Of Apples and Oranges

II: iv: Frenemy

Aurum stuffed her suitcase into the container above the seating. She put her sleeping hen, Dragon, beside her. She placed her hands on her hips and sat down, awaiting the rest of the Slytherin quartet.

The door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy and his obnoxiously slick silvery blonde hair. He flashed a smile at her before putting up his luggage.

"How goes it, Creste?" he asked formally.

"I'm doing well," Aurum said curtly. "I talked to Remmy in the compartment just behind us. He was happy to see me."

"That's good. I have no idea who you're talking about, but you sound like you're on good terms." Draco shrugged.

"Yes, well, it's better than Gregory and I. We've been having a bout since after your sleepover."

"That was nearly the start of summer!" Draco was taken aback. "You're still fighting?"

"Yes. He thinks he knows everything about my family just because we happened to catch my brother doing something illegal. It's all rubbish, his ideas." Aurum crossed her arms.

"I don't think he knows anything about anything," Draco said snidely.

"Well, Draco, I wouldn't go that far." Aurum tried to dial her anger back a few steps.

The sliding door opened again to reveal Vincent and Gregory. They put up their luggage and then sat beside Draco. While Vincent and Draco had began chatting amongst themselves, Gregory and Aurum sat fuming as the train began moving.

"You two can't possibly fight forever." Draco commented.

"I've actually been trying not to." Gregory rolled his eyes.

"You've been trying to get further on my bad side! All you've done is insult my brother!" Aurum pointed at Gregory.

"I just care about your well-being! I think he might be dangerous." Gregory argued.

"You never talk about your parents." Aurum crossed her arms.

"I'd talk about them any day of the week at any time." Gregory squinted.

"Liar. I know you wouldn't dare speak a word. You're just a gentle giant except when it comes to me and the affairs of my family!" Aurum raised her voice.

"Oh shut up, will you? I've only been saying that I think your brother might start being abusive towards you, you never know with Death Eaters."

Aurum was silent for some time. "YOU THINK MY BROTHER IS A DEATH EATER?" she screamed to the top of her lungs, her eyes glowing the brightest yellow they could manage.

The sliding door slammed open. Hermione Granger had opened it. She held a dismal expression.

"Are you all quite alright? We can hear you screaming from the other compartment," she said.

"I am. I don't know about Aurum." Gregory looked down at the floor and clasped his hands.

"Well, we'd appreciate it if you'd calm down. Professor Lupin was wondering if you were dueling." Hermione shut the door and walked back to her own compartment.

"She's right—for once. You guys need to calm down." Draco reasoned. "You've had all summer to reconcile and you haven't yet?"

"If he would stop talking about my brother, we would have made up by now," Aurum said.

"I know so much more about your family than you do, Aurum!" Gregory yelled, pointing at the floor angrily.

"Oh really? How? How in the world do you know so much about me and my family than I, being myself and in the family, do?" Aurum asked, throwing her hands up.

Gregory sighed and laid back, crossing his arms. "I've been to your house more than you even know. I come in the night sometimes because it gets unbearable over at my house. They don't even notice I'm not there. Your grandmother talks a lot about you and your brother. I knew he was going to Durmstrang before you, that he had committed unspeakable crimes, and I even knew about your lycanthropy before you."

"So? Doesn't mean... anything." Aurum turned away, wanting to ignore this new piece of information. "Whatever. Just stop talking about it."

Vincent looked between the two. "Okay, now kiss and make up." he incited them.

Gregory and Aurum looked at him as if he had came from another planet. They laughed, looking at each other. It solved nothing, it was only a joke.

"Well, wake me up when we're the Three Musketeers and Aurum again." Draco laid down with a sigh and put his legs on Vincent and Gregory, much to their disgust. Aurum giggled.