Emery was probably the only person at Hogwarts that really knew me. That is, the whole me. The me that I was at home: soft spoken, polite, pureblooded. And the me at Hogwarts: loud, clumsy, and a total screw up, yet still managing to keep my cool. Which is probably the only reason I agreed to skipping the opening dinner and opting for an evening of talking to him by the black lake instead. You could always find him out here, even in the cold, or the rain. None of it really seemed to bother him. But man, he really loved this lake.
I walked to the lake, spotting him immediately. Honestly, he was impossible to miss. He stood about six feet tall, his black hair sticking out all over the place, and his slender body oddly bony. It was easy to see why no one really talked to him. Except me, that is.
"Having fun, Em?" I shouted to him, but I don't think he even heard me. He just keeps staring out at that damned lake.
"How're things at the Malfoy residence?" he had this thing of talking in what sounded like old English. As if he was from a hundred years ago. I smiled.
"Fine, love. How's your sister? Good I hope. Last time I saw her she was still using you as a walking stick."
"She's gotten big. Walking on her own now. You'll have to come visit." after he says this, he finally looks at me. Simultaneously, we burst into a fit of hysterics. It was something I just couldn't explain, because nothing funny was actually said, but it was a force of habit I guess. Something only good friends could really do.
"I missed you."
I grin like a cat at his words. "Missed you too, Em."
He wraps me I his arms, pulling me flush against him.
It's times like this that I'm glad I have him. No questions, no explanations. No reasons. No expectations. No pressures. Just friendship.
"This is the year." he exclaims, a giant smile spreading across his face. He turned towards the lake, keeping me tucked under one arm as he scans the horizon. "This is the year I'm finally gonna see that damned giant squid."
I laugh at this, because I've offered more than one for him to come down into the Slytherin commonroom and look out one of our windows for the squid - because our commonroom was located beneath the black lake. But as an honorary Ravenclaw, he refused.
Emery was a confusing guy really. He often had that dazed sort of day dreaming look; but I could never guess what he'd been thinking about. I hear bad things about him though. About his family being horrible muggles, and him staying up at all hours of the night wandering the castle. This, I question, is odd since he's never had a detention and therefore has never been caught. I guess that's what drew me to him. We both had rumors circulating about us. Except he was made out as a sob story adventurer, and me as a heartless Malfoy. Both of which, I suppose, were true in a sense.
He heaves a big sigh as it begins to get dark, and throws his head back to catch the last bits of sun.
"Where's all those Slytherins you follow?" Emery asks and turns us to walk back to the castle, removing his arm from me. He doesn't say things to intentionally hurt or annoy me, but I feel my stomach pang at the comment. I'd tried to have talks with him before about a filter between the mouth and the mind, but he doesn't see the use of one.
I roll my eyes at him and groan despite how much I want to scream at him and tell him they're NOT my Slytherins, and they follow ME around, and not the reverse. Instead I shrug and jump up to kiss his cheek before we part ways halfway to the castle.
I never came out and said anything to Emery about what my friends would say if they knew we were friends. He just kind of always knew it. If anything, I think he had the same dilemma. I mean, the only people he really talked to were Frank Longbottom and That Alice girl that I once hexed in DADA by accident. In short, they're not my biggest fans. I always wonder if the only reason I even like Emery is because I know my brother would disapprove.
Coughing to make my head clearer, which didn't really make much sense, I straightened my shoulders and walked with new purpose toward the castle. I really needed to grab a bit to eat before I had to retire to my room with Bella and Cissa. Bella kept to herself most of the time, But Cissa had this notion that we were best friends, which I never really thought about much until last year when I realized she had gotten me a very expensive Christmas present and I had gotten her nothing again.
By the time I reached the castle; I was cursing myself. The halls were scattered with students heading back to their dorms, which meant my yearning stomach was about to be the end of me.
"Don't worry." a deep voice said quietly from behind me. I felt a big muffin slide into my hands and looked up to see Regulus standing there, the rest of my friends and brother filling in around me. "I covered for you." he says, but his face remains blank. I feel my cheeks burn at his words, and look around at my friends to see if anyone noticed. When I looked back at Regulus, he had turned away from me and was in a conversation with Lucius. Did he know about Emery? If he did, why wasn't he ratting me out yet?
I look at him again and narrow my eyes. Blackmail, I decide immediately. It's gotta be blackmail.
