“Well, Miss Malfoy?” my head snapped up from my drawing as the professor stood over my desk. I hadn’t realized she had been talking at all, let alone speaking to me directly. “Um…” she raised her eyebrows before crossing her arms, folding her robes neatly across her chest. Snickers erupted from several seats behind me and I felt my cheeks flush. “I don’t know.” I replied after realizing she had been waiting for a response. “Ten points from Slytherin” was all she said before continuing on with her lesson. A groan escaped the lips of those who shared my house but I just internally shrugged, oops.
“Again?” my brother asked severely, though not surprised, when I told him. We made our way to the middle of the table before taking our usual seats; it was our lunch time, but I didn’t have an appetite. “She just hates me.” I said simply while poking at the food that had appeared on my plate. “Well how many points did she take?” my brother’s girlfriend, Pansy asked, half listening while she shoved spoonfuls of food into her mouth. I set my fork down to the right of my plate and pretended to think. “About fifty.” I replied with a sheepish grin, I could feel the disappointment oozing from my brother. I was the reason we never ever won the House Cup. I noticed my brother’s two...slaves, so to speak, drop their jaws and look at me. “What?” I asked innocently before they looked down and continued eating. I picked up my fork again as my eyes flickered up and down our table. Students were chewing and laughing, drinking and joking, eating and eating. “I’m really not hungry.” I said suddenly, replacing the utensil on the wooden table. “You know what father said.” Draco warned sternly, looking away from his girlfriend who rolled eyes obnoxiously.
“Who says that dad needs to know everything?” I replied crossing my arms.
“Allyson.” He said as I rose too quickly to my feet, black specks danced over my eyes. I wobbled slightly but managed to gather my belongings and leaving the four behind in the Great Hall.
I tossed my books onto the ground roughly before I fell back on the grass with a soft thud. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head while I looked out over the Black Lake. The water was dark and uninviting yet I always found it impressively peaceful. I twirled the ends of my platinum blonde hair around my perfectly manicured nails and sighed contently.
“Hey there.” a male voice said, I jumped slightly but looked towards the direction the unknown voice came from. An elder looking student stood with his hands in his pockets. I nodded a greeting in his direction. “I’m James,” he said stepping closer to me, I noticed from his robes that he did not belong to my house. “Allyson,” I replied as I looked him up and down. “I know.” He smiled sitting beside me. I raised my eyebrow curiously.
He was tall, at least three years older than me, two older than my brother; he had dark brown hair that had been windswept to the left. His eyes were an extremely light brown with hints of green and blue in them. He had pale smooth skin and high cheekbones. “I mean, I know who you are.” He elaborated quickly, noticing my expression. I nodded and returned my gaze over the water, trying to play it cool. “So, Ravenclaw.” I said, noticing his uniform. He looked down and gave a cheeky laughed. “What’s it too you, Slytherin?” I rolled my eyes obviously. “What do you think lives in there?” I asked resting my chin in the palm of my hands. “Merfolk, Grindylows, and a giant squid.” He replied, matter-of-factly. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously?” I asked finding more interest in the mysterious water. He nods as I find myself hopping up to my feet. “What are you doing?” he asked as I kicked off my shoes and socks as well as my over robes, “I want to see.” I replied simply, not even looking back at him. “You know it’s forbidden, don’t you?”
“Well of course! That’s what makes it so…intriguing. Wouldn’t you say?” I replied setting my clothes on top of books. I walked slowly closer to the water, but when I looked back over my shoulder he was gone. I shrugged and dipped my toes into the water, only to have them retracted almost instantly. “Bloody hell!” I exclaimed under my breath while biting down on my lip, it felt like ice. I took a step back before looking around the perimeter of the lake. Ah-ha. Directly across from me I saw a large cliff overlooking the water. I happily gathered my things and enchanted them to float behind me as I skipped and hummed further away from the castle.
I looked down at the water, and chewed on my lip thoughtfully, my toes hanging off the edge. I had stripped down to just my white button down dress shirt and my undergarments. The water looked much more menacing from this angle. I looked over at the castle and then down at the water before taking a few steps back away from the side. i squeezed my eyes shut and inhaled a sharp breath before I took a few large strides and jumped from the jutting mass of ground. “oh!” I exclaimed as I fell through the air, I collided with the water seconds later, air escaped my lungs impossibly fast as the cold water penetrated my skin like a thousand needles. My head finally reached the surface, after much tossing and turning, I breathed in as much air as I could, but the air suddenly felt colder than the water, so I ducked my head under again and looked down as best I could below me. Water quickly filled my ears and blocked out any noise that above ground could had and I soon felt drawn further down, I kicked and paddled my way further below the surface, causing the water around me to become colder and colder, darker and darker until I came to a large field of seaweed. I remained high above it, however curious about what lurked within it. I remained still, my legs below me and my arms outstretched on both sides, my blonde hair wrapped around my face like a blindfold and I shook my head to remove it from my eyes; I nearly screamed at whatever was in front of my face.
The creature was greenish in colour and had hair like fins that protruded in every angle from her head. She wore an frightening countenance and harsh giant eyes, from her neck gills were clearly visible, and in her hand a trident was pressed firmly against my neck. I felt the oxygen in my lungs trickle out in frightened bubbles that came after I kicked and swatted the creature, though this was of no use since everything was slowed to a fraction of the speed, a fraction of the power. I kicked and kicked as hard as I could muster before I felt the creature, which I assumed to be one of the merfolk, shoved her spear through my calf. Blood gushed from the wound and I felt my mouth open and my air rush out. I was screaming, or at least I was trying to. But nothing could be heard above the waves that crashed over our heads, just barely out of reach. I felt myself grow weaker and weaker from a combination of malnutrition and blood loss before everything went black.
When I awoke I found myself entangled in dark satin sheets. I felt completely drained and when I opened my eyes, I instantly regretted it, and quickly shut them. “I…Do you even…” Silence.
After a minute of complete silence I slightly opened my eyes again to find my mother and brother sitting next to me. Both staring at me, both clearly angry, but seemingly more worried. “What happened?” I asked innocently as I propped myself up on my elbows and put a hand on my forehead which had sweat beads clinging on to it. “You almost died…again.” It was Draco who first spoke. Part of me wanted to laugh, but that was because it was a normal occurrence for me, and I had already gotten used to it. “Any details?” I asked slowly, trying not to push my luck.
“You jumped into the Black Lake. Almost completely nude.” This time it was my mother who spoke, stress lining majority of her features. I just nodded and dropped back down on my bed. I felt extremely rested but before I had time to say anything else Draco spoke again, “You ought to feel mighty proud. What the bloody hell were you thinking?!” he yelled, nearly busting my eardrums, when I reopened my eyes I found it was only us in the room, mom must have left. She never was one for many words. “Hey…I’m not really in the mood for this so can you bring me some tea?” I asked rubbing my temples. I saw anger cross his face before he clenched and unclenched his fist. “You have no idea how pissed father was. He could have killed you, or me, or anyone at that school, or hospital.” He just seemed to be ranting now. I chuckled under my breath. That only made it worse.
“It’s really no big deal, I’m fine, and feel loads better anyways.” I said happily, looking about my room, it had been a while since I had been back home, “oh, that reminds me, why are we home again? I thought we had a while until the summer-ow!” his hand had collided with my face as he stood over me. “Dammit Allyson! Don’t you get it at all?! You. Could. Have. Died.” I held onto my cheek as I glared up at him, I thought we were pass all this. “But. I. Didn’t.” I replied in the same tone he had used. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply, “You’re starting to act like your father.” I pointed out under my breath. He dropped his hand and sat beside me on the edge of my bed. “Look, Ally, I’m…sorry for losing my temper, but not for what I said, you really need to learn not to act like your indestructible all the time. You’re not as strong as you think you are.” He said, I could hear him trying to cover up his deadly irritated tone by masking it with a calm collected one, but it didn’t completely conceal it.
I bit the inside of my cheek as I waited for him to continue. When he didn’t I found my voice. “How long was I…like that?” I motioned towards the bed as I asked. “About six months.”
“So I missed the end of the year?” I asked, and then mentally hit myself, obviously I had. He didn’t feel the need to answer that. “What…happened?” I asked again, “I mean…I can’t really remember anything apart from leaving the Great Hall.”
He sighed deeply, “Basically, you left the Great Hall because you didn’t want to eat,” he paused and looked at me with a slight cautious look, “And then you went for a walk, and somehow ended up by the Lake, some kid,” he paused to search for a name before shrugging it off, “anyways he came back to the castle and told a professor you decided to jump into the lake. Next thing I remember was being called to that oaf’s office. And then…” he left off, not feeling the need to finish the story, I couldn’t help but look over his features, he didn’t look like he got much sleep. I sat up quickly, too quickly, then pulled him into a tight hug, “I’m sorry Drakey. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, I was just curious about the-” I suddenly stopped midsentence as I released him. It suddenly dawned on me, “Where is father?” I asked, surely, he should have come home to yell at me.
He scratched the back of his head nervously, “Father is…Well…he’s working out some minor details.”
“About what.” It wasn’t a question, my tone was deadly, or at least it tried to be, somewhat hard as it cracked slightly from not being used in so long.
“Ah, Dearest Allyson,” my father spoke, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, I looked at the door to find him standing upright and proper, with no differences on his face. His hair was perfectly combed, no bags, or lines, he looked as though nothing had happened at all. Maybe that’s where I had gotten it from. I tilted my head down in a small curtsey as he entered my room. I knew I was in deep shit.
“Father.” I replied curiously. I wanted to ask about what Draco had just been about to tell me, but I knew better. “Yes, Yes, I know what you must be dying to hear, Draco-” sharp look was cast in his direction, “-almost let it slip.”
Though I was silent I already knew the longing my eyes must have portrayed, for I saw the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. “You will be spending the summer elsewhere, my dear.” He replied simply, however I didn’t understand, “Where will we be going?” I asked somewhat curiously, my father had always had things going on, I don’t believe we’ve ever taken a vacation as a family. “No no, not we, you. You will be spending the summer in a sort of…attitude, action adjustment.” I couldn’t help but inwardly groan. He should know it doesn’t matter where he sends me, I won’t change. “Where I be going, then?” a slight bit of attitude crept into my voice. I wouldn’t mind going somewhere else for a change, when I stopped to think about it. Maybe it was a camp in France, or Italy, it could be anywhere really. My thoughts were interrupted by my father’s voice. “Spinner’s End.” I felt my forehead crease, that sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place where from. Perhaps it was mentioned in a class. “You remember where that is right?” Draco asked suddenly, looking away from father and onto me, did I have a smile on my face? Oops. I shook my head quickly, and regretted it, now on top of everything else I was dizzy. “No I can’t recall,” I said truthfully. “Snape is your teacher.” He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “HaHa! Right, Father, he’s joking, isn’t he? I mean that kind of seems like the last place you would send me, right?” when I finally wiped my eyes, I noticed the stern look placed on my father’s face.
Oh.
“No!” I exclaimed suddenly following my father out of my room, nothing more on than a nightgown, “Father you can’t be serious! Learning manners from him is like…” I paused to think “Well that’s like having muggles teaching magic! That’s like trying to learn ballroom dancing with a giant or-”
“That’s quite enough, Miss Malfoy.” I heard a cold voice behind me. I felt my shoulders droop down in a mild depression. I pursed my lips knowing he couldn’t see them, I didn’t hate Snape, if that’s what youre thinking, not at all, as a professor he was…tolerable, as long as there were other people in the room, but as an individual…I shuddered. I truthfully couldn’t imagine learning manners, and “action attitude adjustment” or whatever my father had said, from him, the most sarcastic harsh- “Severus.” My father tilted his head slightly in greeting, as the professor did the same. “I suggest you get packing, we will be leaving in half an hour sharp.” He spoke to me directly, and I turned and sulked back to my room.
Bloody Hell.