✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

16 | PETRICHOR

PETRICHOR
(n.) a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather

TESSA KNEW THAT HERMIONE WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE THREE OF THEM. It was breakfast and Tessa was busy spooning porridge in her mouth, sliding the jug of milk to Harry to get him to eat as well. Hermione sat next to her while the boys sat across of them, the bushy haired girl was busy reading Voyages with Vampires. Last night, Hermione was ready to yell at her once she got back to their shared dorm, but she sighed and went easy on Tessa upon seeing the bandage on her forehead. Hermione was just glad she was alright.

     Tessa was reading one of the classic Muggle books Hermione had gotten for her — Wuthering Heights. She'd finished with The Great Gatsby last week, and was excited to start this new book. It was rather interesting, especially with how the protagonist's name was Catherine.

     Neville leaned over to Harry and said loudly, "Mail's due any minute — I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

     At that exact moment, a hundred owls came swooping in the Great Hall, dropping letters and parcels on students' awaiting laps. Tessa prayed that there would be none for her, but she felt her shoulders deflate upon seeing Tommy soar to her direction with a letter. He flew over and dropped the missive on her hands and perched on her shoulder. She reached up and fed him bits of bacon, when a gray lump fell into Hermione's jug and sprayed milk all over them.

     "Errol!" Ron cried, taking the unconscious owl and the red letter between its beak. Tessa's eyes widened at the color of the missive before quickly glancing down at her own, and sighing in relief that it was plain white. "Oh, no —" Ron gasped.

     "It's all right, he's still alive," Hermione said, poking Errol with a finger.

     "It's not that — it's that." Ron pointed at the red envelope as he shared a dreadful look with Tessa.

     "What's the matter?" Harry asked, clearly confused.

     "She's — she's sent me a Howler."

     Tessa clicked her tongue, reaching to feed some more bacon to Tommy. "I thank the heavens everyday that I've never gotten one in my whole life."

     "You'd better open it, Ron," Neville said. "It'll
be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and it was horrible."

     Harry looked from Tessa's horrified face to Neville and Ron's petrified faces and to the red envelope. "What's a Howler?"

     Ron wasn't listening to Harry, he was too busy eyeing the Howler. "Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes —"

     With a loud gulp, Ron slit it open and both Tessa and Neville slapped their hands over their ears.

     "— STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —"

     Ron had sunk in his seat as Molly Weasley's insanely roaring voice yelled and shouted at her son. Everyone in the Great Hall spun in their seats to look at Ron.

     "— LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, TESSA, AND HARRY COULD HAVE DIED —"

     It was Tessa's turn to duck and hide her flaming cheeks, ignoring the loud, pompous laughter of the devil that is Draco Malfoy somewhere behind her at the Slytherin table.