Slytherin Army [HP]

5. Red for the Broken

She sighed, giving it to Wilby for him to try. "Diffindo," he said with determination. He moved his wand downwards, and another fold formed, but with a small cut at the top. "Yay."

Snatching it back, she glared at him, "Never say 'yay' in front of me."

He shrugged, "Okay."

They both tried a few times, with varying levels of success. Drew began looking around to see how everyone else was doing so she could assess her relative progress.

Isabell had almost succeeded, but Eliza could not however hard she tried. The black-haired girl's hands were shaking, as if someone were forcing her to do it.

Eliza caught her eye, but quickly turned away, her pitch-black hair hiding her face.

* ° * ° *

By the end of class, she'd mastered the spell and gained Flitwick's praise. Eliza was waiting for her by the door, and they walked to Potions together. Eliza didn't look at her.

"You've been acting off all day," Drew told her, fully knowing that she was pushing into an unwanted territory and risking her head. "It's not just because you had to work with Isabell, is it?"

To her shock and dismay, Eliza shot her a glare, grey eyes as cold as a double-edged sword.

Drew recoiled, then sprung right back, "Don't you glare at me! You're the one giving me side looks every minute then pretending everything's fine!"

Eliza set her teeth and let out a long shaky breath, brushing her pale fingers through her curtain of inky hair. "Leave it, Drew."

Drew gave her a suspicions squint, "Does it have to do with me?"

"I...no."

She easily picked up on the hesitation. They were stopped outside the Potions classroom, and Drew kept her hand on the doorknob. "You're telling me during class. Right?"

Eliza tried for a smile, "Of course."

* ° * ° *

Halfway through the lesson, Eliza still showed no intention of telling Drew anything.

So in the middle of making a Healing Draught in Potions class, Drew purposely spilled the Skrewt acid onto her own hands.

"Professor!" Drew yelled, "I spilled the acid on my hands!"

Snape shot her a tiny glare, rubbing his temples with one hand and pointing out the door at the other. "Go."

"Eliza," Drew hissed, "help me out, will you?"

Eliza cast her eyes in Snape's direction, "Of course."

She followed Drew to the door and opened it for her.

"And accompany me to the Hospital Wing too," Drew winced, "there's still another doorway I've got to get through."

Eliza figured out what she was doing, "Drew, we can talk about it later—!"

"For two days you've been growing distant and you haven't told me a thing. I asked you to tell me during Potions, yet you didn't." Drew reached out and closed the door on her own, with her scarred hand.

The black-haired Slytherin scowled through chattering teeth. "Fine!" she bit out, her white teeth showing in her grimace. "I will tell you. I have been reluctant to do so before because I did not want you attacking me in your trademark rage." She took a short breath and said, without losing her sophisticated air, "We cannot be friends any longer."