The Slytherin Gem

56

The next weekend, they had their first visit to Hogsmeade and for the first time, Jade didn't feel like going.

"I know it's cold and it's snowing but we can finally get out for once," Ron told her.

"Nah... I'm good."

Jade was behind her schoolwork anyway, she hadn't finished assignments for at least three classes and she had Quidditch practice the following day and she needed to think what they were going to train and do. Hogsmeade wasn't important enough at the moment.

But Jade did regret not going. Apparently, Katie Bell, from the Gryffindor Quidditch team had gotten cursed with a necklace. Harry, Ron, Granger and Katie's friend witnessed it all.

"Malfoy wanted that necklace since the second year, obviously he got it when he went to Borgin and Burkes when we followed him. That's what he bought."

"What are you talking about? Why were you following Draco? And come on, you can't honestly think that he did that. Why would he?" Jade asked outraged. Harry and Ron were telling her the story of what happened before dinner, while Granger stayed quiet.

"That day in Diagon Alley... he disappeared, didn't he? We followed him to Borgin and Burkes," Harry told her.

"Harry thinks Malfoy is a Death Eater," Ron said, Jade was about to say something when Ron spoke again. "I don't think You-Know-Him accepts teenagers."

"Exactly. Rabastan Lestrange..." Jade said then looked at Granger, who still didn't know the truth about her family unless she was told by either Ron or Harry. "He told me that Lexion had to wait until he was nineteen and he had to train a lot before getting the Mark. And look what happened... he accomplished nothing. Why take a sixteen-year-old? He's smarter than that."

"Since when do you speak to him?" Ron asked alarmed.

"He took me to London..." Jade said awkwardly. "Turns out Bellatrix thinks I should join him and my parents should be proud. But Rabastan told me he thinks his sister-in-law is a bit mad. A teenager shouldn't join and there's no way Voldemort would take teenagers anyway... he's not that desperate."

"So they want you to join?" Harry asked concerned.

"Eventually..."

"But anyway... didn't you see anything weird that day when you were with Malfoy in Diagon Alley?"

"No. He was upset, irritated. And he did disappear for about ten or fifteen minutes but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary..." Jade said. "Besides, Draco wasn't in Hogsmeade today."

"McGonagall told us," Ron said.

"He came to me... tried to talk but I went to my dorm. Then he went to detention I think."

"You still aren't talking to him?" Harry asked.

Jade now knew that Harry had heard everything while he hid in their compartment. She was a bit embarrassed that he heard they had been dating and all the other things they had said. But soon that was gone when Harry told her what happened after she left and what Draco did to him.

"I think you should... you are his best friend. He would trust you."

"What? Do you want me to forgive him so I can get information for you?" Harry nodded. Jade scoffed and glared at him. "First, I wouldn't do something so low and second, after our big fight do you really think he would tell me something important? I think not. Anyway, gotta go."

"You pissed her off, mate," Ron commented as Jade walked quickly away from them, her school bag over her shoulder.

"Had to try," Harry said with a shrug.