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Pansy blinked at hearing her name, but wasn't sure if she did or not until Ron Weasley was spitting out his food. What on earth were the two talking about, she rolled her eyes thinking herself above them, and figuring it was nothing of the sorts to bother her with. Turning her head she started gossiping as if on cue about Draco to Astoria and Millicent.
Hermione looked over glaring at him "You just can't keep your hands off a girl can you, Ronald?" it wasn't a question per say, more like a statement which made her make a disgusted look upon her face. "You're so childish, sheesh" and he gave her problems about not wanting to be with him for stupid girl reasons. Kate was staring at Fred Weasley until she noticed that an owl landed in front of her and one in front of Draco. Her owl was actually her grandmother's ghost's owl. She took the net petting the bird and telling it to go back home then she opened it. [Kathryn my girl in all my years I never expected you to be dropping grades like everyone else. You're becoming more improper by the minute. If you don't start changing your act I will send a Howler that would ensure your embarrassment amongst your peers. Do not get me started, either change your act or I will make sure you do] it didn't have a signature, but she never got owls from anyone else. Dropping her head on the table she sighed and stared at the floor until she noticed someone had tapped her on the shoulder making her look up. At first she thought it was one of the other girls since the boys were too afraid of her to talk to her. However, it was Draco who was walking away which meant he wanted to talk, and that wasn't something that happened too often. Standing up unable to sit there any longer she magically transported a note that was written in German to Fred W. without letting anyone know it was from her. It read... [entschuldigen für gestern habe ich hoffe, dass es nicht zu sehr schmerzen] The translation wasn't there, but it would have read "Sorry for yestuday. I hope it didn't hurt too much." Finally reaching past the great hall doors moving around the corner out of sight from anyone else that could see or follow without getting hexed by her. She stopped while leaning against a wall "I'm not used to you wanting to talk for any reason, so what's up?" her auburn hair was in a high ponytail this morning with a matching green scrunchie she wore that was old, but it was favored upon her. She had two strands of auburn bangs one on each side of her face with a slightly wave sort of curl look to them. Her hair was naturally wavy and she never dyed it considering she liked the red tint mixed with the brown. Though no matter how nice her hair may have looked, her emerald eyes were dull today from lack of sleep lately, which involved the nightmares she kept seeing, but anything to talk about rather than letting her mind wander would be better. Harry watched Malfoy wander out of the great hall and was tempted to follow him for some odd reason. Though he didn't, he stayed and watched as Ron choked on his food, and then went back to reading his alchemy book he couldn't put down even for a moment longer than he already did. He was smiling as he read which made the potions teacher, Professor Snape, wonder what the boy was reading that he actually enjoyed. |
"I'm not snogging Parkinson!" Ron sputtered, his flushing face resembling an old, withered beet. "Seriously! She's a Slytherin! And she's not even my type!" "Oh, really?" Seamus leaned forward even more, the gossip whore within him apparently sniffing potential there. "And what is your type, Ron? Wanna share?" The Weasley twins laughed almost in unison, though Fred's laughter died off into a pleasant, rumbling chuckle when a letter suddenly materialized before him. His focus shifted to that note while George seemed fixated on Ron. "Yes, yes, let's hear it! Does our Ickle Ronniekins fancy someone even more scandalous?"
Ron didn't even bother gracing those questions with responses. He just shoveled more food into his face, seething with annoyance. "What's up?" Somehow, Draco looked...a lot older than he really was. He had quite a bit more responsibility weighing on his shoulders than the average fifteen year-old wizard did. A good number of the Slytherins had parents and other family members pushing them into becoming Death Eaters now that the Dark Lord had returned...but no one had more pressure squeezing the life out of them than the blonde Malfoy heir. All of this pressure and stress seemed to be aging him (mentally, anyway) prematurely. His irritability only increased tenfold this year, and he was prone to snapping at anyone who even looked at him the wrong way. He really was suffering. And worse yet, he was suffering alone. With a great sigh, Draco extended his arm, offering up the neatly-folded and fragrant love letter. "That is what's 'up.'" He made a point of sounding both irritated and curious at the same time. "Second one this week, I might add. I don't suppose you know which one of those airheads shoved that poorly-written sap fest under the boys' dormitory door last Friday? But this one's different. It's been penned by someone with at leas half a brain. I doubt they're in Slytherin. What I can't figure out..." God, he hoped this suspicion of his didn't give him away--his stance was already nervous enough and his silvery irises kept darting about the hallway, as if he expected someone to suddenly pop out of nowhere and demand to know what they were whispering around. "...I can't figure out if it's from a girl or another boy. The style of writing seems ambiguous to me, and that's why I'm so suspicious. If it is a boy..." Draco's lips turned downward in a frown, "...they've gone to an awful lot of trouble to conceal it. The fancy script and the lovely perfume are nice touches." He gave a simple shrug of his shoulders, folding his arms across his chest. It was a move he often made when he was feeling too exposed for his liking. "I'm no good with these sorts of things. I think a feminine touch is what's necessary here." Draco's expression unexpectedly soured. "And I can't go to any of those other dim-witted girls about this. They'll have some sort of..." The blonde waved his hand around in the air, eyes squinted, as he tried to find the right word. "...Some sort of episode, I'm sure." Pansy in particular was quite possessive of him, even though he'd made it clear several times that there was nothing serious or even remotely substantial between the two of them. If she got wind of him receiving this note, especially from someone not in Slytherin house...an involuntary shudder rippled through his body. Oh, she would no doubt be keen on hunting down whoever dared to send her beloved Draco such a thoughtful and heartfelt note! That poor secret admirer. Pansy was not the gentlest of people, and definitely not the most forgiving. She would have their head! |
Kate took the paper opening it up while she read it, her brow raised slightly "People write love letters like this still?" she was chuckling to herself trying not to laugh too much. "Wow, this is so...cheesy..." skimming the letter she took in some details. "Brown hair, gentle eyes...that could be anyone. At least it's not a person with red, orange, or blonde hair. Also no odd colors since they said brown though gentle eyes could be dark or sweet, honey coated, blue...I can't say green would be too gentle though..." Kate's only social talent was analyzing people and lately she hadn't told anyone, but someone put a hex on her to jumble her emotions. So she had been going crazy these last few days to almost a week. She knew who it was too and already put a stop to it, she just had to wait till the effects faded away.
"I do not know who sent the first one. However, someone obviously loves roses or flowers, that is a basic fact, and this parchment...very few have it so let's dwindle that down to under half, but I still can't say who would have it." it cost a lot to have this type of paper, so either the person had money or this was a well intended beautiful gift. "I doubt it's a boy, however, the handwriting is quite beautiful. They took the time to write it and doesn't seem like there is a single error. The flow of the ink proved they were writing from memory and maybe even their heart." Kate kept scanning it, but there wasn't much to go on. "Ah yes Parkinson and the other two, the little trio fangirls of your little fanclub" okay it was a bigger fanclub than expected, but Kate was more focused on wondering who wrote it. No magic attached, but rose scented ink made from rose oil...she knew which shop sold these, but would have to wait till this weekend to get to it. "I won't be able to find out until at least later this evening" she handed him the letter back "Keep it in a safe place while I try to scry and see if I can do something about locating the position of the person. At the very least you'll know the gender of it maybe." Kate looked around and then thought who would send him such a beautiful letter. "Who do you think it might be? I mean a lot of students like you yes, but who would go out of their way to do this?" not like it was a bad thing. Turning away Kate coughed into her hand, lately her chest hurt each time she coughed, and wondered if she was coming down with something. Her coughing fit in as she tried to hold it back, but failed to do so. Once she was able to breath she stood back up "I'm going to lay down before classes, I'll see what I can do" and Kate walked away from Draco. Pansy had spoken to Draco before saying Kate wasn't eating much let alone sleeping hardly at all anymore. Pansy was her room partner that shared the room with her, but lately she hardly saw the auburn hair girl until really late. |
"Aren't all love letters supposed to be relatively cheesy?" The blonde quirked a pale eyebrow. "I thought that was the point." As many of the girls who fawned over and chased after Draco Malfoy could tell any curious onlooker...he definitely wasn't a romantic. The finer points of romance escaped him. He despised public displays of affection. The most affection he would ever dole out in public? Holding someone's hand, or perhaps a quick peck on the cheek. Never expect candlelit dinners under the moonlight or fancy dinner dates complete with gifts of flowers and chocolate from someone like him. He found the whole traditional business of wooing someone else to be somewhat laughable, at best. He was infamous for turning many girls down harshly, though he hadn't actually meant to be harsh...("You want to have a picnic by the lake? Why? We can just eat in the Great Hall. Wouldn't it be a pointless endeavor? Isn't that giant squid fond of stealing peoples' food?" "I haven't the time to waste taking a walk around the grounds. I'll ruin my new shoes in that repulsive mud, and I have homework to do--can't you see that? Or have you suddenly gone blind?" "I'm warning you...if you try to kiss me in public again, I'm going to throttle you--I don't care if you're girl.")
"I agree. Brown is a common hair color. And gentle typically means a less striking color. Probably brown, or hazel, or even a darker shade of blue." Draco scoffed suddenly, tapping his expensively-clad foot on the hard stone floor below. "You know...they could have given me a little bit more to go on. It won't exactly be easy to figure out who wrote this with that pathetic amount of information." He paused, and then he reached with one hand to rub the back of his neck. So...she automatically assumed the author was a girl, as well. The fancy script, the perfume, the heartfelt words...yes, it all made sense. So why was this strange gaping pit forming in his gut? "So...a brown-haired girl with darker eyes. Intelligent, given how much thought was put into the words and the fact that there isn't even a single grammatical error, let alone a spelling error. Definitely not in Slytherin. Most likely in my year, or a year above or below me. That's all we have to go on." Several girls could easily fit that bill! Why did he get the feeling that this was going to end up being a twisted sort of scavenger hunt...? The Malfoy heir easily reclaimed the letter, carefully folding it up and slipping it into one of his pants pockets. This one, at the very least, was worth a second look...if only to sate his curiosity. A mystery was always a surefire way to provoke his interest--like a ever-curious cat, Draco simply couldn't resist a good mystery. "I'll keep it hidden in my trunk, I think. I've already charmed it so that it attacks anyone who isn't permitted and who tries to peek in and rifle through my things, so it should be a safe hiding place. It's already claimed its first victim this year." He grinned widely. "Poor Crabbe didn't know what hit him." Draco bowed his head somewhat, silvery eyes narrowed and jaw set as he wracked his brains for any clues--anything at all, no matter how minor, could break this mystery wide open and lead them to the sender of the letter. "...Someone who's truly obsessed with me?" he offered after a while, a hint of mirth in his voice. "No, I'm kidding. Someone who's simply been watching me for a very long time. I know she can't be in Slytherin--I would have noticed this sort of behavior by now. Really, I have no clue. It could literally be anyone." Both arms raised and reclined themselves behind his platinum blonde head. "I'm apparently a hot item." No shame. No shame whatsoever as he spoke those words! He hummed somewhat after Kate declared that she was heading off to rest before her next class. Because Pansy felt it necessary to fill every potential spell of silence with mindless prattling, Draco knew that Kate wasn't feeling the best as of late...but he wasn't one to worry about his own housemates. Slytherins were strong and resourceful people. They could handle a little sickness on their own...and if their conditions worsened, they were sure to grudgingly trudge off to the Hospital Wing. They never did like asking for help (Draco was no exception)--they had too much pride for that! The blonde headed back into the Great Hall to pack his Charms homework away. Just in time, too--the sun had almost completely set. Astronomy was yet another class Draco excelled in. A vast majority of the Malfoys were christened after stars, planets, constellations, and other astronomical terms. He breezed through their assignment that evening. He tried to pay as little attention to Harry and his tagalong friends as possible--he was exhausted from the day's events, and once he was finally able to traipse his way into the private room he'd been granted as a Slytherin Prefect, he practically collapsed onto his bed and was asleep within minutes. The next couple of days passed by quickly. Draco spent most of his time catching up on homework and pointedly ignoring the Terrific Trio, not even bothering to insult any of them when they passed each other in the corridors. Thursday was what he liked to call his 'dreary day,' packed full of the classes that interested him the least--Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, and Ancient Runes. His schedule was nearly as full as Hermione Granger's. After all...she was the top witch of their class, and he was the top wizard. He had none of these classes with the Gryffindors, so he saw very little of Harry that day, though he did leave a note for the raven-haired boy in the abandoned classroom earlier that morning on his way to breakfast, using just their first initials in case someone else stumbled upon it. P, I sent an owl to Father this morning. With any luck, we'll have the missing ingredient by this weekend. We should brainstorm about the essay--it doesn't have to be long, but it counts for half of the grade. Try not to get yourself into any more trouble with the cow, would you? I'm running low on murtlap essence. M Draco wasn't in any classes on Friday. Apparently, the one-day bout of influenza still running its course through the student body finally managed to catch up to him. He spent his entire miserable day in the Hospital Wing and was only allowed to leave that evening, once Madam Pomfrey was certain he was no longer contagious. Exhausted from his bout of sickness, the blonde immediately returned to the Slytherin dormitories with no detours, intent on getting a good night's sleep. The Malfoy heir still looked ill the following Saturday morning at breakfast, and once again he'd forsaken the delectable food piled high in front of him and was getting a head start on some Transfiguration homework. He must have been giving off a particularly hostile aura, seeing as even Crabbe, Goyle, and ordinarily clingy Pansy kept their distance. Draco was so engrossed in his homework that he barely took notice of the hooting and screeching that signified the usual influx of owls. Some particularly loud and vicious shrieking sound was what finally caught his attention. He glanced up, immediately spotting his massive dark-feathered eagle owl, Vega, in the throng, eagerly muscling his way past owls two times smaller than him. He swooped down toward his master like a Peregrine Falcon, dropping the package clutched in his talons from quite a distance. Draco caught it easily, of course, idly scanning the small card plastered to the top. The corners of his mouth twitched. This was the potion ingredient he'd been waiting for! Now he and Potter could actually start working on their potion. The sooner they finished this project...the sooner they could go back to being at each others' throats. |
Kate already figured who it might be, there were very few intelligent Hogwarts girls out there, and it was mainly because Hogwarts was a school. Whether middle and high school combined, no one wanted to study except those who tried. Kate didn't fix the description and she knew it wasn't her obviously nor was it pansy. It was no Slytherin and that narrowed it down. The note didn't sound like a Hufflepuff nor did it sound like a RavenClaw to her, the house personalities had proven that much to her, and the only house left is Gryffindor. Smartest females she could think of to write a letter as such...Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown though she might have been in another house...
Kate gave up trying to figure it out as she made her way to her dorm room up the steps and through the portrait. For the next few days that passed Kate wasn't in any of her usual classes, well any of them at all; it was heard she was taken to the hospital wing after fainting on the steps trying to go to class and didn't wake up even when someone found her. Her fever sky rocketed and she was very well worn out. Though even when she did wake for a few short moments here and there, she knew she had to think more about who the girl would be giving Draco love notes. And without letting anyone else know about the whole ordeal, what she would love more than anything would be her lavender tea with a touch of chamomile, and lemon drops mixed in naturally. Kate had only made tea for a very few certain people: Draco, Pansy, herself, McGonagall, and Snape. Though she didn't know who all actually finished theirs or not, she knew it would help even the aroma of the teas, and everything she learned about tea making was done on her own. Potions and herbs were her favorite subject closest to her interests she could get involving alchemy. Though she hadn't been able to do anything as of lately with this influenza going around and right now she had it the worst out of the students. Harry had gone through his classes and not with too much ease seeing as he was trying to keep up on all the notes. Hermione began talking to Ron a bit more, though he hadn't cared much to talk to her, and rumors got around that the two love birds (Ron and Pansy) were snogging as well as going out. Pansy wasn't happy about it just like Ron so he told Seamus to shut up and give him the name of who told him the rumor. Though it wasn't helpful when he refused to tell saying he had no idea who said it, it appeared in a note or something; Harry had stopped by the room they were studying in to make sure if there was anything left he should know about. He also left a note for Malfoy for when he would find it though the handwriting had matched the love note at some point. [M, I've laid off keeping quiet in her class, half the time I doubt she cares if I am truly there or not, and also heard you were sick. Get better soon I've already started taking some notes on the paper, hopefully you can help me re-write it out later, and Professor Snape gave me extra credit papers to work on to make up some of my grade. Though he doesn't believe I will do any of it or be right on it. I can't seem to understand a few equations. P.] Harry had been lucky not to catch what was going around, Hermione didn't have it either, though Seamus caught it, guess that is what the boy gets for spreading rumors he didn't know the full story to. Kate was able to get out of the hospital wing seeing as she was fine now and went off on a search for Malfoy in order to explain who it was that sent the note. Harry finally made it to the room to sit there during free periods focusing on the extra work he had asked for which surprised Professor Snape. |
Draco was one of the very last people to leave the Great Hall that morning. His eating habits grew worse and worse with each passing day--now he didn't eat anything at all, preferring to sip idly at his goblet of chocolate milk. If it was even possible, his skin seemed a couple shades paler than it usually did. The blonde slouched where he sat, his every movement sluggish and slightly uncoordinated as he went about unwrapping the parcel from his father. He certainly wasn't the picture of health. Perhaps he was still sick, though Madam Pomfrey was apparently sure he was no longer contagious to other students. If he didn't sit down and have a proper meal soon...would he collapse on the spot? God, what a spectacle that would be. They'd have to contact his parents and everything. He could imagine the drastically different reactions--his poor mother, worried sick...and his father, disappointed at his blatant display of weakness in front of the other students.
With the missing ingredient now in hand, Draco at last gathered his things and rose from his seat, breaking into a slight jog once he turned the corner--he could already sense that Crabbe and Goyle weren't too far behind him, and he was intent on losing them. After all...the last thing he wanted was them knowing where he secretly met Harry Potter to work on their Potions project He wanted to store this ingredient away and perhaps leave another letter for Potter if he wasn't there already...it was a shame they didn't have a way of discreetly communicating outside of class, because that would make things ten times easier. He wanted to get this over and done with now, just in case he went and did something stupid...like lose the damned thing. For some reason, he'd been a lot more forgetful as of late. Uncoordinated, too--during a short trip to the restroom while he was in the Hospital Wing, he ended up stumbling and knocking over a shelf full of brightly-colored bottles. He wasn't sure why. He'd never been this clumsy before. Perhaps it was lack of sleep or lack of proper nutrition (or even both) taking its toll on him. He just didn't feel that hungry anymore. Idly, Draco wondered what the pitiful handful of people who actually did care about him would say if they knew he hadn't really eaten anything substantial in about five days...? The ancient door of the deserted classroom creaked obnoxiously when he opened it, no doubt alerting anyone inside to his presence. He paused, startled, upon realizing that Harry was actually here. This only lasted a second, however--he held up the tiny glittering bottle in his hand, twirling it around slightly. "The missing ingredient arrived today. We have my father to thank for that." Draco didn't step completely inside of the room, instead reclining against the door frame. "It's the weekend, and we're both apparently free...so if you're up to it, Potter, we can get started on the potion right now. I'll just have to fetch the majority of the supplies and a spare cauldron from the classroom." Snape wouldn't mind his favorite student barging in to collect some supplies from the cabinet, would he? The reaction would definitely be different if Harry tried that, though. Snape typically hated to be bothered by students, and that hatred was often magnified on the weekends--the only period of time other than holiday breaks where he didn't have to deal with them. If Harry was fine with this...he would turn right around and head for the empty Potions classroom. Draco desperately hoped that Harry wouldn't notice the atypical, unhealthily pale tint to his skin, or that if he did he'd just do the smart thing and keep his big mouth shut about it. He was already starting to lose a small bit of weight, after several weeks of eating extremely lightly and then four or five days of barely consuming more than a couple mouthfuls of food a day. Mercifully, he hadn't yet lost enough weight that it would trigger alarm bells in anyone who knew him well enough. But...he just wasn't hungry. Yes, something was certainly off with him...though for now, he figured he'd keep it to himself. No need to make himself look weak. Especially in front of a Gryffindor. Especially in front of Potter. |
Harry was sitting there reading his extra credit potions homework when he heard the door open. Adverting his gaze from the papers to the now open door way, Malfoy stood there speaking to him, and he wondered why he didn't enter right away. Shrugging off his thought he spoke "Good, then we can finish this so I can get back to this homework I'm supposed to have in by tomorrow." Harry had heard about Malfoy in the hospital wing, it went around the school a bit, and so did many other students. "That's fine, when you get back we can work on the potion together. Do you want me to come with to help carry things?" he suggested not saying he noticed Malfoy wasn't appearing his usual 'best'.
Ron had also came down with whatever was going around in the school, Harry knew this and so did Hermione, but those who were sick weren't allowed visitors in the Hospital Wing. For some reason Dumbledore wasn't making an announcement or anything as to him deciding on doing something. In fact Harry hadn't heard much about Dumbledore's actions lately while Umbridge was here and some of the students began talking saying she must be making the students sick some how. Hermione had gotten quite upset, it wasn't that her secret crush wasn't responding to her, it was her potions project partner, and how the project was coming along. Lately Kate hadn't been around to do anything and then out of the blue Kate just gives Hermione the full written report with things that happened while creating the potion. Extra ingredients in case Hermione wished to try it too and even the bottle samples at least three for the example in class. Kate apologized, but she wasn't going to be sticking around for another day of classes and without word, she left. Hermione spoke to Ginny about all this, first Kate passes out on the moving stairs going to class or trying to that is, then an outbreak of some sort of illness appears, and Kate winds up in the hospital wing. Finally, Kate does the project herself, the report, and completed it before the month was up. It worried her to no end and she wondered what on earth was going on. Kate was talking to Pansy about something important saying she had to give Draco something, but her appearance wasn't a good one so she didn't want to see him around others. "Do you know where he is?" Kate asked Pansy, but the shorter hair girl shook her head, and said she had to get going to meet up with some others. Feeling another dizzy spell hit her she waited a moment for it to pass and then went to see Professor Snape. She knew he wouldn't be too keen on seeing students on his time off, but she needed to speak to someone and he was the only one who appeared in her mind that she knew where to find. Draco would have been the other person, but she didn't wish to worry anyone. Finally making her way to the classroom she opened the door seeing it was empty and the door up at the top of the stairs in the back was cracked open slightly with a light shining through a bit. Making her way up there she knocked slightly on the door "Um...Professor?" she asked uncertain if this was even a good idea anymore, but what else could she do? Professor's Snape voice spoke up "Come in" he knew that voice, otherwise he would have told anyone else (excluding Draco) to leave. Walking in while shutting the door behind her she took a seat in the chair across from his desk as he looked up from his paper work he was skimming over. "I see you did the potions project with ease and without your partner." Snape spoke looking intent on figuring out why Kate took full control over it. "Yes, I did...I'm sorry if that upsets you...but I have a problem and it needed to get done sooner than later." she couldn't waste any more time trying to study or prepare it making it look all pretty or what not. "And what is this problem?" Snape asked curious to what it would be to distract one of the few top students in his class. "You haven't been going to your classes I've noticed. Dumbledore asked me to check up on you and see what the problem was. Your other teachers have also gathered quite worried over this and believe something is truly wrong." Kate looked down she had a feeling she knew why she felt so terrible, but she couldn't say it. "R-remember w-when I s-said I had a parent h-here at Hogwarts?" her voice was shaky, he took note of this, and just allowed her continued as he nodded. "W-well, I k-know who it is, but I don't k-know if I should tell him or not..." Kate started to feel like she was running a temperature as she grew very hot from confusion. "I t-think it's my r-reason for not feeling so g-great l-lately...e-excuse me..." she became distracted quickly as she stood up when he did, she was going to leave so she could sleep, but knew she wouldn't make it back to her room let alone the Hospital wing with the way she was going now. As soon as she was on her feet she felt her body sway and collapse waiting for the cold, hard floor to come into contact with her weak, tired body. It never did seeing as Professor Snape was able to catch her when she looked up to see what happened and then she passed out this time for good. He tried to wake her at first then quickly rushed her to the hospital wing. Her fever was too high for any student or person no matter the reason. As if she was walking through fire, but without the fire part. Laying her down on the bed he began explaining what all happened to Madame Pomfrey and she hushed him out of the room so she could begin looking over the female student to find the source of the cause. Maybe Kate was right, maybe she was panicking about telling this 'parent' of hers who she was and who they were even though they had never met before. After awhile he made his way back to his classroom and noticed a note on the floor of his classroom. Must be Kate's he looked at it, it was spelled with a strong magic spell, and Draco's name was upon it. He would have to pass it along to Draco if he ever saw the boy this weekend by chance or on purpose. |
Draco blinked. He blinked again. And then...his eyebrows furrowed together. "Homework for Potions, you mean? The large project aside, I don't recall being assigned any homework..." Typically, the blonde completed his homework in an orderly fashion. He always made sure to complete assignments for classes he actually found difficult the night they were assigned. Classes he found to be much simpler, on the other hand, could be left for the following morning, or during a free period on the due date. He was quite like know-it-all Hermione Granger in that sense--it was a chilly day in hell when Draco Malfoy neglected to hand in his assignments on time, and usually without a single mistake. The Malfoy heir hid his inner know-it-all well, however, quite unlike Granger. People didn't gossip about him spending so much time doing his homework simply because he chose to complete his assignments while socializing with acquaintances, or in a secluded place on the Hogwarts grounds.
Though Harry obviously meant no harm by posing that seemingly innocent suggestion, Draco's expression shifted. He wasn't trying to fool anyone, really--he looked like shit today. Two separate reactions struggled for dominance, with indignation being the first--how dare Potter indirectly point out his visible weakness and potential malady by offering to do the heavy lifting for him!--and a mild sort of contentment being the second--it was like Potter was offering to be his dutiful little slave for the moment, and it always did feel lovely to have someone offer to do something nice for him for a change. He settled on a grudging truce between the two warring reactions--he wasn't outright offended, but he didn't seem at all flattered, either. "I wouldn't want to tag along if I were you, Potter." His words held no hint of hostility. "Professor Snape loathes being disturbed during the weekend...unless there's some sort of emergency or it's simply one of his favorite students calling. Your presence will just irritate him. And I'd rather not taunt a crouching tiger, if you know what I mean." He took a step backwards, making a feeble attempt at closing the creaky door silently. "I'll be back in a moment." The door snapped shut with a final deafening squeak. Hm. How bothersome. Draco made a mental note to put that ancient door right when he had a free second. He was in no hurry to reach Snape's beloved classroom in the bowels of the dungeons. He strode along at a leisurely pace, the precious missing ingredient tucked safely within his robes. Even to the untrained eye, the blonde seemed...out of it. Dazed. Almost in a trance. Though his ailing body expressed no desire for food and only a minor thirst, it craved nourishment and sustenance. After five days of eating little more than a child's serving of food, on top of several weeks of eating incredibly lightly and this new and infuriating bout of insomnia he just couldn't seem to shake, Draco was running on mere fumes. God...what was wrong with him? He couldn't remember ever feeling worse than this, not even after the most brutal of his father's punishments! Lucky enough for the socially-conscious blonde, the students in general (even the dungeon-dwelling Slytherins) tended to avoid the dank dungeons on weekends, especially on a nice day. It was relatively warm for the season. Sunny, too. The vast majority of students were out and about, soaking up the precious warm rays. There was no one lurking around to see him in his haggard state, lumbering along almost like he was sleepwalking. He knew these dungeons like the back of his slender hand, however--there was no need to put much thought into where he was going. The door to the Potions classroom was open today. A voice in the back of his mind jotted this down as being unusual, seeing as Snape was often one to enjoy his privacy. He reached up and rapped on the heavy wooden door with his knuckles, using the door frame to support him. "Professor." Draco made a point of keeping his voice as steady as possible. "I need to fetch my cauldron and some supplies to work on my project. May I?" He was hoping, almost praying, that Snape wouldn't notice that anything was awry. That treacherous voice in his mind instantly jeered, reminding him none-too-kindly that even someone as ordinarily oblivious as Harry Potter saw through his ruse, and Shape was as observant and nosy as they came. This was going to be a nuisance... |
Harry sat with his papers beneath his hands shaking his head "I asked Professor Snape for some make up work that could help me get ahead more and he seemed...well intrigued by my request. Guess he would expect that out of Granger or another student rather that me." he shrugged listening to Malfoy speak "Yea...that's probably true. Okay, I'll stay here and finish up my extra credit work, maybe when you get back you can help explain something to me before we begin the project." Harry wasn't sure which potion this would be with the ingredients listed, then again he was better at the Dark Arts class instead. "It it just me or is our potions teacher acting a little strange...more laid back then normal?" Harry questioned out loud.
Harry blinked at the sound of the creaking door slowly and wondered if there was a quieter way to fix it so it wouldn't creak so much. It was really annoying and if anyone did venture to this room or past it, they could be so easily heard entering. "What was that spell Hermione used?" he thought out loud to himself remembering that Hermione used a spell to quiet the doors on the Weasley's flying car awhile back. Not being able to remember the spell he did remember those many years ago before he got the letter to Hogwarts that he was able to use wand-less magic. He wondered if he could do it again, it was simple back then, all he did was get upset and focus on wishing for something. Then it happened. Staying seated in his chair he focused on the door thinking of it being almost brand new with the hinges wishing it wouldn't squeak anymore. Harry remembered over hearing Kate speaking to Pansy one day [If you want something, all you have to do is wish for it, and let yourself have it] that stuck in his head after all these years, but he figured he would take a deep breath and try again, but not too hard this time. Closing his eyes for a brief second he stared at the door watching his side polish up and become newer appearing, then he remembered a spell Kate told Pansy about on how to keep up their rooms being cleaned with magic so easily. "Let the objects of this room become but a dream as I cause this scene to be unseen." he had originally closed his eyes so he could will the magic more and when he opened his eyes he was watching everything go back into place. "Very well, Draco. How is working with Potter on the project coming along?" Snape spoke looking back as he stood in the middle of the classroom "Oh and Draco, Miss Kate apparently had this note for you, you're the only one who can open it, but she isn't able to give it to you." he didn't bring up her being sick just yet, so far there was no reason to, though Draco did have a right to know. Snape obviously wanted to get back to his silence and lock the doors, but he had to first let Draco get his supplies. He wondered if the boys were tearing at each other's throats just yet. Lately he had been drinking tea more and more each day, Kate mentioned it one day to a few people as he was walking by that it was a great way to calm their nerves. He even had her do homework on her home made teas just so he could without asking have a sample for himself. |
"Oh?" Draco's attention was instantly grabbed. "Perhaps once you're finished, I can proofread your work and go over any mistakes I find. My offer to tutor you, privately of course, still stands." A certain smugness crept into his voice. "Of course, you'll have to refrain from glowering at myself and Professor Snape during class. The former's easily rectified--if you really want my help, I'll forward a request for a seat change." If the two of them sat directly next to each other, Snape would likely pair them together more often (if not all the time). That was risky, however--it meant that Harry would be seated awfully close to the other Slytherins, who were still very much hostile...and an equally hostile Ron Weasley would only be one or two seats away from someone he utterly despised.
Oh, yes. that seating arrangement was nothing less than a powder keg, just waiting to explode. But...the blonde found that he really didn't care much. If he could handle a verbal and physical ribbing from Weasley, Harry could certainly deal with a few stray jeers and insults from a bunch of Slytherins. Draco purposely, and wisely, kept a great deal of distance between himself and the Head of Slytherin House, hoping the dim lighting in this dungeon classroom would disguise the almost sickly pallor of his flesh. He moved slowly, in uneasy and uneven shuffles, toward the supply cabinet. Maybe he would get lucky today. Maybe Professor Snape wouldn't--what was that Muggle idiom again...? Ah, yes! Open up a can of worms--that was it. "Potter wants to finish the project as promptly as I do," was all the blonde offered up on the topic at first. He'd finally managed to reach the cabinet of supplies. "We're behaving civilly toward one another." Quietly, Draco rummaged through the cabinet's contents, and his fingers eventually grasped a large case of supplies. He tugged that out into the open, tucking it underneath his arm. "Oh, yes..." Draco avoided the extra light provided by a shelf of glowing ingredients, though he inadvertently shuffled closer to Snape in the process. All that was left now was his cauldron, stacked on the other side of this shelf. "I would very much appreciate it if you were to shift some seating arrangements around, Professor. Potter wants to improve his grade. He asked me for private tutoring." He pulled a face. "Of course, I'll do nothing of the sort outside of class. But I can help him to see what he's doing wrong. Weasley is a walking disaster who doesn't pay attention in the first place and Granger just wants to show off and strut her stuff. Potter never gets a chance to do things his way." With his ingredients tucked under his arm and the handle of his cauldron clutched tightly, Draco initially opened his mouth to say his goodbyes...but he paused, puzzled, at Snape's last words. He hesitated, unsure if he was willing to move into the light and expose his weakness even to a teacher who sometimes behaved like a surrogate parent to him. Finally, after much deliberation, Draco moved forward, stepping into the light. "A letter? For me? May I see it?" He almost seemed to sparkle in the artificial light, his skin white as snow. The blonde remained blissfully oblivious about the true nature of his malady...but if he kept behaving like this, that as-of-yet-unknown-but-inevitable visit from his parents would have to come much sooner than anyone expected. With his sharp wit, perhaps Draco would catch on before his parents even had a chance to fill him. Of course, someone equally as observant would have to catapult that process into action. Very few ailments existed that made the stricken individual look so pale and radiant in the light, after all. The magical barrier binding the hidden power in his blood--the ones that had been there all his life, since he was brought into this world--were beginning to weaken. Hints of his true nature were already starting to show. This almost ethereal aura starting to surround Draco was the very first clue. Draco didn't seem to notice that anything was unusual about his appearance. He instead stood rooted to the spot, earnestly waiting for Professor Snape to hand over the letter. Idly, he wondered if she'd managed to make any progress on his curious mystery admirer. Nothing was worse than not knowing--it drove him mad! |
Professor Snape could understand that both boys would wish to finish this all sooner than later, but he expected more physical fights out of it. Handing the note over to Draco and letting go, he added "The illness going around isn't as bad as it was before, but please try to keep yourself well. I don't want to hear any complains from your parents about you getting sick. I told Dumbledore when you were in the hospital wing a few days ago not to mention anything without consulting me first, personally." So Snape was keeping Draco out of the light more this way, well so to speak, more from keeping things from his father.
Though when Snape saw the other boy more up closely he took in the paler skin noting it "And do try to get some more sun, you're starting to look like a ghost" a figure of speech meaning the younger boy was looking more pale than he should have. Was it because he stayed inside alot lately? He wondered more about that. Snape was told to protect Draco and keep him safe by his mother. He accepted this as well as a task for him to do. "Shift seats? Why on earth would you wish to help Potter even inside the classroom?" he was confused by this, then again if he could get Potter to do better and less acting out as a child wanting everything he could, or to be the special child in class. Then who was he to judge "Never mind that, I'll work on the seating arrangements since it is your request. Seeing as Kate is always next to you I will give Potter her seat until she returns." if she returns that is, the girl was in horrible condition as of lately. The note itself read... [Draco, I did the research you asked of me to do without too much luck. Though with the right chosen choices I managed to find out that it is a female that you sent you the note. However, it's not probably someone you would expect it to be from, and I'm curious to if you think the same. The initials of the smart witch that sent you the love letter is none other than H.J.G. I am not sure how long my magic will hold to keep wandering eyes from seeing this context so I hope you're reading this away from others. Do keep from getting sick and I'm sorry I couldn't pass this to you personally. I'm not even sure how I'm going to send this to you, I haven't told him yet, but I almost told my father I was his child. Though I do not believe he will believe me at all in any case. So please don't tell anyone, but my father's initials are S.S. and do be ready this year I think is going to get a lot different than any other year we've had. Have a good day. ~ Sincerely, Kate L.S.] Harry was having quite a lot of fun cleaning up the room while using wand less magic as his wand sat on the desk he originally was sitting at. Some of the cabinets even fixed their selves up making them look almost like new. Maybe he could speak to miss Weasley about a good yet cheap cleaner to use on the cabinets and flooring. Harry had never known about his mother's use of magic was wand less while she was a child, so he figured he must have learned it from his father, and the only other person that knew about this, would be his potions teacher. |
"Mother was ill herself a couple of weeks ago. Apparently...this resilient little bug's been hitching a ride on letters and packages sent by owl post." Strangely enough, Draco couldn't remember his father ever being taken ill. He claimed to have a powerful immune system--however, the blonde highly suspected Lucius of using some Dark Art to ward off sickness. Secretly, Draco wished he could do this, too. Seriously, there was nothing worse than having to lay about in bed all day, feeling like he'd been trampled by a massive herd of horses and left for dead. It interfered with his schoolwork and cut into his personal time.
Hopefully...whatever was afflicting him now would pass with time. He sincerely hoped that Snape wouldn't mention anything to his parents, even though he did physically appear to be in a bad way. The sickly pale skin stood out the most, of course. But if anyone were to realize that he was only getting about an hour of sleep at the most every night and (perhaps even more worrying) he'd stopped eating altogether, surely they would panic...? Draco did seem a little worse for wear, especially up close now that he was lingering to hear the last of Snape's statements. Every once in a while, his body swayed where it stood...but he was quick to catch himself and stand up straight again. Occasionally, his silvery eyes would glaze over until they were a dull slate gray...but, again, Draco caught himself doing this every time and snapped them to attention once more. Every once in a while, a random muscle on his body gave an involuntary twitch, and he would tense up, wondering what on Earth was wrong with him. Oh, yes...eventually, he would need some sort of medical attention--an evaluation, at the very least...but he was still hoping in vain that this would all just fade away given some time. This behavior was different. It was almost frightening. The most sensitive of witches and wizards would probably be able to detect the change in Draco's aura. Something within him was morphing. Changing. Both of his parents knew this transformation would be arriving soon...but of course, neither of them knew that powerful blood was resourceful enough to start wiggling free of its own magical bonds. Hopefully, the blonde would have enough sense to consult his parents soon. After all, this chained beast struggling to escape was something they would rather remain...private. It was, after all, a family matter. For what seemed like an eternity, Draco pondered that question...and then he gave a simple shrug of his shoulders. "It bothers me." There. Simple enough, really. It bothered him...apparently enough for him to want to do something about it. "Academically, I like to see people succeed no matter who they are. And partners like Granger and that Weasel are holding Potter back. The level of contempt in that condescending voice when he spoke of Ron Weasley was astronomical. Funny, though, wasn't it? The older they grew, the more the famous rivalry between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter shifted to more of a rivalry between Draco Malfoy and Potter's Beloved Sidekick. Suddenly feeling awkward, the blonde fingered the note in his hands and gave a polite nod to Snape. "I'll be taking my leave, now. Thank you, Professor." With that out of the way, he turned on his heel and headed straight back out into the mercifully deserted dungeon corridors. He was headed straight for that abandoned classroom, of course. Draco passed the time by unfolding the letter, curious stormy eyes scanning the words eagerly. He was delighted to find that Kate had indeed made headway. The initials? H.J.G. H.G....smart witch. He ground to a halt, squinting at the letter. H.G. Of course. There was no mistaking it. The mystery admirer was Hermione Granger. Hm...that made sense. The writing was particularly elegant and articulate. Clearing his throat, Draco resumed his journey, feeling much better now that he knew. For a Mudblood, Granger was certainly intelligent and resourceful. A pity, really. Under any other circumstances, she would have been a decent choice. She was normally so observant...he wondered why she hadn't realized it yet. Perhaps she was in denial. All of the obvious signs were there for anyone who bothered taking a closer look. His droves of loyal female fans, always disappointed when Draco turned them down or outright declared he wasn't looking for commitment. The way he always laughed off any rumors floating around about him snogging various girls from different Houses. The fact that he turned down the top three most attractive girls at Hogwarts, including a particularly pushy seventh year Ravenclaw, without hesitation. Imagine the look on poor Hermione Granger's face when she finally realized that Draco Malfoy only fancied other men. The last couple of lines caught his attention, as well. S.S. He blinked, head tilting somewhat to the side. He figured it would best for him not to nose around in Kate's personal business. Truly, he was glad that she confided in him--he wouldn't share her secret with anyone. That would be just evil...and while Draco was certainly no angel, he wasn't exactly pure evil, either. At this moment, Draco arrived at the abandoned classroom. He pushed against the door, admittedly surprised when it gave no protesting squeak. "I have our things," he announced, letting himself in and gingerly closing the door behind him. As he strode forward, placing his supplies down on the window sill (including the bottle he received in the mail this morning) and carefully setting his cauldron up. As he did so, the blonde glanced around, eyebrows raised. "What have you done to this place?" he wondered aloud. A bit of magical cleaning, perhaps? |
Professor Snape listened watching his star pupil in his own housing (Slytherin that is) taking in mental notes. Not saying a word to the boy he wait until Draco left then headed to his desk up the stairs. He took time to write a very nicely done letter only Narcissa Malfoy could read explaining the signs he took notice in while in his presence. He made it sound not too concerning, but knowing the boy was hardly eating sort of worried him. Though he wouldn't ever let anyone in on his worries, he wrote it as a concerning matter that only he noticed so if this did get wind to Lucius, that it wouldn't do much to Draco. He hoped. Keeping the boy safe from evil and other students who hated his family, that was easy. Keeping him safe from his own father...now that was the tricky part.
Snape burned the paper, there was no point in writing something out as this when he could just leave the school grounds, and do so himself. He went to his fireplace after cleaning up a bit seeing the fact he was going to meet up with a Malfoy bloodline. Then he stepped into the fireplace as magic circled him quickly changing his location "Malfoy Garden" which currently around this time of day is where she would be, Lucius at the moment wouldn't have been at the mansion, there were other pressing issues at the ministry of magic that he needed to concern himself with, rather than sit around and get nothing accomplished. Harry was having too much fun doing magic in the room and was almost going to ask if he shouldn't have done any of it. Though instead his words were "Would you rather sit in a dirty, dusty room with broken furniture, and squeaky doors?" Harry asked, the room still had it's natural silent glow like it did before it got clean, but the lights weren't working either. Harry just threw up some magical orb lights a bit to create a nice dim shine so they could see better when it would be in the evening, but not during the day. "I can reverse it if you truly wish for me to, I just figured you would like it more if it was a bit...neater" Harry meant to say cleaner, but he forgot to add something in. "Only you and I can see how clean it looks, anyone who enters the door way or magically appears in any sort of way will see how dusty, dirty, and unused it looks. I learned that spell from Hermione awhile back." Harry glanced around the room at his accomplishment. "See I wasn't good at potions, but I did forget that before I came to Hogwarts I could do some magic without a wand. I guess that's my talent, I don't remember who in my family could do that, but I do know that it is quite useful in case your wand gets knocked out of your hand I guess." that and it was totally fun because he hadn't done it in so long. |
The poor house-elf the Malfoys tasked with scrubbing down the elaborate fire pit in the rear gardens of Malfoy Manor never knew what hit her. One moment she was precariously balancing herself on a loose stack of stone bricks, trying desperately to remove a thick sheen of pollen and a myriad of dried leaves from in-between the cracks in the stone...and then she squealed with fright when the inactive fire pit briefly billowed with flames and smoke, the makeshift stepping stool crumbling below her. She fell to the floor with a dull thud, but wasted no time in getting up, rubbing her rump and staring odiously at the freshly-materialized Severus Snape with her bulbous pink-hued eyes.
"You startled me, good sir!" She had a surprisingly low, but still squeaky voice. She must have recognized Snape from a past visit (he was always welcome at Malfoy Manor...both Narcissa and Lucius got along well with him), because within seconds she was all business. "Master Malfoy is away on Ministry business!" she declared, standing at attention. "Mistress Malfoy is feeding the peacocks. Over there." She gestured with a long, spidery finger, indicating toward the very back of the garden, where a hulking stone archway eventually led out to a makeshift Quidditch field. Just before the archway was Narcissa Malfoy herself, seated on a cozy-looking bench. A gorgeous long-haired rusty red cat snoozed on her lap. She held what appeared to be a bag of the finest quality birdseed, and she was simply scattering it about in front of her...to the delight of the twelve albino peacocks gathered around her, of course. "I don't recall saying that I didn't approve, Potter." There was that familiar warning tone. Draco still wasn't entirely comfortable in Harry's presence (understandable, really, given the impressive rap sheet of their infamous rivalry), and oftentimes he didn't seem to know whether to take the Gryffindor's words as an insult or just a simple statement. "I prefer cleanliness over disorder, anyway." As Harry would no doubt come to realize...his project partner was a stickler for neatness and perfection. Their research paper would be checked once, twice, even thrice for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Ordinarily, his appearance would speak volumes about his desire to be perfect...but because of his decline in health as of late, he hadn't really put much effort into looking good. Lucky for him, he really didn't need all that effort anyway. He was still handsome even without all the added flair. "Really, now?" The mere mention of Hermione was enough to bring back some of Draco's cheer. He was still both amused and terribly tickled that someone as intelligent as top-of-the-class Granger fancied him. It was quite flattering. The blonde kept quiet as Harry went on speaking, explaining that he was able to do quite a bit of magic without the assistance of a wand. By the time other boy finally finished talking, Draco had his cauldron all set up and ready to go. "...I can cast some spells and such without a wand," he confessed, rising to his feet to fetch his book of potions. He wobbled slightly, as if he felt unsteady on his feet, but he was quick to right himself. "Father can, as well. He claims my paternal grandmother had the same knack for it." Returning with his book under one arm and his supplies under the other, Draco propped the book up on the desk Harry was seated at and set the ingredients down beside the cauldron. "This is a good opportunity for you to show me how truly adept you are with potions without any distractions, Potter. You can start us off." The blonde backed off, looking rather pleased with himself. "And don't worry," he added in a slightly more teasing tone. "If you start mucking something up, I'll step in. I want a perfect grade, after all." |
"Thank you" Snape spoke in a low whisper so no one else would hear him except the house elf as he made his way to Narcissa walking slowly up to her. "They seem to like you" probably because she feeds them, he wonders if they stray away from Lucius whenever he is around, or if they even stay at all. "We need to talk about your son, Narcissa" Snape added not bothering to sugar coat anything or even do introductions which he normally never did.
"Well, now it looks better in here. I didn't mind the way it was earlier, but the door was starting to make me think that if anyone did walk by and we opened the door to leave or come in here. That they would probably notice us." Harry spoke with honesty and put his wand back away in his pocket again to keep it out of sight. Harry figured it must be pure bloods that could do magic without a wand, but what would be so bad about not using one. It would prove to be very useful in more than one case. Harry then started wondering if he should look up his family ancestry, not many students dared to bother since it was boring, but with him being a wizard of James Potter and Lily Evans, well that would be an interesting mixture. "A little smug about this aren't we?" Harry was directing that rhetorical question at Malfoy, but not as an insult per say. First he knew he had to make sure all the ingredients were here, he knew they probably were, but he wanted to make sure. Once he checked them all he looked at the book following the instructions very carefully so he wouldn't ruin anything. Harry almost made an insult about the 'perfect grade' part, but if he did this wrong then they would work with each other for far much longer than necessary or wanted. Harry wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to like hanging with Malfoy in between and after classes seeing as they weren't starting anything between each other. Luckily that Murtlap that Malfoy made him yesterday healed his arms up pretty good and now he could walk around with his sleeves up. Moving his sleeves up so they wouldn't get caught in anything he began to do as the book told him. "By the way, that Murtlap mixture helped out you can't even hardly see the marks anymore, but I did hear something that happened to one of your Slytherin house mates. I believe her name was...Kate?" Harry spoke waiting to see if this would interest Malfoy or not. It involved Kate and the reason why she was visiting the hospital wing so much lately. |
"Well, hello to you too, Severus." Thankfully, Narcissa seemed to be in good spirits today--the hints of a grin tugged at the corners of her lips. The regal cat seated upon her lap cracked one verdant emerald-hued eye open, studying the familiar face almost suspiciously before its owner settled back down again. Most of the brilliantly white birds scattered once the visitor drew too close--the Malfoys' prized peacocks were often skittish around other people, save for the eldest male and female. She continued spreading birdseed around her feet for the two remaining birds, her gaze focused on her unexpected visitor.
She seemed awfully calm, which was unusual. On a normal day, that single sentence would surely cause her great distress, as she fretted about Draco persistently. "...I suppose I should let you in on the secret, now, shouldn't I?" Narcissa sounded the slightest bit guilty. After all...this was a fairly big bombshell she conveniently neglected to share with her old friend when she demanded he promise to look after her son. She shifted somewhat in her seat, moving over and making room. "Go on. Take a seat. And please, before I explain...do tell me--how is Draco?" Draco chuckled, but not in a haughty way, folding his hands behind his back. He opted to stand by and watch rather than take a seat on the window sill again, just in case he needed to step in and assist Harry. "I think I've earned the right to be smug about potion-making, don't you think, Potter?" And oh, he most certainly had! Potions was the only class in which he actually surpassed that know-it-all Granger both in overall grade and class performance points. And that was saying something, considering that Hermione held the top spot in every other class (Draco also trailed her extremely closely in Arithmancy). As soon as Harry began his work, the blonde watched over with with a carefully trained eye, poised and at the ready if he needed to step in and avert disaster. This was a potion normally reserved for seventh years and advanced sixth years. Draco himself would step in and take care of the particularly difficult steps, but Harry could manage the first few cuttings and combinations of ingredients, at the very least. "Good." He sounded genuinely relieved. "Those marks were hideous. And people would've gotten the wrong idea." That was the last thing he imagined someone like Harry needed, what with all the attention (both positive and negative) he already got. The Gryffindor's mention of Kate earned him a vaguely interested nod from Draco. He was so utterly focused on what the other boy was doing with the ingredients that he wouldn't look away...but he was clearly still listening. "Yes, I know she's had some trouble. She's been ill as of late. But mind you, Potter, I normally don't bother with the affairs of my housemates unless they directly affect me. We Slytherins are different from you Gryffindors. Not exactly on friendly terms, I suppose you could say." Slytherins were cold. Distant. Mean-spirited. Gryffindors were all about camaraderie. Slytherins were out for themselves! |
"Well, let's see. He hasn't been hardly eating no matter what is put in front of him. He seems to be tired more than usual lately and hardly starting anything against his rivals." Snape knew Narcissa understood who they were, or at least one of them that is. The famous Harry Potter who lived by attack from death almost itself. "Looking more paler than he should or at least than he has before" Snape explained then waited for her to comment, did she already know what was going on with her own son? Did she expect something to occur? What secret was she talking about that he didn't know of?
"True, not everyone can excel in a class, and have the good looks to follow" Harry thought then realized how awkward that would be to hear from a guy rather than of the opposite gender. Cutting up the ingredients then mixing like the book said, luckily he read this page a couple of times to make sure he wouldn't do anything too early or too late. Though he got to a part he hadn't a clue on how to do "How do you?" he didn't finish figuring Malfoy was paying attention enough to know which step he was at. "I wouldn't pay any attention to this even if she was in my own house, but the whole problem with how she has been acting seems to...well you know I have the invisibility cloak now and I used it one day to visit Ron in the hospital wing since it is odd everyone is getting sick so suddenly." he explained starting to speak up more about what he saw "Keeping my cloak on that night I heard someone come in, it was Umbridge, she walked over to Kate saying how unfortunate this was and too bad she wasn't going to make it. Then a few days later after getting out of the hospital wing she went back in there. I have a feeling Umbridge is up to something, but I can't figure out what. I tried telling Hermione, but she has had her head in the clouds lately that she didn't hear a word I said." "I may not know Kate very well like you do, but I know something is up with one of the students with the best immune system gets sick out of no where like that." Harry spoke, Kate hadn't in all the years she had been at Hogwarts gotten sick over anything and now she was sick with something that she couldn't even get out of bed with. Madame Pomfrey walked over after releasing Ron Weasley to go back to his dorm room with his twin brothers in tow to make sure nothing else would go wrong. Their mother was relieved to hear that he was doing quite better. Kate on the other hand wasn't doing so well and Dumbledore was called down in order to release her to have someone take her home. Though when he got there, Madame Pomfrey was shaking her head, and the curtains were closed. "Poppy, how is she?" Dumbledore asked looking concerned "Is she getting any better?" Madame Pomfrey shook her head "I'm sorry Albus, she passed away fifteen minutes ago. She has no heart, no pulse, and no magical energy that usually surrounds her. I've checked everything more than once and I'm sad to say, she's gone." Madame went back to her work as Dumbledore walked over to the curtains to check for himself. After that moment when some people came in to take Kate's body out of the hospital wing it was all over the school that someone died and they hadn't a clue on who it could be. They just knew it was a girl and the name wasn't being released until that evening when Dinner came about in the great hall. Dumbledore watched with sadness, he never liked seeing any students leave, and those who did die wound up being ghosts in the school. Not Kate though, she believed in ghosts, but her spirit was already far too long gone. Calling a teacher's meeting for those who would be there. |
Narcissa listened quietly, occasionally tossing some more birdseed out for the peacocks and reaching down to scratch the reddish cat in her lap behind the ears (she purred appreciatively each and every time). It wasn't until her company made mention of Draco seeming much paler than usual that she straightened up a bit in her seat, heaving a great sigh. "...Lucius should really be the one to explain this to you. It's all on his side of the family, after all." But of course, Lucius was away on Ministry business...which left her all alone.
"...Do you remember Lucius' parents, Severus?" Narcissa ventured after a moment, absently scratching the happy purring ball of fur on her lap. "Vaguely, perhaps? If anything, you probably recall his father and not his mother. I'll warn you now..." She pursed her lips, glancing about as if she was worried about someone spying on their conversation. "This is private information. The only reason I'm parting with it is because I trust you to look after Draco, at least until Lucius comes back." There was a heavy pause, in which Narcissa parted with more birdseed and peered around nervously. "...The Malfoy family is not nearly as pure-blooded as they'd like you to think." There. Out in the open. Not so difficult, was it? "And before you say anything...no, they've never mixed with any Muggles, half-bloods, or muggle-borns. I suppose that means they are pure-blooded in the traditional sense. No, their vice is not for those with less pure blood...but for those with particularly pure blood. You see, Severus...Lucius' mother?" Narcissa leaned back slightly in her seat, playing with one of the cat's ears. "She was a Veela." The Veela were a mysterious race of magical humanoid creatures. They were all hauntingly beautiful, reminiscent of the Sirens spoken of in Greek Mythology. They all shared similar physical characteristics. Most had blonde hair, ranging from darker dirty blonde to a striking (and rather familiar) shade of platinum blonde, very nearly white. Most had blue or silver-hued eyes. All were blessed with stunning pale alabaster skin. The haunting singing and provocative dancing of a Veela could easily hypnotize members of the opposite sex (and sometimes the same sex, given the inclination of the spectator), provoking them into doing ridiculous and sometimes downright dangerous things to get the attention of that beauty. Of course, one would think that because they were such dazzlingly attractive creatures, they were also rather free when it came to affection--they were spoiled for choice of partners, after all. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Once a Veela chose a life-mate, they were unshakably loyal to them, and they were even known to kill to protect them. When Veela were angered, or their life-mates were put in harm's way, they transformed into horrible harpy-like creatures, sprouting scaly wings, and went on the offensive. Some Veela could even hurl balls of fire, lightning, or poison from their bare hands! Veela were exceptionally talented magical creatures, which explained why many Malfoys could use magic without need of a wand. "Excuse me?" Draco's attention had now shifted from Harry's preparation work to Harry himself. He looked as if he'd just stumbled upon the discovery of the century. "Do my ears deceive me? The great Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, thinks that I, Draco Malfoy--his amazingly intelligent rival, of course--am good-looking?" He did a wonderful job of blending the feelings of being flattered, disgusted, shocked, amused, and mildly intrigued together in his voice. A bubbling stream of pleasantly surprised laughter escaped the blonde. "Well...I suppose I should thank you for the compliment, then." As soon as the other reached out for help, Draco stepped forward, taking over with ease. "You can't cut these roots the usual way, you see. You have to hold them over a tiny mixing bowl and squish them with the flat side of a knife. See?" He demonstrated the process. "But you have to do it quickly, or the juice loses its potency." The blonde Slytherin worked at an unbelievable pace, and as soon as he was finished, he lifted the bowl. "Then you pour it in at regular intervals." He stirred clockwise five times with his free hand, then twice counter-clockwise. After that, he poured a small bit of the juice in. He repeated this process four times before stepping back. "The rest should be easy. We'll only be adding half of the ingredients today. The potion has to simmer for at least forty-two hours before we touch it again--the final mixing should be a simple process, so whichever of us reaches the potion first in forty-two hours' time can do it. We'll just leave it here..." Draco made his way to the only window in the room and carefully pushed it open--a gust of warm air blew in. "This open window should take care of the fumes." He once again kept his focus on what Harry was doing, though he gave the occasional small nod to show that he was still catching every single word. When he finally gave the conclusion to his little story, the blonde hummed under his breath. "I wouldn't put it past that cow to do something like that. But even so...if she has done something, there was a reason behind it. She's supposed to be keeping her head down while she's here, at least until she's settled in and Fudge starts--" He frowned, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and too-innocently folded his hands behind his back. "No, no. I won't make things that easy for you to figure out, Potter. That would just sap the fun right out it, wouldn't you say? You probably already hate the Ministry because they're painting a picture of you as a disturbed teenage train-wreck...but you and your friends--" he put particular emphasis on that word, "--should keep a much closer eye on Fudge, and any correspondence he has with Umbridge." |
"Alright, so Draco will be alright to attend school or are you going to pull him out?" Snape asked being more gentle and less subtle as when he first came to visit. He sometimes forgot how fragile Narcissa was with or without her husband around. Snape watched the peacocks, they were truly an amazing and rare breed. Though that made sense with how things were going with Draco, but he still worried for the boy.
"Don't let it go to your head Malfoy, I'm still better at Quidditch than you" Harry's face showed slight annoyance while rolling his eyes a bit, but it was to be expected. He never thought one day that he would ever compliment Malfoy for anything other than doing something stupid. Harry wasn't about to tell Malfoy that he was welcome as far as that was concerned, but he figured the other boy already thought it. Harry watched as Malfoy cut the ingredients the right way keeping mental notes in his mind for this later in case he was questioned about it himself in front of the class. Nodding slightly at the confirmation of having to do it quickly he was sort of amazed at how quick Malfoy worked with the concoction. "Forty two hours, no wonder we were given a month to do a project. Takes planning, time, and finding the right ingredients" though Harry was just speaking out loud to himself stating the obvious "We don't have to keep an eye on it through out the nights?" he thought of the potential fire and was glad to have cleaned up the room a bit. "Ah that's true, but what did she do to the others? I heard Ron got released earlier this morning, but Kate was still there." from the last he knew though, the boys hadn't realized they already spent a couple of hours working on the ingredients, mixing them, and talking in between. "Before we leave, could you help me figure something out with this extra credit sheet?" Harry didn't like asking for help from Malfoy, but Pride was ignored as he needed the grade to go up. If his Uncle and Aunt got wind he was failing, man wouldn't his Uncle throw that in his face, and say he was never going back to Hogwarts again. Not that he could stop him anymore, Harry had magic on his side, and the ministry wouldn't be an enemy of his. Though currently it was and the most he had was the order. In fact he left early before school began this year because of his Uncle and even threatened to use magic against him. That would be the side that Malfoy and everyone else minus the other two, would ever never know about him. "Why are they so big on changing the school so many years after we've grown more and there is more of a chance for...uh who know who to come back?" Harry was trying to be respectful at least to not using that name so easily in front of Malfoy so he wouldn't upset him. |
"He can stay at school for the time being. Please, do keep an eye on him, won't you, Severus? Lucius is scheduled to return later tonight. We may have to inform the Headmaster tonight and fetch him tomorrow--if you could see to that when you return, that would be much appreciated. The symptoms you speak of suggest that the old bond is weakening." Some concern now filtered through in Narcissa's expression. "The combination of magical and veela blood is a volatile one, you see. When Draco was born...we were forced to turn to an elder veela to seal those powers away as soon as he was fit enough to travel. A partial veela should only have their powers awakened once they are old enough and mature enough to handle the extra benefits." Even underage veela were often subject to unwanted flirtations from older humans. It was a safety hazard. Now that Draco was a bit older and more in control of his own magical abilities...it was an ideal time to unleash those powers.
"The lack of sleep and the aversion to food are all hormonal issues, and only temporary," she explained, lifting her arms when the cat in her lap suddenly stood up. It hopped down onto the ground and sauntered away, bushy tail held high. "Once the seal has been removed, he'll be downright starving...and exhausted. He will be out of school for...about three days. We'll have to travel far north and seek out the same elder veela that sealed his powers in the first place, so that she may remove the seal. Then, of course, he'll need some time to recover and regain his strength. If you can arrange things with the Headmaster, Severus...Lucius and I can send him back to Hogwarts the same way you arrived here." An almost mischievous smile curled her lips. "The change in Draco will be subtle...but dramatic, as well. Just make sure his added popularity with the ladies doesn't go to his head...all right? I don't think Lucius would appreciate having any illegitimate grandchildren, especially not so soon." At this insult, an indignant huffing sound escaped the blonde and he purposely angled himself away from Harry, fixing him with an intense glower. Draco loved to fly, and consequently, he also loved Quidditch. But no matter how hard he tried, how much time he dedicated to training...Harry was always better than him. He even had to buy his way onto the Slytherin Quidditch team, while Harry was scouted out personally during his very first year. And it hurt. Oh, it hurt! He obviously deemed that jab an underhanded one, very much below the belt...because now, with that almost malicious expression on his face, playful banter seemed to be the farthest thing from his mind. "It should be fine during the night." The Malfoy heir shuffled closer to the window, basking contently in the faint sunlight. "I'll make certain that the flames are low enough before we leave it to sit. We should check on it at least once tomorrow, just to make sure it hasn't been accidentally spilled or tampered with. Of course...one of us is going to have to come back the following morning to mix in the final ingredients. And then..." Draco reached out for his well-worn book, absently flipping through the pages until he reached the correct potion. "...Then it needs to simmer at a very low heat for the rest of the day. One or both of us will need to come back just around curfew and bottle and cork it--I've got three empty bottles along with my supplies, though I don't know if this batch will yield more than two bottles' worth." At first, when Harry made his request, Draco refused to move away from the window, evidently still miffed about the earlier Quidditch jab. Finally, however, the blonde strode forward, unceremoniously plopping himself down at the desk adjacent to the Gryffindor. "Well? Spit it out, Potter. What's puzzling you?" Though he made a valiant attempt at keeping a neutral look on his face, the corners of Draco's lips twitched in an almost knowing fashion at that inquiry. Obviously, he was just tickled that he was in the know for once, and that Harry wasn't even aware yet of just what the big controversy surrounding Hogwarts and the Ministry was all about. "Might want to ask Dumbledore about that, Potter. If you aren't still at odds with him, of course." Lucius was at the Ministry the day of Harry's trial (he delighted in telling this story to his wife and son, simply because the seemingly rogue actions of those Dementors hinted that they would soon turn to the Dark Lord's side), and--sharp as ever--the eldest Malfoy certainly didn't miss the underlying tension between Albus Dumbledore and his Golden Boy. Surprisingly, Draco leaned back more in his chair and chuckled under his breath when the other wizard mentioned the Dark Lord by that ridiculous mockery of a name. "Come on, Potter." He sounded almost exasperated. "My father is a confirmed Death Eater, for god's sake. There's no need to censor yourself around me." |
"Alright Narcissa, I'll speak to the headmaster about this, until then I must return before the evening sets. Do make sure to make yourself some tea soon. One of my students made this batch herself, it's enough for a two single servings, you can keep it or share it, but she is very skilled at it." Snape spoke remembering what Kate had said before he left the hospital wing, though it was under her breath and only he had heard it. Like a ghost speaking through a veil unknown. Standing up he kept his sigh to himself, dealing with a hormonal child first, and then later he would be all 'up in the clouds' thinking he can have anyone he wishes. This was going to be fun. "Good Evening Narcissa" with that he politely left for the fireplace passing the cleaning elf once more and taking his leave back to Hogwarts.
"Hopefully he doesn't count points for bottles" Harry thought about loud, but shrugged it off. The problem about Harry was he wasn't motivated enough half the time and that is where his not so great grades came in. Now that he asked about help with the paper, he wondered if he should have just stood up and walked out. Then again that wouldn't do him any good with his work and this needed to be done by Monday morning for Snape's class. "Amortentia: Ashwinder eggs, Rose thorns, Peppermint, and Powdered Moonstone" he had to figure out which difficult potion these ingredients belonged to, the title was unfamiliar to hi because he didn't use fancy words to describe a potion. Harry hadn't been on too well of terms with the headmaster of the school who had been keeping alot of thing from him that he wished he would have known from the beginning. Harry focused at the paper until he stood up "You know what, I am hungry and it's time for dinner. Excuse me if I was trying to be respectful, I will keep in mind to never do that again." Harry put his paper work in his bag and walked to the door opening it leaving the room, but not before he said "I'll keep an eye on the potion this way it gives me something to do until Hermione and Ron get their wake up call." with that he was gone walking down the hallway. Harry knew who the Malfoys were, he knew all about the death eaters that he could find out, and was more than ready to get this battle over with just so it would be over. He wasn't actually prepared for it and since they couldn't learn in class about using defensive spells then what were they going to do? Speaking aloud not thinking about if someone heard him "You know some times I wonder what it would be like if we were in each other's shoes or at least not enemies" now he rolled his eyes getting lost in his thoughts once more. |
"For Professor Snape, I surmise it's likely a matter of quality over quantity." As long as the potion itself was impeccable, Draco figured he wouldn't give a hoot about how much of the stuff they were able to concoct. Harry's general disdain for Snape, his lack of motivation, and the admittedly poor scheduling that always seemed to cram Gryffindor and Slytherin (naturally, the two houses with the most bad blood between them) together in Potions every year without fail were probably what held him back, keeping him from realizing his true potential at the subject. If he could only learn to focus and put everything else out of his mind...then he would be good to go. By now, he assumed that Harry knew he needed an Outstanding O.W.L. in Potions class if he wanted to keep taking it. If the Gryffindor wanted to become an Auror, he needed that O.W.L.
The blonde snorted as he leaned over Harry's assignment, studying the list of ingredients first. He didn't even spare a glance at the name of the potion. "Ashwinder eggs, the thorns of a rose, peppermint, and powdered moonstone." Draco was all-business. Much like Hermione with the majority of subjects, he could spout off the names of different potions, their ingredients, and their various uses like a walking textbook. "All common ingredients, separately, in assorted love potions. This particular combination of ingredients is used to create Amortentia, currently the world's strongest love potion." His expression now smug as ever, the Slytherin leaned back even more in his seat, his posture quite relaxed for someone who was seated next to his greatest enemy. "That's a freebie, Potter. If you need help with any other questions, I'll have to drop hints rather than give the full answer anyway." Draco didn't budge in the slightest when Harry abruptly shot up out of his seat, though those glinting silver irises settled on him at once. "Respectful?" His pale eyebrows furrowed together. "You misunderstand. I think it's ridiculous that people are afraid to speak the Dark Lord's full, unadulterated name--even more so that some actually get offended when it's spoken in front of them. I was merely suggesting that there's no need to walk on eggshells like that around someone such as me." The blonde closed his eyes, tapping one of his feet against the floor. "I'm the son of a Death Eater, Potter. I'm not one of your easily-offended lackeys. I was brought up with the Dark Arts. I thought you'd like the idea of not having to censor yourself for the sake of others for once. But perhaps I was mistaken?" He merely nodded when Harry promised to watch over the potion, keeping his back to the other boy and refusing to bid him farewell. The blonde tactfully waited a few minutes before rising, just in case the dark-haired Gryffindor was lingering in the corridor for some unknown reason. He stood up slowly, using the edge of the desk to keep himself balanced. Once he was up, he snatched up his book, tucking it underneath his arm, and set their unfinished potion on a light, low flame with a flick of his wand. As long as Harry kept his word and checked on the mixture, it would turn out perfect! With that finished, he quietly took his leave, shutting the door behind him with a soft clunk. By the time he turned up at the Great Hall for dinner, Draco was looking rather worse for wear. He walked with a slight hunch in his back and tripped over his robes on the way to the Slytherin table. Once again he ate nothing, preferring instead to sip slowly at his goblet of iced tea. In the light of the Great Hall, the startling whiteness of his skin was even more pronounced. Blaise Zabini was the only Slytherin who seemed to notice that the Malfoy heir was in distress. He politely offered to share his portion of fish and chips with Draco, and when he quietly declined, he instead offered up some chocolate. This the blonde actually accepted, and he nibbled on it absently while he paged through his Muggle Studies book, apparently catching up on some assigned reading. |
Found my muse finally
There were whispers about the announcement that was going to be made by the headmaster wasn't a pleasant one with the way he was acting up until the time to speak. McGonagall knew about this as well as the other teachers, they didn't want to tell the students, however they had to. So the headmaster was going to have to word this just right to not provoke any fear amongst others. Standing up after everyone had seated he took note of the few students he wanted to make sure was present.
The Weasleys, Potter, Malfoy, and Parkinson along with Granger. Taking a small breath he walked out to get everyone's attention who was still whispering about "Quiet please, I need to make an announcement" surprisingly for once everyone listened without protest. Harry looked up at the headmaster with his friends hearing him speak "I have no joy over having to submit this to all of you, but seeing as she was a student at this school I believe that a few of you should know. Those who I speak of will come to realize why I've chosen not to say your names." he took a moment to glance around and back to speaking "A student of the Slytherin house has passed away due to an illness she had that was different than the symptoms most of you had. We do not know why, but as sad as it is, we will take a moment of silence for miss Kate L.S. Let's now bow our heads in respect." after some time Dumbledore commenced them back to eating. Snape had appeared at the very end of that conversation, but he already knew what this was about before the students almost began whispering again, but grew silent. One of the few best students in his own house was now dead and gone from the world. There was no coming back from this and they couldn't understand what made it happen. There was no family illnesses or bad blood, no spells or hexes casted upon her, so why did she die? Shaking his thoughts away he would have to talk to Dumbledore about this later before anything else happened. Harry looked surprised at his friends then glanced up quickly at Malfoy wondering if he was as surprised as he was about this. He knew she was sick, but didn't think that she was going to die. Harry noticed Pansy didn't bother to gossip as she looked down at her plate not wanting another bite of her favorite dessert of pumpkin pie sitting in front of her half eaten already. "She looked fine only a couple days ago, I wonder what happened?" Hermione shook her head to Harry's statement. "I'm not sure Harry, but isn't it a bit odd all this happens around the time we get our new teacher? I know for a fact Kate had perfect health compared to the rest of us with how much vitamins she took in whenever she ate." Hermione's brow furrowed glancing over at Malfoy then back at Ron who was eating slowly, but without much of another word except "Good, that's another Slytherin we don't have to worry about." Hermione was almost about to hit him, but figured it wasn't worth it. "You're unbelievable, Ronald" Hermione grabbed her things walking out of the Great Hall. "For once, I agree with 'mione on this" Fred stood up leaving with his brother George in tow, their mother was going to hear about this, and Fred was going to be the first to say how Ron had been acting. |
Shockingly, the vast majority of the students seated at the Slytherin table didn't seem all that bothered by the admittedly depressing announcement. Pansy certainly seemed down, that was for sure. Crabbe and Goyle were among the majority of Slytherins, looking rather indifferent about this whole business. Millicent, along with a gaggle of other Slytherin girls, seemed genuinely bummed (with Kate gone, there were now many more boys than girls in Slytherin), but not particularly upset. Blaise heaved a great sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose forcefully. He sneaked a surreptitious glance at Draco, sitting just a short distance away. But if the news of Kate's death saddened him, the enigmatic blonde refused to let it show, nibbling halfheartedly at the stick of chocolate clutched in his hands and focusing wholly on his Muggle Studies book.
That was typical. Slytherins weren't exactly the emotional type. Like the Death Eaters (and a good number of their parents and relatives were just that), they couldn't afford to mourn their fallen. That would mean that they had an emotional tie to them, and that was a weakness that could later be exposed by the enemy. They had absolutely no desire to look feeble in front of the other Hogwarts houses. Especially Gryffindor, their sworn enemies. They would probably mourn in private later on in the sanctuary provided by the Slytherin common room, like the dignified junior Death Eaters they were. At the Gryffindor table, Ron lifted his head somewhat when Hermione and his older brothers suddenly jumped up, abandoning the table. He stared moodily after them, stabbing ruefully at the food on his plate with his fork. "Well, it's true, isn't it?" His glowering gaze darted from Gryffindor to Gryffindor, as if daring any of them to speak out against him. "With You-Know-Who alive and kicking, nobody can trust a Slytherin anymore. How do we know she wasn't working for You-Know-Who, and she messed up, and he took her out for it? I wouldn't put it past a filthy Slytherin!" "But we don't know, Ron. That's the point." Seamus was instantly on-edge when Ron mentioned Voldemort. He was still very much on the fence about whether the infamous Dark Wizard was even back or not, something that still caused friction between many Hogwarts students and Harry. Seamus, thankfully, was starting to lean more toward Harry's side...but he wasn't convinced just yet. It would be up to Harry and everyone who did believe him to convince him fully. "You can't go 'round judgin' someone by the house they're in. Not all Slytherins are rotten, though most of 'em are--I'll give ya that much." "Yeah..." Neville chimed in this time, scuffing his shoes against the floor. "I feel bad for her family, if she had any. They don't have their daughter or their sister or their cousin or whatever she was to them anymore. I know...I know how hard it is to lose a family member. It's a horrible feeling. What does it matter if she was in Slytherin? You shouldn't insult the dead." Seemingly thoroughly cowed by this unexpected opposition, Ron bowed his head, hiding his puzzled, angered expression with his long carrot-hued bangs. His hostility toward Slytherin was mainly because of his extreme loyalty to Harry. Harry meant the world to him, of course--he was his best friend. He really felt quite useless right now, knowing there was little he could do to help him...so maybe that was why he was so adamant about insulting and belittling the Slytherins. It truly was all he could do at the present time. Dinner continued on, though everyone was noticeably more subdued than usual. There was barely any chatter. The Slytherins were the first to leave, with most of them rising and departing in a closely-packed group. After that, other students gradually started heading out, probably headed straight to their respective common rooms. Draco was one of the last students to rise from his seat, fumbling with his Muggle Studies book before slipping it into his bag. He didn't immediately stand after swinging his legs over to the other side of the bench. For a few long moments, he just sat there, taking deep breaths and clutching the side of the table. When he rose at last, his legs wobbled beneath him, but he managed to keep himself upright. The blonde trudged miserably through the Great Hall, attracting some unwanted attention to himself when he nearly tripped over his own robes. Face hot with embarrassment, the Malfoy heir stalked out into the corridor. Professor Snape was hot on his tail. He caught up to Draco within seconds, calling out to him rather than reaching out to snag his arm (he knew better than to touch a Malfoy without announcing himself first...Lucius was known to throw punches for such insolence, even at women). The two of them huddled against the wall, whispering rather animatedly to each other, though they both fell silent whenever another person, teacher or student, shuffled past them, and Snape threatened hollowly to dock house points if the offenders didn't move along. They lingered there for a couple of minutes, at best, and then they were on the move, with Snape leading the way and a mystified, but excited-looking Draco hurrying after him. How very suspicious... |
((Alright lets get this post in before I do this major art request, don't worry I'm back to posting normally miss I'm addicted to my games lol, I am just teasing))
"I believe she said she lived with some older lady that took her in when she was a child, and raised her even after the lady's death. The woman became a ghost and never left the girl's side. I wonder how that's going to go..." Luna thought out loud remembering Kate said she lived in the magical world, not the normal since it wasn't where the woman nor Kate grew up. Luna had walked over to hang with the Gryffindors after the commotion to talk more about the event that just occurred. "If you insult her while she is dead, she might come back to haunt you, I'd be careful if I were you. Spirits are more vengeful over the smallest things than we are alive in our own bodies no matter who it is." Luna added to her statement "Come on Neville" Luna spoke taking Neville by the arm "We don't want to be late" she smiled kindly. Harry noticed Malfoy left though he wasn't in a mood to stand up to talk to him, however after awhile he stood up thinking about all the times he hadn't been spending with Ron or Hermione lately, but he had noticed Herimone was acting quite strange. Walking out of the Great Hall leaving the teachers to talk amongst themselves about the students; Harry noticed Professor Snape going to speak to Malfoy it seemed, but what ever about? Of course there were many subjects he could think about that they would talk for. Though, as of lately Harry forgot that Malfoy was his enemy and that they were not friends or anything close to it. Which meant, Harry remembered who he had been talking and studying with as of lately. Following them he couldn't hear anything they were saying so he kept close not having his invisibility cloak with him at this present time. He would have to remember to get it later as well as check on their potion. He only cared for his grade or so he showed, but he wouldn't let someone else lose points because he did something stupid as forget to check on something. Harry felt someone next to him, it was a student with the height, and there was no big pink blob behind him so it wasn't Umrbridge. Staying silent he took notice that it was his former and still, friend Ron. "Shh" Harry shushed him, the trio had not been the same lately, and he knew why. This project was changing everyone as of lately seeing he noticed some of the changes. Ron became more agitated and hot headed than usual. Hermione held back her tongue on most things including in classes which was a big surprise to everyone and she even became more...well she appeared to be harboring secrets. Ginny wasn't clinging onto him or following him asking questions or just trying to hang out. Kate, when she was alive just the day before opened up more often to her project partner Hermione, and even seemed to be smiling more away from the Slytherins. Change. The one thing everyone feared at one point or time in their lives. |
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