as stunned to find the Slytherin girl in the Courtyard of the Dark Tower. "Don't do it!" Granger pleaded. "It's not what you think!" Harry added.
They saw the crazed look in her eyes. She was livid. Snape's words of keeping her emotions under wraps weren't enough to aid the hot head in her second melt down of the day. She kept the weapon pointed at Black's face who stood unwavering to her intimidation. She could feel the anger escalating, her heart beating faster, the pounding in her head becoming stronger. Gritting her teeth, she turned away from Black and stretched her arm up letting out an agonizing scream.
Everyone gaped in horror as from the tip of her wand erupted dozens of small birds. All surrounded by that obsidian violet dark light that seemed to make the space grow cold, giving them all a spitefully ill feeling.
Nightjars.
Corpse fowl. There's an English myth that its bad luck to see a Nightjar. If one hears its croaking at night odds are the person will never forget its cry.
Yet, another omen of death.
The birds roosted and together merged into larger shapes which resembled dementors. She looked at them in terror, her stomach sinking at the corrupted Patronus she had created.
She braced herself for the Dementors she had created to attack her and the others when a glowing regal stag brought light into the space. It leapt gracefully sending the dark creatures to scurry away. It was beautiful. It took her breath away it was the most stunning charm she had ever seen.
Harry's Patronus.
He'd done it.
She lowered her eyes and wand towards Harry. She couldn't help but envy the boy. He'd done it. He'd produced a pure guardian made of joy, light, love and goodness while she had summoned those repulsive dark creatures instead.
"I know why you're here and I won't let you set him free!" She exclaimed spreading out her stance to an offensive stance. She didn't think Harry or Hermione would actually hex her. If she had maybe she would've been ready to deflect the attack.
"Stupefy!"
She didn't even see it coming when Granger stunned her. Harry reached forward for his friend. Elowen stumbled back but didn't hit the floor instead she was barely caught before collapsing.
The two Gryffindors stood visibly when a dark figured seized her. It was Malfoy. Out of all people, he flew down the night sky and managed to stop the fall. The Slytherin had never left. He had lingered nearby his grey eyes prying and witnessing the horrible scene from a safe distance.
Granger kept her wand raised, grimace on her soft features, she didn't need a reason to hex him, but weren't him and Saintday sworn enemies?
"Malfoy!" Harry sneered when he saw him catching the stunned girl in his arms. Draco's eyes shifted to the prisoner of Azkaban who was witnessing the scene with a deep sense of puzzlement.
"Don't meddle," Potter threatened menacingly.
"I don't care if you get yourself killed or not by dealing with a mass murderer," he spat venomously. It really wasn't his business.
Malfoy might have been a coward, but he wasn't stupid. As far as he knew Black only killed muggles. He was also his mother's estranged cousin. As dangerous as he was deemed to be, he knew he wouldn't dare lay a finger on him. He shot Potter and Granger a daggering glare. His wand still pointed in their direction. "Not a word of this Potter," he threatened hoisting up the girl to sit before him on his broom, she unconsciously groaned at the movement. "Granger," he simply acknowledged raising his brows in her direction.
It was a silent agreement. Neither had been there. After all, if anyone croaked, they were all equally royally screwed, they would all be accomplices in this crime.
Without another word he flew up to the Astronomy Tower. He couldn't just waltz into the Slytherin dormitories carrying the unconscious girl and his broom. It was best to wait for her to regain consciousness.
Draco sat on the floor of the Astronomy Tower for some time. He looked up and saw that stupid hippogriff that had struck him during that oaf Hagrid's class fly into the horizon vanishing into the full moon night with Black on his back. He cursed under his breath, resting his weight on a propped elbow on his knee.
He sat feeling both angry, frustrated and maybe a little scared. What had been those horrible things that came out of Elowen's wand? The feeling he got looking at those evil birds. It was the same feeling that came over him and the others when they were in the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the year. It had been cold, numbing, sad and whatever had happened with Black- he had caught snippets of it. It was just as much as he had overheard his father say.
"There must be a reason why he took the girl"
"Lunatics don't have reason," His father had responded. "I'm sure it's her. She's a Parselmouth bearing the cursed mark on her face."
"Where had she been all this time?"
"Hidden in a filthy muggle orphanage." He had said with terrible distaste. "Revolting."
The conversation stopped the moment he had walked into the room. He leaned over slightly trying to get a better look at the assemblance of moles on her face. The stray hairs and bangs hiding her face made it hard to see its full shape. He couldn't place his finger on what it looked like, but he had definitely seen that array of dots somewhere before.
She stirred slightly and he composed himself appearing disinterested pretending to be fascinated by a ring his mother had gifted him.
Groaning, still half in a stunned dazed she opened her tired eyes and took in her strange surroundings before realizing where she was. The Astronomy Tower. The first thing she could register was the remarkable sharp scent of cologne. That fresh scent with bergamot and pepper. It smelled just like Malfoy. Hard not to notice him walking into a room with that stench announcing his arrival. Feeling behind her head she turned and realized her head was resting on his bundled-up jacket.
He was sitting a couple of feet away from her.
Slowly with a terrible fading headache she sat up holding her temple, jacket still at hand. The events that had transpired sinking into her consciousness.
Draco said nothing simply stretched a hand handing her wand to her. She took it keeping her gaze lowered. She eyed the wand in her hand looking at the pale wood and suddenly it didn't feel the comforting sensation it was supposed to bring. Being magical almost felt like a curse.
She could still remember, could still feel the horrible emotions she felt when she released all of those hideous birds into the night. All that pent-up anger. For Merlin's sake she could've killed.
And Harry, perfect Harry, the Chosen One, the good one, he had casted the most beautiful charm she had ever seen. And he wasn't even good at charms which only made her more resentful and envious.
In a sudden fit of frustration, she angrily tossed the wand against the opposite wall of the tower.
"He got away, didn't he?"
Malfoy nodded in silence.
Of course. Potter and Granger. She still couldn't believe Hermione had hexed her. Who would've thought? Goody-two-shoes, insufferable-know-it-all-Granger had it in her. And for Harry to stand idly by and do nothing?
Sirius Black was the only person that had answers, and he had gotten away never to be seen again. The last clue, the last strand that tied her to her past was forever gone. She felt the hot tears begin to burn in her eyes and sharply wiped a runaway quickly before Malfoy could notice.
"He stole me," She spat. "He ruined my life." Her voice broke, eyes shutting tightly. She held on to the jacket in her hands tightly just needing to hold on to something. She didn't know that Draco had been standing by, careful not to be noticed, ready to swoop in if anything were to happen to her. He had witnessed the horrifying thing that came out of her wand, heard the things Black had said to her. He didn't think he had ever met someone who was bottling up so much pain and anger.
"Here's your jacket, thanks," She said in a high-pitched tone rudely tossing it in his direction. Hoping he'd go away. Hoping she could hold in the tears for just a moment longer. Not wanting to witness his judging gaze she brought her knees to her chest and hugged them hiding her face in them as the fat tears came streaming down like rivers.
She heard his fabric shifting and heard his footsteps moving away. She held her breath as he left. There was no sound. He was gone.
Wrong. She stiffened when she felt a comforting weight down on her shoulders.
It was his jacket.
Again, she could hear him moving but this time he sat next to her on the ground not saying anything. He couldn't see her face; a curtain of dark hair hid her tears away from him.
This… It was just like that Christmas. Except it was cold, it was ugly, it was real.
She cried until she was hiccupping finding it hard to breath.
"You need to stop," Draco finally broke the silence more out of concern than urgency. His voice wasn't gentle, but it wasn't hard either. His words weren't consoling but his presence somehow was. She had almost forgotten he had been sitting next to her this whole time. How mortifying. Peeking through her hair she pushed it back and wiped her wet face and snot away messily with her sleeve. He was right. She needed to stop. She needed to compose yourself.
'Control your emotions' Professor Snape's harsh voice echoed in her head.
"It's so hard," she cried weakly as the dawn broke before them. Had they really been up all night?
He had no clue just what she was specifically she was referring to. His father had always made sure to remind him that life, was in fact, not east. He stood up and stretched a hand offering to help her up. "Let's get out of here," he offered.
With some hesitation she took it rising to her feet.
She tried meeting his gaze but noted he looked away from rosy swollen face.
To him it almost felt invasive to stare at his adversary in her most vulnerable moment.
Neither said a word on the way down until they arrived back to the Slytherin dormitory.
"Thanks," She said sincerely to him handing him his jacket back in the Common Room.
"Don't mention it," he responded in a matching tone and he too, sincerely meant it.
It was a silent agreement between the two, but neither would speak of what had just transpired between the two. Just like that Christmas of 1992 it would be something that only belonged to them and them only.
AN: Wooop! Fun chapter! And so, the plot thickenssss. So many questions!
Funfact: I took the Patronus quiz thinking of Nel's answers and actually got the Nightjar! I couldn't believe how perfect it was for her.
Thank you for reading! Sending you love and a hug.