"Draco?" Emily muttered incoherently as she was stirring in her sleep, her voice tainted with weariness and exhaustion. Draco sank back in his chair, realizing it was just his imagination of hearing her voice. He had been allowed by Dumbledore to visit her during breaks and free periods, even if he wasn't, Draco would still find a way to sneak into the Hospital Wing. Emily had been unconscious for two days now.
"Still remember that prank you did on Zabini? That was fun. And that time in the Common room – I know you don't want to talk about it, but you're unconscious now so I can do whatever I want." Draco said jokingly, he paused for a while hearing his own words and how inappropriate it sounded, "I didn't mean it like that of course, you know I wouldn't."
Even if she wasn't there with him mentally, Draco didn't find it in him to talk about the kiss. He did not deny harboring a crush on her since they had met, he had no shame about his feelings, but all of that changed when he realized she began to reciprocate it. Now isn't really the best time for that kind of talk.
Draco had placed a small pile of parchment and books next to her, reminding the unconscious Emily of the homework she had missed. The bell rang and he left for dinner.
~
Emily looked around the Hospital wing which was useless since she wasn't wearing her glasses, "Accio glasses." She said waving her wand which was conveniently in her pocket, the sound of her spectacles made a buzzing sound from her right, prompting her to raise her hand in anticipation of catching it.
She looked around her bed and saw a table toppled with Get Well cards, her homework, flowers, and a dragon plush. Emily gave a half-smile at the things settled on the table and began working on her homework. Not long after finishing her first essay for Charms, she looked up when the sound of footsteps came closer to her quarters, "Merlin's beard! You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey rushed to her side at once, "Are you alright? No headaches or any pain?" She asked looking into her eyes and feeling her forehead.
"None yet, when can I go Madam Pomfrey?" Emily asked closing her Charms book.
"Well, let's see in a few hours." She advised, disappearing in her office. After a fair few hours, Emily had already finished her work and began admiring the flowers on the table. She tried to stand up and smell them, but she suddenly felt light-headed and rested again.
"Thought you'd be doing your homework first Emily." A voice said interrupting her thoughts. "Already done, Draco," She said smirking in sheer cockiness. "Do you like flowers?" He asked.
Emily averted her attention back to the gorgeous bouquet on her table, "They're my favorite. Dragon Lilies, how did you know?" She asked looking at him. "Who said anything about me giving you flowers?" Draco asked.
"Draco, do you know what Veritaserum is?"
"No, why'd you ask?" Draco questioned wearily, feeling a threat coming his way. "It's sort of a truth potion, even with a little drop it can make the darkest of all dark wizards spill their deepest secrets." She revealed, eyeing Draco. He gulped and shuddered at the thought of being totally out of control under the hold of a truth potion, "Fine, I sent the flowers." Draco said giving up. Emily smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. I should tell the truth more often. He thought to himself.
Draco saw her roll her eyes at him as if she had heard his thoughts, Emily went ahead and grabbed the Dragon plush to move things along, "Who?" She asked waving around the toy. "It's from your brother, I think," Draco answered. Emily admired the little stuffed dragon; it was a Hungarian Horntail, to say the least. It was obviously hand made by three 11-year-olds judging by the wonky stitching and the mismatched button eyes. It was her favorite kind of magical creature; she was puzzled about Harry knowing what creature she liked.
"Where is Harry?" Emily asked. "Last time I saw him was at Dinner, rather busy with Weasel & that Granger girl." He said. She asked Madam Pomfrey once more if she was well enough to leave the Hospital Wing, the healer examined her for the last time that day and permitted Emily to exit the premises.
Emily smiled and thanked her as she prepared her stuff to leave. Draco helped carry her homework and textbooks while they walked back to the Slytherin common room, but before she could step back inside Emily told him that she had to talk to her brother, "I'll be back in a short while."
He looked at her with utmost concern; she had been on bed rest for two days. Draco didn't approve of her roaming the halls alone, but he gave in when he saw the headstrong expression she bore, realizing that she was more than capable of protecting herself. "I'll be here," Draco said taking the Dragon toy and the flowers she had in her arms so she could go her way freely.
Emily quickened her pace as she walked up to the 7th floor, eager to see Harry. When she was nearing the corridor leading to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Emily felt like someone was watching her from behind. She felt the back of her neck tingle with electricity, she was sure of someone hiding from behind. Emily took a few short steps to be in arm's reach from behind the stone columns and sure enough, she caught grasp of a cloak.
Underneath the fabric revealed a surprised Harry scared out of his wits. Emily laughed and shrouded herself and her brother with the apparent invisibility cloak, "I do hope you don't mind me joining you." She said, leading them down the corridor, "Where are you going?"
"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked. Emily was taken aback at how sincere his voice had sounded like when he asked her of her health, "I am well, thanks for asking." The pair walked in silence, tiptoeing on the stone floor heading to the library. "Who's Nicholas Flamel?" Emily asked in a whisper. "Quit reading my mind, Em." Harry demanded in a stony voice, "I don't know who he is. That's why I sneaked here in the first place."
Emily sighed, pushing through the heavy wooden doors of the library, "I can't always help it, you know? It just happens sometimes whether I want it to or not. They're like footnotes at a bottom of a page in a textbook" Her brother took note of this and remembered not to be so harsh on her, seeing that she couldn't fully control her abilities.
Harry pulled out a chained book from the shelves and examined its spine, searching for a title. Curious, he flipped it open only to be greeted with a voice of a man screaming bloody murder. Emily jumped backward, upsetting the oil lamp until it rolled out of reach and sent itself crashing on the floor. The sound of an old man's footsteps started to grow from behind them, "Let's go!" She hissed at him, dragging him away from the book and out to the hallway.
He didn't know where his sister was taking them; all he knew was that it was better than staying in the library and getting caught by Filch. Emily took him to the room she had once visited with Draco, the room where the Mirror of Erised resided. She took out the key she had received from before and unlocked the door. The twins went inside; she led him to stand in front of the mirror and waited.
Harry wanted to leave before anyone else could find them, but something made him want to stay. Two smoky figures appeared in the mirror, two young adults who vaguely looked like Emily and himself. He realized that this is what his sister wanted to show him, "I see them now." Harry said. Emily turned her head to him and eyed him curiously, "You do?"
"Yeah," He said in an almost quiet voice, "I can see them."
They sat there in front of the mirror, her head resting on her brother's shoulder as they watched their parents in the mirror. A few minutes passed, Emily had urged him to go back to Gryffindor Tower. She went her way alone to hers, her figure dissolving amongst the shadows.
~
"You're still up?" Emily asked, unbelieving that Draco waited for her in the common room. "Well, you did say wait for me at the Common room so here I am," Draco said jokingly.
She felt a smile slowly growing on her face, "I guess I did say that." Emily said as she sat next to him on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace. She took one poker from the fireplace and with a swish of her wand; she had cut it in half and transfigured the two halves into silver rings. Draco watched her as she held the two rings near her lips; he realized she was making an incantation or a sort of charm.
When she gave him one of the rings, he saw that small greenstone was set upon the silver band. "What this?" Draco asked as he examined the piece of magic. Emily wore the ring on her right hand, admiring it, "I've charmed these rings so that we can talk without actually seeing each other, and it's quite similar to what Muggles call walkie-talkies."
Draco huffed, sliding the ring on his finger, "Muggles and their ridiculous names for such things... How does it work?" Emily held out her hand showing the ring which was glimmering brightly, "When the stone looks somewhat like this, it either means I want to speak to you or that I'm alive. But when the stone is dull to the extent it looks grey, it means I'm either dead or never want to speak to you."
Emily showed him how to make use of the ring. If they wanted to talk, they merely needed to push the stone and await the other's reply. If there's a need for help, press the stone down long enough and they'll receive the call.
"Tell me if I'm assuming here, but did you put an Anti-cheating spell on these rings?" Draco asked, eager to find out of the rings can be used during exams. Emily laughed, nodding, "I did. It's useless during tests, Draco."
"Thought you might say that," Draco said laughing, thoroughly impressed once more by her and her magic. "Thank you."
~
"Come with me to the library after class." Emily heard a voice roam in her head. She looked up and saw Hermione Granger looking at her from across the Great Hall. She couldn't help but smile at how she managed to catch her attention; Emily nodded to her, agreeing to the secret meeting.
"Ready for Potions?" Draco asked, pulling her out from her thoughts. "Yeah, let's go." Said Emily, still not getting Hermione's peculiar invitation out of her head, she was keen on getting Potions over with and going to whatever the young Gryffindor had arranged. Emily and Draco walked in a fast pace to Snape's classroom, they went in appearing to be the first ones there.
"Why isn't it the troublesome twosome?" Professor Snape noticing, eyeing the two Slytherins. Emily greeted him a good morning, still can't digest the fact that the gruff professor was her previous baby sitter not so long ago.
Students from the other three houses were now filling up the room and taking their respective seats, all except for three missing Gryffindors. "Today we will now be making a shrinking potion, turn to page 283." Professor Snape instructed. Emily began crushing the Snake fangs as she started reading the instructions, pretending like this was her first time to brew the potion; Draco was preparing the Flobberworm mucus, Seamus had barely done anything and yet there was thick smoke emitting from his cauldron, and Neville's potion was starting to turn into a course cottage cheese mixture.
Emily looked up from her brew and saw the trio run inside the classroom. Snape was too busy fussing over Neville's potion, so instead of standing over them like a tower and lecturing them of how much of a disappointment they were to society, he instructed them to ask their classmates on what to do followed by the professor taking 10 points from Gryffindor.
"Emily," Harry said tapping his sister's shoulder.
"What?"
"Help, please."
Emily smiled and went to their table to guide them on making the shrinking potion. "Ron, start crushing the snake fangs. Harry, turn the heat to a medium and start mixing the mistletoe in." She instructed. "Erm...Emily?" Ron said, calling for her attention. "Yeah, Ron?"
His face turned red as Salamander blood when she looked at him, considerably shy since they had little to no interaction, very meekly he asked if she wanted to spend Christmas with them in Gryffindor tower. "I'd love to! Thanks for asking." Emily said with a smile
"Now what?" Harry asked, struggling to maintain the potion's heat. Emily gave him a mason jar which contained Horklump juice, "Put seven measures of the snake fangs in, and then the juice. I reckon Hermione knows the rest." She said, eyeing the girl who kept quiet by the end of the table. Hermione smiled at her as she returned to her table.
~
Emily rushed to the library, almost forgetting her meeting with Hermione. She had asked Draco to save her a seat at the Quidditch game, eager to watch Harry play in his very first match as the youngest Seeker this century has ever had. She ran in the library, ignoring Madam Pince's scolding as she flounced inside. "There you are." Hermione said carrying a pile of books, "I was starting to think you bailed on me."
"So, what do you want?" Emily asked sitting next to her, catching her breath. She settled the books down on the table and sat across Emily, "I know that you have information about what we're trying to uncover, what I don't know is why you won't tell us."
Emily cocked her head sideways, a lopsided grin beaming at Hermione, "Oh, where's your sense of adventure, Granger?" She said amusingly, "I don't know anything about Flamel, though. I do know that he's an Alchemist."
"Mind reading is a rare gift Emily, how did you get it?" Hermione queried. "I was born with it. At least I think I was. It just happened." Emily answered, lazily flipping through the pages of a random book. Hermione took a small vial out of her bookbag, "I know something that can help." Hermione whispered softly.
"I doubt that'll work," Emily said. "What is it?"
"Just try it," Hermione insisted, giving her a vial of some sort of potion. "What's that, Hermione?" Emily began eyeing the glowing green liquid. "It's sort of a deep healing potion, it can lessen the use of some types of magic, and we found it at the hospital wing," Hermione informed her. "Borrowed it, more or less."
You mean stole it from Madam Pomfrey's stores. "You've been busy."
"You'll take it?" Hermione asked, her brown eyes sparkling. "What's the catch?" Emily asked.
"You help us with- with whatever this is."
"Deal," She accepted, and at once, Hermione gave her the potion. Emily emptied the vial and felt her entire being become less tense, with no more headaches. She looked up at Hermione and saw her expression grow frightened, "What is it?" Emily asked her eyes widening, anxiety racking her nerves.
"I guess your gift of reading minds was one thing to get rid of... I didn't think it would alter your appearance." Hermione nervously observed the great changes made to Emily's hair.
Emily touched the crown of her head and tugged at the locks of hair, gasping at the drastic splash of color. Her hair had seemed to grow longer and burn dark red. She looked at Hermione, delirious, "I – I look like my mum."
~
Fred and George stared at Emily in awe, surprised to see the major change in her appearance. George carefully took a lock of her red hair, curious, "And, you're saying Hermione did this?" Emily nodded, shaking George's hand off of her hair, "Yeah, she's the brain behind it." Fred nodded, averting his attention to his fellow housemate, "Well done, Miss Granger."
"I do have to say that you look a bit like my sister – but never mind that, I'll see you two later at the game!" George said overenthusiastically. Fred let out a scream of excitement, running by his brother's side out of the hallways and into the path to the Quidditch pitch.
Harry and Ron's reactions were top notch. Ron had been drinking pumpkin juice at the beginning, but when Emily approached him the juice had gone out through his nose. Hermione had to help him clean up, both of them smelling like spiced pumpkins. Harry looked at his sister thoughtfully, a sad smile on his face. Emily knew what he was thinking without actually reading what he thought about. The red hair did remind her of their mother, she was conflicted whether or not she wanted to keep it or go back to being a brunette.
It seemed wrong to keep it, and although it was a nice thing to remember her mother by, Emily felt a sort of detachment towards it. It just doesn't seem to be me. She remembered how her aunt had told her that she was born with scarlet hair and how it had eventually faded into jet-black. Perhaps that's what the potion did, revert my appearance to what it was originally.
~
Edited June 22, 2020