Reflections - Mattheo Riddle

Permission

"But it was still sealed and everything," said Kirra, trying to convince herself as much as she could. 

Jasper added, "And nobody would understand what it meant if they didn't know where we'd spoken to him before, would they?"

"I don't know," said Kirra anxiously, hitching her bag back over her shoulder as the bell rang again, she knew she had fucked up. "It wouldn't be exactly difficult to reseal the scroll by magic. . . . And if anyone's watching the Floo Network . . . but I don't really see how we can warn him not to come without that being intercepted too!"

They trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions, all four of them lost in thought, but as they reached the bottom of the stairs they were recalled to themselves by the voice of Draco Malfoy, who was standing just outside Snape's classroom door, waving around an official-looking piece of parchment and talking much louder than was necessary so that they could hear every word.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry. . . . It'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, wont it?"

"At least you get to play straight away Mattheo,"Kirra huffed with a small pout. "I don't think they've passed Gryffindor off yet, Harry was chatting earlier about how he didn't have practice or somethin'. . . ."

"I mean," said Malfoy, raising his voice a little more, his gray eyes glittering malevolently in Kirra's direction, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance. . . . From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years. . . . And as for Potter . . . My father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has her carted off to St. Mungo's. . . . apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic. . . ."

Malfoy made a grotesque face, his mouth sagging open and his eyes rolling. Crabbe and Goyle gave their usual grunts of laughter, Pansy Parkinson shook her head, shooting the Hufflepuff a 'sorry' look before looking down at the ground.

"What's Malfoy being such a dick again for? i thought he got over it," Kirra said in confusion, looking up at Mattheo, feeling confused but also slightly hurt. Something collided hard with Kirra's shoulder, knocking her sideways. A split second later she realized that Neville had just charged past her, heading straight for Malfoy.

"Neville, no!" Kirra leapt forward and seized the back of Neville's robes; Neville struggled frantically, his fists flailing, trying desperately to get at Malfoy who looked, for a moment, extremely shocked.

"Neville hey, he isn't worth it," Kirra said empathetically, quickly catching on to why malfoy's comment had such a large effect on him. "Neville he isn't worth it!" she wrapped her arms around the boy, holding him against her. Crabbe and Goyle were now flexing their arms, closing in front of Malfoy, ready for the fight. 

Neville's face was scarlet, though nobody would know that as he buried his head into the girls neck. Kirra rubbed the boys back softly. 

"Not. . . funny . . . don't . . . Mungo's . . . show . . . him . . ."

The dungeon door opened. Snape appeared there. 

Neville pulled away, looking away from Kirra as he stood in front of her.  

"I had to stop you," Kirra mumbled softly, picking up her bag. "Crabbe and Goyle would've torn you apart."

Neville said nothing, he merely snatched up his own bag and stalked off into the dungeon.