The first few days went fairly easy. I impressed my teachers but my suspicions were right about Professor Snape. The man truly does not like me. Then again he doesn't seem to like anyone. Yesterday we were learning how to make a certain potion that will make whoever drinks it sick. I was teamed up with Ron and well…he isn't exactly the brightest with potions now is he. The ingredients called for peppermint only he added pepper instead. Next thing we knew we had bird tails. Now, instead of trying to help us in a humane manner, Snape plucked every feather from our bottoms as if he had ripped the skin off as well. Pleasant fellow. Such a thoughtful type of guy. So, I took a cup and when he turned his back I dribbled a few drops of Draco's potion so he would get a taste of sweet stomach fluids. I was the hero for the day. Apparently nobody has done anything to get revenge on Snape. He never knew it was me. He assumed a drop of his splashed into his coffee from his cauldron of potion.
But today's Saturday so there are no classes, which is a relief. I was starting to get overwhelmed with homework already but everyone's heading into town in an hour to hangout since it's absolutely gorgeous outside. Perfect for tight torn jeans and my teal halter. I headed out to the front gates after feeding my cat McTavish so I could catch a carriage to town. The warm air filled the corridors with the scent of Lilly's and passion fruit. I felt like I was in ecstasy until I was suddenly hurdled backwards with a hand on my waist.
"Oh come on, I didn't pull you that hard." Draco laughed as he held me up from the ground, so I didn't fall.
"Is this really how you get people's attention? Trying to give them fucking concussions?" I snapped, "Why not calling out, 'Hey Vanessa, STOP WALKING.' But nooo instead you prefer to yank me into oblivion."
"Alright I'm sorry, I just like to mess with you." He laughed.
"I thought you hated Gryffindor." I pointed out as I fixed my sandal back onto my foot.
"I do." He replied harshly enough that I paused from my sandal to look at him.
"Okay. So you're talking to me because?" stupid bi-polar boy.
"You're not so bad. After what you did to Snape I'd say the stupid rag was right about you having a little Slytherin in you." He had a huge grin on his face. It even made me giggle.
"Alright. I can accept that answer." I smiled and started walking out of the castle. "I can't believe I'm the first in our grade to actually stand up against him. He's such a stupid…" I cut myself off as Snape turned the corner right in front of me. He looked at us both in disgust and grabbed me by the arm and Draco by the ear, pulling us back inside.
"Well now that you've finally confessed", he hissed, "I now I have the right to send you straight to detention. You'll be lucky if you aren't expelled." He sounded somewhat amused when he said that. I knew I was in for it. "Don't think I didn't know" he suddenly stopped and threw us in front of him against a wall. "Do you have any idea what agonizing...horror that potion put me in." this obviously was not a question.
"Well what you did to Ron and I wasn't exactly what I'd call teacherly behavior." I argued back.
"Oh, but in my class it is." He spat. He snapped his gaze at Draco, "and it was your potion. So you're in this together." He added as he took hold of us again and dragged us up the stairway when the statue to Dumbledore's office had stopped spinning upward. I looked behind me feeling eyes on my back to see Harry and Hermione watching the scene. They looked at me with sympathy, Hermione shaking her head.
Dumbledore's office looked like a mini circular library with bookshelves and paintings of men that looked like geniuses and old presidents of the United States. There was a perch hanging from a beam that cut straight across the ceiling with a strange mythological looking bird sitting on it. It sang a haunting yet pretty tune when we entered and Albus appeared from behind his desk. He raised his half moon shaped glasses to his eyes that narrowed when he saw us.
"What on earth is going on?" he demanded as he slowly made his way down winding stairs.
"That sickness I so mysteriously had", Snape answered sarcastically, "These two are the culprits." He pushed us forward nearly knocking us over. Draco fixed his shirt with a fast yank on the collar glaring at the professor.
"You speak as is if they're escaped convicts from Azkaban."
"Probably best." Snape emphasized.
Dumbledore shook his head and dismissed the professor from his office, leaving us alone with him. When the door had closed, he turned around and took a few steps forward. "Vanessa I imagine that this only being you're fourth day of school here, you must be worried."
I nodded in reply and looked at Draco whom was eyeing the floor infuriatingly.
"There's no need. I'm going to let this go. I do know he wasn't exactly gentle with you and Ron so, my apologies." He added when my lip curled in frustration at the thought. "Draco, you on the other hand should know better. You started at this school from year one. Allowing her to go forth with this action could have been catastrophic for her. Being in this school is for her safety." Dumbledore said this carefully as if saying it would kill me.
"It was only a stupid relative. I'm sure it had nothing to do with me." I protested. Draco was looking at me curiously. I can't believe I'm saying this but he looked somewhat worried…ish. Nah, I must be losing it.
Dumbledore nodded but he didn't look convinced. I started thinking of whether or not they told him something else or if this whole transfer was just to get rid of me. It would take some weight off their shoulders I suppose but why on earth would they put it on this mans shoulders. He looks like he'd snap in half if you so much as flicked him. I suddenly felt this wave of depression mixed with anger flow through my veins and I could hear myself shouting, "They hate me don't they!? Why else would they send me here away from everything I know!"
Dumbledore stumbled towards me cautious of my anger and fists. Not that I would ever punch the man but I could not get them out of that hold. My nails digging into my hands from the clenching was holding my temper where it was. Draco took a few steps back as if he was afraid I'd let my anger out on him.
"My dear, this transfer was out of love. I am a man of my word. I do not tell lies. It isn't in my nature." He said in a soothing tone. He walked to a small table on one side of the room that had an extremely old-fashioned tea maker on it with delicate looking china cups. He grabbed an herb from the shelf above it and mixed a few leaves into the hot water then handed me the cup. "Drink this, it helps with the tension and will calm you."
I reluctantly took it with bleeding hands and sipped on the sweet water and inhaled the bitter smell through my nose without moving the cup from my lips. I remember the smell. My mother used to make it for my dad when he would come home in one of his storm breaking tempers. I was so relaxed within 45 seconds that it felt as if my heart had sunk to the floor. I sat in the closest chair with the cup still up to my face in fear that if I pulled the essence away I would break into another outrage because I felt like I had been deceived by own blood. Something about Dumbledore quickly eased my mind thought. I could never see this man look anyone in the eyes and lie. Maybe it was out of love but I no idea what for. When I asked he only told me he would tell me if the time was right.
"That's absurd I think I should know what it is they're protecting me from."
"Can it get me too?" Draco asked. I glared at him. I wanted to hit him.
"No. It doesn't concern you at all." Albus answered shaking his head and turned his attention to me. "Vanessa, I understand you want answers but for now it may be best that I don't say anything."
Damn you damn you damn you damn you!
I couldn't express how confused I was even if I tried. I argued with him some more but he still insisted that he didn't mention anything of it and told Draco and I to go along, so, I gave up. Maybe it was best. Maybe it's also best I didn't fret about it so I did my best to push everything to the back of my mind so I could enjoy the rest of my day, off of school grounds. When we had gotten back into the corridors I noticed Draco was looking at me oddly.
"You better not get me killed." He said and took a few steps back. "I wonder if you did something to deserve it."
"Oh very nice Malfoye, I'm moved by you're consideration of my well being." I hissed.
"He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Hermione taunted as she came up behind me with Harry.
Draco grinned, "I wouldn't say that. But I especially don't care for filthy little mudbloods like you."
Hermione grimaced at the name and turned to walk away, Harry following. He warned Draco to never say it again but Draco only laughed. I sighed and gave him a look of disgust for what he had called her. I may have a fowl mouth at times but I would never call anyone a mudblood. I'm sure it stings deep.
"You know, a little compassion here and there wouldn't kill you." I said.
"To her it would. She's bloody annoying anyway." He scowled.
I rolled my eyes and walked away from him to Harry and Hermione. Fred and George met me half way with a nailed wooden box in one of their hands. They gave me a mischievous smile, "Want to see what's inside?" they chimed together.
"I don't know, do I?" I asked, looking at it suspiciously.
"You'll see later today." George replied teasingly. He practically kicked his heels in mid air with excitement and they ran ahead into another hallway.
"Is it always this suspicious here?" I asked jokingly when I had caught up to Harry. Hermione had stormed off somewhere and Harry wasn't in the mood to put up with her temper.
"Tends to be. So what happened with Snape?"
"Oh he just happened to over hear Draco & I talk about that little thing I did to him." I sighed as we walked outside to get to Hogsmeade. I didn't want to mention the conversation Dumbledore and I had about my safety. If Draco was freaked out by it then there's no need to let the whole school hear it. I don't want to be an outcast because of something that may never ever come.
"Enough said." Harry nodded.
Later that day when everyone old enough was in Hogsmeade, I had finally gotten my tour of the ancient town. Apparently it's been around since before the 1600's so almost every piece of the town had at least one thing that hasn't been renovated or replaced since it's beginning. I like it here a lot actually. George and Fred revealed the secret in the box. It was a piece of pastry that if you ate it then everyone automatically assumed that you look of drinking age. It certainly wouldn't have been my first but I wanted to wait awhile after someone else ate one to see if it had any bad side effects or just didn't work at all. I figured it would be safe this way after hearing how some of their creations had gone horribly wrong. Like that time they tried to put their names in the Goblet Of Fire. I wish I had seen that, I probably would've pee'd myself laughing.
About a half hour went by and nothing had happened until they slowly developed a pigs snout. Everyone had gotten a good laugh out of it but Professor McGonagall had to personally escort them out and back to the school grounds since they were running up behind people to scare them. I went down to the fence that keeps you from getting into the Shrieking Shack after that. It doesn't look so horrible. Just looks like a beat up old house that will collapse at any second. I was waiting for the moment to try and crawl under the fence but once again (this seems to be how people get my attention here), something grabbed me, only I didn't see anybody that could be holding me back. It scared me enough that I let out a scream but a hand clasped over my mouth. I started thinking that this is it. This is what is after me but suddenly Harry and Ron appeared from under this ugly looking robe. Out of mid bloody air.
"What the hell is wrong with people here!?" I shouted in frustration sitting on a large rock that sat at the edge of the woods. I had to sit and catch my breathe. "I hate getting snuck up on. Don't ever do that again."
"Geez. I'm sorry you usually don't mind those kind of jokes." Ron said fixing his posture.
"I'm just having a bad day."
"Did something else happen when Snape took you to Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"Snape took you to Dumbledore!? Oh no, he found out what happened didn't he?" Ron started to laugh.
"Yea he wasn't happy but no nothing else happened."
"Well what's wrong with your hands?" Ron asked as he walked over. He turned them over revealing the nail shaped cuts in the palms of my hands. "Bloody hell."
"It's nothing I was just cleaning up glass. Silly me, forgot to put something on my hands before doing so." I replied half smiling in a reassuring tone.
They both looked at me curiously like they didn't believe me but they let it go. Good. I don't have to explain anything. I really didn't want to have to. Instead we all headed back to Hogwarts. It's been a long enough day.