40 Monday

Noelle spent all of her first class ignoring her friends. She focused solely on Professor Flitwick's lesson and kept her nose down in her books, scribbling furious notes. Though, focused was maybe too strong a term. Her thoughts were everywhere.

The night before, after she'd beelined it from Dumbledore's office, she'd laid there awake for a few hours, contemplating the evening's events and what she'd seen. She'd closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep when her roomates came back, whispering and giggling and changing into their nightgowns. And she'd watched the stars make their way across the sky as their breath went from quick and loud to slow and silent.

Now, after having slept, her brain wouldn't slow down. How did she feel about Kade currently? What did Azraeyn think of her confession? Could she even think of facing him right now? Why had Dumbledore showed Harry that vision? What did it mean? Did he really believe there was danger too?

"Ms. Lestrange? Are you with us?"

Noelle looked up and noticed the other students and the professor looking at her. Her notes from the last minute or so had transformed into nothing more than confused scribbles. She flushed and nodded, ignoring her friends' sympathetic and apologetic glances. After all, they thought she was only confused over a boy. She didn't know what Azraeyn looked at her with, pity perhaps, as she studiously had ignored him since she walked in. No girl wanted the boy she liked to find out through a truth serum.

Now it was time for herbology and Professor Sprout had them harvesting pods again. Evidently she didn't seem to have any new lesson plans at the moment. It seemed that even the professors were focused solely on the holiday.

Noelle inwardly groaned as she realized this meant she was working with Malfoy again.

She grabbed her gloves and sat on the bench next to him. As if this day, this week, could get any worse.

"Hey Lestrange. You think about my offer?"

It took her a moment to pull her brain together and realize what he meant. "To work with you?" She asked, incredulous. "Work on what? The answer is still no."

He frowned but pushed on. "You're a Lestrange, it's in your blood."

"Listen Draco." She turned to face him, one hand on the bench. "The answer is no. N. O. Officially I'm not even a Lestrange, as children take their father's names."

Professor Sprout urged everyone to begin and they donned their gloves, beginning the process of extracting the pods.

"Not in the wizarding world." He finally answered. "Here, you'll always be a Lestrange." He trailed off and then looked at her with a dangerous glint in his eye. "Last chance."

Everyone of her feelings finally bubbled over the surface. She was fed up. Her voice rose, still not loud enough for the professor to hear, but enough that Draco and the other students seated on either side could. "Leave. Me. Alone! I don't care what nefarious thing you're up to, I don't care about our familie's 'relationship,' and I certainly don't care about you!"

He started to reply, but then, as if summoned by the anger in her voice, the snargaluff lurched into movement, reaching for Noelle and Malfoy both. It managed to not grasp either as both students sprang backwards, but while Noelle landed safely on her feet, Malfoy fell backwards on his backside, causing some of the other students to laugh. Even Professor Sprout had to stifle a titter.

"Mr. Malfoy, I do believe you and the snargaluffs don't get along."

But despite everyone's amusement, Noelle was solely focused on the malice in Draco's face. "This isn't over. You're dead!"