Prudence's first day of school was filled with lots of introductions
There was one introduction particularly that she was quite nervous about. It was stupid, she immediately scolded herself. The thought of meeting him was giving her knots in her stomach and making her body heat increase...she hoped it was just gas and not a storm of butterflies...
Hermione Granger bee-lined straight toward Prudence Scrimgeour the moment she noticed the new girl in her advanced transfiguration class. Hermione thought she must be very intelligent to be in the class and not to mention the M.O.M.'s grand daughter, so she very much wanted to meet her. Hermione would look past the Slytherin sorting that the poor girl was dealt and try to make friends anyway, inter house unity and all that...
"Hi!"
Pru looked up at a smiling and visibly eager girl in front of her. She had a head of crazy curls and wore the Gryffindor crest on her robe. Pru had an inkling the girl may be...
"I'm Hermione Granger."
Pru smiled, she thought that's who she was, "Hello, I'm Prudence."
Hermione nodded, "Are you expecting some one? Or may I sit?"
"No, not at all, please sit down."
Hermione was delighted to sit and talk to Prudence. Her intuitions turned out to be right, the girl was bright, and also very baffled by her house sorting, but was just fine being there. She also noticed that Prudence seemed to be very advanced at transfiguration, much more so than the class could even offer...she wondered where the new girl studied before?
Prudence found Hermione to be a very charming girl and was genuinely happy to have met her. Pru had about a million questions she wanted to ask about all the stories she had heard, but decided that she had time for that another day, that's when Hermione asked her, "Would you like to meet Harry and Ron? They would be thrilled to meet a normal Slytherin."
Prudence had to chuckle, she knew her house were the outcasts, "I'd love to."
So there she was, being led by the hand by Hermione through the crowded halls to see Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Her stomach flip flopped as she tried to repeat to herself over in her head "...He's just a normal guy..." She immediately recognized the tousled black hair and round frame glasses...Harry Potter.
Harry felt the blood surge into his trousers as he looked at the beautiful girl that Hermione was bringing to him and Ron. Before he even spoke he could feel his throat get dry. He's met Veela before...and this felt very similar.
"Guys, this is Prudence!" Hermione was telling them excitedly.
"Hi," Harry croaked and then immediately cleared his throat to try again, "Hi."
Ron gave a gentle wave and a grin, "Hello."
"Pru, that's Harry, and that's Ron," Hermione was saying. She then gave a small hop of joy, "And she's a normal Slytherin!"
Pru smiled at the boys politely, her shock fading the more she realized they were normal awkward lads, "Hello, I'd tell you I've read all about you, but I kind of don't believe a word that Skeeter woman says..."
The three friends chuckled at her very accurate assumption, "You have no idea," Ron told her.
Pansy felt the wide grin spread across her face when she noticed the dumb bint talking to Potty, Weasel, and Mudblood. She was currently walking from class with Draco and a few other Slytherins, Draco in the lead. There was no doubt in Pansy's mind Draco wouldn't be able to ignore the treacherous treason.
As Draco neared closer he felt oddly unsure of what he was suppose to do or say. Of course he saw her there, standing casually and speaking with the group of people he hated most. She was like the burning sun, he could feel her warmth in his vicinity even if he couldn't see her yet. Her presence was so demanding of him...
Normally he would take the opportunity to fire all his newest insults he thought up over the summer, but he just couldn't hurl them, not with her there. She was entirely too cool, calm, and collected the night before when she met them all. He got the feeling that blood association was beneath her and childish school rivalries were as well...so he couldn't exactly go insulting them viciously like he wanted to.
But why was she talking to them? Why was the Scarhead and Mangy Ginger smiling at her like bloody fools? ...Probably because they were, but that's beside the point... Didn't she feel their pulsing incompetence like he could?
Then he watched her turn her head casually and give him a warm smile and nod of recognition before turning back to her conversation. She smiled directly at him and he felt as if time slowed down and all the boiling insults he was harboring dissipated into nothing.
He was almost past her before he realized he almost forgot to return her smile. He did so politely and then continued on down the hall as if he didn't just have a momentary lapse in time. When time was normal again he realized how annoyed he was with himself for the fluttering school boy feelings...
Pansy wanted to release her gurgling growl sitting in her throat! He did nothing! Absolutely nothing! He didn't spit one insult at the idiotic Gryffidors, nor did he address the fact that their newest Slytherin practically ignored them! How could he not say anything? The Draco she knew would not let that go with out punishment...
She took a deep breath. Perhaps he did notice and is biding his time like a cunning snake...
"So...? Hows that going?" Pru heard Harry ask as he nudged his head in the direction of the passing pack of green.
She had to shake off the daze that she drifted into once she felt Draco's smile directed back at her, "Oh..what?"
"Them. The Slytherins. What's it like living with those people?"
She felt a lazy smile on her face, Draco's smile still in her mind, "They're not so bad..."
"Really?" Ron queried, not believing her for one second.
"Really," she shrugged.
It took close to an hour, but Prudence finally found her way back to the dungeon lair that was her dorm. She was grinning, she had a pretty good day. This school stuff was a piece of cake considering how she was taught before...
As she stepped through the portrait hole she had to give herself a moment to shake her excitement to see Draco again. She had barely spoken to him so she deemed it childish to be so enticed with him already, and that's when she could hear a male voice speak our clearly, "...with that MUDBLOOD..."
Immediately Pru's knees hit the ground.
The word literally punched her in the gut, stealing the breath from her lungs and causing her to fall. She gasped for air feeling the world spin around her.
A few moments passed before she could focus on the feet that had gathered around her and the hands that tried to help her up. Then the shouts came through suddenly as if she had been deaf and could now hear.
"Pru!" They were screaming, "Are you alright?"
Another voice boomed louder, "Step back! Give her space!"
There it was.
That palpable energy Draco felt every time she were close.
He were mid conversation, about her, when he felt her enter the room. Only one second after he had spotted her did he witness her fall and the room of students begin to yell in panic. All he could see were kids huddled around her limp body as she coughed and gasped. He didn't realize how quickly he had sprang to his feet and hollered for everyone to give her room.
He felt himself pushing away first years, trying to rush to her side, but before he gave into the urge to pull her up into his arms Daphne had got her to her feet.
Draco stood in bewilderment, watching the two girls ascend the steps to their dorm. What the hell just happened?
Prudence awoke in her bed moments later with Daphne's face close to hers, creased in worry.
"Oh sweet mother of Merlin! You're ok! What happened? You just dropped like someone hit you! Did you get jinxed? Was it Pansy?!"
Pru took in a steady breath, shaking off the remnants of what had to be the most inconvenient and annoying curse ever. She was shaking her head no, "Not a jinx," she grumbled.
Daphne's eyes widened from the knowing tone of Pru's voice. It sounded as if she knew exactly what happened to her and why...
"Then what?" Daph asked with worry.
The common room had a very distinct buzz of worry since Daphne had whisked Prudence away upstairs. Draco was a silent part of that buzz...
Blaise sat beside his mate and narrowed his eyes at Pansy, "What did you do?"
Pansy's face fell in exaggerated shock at his accusation, "I didn't do anything! Though I wish it was me that-"
"Enough!" Draco cut her off silencing everyone sitting around them.
Draco had no idea what had come over him. He had the sudden urge to not let Pansy even think to speak ill of Pru. His head was actually racing with thoughts soaked in worry and confusion. He didn't entirely understand it himself, but he got the feeling he had something to do with the way she fell.
And that worried him. It worried him that he even worried at all. Where did this protective streak for this girl come from?
Pansy scanned Draco's cool features. His eyes were distant, his brow was creased, and his mouth was set in a thin line. She recognized that face and it made her boil with rage even more. That was the face he made when his mind was reeling and he were thinking about something very carefully...she felt sick as to what his mind was thinking about...
"What's with you?" She snapped at the fuming blonde, "You just met this bitch yesterday and you act as if you give a shit about her...you know how unbecoming it is of you when you look like you care..."
If looks were actually capable of killing...
Pansy shrunk back into her seat slightly at the new face Draco was wearing. He looked lethal, a look she's only ever saw at his most evil moments...but the look didn't linger.
Draco had more control than that. He licked his lips slowly and then sighed, "You know Pans, I think it's about time I lay this all out for you...in black and white..." He looked straight into her eyes, wearing the facade of casualty but actually ripping apart with condescension. He didn't really care where the sudden urge to be so bluntly cruel to her had come from, but he needed to get it off his chest. He had to inform her that she would never have the chance to wed him, he would never let her.
It was insulting to his intelligence that she actually believed that he was naive enough to not notice how desperately she had been trying to get him to agree to be with her. It was only one reason on a long list of reasons why he could never...ever...marry her. She was bitchy and clingy and quite unintelligent...so he had to let her know...
"...so there isn't any confusion..."
Pansy turned still as stone, he couldn't possibly be so cruel...to say what she thinks he's going to say...in front of everyone...
"I will never marry you. Ever." His tone was so incredibly cold that Pansy wasn't the only one to shutter.
Pansy hadn't any words to express herself so she stood and fled the room, Millie and Penny in tow.
"Well that was sweet of you," Blaise chided. He then dropped his voice to make sure nobody could hear him, "But it does seem like maybe you have a thing for her."
"Just bugger off," Draco mumbled, now sulking in his chair for being so dramatic and making it so obvious that a girl he's spoken to for two minutes was having an affect on him. Then he looked up to see Snape storming through the room...
Pru was just about to tell Daphne all about her stupid curse when their Head of House came through the door.
"Professor," both girls greeted him.
"Tell me," he said slow and deliberate, "What happened?"
Pru searched his hard eyes looking for trust. She didn't understand why he would make a bedside call, but she found his trust and told him evenly, "I have a ridiculous curse on me."
Daphne and the Professor both sucked in a breath of surprise but said nothing.
Pru continued while rolling her eyes at how much she despised the curse, "When I was young I called a mean little muggleborn boy that word that you should never call any muggleborn. My teacher at that time, a very stern African tribe leader, cursed me so whenever I hear, or dare say that word it's as if I've been hit in the stomach...today was the first time I've heard it in years..."
Snape had his fingers gripping his chin, listening intently, "I see..."
"It isn't a big deal sir, it's practically impossible to stop from happening, I just deal with it."
He eyed her with respect, she was very strong, "Is your grandfather aware?"
"No, and he doesn't need to be."
Snape watched her carefully, he's never heard such a young person speak with such finality to him. "Well there may be ways we can get around this, but I will have to discuss it over with the Headmaster first." He then took a step back and nodded stiffly, "Goodnight."
After he had left Daphne had loomed in to hug her friend tight, "A curse? That's terrible! Where did you learn that dreadful word from so young?"
Pru felt the bitterness in her throat at the realization of who taught her the hateful word, "It was Draco."
Pansy stomped and screamed like a spoiled little child until she were out of breath.
He didn't mean that! He couldn't have!
Millie sat by idly, watching the tantrum as if it were rightly justified, "I think that girl is messing him up."
"I hate her!" Pansy screamed, "I hate her! I hate her! I HATE HER!" It was all her fault! If that bint wouldn't have come around then Draco could have still been hers! That whore was ruining her life just by existing!
Draco was still sulking when Pansy came back through the portrait and went straight toward her room...that she shared with Prudence...
He and Blaise looked at one another with raised eyebrows, well that room was about to be very interesting, or catastrophic. He didn't know the new girl like he knew Pansy, but he felt that Pansy's wrath was something the other girl should be worried about.
Pansy appeared in the girl's dormitory in an angry flurry of robes, he wand out, pointing it at Pru.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are!? You are ruining everything!"
Pru scrutinized the crazy eyed girl with blotched cheeks cooly. She did not care to deal with her right now, the curse kept her tingling for hours sometimes after she heard it. She only wanted peace.
"Well I am Prudence Amoria Scrimgeour, so why don't you tell me what it is exactly you"re rambling on about?"
"Stop being a crazy bitch," Daphne cut in, not at all threatened by her wand out. Pansy was too dumb to realize the dorms were warded against spells and jinxes intended for harm. Apparently Pru knew as well by the way she continued to lounge in her bed comfortably...or, she was a complete badass...
"Shut up Daphne, you traitorous whore!" Pansy screamed back at her ex-friend manically.
Daphne then sprang to her feet as Millie simultaneously took a step closer, "Damnit Pansy! You're such a fucking twit! You slept with Blaise! You're the one who has fucked damn near every guy in the school! You're the whore!"
Pru finally stood to her feet realizing that Pansy struck a nerve in her dear friend and didn't want things to escalate any more, "Just calm down, everyone." She squared her shoulders to Pansy, "Now explain what's going on!"
"You ruined my life!" And then she lunged herself at Pru screaming and clawing to tear at anything she could.
Daphne did her best to try and defend her but a boulder named Millicent stepped in her way.
Pru wanted to scream at the audacity of such a dimwitted little twat, thank Merlin her years of training gave her the ability to roll back and toss Pansy right over the other side of the bed and onto the floor. There was obviously no dealing with the wild animal rationally...
"Don't touch me again Pansy! You will regret it," Pru seethed dangerously, her anger now at it's fullest peak over something she still didn't even understand.
But Pansy's rage only blinded her again and she made another lunge at the girl she dubbed her mortal enemy, but this time Prudence was ready.
Pansy's face collided violently with Pru's fist and echoed a sickening crack off the walls. The screams that followed were even more shrilling. Not only did Pansy's wails of pain reverberate through their room, but throughout the entire Slytherin dorms.
Draco and Blaise exchanged looks of slight terror once they heard the loud scream of pain followed by Pansy fleeing down the steps with her hands covering her nose that seemed to be streaming with blood.
"What happened?" Blaise hollered to Millie as she chased her catatonic friend. When Millie answered back with one word, Prudence, Pansy's howls became even louder.
"I wonder what she did?" Blaise whispered with a tone of respect and appreciation.
Draco wondered as well, and he didn't think he would be able to sleep well if he didn't find out.
Pru and Daphne heard a light wrapping at their door not too long after Pansy had fled the room a like a screaming banshee.
The boys had decided that they needed to go up and find out, especially since Draco couldn't shake the guilt that this was all his fault. There was something in him that was making him feel responsible for everything that has happened from Pru's falling episode to Pansy's childish attack...even though he wasn't entirely sure about the first one.
He mostly wanted to see Pru's face, make sure she were alright.
"Come in!" Daph hollered as the two handsome boys came into their bedroom.
Pru felt somewhat odd to see him there. She wasn't sure what she was suppose to say to him, was she mad at him? Was her curse his fault?
No, she said it entirely on her own accord...even if she didn't understand what it meant at the time. But what kind of child would say such a word to her so freely? Like it held the same meaning to him as buttered toast?
Draco noticed that she would not look at him, she kept her gaze toward the green tapestry on the wall. Something was wrong and Draco's bout of guilt he had been wrestling with came back strong. What did he do to her?
"Did you hear the scream?" Daphne asked them excitedly.
Blaise nodded with a smirk, "What happened?"
"That psycho came in her with her wand out at Pru! So after Pru threw her over the bed once, she came back again! So pru punched her, right in the nose!"
Pru wasn't able to share in Daphne's glee of besting out Pansy. She felt their eyes all on her, waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't stop thinking about how Draco may very well be the reason she is cursed.
"Sorry about that," Draco told her softly.
Daphne and Blaise stared at their long time friend as if he had grown another head. Never-ever, had they heard him apologize and seem as if he actually meant it.
For a split second Pru thought he was apologizing to her about her curse, like he was reading her thoughts and knew what he had been a part of...but he couldn't have, so what was he sorry for? "For what?" She knew it came out sounding frosty.
"For Pansy, I made her mad and she took it out on you."
The other two in the room could barely keep their eyes from falling to the floor, he had never sounded so sincere!
"What did you do to her," Pru asked, still not looking at him.
That's when Draco felt uncomfortable. He was very aware of Daph and Blaise's eyes on him, analyzing him. So he stood to his full height and told her placidly, "Ruined her life plans."
Prudence nodded solemnly, not even wanting to get into any further questioning.
It fell silent and Draco got the itch to ask her about what had happened to her earlier when she entered the common room, but realized it was inappropriate. It was obviously something personal to her that she did not wish to share with him.
He remembered back on her warm smile that she had given him in the hall just that afternoon...damnit! What changed? What did he do? Why was it killing him to know?And why wouldn't she even look at him?!
"Well," Blaise was first to break the silence, "Glad you are well."
Pru still didn't look, even when she heard the door click behind them as they left.
She sighed and slammed her head into her pillow, "Ugh! that was so awkward Daph! I don't know what I'm suppose to say to him!"
"Tell him it's his fault you're cursed," Daph said offhandedly, as if it were that simple.
"No, I can't do that...And what did he do to Pansy to make her want to kill me?!"
"...Yeah I'd like to know that one too..." Daph drawled with her brows knitted.
Prudence had trouble sleeping that night. She watched her other three dorm mates come back in the dark and go straight to bed. She felt sort of bad for what had happened, she never wanted to hurt Pansy...but what the hell? She's been at the school for one day and she's already made enemies, got in a fight, and revealed she has an obnoxious curse on her that she hasn't even thought about in years! She also found out that the guy she was trying to not have a crush on may inadvertently be the reason she's cursed to begin with...
Why did he say that word as a child? Who said it today that triggered her curse?
Was Draco a Purist?
Daph felt a her bed sink gently as someone else climbed in it. She opened her bleary eyes to see Pru looking at her alarmed.
"Daph!" She whispered loudly, "Sorry to wake you, but I have a question!"
"Hmm?"
"Is Draco a Purist?"
Daph let out a pathetic tired giggle, is if the question was funny.
"What's so funny?" Pru had never been so serious in her life.
"Prudence..." Daph whined, "You can't be serious..."
"What!?" Now, Pru felt a panic lump rising into her chest.
"Yes Pru, and the most extreme one in the school...he's a MALFOY...come on Pru, you're in Slytherin, like 75% of us are..."
Pru felt numb hearing her friend say something so horrible so casually, "...are you...?"
"No! Prudence! Really? How could you-?"
"Sorry!" Pru hurried to respond putting her hands up in apology, "Just checking..."
Daph's offence passed quickly and she let out a yawn, "So that's why you woke me? To ask if Draco was a Purist?"
"Yes," Pru whispered back in disappointment.
Daphne could see in Pru's eyes how upset she was now so she said bluntly, "You like him."
Pru scrunched up her face, "...No...I don't know..."
"Well, Prudence I'm sorry, but Draco is as pure minded as they come..."