Argus Filch, the school's caretaker, shook his head wearing a large frown as he mopped the corridor in front of the Great Hall. Next to him, also mopping, with her head lowered in humiliation as students passed by and sniggered, was Pansy Parkinson bearing the unjust punishment for something she didn't do.
"Little harsh?" Tracey whispered to her friend as the three Slytherins walked by. "Harsh. But well deserved," Theodore said with an apathetic 'hn' at the end. "Hope she learns her lesson," Elowen flashed a sweet smile in Pansy's direction before walking into the Great Hall.
After the Yule Ball catastrophe - All the fighting couples, the intoxicated ill students and the flooded bathrooms – people started pointing fingers and the castle was combed for somebody to blame.
It just so happened that when searching the castle, they found several bottles of Spyrit and the ingredients to make a love potion under Pansy's bed. Which made her look pretty suspicious to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Who would've thought Pansy could do such a thing?
Despite how much she denied it and how much she wailed and cried claiming that she was innocent the Headmaster didn't buy it. Nel had a feeling that Snape knew, but he did nothing about it, instead Pansy was punished. Her detention for the rest of the year having to assist Mr. Filch with his caretaking duties around the castle; everything ranging from mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, polishing mirrors and even venturing out into the Forbidden Forest at night.
Entering the Great Hall, the three almost ran into Malfoy. He looked pale and had a panicked look on his face. Tracey narrowed her eyes ready for him to spit out a nasty insult but instead he avoided their gazes. He mumbled an uncharacteristic sorry. The tension he carried with him palpable. Without another gesture he side stepped around them and left.
"What-" Theodore looked over his shoulder incredibly confused. "Was that all about?" He asked with an intrigued expression before he turned back to look at his friends.
"What was what?" Nel gave a blank stared that seemed to successfully fool him. However, the way her gaze avoided his eyes and ears turned a little redder did not go amiss to him.
It wasn't the first time he had witnessed the peculiar interaction between the two. Ever since the Yule Ball something had been off. No petty pranks of insults were exchanged between the two. In fact, it seemed like the two went out of their way to avoid each other almost as if they were walking on thin ice.
Even earlier today during transfigurations class the students had been asked to pick out a top hat to practice transfiguring it into a rabbit. Both Slytherins just happened to reach for the same one at the same time as a group crowded by the shelf where all the top hats were neatly stacked.
"You take it," Nel was quick to drop the hat.
"You should take it," Draco insisted raising the hat in her direction.
"Um..." She stammered nervously before reaching for a more ragged and dustier one and returning to her seat leaving the teen standing with the hat in hand.
"I forgot something," Theodore lied as he turned away from his friends. "I'll be back," he said swiftly before following after the suspicious acting blond Slytherin.
Neither girl thought much about it and they proceeded to take a seat on their House table, Daphne soon joining them confused about Theodore's absence.
Returning to the Slytherin dormitory after dinner the girls were conversing about their winter holidays and the Second Task of the Triwizard tournament which would be coming up in two weeks.
This was troubling since Nel and Cedric hadn't had a breakthrough on the Second Task and from the looks of it neither had Viktor or Harry. The two suspected the task would take place in the Black Lake and that had been about it. A generous tip from Nathair.
Walking in the trio saw a circular crowd of Slytherin girls gathered around a table ogling at something. Theodore and Malfoy were sitting on the side of the Common Room sitting on two sofa chairs with an ignored game of chess between them. The two seemed to be in a rushed and upsetting conversation unaidable to anybody else in the room.
"There you are!" The Slytherin prefect said turning to look at Nel and her friends with large eyes and a gleeful smile.
"Somebody left these for you, they have your name," She said signaling to the orphan and nodding her towards the circle. The circle of females parted to reveal a massive bouquet of colorful flower buds. The prefect handed her a sealed note that had her name scribbled on it. Looking at it curiously – the bouquet was half her size. Leaning over she reached for one of the flowers but pricked her finger with a thorn.
"Ow," She sucked in her breath and brough her bleeding finger to her mouth. The moment she pricked her finger the bouquet of buds began opening in a vibrant bloom before her eyes becoming a pleasing array of burgundy roses, cyclamen, yellow carnations and maroon dahlias.
The girl's around her cooed and awed gushing at the elaborate arrangement none ever seeing something to elegant before. "They're beautiful!" One of the girls said.
Pansy who was standing around with her arms crossed over her chest eyed the flowers with disdain. "I bet she sent them to herself," she scoffed bitterly.
"Who sent them? Who sent them?" Some of the girls elbowed the Slytherin and attempted to peer over her shoulder to take a look at the contents of the note.
'Meet me at the boathouse after dinner.'
"It doesn't say," She answered tucking the note inside of her pocket. Looking up, Nel spotted Theodore and Draco starring from the edge of the common room both looked just as surprised as she was at the gesture.
"Wait. What did it say?" Daphne asked trying to reach for the note which was now out of sight.
"You look- disappointed," Millicent pointed as she looked at the elegant bouquet with a dreamy expression.
It was true. Her expression had shifted into a serious one as her lips were drawn in an unsmiling thin line as she didn't seem the slightest bit elated by the expensive arrangement.
"I'll be back," The girl responded ominously before walking out, pausing and giving Draco and Theodore one last look before exiting.
It was dark and quiet in the boathouse. She hugged her arms as she attempted to keep herself warm from the bitter winter cold, her breath visible in white clouds as she hugged her coat closer. Having been waiting for some time she again pulled out the note from her pocket and re-read it. She was at the right place at the right time.
Hearing footsteps making the dock's wood planks creak she quickly turned to face the individual who had sent the flowers.
Perhaps she was at the right place and at the right time, but it was the wrong guy.
"You," She drawled out upset ready to return to the castle.
"Elowen," A thin hand grabbed her arm tightly. "Wait…" Ellar said holding her back. She stopped and looked down at his hand with a cross expression. "Get your hand off me!" She whipped her arm back to her person.
"Please," He pleaded in a lazy tone. "Hear me out."
"No," She reached for the note he had written, wrinkled it and tossed it at his feet. "You played me. You had no interest in actually taking me to the Yule Ball, did you?"
"Elowen," He shook his head and ran a hand though his curly hair. "I did, I swear, but everything that happened with Diggory and then-" She began walking away not wanting to listen to his lies for another minute. Nel couldn't believe she had at one point been so infatuated with this lying prick.
"I won't waste another moment listening to your lies."
Again, he stopped her by reaching for her upper arm and gripping onto her dark gray coat.
"You didn't even want to dance with me. And then-" She remembered what she had caught him doing in the restroom. "There's that filthy habit."
She didn't know much about the effects of snorting dragonpuff all she knew was that it was similar to muggle cocaine, except worse.
"Oh? So that's what this is about?" He stepped forward forcefully taking her hands as he stepped forward with a dancing step. She stepped backwards pulling on her hands as they turned in the chilly boathouse next to the black water which mirrored the starry sky above.
"We're dancing now. Happy?" He said dryly without compassion.
"No," She again tried to snake out of his grip or reach for her wand. "I'm not happy."
"What keeps you unhappy?"
"You." She scoffed at him. "This. Everything you did at the ball." She eyed him warily waiting to get socked in the face like he had done to Malfoy the night of the Yule Ball.
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
After years of living at Wool's and existing under Cordelia Wool's thumb Nel had learned a terribly important lesson about dealing with manipulative monsters. Ellar wasn't sorry. He wasn't apologizing. Instead he was antagonizing her for her emotions. 'I'm sorry,' would've been acceptable not 'I'm sorry you feel that way.'
Feeling an angry fever coming in with gritted teeth she pushed at his body as he forced her to dance with him. His grip on her gaunt hand was so tight she was certain her skin would eventually blemish into a dark bruise.
"What do you want from me? What made you change your mind? You ignore me the entire dance, maybe the whole school year and then you suddenly change your mind?" She marveled at his ridiculous personality change. She had thought long and hard about what his motives could be but couldn't think of one. His mother didn't have a problem casting the Imperio curse on her and stealing her body from her. What else could he possibly want?
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Liar!" She pushed with anger baring her teeth.
"Elowen, I sincerely have no idea what you are referring to-" He continued spewing his lie.
"Liar. Let me go! You gaslighting, no good, son of a-" She fought hard against him managing to whip her wand out. Criminally, he stole her first kiss right then and there.
It wasn't like anything she had imagined. Like anything she had hoped for or like in the movies. No matter how many nights she had stayed up dreaming about kissing Ellar Lestrange in her dreams his lips were softer, they didn't hurt or crash against her teeth. She imagined it would've been a warm feeling not one that left her feeling so void and empty afterwards.
She bit him and mustering all of her physical strength shoved him away from her. The momentum was so much she staggered backwards heel catching on the edge of the dock and falling back into the Black Lake's ice-cold water.
She sank into the lake her body numb to the cold. Unable to think, act or breathe. The bitter chill seizing control for a moment before a jolt of adrenaline allowed her to kick towards the surface.
Ellar's hand was reaching down the dock to help her up. She reached for it. "Help!" She cried out spitting out a mouthful of water. Her soaked coat, uniform and scarf weighting down on her shoulders. She reached for his hand, instead her head was once again pushed beneath the water.
Ellar Lestrange's nails dug into her scalp as he held her head down underwater. Water went inside of her mouth as she gasped for air and desperately clawed at his hand leaving red scratch marks.
She couldn't hear what he was saying to her, she couldn't see, she couldn't think. Her lungs ached from lack of breath. Heartbeat strong. Her legs growing weak from the weight as she fought and persisted kicking.
"-Go mad," She distinguished as she caught a part of what he was seeing. "I want to see you go mad."
There was a crazed look on his dark eyes as he knelt over the dock and drowned the girl. He kept on murmuring something to himself as he kept his eyes peeled on the dark bobbing head and the rising bubbles in the water. Water went inside her mouth and she choked on the soul tasting water.
Then Nel didn't feel a weight pushing her head down and managed to claw at the mossy edge of the wooden board and rise up bringing her shoulders to the dock. She violently coughed the water she had swallowed and pulled her body up harshly breathing through trembling cloudy breaths. Her eyes shot open and she raised her wand ready to curse Ellar. She could see his dark leather shoes. Instead a pair of arms reached down and pulled her out of the water.
"Stupid girl," Snape's nasal voice could never fool her as he dragged her out of the water like a soaking wet mop. Safe on the boat house's wooden dock she sat up still heaving leaning her weight on her elbows. Chest aching, throat feeling like barbwire, teeth chattering, body shivering unpleasantly.
Snape pointed his wand at her and did a complicated wave that made hot air stream out of the tip. Her coat and robes began to steam into a pleasantly warm vapor as they dried out.
"Where-Where did he go?" She looked around the empty boathouse with fearful eyes. The sound of distant splashing in the darkness of the Black Lake gave her a feeling that Ellar was a distance away and alone in the lake.
"Coming to the lake with him," Snape ignored her question and scolded roughly dragging her up to her feet by the arm. Once up he gripped the back of her neck and forced her head down as he led her up the steep stairs of the cliffs that lead to the castle.
"You stupid, imprudent, senseless girl-" He scolded gruffly.
"Professor Snape-" She winced at his rough grip her neck straining some strands of wet hair sticking to her forehead. "How did you even find me?"
"Mind your luck I was rounding the perimeter of the sacred Black Lake and witnessed Rabastan Lestrange's progeny descending down these steps-" His mouth moved fast as he spoke in a rapid tone she had stopped listening halfway as they descended down the stairs of the dungeon and into his office, he pulled her in by her upper arm now slamming the door behind him.
She turned looking at him with her eyes wide as he let her go and rounded around his desk.
"Why were you down at the Black Lake, Professor?"
"Ministry of Magic business," He responded curtly sucking in a deep breath.
She remembered what Nathair had said about seeing the Ministry of Magic walking the perimeter of the Black Lake. No doubt her assumption that the Second Task of the tournament would take place there. That was some news Cedric would be happy about.
"What happened to him? What did you do?" She asked frightfully. "We need to tell the Headmaster!" She scattered heart still hammering in her chest from the fearful experience.
He had just tried to kill her. What could she do? What would she do? Could she successfully execute a vengeful plan against him and get away with it? Probably not knowing that his mother was her absolute guardian and would probably do something just as terrible to her. However, would it be worth it? She had after all already physically wounded him once.
"Silence!" Snape snapped shushing her.
She had nothing to lose. She could do it. Make him pay. Just like she had made Pansy pay and all the others before. Ellar was the type of person that didn't deserve her care or empathy. People – men like him weren't worth it.
"Mr. Lestrange is enjoying a pleasant midnight swim with the grindylows. I'm sure the giant squid and the lake's merpeople will keep him company," he said sardonically.
"Are you going to do anything?" She looked at him with an incredulous expression. Almost a hopeful one. He had almost killed her for Salazar's sake. Her expression faltered into a wounded one after a moment. Did Snape even care enough to do something about it?
"No," He spoke after a moment of silence.
Again, Snape had proven she couldn't trust him. He didn't care enough. He wouldn't move a finger to even try and get the bastard expelled from Beauxbatons.
"He was trying to kill me!" She shouted angry. "I couldn't breath- I could've drowned! Do you know how much water I swallowed?! Do you even –"
With a flick of his wand she was silent. Her lips continued rapidly moving as she rambled and kicked the chair in front of his desk before turning and slapping a hand on his desk. She unmuted herself with a charm.
"As much as you enjoy the sound of your own voice Saintday I will ask you to be quiet and listen."
"He could've killed me!"
"He didn't," Snape silenced her his voice sharp as he leaned over his desk.
He wouldn't have. Snape was more than certain that the Lestranges had strict orders not to physically harm The Girl Who Died. The consequences would be dire if she was wounded. He gave her a hard look as if pondering his words carefully measuring just what he would say to her, just like he had at the beginning of the year.
"It wouldn't be the first time Ellar Lestrange was involved in an accident on schoolgrounds. His reeking privilege has saved him from rotting in the cells of Azkaban once already," Snape trailed up as he brought a pensive hand to his chin.
Again, Ellar wouldn't have killed her. The consequences for him and his family would be dire if the Dark Lord's plans were soiled.
She was about to ask what he meant but he instead continued to speak.
"Sit," He commanded. Keeping her eyes on him she dropped to the chair before his desk. "What I am about to tell you is of imperative importance and I expect you to listen and most importantly obey."
She said nothing in response and listened attentively.
"And no- you are not allowed to question why." He added snidely.
Again, she remained still keeping her ears open.
"Stay away from Ellar Lestrange."