"We're not going to be able to meet again, Lestrange. Might as well make the most of it"
If you already know that….why did you do such a stupid thing?
Remind me the reason I ever crossed paths with an idiot like you…
..I never thought owing you would lead to this…a person should settle his debts in time…guess I wasted too much.
…Why do things like this happen without me ever getting any wiser…Aunt was right, I totally don't keep aware of my surroundings. It's so easy to trick me….
I wonder if I am being tricked even now….
Why do I feel like crying every time I think that….gosh! Grow up Jade….
"Lestrange, your face is really pale. Are you sure you do not want to go to Madam Pomfrey, dear?" The Herbology Professor asked as she sidled over to where Jade was trying to stretch on her gloves but kept missing her hand.
Startled, Jade shook her head and tried to give the teacher a reassuring smile, a slight pink color tinting her cheeks; not trusting her voice to help her in this kind of situation. Professor Sprout's worried expression did not change. The Head Girl turned her head away hoping the teacher would leave her after a while of ignorance over the din of the whole class.
That had been a bad idea.
She winced when she found most of the others ogling at her with incredulous and confused expressions, which only made her face darken more. Unable to bear their gazes anymore, Jade whipped her head down towards her bulbous parsnip that had silver, elongated spires propagating out from crucial intervals of the dark green and otherwise soft plant. Jade stared at the specimen for a full minute, until she realized she was wasting her time.
Ugh…I can't even remember what to do…
She took a quick glance towards the vine-covered black board, reading the instructions once again over the top of Professor Sprout's hat. Without wasting a second she wore her netted cap and (finally) stretched on her protective dragon-hide gloves. One of her hands held a metal can, which she shook vigorously before placing a nose pin on her nose and spraying it all over the plant.
First put the parsnip to sleep with concentrated paralyzing potion….
She recited every instruction in her mind as the air around her turned a sickly olive.
After heartily squirting the tonic on the plant, Jade saw its effect taking place as the glistening spires retreated inside its flesh leaving gaping holes behind, while the previously smooth top of the parsnip gushed out a large fountain of greyish-silver liquid which ran down its sides and splattered against Jade.
Twisting her mouth in disgust, Jade took out her wand and did a quick cleaning spell, scrunching up her nose at the rancid smell like that of rotting meat.
I can't believe I forgot casting a barrier beforehand…..
She frowned and rubbed her forehead, feeling annoyed at her foolishness as she waited for the flow of liquid to stop.
Once the stream discontinues, reinforce the dragon-hide gloves with a protective charm and take out the parsnip seed from its poisonous depths…
"Lestrange! Where is your concentration? I told you to collect some of the parsnip sap. It's very beneficial for magical burns and very rare!" Jade jumped as Professor Sprout's voice rang out to her.
Jade twisted her spoon in the cold broth; she had been ravenous an hour ago but her appetite had vanished after the disastrous Herbology period. The Head Girl had barely escaped without having detention and had to take another scolding for leaving the pus unchecked without a tray, which had resulted in a total mess on Jade's table and underneath it. It had only been pure luck that Professor Flitwick had come late to class, so she had avoided another rebuking, despite staying back to clean the pus.
It really takes next to nothing to unhinge me…
Everyone was so astonished to see me like this.
..As expected…I can't afford to be careless.
Her hand resting on the table tightened into a fist, but her brooding expression did not change. If there was one advantage of not having any friends, was that she was always left free to clear her head at times like this.
Somebody as weak as me…couldn't possibly be welcomed…..couldn't possibly accomplish…
No.
Too much is at stake for me to fall back now….and only because of-of
There was a clatter as Jade threw her spoon on the table and with a frustrated sigh got up scowling, leaving her uneaten broth, much to the stares of the surrounding students who had stiffened at her action like a child would in anticipation of a slap from his mother.
It's not true….nobody shall play with me. Not so easily.
George Weasley watched her figure stalk out of the room with an aura so terrifying he saw Nearly Headless Nick cringe as he floated past her.
Angry much huh, Head Girl?
He switched his gaze to the antique watch on his wrist; a present from his seventeenth birthday.
Twenty minutes till the end of lunch….
"Hey! I am done so I am going for a walk in the grounds for a while." He announced to his group of friends.
Fred paused in his conversation to Angelina and gave him a swift, knowing look. George noticed a hint of warning in his twin's eyes as well, before he stared sauntering towards the entrance of the Great Hall. Unfortunately, Fred had coaxed out all information out of him after that day at Hogsmeade. After a thorough exchange of insults and threats about the most embarrassing of pranks, George had finally told him that he had kissed the Slytherin after being presaged about doing nothing impulsively. It had taken a long while for George to convince a narrow-eyed Fred that he was seriously not regretting his actions.
Sometimes his twin was more difficult than women.
George connected this change with the time when he and Angelina got together. Being in the same year and Quidditch team; Fred and Angelina had immediately developed a liking for each other until unknowingly romantic feelings began to bloom in them. George wasn't sure when (nor did he want to ask) they realized it. On mere whim he decided it was after the night of Yule Ball, when they had decided at first to only go as friends, except that night Fred hadn't returned to his dormitory and was not meeting George's eyes the next day.
The red-head smirked at the memory.
Though…I think I am coming to understand how you feel twin-
"…You do realize you position don't you? To think that one of my own would be the result of my downfall-"
George froze in his tracks.
That voice had been familiar, but not at all pleasant to hear. He turned his head sideways to the closed classroom door on his right, a murmur of voices coming from inside.
Jade looked down at her trembling knees. She could feel her Uncle's steely grey eyes boring into the back of her head. Was it really going to end like this? All she had worked for destroyed before the very time it would bear fruit. Her lip trembled; this scene was exactly same as the nightmares that sometimes plagued her sleep. The Head Girl could feel nervousness and fear envelop her like ice, making it impossible to move or think. There was only one choice left, to be impulsive and say everything that comes to her mouth or sit quiet and wait as a daunting fate was decided for her.
No..!
"You are mistaken, sir-I-I mean the truth is different!-" Jade spurted, jerking her face up to her Uncle.
"-Don't raise your voice when talking to me, Jade"
"My apologies…but please, try to understand-" Her voice was shaking.
"-and what exactly should I be understanding?" an enraged voice interrupted her and Jade jumped, "That my niece has deemed prudent to trample all our past traditions! To undermine pure-blood status! To lower ourselves to their level! In other words, you are proving your inability to represent our family to the world."
I knew it…
There was a small, tense pause in which Jade lowered her gaze from her Uncle's face again, this time her expression hidden by her black bangs. She was not trembling anymore, but her heartbeat thundered as if she had just done a sprint along the Quidditch Pitch.
It's always so easy to break me…no matter what I do I can't win against fate….
Yet I refuse to surrender….Not until I use every ounce of strength I have.
Yeah, whatever the result; I just don't want to have any regrets.
Taking a deep breath Jade slowly lifted her eyes to her Uncle's. Draco had once told her that her irises turned silvery grey when she was angry even though they were naturally black. She did not believe him at the time, but her Uncle's sudden expression change made her think this might be one of those occasions. In a voice laced with determination, Jade spoke, thinking of nothing but to have her way this time.
"Please do not think like that. If you give me a second chance, I promise-no I assure you that you will not be disappointed. You cannot think of taking me away at this crucial period of my education, it won't do any good to-"
"-Do not tell me what is beneficial for me and what is not, Jade. You are still a child and do not know the real pattern of the world. For a girl like you, it would certainly be better to be tucked away behind walls. That would be better for all of us."
Jade tried not to cringe at his biting retort but pressed on.
"Maybe, but there's only a little time left already-"
He held up a hand to silence her.
Jade's heart skipped a beat.
"I am not unjust, so I have decided to give you a second chance." He said, arrogance dripping from his tone but Jade was too relieved to notice, "but remember, if you disappoint me this time, the consequences will be far greater." His thin lips curved into a sadistic smirk and he almost whispered the next sentence, "Prove yourself to me, Jade."
Jade's eyes did not waver. This was a challenge she had gotten many a times before from him and never had she been able to get to his expectations.
But don't worry Uncle, this time I shall go beyond them.
"I will."
George was a bit surprised at the tone of voice. He had thought it would be laced with relief and gratitude, but he only picked up a steely determination and the same uneasy feeling that Jade was thinking of something no one else was aware of.
He heard footsteps coming towards the door and jumped; his eyes darting for some kind of escape, but the class room had been in the very middle of the corridor and the only way George could have hidden was behind a suit of armor and even that would have been possible if he had the body of a first year (he had already done that back then, of course). As the dreaded footsteps reached the door, George straightened up and faced it with a serious expression on his face, bracing himself.
There can't be anything done now…nor am I afraid of that coward.
He quickly looked and saw Jade's somber eyes widen in astonishment as she beheld him, before his gaze turned to the taller, scowling figure in front of him. Lucius Malfoy appeared as well-dressed and opulent as ever, with the same haughty features and sneering expression; identical to that of his son. He held a long polished cane in his hand, which had a top the likeness of a snake's head, crafted in silver. George noticed a glowing diamond resting between the serpent's fangs.
Lucius Malfoy's mouth twisted into a smirk.
"Ah…what an interesting coincidence, don't you think, Jade?"
Jade stiffened at the sudden mention towards her, yet she did not look at Lucius. Her face looked increasingly troubled right now as if her hard-earned victory was slipping away.
George realized he was the reason.
A stressed quiet settled between the three, in which George glared at Malfoy, who returned it with a scornful gaze of his own; while Jade hung her head down waiting and hoping for the situation to end yet surrendering for the worst. Until annoyance made Lucius raise his eyebrow and click his tongue before bringing his hand to rest on Jade's head.
"Mr. Weasley, do you have any business with us?" he asked before chuckling, "oh wait, what am I saying? Our living is not going down the hill for us to deal with you."
The red-head narrowed his eyes, feeling rage sparking inside him, but he kept a straight face. He knew what Lucius was trying to do. Insulting George and his family was typical, but he also wanted to show that Jade didn't care about him one way or another, because Malfoy was under the impression that his controlled niece would laugh and sneer together with him. It was clear by the possessive way Lucius held her that he meant to imply that Jade belonged with him and no amount of effort from the red-head would beguile her. George was busier anticipating how she would react. He wanted to know too.
Please show me if I am really your friend…
But the said person seemed to be lost in her own turmoil, her body tightened in a manner that she was about to run. George pursed his lips in disappointment.
I had thought you weren't a coward.
His eyes flitted back to Malfoy's haughty face, thinking of a final damaging remark to give him, trying to lessen the abrupt amount of hurt he was feeling.
Before he could say anything he found out that he hadn't suffered enough.
"Jade," Malfoy said silkily, softly brushing Jade's hair, "Would you like to say something to Mr. Weasley here?"
I see…so this is how it ends.
I don't think Fred knew 'consequences' meant this.
Jade's expression was concealed from him by a shadow, so he could only wait. The slightly pale face of the Slytherin finally looked up, her eyes locking with his.
He almost took a step back from her.
So this was the demon Head Girl.
In his opinion, her silence was deadlier than when she shouted herself hoarse. Jade looked like she was ready to put everything on the line. Those eyes weren't cruel, rather they glowed with determination. They clearly said not to get in her way, but they did not show hatred or contempt, for the matter. She gave him a light smile one gives when they are about to lose everything and don't care about it.
He realized just in time.
"I don't really care what the Head Girl has to say to me. I just came to tell her that Professor Sprout was calling her to the greenhouses. I'll be going then." He announced to them in an indifferent tone, though he was barely controlling a relieved sigh. With that, he gave one menacing glare to Lucius; satisfied at the latter's dumbfounded expression and pranced off back in the direction of the Great Hall; a smile gracing his features as soon as he turned his back.