Allison Riddle & 21st Century Witchcraft

Chapter 8: X-Mas

I didn't show Draco the letter on our way to Charms. I decided to talk to him during DADA instead- it's not like we had anything better to do.

Quirrell had a cold, so class was cancelled for the week. Some cheered, but I felt my stomach sink. My neck prickled again. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Our final week flew by. Homework piled up faster than the snow on the ledges. Herbology was torture in the bitter cold. Goosebumps exploded all over my body. If someone were spying on me then, I wouldn't know. 

A million Christmas trees went up almost overnight. The Weasley twins got in trouble for bewitching snowballs to follow Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. Draco continued teasing Potter about his lack of family since nobody found his "almost swallowing a snitch" funny.

Teachers came around with the "going home" list. I, of course, signed up.

I had one objective- make a disturbance at the Malfoy's preventing them from noticing any disappearances on my part. Difficult, but not impossible. If I could pull it off, there wouldn't be a chaotic Christmas. At least, not for me.

Staring around Great Hall, I asked myself once again: What have I gotten myself into?

Time Skip brought to you by Hamilton! 

A constant game of hide and seek. That's how I managed my first 6 hours at Malfoy Manor. We didn't have D.E.T Training till tomorrow morning, so I organized a bag of things I wanted to bring with me to Jacqueline's house, then took a nap. Occasionally, shouts exploded from the East Wing. I didn't think much of them. Their tension would make my escape that much easier.

It was around sunset that Dobby warned me about dinner. I wore a sweater dress with a hoodie pocket and some leggings. Now was the time to make my escape. Before I made the first of many grand exits in my scheme, I left my backpack by the window along with one of Draco's old Cleansweep's. Lucius was the only one at the table when I entered, and surprisingly sober. Draco and Narcissa soon followed.

Halfway through a very silent dinner, Lucius noticed that a houself burned his stake and got pissed off. He chased the yelping elf around, hitting it with his cane. In any other situation, the parallel's to Shakespearean comedy might've made me laugh. Did Lucius realize he was acting like a sullen half-blood? 

"Lucius, that's enough." Narcissa finally said five minutes into the punishment.

"Alp!" The elf yelped again, then disappeared with a crack!

The room was silent. I couldn't recall a time Narcissa ever stood up for a houself. In fact, she encouraged Draco and I not to! This wasn't about the houself- this was just a breaking point.

Lucius gazed at Narcissa, eyes aflame and voice emotionless. "You dare order me around?"

Draco shrank into his seat beside me. I grabbed his hand under the table and squeezed it. In that moment, Lucius matched the vampire legends we'd been told our whole lives. Cold, calculating, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He beat the Witch Twins at scary without trying. Even I found my heart beating faster. 

When Narcissa didn't respond, Lucius gave a humorless smile. "Out. Now."

"Stop ordering her around like a houself, Malfoy."

I honestly don't know why I said it- maybe cause my time was running out. Or I just wanted to ease the mounting tension before it could explode. Either way, my ears were ringing and I was starting to see red.