[Chapter Eight] Eyes on Fire
"Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight and you have the right to know why...
"Once there was a young man, who, like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roofs. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name: Tom Riddle. Today, of course, he's now known all over the world by another name, which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact: Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls." Dumbledore drew in a long breath.
"But in the end, their greatest weapon... is you...
"There's something to think about. Now off to bed, pip pip."
Draco Malfoy is alive.
The pestering thought would not quit, and the sobering fact is that the most popular guy in your house is hard to ignore. Developing an austere and serious demeanor over the summer, Draco Malfoy had hardly spoken four words to anybody besides Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle. All of whom spoke in hushed whispers. However, that did not change the fact that Draco was to be Quiddich Captain, and many of the other players were demanding his playbooks.
Lena could see his sleek blonde hair ahead of her in the hallway, but she kept her pace slow, just out of his sight. The relief still flowed through her heart that he was alive, yet he hadn't even said one word to her, as if he didn't care at all.
A blush rose to her cheeks as she thought of lying in his bed that spring. Had it really meant so little to him? At the time, Lena had thought that it would mean the two of them would finally be together, as a couple. As it turns out, Draco and the Dark Lord had different plans. And so did Parkinson.
"Lena!" Somebody yelled from behind the girl.
Spinning around, Lena caught sight of Astoria's curly brown hair and twinkling brown eyes, her petite frame jogging to catch up with Lena. As Astoria reached Lena's side, Lena began a slow pace toward the basements, and as she looked forward for Draco and his goonies, he was gone. "What's up?" Lena said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Were you looking for someone?" Astoria asked curiously.
"No," Lena responded, too quickly, her eyes gazing at the new crowd of people in front of her.
"Oh, well, turn's out that the lack of student populous this year mean's new dorms; They don't want a bunch of empty dorm rooms heated all winter. Interested in being my roommate?"
Smiling, Lena nodded. Grateful she wouldn't be stuffed in a room full of first and second years. Parkinson had her own prefect room, and it was likely that Daphne Greengrass had taken the other occupancy.
Entering the open hole in the brick wall, Lena took note of that year's password. "Necetre Passus." Many students were rushing up to the dormitories to claim their space, while Lena searched the many faces for Draco.
Astoria grabbed Lena's arm, muttering, "Well, you might be okay with having the smallest dormitory, I would like one of the nicer ones." Dragging Lena up the staircase, she pulled her up toward the prefect dormitories.
They entered an empty dorm with three beds and Astoria took the bed by the window, though it was only a ground window view of the small courtyard outside. Lena took the one in the corner, and left the bed closet to the door unclaimed. Merely a second later, Millicent Bullstrode entered the room, glancing to Lena and Astoria, nodding.
Over the summer, Millicent's bulky frame had thinned out, though her ash blonde hair was still limp and frumpy, and a permanent scowl still marred her face, though there were new splatters of freckles across her cheeks. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, Astoria made her way to the window.
All Lena could think about was the small compartment in the bottom of her trunk, which was housing some of the darkest magic in the United Kingdom, let alone the school, and when she would be alone again next to run her fingers across its surface.
"I see your Daddy's money is still buying you the nicest black robes money can buy," Parkinson said snidely in the hallway just before Advanced Potions Theory and Crafting I, and her gaggle of friends giggled robustly. Lena stopped, turning to Parkinson, wishing that she had a gaggle of friends to back her up.
"Isn't your next class in the Divination tower? You do realize that advanced and remedial are on opposite floors, right?" Lena snapped, and was about to turn away from the situation, but Parkinson retorted immediately:
"I know I've been on the cover of Witch Weekly three times consecutively, but that's not an excuse for petty stalking, Yavari." Her never-failing gaggle giggled once more.
"Unfortunately, I don't stalk the girl that was voted Most Likely to Get Knocked-Up."
"Funny you should mention that, Draco hasn't mentioned you even once. Word is that you two ended things when he found out you slept with another man, isn't that the quote from Witch Weekly?"
Lena shot a glare at Parkinson, scanning her face her any truth.
"We all know that the slut is the one that proudly admits it, Parkinson. Tell me, how many times did you turn into a succubus this summer? When you were out of Draco's prying eyes, and in the modeling agencies office?" Lena smirked, reaching up to Parkinson's perfectly straightened hair-tips, gingerly running her fingers down, an obvious threat in her eyes, and then she stalked away from Parkinson could think of a retort, but before she even got a few feet away someone slammed into her shoulder.
The boy stopped and turned around. "Flint," Lena mused with hostility as she curled her fist into a ball and into her pocket.
Unexpectedly, he spat at Lena's shoes. "Sorry, I forgot you can't buy new ones like the rest of us. Prada, aren't they?"
Her jaw dropped as the eruption of giggling began. Running out of their sight and around the corner, Lena jumped into a bathroom and tried to wash the spit from her shoes. Nearly growling as she scrubbed against the suede.
Throwing her messenger bag and her cloak on her bed with force, a loud bang sounded in the dormitory.
"Bad day?" Astoria asked from the window sill, painting her toenails emerald green.
"Don't get me started," Lena muttered menacingly.
"Hey, hey, hey," the girl began, jumping down from the window sill gracefully. "Remember, you're not angry with me. No matter what fueled your fire."
"Fire? Try inferno." Lena's eyes ignited with the flame of wrath as the scenario ran through her head once more. Ripping the suede boots off her feet, she tossed them near the fireplace carelessly. "It will take nearly three-weeks to get another pair, and a trip to Italy. Those were custom, you know."
"I wouldn't want to be the one on your bad side right now." Astoria muttered, making her way slowly to the dormitory door and closing it. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Did you?" Lena retorted, still fuming with anger as she reached into her pocket, sprinkling Parkinson's black hair onto the desk.
Astoria smiled and pulled the chair back from the test, gesturing underneath. Lena made her way around, seeing the cauldron simmering above a blue fire, and a small black lunchbox. Lena reached for the lunch box as Astoria pulled a small vile from her pocket.
"Everything went as planned, I assume?" Lena inquired slowly, searching Astoria's face as she opened the lunchbox. Her expression skewed for a moment and she nodded. Looking down to the newly acquired ingredients. "Perfect," Lena mused as she began to add ingredients to the water, a slow smirk forming.
The door opened suddenly and the two jumped up from their hiding place beneath the desk.
Millicent eyed them curiously for a moment before throwing her hands up. "I don't want to know." She grabbed a Quiddich uniform from her trunk and was about to head out the door when Lena ran toward her and touched her arm.
"Trying out?"
Millicent shrugged and reached for the doorknob.
"You know they don't let girls join the team. No matter how good they are. What makes you think you can change their minds?" Astoria questioned as she moved closer to Lena and Millicent. His mind. Draco's.
"Let's just say I have some information on Louis Flint that nobody on the team wants to get out. Draco Malfoy agreed to give me a fair chance in the tryouts."
Lena raised her eyebrows. "Well, I'd wager that you believe him, Bullstrode." A cold laugh was echoing in Lena's mind. "Coming from Draco Malfoy's former best friend and girlfriend, he's lying. And when he proves that to you on the Quiddich field today, let me know if you want help with your retaliation."
Millicent shrugged past her and out the door. Astoria crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Lena to push the door closed slowly. After a minute of silence and exchanging glances, she finally spoke. "What was that about, Lena?"
"I was hoping you could tell me, Greengrass." Lena smirked and looked at Astoria. "What dirt does Millicent have on Louis Flint?" Marcus Flint was a seventh year, Louis' older brother.
Astoria shrugged and headed to her bed. "What would I know? Louis is practically the next Quiddich prodigy, according to Daphne. But he was also a total loser up until they found out how good he was as a Keeper. That's all I know. What does he matter, anyway? I was under the impression that our beef was with Draco and Daphne."
"And Parkinson, and Flint evidently."
"So your plan is to blackmail all of the other Slytherins to get your popularity back?" Astoria snapped. Lena inhaled deeply and tried to ignore her flow of emotions. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Astoria continued. "You know I'll help you no matter what. As long as my sister gets humiliated in the process... But in order for me to help you, you need to tell me everything you've been keeping from me. What happened with you and Draco?"
There was a long silence as Lena looked out the window to the students walking around outside. "Draco ignored me all summer. He took everything from me. His father, Lucius, sold his stock in our company, causing the other stockholders to sell as well. The company looks like its going bankrupt to the Wizarding Community. Thanks to Draco Malfoy.
"Even after this little fact, he decides to slander my good name all over the Witch Weekly tabloids so that my own parents can't even look at me." Lena paused, unable to look at Astoria. "All the while, I was thinking he was dead, and this was just Parkinson's coy pranks. When in reality, it was him, Draco Malfoy, destroying my life, my reputation, and everything I stand for.
"So, you know Astoria, when it comes down to it, I won't be satisfied until I ruin his reputation as well. Along with Parkinson, Flint, your sister, and every other scum that ostracized me this summer." Lena turned to look at Astoria, who had taken a seat on her bed, just a few feet from Lena.
"I know your family is informed, Astoria." Lena lifted her sleeve, where the Dark Mark pulsated in the light. "The Dark Lord gave me the year off. After he made me kill my one true love, Draco Malfoy. So yeah, I'm out for revenge."
"I said everything," Astoria began slowly.
"What have I left out?" Lena mused.
"Whether or not you cheated on Draco Malfoy."
Lena's gaze snapped to Astoria. Her blood began to boil and her eyes glinted in rage. "I was raped. If that's what you call cheating."
But how did that get out?