Hello everyone :) it is a pleasure to be back after such a long time, and I genuinely apologize to you for taking so long to upload and making you all suffer, I really hate that, because there is nothing worse than wondering what is going to happen next in a good book. I have been having a rough time balancing my schedule since got in my second semester, not to mention that graduation is just around the corner... anywho I hope that you continue to keep my feedback, comments, votes and etc...they really help to inspire me to write, so keep the feedback up, please. I can't believe that this story has so many reads, over 200,000! I'm thrilled! Please keep reading! I love you all for your continued support and eagerness to hear about Ava and her adventures. I hope that this chapter can make up for all those months I have been absent!
I know it's short, but it is the best I can do for right now....so better something than nothing!
Disclaimer: I do not own the material in this story, I only own what I come up with. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.
Without further ado.....Chapter 5! ENJOY, VOTE, AND COMMENT!
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Chapter 5
I sat under the large oak by the lake and tried to control my breathing as I picked bits of egg out of my hair. I was furious, and depressed at the same time. Some kind Hufflepuff thought it would be nice to share her plate with me by dumping it on my head.
School has been in session for a little over two weeks, and it has been slowly killing me. There are a few groups of people who take it upon themselves to make sure that I suffer. They consisted of the people who have had losses because of my father. They bully me and love to corner me when I'm alone and put curses on some of my belongings. Just the other day I opened my purse and a spell hit me in the face that caused my skin to turn green, and a huge wart to grow on my nose. A lot of people had a good laugh that day.... I'll never forget the walk of shame I did to the hospital wing. It was horrendous.
Don't think that I just let people walk all over me, because that goes against my nature, I am my fathers daughter after all. If people take me down, I take someone down with me. It's not so much the bullying that gets me down, its the fact that people just turn the other cheek when they see that I'm being cornered or about to be cursed. I've caught members of the order of the phoenix do that, and it hurts...I used to call those people friends. Even teachers have tried to ignore me lately, especially Slughorn....I think I've been kicked out of his little club unofficially. The walrus-like man... whimpers in fear every time he sees me.
The Ravenclaws seem to be particularly nasty to me, they are the ones who like to corner me and take punches, the Hufflepuffs are pretty bad too, which is surprising because their house is known to hold very kind people. Pssssh, you wouldn't be able to tell if you saw them around me. Sadly there are a lot of Gryffindors that are mean to me as well...they are mostly lower years...the ones who didn't know me very well. It's kind of funny to see little 1st and 2nd years come up to me and try to swing at me or curse me. All I have to do is give them a wedgie and they run away in fear. Sadly that doesn't really help my image...oh well, the little punks needed to be taught a lesson. The Slytherins are nice to me. They have taken me in as their own kind. It was really surprising and moving when my fellow Gryffindors 6 and 7th years, actually teamed up with the Slytherins to help protect me or stand up for me when I needed it. Though I tried to keep that to a minimum. I fight my own fights, even if I'm about to lose. I don't know why, that is just how I am.
I tried to get the majority of the egg out of my hair but eventually I just gave up, there was to much of it. I sighed and put my hands in my lap and looked over the dark lake and continued to think.
Hermione had decided that it was safer for me if I was escorted everywhere like a freaking child. I hate it, I try to sneak away a lot of the time because I can take care of myself...but they always find me a short time later. I bet this is how Sirius felt during his last days, always had an eye on him and couldn't go anywhere without protection...or a person trailing him making sure he didn't do anything stupid.
I quickly changed thought directions when my eyes began to water as tears threatened to spill.
God I missed my family. My mom, Sirius....
" Hey, let me help you with that." Said a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.
I turned around in surprise to see none other than Will Peace.
I was in shock. No one has dared to speak to me other than my close friends, why is he here??
" Um, ok." I said cautiously as he sat down beside me. We were both silent as he worked on my hair. I felt like a monkey was picking through it for bugs. It is safe to say that it was awkward and uncomfortable. Then I started to realize that he is the first person to approach me and treat me like a regular person since people found out who my father is.
I turned my eyes to him and analyzed him warily. He was very handsome. His olive toned skin had no flaw, and his luscious black hair was long and sexy in a ' I just got out of bed and I don't give a flying fart' way, and his brown eyes were like bottomless pits that could see into your very soul. I won't deny that he is very favorable in the looks department. I wonder if some Ravenclaws asked him to come over here and trick me or bully me somehow.
" You'd think people would get bored of throwing their food at you." Will smirked a little. I couldn't help but notice his cute dimple when he did that. That's distracting...
" They didn't throw the food at me, I was just extremely hungry...they were helping me out." I joked.
" You must be a messy eater then." He joked.
" I know, sadly....I think it's my eating habits that's making people steer clear of me." I smirked.
" Hmmm, well, your strange eating habits won't keep me away. I like a girl with a hearty appetite." He flirted and started grinning and showing off those adorable dimples.
" Well, shoot...hello Mr. Dimple." I accidently said out loud as I stared at his dimples.
Will started to laugh and said mock arrogantly " What? You like my dimples? You aren't the only one."
" Yeah..." I said awkwardly as I analyzed his behavior. He wasn't acting suspicious at all. Maybe he is just being a nice guy. Flirty...but nice all the same.
I laughed at how bold and flirtatious he was being. Surely he knew that I was not only the dark lords daughter, but I was also in a very committed relationship.
" You don't seem too nervous to be around me, everyone else has seemed to make it a general rule to keep their distance." I stated not wanting to actually make him think and make him walk away. It has just been so long since I had a normal conversation with a stranger without them being afraid of me or judging me.
" I'm not easily swayed by peer pressure." He shrugged as he pulled the last of the egg from my hair and threw it in the large pile of breakfast sitting between us.
I was in awe. He was most certainly different from everyone else...unless this is a horrible prank set up from my daily torturers .
" But I'm Voldemort's daughter...." I said bluntly watching his reaction.
He didn't so much as flinch when I said my father's name, though a small smile tugged at his mouth and he continued to stare me down with those bottomless pits for eyes.
" And I'm Herold Peace's son. Your point? Your parent's don't define you as a person, you can chose to be who you want, and I have seen you around school...you are anything but your father. I admire your strength and courage." Will admitted.
My mouth popped open and I gaped openly at him. I was well aware that I probably looked like a dunderhead...but seriously...he is being so open minded and kind. No one has been this kind to me since word got out about my father.
I blinked up at him trying to hold back and emotional outburst. I wanted to hug him, I was so thankful and grateful that someone finally understood where I was coming from...how I felt. I could not speak. I was speechless. I tried to convey all my thanks through my eyes, which I knew were shimmering right now with unshed tears.
He seemed to realize what I was trying to say, and he answered me with a sweet smile, and understanding eyes. He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly, letting me know that he understood.
We sat still staring at each other for a few minutes before he finally looked down and smiled a small smile to himself, before looking back up at me
" You seem like an amazing person, and I really would like to get to know you better." With that he stood up, dusted stray bits of breakfast off of his robes and said socially " I'll see ya in Transfiguration and arithmancy."
" Yeah....I'll see you..." I said in awe as he walked away.
I was gaping after him until he was out of sight. I must say I have never been so speechless and surprised in my life. Which is saying something, because when Draco and Hermione planned that get together during the Yule Ball, I was astonished.
That boy will go down in the history books as the bravest man in the world. He actually conversed with the girl he knew as Voldemort's daughter. He wasn't afraid at all.
" Did you enjoy that conversation?" came a harsh voice from behind me.
I stood up and spun around to see Draco glaring at me. Ok, what crawled up his butt?
" Actually, yes I did. He doesn't care that I'm Voldemort's daughter, he was treating me like a regular person." I said looking at him with confusion. Why was he so grumpy?
"No, he obviously wants something from you! Why else would a normal person talk to you after finding out your the dark lords daughter!" Draco barked angrily.
I stepped back feeling hurt. I tried to keep the pain from my face, but apparently he saw and sighed and tried to calm himself.
" Ava....why were you flirting with him?" He said through gritted teeth.
My eyes widened and I said defensively " I was not flirting with him!"
" You let him touch your hair, and you called him Mr. Dimple!" He growled out with disgust.
" He was picking egg out of my hair for heavens sake! When did that become a romantic endeavor?" I yelled at him as I walked a few feet away from him " And I called him Mr. Dimple because he had dimples...the words just slipped out! I don't view him in a romantic way! You know that I'm completely committed to you!"
Draco's red face slowly went from red to normal, as he breathed in and out to calm himself.
" How many times have you spoken to him?" He asked a little calmer.
" This would be the first." I said frowning. Why was he interrogating me like this?
He shot me a suspicious look but let it go. We stared at each other for a few minutes in silence before I asked " You're not seriously jealous are you?"
His eye twitched and he answered a tad to quickly " I'm not jealous."
I smirked and said " Sure your not."
He growled before taking my hand and walking me back to the castle.
I looked at Draco from my peripheral vision as he walked me to the Gryffindor common room. He looked a lot calmer and maybe a little bit regretful for the third degree he just gave me. It is a bit weird though...how he seemed to know that we were talking and seemed to have been there the whole time...and why wouldn't he have stopped us from talking if he saw us if he suspected unfaithfulness?
It was all a bit odd, but I had nothing to tie it to foul play, so I just let it go. Maybe its just because of Draco's stress levels. He does have to commit a murder this year...
As we walked through the castle, up the moving stair cases and up to the portrait, people kept giving us looks of bewilderment and disgust. Now that people knew about Draco and I, there was no reason in keeping our relationship on the down low. We aren't afraid of PDA now...of course we don't full out snog each other when we are close, I just mean that we kiss cheeks, hold hands...the little things.
He turned me around to face him when we were in front of the common room portrait.
" Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I really am... I just....I guess I may have been a tad jealous." Draco said the last part reluctantly.
I rolled my eyes at that. " Understandable I suppose." I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
He sighed before leaning in and kissing me. He smiled into the kiss and smacked my butt, effectively surprising me.
" Remember, that's all mine." Draco winked at me before smirking to himself and walking away.
I chuckled to myself as I said the password and walked into the common room.
I got a few glares thrown my way as I walked toward the couch where my friends were sitting, it looked like they were working on homework. How entertaining.
" The half blood prince, could be a girl." Hermione said irritably looking irked over something Harry just said.
"Not again." I thought as I sat down between Hermione and Harry. They acknowledged me with a nod.
Hermione and Harry have been fighting over this stupid Half blood Prince nonsense constantly. Truthfully I think Hermione is just mad because Harry is doing a better job in potions than she is, that or she is mad that a lot of the instructions in her text book don't give the right results. Whatever the reason, they have been back and forth at each other practically every day.
" It might have been a girl. I think the handwriting looks more like a girl's than a boy's." Hermione said.
I stole a glance toward Harry's Potions book and my lips twitched. I don't know what Hermione was seeing...it was a messy scrawl, easily identifiable as a boys handwriting.
" The Half-Blood Prince, he was called," Harry said " How many girls have been Princes?"
I snickered by was quickly quieted by a elbow in my side by Hermione. She didn't seem to have an answer to this, she merely scowled and twitched her essay on The Principles of Rematerialization away from Ron, who was trying to read it upside down.
Harry looked at his watch and hurriedly put the old copy of Advanced Potion-Making into his bag
"It's five to eight, I'd better go, I'll be late for Dumbledore." Harry said hurriedly.
" Ooooh!" I gasped. I had forgotten about his private lessons. " Good luck! We'll wait up, we want to hear what he teaches you!"
" Hope it goes okay." Ron said and we all watched Harry as he walked out the door.
" I wonder what he will be learning." Hermione mused.
" Whatever it is it must be awesome! Maybe it will be lessons of advanced magic!" Ron said happily
" Nah, if it was that...I could have taught him a long time ago." I smirked when Ron rolled his eyes at me.
" Well then what do you think he is learning?" He asked
" Probably stuff about my father." I said in a softer voice so no one else could hear.
" What else would he need to know except that he is a bloody git?" Ron asked in bewilderment.
Hermione looked deep in thought " You know, that actually makes sense...It's easier to defeat someone the more you know about them."
" Exactly my thoughts." I nodded at her as she smiled at me.
" That's lame." Ron whined. " I'd rather learn advanced magic!"
" Then come on Mr. Whiney." I said standing up and slapping his leg to get him to get up.
" Wh- what?" Ron said looking confused.
" You want to learn advanced magic...well come on then....lets go teach you some." I said smiling as I dragged Ron out of the chair and toward the portrait hole.
" Ava! Curfew is almost up!" Hermione scolded me.
" Yeah, yeah.... when has that ever stopped me." I said rolling my eyes.
Hermione sighed but followed Ron and I out the door.
We walked sneakily all the way up to the seventh floor.
" Are we using the Room of requirement?" Ron asked.
" Of course, there is no place better." I said as we walked closer.
" Wait!!" Hermione whisper yelled at us as she held us back.
" What Hermione?!" Ron said impatiently.
Hermione glared at Ron's tone and nodded her head straight ahead toward the doors to the room of requirement. " There is someone over there!!"
I looked over and sure enough, there was a little girl, probably a first or second year, standing right beside the place where the room of requirement is, holding some scales. Wow how did I miss that.
" What in the world is a kid doing out this late? It's close to 12!" I said staring disbelievingly toward the little girl.
" That's a good question. You should tell her to get to bed." Hermione said to me.
" Why don't you?" I huffed in aggravation
" Because you are a prefect!" Hermione scolded as she pushed me out from behind the wall toward the little girl.
" Yeah yeah." I muttered as I walked toward the girl.
When she saw me she dropped her scales and stared at me with big eyes.
I softened my gaze toward her, not wanting to scare her. I picked up her scales and gave them to her.
" Listen kid, it's late, you need to go back to your common room." I said softly.
" It's me, Goyle." the little girl said in a very masculine voice.
I stared at her in complete shock and disbelief until the words sunk in.
" Goyle? What? Please tell me why you look like a little girl...wait let me guess...polyjuice potion...right?" I said
" Yeah..." Goyle said sounding embarrassed. I can hardly blame him.
" Why?' I asked simply, knowing he knew what I was asking him about.
" Draco is in the room of requirement looking for the cabinet...so he knows where it's at when he tries to fix it. I'm standing out here as a look out. I'm supposed to drop the scales whenever someone is nearby so that he doesn't come out." He explained.
" Ahhh....well how about you go hide in the bathroom while I take Hermione and Ron back to our dorms then, hmmm."
" Yeah, ok." Goyle said as he ran off with more grace in his new body then he ever would have had with his normal body.
I snickered as I made my way to my friends.
" Well? What was she doing there." Hermione asked.
" I don't know, I didn't ask. I just sent her off with a warning." I said as I faked a yawn,
" I think we should follow her example and try to get some sleep. We can work on some advanced spells some other time." I said yawning again.
" But we came all the way up here!" Whined Ron.
" I'm sorry!" I said sincerely
Hermione sighed and dragged us both toward our common room, giving me a strange look that said " I know your hiding something"
We all walked silently toward the common room with Ron grumbling angrily beside us, until we got into the portrait hole. Ron then ran up the dormitory stairs and into his room without so much as a good night.
" Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked quietly.
"I would, but I can't." I said shrugging.
Hermione sighed and said " I can already tell this year is going to be filled with drama."
" I know...me too. We should try to become seers, give Trewlawny a run for her money." I joked as we walked toward our dormitory.
"Nah, I think I'll pass." She smiled as we slipped inside and changed into our pj's.
" Night Ava." Hermione said to me along with a tender smile.
" Night Mione." I said smiling back.