Sitting at breakfast the next morning, Draco wasn't surprised to see his owl flying among the others. It dropped a large letter on Draco's plate and he knew instantly that it was from his mother.
"Mother's written back." He said to Layken, opening the envelope.
Enclosed in the large envelope was two more envelopes, one addressed to Draco and one addressed to Layken. Handing Layken the envelope with her name on it, Draco watched with a smile as she ripped it open. As she opened it, a bundle of pictures fell out, followed by a letter. Placing the pictures to one side, she began to read the letter.
Dear Layken,
Draco has told me that you're looking for some more information on your parents. Well you have come to the right person and I would be delighted to help in any way I can. He has also informed me of what happened with the boys. Those boys will never learn, don't let them bother you sweetheart, they will learn eventually. I hope you like the pictures, write me if there is anything else you would like to know.
Love, Narcissa.
"Gosh, Draco, your mother is so nice." Layken said.
"Told you Narcissa would pull through." Blaise laughed.
"Yeah, she likes to be helpful." Draco said.
"Go on, let us see the pictures." Theo urged.
"Yeah, let's have a look." Gracie said.
Layken began to look at the pictures and she felt a lump in her throat as she looked at the happy faces of her parents with their friends and she struggled when she came across a photo of her with her mother and Harry and Sebastian with their father. There were also moving photos of her and the boys playing. She wondered how they could go from that to shooting nasty glares at her in the corridors. She decided not to dwell on it and forced herself to realize that they would never ever be anywhere as close as they used to be.
"Are you coming?" Gracie asked.
"Yeah." Layken said, placing the pictures into her bag and linking her arm through Gracie's. They were headed out for flying lessons with the Gryffindor's and Layken didn't know if she was keen to fly just yet. On the way out of the hall they bumped into Chloe and Blaise took to looking at the ground.
"Hey guys." Chloe said.
"Hey." They chorused.
"Where you off to?" She asked.
"Flying Lessons." Gracie groaned.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Chloe." Chloe said to Gracie.
"I'm Gracie." She replied.
"Nice to meet you." Chloe said.
"Likewise." Gracie replied.
"You should come and sit with us at dinner sometime." Layken said.
"Would that be okay?" She asked the group.
"Of course." Draco said.
"Okay I will." Chloe said smiling.
"See you later." Theo said as they headed off outside.
"I must say, Blaise, that's the first time you've been speechless in your whole life." Draco laughed.
"Aw, leave the boy alone, he obviously likes the girl." Gracie said, patting his back.
"I do not." Blaise said, his face saying otherwise.
"Okay Blaise, we believe you." Layken said, sarcastically.
They stood, facing the Gryffindor's, with brooms at their side. They watched as their eagle-eyed teacher, Madam Hooch, came striding down the lawns.
"Good afternoon, class." She says.
"Good afternoon. Madam Hooch." They chorus back.
"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!" She instructed them.
There were yells of "Up!" as everyone tried to get their broom to come to them. Layken stuck out her hand and yelled, "Up!" Her broom the first to fly into her hand.
"Whoa." Layken said, glancing at Draco to see him looking proudly at her.
"Up!" Draco called, his broomstick flying into his hand.
"Up!" Harry and Sebastian called together and their brooms flew into their hands, smug grins plastered on their faces.
"With feeling!" Madam Hooch said.
"Up! Up! Up! Up!" Gracie said over and over again, Hermione too, as they struggled to get their brooms to come to them.
"Up!" Ron yelled and his broom came flying up and smacked him on the nose. "Ow!" He cried and Layken let out a roar of laughter, Gracie and Draco following suit.
"Shut up!" Ron yelled, watching on as the trio wiped tears from their eyes.
"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2..." She was cut off on her countdown by a small squeak. Neville Longbottom had risen on his broom and seemed to be rising faster as the seconds ticked on.
"Oh..." Is all Neville can say as he takes off higher.
"Mr Longbottom." Hooch says.
"Neville what are you doing?"
"Neville...Neville?" Voices can be heard all over trying to goad Neville back down.
"M-M-Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch calls but it falls on deaf ears as poor Neville is too terrified to do anything. He begins shouting at his broom to go down but it doesn't help.
"Help!" Neville cries as his broom is now flying out of control.
"Come back down this instant!" Hooch demands.
"Ahh!" Neville screams as he soars out of control and hits the wall. Falling down, he gets his robes caught on a torch and slips through them, crashing to the ground.
"Everyone out of the way!" Hooch cries, running towards Neville. "Come on, get up."
"Owowowow." Neville yells.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, Ttch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get." Hooch helped Neville stand on shaky legs.
"Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch." With that she leaves.
"Did you see his face? Poor Neville." Layken said to her group of Slytherins.
"Poor Neville." Sebastian repeated in a high-pitched mocking tone.
Layken turned to glare over her shoulder before turning back to her friends.
"Pity it wasn't her that fell off her broom." Harry laughed.
"Oh no he didn't." Layken fumed as she stomped over to the boys.
"Look out Harry here comes scary Layken Potter." Sebastian scoffed, hands up on mock surrender. Harry turned towards her as Layken raised her arm and slapped him.
The assembled group erupted into shouts and jeers.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Harry yelled, clutching his face.
"You're gonna pay for that." Sebastian spat.
"Don't make me give you another punch Potter." Draco spat back, angling himself in front of Layken.
Layken lunged for them again but Draco was prepared and had his arm out blocking her before she could move.
"DRACO MALFOY YOU LET ME GO THIS INSTANT!" Layken yelled, scrambling to get free of his grasp.
Harry and Sebastian laughed as Blaise wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted the small girl into the air, turning his back on the laughing boys. Layken struggled as hard as she could but Blaise was stronger. He tried to calm her down while Draco and Gracie were in a screaming match with the two boys. There was a sound of skin hitting skin before a deathly silence. Layken turned her head to see Harry lying on the floor clutching his bloody nose and Gracie standing over him.
Before she could warn him Sebastian lunged at Draco and the pair were rolling around in the grass fighting. Harry got up of his feet, before he could get an inch between Draco and Sebastian Gracie had jumped on his back and was rapidly punching the top of his head.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" The screech of Professor McGonagall bellowed over the screaming students.
No one moved a muscle or breathed a word as McGonagall surveyed the scene before her. Draco and Sebastian were lying in a heap on the floor, both cradling bloody faces. Harry was clutching his head and Gracie was standing with a sheepish look on her face.
"You four come with me." She warned before turning on her heel. "Now!"
The four youngsters flew into action, following after McGonagall. Draco turned back and flashed Layken a cheeky grin that showed he was anything but sorry before they disappeared into the castle.
"How could they be so stupid?" Layken muttered as her, Blaise and Theo traipsed back into the castle, wondering what fate lay ahead for their friends.
"I did tell you snakes protect their own." Blaise laughed.
"Yeah but I didn't think that meant getting into fights for them. They could be expelled!" Layken threw her hands into the air in exasperation.
"Snape won't let that happen, it'll be okay." Theo smiled, taking Layken by the shoulders and guiding her into the Great Hall.
Layken just hoped he was right. She would feel immensely guilty if her friends were expelled because of her.