Chapter Two, The Secret Letters

"Lu who are you getting these letters from?" Hermione asked as she studied for the upcoming tests but was interrupted as a barn owl flew through the Gryffindor Common room's window and landed on the back of Teulu's chair she was sitting in also studying for the end of year tests. "From a new friend from a different house Mione. We're getting past the House prejudice and getting to know each other properly." Teulu shrugged as she opened the letter that she knew was from Draco they had been contacting each other through letters as they couldn't always get together because of the prejudice between their houses so they got to know each other by owlling each other. As she read the letter she couldn't stop the bright happy smile that spread across her face.

Dearest Lu,

Thanks for the letter you wrote the other day it was beautiful just like you. Did you really mean what you said? Meet me at the top of the Astronomy tower at midnight to discuss further.

Yours forever D

"Lu what's got you so happy?" Ron asked trying to peer at her letter but Teulu quickly put it into her robe pocket before he had a chance to or for Hermione to snatch it out of her hands. "Lu why are you being so secretive? We're your best friends you can tell us anything? It's all started since you started writing to this new friend who no one has seen you with. Who is it anyway?" Hermione asked looking at her suspiciously. Teulu sighed she should of known that they couldn't of just left it and trusted her, they had to go behind her back looking into what she was doing all the time.

The anger and the hurt built up in Teulu that she felt tears build up in her eyes. Sighing in frustration she glared at her best friends. "Why do you always have to know what I'm doing all the bloody time? You're my friends not my bloody keeper. Why can't you just accept that I'm getting over my petty grudges and making new friends? Why are you always so suspicious over everything I do? None of the others care that I have a new friend and that we're getting to know each other without everyone else's influence." Teulu snapped at them.

"We're just worried about you Lu we don't want you to be taken advantage of and we thought we were your friends, you used to tell us everything." Hermione snapped back.
"Well you obviously don't know me very well do you. As you can't tell when I'm frightened. Or when I'm hiding something." Teulu said scathingly and she left before anyone else could say something closing the Portrait door with a loud snap behind her.

Teulu sighed as she rested back against the wall wiping the tears from her eyes she took the Marauders Map out of her pocket and tapped it with her wand. "I solemnly swear that in up to no good." Teulu whispered. Once the writing had appeared on the map Teulu opened it and started looking for Draco, she needed some comfort right about now. She smiled when she saw that he was in the Owlery, she sighed again as she saw that she had to go the long way round as Peeves was bouncing around on the quicker route no doubt causing havoc as usual and Teulu did not want to be blamed for whatever prank had been pulled this time.

Wiping the map clean, Teulu stuffed it back into her pocket before setting off for the Owlery the long way round. As Teulu was walking on the second floor she heard a voice stopping her, sighing thinking it was Filch again, Teulu turned around only to see that it was Professor Lupin standing outside his office. "Yes Professor?" Teulu asked cocking her head to the side.

"Why don't you come into my office Miss Potter and we can have a little chat." Professor Lupin stated. Teulu looked at her DADA teacher wearily not even making an effort to move towards the Professor no matter how safe he made her feel she was still weary of him, well all the teachers actually. Lupin seeing her hesitance smiled warmly at her. "You're not in trouble I just want to talk and show you something for next class." Professor Lupin smiled. Teulu looked at him intently for a few minutes especially in his eyes to see if he had an ulterior motive, there was none all she saw was kindness and warmth in those blue eyes flecked with amber.

Finally Teulu nodded her head and was lead into Lupin's office. "Sit down Teulu I'll make you a cup of tea, though I only have tea bags but I suppose that you've had enough of the sight of tea leaves. Professor McGonagall told me." Professor Lupin said to Teulu's questioning look. Teulu smiled and thanked Professor Lupin for the tea as she took a sip of it, looking around the office. "What's that?" Teulu asked. Professor Lupin looked to where she was pointing and smiled indulgently at her.

"That Teulu is a Grindylow and that is what we'll be studying in class next week." Teulu nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence before they started talking about anything and everything but it was mostly to do with how Teulu was doing in her other subjects and that both her mother and father would be proud of her which made Teulu smile with tears in her eyes as she had never heard that before, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." Professor Lupin called. The door opened and in walked Professor Snape who was carrying a smoking goblet, but stopped when he saw Teulu sitting at Lupin's desk. "What are you doing here Potter " Snape sneered. Teulu gritted her teeth so she didn't say something she would regret. She had promised Draco that she would try and be civil towards Snape, but he was making it rather difficult. She was saved however, by Professor Lupin answering instead. "I invited her in here Severus. To show her the Grindylow," Professor Lupin said pointing at the Grindylow in the tank who was shaking his fist at Snape and banging on the glass with the other.

"Fascinating." Snape said without even looking at the tank as he placed the still smoking goblet on the table. "You be best to drink that immediately Lupin to have the full affects and I have some more if you need it." Snape said with a sneer curling his lips. "And do you show all of your students what they would be learning beforehand Lupin? Or does Potter get special treatment because you were friends with her parents." Snape asked but before Professor Lupin could answer Teulu beat him to it.

"You knew my parents?" Teulu asked Professor Lupin with wide emerald green eyes looking between her two professors. Professor Lupin sighed and seemed to age slightly as she looked at him and she immediately regretted being so forward with her question and tried to hide herself in the chair she was sitting in. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so forward I... I don't know anything about them." Teulu said quietly hoping they didn't hear the end of her sentence, but she knew it was too much to hope for when she heard Snape give a derisive snort.

"Surely you must know something about them after all your relatives wouldn't want their spoiled princess to not know about her parents now would they." Snape sneered smirking nastily at her. Teulu frowned wondering where he had got that she was a spoiled princess from, then she remembered making her glare icily at the table and her eyes to go the colour of the Killing Curse; Dumbledore. She had told him what the Dursleys were doing to her but he just brushed her off saying she shouldn't be spreading lies about her family.

"What ever you've heard from that old coot formally known as the Headmaster, it's all wrong." Teulu said angrily her voice as cold as ice as she brushed her auburn hair behind her ear as she glared at the two Professors. "I don't know anything about my mum and dad. All aunt Petunia told me was that they got themselves killed in a car crash because they were drunk because they were hoping I would die in the car crash because they didn't want me but instead they died and I was left on the Dursleys doorstep. So no Professor I am NOT a spoiled princess and nor do I know ANYTHING about my own parents except how they really died and that they were Head Boy and Girl. As nobody has bothered to tell me anything about my parents except for Hagrid who told me on my eleventh birthday." Teulu snapped before storming out of Professor Lupin's office leaving two shocked Professors behind her.

Teulu was so angry that she wasn't looking where she was going and crashed into someone and ended up on the floor. "I didn't know you where this desperate to see me Lu otherwise I would have said we could meet earlier." Draco smirked at her but it wasn't his smirk that he portrayed around the school. This one was softer, kinder and made butterflies start in her belly. "Very funny Dray." Teulu said taking his offered hand to pull her up from the floor.

"What's the matter?" Draco asked wiping away the tear tracks that Teulu hadn't even noticed had fallen.
"Nothing's the matter." Teulu said smiling at Draco but it didn't reach her eyes and Draco noticed that. He looked around the corridor they were in before pulling her into an empty classroom and seating her on an empty desk, he stood in front of her so she couldn't get down.

"You're not getting down Lu until you tell me what's wrong and I'll wait all night if I have to and you know I will." Draco said firmly but the thumb he stroked her cheek with was soft and gentle. Sighing in frustration Teulu leaned into Draco's hand as he continued his ministrations which weirdly enough made her calm. "I'm just sick and tired of everything Dray. All the lying, the fighting and the stupid little comments which are just childish. I'm sick of it."

"Shh it's alright Lu I'm here for you and I promise I always will be." Draco said as he wiped the tears that had fallen away. "Now tell me what happened." Draco said but oddly enough it wasn't demanding it was softly spoken as he looked at Teulu in concern.

"I'm fed up of Ron and Hermione always fighting with each other and at me just because I don't tell them something. And I'm fed up of people keeping things from me especially when it's about my own parents who I know nothing about. I don't even know what they were like and if...if they wanted me." Teulu said so quietly Draco had to strain to hear her. "I've tried Dray I really have but Snape he doesn't listen to me about anything he just listens to the lies Dumbledore feeds him and everyone else."

"I know Lu I've seen how much you've tried and what Severus does and frankly I'm disgusted at the way he treats you," Draco snarled. "And anyone with a brain can tell you're not a spoiled brat, there is only one in this room and your looking right at him." Draco said getting a laugh out of Teulu. "Lu what do the Dursleys do to you? I've noticed that for the last two years you come back to Hogwarts skinnier than you were before, last year more than first year and you were skinny this year but not as much." Draco said frowning in concern.

Teulu sighed she should have known that Draco would ask sooner or later if no one else would. "I ran away this summer I'd had enough. I couldn't take the lies or the belittling of my parents. Especially from Aunt Marge I hate that...that walrus of a woman. Marge was staying this summer and I ignored her for the most part but when she started insulting my parents, I couldn't take it. I can't stand people insulting them that's why I turned down your friendship.

The Dursleys they told me that my parents were drunks and died in a car crash because they where drink driving because they didn't want me and were hoping that I would die, but mum and dad died instead. They hate me Dray they lock me up and starve me every summer. And...And uncle Vernon he..." Teulu stuttered as she couldn't continue anymore as the tears rolled down her face as she struggled to breathe.

"What did he do Lu?" Draco asked looking at her with fear in his grey eyes. Teulu sighed rested against Draco who had embraced her to give her more comfort. "He beats me Dray every year and I told Dumbledore but he doesn't believe me. Before second year Fred, George and Ron had to rescue me from my bedroom. Mr Weasley even told Dumbledore because he healed me, and Dumbledore still didn't listen."

Draco's eyes burned in anger making his grey eyes look like shards of ice as he held Teulu close to him. 'No one hurts my Lu and gets away with it.' Draco thought as he rubbed his hand up and down Teulu's arm as he tried to give comfort to his friend. "Don't worry Lu no one is ever going to hurt you again if I have anything to say about it." Draco said fiercely bringing Teulu so close she was as good as sitting on his lap. They fell into a comfortable silence with Draco whispering promises and sweet nothing's in her ear.