Not so innocent
___________________________________________
"Are you alright?" Daphne asked, standing next to the bed where Astoria was currently sitting on, feeling numb and stiff after discovering the dead body of one of her friends.
Astoria didn't reply, she couldn't manage to so she just stayed quiet.
"I should've been there with her," Daphne mumbled under her breath while fighting the tears from rolling down her cheeks as well.
Pansy was never the closest to her but she was always there for Daphne during the lowest point in her life and she was there when Daphne desperately needed to let out the feelings she had bottled up for years.
But she was never there when Pansy was in danger to even contribute a shield to her safety.
Astoria lifted up her face, her lips were pale and there was no blood on her face.
"Where were you? You were never with us anymore," Astoria confessed the suspicion that had been rising in her thoughts lately.
"You were barely with us, with Theo-"
"Just don't mention his name," warned Daphne, snapping her head back to her sister as soon as Theo's name escaped her mouth.
"He means nothing to me anymore."
Astoria nodded. She was still curled up in the bed, not being able to shake off the sight of Pansy's body drenched in blood and it had been haunting her ever since.
Not even Draco was able to help her erase the thought from her mind and it had been caging her.
Tears started rolling down her cheeks again but this time there was no sound coming from her, just tears.
"I could've been there with her that night," she told herself. "But I was too busy strolling the corridors with my other friends."
Daphne didn't reply, she just stood there in silent, not being able to reply to her younger sister. She didn't know how to help her and she didn't know how to console herself either after the passed of their friend.
Pansy wasn't the nicest human being alive and she was no different than Draco or Mattheo who were known for their wicked ways but she had a dream and it was all crushed and ruined by someone heartless.
"She could've saved herself," Daphne spoke. "They found her wand broken, someone broke it."
"Someone was in her room?" asked Astoria.
"Yes someone was in there before her. You know Pansy didn't carry her wand all the time."
Astoria looked at her sister once again, the same question that had been bothering her clouded her mind once again.
"But where were you that night?"
Daphne looked at the girl right before her, her eyes wandered around the area after the question was asked.
"I was with Blaise."
Astoria's head snapped to her sister in disbelief, her hands shivered and her eyes widened. She could feel how her heart dropped in her stomach and her world caved around her.
No.
"What were you two doing?"
"Strolling the corridors," Daphne answered, although her tone sounded uncertain she still answered her sister.
"I'm going now," added the blonde witch before turning her back on her sister. "I think Draco will visit you before he goes back home."
As she left the hospital wing, Astoria cried even more as her mind was telling her that Daphne, her biological sister whom she grew up with might have been the murderer of Pansy Parkinson.
Her heart shattered at the fact that Daphne had killed her sister.
She knew Daphne was lying because Arwen and Blaise were together that night, she caught them in the Astronomy tower but she didn't have the courage to accuse her sister of murder.
-
The Slytherin common room was no a crime scene and nobody was allowed to approach anyone from the group of friends at the moment, especially Mattheo Riddle.
He had been locking himself in his room, reading the book that he stole from the restricted section with Pansy before.
Although his eyes trailed each words engraved on the pages, he couldn't understand any of them and why they were written in certain ways.
His distraction had taken a toll on him as he realised half the things he had in his drawer were given to him from Pansy.
"Mate," Theo spoke from outside as he knocked on the door lightly. "You have to talk to me."
"Leave," ordered Mattheo. He covered his face with book that he was reading. "I don't want to see anyone."
"It's been three days. You've locked yourself in there for three days!"
Mattheo rolled his eyes in annoyance, removing the book from his face and marched towards the door. He opened it, revealing Theodore with a tray of food in his hand.
Theo let out a heavy sigh when the curl-haired wizard finally opened his door for the first time ever since he locked himself.
He noticed the room was still tidy, as if everything was barely touched by him.
"At least eat something," advised the wizard as he shoved the tray to Mattheo.
He took it without hesitation. "Thanks," he said before closing the door again.
Theo shook his head in disbelief at how drastic the change in Mattheo's behaviour was. He went from being loud and a troublemaker to someone you could barely talk to anymore.
His gaze was cold and his tone was always stern.
He was no longer the Mattheo everyone once knew and somehow it hurt Theo to know that his friends would never the same anymore.
"Nott," a familiar voice called out as name while he was climbing down the stairs to the Slytherin lounge.
Theodore turned around and met the blond wizard's eyes.
"What?" he questioned, sliding his hands in his as he stopped in his track waiting for Draco to walk beside him.
"How's Riddle?"
"Not good," answered him casually. "He's been locking himself in there for three days."
Draco nodded. "Just monitor him. Don't let his intrusive thought of murdering anyone wins."
Draco patted Theo on his back before walking further in the distance, leaving him on the stairs by himself. He noticed that Draco was already dressed in his black suit, his coat was hiding his dark mark that was engraved on his forearm and his walk only made the room appeared colder than it already was.
Before he managed to leave the room, Theodore called for him.
"Mate," he said, his voice echoed in the empty lounge where nobody could be seen. Everyone decided it was safer for them to stay in their dorms.
Draco turned around to face the brown-haired wizard who was walking towards him.
"Are you asked to go on a mission?"
Draco simply nodded. "Yes, the dark lord asked for me."
"Be careful, I suppose," he replied, his eyes floored. "I won't be too happy to hear another news of my friend dying."
Draco scoffed. "Funny. I won't die."
"I won't be too sure if I was you. You're dealing with The Dark Lord."
Draco stayed silent and Theodore lifted up his head to look at him again.
"Just be careful, I'm sure Astoria would want you back complete."
Draco nodded, his hands were in his pocket as his coat was hugging his firm figure. His head was held high as he walked out of the Slytherin common room by himself.
Theo looked around the lounge and his heart almost jumped out of his chest when he saw Arwen standing right behind him with her arms crossed over chest.
He stumbled back on his feet and almost fell to the ground in shock. His hand was placed against his chest, feeling how fast his heartbeat was beating.
"Bloody hell Ar! I thought I was going to be the next target!"
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Please, you're not even worthy enough to be the next target."
Theodore sneered at the witch while rubbing his chest trying to calm himself down.
"What do you mean?" he asked slightly offended as he followed Arwen to the sofa in front of the fireplace. "Am I not good enough to be targeted?"
"Do you want to be targeted?" asked the witch coldly, flopping herself on the sofa.
Theodore thought for while and how horrible his question was. He shook his head with an awkward smile.
"Have you seen Daphne?" she asked while her eyes were fixed on the book in her hand. The binding was hard and there was an initial engraved to it.
D.G
Theodore's eyes were fixed on the initial on the cover before shifting his gaze back to Arwen.
"No, she's avoiding me."
Arwen nodded. "Who wouldn't."
"Ouch?" the wizard scoffed. He didn't like how Arwen was speaking to him but he figured it was because of how poor he had been treating Daphne.
Arwen and Daphne were close in their own way. The witch was always the first person Daphne ran to when she needed life guidance or what people called as advice.
Despite knowing how horrible he was to Daphne, he still asked. "Did I do anything wrong?"
Arwen sighed heavily, sounding almost disappointed in the wizard. "What didn't you do wrong?"
"Arwen I'm being serious. Why is everyone avoiding me?"
Arwen looked at him interestingly, her eyes were beaming at his question and a wicked smirk appeared on the corner of her lips.
"What have you done?" asked the witch in the most provoking way ever.
Theodore couldn't seem to process the question asked. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and frustration combined. He believed he didn't deserve the treatment he was getting from everyone around him. The only person who seemed to care about him was Daphne but she too was avoiding him.
He didn't mind having Arwen treating him as if he didn't matter, she treated everyone as if they didn't matter but Daphne's action hurt his pride and he didn't like the feeling of being ignored by someone who used to be head over heels for him but now was treating him like he was never even worthy.
"How would I know?" the wizard sounded hurt.
He knew that arrogant expression on Arwen's face, her provoking eyes and her wicked smile that made her lips twitched in excitement.
She was suspecting him and was trying to make him told her what he knew.
"Are you suspecting me?"
Arwen didn't hesitate to nod. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I was with Mattheo that night!"
Arwen nodded firmly as she stood up from her sofa, grabbing the book in her hand along with her and proceeding to leave the common room.
"Where are you going?" asked Theodore, following the witch from behind. His eyes didn't stray from the book she was holding. "Whose book is that?"
Arwen rolled her eyes once again, stepping out from the common room, her heels clicked against the floor every steps she took and it echoed through the empty corridors.
Nobody around them had the courage to look at Arwen directly in her eyes ever since Pansy was found dead. Everyone witnessed how angry she got that night. She went ballistic in front of all the first years and all of them finally understood how scary the Desroseiers heiress was.
Arwen demanded for all the first years to not leave their dorms past curfew and she even told the prefects that they did more harm than good for not being able to monitor who had the access into the common room other than Slytherins,
And nobody dared to say a word against her because they knew she was correct.
"Why bother asking when you know whose book it is," she replied. "I found this in Pansy's dorm. She didn't share a room with Daphne this semester."
Theodore was silent. He didn't know what to expect or if he should expect anything at all.
He didn't want to think wrongly of Arwen's words but his head was already telling him that Daphne could be at fault.
"Are you telling me Daph-"
Arwen shook her head. "Draco told me Astoria wanted to deliver this book to Pansy the night she discovered her body."
"I wonder how Astoria is doing," Theodore mumbled under his breath softly but it was loud enough for Arwen to hear.
"Don't be, Draco decided to bring her home with him."
Theodore nodded. As the two were strolling the corridors, Daphne passed them by just in time and although she tried her best to ignore the two, Arwen stopped her by grabbing her arm, forcing her to stop in her tracks.
"Where have you been?" asked the witch.
Daphne hesitated but she still answered. "Owlery."
"What were you doing in the Owlery?" Arwen forced the girl to look at her straight in the eyes. She didn't appreciate having Daphne lying to them.
"Writing letters for my mother."
Theodore scoffed in amusement, already liking how her words were tangled up. "You have never written letters to your mother. It's always Astoria who does."
His head tilted swiftly to the side to look at the shivering witch in Arwen's grip. She didn't look at him but rather at Arwen.
"I promise you I was at the Owlery, writing letters for my mother. Astoria is sick right now she couldn't really report her health."
Arwen and Theodore exchanged look.
"Did she tell you to do that?" questioned Theodore again.
"Yes."
"But I thought she had left with Draco?"
A heavy sigh left her lips as she struggled to make herself appear calm and collected around the two knowing they clearly suspected her for murdering Pansy.
"I visited her way before Malfoy did. She asked me to."
While they were having a tough time trying to believe everything that left Daphne's mouth, Blaise called for them the moment he spotted the three in the corridor.
He walked towards them slowly.
"Guys," he said, catching all of their attention. "The aurors are here, they're investigating us."
-
The group of friends were asked to enter Snape's office where they all waited for their turns to be asked.
Arwen and Blaise shared the same look of annoyance knowing they would have to reveal their secret meet up in the Astronomy tower that night.
Arwen didn't like the idea since one of the aurors worked for her father and one story about her being nice to Blaise Zabini would definitely reached her father's ears.
The auror sat on the other side of the table, with a magic parchment floating beside him, writing down every piece of information that was given by the group of friends.
All of them were forced to gallop the Veritaserum so that no lies would be told.
"Mattheo Riddle," he mentioned and the last name of the boy sent shiver down his spine. "Is that your name?"
Mattheo nodded without hesitation with a blank expression. He just wanted to lock himself in his dorm again.
"Where were you the night Pansy Parkinson was murdered?" asked the auror.
Mattheo sighed. "In the kitchen, sneaking."
"Care to tell us your location that night, Mr Nott?"
"I was in the kitchen with Mattheo," answered Theodore truthfully.
"Where were you that night, Miss Desroseiers?"
"Astronomy tower."
"Who were you with?"
Arwen rolled her eyes dramatically. "Zabini."
Blaise answer was the same as Arwen and the Auror was left with one person.
"Miss Greengrass," his voice echoed in the room, making the girl shivered more in fear.
Her eyes were teary and she was scared if people found out the truth.
Under the influence of Veritaserum, there was no way she could lie or hide anything from the auror.
"Where were you that night?"
Unless she spat it out.
"I was in the Owlery."
The auror was somehow amused and his curiosity grew at her answer. The Owlery was closed at night therefore he could never understand how she managed to be in there.
But again, she was one of Arwen's most loyal follower and there was no denying these people Pansy Parkinson was involved with were troublemakers.
He was doubtful of her answer but the thought of her under the Veritaserum convinced him somehow.
"What were you doing there?"
"Feeding the owls, I love owls."
The other auror that was standing in the room laughed at her statement, almost mocking her. He walked towards her and grabbed the parchment that was floating in the air. His eyes bore through every words that was written.
"Let me take it from here, Jeff," he said.
His eyes were fixed on the blonde witch as her breath hitched in terror.
"You are lying, aren't you?"
Her mind clouded as she found no other explanation. She figured maybe she should have just said the truth but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Her voice was airy and she had run out of excuses or false information that could prove her innocence.
"Yes," was all that she could bring herself to say.
"How?"
Daphne's eyes pooled with tears at the thought of her future ending up in Azkaban.
"I spat the Veritaserum out."
The auror nodded. "I see. So did you kill Miss Parkinson?"
Daphne's breath fastened as her eyes travelled to her shaking hands, her palms were sweaty from fighting the urge to keep hiding the truth but she couldn't.
She thought her secret was silly and she shouldn't be scared to tell her friends about it but she was. She was scared of judgements, she was scared of what Theodore would see her as, how Blaise would constantly mock her for doing it, how Draco would tell her that she was unworthy and how Arwen would never believe in her anymore.
She was scared of Arwen not having faith in her anymore. Daphne Greengrass was a mighty name even to the Notts, she was one of the superiors.
She was loved and praised everyday because of her status and how she was almost as superior as Briar Zabini.
Daphne was worshipped for her beauty and her pride but she had ruined herself because of a boy—because of a love she couldn't have within her reach.
She had ruined herself because of him.
Tears drenched her skin as she looked up at the auror that was towering over her, waiting for the truth to be spoken.
"Please don't tell my friends my alibi," she pleaded, her facade fell off.
The auror nodded firmly, leaning down to hear her side of story and he sighed heavily at how silly her secret actually was. But he figured that she was a Greengrass, therefore what she did was definitely humiliating to the Pureblood Community.
Her parents would surely loathe her.
Her eyes floored once she had given her alibi. She stood up from her seat.
"Especially Arwen. Don't tell Arwen."
The auror once again nodded at her way, giving her his word. "I won't, Miss Greengrass."
"Thank you, Sir."
Daphne was shattered when she found out about the death of her friend, she wouldn't deny the agony she was feeling herself.
She turned around before leaving the office, seeing how the aurors were left with a dead-end.
"I have another information," she breathed out, her heart was heavy to tell on a friend she once was close with. The thought of Blaise being extremely disappointed and angry with her clouded her mind.
But she didn't care.
Losing Pansy was one of her biggest fear and she didn't even get to say goodbye.
"Blaise Zabini's twin sister," she mentioned. "Is not in the best state with Parkinson."
The two aurors exchanged looks.
"She had threatened to hurt Pansy once."