Chapter 8

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Draco paced back and forth as we waited outside of Snapes office.

I leant against the arched wall beside the door, looking down at my palm and gently traced the flesh with my fingertip finding the wound to be quite cool, not hot as the inflamed skin would have me believe.

Draco stopped to knock again but the door opened before he could make contact, finding a miserable looking Snape pulling it open.

"Mr Malfoy. What can I do for... ? Miss Avian." He spotted me and looked between the two of us, his posture getting icier.

I looked down at my shoes to avoid the venom he was practically spitting at me in that glare.

I remember him muttering to Dumbledore in the ministry as I was being tried by the Internal affairs section of the Wizengamot.

I had been waiting for the jury to settle down to hear my verdict when Dumbledore had stood up to welcome me to his school as a means of observation.

I had just turned 16 and the law couldn't throw me in Azkaban unless tried at 17.

While the trace was still on me, I could not be tried as an adult and needed a prison of sorts...

Snape had looked at Dumbledore like he was a madman when he vouched for me and I shared the same sentiment.

It was obvious he didn't want me to go to Hogwarts then... and now he was letting me know by the disgusted look on his face.

"It's Sunday..." he said bitterly, looking back to Draco.

"Spit it out."

Draco took a deep breath and lifted his palm.

This caused an intrigued brow raise from the professor as he focused on the jagged line of torn burnt skin.

"When...I was on the train, I bumped into the window and it felt cold, like... magically cold, it pushed me back. And this morning I touched a railing and the same magic did this to my hand when I touched it... the exact same thing happened to Avian... This has never happened before."

Snape looked at Dracos palm then gestured for me to show mine.

A thought seemed to linger in his head as he examined our hands.

He sneered at me, looking up and down the hallway before going back into his office.

"Follow." He called bitterly over his shoulder.

I looked at Draco with confusion but he just wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me in.

"Close the door behind you..." Snape said as he looked through the books on his shelf, pulling a few out.

I pressed my back against the door to close it and lean against it as Draco walked into the middle of the small office.

"What attacked us?" He asked, but Snape held up a finger, flicking through some pages, not bothering to lift his eyes for a moment to acknowledge Dracos question.

Attacked? Was it an attack?

It felt more like an accident... like a static shock but for it to happen twice at the same time to both of us...

Draco turned his head to look at me with a confusing frown.

"Nothing attacked you, Mr Malfoy... it's a matter of intent. The school is trying to protect itself."

I frowned and stared at my feet again, feeling sick...

I figured as much.

I was dangerous and the school knew it... but if that's the case...

"Professor..." my voice came out meekly, but they both looked over as if I'd shouted.

"I can see why the school would defend itself from me but... why hurt Draco? The first time he felt the magic push him was before we had met..." Snapes eyes narrowed at me, flicking his eyes pointedly to Draco as if to tell me to shut up.

I gave a small shrug, looking away.

"He... he knows what I am. What I did."

Draco turned from me to Snape and back again.

"Wait... why does Snape know?"

"He was at my hearing..."

"Hearing...?"

Snape cleared his throat.

"Yes, Miss Avian, the school does have just means to be defensive around you, but that is not the only possible reason for the magical reaction. Hence why Mr Malfoy is being affected too."

"Oh... then what?" I asked, looking at Draco then back to Snape.

What else was wrong with me? Or rather, what did me and Draco share that made us a target of threat to the school?

There was a long pause before Snape slammed the book shut and gathered some different coloured bottles carefully.

"I don't know. I would suggest you ask Dumbledore. For now I can numb your wounds. I don't predict I can heal them, though."

My body sank back against the door and I sighed.

"No guesses...?" He narrowed his eyes back at me as he began to stir something in a bowl.

"One. But I am not at liberty to share it to the both of you..." he looks to Draco.

I couldn't see his face from where I was stood but I saw Dracos shoulders tense and drop.

"I... don't mind her hearing..." he said softly but Snape cut him off with a wave of his hand and a glare.

"Both of you, put out your palms."

I walked up to stand beside Draco and lifted my wounded hand up to his, palm facing skyward.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye but he turned his face away so I couldn't read his expression.

Snape smeared on the salve he just mixed together and I hissed a little as it burned on my skin, vapour trails floating from my hand as he did the same to Draco.

"Miss Avian- it might be wise to inform your parents of this... Mr Draco, wait here. I need to speak with you. Alone." He emphasised with a sideways glare to me.

I gulped and nodded shortly.

"I'll see you back at the common room, Draco?" He have a stiff nod but didn't meet my eyes.

"Thank you, Professor." I mumbled as I left his office, closing the door softly, feeling no more informed than when I went in.

Draco has a secret too?

...I don't know why that made me so angry as I stomped back to the common room to lie down on something soft.

He knew my darkest one, yet he kept his own locked away? What was worse than being a murderous beast?

What could possibly be that bad?

I groaned as I half collapsed in the common room, needing to sit down and let my stiffness dissipate.

Who knew sleeping on the floor one hundred feet in the air would leave my neck and back hurting so much?

I waited for a while for Draco, but when an hour passed, I gave up, going up to my trunk to pull out parchment and my quill.

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Mere et Pere,

Something has been happening at school. I've yet to speak with Dumbledore about it, but Snape suggested I let you know regardless of the answer from Dumbledore.

The school has been retaliating to my presence with a cold magic that has been pushing me and a fellow student I have become close with...

It isn't reacting purely to my transformation and I wondered if there was something else you knew that it might be reacting to.

I'm sorry to be causing issue so soon...

I know all the trouble it took to get me here and I can't apologise enough that it isn't without hiccup.

I love you both and hope you can enlighten me somehow, or at the least tell me I'm just overreacting.

Love, Alura.

X

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I sealed the letter and wondered where Flamber might be.

I assumed the Owlery would be my best bet and after showering and changing my clothes I made my way through the castle in the general direction I remembered seeing it in.

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It took me a while but I eventually found it, huffing as I climbed the long narrow staircases.

That bloody bird better be here...

Panted for a moment at the top before moving inside the little arched doorway.

I stopped dead however, when I saw a scruffy haired boy with round glasses petting a gorgeous bright white snowy owl.

He hadn't noticed me but I could see Flamber in a perch just past him.

I rolled my eyes and prepared myself for the angst I would probably get from the prince of Griffendor himself.

Instead, Harry seemed to jump and hurriedly shoved a black envelope in his jacket pocket, looking away guiltily.

My brows furrowed a little but I kept my focus on Flamber, giving him a scratch under his beak as he happily tried to nibble at my knuckle.

I smiled at him and fed him a treat I pocketed from breakfast before pulling the letter from my pocket.

"Would you mind, mon amour?"

Flamber threw his head back to devour his treat before leaning from side to side to fidget his legs before gently taking the letter from my fingers.

With a cheery hoot, he flapped off, out of one of the arched windows of the owlery tower.

I span on my heel and headed back for the stairs before a wincing as Harry's voice perked up.

"Hey."

I pretended I didn't hear and kept walking, but he had now started to walk towards me with a louder.

"Hey."

I closed my eyes to prepare myself for the horrible things I was sure he was stopping me just to get out of his mouth.

I gave him a curious frown.

"Hello."

"I saw you coming out of Snapes office earlier." He states and I shrugged.

"Yeah?" Where the hell was he going with this...?

"What were you and Malfoy doing in there?"

I blinked, scanning through my memory, knowing for sure that Harry had not been around as we entered or left the office.

"What were you doing spying on me?" I said suspiciously, trying to look as creeped out and uncomfortable as possible.

"I wasn't spying! I just noticed!" He said defensively and I raised a brow.

"He's our house leader. We went to talk about a Slytherin issue. I could tell you all about it if you'd like. We wondered if we could transfigure some armchairs into a table in the common room..." I began to fantasise about redecorating the dorms in an attempt to bore him.

It seemed to work as he sighed, rubbing his temple under his glasses.

I crossed my arms with a triumphant grin.

"Do you want me to go?" He looked up from the rims of his glasses and narrowed his eyes.

"I know you're up to something. All you Slytherins are bad news. There's not a witch or wizard that's bad who wasn't from Slytherin...!"

He was cut off with a jerk as I grabbed the front of his jacket with a snarl.

"You know nothing of me Potter. And I know nothing of you. How about we just go about pretending the other doesn't exist? I'm sure we'd both be far happier for that fact."

Harry wiggled back and drew his wand.

"I'm onto you, Avian..." he glowered, arm outstretched to point the tip of his wand at my face.

I grit my teeth and used my pointer finger to push his wand away from my personal bubble.

"You'll be very bored then."

He readjusted his aim and shook his head.

"You're hiding something, I know you are..." his eyes flicked from my face to somewhere over my shoulder and with a frown I cautiously turned my head to see another wand pointed out.

"Back off Potter." Draco sneered, moving to push me behind him.

I gently held onto his shoulder as I watched them face off.

Suddenly I felt a wave pass through my body and it buckled my knees.

My blood seemed to be flung around inside my body and burned my veins, causing me to cry out in confused pain.

My eyes snapped towards Harry as he let out gasps of discomfort, clutching at his scar and lowering his wand.

Draco pocketed his own soon after and caught me before my legs buckled again.

I clutched at his arms like I would be swept away and lost at sea if I didn't and I was so glad he held me just as tightly.

The episode passed slowly and Draco gently sat me down against the archway, placing a cool hand to the burning flesh of my forehead.

"We should go speak with Dumbledore like Snape said..." he muttered to me, but mostly himself.

I shivered and nodded, feeling my blood settle in a cold and deeply uncomfortable way, panting lightly.

I glanced over to Harry who was rubbing his scar and watching us in a mixture of confusion and anger.

I closed my eyes to pretend he wasn't there, leaning my head back against the archway, balling my fists to channel the pain of my body as my veins seemed to relax once more.

"What the hell was that?" He yelled and I felt Draco leave my side to stand up.

"Just leave her alone now Potter." He growled through his teeth.

I opened my eyes to see Draco point his want at Harry, standing over me protectively.

With a growl of his own, Harry stormed past us and down the stairs, no doubt to tell his Griffendor friends to back him up for another interrogation.

"Can you stand?" Draco looked down at me, holding his hand out.

I nodded unsurely, using his hand to pull myself to my legs.

"Here..." he ducked to my height and put my arm over his shoulder.

"We'll take the stairs slowly, alright?"

I nodded, biting my lip.

"Thank you for defending me..." I said softly and I felt his shoulder rumble with a chuckle.

"You don't need to thank me for that."

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A/N: Thank you for reading this far! review? I'd love to know what you'd like me to go into more detail about :3

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