Four years ago . . .
"Slow down!" I shouted after Malfoy. He'd gotten a bit taller in a year, so his strides were longer as he sprinted across the courtyard. He slowed to a stop, bending over to catch his breath.
"I thought I saw it," he said, panting.
"What?" I asked, catching up with him. I slumped on the grassy ground, stretching out in the sun.
"A Niffler," Draco explained, sitting next to me. "They find treasure."
"Why would you need treasure?" I asked. "Aren't you rich?"
"Yeah," Draco smirked. "I just thought it would be cool if I had one. Hey," he squinted at me, "have you seen where I live? It's huge."
"I saw it in the papers once. It is big."
"I know," he agreed. "Father says it's going to be mine one day. Would you like to see the manor in person? It's bigger inside. But I'll warn you; it's cold."
"Cold?"
"Freezing. Always. Sometimes I spend the day outside, but it gets lonely. To be honest, I hate this school. But I don't complain because it's never cold, you know what I mean?"
"But it snows here during the winter. Then it's really cold."
He laid onto the grass. "Not that kind of cold, Steele. You wouldn't understand. I don't know how to explain it." He sighed, staring up at the sky.
I decided to change the topic back to Nifflers. "If you did see a Niffler, I'd assume it was Hagrid's. He owns all sorts of things." I squinted under the glare of the sun.
"What an oaf," Malfoy snickered. "Have you seen the way he walks? Side to side, as if he's about to topple over or something."
"Leave him alone," I frowned. "He's quite nice, once you get to know him."
Malfoy looked at me, tilting his head slightly. "Sometimes I feel like you don't belong here," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You're weird. Like, a Ravenclaw, or something." Ravenclaws were brilliant-literally. He had no idea what he was talking about.
"Actually, my parents-"
"There it is!" Malfoy said, getting to his feet. "Come on!"
He did eventually catch the Niffler. And when he did, he threw it right into the Forbidden Forest.
"Why would you do that?" I asked, horrified. "Do you know what kind of creatures live in there?"
"He deserved it," Malfoy said. "The oaf." I didn't like that word.
I watched as he walked away, realizing how cold his heart really was. There was no deeper meaning behind it. Draco Malfoy was ice that you couldn't melt using fire. A chunk of coal with no hidden diamond. A stubborn oyster with no pearl. He was ruthless, and that really was the end of it. He did what his head told him to; whatever his brain had been programmed with. A puppet.
Now.
Easter holidays weren't nearly as fun as Christmas holidays, but who could complain about a break? Everyone was being shipped back home. The Hogwarts Express whistled, ready to leave.
I sat in the compartment alone. Good. Time to rest. I'd been studying madly the past few weeks, taking my last couple of exams. Malfoy had been avoiding me, sneaking warning glances at me every time he saw me next to either Harry, Hermione, or Ron.
I lay my head back.
Peace.
And then there was none.
The door slid open, Hermione sitting down. "Come with us?"
"What?" My eyes snapped open.
"Come to the Burrow," Hermione said.
I stared at her. "No."
"I knew you'd say that," she said, getting to her feet. "Thank you, though. For everything you've done so far. I feel like I owe you-"
"You really don't," I said. "What's the Burrow?"
"Ron's home," she said. " It'll only be for a week."
"Fine. Whatever."
"Come here," Hermione motioned. "Follow me." She was halfway out of the compartment when I stopped her.
"I have to notify my parents," I said. "And honestly, I'd rather be alone right now."
"Okay," Hermione nodded. "I understand. I'll see you when we stop."
They were testing me. I knew they were. There was no way they would get up and ask me to visit the Weasley's home if they didn't have a hidden motive.
I got up, deciding to stretch my legs. I slid open the door, walking up and down the narrow walkway. When I reached the end, I turned to walk backwards, when I say a flash of blond.
He was sitting there, alone.
Don't do it, Steele.
I raised my hand, knocking on the glass. He looked up, his silver eyes meeting mine. They darkened.
I slid open the door, sitting in front of him. "Are you going home to your wonderful manor?" I asked him. He gave me a look of disgust.
"Why are you here, Steele?"
"Before, what I said . . . I meant it," I said, referring to the situation in the Room of Requirements. "We'd make a good team. Like I said, I have information on both sides-"
"Like I said," Malfoy cut me off, "you wouldn't do this without a motive. You're not the type of person to get up one day and decide you're joining the dark side. What's your game?"
"Dark side?" I raised my eyebrows. "I never mentioned a dark side." A-ha.
"It was an example." Draco's scowl deepened. "What do you want?"
"If you ask me that one more time, I'll kill you."
"Fine. I get it you want to help me," he leaned forward, a sneer on his face, "but how can you help me when you're helping Potter?"
"I'm trying to pick a side," I said, choosing my words carefully.
Steele. Don't do it. You can't. Your parents told you to stay away from him. Just stay out of it!
"Is the Malfoy Manor still cold?"
He looked up at me. "Why are you so . . ." He trailed off, eyeing me warily. "Sometimes, I can see why you were sorted in Slytherin. Other times . . . I don't know how the sorting hat even connected you to this house."
"What is that box?" I pressed.
Malfoy toyed with the ring on his index finger. "It's called a Vanishing Cabinet."
"What does it do? Kill?"
Malfoy smirked. "No. That you'll have to find out on your own."
"One last thing," I said, before he got up. "I want to see your arm."
"No," he shook his head. "There's no need."
I set my jaw. "You're hiding something."
"It's none of your concern, Steele." He rubbed his inner forearm.
"It is."
Malfoy stood up, standing in the doorway of the compartment. "I know now," he said, right before he walked out, he looked over his shoulder, "that you are not as innocent as you seem."
His words hurt, and I didn't understand them. Before I could ask him for a further explanation, he was gone.
* * *
Molly Weasley had no problem with me tagging along. Of course, she probably thought I was one of their new Gryffindor friends.
"Any friend of Harry's is welcome in my home," she said with a big smile, ushering me over. Percy Weasley was there; I recognized him from the papers a while ago. He worked at the ministry for the longest time.
Ginny had her eye on me.
"What's she doing here?" she said under her breath.
Ron replied with something I couldn't catch fast enough. I slumped further into my seat.
No one really talked. The ride was long and awkward, and when we finally got the the Burrow, I was the first one out.
"Lovely place," I commented at the exceedingly tall shack in the middle of nowhere. I was half-hoping the twins would be inside. It would truly brighten up my day.
"Thank you dear," Molly said, helping unload the cargo. Harry bent down, opening up Hedwig's cage. She hooted excitedly, stepping out and stretching out her snowy wings. Up she flew, circling the tall house. I grabbed Hera's cage, letting her out as well.
The house seemed even longer on the inside. Tight with tons of staircases and a small kitchen on the main floor, the house was admittedly cozy. I peeked up the steps. There was no sign of Fred or George Weasley. Defeated, I blew out through my lips.
"Looking for someone?" Hermione asked under her breath, and I blushed.
"No. No one, thank you very much."
Our stuff was magicked to our rooms. I sat in mine, which I shared with Hermione.
"We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Hermione said, laying in her bed. "I've got a few things to buy."
"Great," I said, stretching. "I'm growing out of my robes as well."
Hermione rolled her eyes, causing me to grin. Suddenly, I heard a screech. It was unlike Hedwig's, Hera's, Errol's, or Pigwideon's. It was sharper, like a battle cry.
I looked up to see an owl with fierce yellow eyes and horns for ears land onto the edge of the open window.
"That's and eagle owl," Hermione whispered. "Those are amazing. And expensive." She looked impressed. "Who's the letter from?"
I knew who this owl belonged to.
I took out the letter, breaking the green wax seal. A snake in the shape of an M was pressed onto the front.
I opened the letter carefully.
The manor has frozen over.
I knew what the words meant. It meant he was alone again. Even in a room full of people, he was lonely. The ice cold boy with the stone for a heart was around the people who replaced his heart with that stone in the first place.
"Well?" Hermione asked, curious. "Who was it?"
"It's from my parents," I lied. "They said I could stay."
Hermione shut her eyes, leaning back on the bed with a sigh. "Try to get some sleep, Elvira. We're going to be busy all week."