Chapter Five ~ The Claim~
With the normally composed, now sobbing figure at her feet, fear struck Adelaide like a mallet. Had she offended him? Or was he physically injured? She didn't know but she deemed it her job to find out. "Draco!" she crouched down to him and placed her hand on his shuddering shoulder, "Draco, are you okay?" He clawed and tore at his hair while he tried to shake off Adelaide's resting hand causing her to pull back and trip over the ample hem of her robs. Thinking he, and not her robes had caused her to be splayed across the marble hallway he looked up, stricken. "Stay away from me!" He sobbed as he stood. "You shouldn't be around me." His voice weakened and he pleaded "Please, help me." And again he began to sob into his hands, this time resting himself on the wide window ledge. Collecting herself from the floor of the hallway, Adelaide approached Draco cautiously, as if sudden movements would cause him to flee. "I'll help you." She said, sitting on the ledge next to Draco and awkwardly patting his shoulder. "It will be okay." She kept saying soothingly. "Everything will be okay." He didn't believe her.
After a long while of sitting in silence Draco stood. It must have been nearing curfew if it hadn't already passed it and Adelaide was looking forward to heading to bed. Again, in silence the two walked back to their house common room but before giving the hissing portrait the password Draco stopped Adelaide. Looking at his feet he asked "You won't tell anyone about before, will you?" Raising his head he look at her fiercely "Because I'll hex you if you do."
"I won't tell, Draco. We all have our own secrets. But I will help you, like I said." She explained and his demeanour softened at this. She didn't know what she was getting into and he shouldn't have accepted her help but he took that tiny bit of comfort she offered, a friendship, he guessed, and he held on. Nodding his thanks Draco gave the password and not forgetting his manners allowed Adelaide to enter the portrait before him. The bid each other goodnight and while Adelaide headed to her room to begin studying her Defence Against the Dark Arts text book for the Patronus Charm, Draco made his way to a small group of Slytherins in a dark corner of the common room.
Pansy, who would call herself Draco's girlfriend noticed the pair when they entered through the portrait. McGonagall never keeps students for detention as long as she kept Draco and the new girl tonight. It's almost curfew. Pansy thought to herself as Draco walked towards her. She did not let her suspicions show over the course of the evening but she did notice Draco's slight change in mood. She had known him since the first week of Hogwarts when they were eleven and had seen him through enough to notice when his mood shifted, even slightly. Tonight he was less attentive to the conversation but it was the contrary in relation to her. One may even say he was verging on affectionate, which, indeed was strange as he would normally shy away from her and his other friends whereas tonight he sat on the couch close to her with his hand resting on her knee gently. Though he remained separate from the conversation he did occasionally lean into Pansy's side.
Though the sudden sway pleased her, Pansy could not help be worried over its cause. Had he done something that he now felt guilty about? Or did events sway in favour of his mission from the Dark Lord? Whatever that may be. For now Pansy decided to relish in the small bit of attention she was receiving from the boy- the man- she was sure she was in love with, regardless of the cause because she knew with what was to come there would be little time for peace. Despite her decided lack of concern about Draco and his motives, Pansy decided that it would still be in her own best interest, as well as Draco's if she kept an eye on this new girl, this Adelaide Hart.
The next morning, walking into the Great Hall for breakfast Adelaide couldn't help but smile. Her two, most loyal and wonderful friends, Stanley and Mya had braved the pit of snakes and sat, albeit rather reluctantly at the end of the Slytherin table. They had decided to put up with the treatment that Adelaide couldn't put up with yesterday in order to have breakfast with their long time third Musketeer. Striding up to then Adelaide could barely contain her glee and so hugged them both from behind by their heads, kissing each captured head in turn. The three began to eat in silent bliss, ignoring the glare of Slytherins from one end of the table to the other until the doors of the Great Hall again opened letting in a few additional Slytherins, Draco Malfoy at the forefront of the group, closely followed by the girl he was so often closely followed by, Pansy Parkinson. As the group seated themselves towards the middle of their house table, it was common for them to shove a few first years along to make room, Pansy seemed only to have eyes for Adelaide... and hands for Draco. Staring fiercely in the trio's direction, Pansy sat, what Adelaide assumed to be uncomfortably close to Draco and began toying with his blond hair. "What is it, do you think, she is doing?" Adelaide asked to her friends puzzled. Perhaps this was common behaviour for her.
"I believe" said Stan in reply, neither of the group taking their eyes off the subject in question "she is staking her claim."
"What do mean?" Adelaide responded still confused. "This is all on my account? Why ever would she think... Oh."
"Oh?" Mya and Stan repeated in unison. "What, pray tell do you mean by 'oh'?" Mya elaborated.
Adelaide explained "We, Draco and I...Well, Draco had detention last night with Gran" She whispered that part "and I convinced her to let him listen to the Quidditch with us. So, we got back to the common room late and maybe it has given her the wrong idea." Mya looked aghast and Stan's jaw was lying on the floor, propped up by the table leg.
"Addie, what were you doing being nice to Draco Malfoy, of all people? Son of the richest bloody Death Eater who ever put a galleon in Gringott's." Mya couldn't believe what she was hearing. Surely he didn't do anything to deserve such kindness.
"And," Adelaide turned towards the astounded Stan "how did you convince your Gran to let you...and him listen to the Quidditch game during detention? DETENTION!" this was surely as shocking of an establishment as the former.
"Well," She countered "I didn't have detention" and just to rub it in a tiny bit deeper "I had pudding!"
The others grumbled at their plates in jealousy, even though they too received sweets after dinner that night, along with the rest of the school.
"But honestly, I think Pansy's being a bit over protective of Malfoy, even if the rumours are true." Adelaide didn't want to know about the rumours Mya mentioned.
"What's next?" joked Stan. "Is she going to pee on him to mark her territory?"
"She is a little pug-faced, isn't she?" quipped Mya.
"Too far, Stan. Come on. We are eating." But the three laughed at the joke at Pansy's expense. Secretly Adelaide hoped that she wouldn't cause too much trouble for Draco and his apparent girlfriend.
At that moment two tall boys, no make that one tall boy and a girl- Adelaide hadn't noticed at first- made their way to the front of the Great Hall and positioned themselves at the head of the Slytherin table. With a nod from the headmaster the front-most of the boys began to speak. "Here!" he called and the whole Slytherin table turned their attention to the group. "Quidditch trials are starting up this Saturday at 9:30. Yes, that's in the morning!" He bellowed over the noise from the remainder of the houses. "Get in early and show us what you can do. You will have to be outstanding because this year Slytherin's taking the House Cup!" the ruckus of cheering could barely be heard over the disapproval of the other houses. Quickly the headmaster settled the students and Adelaide looked to Draco to find his eyes already on her. She smiled slightly and he responded with a quick nod of his head. A silent challenge.