Chapter 11
Trinity wasn't going to leave the library until just after curfew, that way, all of the students would be in their dorms and she wouldn't have to worry about overhearing anyone's conversations. She fixed her eyes on her textbook, why couldn't she understand any of it?
Tempted to throw the textbook at the person walking towards her, Trinity stopped - the book raised above her head. Malfoy looked down at her on the floor - the dried tear stains on her cheeks - and pulled out a chair, sitting backwards on it with his arms resting across the arch of wood at the back. He sat there and looked at her, scrutinizing her.
"Can you stop watching me, please?" She asked in a small voice, trying to seem as though she understood the words in the book.
"Come and sit on a chair." He said, "do you know how much dust the floor's collected over these hundereds of years?" Trinity shrugged, keeping her eyes on the textbook.
Draco sighed and cleared his throat, "Professor Snape's looking for you." Trinity sunk lower behind her book. Whenever Snape looked for her it was to tell her that her Uncle wanted to speak with her. She ignored Draco.
"Did you hear me?" He asked, his voice rising slightly. "Snape's looking for you."
"I heard you." She whispered back. The door opened slowly and the Dark Arts Professor walked into the library, his head turned left and right, looking for the young Gryffindor. Trinity crawled towards Draco, "hide me." She whispered. "Please!"
"What's wrong with Snape?"
"He only looks for me if my Uncle wants to see me." She whispered, "and I don't want to see my Uncle."
Draco sighed and stood up before grabbing Trinity by the elbow, "cover your face with the book." He said, "pretend you're reading. Like you were doing five seconds ago." As the grumpy Professor walked away from the door and towards the isle of bookcases at the back of the library, Draco led Trinity out of the library doors and along the corridor. "You can put the book down now." He stated, smirking.
As Trinity lowered the textbook, Draco leant towards her, "where's my thanks?" He asked. Trinity felt butterlies fluttering in her stomach and knew her face was pink. But she didn't care, she went up on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his gently before pulling away slowly.
"Thank you."
Draco cleared his throat, "I should help you out more often." He smirked. "Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"
She shrugged, "Probably not. Kim and I were planning to catch up in the library. Crowds aren't really our thing."
Draco nodded before turning down the corridor towards the Slytherin dorm. Trinity made sure Professor Snape wasn't in any other the corridors as she crept back to the Gryffindor common room, moving past the party and up to her own dorm room.
She knew Professor Snape would go and look for her at dinner, so she decided to skip it - not even bothering to go with Ron, Ginny and George. Trinity pulled Ron's Herbology questionnaire out of her bag and flicked her wand over both pieces of parchment, and then gramatically checked her copied work.
Herbology work now done, Trinity started her Dark Arts homework. She answered various questions about counter spells and such before moving onto her Charms essay. Trinity went into great detail about the hot air charm and once her four pages were complete, she sat and read her Potions textbook - trying to drum information into her head. She wanted to make her Uncle proud of her and she believed she wouldn't be so afraid of him if he was.
Ginny knocked and stepped into Trinity's dorm room, finally washed and changed from Quidditch. "Are you coming down to dinner with us?"
Trinity shook her head, "Ginny? If Professor Snape asks if you've seen me...would you lie for me?" The Weasley nodded, "I don't want to get you into trouble though."
"It's fine." Ginny smiled, "see you later, alright?" Trinity nodded eagerly and once Ginny left the dormroom, Trinity went back to her textbook.
Sunday arrived quicker than Trinity had anticipated, and after next week, it would be the Christmas holidays, where the majority of students (including the Weasleys and Kimberly) would be going home to their family's for two weeks. Once they returned, the dorms would change for George, Kimberly and the rest of the twenty year olds for their final year at Hogwarts.
Ron, Ginny and George ran outside in their Gryffindor coloured scarves and hats, Mrs Weasley's last year Christmas jumpers pulled lazily over their heads.
They started a snowball fight, both George and Ron aiming for their little sister. Trinity sat on the wall watching them from the other side of the courtyard. She had to admit she wasn't into snowball fights, or any kind of weather games at all. She used to jump in puddles when she was younger, but then she moved to live with the Dark Lord. He'd raised her from when she was two years old as her mother - Jodeyne Riddle, had died of an unknown wizards' disease.
Voldermort taught her basic spells when she was seven years old, and had brought her the corkscrew wand for her eighth birthday. As soon as she turned ten, she heard about how evil he really was. About how he had killed the parents of Harry Potter who was only her age.
When she turned eleven, she met Kimberly, and by the age of twelve, both girls' were good friends and were being taught Charms and Dark Arts by the Deatheaters.
A snowball hit Trinity in the middle of her face, and the shock caused her to stop breathing for a few seconds.
"George!" She cried out, wiping the cold snow off her face. She jumped down from the wall and crossed her arms before heading back inside.
"Lighten up, Trinity!" He called in defence, "it's just a bit of fun!" He was suddenly distracted, however, when Ginny and Ron put a handful of snow down the back of his shirt. "Cold!" He yelled, painfully loud.
Trinity stomped back to the Gryffindor common room, avoiding Snape like the plague. She shivered when her wet scarf touched her neck and took it off - deciding to carry it.
Draco walked with Blaize towards Hogsmeade, Crabbe and Goyle moped along behind them and Pansy Parkinson had decided to take up residence by clinging onto Draco's arm. The platinum blonde sighed, he didn't have time for her little games. Why didn't she understand that it was just sex?
"...I might get another skirt - what do you think Drakey? And some hair straightners - will my hair look alright straightened, Drakey? Oh! I should get red lipstick shouldn't I? You like red don't you Drakey?" Malfoy shook his head. "No? Me neither, I mean, red is such a tarty colour nowadays, I mean, speaking of red - look at the Gryffindor girls! Their skirts are getting shorter every year!" She laughed at her own joke. The high, snorting noise made Draco grind his teeth together and clench his fists.
Pansy began to pet his arm, her soft hands running along his biscep and down to the crook of his elbow. She knew better than to touch his forearm, apart from the fact that the Dark Mark scared the crap out of her, Draco had her by the throat at one point, growling at her not to touch it ever again.
He walked past Slug and Jiggers Apothecary and smirked, being Trinity's tutor meant that he could make whatever Potions he decided. Perhaps Amortentia?
"I'm going in here." Blaize stated, heading into the Potions shop.
"Do you want me to come with you Blaize?" Pansy batted her eyelids.
"We'll all go." Draco stated, walking towards the shop. Once outside, he turned around and glared at Crabbe and Goyle. "Not you two." He stated, "You'll only knock something over. Go to The Three Broomsticks."
Blaize, Pansy and Draco stepped into the Potions shop and scoured the room. "Look for the ingredients, Pansy." Blaize whispered to the Slytherin girl once Draco reached the other side of the shop, gathering the necessary ingredients he needed.
The Weasleys' avoided the boarded up shop. They didn't even look in it's direction. The sign hanging off the front 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' was too much, especially for George. They stepped into Honeyduke's sweet shop and gaped at the new produce. Chocolate Caramel Frogs were now available, and Berty Botts every flavour beans' could now be bought in individual boxes.
Ginny picked up a box of strawberry flavoured Bertie Botts and some Treacle Fudge, whilst George opted for the Chocolate Caramel frogs. Ron, on the other hand, had gone straight over to the Jelly Snakes and picked up one of each flavour.
After they had paid, the Weasley's stepped into The Three Broomsticks and sat at one of the free tables, ordering three butterbeers as they did so.
"Dean and I are going to eat dinner together later." Ginny informed her brothers, "just incase you wondered why I won't be sitting with you."
Ron waved and shrugged, "well, I'm not eating with Lavender, so...you're not allowed to eat with Dean." He placed his mug of butterbeer back on the desk after he took a swig.
"Give her some freedom." George stated. "It's dinner. What's the worst that can happen?"
"They could go back to the common room together and...I don't know, work on homework together?"
George chuckled and cleared his throat as he turned to face his little sister. "Ron's right, Ginny. I forbid you to do your homework with Dean." Ginny glared at her brothers as she took another sip of butterbeer.
Lord Voldermort sat on his chair in his office. He knew Draco was at Hogsmeade with Parkinson and the rest of his 'friends', and he knew that Trinity wouldn't be with him. The Weasley's, he noted had also gone to Hogsmeade without his niece. The Dark Lord knew that Trinity wasn't friends with anyone else apart from Kimberly and Voldermort knew the Lestrange girl was moping in her dorm room.
It was beyond him as to where his niece was, and he needed to discuss something with her. He'd sent Professor Snape on an errand to find her the day before, and Voldermort had still not heard the Gryffindor tap on his door.
Trinity had read Potions in the library for over an hour, and there was still no sign of Kimberly. She put her books away and got to her feet, shouldering the bag as she left the library to head back to the Common room.
Sighing, Trinity knew she should've gone to Hogsmeade with the Weasleys'. At least she'd finished all her homework ready for the upcoming week, except the extra Potions work. She stepped into the common room to find it unusually empty. Of course, she knew the majority of students' had gone to Hogsmeade for the day, but Trinity had never been in the common room without one or two students dotting the place. It was great.
A smile broke out on the Gryffindor's face and she jumped onto the sofa, happy and alone. Trinity took the Potions textbook back out of her bag and continued to read words she didn't understand. It didn't matter if she didn't understand them though, did it? She could just try to memorise some of the things, hopefully enough to boost her grade. Just when she had finished the same chapter for the third time that day, the portrait swung open and the Weasley's appeared.
"Hello," Trinity greeted them, closing her textbook. They returned her smile and sat around the lounge area with her. Ginny showed her the box of Treacle Fudge she had bought, and Trinity smiled, "can I have one, please?"
Ginny laughed, "they're for you, idiot! I know they're your favourites."
Trinity smiled gratefully, "Thank you, that was sweet of you to think of me."
"Are you going to Hogsmeade next week?" Ron asked, "because you pay less galleons so close to Christmas."
Trinity nodded, "that's good. I want to get you guys something for Christmas and I have to get my Uncle something aswell. What do you guys want?"
"Jelly Snakes!" Ron pumped his fist into the air.
George shook his head, "you don't need anymore sweets, Ronald." He chuckled, turning to face Trinity, "he needs a scarf." He pulled the hat off his own head and showed Trinity the hole. "A new hat please."
"I'd like either a hairbrush, or a mirror." Ginny smiled, "what about you?"
"Just being your friend is enough." Trinity nodded her head. "I've never had any friends before - apart from Kim but...you know what I mean?"
"We'll get you something." George smiled at her, "although being friends with us is the greatest gift you can possibly ever have..." They all chuckled and ate their sweets.
Draco didn't understand why Blaize had become so close to Pansy recently. At the moment, they were gossiping about something and pointing out different ingredients in the Potions shop.
"What're you doing?" Malfoy called over to them.
Blaize shrugged, "just looking for bicorn horn." He replied, keeping his eyes on the shelves infront of him.
"And leeches." Pansy added.
"The leeches are over there," Draco pointed to the fireplace. "Ontop of the mantle, bicorn horn is over here."
Draco eyed the ingredients in Blaize's basket. There were quite a few items, including: knotgrass, fluxweed and lacewing flies. The platinum blonde frowned, Blaize and Pansy were up to something, he knew it.
As he paid for his Amortenia ingredients, Draco left Pansy and Blaize in the Potions shop and headed over to The Three Broomsticks for a pint of butterbeer.
Pansy and Blaize soon joined Draco, Crabbe and Goyle in the pub, and after a quick butterbeer, the Slytherins decided to go back to Hogwarts. The walk back was cold and snowy, they walked with caution before remembering that they could apparate inside Hogwarts grounds now that the Dark Lord was the headmaster. Draco placed his hand on Blaize's shoulder.
"Form a line, I'm apparating." He said.
Pansy groaned when she had to take hold of Crabbe, but did so anyway, promising herself that she would scrub her hands once returning to the dorm rooms. Draco apparated them all into Hogwarts' courtyard area, beside the fountain. He then excused himself from the others and told them not to follow him. He was going to find his Gryffindor mate and make the Amortentia potion. He only wanted to know what her three scents were, and to see if his had changed, of course, being Draco Malfoy, he was still going to smell His shampoo, His clothes and of course, something floral and feminine to resemble girls.
He stopped Ron just before he stepped into the library, "Wealseby!" Draco sneered. "Where's your girlfriend?"
"Oh, you're looking for Trinity?" Ron smirked, stopping to turn around. "My girlfriend's right here." He grabbed the back of someone's robes and pulled them out of the library doorway. Trinity stumbled backwards, her raven hair falling over her shoulders'.
"Come on, Riddle. I'm going to show you how to make another potion, now you'll be able to finish your extra assignment from Slughorn." He smirked. "You don't mind me borrowing her, do you Weasleby?"
"Are you asking for my permission?" Ron asked.
Draco scoffed, "permission! I'm taking her anyway." He grabbed hold of the girls wrist and pulled her down the corridor and towards Professor Slughorn's Potions room. "He said we could use his room." Draco stated, pushing open the door and walking inside.
Trinity followed and closed the door behind her quietly. She walked over to the desk where Draco was pulling ingredients out of a cauldron, "what're we making?" She asked.
"Amortentia." Draco smirked and glanced at her, Trinity shook her head. "The Love Potion, it makes you smell the things you love the most." Draco went back to setting up his things. "But, if I gave it to you-" he began, looking up at her and holding her gaze. "-you would fall head over heels for me." Trinity blushed and cast her eyes back to what he was doing. "More than you already are." Her blush deepened, "don't feel bad that I know, Riddle. I mean - everybody loves me. I'm Malfoy." He sent a wink in her direction before picking up the knife and drawing his wand. "Now watch." He stated.
First, Draco powdered three pink Butterfly Wings using a mortar and pestle. He then added two drops of Unicorn Tears and then poured in some Giant Bee Honey. Draco cast his wand on the wooden spoon and it began to mix the potion anti-clockwise.
He leant on the two back legs of his chair and waited until the potion turned a dark pink before setting back to work. He chopped lovage grass and sprinkled it over the top of the potion before dropping in one Ashwinder Egg.
The potion began to bubble, and Draco cast his wand so the spoon changed direction and was spinning clockwise. The liquid soon turned a bright pearly pink, and Draco took the spoon out of the cauldron.
"What smells do you get from the potion?" Draco asked.
Trinity sat silently for a while, "Treacle Fudge."
Draco nodded, accepting this new information, "anything else?"
"Dancing Daisies." A ghost of a smile appeared on her face.
"Plain and common." Draco mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Anything else?"
Trinity nodded and frowned, "yeah...but I don't know what it is." She replied.
Draco smirked slightly, "describe it."
"It's like...I don't know." She leant back in her seat. "What do you smell?"
Draco turned his eyes back onto the cauldron, "the Slytherin common room, broomstick wood and your perfume."
Malfoy smirked as he watched the blush creeping onto Trinity's face, "I had to get incredibly close to smell it on you." He whispered.
Trinity's blush deepend, "it's jasmine." She replied.
Draco smirked again, "jasmine." He murmured, his steel grey eyes locking onto her lips. He snapped himself out of his daze and shook his head, "get out the second Potion assignment. We might aswell do it now."
As soon as the assignment was completed and Trinity and Draco had cleaned up, they walked out of the classroom and along the corridor. "Thank you." Trinity said, "for helping me again."
Draco smirked and leant closer to her, pointing to his lips, "before I go." He said, standing still and waiting for her.
Trinity stood on her tiptoes to lightly kiss his lips and as they parted ways, Trinity failed to see Draco slipping a vial of pink liquid into his pocket.
Thank you to my lovely reviewers and alerters :) I promise you the next few chapters will become more interesting :) Review please, and I'll update quicker! x