The second task of the Triwizard tournament had come and Tracey had pulled all of her roommates to stand at the very front row and as close to the champions as possible in order so she could gush about seeing Cedric Diggory in his swimming attire.
Rosier kept grumbling about how inappropriate her behaviour was and that besides all that the green-eyed girl also had a boyfriend. To which Tracey kept wawing her hand dismissively that that didn't mean that she only found her boyfriend attractive. And that had led to their eventual discussion about whether or not monogamy is a choice and if finding others attractive while in a relationship is okay. Which is a story of its own and completely off the point.
Throughout all the affairs, Astrid's mind had been occupied with a different topic altogether. Malfoy.
The girl was still mad for the stunt he had pulled to get her in trouble, yet that didn't stop her from wondering what else the lad knew about their fathers and if he could possibly have any answers. She was dying to approach him but she didn't know how.
If only the teens knew that one was just as eager as the other their talk would've happened way sooner and way easier.
The champions had dived into the water and after about 5 minutes of blankly staring into the depths of the Black Lake, Astrid had turned around, resting her back against the railing of the stands that had been set up in the water and watching the students around her. More often than not she caught herself staring at the platinum-blonde, her brows furrowed and she herself being lost in thought.
Draco had, of course, noticed. For his eyes betrayed him by jumping into the girl's direction more often than he'd like to admit.
He saw her watching and he held her gaze, Crabbe's blabbering becoming just faint background noise. The boy leaned back, resting himself against the railing behind him as well, and crossed his arms.
Shying away from anything had never been the fonte of either of the two teens. Even just staring at one another became a shameless competition.
Draco watched the lad next to Ninomae slip his hand around the girl's waist as he kept talking with his friends next to them. The sight nauseated him.
Lost in the stare Astrid didn't even notice the gentle touch at her side. Meanwhile, Draco didn't notice his glare intensifying as his tongue angrily poked at the inside of his cheek.
After another moment of silent contemplation, Astrid finally gave in. She'd rather just go and do it, instead of keeping herself guessing for no real reason whatsoever.
The girl excused herself from her boyfriend, telling him she would be back in a minute as she then took a step toward the still staring Malfoy, to whom she gestured with her head to meet her at the abandoned corner of the open stands. The boy gave another glance in Hallminster's direction, seeing as the lad was looking, jumped his eyebrows at him once, before following Ninomae to the side.
"What do you want?" Draco kept his arms crossed as he walked up to the girl.
"For you to tell me everything you know," Astrid got straight to the point.
"And why would I do that?" the boy laughed leaning back against the railing the same as the girl did.
"So I tell you all I know and we can figure it out," Astrid had to swallow before she could speak the word with great distaste, "together."
The blonde scoffed. "And why would I want to figure anything out together?"
Astrid rolled her eyes and shook her head with a deep annoyed sigh. "Because I know you are just as curious as I am."
Draco looked at her, long and good, before with a sigh of his own he uncrossed his arms and instead, rested them on the railing behind him. "Okay."
"Wicked," Astrid's voice held considerably less excitement than she actually felt. "I'll begin so you don't whine about it."
Draco shook his head as he listened to the girl revealing facts.
"So first, most important, my old man despises yours. As you said, they were friends so obviously something horrid must've happened. The word 'Evuflyn' is still a mystery to me and-"
"I've figured that's a surname," the blonde interrupted and Astrid raised a brow in question. "Maybe the old surname of your father."
"Why?"
"Well, when I went to Snape to question him about a Ninomae, with whom he should've gone to school with, by the way, he said he hadn't ever heard of such. But then when they came to that meeting it was obvious he knew who he was, so I figured your father changed his name."
"Ookay, that does make sense," Astrid thought back to the meeting their dad's had had. "And since they all know each other it explains why Snape might owe them something."
"When did you hear that?" it was Draco's turn to be confused.
"Listening in on the meeting while you were scoffing at me," Astrid shrugged, a small amused smile breaking onto her lips.
Draco looked away shaking his head as he bit on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling too. He couldn't even comprehend what it was he was wanting to smile about.
Astrid continued.
"Okay, so... they were all friends, possibly. Then my dad fled the place and changed his name and then someth- or, no, something happened and then he decided to flee the Wizarding World."
"Wait," Draco spoke up again. "your father left the Wizarding World with the intent of leaving all of it?"
"That's what I've gathered."
"Pathetic."
Astrid frowned and instantly kicked the boy's shin making him cry out. "Don't insult my dad."
"Don't insult my dad," Draco mocked, imitating the girl's voice and then turning serious again. "I'm not insulting. I'm describing."
"Ugh," Astrid spat in utter disgusted. "You know what, I don't think this is working out. You're a git. And as the mighty blonde loves to say," she crossed her arms now imitating the Malfoy's voice. "My father will hear about this." Astrid crossed her own arms ready to leave, her voice going back to serious. "And then we'll see who's going to be the pathetic one."
Draco watched Ninomae scoff and walk off. The somewhat smug glare never left his face.
"He'd send snakes upon me, wouldn't he?" the boy called out and it was all it took for Astrid to turn straight back. She had understood the threat the words included clearly.
"Shut up," the girl hissed angrily under her breath so that only the blonde could hear.
"Now tell me, Ninomae, how is it you've failed to tell us all you and your father are descendants of Salazar Slytherin?"
Astrid was at least thankful Malfoy's voice hadn't been as loud as beforehand. That much he knew to respect. Or that's what she thought... Draco just knew that if he let the information slip so easily he would not have anything to hold against her anymore.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she genuinely did not.
"Please..." Draco groaned. He had had enough of her constant lies.
Astrid sighed, leaning back against the railing where she had previously stood. "No, genuinely," the girl spoke solemnly, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"How do you think one becomes a Parcletongue?"
Astrid just blinked. "Do I look like I have the wizarding knowledge for all fourteen years of my life?"
"No," he sneered.
"Exactly."
They paused and Astrid raised her eyebrows urging him to explain.
"One can only be a Parseltongue if they're descendant of Salazar Slytherin and-"
"Ew, am I related to scrarhead?"
Draco coughed in surprise at the sudden outburst. He had never thought of that.
"I guess so..."
"HA," the girl exclaimed a wide grin suddenly spread across her face, "my relatives are more well-known than yours are after all."
Draco couldn't counter that. So he remained silently glaring.
"Back to the matter," Astrid spoke up again. "What does that fact leave us with?"
The blonde turned his head to the side, looking blankly in front of him in concentration. They had been friends, something happened, Ninomae fled. Ninomae was not a Ninomae. Ninomae was also a descendant of Slytherin. Which was the only reason Draco found the man and his father could've been friends. But then again, father wouldn't have befriended a blood-traitor just because they had powerful blood. It made little sense.
"You get it?"
Draco shook his head.
"Well, neither do I."
She chuckled and almost so did he.
"Your father was in Slytherin?" Draco questioned and Astrid nodded.
"Mhm."
"You know," the boy began again. "I'm just gonna come out and say it. But I don't see my father befriending a man who believes marriage with a muggle is acceptable." Astrid turned her head glaring slightly. "Cause it's not."
Astrid pursued her lips before pulling them back in and biting at the insides of her cheeks to fight an angry outburst. She was getting an awful lot of these lately.
"And I don't know who or what brainwashed your father to think otherwise," the blonde continued, "but I am hundred per cent positive he used to have way different beliefs than he appears to have now."
Astrid hated how it made sense. She hated how much the idea brought back the memory of the dream she had had just two weeks ago.
"Okay," Astrid drew in a sharp and almost pained breath, "per se, dad was a prejudiced prick like yours is," the jab had been hundred per cent intentional, "what does that leave us with?"
If she hadn't such a hard time grasping the fact, maybe she would've been angrier.
And then it all suddenly clicked in Draco's head. Though the only indication of the sudden realisation on his face were his slightly widened eyes.
Eric Ninomae was a deatheater.
a/n i am crazy excited for the chapters that are about to follow