Dark Blood // D.M.

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Armena Riddle-Lestrange

Monday: Day Fourteen

I spun around the globe on his desk, as Professor Snape graded a stack of parchment in front of me. My fingernails danced lightly on the wooden desk, making a clicking noise with their touch. I tapped each finger three times before moving to the next. The light rhythm flowed out of my fingers, creating a song. I ran my tongue against the roof of my mouth making a clucking noise to add to the noise. I was absolutely bored out of my mind.

"Yes?" he hummed, not looking up at me.

"I was wondering if you could still excuse me from my classes this week" I bit my lip, crossing my fingers behind my back.

He continued to grade his papers, not answering my question. His quill made quick marks over the yellow parchment paper.

"I just— I just feel like there is so much more to learn and you were right, I need more time to clear my head."

"Fine" he hummed.

I felt a smirk pull up at the corners of my lips.

"You are my absolute favorite Professor, did I ever tell you that?" I smile at the dark and gloomy professor.

"I told you I don't pick favorites, Miss Lestrange" he hummed.

I peered over his desk at the papers he was grading. He wrote a giant "T" for Troll on one of them with his black quill, placing the parchment to the side. He moved onto the next one, Pansy's paper on nocturnal beasts. It was supposed to be a three page paper but instead she only wrote one. I shuttered at the though of receiving a below average grade. I wondered if he would give a certain blonde headed prick a failing grade if I asked him. Draco deserved to get below a "E" for once.

He wrote a giant "D" for dreadful on Pansy paper, shuffling it to the stack of graded work.

"Pansy is not going to like that grade" I muttered under my breath.

"Will you please sit down..." he hissed.

"Sorry" I muttered, plopping my body down in the chair behind me.

He set his quill down in the jar of ink, resting both of his hands on the table in front of him.

"How are you doing in your other classes? I understand you are in Advanced Potions, is that correct?"

"Yes, I am" I sighed, "The class is fine. We had to brew Draught of Living Death the other week, before Halloween. I received outstanding remarks on that. We are supposed to brew Amortentia this week, but I guess I will be missing that one, which I am perfectly content with" I huffed.

"Do you know how to brew Amortentia?" he hummed.

"I'm sure it's pretty self explanatory" I shrugged.

In an instant he tossed a book at me, which looked like a journal similar to Draven Nott's.

"Learn" he hissed.

I walked over to the storage cabinet and pulled out a cauldron. I flipped open the page to the instructions for the potion and began reading.

*******

I twirled the delicate vial in my hands, as I walked down the corridor to the common room. Every fiber of my being wanted to pour this love potion into Draco's gobet. If I could just get him to listen to me and understand where I am coming from. I would do anything for us to at least be able to sit in the same room together.

"Would that be selfish of me?" I muttered to myself.

"What would be selfish of you?" a voice called out.

I turned my head around spotting Luna Lovegood walking towards me.

"Oh— hi Luna" I gave her the best smile that I could muster.

"You look better Armena, your aura is glowing again. Much better than last time— less clouded" she hummed.

"Thank you..." I raised my eyebrows at her.

I looked down at her feet noticing that she did not have any shoes on.

"Luna, where on earth are your shoes?" my eyes jerked back up to her.

"I suspect Nargles took them," she says, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh yeah those nargles are real tricksters" I roll my eyes, moving to walk around her.

She moved quickly to catch up with my long strides. I clunch the love potion in my hand tighter, scared that I might drop it.

"What's that you have there?" she asks.

"It's nothing..." I mutter.

"Is it some sort of tonic?"

"No, it's not a tonic" I sigh.

"Are you planning on drinking it, so you can talk to Draco again?" she asked cheerfully.

"It's not for me..." I snapped.

I twirled the vial in my hand looking down on the white and pink colorful liquid.

"If you must know its Amortentia..." I sighed.

"Oh! Did you brew a love potion for him?" she tilted her head.

"I don't really know what I did," I muttered.

"That's a very powerful love potion Armena" she looked at me wide eyed.

"Yes" I hissed, "I know that."

"I don't think Draco needs a love potion to be in love with you" she sighed.

"I— what?"

I stumbled on my words and was not quite sure what to say to her. Draco definitely did not care for me let alone love me. That would be insane.

"Oh look there's my missing shoe" she pointed up to the beam above us. "See— lost items always have a way of getting back to us."

I stared up at the ceiling looking at her dangling converse around the wooden beam.

"Lestrange" a voice called out.

I jerked my head towards the direction, already knowing who was calling me by my surname.

Theo fucking Nott.

I let out a groan and gave Luna a sympathetic glance, which she returned, before skipping off humming some sort of tune. I rolled my eyes and looked towards Theo. He had his hands in the pocket of his robe, which made him look more innocent than I knew he was. He was the furthest thing from innocent. 

"Look, I— um, wanted to apologise properly" he shrugged.

I raised my eyebrows at him, curious as to where this was going. He paused taking his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing on it nervously.

"Go on," I hissed.

"I was a right ass Armena. I really provoked you on purpose in the hall the other week and that was all my fault. I—"

"You're damn right it's your fault!" I snapped.

"Yeah, I am sorry about that. I was pissed that you rejected me I guess..." he rubbed his right hand on the back of his neck.

"Oh cry me a fucking river. You can't throw a hissy fit every time someone rejects you, that utterly insane Nott" I rolled my eyes.

He pursed his lips into a thin line, narrowing his eyes at me. I watched him drop his hand from the back of his head and reach it forward. I eyed it carefully, not sure what he was up to.

"Friends" he extended his hand.

I brushed past his shoulder, bumping him aggressively.

"Friendly...." I said spinning around to face him, "I wouldn't say we are friends quite yet. After all Nott, you are on my hit list."