Power ▸ Ron Weasley [1]

X. QUIDDITCH BLUES

      "C'mon," Zabini said, offering his hand to her. She gripped his fingers and pulled herself up off the couch, smoothing down the Slytherin green dress she was wearing. Her black trench coat was next to her, so she grabbed it and swung it over her shoulders. With a raised brow, she realized Zabini had also grabbed her hat and mittens and was offering them to her with a smirk. 

      "Attentive of you," she mentioned, rolling her eyes.

      "Just making sure you're alright," Zabini replied. When Nova turned to look at him, confusion written all over her face. "Malfoy mentioned what happened a few weeks ago."

      Nova had assumed. She had pretended not to notice the stares the Slytherin students had been sending her way all week. It was proving to be difficult, especially when most of the stares came from her brother, but she was doing her best to ignore them.

      "Of course he did," Nova said, rolling her eyes as they made their way out of the common room and towards the Great Hall. She and Zabini sat at the Slytherin table and loaded their plates with food. 

      "Morning," Malfoy said with a nod in Nova's direction. The Nott girl nodded back, hating how cold the exchange was but knowing there was no alternative unless she wanted to give up that last little piece of freedom she was determined to keep close. If she gave in (because she knew that while Malfoy said Pansy was probably the best he was going to get, Malfoy was the best Nova would get), it would just be verification of what her father wanted.

      She was determined to not let her father's choices be her own.

      "Excited for the game?" Theo asked Malfoy once he and Greengrass had returned. Greengrass smiled and sat directly next to Nova, her demeanor entirely too chipper for that early in the morning. 

      "Very," Malfoy mentioned, a smirk overtaking his features. He reached underneath him and pulled out a basket full of decorated crown badges. Nova couldn't see exactly what was written on them, but by the malicious expression on Malfoy's face, it wasn't words of encouragement. Still, she ignored them and took a sip of her orange juice. "Got these to celebrate Weasley's first game. Can't believe they actually let that weasel on the pitch. Oh, well. Johnson will regret that decision later."

      Weasley.

      The name made Nova's head whip around to face Malfoy once more, and her hand reached out on its own accord to grasp one. When she brought it back to her body, she saw the words 'Weasley is Our King' written across them in scrawled script. Nova's  mouth opened just slightly in shock, but Malfoy took this as a sign that she was impressed.

      "Genius, aren't they?" Malfoy asked, accepting the high-five from Nova's twin. Her eyes found her brother and she stared at him. "Theo was the one who came up with the idea. Says your father did something like this to Potter's dad when they were in school."

      Theo grinned, Greengrass letting out a peal of laughter as she snuggled closer to her boyfriend's side. Meanwhile, Nova was staring at Theo with disbelief in her eyes. She knew the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor was getting worse as the years at Hogwarts went on, but the fact that her own brother was behind something like this made her sick to her stomach.

      And made her feel even worse when she realized if she had never joined the D.A., she might have done the same. Laughed at the genius of it and worn it proudly at the match.

      "Father did this when he was in school?" Nova asked, her voice small. Theo looked over at her and gave her an apologetic look. "Did he encourage you to do this?"

      "Don't get upset, Nova," Theo stated, pulling away from Greengrass only slightly. "He just mentioned it, and I set the idea to action."

      Father mentioned it. Father was the reason Theo had made those stupid badges. Theo thought that Weasley was a blood traitor.