Chapter 21
As no more useful information was found during their search in the library, Ginny, George, Kimberly, Ron and Trinity would meet at Hagrids' Hut with Draco after dinner in the Great Hall. It wouldn't be a problem finding Pip seeing at the Kneazle had followed Trinity around all day.
"Would it be easier just to go on Saturday?" George asked, "after the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin?"
"Or on Sunday instead of going to Hogsmeade?" Kimberly stated.
"How can you think of missing Hogsmeade?" Ginny replied, astounded. "I think we should go today."
Trinity nodded in agreement, "if you guys don't want to come then I'll understand. It doesn't really matter as long as I have one person at least...hopefully someone who can apparate in and out of Aragog's lair."
"Like Malfoy?" Ron suggested, chuckling at the blush that swept across Trinity's face. "We're going this way." Ron began walking down a different corridor, "we have Astronomy...and I hope the time flies by."
The lesson didn't fly by. Much to the two Gryffindor's dismay. It was slow and boring. Professor Sinistra spoke monotonely and slow which bored the students to no end. Eventually, the class was dismissed and both Trinity and Ron practically ran to the Great Hall, and as soon as Ron sat down on the bench, he began piling food onto his plate. Chicken, potatoes, carrots, gravy, sausages, a spoonful or two of shepards pie and some peas. Ron rubbed his hands together before digging in.
"Slow down, Ronald." George stated, chuckling. "Savour the taste!"
"I'm hungry!" The middle Weasley replied. "If we're going into these woods, to find that spider...I want to have one last meal before I die."
"Exactly." George replied, "savour it."
Unfortunately for Ron, dinner went by quickly, and he soon found himself walking with Ginny, George and Trinity towards Hagrids' Hut - following Pip. Draco and Kimberly were waiting for them, their wands already lit.
"Pip!" Trinity called, "slow down!" The Kneazle had already disappeared into the trees.
"I guess that's what you get for ignoring your pet all day." Kimberly stated, linking arms with George as they all stepped into the forest. The four Gryffindors lit up their wands and it wasn't long until Hogwarts was out of sight. The atmosphere was the same as it had been every other time Trinity had been in the Forbidden Forest. But it was even more scary without Hagrid close by for reassurance.
She stepped into stride between Ron and Draco, "Pip?" She whispered, coming to a stop. "Merlin!" She whispered, panicking. "I've lost my Kneazle!" She grabbed Ron's arm, "what if Aragog's eaten him?"
"Calm down," Ron whispered back.
"And stop moaning." Draco added, shining the light from his wand around the foliage, pretending to look for the cat when he was really making sure no goblins or werewolves were following them.
"Meow." Trinity and Kimberly screamed - causing Draco, Ron, Ginny and George to jump. Pip looked up at the raven haired Gryffindor with amusement filled eyes. Once he made sure everyone was looking at him, he bounded off along the path. Trinity breathed deeply, in an attempt to slow her frantic heartbeats. Draco grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her along as everyone began following the Kneazle. "You know," Ron began. "I think this was a bad idea." He whimpered and pointed to a line of spiders heading in the same direction as them. As they came to the entrance of Aragog's lair, Trinity grabbed hold of Draco's arm as she followed Pip into the cave.
"Why am I a Gryffindor?" Trinity whispered. "Why, why, why?"
"I'm thinking the exact same thing." Draco replied, "I have more courage than you do."
They all stepped warily into the lair, walking slowly and silently furthur and furthur towards the hill. Ron whimpered, "I swore to myself I'd never come back here. Where's the flying car when you need it?"
Two huge hairy legs appeared at the top of the hill, followed by the body of the ginormous spider. "You again?" Nobody knew if Aragog was referring to Trinity and Draco or Ron, but they daren't ask. "Why have you returned?" Draco placed a hand on Trinity's waist and pried her off of him before pushing her fowards.
"Umm..." She said, frightened beyond belief. Pip edged towards the spider and the great beast looked down at the Kneazle.
"That thing..." he seemed confused by the cat. "Is not afraid? It's back after that bit of paper..." Aragog raised one hairy leg as if to stamp on the cat. Trinity unfroze and ran foward, snatching Pip up in her arms.
Trinity was so close to the spider she could see each hair on it's leg. "Please can I have that piece of paper?" She squeaked, her eyes closing tightly.
Aragog breathed deeply before tapping his leg on the floor infront of the Gryffindor. "Such courage to stand here and ask for something that I have been sworn to protect."
She kept her eyes tightly closed and swallowed her nerves, but couldn't stop herself from shaking, "I know...but I really need it."
"What is your name, young Gryffindor?" The spider asked. Trinity answered so quietly she almost didn't hear her own voice. "Riddle? Did you say?" Aragog asked again, Trinity nodded. "Hmm...why might you be asking for the Potter's family tree?"
"Potter!" Draco exclaimed. Kimberly clamped her hand over the Slytherin's mouth.
"Because I believe my father is someone else." Trinity swallowed, keeping her eyes tightly shut.
"What makes you think this?"
"Trin..." Ron whimpered. "We have to go...now!" He squeaked.
"My family speaks Parseltounge...and I speak Dracore..." She felt something wrapping around her legs, but didn't dare open her eyes to find out what it was. It was cold, sticky and slimy. "I need the paper...please...I'll bring it back when I'm done."
Trinity opened her eyes a crack, to see the ripped page of the book tied onto one of Aragog's legs. She went to reach out for it...but her hand's didn't register to her mind. She looked down to see that she was trapped in Aragog's web. She started to hyperventilate and struggled against the thin, strong, silky confinements. She screamed and fell to the floor.
"Avis Oppungo!" Kimberly shouted, pointing her wand at Aragog. A flock of birds appeared out of the end of her wand. They headed straight for the spider and attempted to attack him.
"Serponsentia!" A snake appeared on the ground infront of Draco, and the Slytherin pointed his wand at the small creature, "Engorgio." He muttered afterwards. A smirk crossed his face when the snake grew to the size of a Basalisk. "Imperio..." The snake - now under Draco's command, slithered towards Aragog and towered over the spider. The serpent hissed and bared it's huge white fangs before striking. As Aragog and the Snake were locked in combat, Ron and Ginny ran fowards to free Trinity from her webbed confinements. "The page is tied to his leg!" She exclaimed.
"I'm on it!" Kimberly exclaimed, she pointed her wand at Aragog's leg before a silver light shot out the end. The piece of parchment floated to the floor. "Accio!" Kimberly caught the page once it reached her. "I got it!" She yelled, "let's go!"
Draco released the snake from the Imperious Curse before grabbing hold of Kimberly. Everyone formed a line before apparating outside of Hagrids' Hut, landing in a heap. Draco had, unfortuantely landed on the bottom and Ginny had, fortunately landed on the top.
Everyone got to their feet quickly and dusted themselves off. "Where's Pip?" Ron asked.
"I've got him." Trinity replied, her voice shaking. She held the Kneazle in her arms, "he's unconcious. He must've suffocated from the web." Tears dripped down from her cheeks as she cradled the cat in her arms. "Is everyone okay?" She asked, everyone nodded, and Trinity's gaze rested on the youngest Weasley. "Ginny? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Her voice sounded distant. George put his arm around his sister, "you're pale." He stated. George looked down at her leg - she wasn't putting all of her weight on it. "We're you bitten?" He asked.
Ginny turned her leg to the side and gasped, "I think so." She stated. Kimberly knealt down infront of the youngest Weasley and drew her wand. "Episkey." She murmured. The glisten of blood on Ginny's leg disappeared as the wound healed over.
"Thank you." Ginny and George smiled at Kimberly as the Slytherin straightened up to a standing position.
"What's the time?" Kimberly asked, "perhaps we can go to the library and put this page back in the book?"
"It's just after curfew." Draco stated, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Thank you for coming with me." Trinity stated to everyone, getting to her feet with a slight wobble. "It really meant a lot to me."
"That's alright." Kimberly pulled the Gryffindor into a hug, "you look like you could use some firewhiskey. What was in that web? You're shaking like a leaf."
Trinity shrugged, "I'm sure I just need some sleep."
"I'm going to take Ginny back to the Common Room." George stated, "she's looking a little peaky."
"I might aswell come too." Ron stated, walking with his siblings towards the school. "You coming, Trin?" He asked, stopping to turn around.
"I'll be up later." She replied, cradling Pip in her arms. She walked up to Draco and met his eyes with hers, holding them for a second before she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips. It was only a small kiss, but it had so much meaning. "Thank you for saving my life...again." Draco smirked before moving a strand of dark hair out of her face. He leant closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Just call me Prince Charming." He placed a small kiss on her cheek before turning around and heading inside the school. "Are you coming, Kim?" He called, not bothering to turn around.
"Night, Trin." Kim gave the Gryffindor another hug, slipping the missing page into the raven haired girls pocket before jogging to catch up with her cousin. Trinity turned to Hagrids' Hut, hoping that he wouldn't mind her coming to see him so late in the evening. She gently knocked on the door and was greeted with a confused, yet warm smile.
"Good evening, Trinity."
She smiled weakly in response, "Hagrid, I need your help." She held her arms out with the cradled Pip in them. "He's unconcious."
The giant gasped, "come inside, and I'll make you a nice cup of tea."
The warmth of the fire was soothing and homely. The tea in her hands tasted sweet and smelled like...well, tea. Pip looked cosy and warm in the basket of blankets beside Fang, and as the giant listened to the story about the trip Trinity had taken into the Forbidden Forest with Kimberly, Draco and the Weasley's, the Kneazle slowly woke up, giving a soft meow as he did so.
"Here you go, little fella." Hagrid placed a small bowl of dog food infront of the cat, who gratefully accepted the meal. "I've never known a Kneazle to be as brave as this one. Normally they keep their owners away from danger."
"Well, he's a curious little one." Trinity gently petted Pip lovingly.
"Well," Hagrid chuckled, "either that or he's got a very curious owner."
"We managed to get the missing page of the book." Trinity stated, changing the topic.
"A very curious owner indeed." Hagrid mumbled. "So, do you know who your father is then?"
Trinity shook her head, "I haven't looked yet."
"Do you want to do it now? I know it's none of my buisness, but I am pretty curious myself, you know." He chuckled and waited patiently for the raven haired Gryffindor to pull the parchment out of her pocket. She smoothed it out in her fingers before rotating it the right way up and flipping it over. She took a deep breath before starting at the top of the page, and sure enough...the name Jones had changed due to marriage, several times.
"Hagrid..." Trinity began. "I think, there may be a possibility that this man is my father."
Trinity left Pip in the care of Hagrid for the evening, and as she made her way towards the Griffindor dormitory, she made a quick detour to the library.
"Madam Pince?" She called, gently pushing open the door.
"What're you doing out of bed?" The librarian demanded, striding up to the Gryffindor, her hands on her hips.
"I know I shouldn't be here," Trinity began. "But I came to return this." The raven haired girl handed the missing page of the book over to the hooked-nose woman.
"Thank you." The librarian took the page from the Gryffindor. "Now, go back to your dorm, Miss Riddle." Trinity turned to leave and once the library doors closed behind her, two black clouds appeared infront of her.
"Miss Riddle..." The sneering voice of Lucius Malfoy was recognisable. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"I-"
"-Detention. Professor Umbridge will see you tomorrow morning at eight o'clock." Trinity cast her gaze towards the floor and nodded once, "I would've thought you'd have learnt your lesson about behind out of bed so late."
"I-"
"-Pity." Lucius held her chin, "if you're late, you may miss the Quidditch game in the morning. Then you'll miss my son winning the game." He apparated her outside of the Gryffindor common room before leaving her just as quickly as he had appeared.
Trinity turned to the fat lady in the portrait, "Godric." She whispered before stepping into the common room.
George and Ron were waiting for her, "how's Ginny?" She asked.
"She's sleeping." George replied, giving Trinity a small smile. "Where's Pip?"
"He's with Hagrid." Trinity replied, "I'm going over there tomorrow after the Quidditch match for tea - he said you two and Ginny were welcome to come aswell?"
Ron nodded, "that'll be nice."
"I'm sorry." She said after a moment of silence, "I didn't mean for Ginny to get hurt-"
"-She's fine, Trin." George stated reassuringly. "Honestly, she's fine, don't worry."
Trinity smiled, but then she turned serious. "I know who my father is." She stated.
George and Ron took their gaze away from the warm golden flames in the fire place to look at their raven haired best-friend. "Well?" Ron asked, "don't just leave it at that!"
"Patience Ronald." George scolded, "if you want someone to hurry up you say: spit it out woman!"
Trinity smiled nervously before clearing her throat. "There's a possibility that James Potter is my dad."
"Merlin..." The two Weasley's stated, in shock.
After having his fun with her, Draco kicked Pansy out of his bedroom. The platinum blonde Slytherin pulled on a pair of black boxers before slipping under his bed clothes, he couldn't help but have the feeling that he was going to hear some bad news. And he knew exactly who it would be from.
The piece of parchment Trinity had been after told her who her father was, but Aragog had said it was Harry Potter's family tree...wouldn't that mean that Trinity and Potter were related? Now that he thought about it, Draco did notice that they both had black hair and green eyes.
Draco got out of bed and pulled on a pair of tracksuit bottoms before leaving his bedroom, he was going to talk to Kimberly. He climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm and knocked on Lestrange's bedroom door. It was just his luck that Pansy answered.
"Here for round two?" She asked, smiling flirtaciously.
"Kim?" Draco called into the bedroom. If it had been anyone else to shout in a dorm of sleeping girls they would probably be hexed onto the next planet, but for obvious reasons, Draco was an exception.
"What?" Kimberly pulled the curtains aside and slipped the mirror under her pillow. She climbed out of bed and stormed over to the door. "What?" She asked again.
"Who..." Draco trailed off, noticing the dorm full of girls looking at him. "Come downstairs." He stated, making his way down to the common room.
Kimberly sighed before following her cousin, and once she joined him, he remained silent. "Draco, what do you want?"
"I was wondering if you knew who Trinity's father was?" She raised an eyebrow at him, "what?" He asked, "I want to know! It is my business!"
Kimberly sighed, "I'm not the one who should tell you." She replied, turning to walk up the stairs.
"Come on, Lestrange. I bet the Slytherin inside of you really wants to share this...secret." Draco smirked, knowing that he'd won.
"Alright." Kimberly crossed the room and stood infront of him. "James Potter."
The smirk was wiped off of Draco's face. "What?" Kimberly remained silent, watching Draco with a slight interest. "So...not only did I beat him in the Battle...but his sister is my mate?"
"Half-sister, technically." Kimberly corrected.
"This is...wierd." Draco got up. "I'm going to bang his sister. Trinity Potter will bare my children."
"Draco." Kimberly stated. "I think that firewhiskey has gone straight to your head."
"What a way to rub something in someone's face." Draco stated. "I mean, I'm assuming they never met aswell. This is priceless."
"Think of it this way." Kimberly rolled her eyes. "The Malfoy's and the Potter's are going to share the same blood."
Draco grimaced, "that's a way to put a downer on something, Kim."
"It was the only way to shut you up." Kimberly headed towards the stairs. "Draco," Kim stopped and turned around. "She is still a Riddle though. Remember that." As Kim stepped into her dorm room, the first thing she did was make sure Pansy hadn't stolen the mirror from under her pillow, and the second thing she did was get under her duvet and go to sleep.
It was the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw Quidditch match in the morning and Kimberly wanted nothing more than be able to get up in the morning to watch her team win. No way did she want to oversleep.
Thank you to all my loyal reviewers, alerters and favouriters :) You always brighten my days! A review would be really appreciated xx