CHAPTER 5

Hai everybody!! Sorry this chapter is so late getting out. About a whole week. I'M SORRY!!! I really don't have an excuse… I just kind of stopped writing. Didn't feel very inspired. But I'm refreshed from a four day weekend, so I'll probably start uploading every day again, if not every other day.

Anyway, chapter 5 awaits! Enjoy!

Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed/etc.! I loves yoooouuuu!!

I used to hideaway and only try to save myself

From falling in love, or staying up on the shelf
I was afraid to walk the streets alone, or by your side
Just waiting up for something that could save my life

--Boys Like Girls

I spent the next few weeks avoiding Draco Malfoy at every possible angle. It was awkward to be around him. I didn't understand him at all. He was a living oxymoron, and I had a feeling I was one of the few who saw this other side to him.

My plan was working well until Hufflepuffs had double potions with Slytherins. I was trying to make him forget me by avoiding him. Out of sight, out of mind. But Snape paired me with Draco.

At first, we barely spoke to each other except to talk about the potion.

"Stir that three times," "put this in," or "cut these up."

Our potion suddenly turned a strange red color and started to bubble violently. It was supposed to be a simmering violet.

"What did we do wrong?!" I asked, frustrated. I consulted the book, but it didn't help. I felt like drowning myself in the depths of the cauldron.

"Who cares?" Draco asked, obviously as frustrated as I was. "I'm going to get us out of class," he decided.

"How are you going to do that?" I asked suspiciously. I know Draco was practically Snape's favorite student, but would he allow us to skip the whole class? Seemed unlikely.

Draco slid an easy smirk on his face and grinned at me. My stomach did a little flop.

"By creating a distraction, of course! Serpensortia," he said casually, pointing his wand at the floor. A large, black python slithered from its tip and onto the ground.

I stared at it wide eyed. What was Draco playing at?

The snake headed for a small Hufflepuff girl. She screamed and jumped on her chair, knocking over her cauldron in the process.

More cries of alarm erupted throughout the class as the students noticed the snake and the half-finished potion on the floor.

I rolled my eyes, angry. He was so immature.

"Make it stop!" I ordered, but that's not what came out of my mouth. Instead, a strange hissing sound came out.

I clapped my hands over my mouth and adverted my eyes from Draco, who was staring at me in shock. I looked around. Everyone was too distracted by the commotion to notice us.

Draco grabbed my hand and half pulled, half dragged me from the dungeon. Once outside the classroom, he forced his icy gaze upon me. Tingles ran up and down my spine.

"You're a Parseltongue!" he accused.

"Please, please don't tell anyone!" I begged. I didn't want anyone to find out. People wouldn't only notice me, but they would whisper behind my back and throw me dirty glances. Some teachers wouldn't treat me the same, either. They would act like I was a bomb that could go off at any moment. Only the darkest of wizards could speak Parseltongue, with the exception of Harry Potter.

Draco looked at me.

"Are you the heir of Slytherin?" he asked me seriously.

"What?! No! Of course not!" I gasped. Just because I was somehow a Parseltongue, didn't mean I was a monster that went around petrifying people.

He looked as if he didn't quite believe me, but let it drop.

"Okay, I'll keep your secret," relief flooded thorough me, "but you have to do something for me."

"Okay, fine, anything," I agreed.

"Be my friend."

That didn't sound so bad. There must be a reason for his apparent interest, and maybe I could figure it out if we were friends. Draco looked at me with such sincerity in his eyes. He honestly wanted a friend.

I accepted. A heavy feeling fell over me. It felt similar to the day I decided to explore Knockturn Alley. Like I was somehow sealing my fate. As if I made a decision between two choices and I somehow made the wrong one.

For the rest of the year, Draco attempted to get me to trust him. He was rude, cocky, and mean to everyone else, even his so-called "friends." Strangely, he was nice to me.

Mainly, he talked and I listened, which made him pretty happy. I don't think he had anyone to simply listen to him. Crabbe and Goyle were too stupid to be of any solace, and the other Slytherins would look down on him for it. They befriended him simply because of his status and money.

I think he was lonely.

My theory was that Draco put up an icy, mean front to keep people emotionally at bay.

Although, I could be wrong. I've never been a good judge of character, I thought to myself as Draco was boasting about how his father "got rid of Dumbledore."

Somehow, Dumbledore being gone didn't scare me. Yes, I wanted our headmaster back just as much as anyone else (Slytherins excluded), and I wanted the attacks to stop, but I felt like I was… safe from whatever was attacking people. The Chamber of Secrets didn't threaten me.

The school year ended with quite a bang. Ginny Weasley was taken to the chamber, Dumbledore returned, the school was going to be evacuated, Harry Potter saved the Weasley girl, school was back on, Professor Lockhart lost his memory, and (much to everyone's delight) exams were cancelled.

I somehow felt… numb to everything, like it didn't effect me. Sometimes I poked myself to make sure I was still there.

Is there something wrong with me? I asked myself that more than once.

I sat by myself on the train ride home. I didn't like being around Draco when his friends were there. They tend to glare at me, when they noticed me, anyway. The Slytherin girls were especially venomous.

I was sad to leave Hogwarts, but a little excited. I wasn't going to spend a minute in that wretched orphanage this summer. I would be spending it working at Borgin & Burkes.

When we got off the train I saw Draco greet his mother. He looked up and saw me. He said something to his mom and ran over.

"Well, I guess… Um, goodbye," I stammered.

"I'll see you this summer," Draco laughed. I liked his laugh. He didn't genuinely laugh often enough.

"You are?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah! You're working at Borgin & Burkes, right?"

I nodded.

"I'll come visit you through the Floo Network," he explained.

That made me even more excited, if that was possible. I said goodbye to Draco and looked for the muggle taxi Burke had sent for me. The cab driver eyed my luggage and clothing suspiciously.

I didn't care. I was going to have the best summer ever.