22

Mudblood and Murmurs

For the rest of the week Emily spent a lot of her time avoiding Lockhart when she wasn't in class. She felt like the man was stalking her with how often he was close by.Luckily, she could feel his signature allowing her to quickly duck out of sight before he noticed her. Colin the little Gryffindor first year took great pleasure in cheerily waving at her in the halls and calling out "Hi Emily" every time he passed her. She would just incline her head at the kid in acknowledgement. She could tell from the few times she'd seen him do the same to her brother, that Harry was having a harder time hiding his annoyance, but the little boy seemed not to notice this at all.

On Saturday morning Emily found herself waking to someone knocking on the door. She looked over to Draco, whose room they had fallen asleep in last night, to see he didn't seem to hear the noise instead he just rolled over continuing to sleep. He was always taking the mickey out of her for not getting up in the mornings, yet he slept like the dead. She swore there could be a fire with people screaming all around him and he would never be the wiser.

Sighing she got out of bed to answer the door. Upon opening it she found Marcus standing there in his practice gear. "Hey Little Snake, I need to wake Draco. We have our first practice today."

Emily nodded her head, "I'll get him up, no worries."

"Thanks, we are meeting in the common room to go out to the pitch together. You should come."

"I think Draco would hex me if I didn't."

"Good girl, you can give us pointers on the new brooms and take some notes on our plays for feedback," he patted her shoulder as he went to go wake up the rest of the team.

Emily turned to Draco with an evil glint in her eyes. She moved to the desk, picking up a quill she focused on transfiguring it into a bucket. When she was successful she filled it with water levitating it over Draco before allowing it to tip and the water to splash onto the blonde heir. Draco woke with a start, jumping out of his bed.

"Bloody hell!"

"Language… language…" Emily said in a teasing tone.

"Why did you just dump water on me?"

"I needed to wake you."

"And why would you need to do that?"

"Because Marcus said you needed to be up."

"When did he tell you that?"

"When he knocked."

"You are so unhelpful right now," Draco huffed moving to grab his clothes. Emily smirked it was fun to toy with her best friend.

"You might want your practice uniform on," she informed him.

"Do I dare ask why?"

"You have your first practice."

"When?"

"Now."

"WHAT?" Draco started rushing around grabbing what he needed. Emily was much more relaxed as she made her way to the drawer she kept in Draco's room. She started doing it about a month into her first year, she spent enough nights in his room to warrant it. Draco had known Emily had not slept alone until she came to Hogwarts and that she still found it hard at times. It was nice for both of them because Emily never had to feel alone and Draco who had never had a sibling found that in her.

Taking pity on her friend who looked frantic, Emily moved to help him fix his uniform and grab his broom. "Calm down Dray, though I love to see you frazzled," here Draco glared at her, "you will do great. Stop worrying so much. You are Draco Lucius Malfoy go show them you deserve this."

Draco took a deep breath and nodded, "You're right. I'm ready, let's go."

When Emily and Draco walked out to the common room, the team was there all clutching their new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. When Draco had made the team he had fire called Lucius in Severus' chambers to tell him the good news. Lucius, being the proud father that he was, had gone and bought a new Nimbus Two Thousand and One for every member of the team. They had come to Severus' office last night and the team had been shocked at the generous gift. From the moment Severus had passed them out the brooms had not left most of the players' sights.

The team and Emily left the dungeons making their way to the pitch. Along the way they ran into Blaise and Theo who were heading to breakfast but had joined them deciding to watch the practice instead. As they approached the pitch Emily noticed the Gryffindor team was already there flying and warming up. She looked up to the stands noticing the little first year boy taking pictures, Granger and Weasley were there watching as well. Once the Gryffindors caught sight of the Slytherins they flew down dismounting their brooms, instantly the Slytherins were on guard. There weren't too many happy faces among the lions and so the snakes discreetly held onto their wands. The Gryffindor captain Oliver Wood looked furious as he stormed towards them.

"What are you doing here Flint?" Wood demanded before shaking his head as if the answer didn't matter. "You know what, you can leave because I booked the field today for the Gryffindors!"

Flint just appeared amused at Wood's riled state. "We can both practice, the pitch is large enough," Marcus told him calmly.

"But this is our time!" Wood said shaking with anger. "I booked this time! For us, alone!"

"You see I have a letter here explaining everything," Marcus told Wood handing him a small roll of parchment. As Wood read the letter he seemed to deflate from his anger and a look of curiosity crossed his face.

"Where is this new Seeker?" Wood asked looking away from the note to examine the group in front of him.

Emily gave Draco's hand a small squeeze of support before he stepped forward, head held high.

"Draco is," said Marcus proudly, putting his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"Look the Gryffs are storming the field," Pucey joked. Emily looked to where Pucey was pointing to see Granger and Weasley walking quickly towards the two teams to see what was going on.

"What are the snakes doing here?" Weasley asked looking at Harry. "And why is Malfoy dressed in Quidditch robes?"

"He's the new Slytherin Seeker," Emily sneered at the redhead, she was very defensive of the one person who had been loyal to her consistently since starting Hogwarts. She shot a sharp glare at Weasley for his unfounded hatred of all things Malfoy. She remembered how he had called Draco and his family evil without ever meeting the Malfoy heir.

"He's not all that is new. We received new brooms courtesy of Lord Malfoy himself," Pucey bragged making sure the silver name on the broom was visible to the other team.

All the Gryffindors turned their focus onto the new Nimbus brooms the Slytherins were displaying proudly. Emily mentally winced, she knew that they were proud of them but by calling attention to the fact that it had been Lucius who purchased them, made it look as if he bought his son's way onto the team.

She was proved correct when Granger spoke up looking at the Malfoy heir in annoyance. "At least Gryffindors don't buy their way onto the House team!"

Draco's face never faltered at the insult but she knew it bugged Draco that people would think he didn't make the team on his own merit.

Theo, who was still with them, stepped forward not liking what had been said. "You have no right to speak to us that way, you filthy Mudblood."

Emily tensed, she understood the slur was a derogatory term for those with non-magic parents like Granger, classing them as un-pure. She looked at her brother and he seemed to have no idea at what had been said. Flint pulled Theo back away from the Gryffindors, afraid they may try to hurt him. Emily watched as Weasley pulled out his apparently very broken wand attempting to aim it at Theo in defense of the girl. Of course his wand was taped together and the jinx shot out of the wrong end hitting Weasley in the stomach, causing him fly backwards. Granger ran to the boy but when he opened his mouth all that came out were slugs.

As the Gryffindors rushed to take care of Weasley, Flint shoved Theo towards Emily. "Would you mind taking him back to the castle before he causes us any more trouble," he said quietly.

Emily nodded while grabbing Theo's arm and dragging him away from the pitch. As they neared the castle door Emily pushed Theo in front of her shooting off a medium powered stinging hex at his arm.

"What was that for?"

"That was for making a scene just now and this is for the other day, making a scene over the picture the kid wanted." Emily shot off another stinging hex at his other arm. "I got trapped by Lockhart thanks to you."

"Miss. Potter, what do you think you are doing?" Professor McGonagall's voice was stern as the woman came upon the two Slytherins.

Emily turned she hadn't realized another signature was so close. She should have waited until they had made it to the common room.

"Sorry Professor," Emily said though in all honesty she wasn't sorry in the least.

"There is to be no magic used against other students. I'm afraid I am going to have to give you a detention." Emily nodded her head, she expected as much. "You will serve it tonight at eight with Professor Lockhart. He has been grumbling about needing some extra help. I will go inform him to expect you."

Frustrated with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her judgment Emily made her way to the kitchens to request some food before heading back to the dungeons.

Emily's day went by much too quickly in her opinion. After Draco had come back from practice they had shared the food from the kitchens and he caught her up to speed on the what had happened after she left, which was clearly not much as they lions were so worried about Weasley's spell back firing they had all carried him away to Hagrid's hut. The pair spent the rest of their day doing homework and playing games.

At eight o'clock Emily found herself outside of Lockhart's door. She made sure she was calm and that her face was a cool mask of indifference before proceeding to knock. Lockhart promptly answered making Emily feel as if he had been waiting by the door for her.

"There you are Emily!" he said smiling down at her. "Come in, come in!" Unsurprisingly the man's office was covered in pictures of himself and dimly lit by candles. The pictures kept winking at her, all of which appeared to have been signed in gold ink by Lockhart himself.

She looked over to his desk. It was a large Louis XV French style desk and had two chairs placed behind it. On top there was a stack of envelopes in front of one of the chairs and a stack of pictures in front of the other. Lockhart sat behind the pile of photos motioning for her to take the other seat. "You are going to address the envelopes for me!" he told her. "I have just gotten so behind on my fan mail since I started teaching! I was so happy when –"

Emily just began to tune the man out as he rambled nonsensically from time to time. She was pulled back to focus on him when she felt his hand on her thigh.

He began to rub his hand a little higher but never made a comment on it, so Emily decided she would speak up for the first time that night. "You know I had the most wonderful summer," she started. "I spent it at Malfoy Manor."

"Did you? I have noticed you and the Malfoy heir are close."

"Draco is like a brother to me."

"I see."

"It's nice, you know, to feel what it is like to have a family. I didn't really have that growing up and now I could easily call Narcissa Mum and Lucius is like the father I never had."

Emily felt his hand still on her thigh but he didn't remove it. "Lucius Malfoy…" his voice seemed to tremble at the thought of the Malfoy Lord. Emily knew many found him terrifying, she had no doubt Lockhart would run in fear if he was ever at the other end of the man's wand.

"Mhm, he's amazing. I even watched as he dueled Professor Snape. They like to challenge each other to keep in good shape. The magic they are capable of…"

"Professor Snape?"

"Yeah, though I call him Severus now. I guess they are like Draco and I, though I don't think they'd use the term best friends. I know I've heard Lucius say Severus was family, so maybe it's best to refer to them as brothers. Either way, Severus is brilliant! I don't know what I would class him as to me just yet, maybe a father and mentor figure. He has taught me so much since I've met him and to call him merely my professor feels wrong."

"Of course… it does…" his hand started to tremble a bit as he pulled it from her thigh. "That's all very nice," he squeaked. "Thank you for sharing with me." Emily could tell theman was less than pleased with her sharing but she was rather pleased with herself.

Smirking Emily continued on with her task, Lockhart for his part, remained quiet from that point on, keeping his hands to himself. As the candles burned lower Emily couldn't help but think it was about time the detention was over. That was when she heard something that made a chill run down her spine.

"Come… I will rip you… I will tear at your skin… I will kill you…"

Emily looked around herself trying to find where the voice came from. She saw nothing and felt no other magical signature besides Lockhart's with her in the room. She needed to get back to her common room. "Sir?"

"Hmm?" the man was absently signing his photographs, his head propped up by one of his hands.

"I'm tired are we done for the night?" she asked covering a fake yawn.

"Oh, look at that! Time sure does fly when you are enjoying yourself doesn't it? It's been four hours!"

Emily just nodded quickly excusing herself as she walked cautiously, taking a shortcut to get to the dungeons in less time. She said the password and tore through the common room not stopping until she reached Draco's room. As she threw open his door, Draco, who had been reading while waiting on her to return, sat up looking alarmed at her sudden appearance.

"Em what's wrong?" Draco moved from the middle of the bed patting the spot next to him.

Emily needed no further invitation and climbed onto the bed next to him. "Well besides Lockhart creeping me out even more, I heard the most chilling voice at the end of the detention."

"What do you mean? Was it like…"

Emily cut him off knowing where he was going with that thought, "No it wasn't the same voice."

"Well could you feel the person's magic?"

"No that was what was so weird! There was no other magical signature with Lockhart's in the room or approaching that I could feel."

"What was it saying?"

"That was what was terrifying, it was talking about ripping and killing someone." Emily sighed as she rested her head on Draco's shoulder.

"Maybe you were just stressed. Let's try and get some sleep. You didn't feel a magical signature so maybe that's a positive, if you hear it again we will be more observant of our surroundings."

"Yeah, I guess I am tired." Emily got up, quickly getting ready for bed before laying back down and resting her head on her best friend's chest. He was right, she was just worked up and needed to relax. As she fell asleep she hoped she would never hear that voice again.