they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 5 - 128

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Ninomae was pacing the bathroom, walking back and forth down the entire length of it. Her hair had come to be loads messier than it usually was as the girl kept pulling at her roots, continuously shaking her head in disagreement. "No, it can't be! Can it? It can't be. Mum and dad would've told me if I was adopted. Right? He told me about the deatheater thing, he wouldn't hide such smaller of a fact that I'm adopted, right?" 

Draco just watched her pleading face, unable to get a single word past his lips. He was sure both of them knew the answer. 

"Right?" the girl exclaimed again, stopping in her tracks a little afar from him. One of her feet kept tapping against the ground. "Tell me I am overthinking this!"

Draco bit down on his bottom lip almost guiltily. 

"SAY SOMETHING!"

"Ninomae..." the second the sound left his lips, Ninomae turned away, scrunching her face almost as if in pain.

"No..."

"Ninomae, I think you're adopted."

"NO!" she whipped back around to face him. "That's not what I want to hear! That's not what you're supposed to say!" Ninomae restarted her pacing with new furiousity. 

"He is the last descendant of Slytherin-"

"No! He's not," the girl stopped again. The sun outside the bathroom windows had ridden lower down the horizon. A soft blue changing into fiery orange. "There must've been- My dad must be another one. Even though he said- no! No, no... I'm not- I can't be- I-" Ninomae groaned loudly, walking over to the closest wall, and tapped it with her hand continuously. "No," she pushed back off it, glaring determinedly into his eyes. "I'm just overthinking things. Kruz Raidlly is the daughter. We've known that for a shit ton of time." She raised her hands in the air, her voice coming out all squeaky. "I MEAN WHO WEARS A SKULL NECKLACE OUT OF THEIR FREE WILL?!?" Ninomae shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Right?"

Draco shook his head slowly. She had been obsessed with proving it's Raidlly for a really long time and now Draco wondered if deep inside she had understood it might've been her all along.  

"Obviously. In fact," Ninomae turned on her heel, heading straight for the bathroom door. "I am going to tell Dumbledore right now. She is a threat!"

"Ninomae, no!" he called out but it was too late. She was already gone.

* * *

Her knocks were frantic. Her thoughts scrambled around even more so frantically. Astrid had never before been in the Headmaster's office and she was 75 % sure it was the correct door, though judging by the looks she was given by the passing students, it looked like she might've as well been knocking on a door of a supply closet.

Slowly the door slid open, revealing a spiral staircase. Astrid wasn't entirely sure where it would lead her, but right that moment, she couldn't have cared less even if it would've been some kind of a trap - because as she had come to realize, magical schools had no safety precautions for their students. She couldn't have possibly thought of all that, because her mind was occupied with matters and images much more important. 

Raidlly was the appropriate age. She had once called a first-year a dirty mudblood, therefore she was blood prejudiced as well. The girl wore a skull necklace, for Merlin's sake, and Astrid had no doubt she was smart and could be just as sly as a snake. Astrid simply hadn't found much other proof because the girl was a Ravenclaw - smart and knew how to cover her trail.

Astrid reached the top of the staircase and didn't even bother knocking as she opened the following door. The second she spotted the Headmaster's long white hair, she opened her mouth to speak.