The Slytherin Gem

43

"You've got to come, Jade," Draco exclaimed to Jade, who didn't even look up to her boyfriend.

Jade was very behind on homework, two weeks ago she didn't do anything because she was at her brother's wedding, and after that her mind was too busy to concentrate on her homework or study.

She knew she had to confront Cass about what she found out but should she speak up? Ron, who only knew stuff based on what she had told him, thought she shouldn't, Draco, who knew very well everything and how all worked, thought she shouldn't either, but she wanted to speak up, so she was conflicted.

"Jade?"

"I need to do homework," Jade whispered, she was pretending to be reading a book from Charms. But Draco knew she really wasn't.

"But it's the last match of the season," Draco exclaimed. "If you don't go, Umbridge will know she got to you, and Jade, today we will find out if we win the Quidditch Cup or not."

"Okay, you'll tell me later, I suppose."

"Jade, if we do win, you realize we won because of you? You made the team sharper and better than ever, you made right decisions, and thanks to your new gift you knew what Miles was planning."

"I'm not even in the team anymore, I'm not interested."

But it wasn't that she wasn't interested anymore. Just the thought of watching a match of Quidditch while not even being a player was like a stab in the heart. Slytherin wasn't playing that day but it was a reminder of what she had lost.

"You should go and show Umbridge that she hasn't gotten to you," Draco said and Jade just gave him a look, meaning it was final. "Well, if you change your mind you know where to find me."

Jade stayed, piles of books and parchments in front of her, she needed to stay busy so her mind wouldn't wander and think about Quidditch or Cass.

Jade would never use the word fragile to describe herself, she could think of hundreds of words but never fragile but at the moment she felt fragile.

Years ago she'd have never imagined to be in the position she was, how things had turned out. Everything seemed okay, and now everything was falling apart. Her fiancé had a kid, her best friend was now her boyfriend, she was friends with Harry and Ron, her parents were Death Eaters and proud of it. Her relatives that had been in Azkaban, escaped. She hadn't really talked to them and knew nothing about them, though. Her brother was now married and they had never been so distant in their entire lives and she really missed him.

She also was punished in such a brutal way and it was so unexpected and shocking to receive a punishment like that from a teacher. And she felt trapped and annoyed as she couldn't tell anyone about what Umbridge did to her. She was also kicked out of the team and her parents believed she deserved it. She also, after years of not going through it, went under the Cruciatus Curse for a whole week for not ratting out Harry Potter and pretending he was her boyfriend.

It seemed like Jade's life was not only falling apart but also breaking. She wasn't happy. She was conflicted. Everything she once believed in and supported, was now nothing for her. She was pretty much against a lot of things now and she couldn't be herself in public. She was trapped.

She was fifteen years old and having so many issues, and things teenagers shouldn't worry about. To top the list, having to marry someone she didn't love and having murderers as parents.

Soon her peaceful time ended. People were coming back, but she didn't bother to look at them, she didn't really care. That joy had been taken by Umbridge.

After a few minutes, Draco sat in front of her. He hesitated, would she want to know who had won the match that day? And the Quidditch cup? By her attitude and body language he guessed not, so he didn't say anything and instead started to study with her.