Chapter 2: Badges (1995)
"I think it looks… becoming," Astoria said, trying to ease Torrance's worry. He was currently looking at the round "Inquisitorial Squad" badge on his robes from his bedside mirror.
"It's tacky, just admit it," he said somberly. "At least try to make it more appealing. No one will take me seriously if they saw this frilly thing on my chest."
"I'm surprised she let you in in the first place."
"Yeah, you and me both." He took off the badge and held it up for both of them to scrutinize.
Astoria tilted her head. "It's not that bad. And look who's in the club! They all have to wear the badge too."
"They wear it but they abuse its power," Torrance mumbled. He plopped down on the bed next to her. "They think it makes them more intimidating. But let me tell you, there is nothing intimidating about a gang full of family issues and jealousy."
She couldn't help but smirk at her friend. "So then you'd fit right in," she teased.
Torrance glanced shifty-eyed at her and said, "Yeah, but if they ever found out about my family issues, I'll be ostracized for sure."
They stayed there in silence, still glancing at the badge shining in Torrance's hand. It was true, his family was terrible, but it wasn't his fault he was a Muggleborn. Astoria knew that. She also knew that if she tried to help, it would expose him for sure and he wouldn't want that. They both found each other in a sea of students because they liked quiet and be who they wanted to be. They were also very skilled people readers. So, keeping each other's secrets was their specialty.
"To be honest," Astoria admitted. "I'm more surprised that you kept your mouth shut about all of the faults in that book until we covered the topic."
"Why would a disrupt a perfectly good lesson? Did you hear what Hermione Granger did her first class with Umbridge? She let out every little detail that was wrong with that book."
"And we've established that there was a lot wrong with the book."
"Yeah, but don't go bombarding a new teacher with the falseness. We are not triggered heathens!"
Astoria laughed which caused her to wheeze a cough, something that she's been doing a lot of recently. "I hate having a cold."
"You've been having this 'cold' for about a month now…"
Astoria brushed it off. "You know how cold it gets down here. I can't help it."
"Want to go to the Hospital Wing?"
"No," she said rather quickly. "I have everything I need in my dormitory, thanks."
"I know you do." More silence, then, "He's a dick, you know."
Astoria looked at Torrance confused. "Who?"
"Draco Malfoy," he said casually. "He's always parading on about Harry Potter. And I'm sick of listening in. If he's not talking Potter, he's talking about how Pansy is such a great lay. And I definitely don't want to hear about that. But I'm half convinced he's lying half the time. He's always deflecting questions with questions…"
"That doesn't mean he's lying."
"But it does mean he has something to hide. You know that." Torrance sighed. "It's a shame about his attitude… he's really good looking."
"He's just acting out," Astoria reasoned. Torrance got up and started fixing his black hair in the mirror as she continued, "I've seen him at our parties; he's nothing like how he is here."
"So then which Draco Malfoy is the real Draco Malfoy? He probably goes to your family soirées with his parents, therefore out of duty, therefore he behaves himself. His father probably doesn't know the shit he and his friends get up to, and honestly, if I had a rich and powerful father like Lucius Malfoy, I'd do whatever the fuck I want too."
"It might not be that simple."
"And that's my point. It's not simple. Draco Malfoy is an enigma. I gorgeous, angst-filled enigma…"