BLOOD TRAITOR [HARRY POTTER - BOOK 1]

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter world; all rights go to J.K Rowling. I do however own my original character Nova Malfoy and her background.

An unsettling feeling of guilt brewed in the pit of her stomach. The decision had been an obvious one and yet a gnawing voice in the back of her mind reminded her that her friends would not see it that way. But it's easy to do the right thing when you are not the one at the fork in the road. The tip of her quill continually dripped thick black ink onto the study sheets that Hermione had made for them. The fire crackled to her right, emitting a soft glow across her pale skin as it caressed her cheek with a warm hand. Her head throbbed due to her creased brow as she stared into space absentmindedly.

"Nova!" The shout caused the youngest Malfoy to jump in her seat, almost toppling the ink bottle that she had expertly balanced on her knee. Turning towards the voice with widened grey eyes, she was met with a rather unamused Hermione: "You aren't even listening and you're ruining the parchment. How do you expect to pass if you aren't concentrating?"

As the dark-haired girl muttered an apology and pretended to glance over her now blotchy parchment, Harry frowned at her: "What's wrong?"

"Fed up of being made to feel stupid for not reading a piece of parchment which may as well be written in ancient runes!" Nova snapped, eventually finding an excuse for her uninterested expression as she sighed and dumped the notes on the table. "I'm sorry Hermione but not everyone is as smart as you." As the older girl looked up and grinned in amusement at her friend's frustration, a smile cracked the Malfoy's features; a false smile that may have fooled anyone who hadn't found themselves studying her instead of the confusing notes and so, Harry remained sceptical but decided that no good would come from pressing her further.

"How are you feeling about the Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L?" The Granger girl continued, bringing the topic back to the most critical issue at hand: exams.

"I have never faced a boggart before...I'm not sure how I feel about revealing my greatest weakness to a room full of strangers."

"I think you'll be brilliant." Harry muttered, his eyes sincere.

"You are such a Malfoy..." Ron snorted from where he sat in the corner, praying that Hermione might forget his presence and leave him be. He was unsure how much more critiquing he could take; however, he would not miss the opportunity to poke fun at his new friend.

"Ron!" The grey-eyed girl shouted in panic, pointing behind him with a look of slight terror as she leant backwards, almost disappearing into the seat. "Spider!"

As the boy jumped from his position and ran behind them, shaking himself ridiculously with a slight whimper. Nova's face remained passive as Hermione shook her head in amusement before realisation dawned on the Weasley boy.

"Just like your brother." He grumbled, reminded of the taunts her brother had used against Harry in their third year. The girl smirked as he launched a pillow at her from the sofa opposite before throwing himself down beside his best friend. Nova's gaze landed on Harry who met her with a bright grin that glistened in his eyes. Laughing slightly, she returned it - a gentle tinge of pink on her cheeks – almost unnoticeable against the amber glow of the flames reflecting off her.

*

Being a Malfoy had often served her well in the past and with her father's connections within the Ministry, the girl knew that he would not allow her to taint the family's impeccable standards. That cushioning alone, helped to alleviate a certain level of pressure that she had placed on her shoulders. However, as she entered the Entrance Hall, the young witch's abilities spoke for themselves. The counter-jinxes and defensive spells were seamless, boosting her confidence as she reached the concluding section of the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical examination. It was no secret that the concept of the boggart was one that made her limbs tremble with anxiety. Her grey gaze wandered to the other examiners in the room – all old with knotted knuckles and prominent veins. The girl doubted that most of them could even see the student they were examining. Searching the hall, she found her brother. Of course, Draco got Professor Marchbanks whilst she was stuck with a bad-breathed greasy man who looked like he hadn't cast a spell in over two decades.