Chapter 2:
Carina:
"Good summer Hadley?" Blaise Zabini's voice called out from across the table and I looked up at him, giving him a small smile and saying, "It was alright, yours?"
"I had a good one too."
Nodding I turned back to Daphne and hissed in her ear, "We had to sit in front of Malfoy and his cronies?"
She gave me a look, "You want to sit at the end of the table like a pariah?"
I rolled my eyes, "Would've been preferred actually." I pointedly looked at Pansy seated on her other side.
"Say Daphne and Hadley," Blaise started again, "Where were you both sitting on the train?"
"Oh we had to scare a first year into giving us a compartment, because someone over here," Daphne looked accusingly at me, "wanted to sleep."
I rolled my eyes as the people around us chuckled, "It's not my fault if stupid people think breakfast in bed is supposed to be had at 4 bloody AM!"
"They were doing something nice for you Ri." Daphne scolded me, not for the first time today and I resisted the urge to smack her, also not for the first time today.
"It is not nice to wake someone up at 4AM, Daph." I muttered, looking away from her and towards the other half of the hall that was behind me. The enchanted ceiling Hogwarts boasted about was dark, as the noise levels in the Great Hall steadily increased.
When I was convinced people had gone back to their own conversations, and by people I mean everyone but Malfoy who was doing his best to ignore me as he sat in an animated conversation with Crabbe and Goyle, I turned back to face Daphne's narrowed gaze.
"Did Milo's left side pay for not being nice?" Daphne asked in a dangerously low voice and I instantly looked away from her gaze.
"Carina." Daphne spoke again, her no-nonsense tone making me reluctantly face her again.
I took a deep breath and continued with, "My toes may have made a teeny contact with his abdomen, mostly the left side, wasn't that big of a deal," I quickly rushed out, "barely lasted a second!"
"You kicked my boyfriend for making you breakfast?!" Daphne thundered and I winced as fresh eyes turned to us again.
I placed a hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down, "First of all, Milo did not cook shit, or I would've been carted off to the hospital with food poisoning. And second of all, he tickled me awake so I was just returning the favour."
Daphne's mouth fell open, "You woke me up at 4AM the day I was leaving!"
"Daph..." I tried, "I did that because I love you!"
That was lie, I had woken her up at 4 because I was bored and couldn't sleep.
"You absolute, annoying, crazy-"
But I cut her off saying, "I'm sorry okay? Drop it!"
She huffed, looking put out but relented by shrugging, "Guess Milo's gotten weak."
I cracked a smile, nudging her with my shoulder and laughing.
"Who woke who up at 4AM?" Pansy enquired looking at us weirdly and it was then that I realised that the people around us were looking at us curiously. I guess you tend to learn to ignore it after a few years. This definitely wouldn't be the first time people have been more interested in our conversations than in their food.
It's sad, I know.
I also know we tend to have really out worldly conversations.
But Daphne's quick thinking saved us from an explanation as she pointed out at the doors being flown open, "Look the First years are here!"
"Is that Grubby Plank?" I registered Malfoy's cold drawl for the first time this evening. It was then that I decided to give him a proper once over, he's grown over the summer. His shoulders are broader and hair is shorter, no longer falling in his eyes like it used to, but sharply cut to rest just above them. For all intents and purposes, Draco Malfoy's looks haven't suffered one bit and I bet he knows and is going to use this to his utmost advantage.
"Where's the giant oaf?" Blaise asked next.
"Oh my god, they're titchy!" I exclaimed, "We weren't that small were we?"
Pansy, Blaise and Malfoy's posse laughed out loud at something then but Daphne just murmured, "Hagrid's not here."
"Do we have Care of Magical Creatures this year?" I asked, as I followed her gaze to the staff table. Nothing was different except for two things. Hagrid's broad frame was missing and a new stubby woman, sat next to Dumbledore deep in conversation, quite frankly she looked like she was picked up and thrown in a can of hot pink. Every piece of clothing she wore was pink.
I have never hated a colour more.
"We do." Daphne said, "You don't think Dumbledore fired him now, did he?"
"Well..." Malfoy said, making me turn towards him, "I'd say it was for the better."
Blaise and Pansy enthusiastically agreed whereas Daphne just snorted, and for the love of god I couldn't think of a single thing to say or react in anyway because my eyes were still stuck on Draco's face. His grey orbs pierced mine and I startlingly realized that for the first time in a very long time I did not see hatred or anger or even irritation in their depths. Instead he stared back at me with open curiosity.
I shook my head, breaking the staring contest and tuned into the new song the sorting hat had spent what I assumed to be the entire last year on.
But seriously, what does the hat do the rest of the year?
As much as I tried to listen to the hat talk about the founders of the school my eyes kept glancing back to Draco's face, who looked pretty bored.
His cheekbones have become more defined, can't say the same for his manners though as his face twisted in a sneer halfway through the song.
Shaking my head discreetly I tuned back to the song,
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you
Let the sorting now begin.
As the hat stilled and went back to its original state, applause broke out, but it staggered a bit, as people like me, I assumed were still reeling with what exactly the song meant.
Whispers and discussions broke out almost immediately after that and I turned to Daphne with a raised eyebrow, "Well, expanded its horizons a bit this year huh?" she murmured but before I could reply Pansy had pulled her into conversation, leaving me alone to my thoughts.
Did this have a direct relation to what Dumbledore said at the End of the Year feast?
We had discussed this, Mum, Archer, Daphne, Milo and me. Stayed up so many nights trying to figure out if what Harry Potter had said was true or not. Wondered why Dumbledore sided him if he was lying. And then wondered whether Potter was lying or not altogether again.
We had come to no conclusion.
Archer and Mum wanted to dismiss the idea.
Daphne, Milo and I had just reminded them that we don't always get what we want.
And why would Potter lie about something like that anyway?
Why would Dumbledore put his reputation at risk by supporting Potter?
It made no sense.
And as the summer says passed and more and more articles started painting Potter as a blubbering attention seeker, the debates had gotten heated around the house.
But then The End-Game had started. So Archer, Milo, Will and I spent our time trying to not lose, and better yet, procure any permanent damage to ourselves. As the competition went on and the two weeks we spent facing our fears got over, we stopped wondering if Diggory's death had been anything to do with Voldemort. My mother was more than happy to drop the conversation anyway.
It wasn't until Daphne was poking my side incessantly that I snapped out of my thoughts.
"What?" I said, irritably, looking at her angry expression.
She pointed looked at the empty plate in front of me, "Eat."
I rolled my eyes, "You made me have cauldron cakes on the train."
"That was hours ago!"
"I'm not hungry." I snapped, I didn't know if it was because I just did not have an appetite, or if it was because of the sudden dread that was making my stomach flip.
"It's the first meal of the school year!" Daphne hissed, shoving roast potatoes into my plate with unnecessary force, "Don't be so difficult so soon."
I shut my eyes for a brief moment, reminding myself that I wasn't mad at Daphne that I was just shaken up about the stupid hat song. But I couldn't bloody well say that now, could I?
It was just a song, it's not a big deal. As I looked around us, I realized half of the population in this hall must've already forgotten about it.
So why was my stomach churning.
I really shouldn't have had those cakes.
I really don't want to eat right now.
So I looked at Daphne in the eye and spooned a forkful of potatoes inside my mouth, chewing slowly as I looked away from her satisfied expression. My eyes landed on Malfoy who was looking at me with narrowed eyes.
Now usually, I would've just avoided that look and chalked it down to the animosity we share, but he didn't look like he was looking at me with hatred, in fact, he looked like he was calculating something.
Huh, fancy that. Draco Malfoy actually looked like he could figure shit out.
I rolled my eyes, looking away from him too and swiped my gaze across the hall.
I'm going to have to talk to him.
Hopefully, it'll be a civil conversation where he will agree to forget whatever he saw on the platform and let me live my life in peace this year.
Who the fuck am I kidding?
Draco Malfoy was always out to destroy me, and I have just handed him the bomb that will finally do it.
So I sat there, silently stewing in my annoyance as I thought about ways to kill Archer if Draco ever did manage to use the information, he was so conveniently provided.
"Hey?" Daph murmured, looking at me with a concerned expression.
"I ate all of it Daph," I muttered, nodding towards my now empty plate. I felt sick but I guess that will have to wait.
"I know." Daphne replied, "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm okay. Just sleepy." I muttered, quietly. But almost everyone was now done with their food and the noise level in the Hall had hit maximum.
"You're gonna have to talk to him." She whispered, her eyes flicking towards Draco, who was animatedly talking to Blaise.
I nodded, not bothering to reply because everybody had stopped talking as Dumbledore stood up for the start-of-term speech.
But I hadn't completely lied to Daphne, it's impossible to lie to her, she's my best friend. I was tired, and as I heard Dumbledore drone about something to do with Filch, I found myself getting drowsy.
I attribute my sudden wake up call to the half-hearted clapping that filled the hall a few minutes later.
Why are people clapping at Filch's stupid not-to-do list?
Daphne rolled her eyes at my dazed face and quickly said, "Grubbly-Plank has replaced Hagrid and the pink mouse is our new DADA teacher."
"What?" I whispered, "Hagrid's gone for good?"
Daphne shrugged but her reply died on her throat as the Dumbledore stared at the pink lady with a shocked expression, before he sat back down and looked at her enquiringly.
Did she really just interrupt Dumbledore's speech?
I saw a lot of people smirk along with me, she's really thick if she thinks that any teacher can just interrupt Dumbledore like that.
The stout woman walked ahead looking fully intent on making a speech and all of our eyes followed her pink clad everything as she said, "Thank-you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Her voice was girlish, saccharine sweet, sorry, I meant to say, artificially sweet.
A saw a lot of people scoff at her words quietly.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She continued and smiled at us, her eyes swooping through all the tables and her teeth pointy, "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
Is she blind? Nobody looked happy to see her. If I'm being honest, half of my table was looking at her with incredulous faces.
She said something else, but her words went over my head as I looked at all the people sitting around me. As if knowing I was looking at them, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise and Malfoy exchanged glances with me and each other. All of us looking peeved.
It was after I heard her frankly, dull voice say, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance." That my mind reeled back to a passing comment Archer had made to Daphne and me, one summer night, about two weeks ago.
I gasped as I pulled Daphne's arm back towards me and hurriedly whispered, "This must be the Ministry appointed teacher Archer was talking about!"
Realization dawned on her face and I saw Pansy glance back at us with a curious expression, "Archer as in the Archer Medallion you both were hanging around with last year?"
We exchanged a glance with each other as we both nodded.
Pansy smiled widely, "Oh good! He was hot!"
I grimaced and Daphne laughed quietly, "Shut up, Pansy!" I whispered, and motioned with my hand to the pink lady talking with a dismissive hand gesture, asking her to go back to listening to the speech. But it was useless I realized as I looked around, almost everybody was finding it hard to concentrate and apart from a few people here and there nobody really was listening to her anymore.
I sighed, opening my mouth to tell Daphne something when Pansy beat me to it, "What's wrong Carina? Are you and Archer dating or something? Why can't we talk about him!?"
My face instantly contorted in disgust, "Ew! No."
Daphne let out a bark of laughter attracting the attention of the boys sitting opposite us. Blaise looked at us with a knowing smirk, Crabbe and Goyle looked at Daphne blankly, and Malfoy just gave us one glance before he tilted his head in Zabini's direction talking in a low voice.
"Archer has a girlfriend, Pansy." I said, "And Blair will kill you even if you looked at Archer the wrong way."
"Blair?" Pansy asked, "Are you just making her up because you're jealous or something?"
My mouth parted in surprise, "No you idiot! Blair St. Pierre," I explained, "She was here last year too! Beauxbatons student?"
When Pansy continued to look at us in surprise and confusion, Daphne sighed and said, "Archer is dating Blair. There's nothing going on between Archer and Carina."
I rolled my eyes, "Blair doesn't take kindly to threats either, so forget about Archer okay?"
Pansy nodded mutely but as she was about to fire off another question a cold voice hissed, "Will you people shut up and let us listen to the speech?"
My head whipped up to Malfoy's annoyed face in surprise, Draco Malfoy wanted to pay attention?
Pansy went back to looking at our new teacher and I pulled Daphne back, "What was her name again?"
"Professor Umbridge." Daphne whispered back, "Do we know anything about her?"
"Apart from the fact that she seems to have been a pink bomb explosion?" I said, unkindly as I surveyed her appearance, "Nothing."
"God I hope this pinky thing is a one-time thing," Daphne muttered, shuddering a bit, "Merlin knows what I'll do if I see her wear that in class!"
I laughed quietly and tuned into her again.
"Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effective-ness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
Was she going to talk like that in class?
Because my O.W.L marks were going to be affected if she spoke in this drone like voice and weird riddles in class. I couldn't pay attention to her for more than 5 minutes. How was I going to survive DADA?
I happen to like DADA. I inwardly groaned not even lifting my hands to clap after her speech.
I cannot wait for this day to over, seriously, all I want to do is go down to my dormitory, snuggle under my warm blanket and sleep.
As everyone got up to head back to their respective common room, I felt myself being jostled out of the Great Hall without much effort on my part.
Looking around for Daphne's straight blonde head I sped walked my way leading to the dungeons.
I didn't find her until I got to my dormitory, she was already there somehow looking content as she changed and fell on her bed.
"I miss Milo." She softly said.
I changed into my pyjamas, and looked up at her smiling wistfully.
"I'm sure he misses you too Daph."
"Can you both talk tomorrow?" Pansy's irritated whisper came from her bed, "I'm really tired."
I laughed as I threw myself on Daphne's bed, she just moved out of my way, "Here." I whispered, holding out chocolate frog, "Milo said I was to give this to you when you said you missed him"
She took it and smiled at me, "He's being really cheesy." She said, "But I love it!"
I laughed softly, "You'll see him soon." I nudged her shoulder, "Christmas isn't that far."
She rolled her eyes, pushing me off the bed and looking up at me abruptly, "Shit I almost forgot, Carina?"
"Hmm?"I asked, as I stuffed my feet into a pair of slippers.
"You need to talk to him..." she said, looking at me with a serious expression.
I nodded, "Where do you think I'm going?"
She then looked down at my feet, and saw me pull a jumper over my tank top. "You think he'll be up? Where will you even find him?"
I pursed my lips, "I have to try the common room, it's better than spending half the night awake thinking of all the horrible possibilities this would bring."
She nodded, mouthing me a good-luck as I slipped out of the room, quietly trudging my way down the stairs.
The common room was mostly deserted, a couple of second years hung around the highchairs near the window in the corner, while a few seventh years were engrossed in a heated game of exploding snaps. But as I skimmed my gaze looking for the pale blond head of Malfoy, disappointment swirled in my stomach, he wasn't here.
Sighing I silently made my way to the couch near the fireplace, trying to get myself to calm down. I'm sure if Malfoy was going to use that information about me he would try to taunt me first, before mouthing off to the entire house right?
But then again, he never did tell anyone about Ed, so maybe, just maybe, Malfoy likes to just torture people in a light-hearted way?
Yeah, no.
I've known him for 5 years, been his personal healer for 2 and he's never been kind to anyone apart from a few Slytherins here and there.
I groaned lowly, sinking on the couch and laying my head on its headrest, if he does use that against me, I can't let him get away with it.
I need something just as huge to hit him back with.
But what can I use to blackmail Draco Malfoy?
He's the King of blackmail!
They literally call him the Slytherin Prince!
"Hey you!" a gruff voice said from behind me, "get off, that's our seat!"
I scowled as I pulled myself up, "Why? Is your name written on this-" I was cut off as I caught sight of Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy looking at me smugly. Their smiles instantly vanished as they met my eyes.
"Hey Hadley." Goyle said first, looking a little scared if I'm being honest, but he should be, I totally kicked his ass last year, by making his whole face sprout out purple pus pimples.
My lips twisted in a tight smile, "Hello Goyle, good summer?"
"Huh um..." he stuttered, scratching the back of his head "Yeah it was-"
I held up a hand, "Shut it." I cut him off, "I decided I don't care anymore."
Malfoy rolled his eyes at that, walking forward to plop down on the armchair near the hearth, "Crabbe, Goyle you both can go up to the dormitory now."
"But I thought-"
"You said we were going to-"
"I'll tell you both all about my summer tomorrow." Draco cut them off smoothly, "Right now I'm tired, so make yourself scarce."
They looked at him with a confused expression before turning around and murmuring goodnight. Leaving me alone with Malfoy.
Well now that I got him alone what was I going to do about it?
Beg him to keep my secret?
That'll just give him more incentive to use it.
I took a deep breath, sitting back down on the couch, trying to organize my thoughts.
"You barely had your roast potatoes." His cold voice broke the silence, not looking away from the fire, is it just me or has his voice gone deeper over the summer?
I cleared my throat, opening my mouth to reply back when he cut me off.
"It all makes sense now."
My eyes widened in confusion, "What does?"
He looked at me then, grey eyes scanning my face, "Why?"
Now I'm even more confused, "Why what?"
He rolled his eyes impatiently, "Why do you not eat?" he asked lowly.
Oh, that.
I looked away from him then, looking at the green carpet with wide fascination, "I don't think it's any of your business, Malfoy." I said quietly, trying to keep the pleading note out of my voice.
"Tell me you did not vomit out dinner first." He said.
I looked back at him, my face incredulous, "Why do you care?"
"Did you?" he asked, ignoring me completely.
My eyes narrowed, "I didn't."
He sat back then, "Good." He said, turning back to the fire, his face blank.
"Malfoy." I hissed, "What are you playing at?"
He didn't move his head to look at me or opened his mouth to answer me, I watched in silence as the orange-ish-red glow from flames tinted his pale hair a bit. He looked like a red-head for a minute there.
Definitely not his colour, smiling slightly I tried again, "Draco?"
His head whipped to me instantly, grey eyes staring back at me with the same calculating gaze he had back in the Great Hall, "Don't get your panties in a twist, Hadley, " he drawled, lazily, "I won't tell anyone about your dirty little secret."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, the leaden feeling I had had ever since dinner lessened a bit, "Okay." I said quietly, standing up to leave.
"But." He said, stopping me and I turned around to see him staring at me with a smug smile, "If I see you skipping meals or fooling Daphne into thinking you're eating..." he stopped, "My tongue might just slip."
My mouth fell open, "Are you threatening me?"
He shrugged, "Take it as whatever you like."
I scowled, "Got nothing else to do this year Malfoy?" I sneered, crossing my arms over my chest.
He smirked, "Not really." He said shrugging, "I enjoy watching you squirm."
"You're sick you know that?" I asked, looking at him in disbelief
He laughed, his hands raking through his hair, "You." He said, leaning close to me, his elbows resting on his knees, "Are just as sick and twisted as me."
I scoffed, "Hell no." I spat back, "you win that hands down."
"Yet you are the only one who has gone against me and is still standing." He stated, still smirking.
I rolled my eyes, "So are Potter and Granger."
His eyes hardened, and his smirk dropped, "Oh they're petty," he said, lowly, "we both know that. Shall I remind you all that we did last year?"
I smirked a bit at that, "Thank-you."
"Wasn't a compliment." He replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes it was." I said coolly, still smirking.
His grey eyes bore into mine then, shining, and he shrugged, "Okay maybe it was."
I smiled then, "Stay out of my way, Malfoy." I said, turning back, "And I'll stay out of yours."
"I meant everything I said, Hadley." He replied behind my back, "Might do you some good if you remember my deal."
I shut my eyes for a brief second, turning around slowly with my eyes still shut, exhaling I asked, "Why?"
"Because." He said, then stopped. I opened my eyes and stared as his face went slack, looking almost confused. Then as soon as that expression had come over it vanished, his face back to the blank mask it always is. "Like I said, I like watching you squirm and right now, I'm one up on you."
I shook my head, pursing my lips, "I'm going to make you regret this."
He smiled his boyish smirk, "Oh, I'm looking forward to it."
**