"Let's think, who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?" Ron asked in mock bafflement, looking pointedly at Hermione.
"If you're talking about Malfoy…"
I caught the end of their conversation as I entered the Gryffindor common room. I had just finished a game of Exploding Snap with Fred and George in their dormitories since they had snuck me in earlier. It happened so often that I wouldn't be completely surprised if the Fat Lady mistook me for one of them by now and even the other Gryffindors weren't at all surprised to find me there anymore. Of course with Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys and a few others like Neville, Alicia, Angelina and Lee behind me, it was no wonder no one had reported me so far.
"Look at his family, the whole lot of them has been in Slytherin so they could easily be the heir" Harry argued.
They hadn't yet noticed me so I hid in the alcove and continued to eavesdrop shamelessly as they plotted. Malfoy the heir of Slytherin? That's completely ridiculous. He may be a nasty, vile git but he was always more bark than bite. He doesn't have the stomach for it"
"We need some Polyjuice Potion. That way we can get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realising it's us"
Trust Hermione to come up with some brilliant plan, I thought wondering how they would pull it off as I slipped past them undetected.
…
I entered the common room one evening to find it occupied by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
"… Father says to keep my head down and let the heir get on with it, says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth…"
I gritted my teeth at his choice of words but kept my temper in check, we were in the midst of another cold war and I refused to be the one who yielded first. I was about to head to the girls' dormitories when I saw something queer happen. Crabbe's hair was turning a strangely familiar shade of ginger and Goyle was clutching his forehead in panic. I caught on quickly though Malfoy appeared preoccupied with himself and didn't seem to notice.
At that moment they happened to look up and caught sight of me. I have a bad feeling about this, I thought just before their eyes flitted between me and Malfoy, a wordless plea. "You owe me" I mouthed silently with every intention to throttle them later.
I braced myself and walked up to the prattling boy, planting myself between him and the duo, screening them. "Hey Malfoy, what have you got there?" I attempted to divert his attention. He eyed me apprehensively, no doubt wondering why I had decided to talk to him all of a sudden when we had been diligently avoiding each other since our last match against Gryffindor.
During the rainy match, the Slytherin Chasers had been dominant, taking a 60-0 lead courtesy of yours truly. The twins, who played Beaters for Gryffindor had been aiming Bludgers at me throughout the match which I personally took as a compliment. Despite that, we lost the game as Malfoy had been too distracted insulting Harry, allowing him to catch the Snitch instead. He had been heavily reprimanded by Flint thereafter. It was no consolation that he had lost our bet too.
~ Flashback
"Hey, Malfoy" I called, marching up to where he was having breakfast in the Great Hall. To my delight, he looked completely miserable. A handful of the older Slytherins were still shooting him bitter glares for his blunder yesterday.
His eyes narrowed as he saw me approaching. "What do you want?"
"I believe you owe me something, as agreed?" I said grinning widely.
"It was just a stupid bet, you can't honestly expect me to take it seriously"
"You would've taken it seriously if I had been the one to lose. I didn't think someone of as respectable standings as a Malfoy would go back against his word but I guess sometimes even a Malfoy can surprise you" I countered smoothly.
He ground his teeth before muttering under his breath, "You're a good player and I accept your position on the team"
"I beg your pardon, what did you say? Speak up now"
His eyes burned with hatred but he repeated himself a little louder.
"I couldn't catch that?" I knew I was pushing it but I couldn't help myself, tormenting him was my most entertaining pastime.
"I said you're a bloody good player and I accept your position on the team! Did you catch that, Montaine!?" he bellowed, his pale face flushing with colour in his rage. Pin drop silence ensued over the Great Hall as everyone turned to stare at us.
"Why thank you, Malfoy, I think so too, though it is good to know that you agree"
"Bugger off, Montaine" he spat angrily before turning back to his untouched breakfast.
I stood there silently, partly to spite him and partly for reasons that made me question my sanity. I counted a second, two and managed up to five before he growled irritably. "What!?"
"It was only one game, we'll get them back the next one. Besides, it's unlike you to let others deflate that big ego of yours and honestly it's starting to freak me out"
He opened his mouth to retort but I beat him to it. "If it's any consolation, I think you're a good player despite what Flint said" I flashed him a small smile, amazed to find that I actually meant it; he did possess considerable skill on the broom. After the game his self-assuredness seemed to have taken some damage though I suspected it was mostly from losing to Harry than Flint's tirade. Nonetheless I had an unexplainable urge to console the usually insufferable narcissist; my sanity was definitely questionable. He seemed equally taken aback but was quick to recover his usual apathetic façade.
"I don't need your pity" he replied scornfully.
"I wasn't giving you any. Is it so difficult to say thank you for the compliment?"
He threw me a haughty look, "Malfoys do not thank"
"Well then maybe Malfoys should learn" I snapped, tired of his stupid Malfoys-are-superior mentality before stomping off. "And learn to apologize too while you're at it" I added without looking back.
~ End of flashback
"Suddenly taken an interest in me now, Montaine?" he said with a crooked smile. "Well, if you insist, my father sent me this" he said, handing me the clipping. "We were just having a good laugh over it"
"We? Been talking to yourself much lately then? Finally lost your marbles, Malfoy?"
"Hah. Think she's real funny now doesn't she, Crabbe?"
When he was only greeted by silence, he called again, "Crabbe? Goyle?" He peered around me to find the chairs previously occupied now empty. He sighed irritably. "Where did they run off to now?"
"Probably to stuff their faces some more" I shrugged, making my way back to my dormitory and giving myself a mental pat on the back.
…
I sat by Hermione's bed, holding her clenched fist though I knew she wouldn't feel it in her petrified state. I had managed to sneak in after dinner, avoiding detection by Madam Pomfrey or worst, Aunt Minerva who had a knack for appearing at all the wrong times. Or all the right times, depending how you look at it, I thought bitterly recalling how she had caught Malfoy and I on the Astronomy tower last year.
It was then that I noticed Hermione had a bit of paper in her hand. After several minutes, I managed to pry it out from her tight grip, careful not to tear it. I read through it quickly and jumped up noisily in my excitement, forgetting I wasn't supposed to be there. Just then the doors of the hospital wing opened and I held my breath knowing I was caught red-handed. To my surprise and relief, Harry and Ron walked in, equally shocked to see me there.
"You two won't believe what I've found!"
…
I returned to my place by Hermione's bed and patted her hand soothingly.
"Did you hear that? It's alright now, Hermione, they know. And if there's anyone who will do something to stop this, it's Harry. The Mandrake Draught is almost ready too, you and everyone who has been petrified will be better in no time. Its utter rubbish that the governors have called to suspend Dumbledore, I wish I had been there to give Fudge and Lucius Malfoy a piece of my mind" I raged.
"Is that so?" a voice spoke up, startling me. I hadn't noticed anyone coming in since Harry and Ron had dashed off after we had exchanged information.
"Fred, you scared me. How did you know I was here?"
"Sorry. Used the map" he mumbled, referring to the Marauders' Map he and George had snitched from Filch in their first-year which he had shown to me on more than one occasion. He sat down next to me and combed his fingers through his hair, his face grim and not like himself. After all, the twins were renowned for their sense of humour and ability to make a joke out of anything even in trying situations. Something was definitely not right.
"What's happened? Where's George?"
"It's Ginny… she's been taken"
"What!?"
"They're closing the school tomorrow too. George is informing the rest of the family and everything. But… Ari, what'll we do if Ginny…" he broke off, tousling his hair even more in exasperation. It was disconcerting for me to see him so out of sorts that I found myself reaching out towards him.
"Hey" I said gently taking his hands in mine before patting down his red locks. "Harry and Ron will figure it out; they were on their way to tell the teachers what they've found out a moment ago too. Ginny will be fine, you'll see" I said reassuringly, pulling him into a comforting hug which he welcomed. We remained that way for a while in amicable silence until he suddenly reached up and pulled up the covers over Hermione's face.
"Fred!" I scolded.
"She was giving us the eye"
I smacked him playfully on the shoulder, glad that he was sounding more like himself. "She's petrified, you git, she can't help it"
"It's not like she needs to breathe anyways" he shrugged.
I ignored him and folded the covers back neatly.
"You know, I think I might like her better when she's not speaking" he joked earning himself another smack.
…
"Ari!"
"Oy, wait up!"
I pretended not to hear them and quickened my pace. Another year had flown by and it was the end of the school term. The Chamber had been sealed, Tom Riddle's diary destroyed and the petrified revived. The students were being sent off and I had snuck away from Hermione when she wasn't looking. I hated this time of the year the most – the anxiousness and dread that someone would notice I wasn't on board and start to ask questions.
Someone grabbed the sleeve of my robe and I turned reluctantly to find that it wasn't just Fred and George but Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny too.
Wonderful, why not bring the whole cavalry. You'd think they're attached by the hip, I thought miserably.
"Didn't you hear us?"
"Where are you going?"
"Are you lost?"
"You'll miss the train"
Their questions overlapped as I just stood there and blinked numbly at them, my mind thinking at a mile a minute for the most logical explanation I could come up with.
"I was just on my way up to the headmaster's office. My parents are away so they'd rather I not take the train. Dumbledore has arranged so I'll be going by Floo this year instead" I lied through my teeth, dousing the intense guilt that came with it.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so?"
"Thanks Ari, really, now we're the ones who'll probably miss the train"
Hermione and Ginny hugged me goodbye, then George, while Harry and Ron stood by looking a little awkward. I took the initiative to hug them instead. "Don't tell me you two are still shy around me" I teased and the twins guffawed when they turned a light shade of pink.
"You lot better make a run for it" I told them, checking the time.
"Mum will have our heads if we miss the train" Ron moaned.
Fred pulled me into a side-hug with an arm around my shoulder. "Watch out for yourself, alright" he bid before releasing me.
"Race you, Georgie" he called, already breaking into a run while the others scrambled after him.
I watched them go with a heavy heart as the guilt tore at my conscience.
"They may behave like a band of baboons but I wouldn't put it past any of them to accept it should you decide to tell them the truth. Clearly they care for you, especially that half of a troublemaker" a prim voice spoke up behind me and I sighed, knowing she was right.
"I'll think about it"