Chapter 11
Draco:
I was the first person back to the dormitory after Charms that day and wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep until the next century.
Slamming the door shut, I sighed as the silence of the dorm greeted me. Now if only we could fix the smell of Crabbe and Goyle's socks, life would be perfect.
But as I walked to my bed, mumbling a few abuses here and there about the pig life Crabbe and Goyle led, I stopped. A new smell hit me in full force.
Oranges.
I instantly looked around then, taking in my surroundings intently for the first time. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except maybe the new smell and... "Nott?" I called, seeing his sleeping form curled on top of his blanket. He didn't respond, the rising and falling of his chest the only indication he was still alive.
My lips thinned, the shouting match Nott and Zabini were in just a few nights ago was outrageous.
There was definitely something wrong with Nott, but what are we supposed to do when the guy doesn't want to talk at all?
We can't just pour Veritaserum down his throat.
I took a deep breath, trying to shake the thoughts away, when the orange whiff lingering in the air came to me again.
And I know just the very person who uses orange shampoo like there's no tomorrow.
I immediately turned to my bed, shuffling things around it to find any evidence of what she had done, I wasn't stupid. I knew it would be bad.
She's on a rampage now that I told Zabini about her dirty little secret.
Levitating the mattress up in the air, I took a careful look under it, looking for anything out of the ordinary as my mind whirled with the different possible ways in which Carina could get back at me.
Itching powder in my robes or blanket?
No she did that last year.
Dragon dung in my shoes?
Horribly possible. But it would stink and hence be a giveaway.
I still inspected my blanket and bedside table carefully, not wanting to be surprised if anything jumps out at me.
It took me 15 minutes to scour every edge, nook and cranny around my surroundings and possessions.
Satisfied I heaved a sigh as I sat back on my bed, an unsettled feeling in my stomach. What the fuck did she come here for?
"Draco?" A sleep-stained voice called then, making me turn towards the bed at the far corner.
"Morning Theo." I called, surveying his sleepy form, he looked horrible. "What are you doing here?"
He groaned as he sat up and shaking his head in the process, "It's my dorm too?"
I tsked, "I meant why are you skipping?"I clarified, bending a leg to sit facing him fully. His blank expression didn't change as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Who gives a shit about Charms?" He muttered, standing up now, stretching a bit.
He did have a point there, but I still remember Nott's squeamishness at breakfast the other day.
"Theo?"
"No." He immediately said, his thin voice no longer sleepy, but strong as his eyes gazed back at me with a hard expression, I immediately put my hands up to my shoulders, telling him I didn't mean any harm.
"I just wanted to ask you about-"
"I don't want to talk about it Malfoy." He said, the hardened edge to his voice cracking slightly, "Forget I ever said I need your help okay?"
I pursed my lips, Then why the fuck were you shaking with anger?, it was at the tip of my tongue but what came out was, "Did you hear Hadley come in here?"
His face faltered, the hard edge slipping off completely, he shook his head, as if remembering something and then shrugged. My eyes narrowed, he's definitely hiding something.
"Nott-"
"I'm going for dinner." He cut me off suddenly, promptly striding out of the room in the next second.
I exhaled loudly, we needed to do something and fast. Nott's always been a recluse, but he's still our friend. He was never this aloof, and he definitely never bunked classes.
Maybe there are things going on at home?
My life changed drastically this summer, maybe Theo's did too.
Were his parents Death-Eaters?
And as I desperately tried to cast my mind back to the countless conversations I had eavesdropped over the summer between my father and his Deatheater friends I realised I had completely missed something.
Cursing at myself, I quickly pulled out the crumpled parchment from my pocket and re-read my father's letter.
It wasn't something out of the ordinary, just him telling me to get into Dumbri-NO!-Umbridge's good side the weekly update on what everyone's favourite boy was doing.
I was getting sick of this, this constant guard duty that I had on Potter, just so father could impress the Dark Lord with inside information.
Sighing, I quickly pulled a parchment towards me, scribbling a note that wouldn't make sense to anyone else but my father.
Yes, father.
Another week of detention, will let you know the reason soon.
-D.M.
Rolling up the short piece of parchment as I hurried out of my room then, trying to send this before I went in for dinner.
After that, I could ignore the dark state my house was in till next week.
I know it's stupid, no it's downright foolish, one might say.
I couldn't ignore the fact that my father is one of the most-let's just say influential-Deatheaters out there. But as long as I was here, at Hogwarts, I was away from him, and frankly right now that was the only thought that could help me get through this year.
I'll cross the bridge when I come to it.
I just hope it's far far away.
*
It wasn't long before I spotted Carina and Blaise, in deep conversation at the Slytherin table. She looked extremely put out, while he just continued looking at her curiously.
I guess I would've felt sorry for her, but she had only just sneaked into my room to do god knows what. So my sympathy points were limited at the moment.
"Zabini." I said briskly, almost taking a seat to his left when another idea pooped into my head, I made my way to stand directly behind Carina who was seated to Zabini's right, looking at her potatoes with hatred.
I cleared my throat.
She didn't look back at me.
Sighing I poked her shoulder, hearing a groan as she turned to me expectantly, "What?"
"Move." I ordered, surveying her. She looked more tired than usual.
Her lips thinned into a line, as she eyed me, trying to decide if putting up a fight was worth it or not. In the end she scooted to the side, giving me enough place to sit between them.
I smiled triumphantly as I took my seat.
"So..." I said, as I pulled some lamb-chops into my plate, "How was Ancient Runes?"
She gave me a weird look, "Why do you care?"
I shrugged, "I can't make conversation now?" I asked, her innocently, "I do need some entertainment during dinner."
Blaise snorted. Carina narrowed her eyes into slits, "Why?" she asked, her tone harsh, "Did Zabini lose his appeal that you're talking to me?"
Zabini responded by lifting his hand behind our backs and hitting the back of her head, almost causing her to face to plant itself into her mashed potatoes.
I laughed at her annoyed huff, but before I could respond to her statement, Daphne and Pansy whooshed in, their faces alight with a smile.
"We have news!" Daphne gushed, looking at us with wide eyes, Carina and I groaned.
"You went to the bathroom for 10 minutes and came back with gossip?" Carina asked, looking at Pansy with horrified eyes.
But Blaise leaned forwards, as always, ready to hear the latest crap.
Pansy looked right at Zabini as she launched into story. "So we met Lavender Brown," She started, "you know the Gryffindor chick who's gaga over Weasel?"
"No-"
"We don't" Carina finished for me, but Blaise just waved our comments away, urging Pansy to continue.
"She said that Potter shouted out the fact that Quirrell had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head back in first year!" Daphne said, her words tumbling over each other as she rushed to get the entire information out.
"What?!"
Silence greeted the two girls on the other side of the table as the three of us gaped at them, satisfied smirks played on Pansy's and Daphne's faces.
My face seemed stuck, because try as I might I couldn't move my muscles to close my mouth. The realization that I went to school with Voldemort for a year, pierced a hole inside me. The fear, I tried to keep at bay that associated itself with that name, filled the hole. Slowly taking over most of my body.
"You've got to be shitting me." Carina exclaimed, her eyes already scanning the Gryffindor table looking for the Chosen Boy.
"What did Dumbridge say?" Blaise asked, his face too paler than usual.
"Detention." Pansy answered, looking exceptionally proud at the fact that for the first time all of us were wholeheartedly interested in her crap.
I finally got my mouth to shut itself then, gritting my teeth as I willed my breaths to come out slowly. I knew Potter had landed himself into detention again. I had just owled my father about it.
But I didn't know it was because he said that.
Did that really happen?
Did that turban-wearing, stuttering, sorry excuse of a teacher really have the Dark Lord stuck to the back of his head?
Did I sit in the same room as Dark Lord for one year and pass comments on his stupid head gear?
I wasn't aware of what was going on around me then, because I don't remember when I got up and exited the great hall, I don't remember when I climbed up all the stairs to the Owlery and I don't know when I wrote a hasty letter to my father, because the next thing that I was aware of was of soft hands, shaking my shoulders repeatedly and warm hazel eyes looking over at me in concern.
"Malfoy?" Carina softly asked, her arms around my shoulders as I blinked, my hands stilling. "You're shaking like a leaf." She murmured, her warm hands wrapping around my, indeed, shaking ones, plucking the letter out of them. "Breathe will you?"
I watched somewhat detached as she gently tied the letter on a random barn owl, giving him a few treats before it opened its wings wide, almost hitting her ear and flew off.
It wasn't until I had seen the owl give one last hoot before it disappeared out of the Owlery completely that I turned around, my eyes instantly landing on Carina's hazel ones. She stared back at me mutely, probably waiting for an explanation of everything she had just witnessed.
But I couldn't tell her now could I?
Even if I wanted to, Carina Hadley was the last person I wanted to share my problems with.
So I gulped down whatever fear was left in my system and gazed back at her squarely, "What?" I asked, willing my voice to come out strong.
Her eyes narrowed, "Are you alright?"
"Of course I'm alright." I almost spat, What's it to her? "What are you talking about?"
She pursed her lips, annoyance filling her features, "You looked like you had seen the ghost of the person you killed Malfoy." She lowly said, finally taking her eyes off me and squinting into the semi-darkened tower above us.
"No one asked for your opini-" But I was cut off. Her lips forming an 'O' as she whistled a slow tune, her voice carrying out clearly.
It wasn't long until a handsome screech owl, swooped down from one of the dark crevices, landing on Carina's shoulder perfectly, "Hey you." She softly cooed to him, feeding him some owl treats.
"Is that Leo?" I asked after a beat of shock, I had seen Carina's owl a few times, but now, somehow he looked bigger and darker.
Leo hooted at me, fixing me with his beady eyes, I almost smiled, back in third year when she lent him to me because my owl was still not back from his long journey home, Leo had almost pecked my ear off.
"How you doing bud?" I asked, rubbing his head affectionately, he rubbed his head on my palm in answer.
"Here." Carina said, "You up for a flight to Durmstrang?" she asked, and as he stuck a leg out to her I noticed she held a letter in her hand for the first time.
"Missing Archer already?" I mused, she rolled her eyes in answer, feeding Leo some more treats before he took flight, leaving both of us staring in his wake.
"Can say the same to you." She said easily her eyes back on me, "Missing daddy are you?"
My face soured at the mention of my father, what did she know about it? "What's it to you?" I muttered, turning around to leave the Owlery, but she followed right behind me, like a shadow.
Except shadows are silent, this one on the other hand wouldn't shut up.
"Well I only just helped you send a letter to him." She said, falling into step beside me, "Usually people express their gratitude when somebody helps them."
"Thank-you." I said, shortly, speeding up to get away from her. She was short, I'm sure I can leave her behind. But her running steps behind me told me she was adamant to annoy me all the way back.
"It's certainly interesting won't you say?" She said, sounding a bit out of breath as she struggled to keep up with me, "That you ran to tell your father that Potter landed himself in detention again?"
That did it.
My feet stopped cold, and she almost passed me, but my hand shot out to grip her arm, "What did you just say?"
She gazed back at me defiantly, "I'm just saying that you ran out of the Great hall like there was a dog behind you the minute you found out Potter got detention."
"And you decided to follow me?" I asked venomously, my grip on her arm tightening.
She shrugged, but I could see her face growing hot, "I had a letter to post myself." She said, "Didn't you see?"
My eyes narrowed as she bit her lip, something she only did when she was nervous, I knew she had no idea about what was going on with my life and there was no way she could've read the letter I just sent. That seemed to help me calm down a bit. My grip on her relaxed, "The next time you decide to sneak into someone's room, Hadley," I growled lowly, watching in satisfaction as her face paled, "make sure you wear a different perfume."
Throwing her arm back to her, I stepped around, walking off. But she was behind me again, running to catch up as she lowly whispered, "I don't even wear perfume."
I laughed, hoping she'll understand her mistake and not step inside my room again. But I mentally made a note to keep my things locked in better. Some new enchantments were in order.
"It was Nott wasn't it?" her voice asked, as she fell into step beside me again, I raised an eyebrow at her, "Shouldn't have fucking trusted him!"
I smirked "He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. You smell like an orange, Hadley." I supplied, "It doesn't matter if you're wearing perfume or no. You're the only person I know who can get into my dorm and smells so citrusy."
"I don't smell citrusy!" she yelled back indignant as we descended the steps to the Entrance Hall.
Not even bothering to look at her anymore, I said, "So you're not the only person who empties half a bottle of orange shampoo each time you shower?"
"How the fuck do you know what kind of shampoo I use?" She asked in disbelief as we started down the dungeon steps.
"Remember the end of last year?" I asked, "When I paid Pansy to add red dye in your shampoo bottle?"
Realization dawned on her face, as it turned just the same shade of red her hair was after that wash, "You made me look like a fucking pomegranate!" she yelled, shoving past me as she angrily muttered some choice words about, 'Some friend Pansy is!'
I laughed out loud, my laughter booming off the stone walls around us, "It was only because I couldn't find green."
She turned to me horrified, but the smile on my face just widened, "Why are you so annoyed anyway?" I asked "You were the one with red hair back in third year."
"By choice!" She bellowed, throwing her hands up and just as loudly shouting out the password to the Common Room.
This time, my laughter echoed off the dimly lit room as a few pair of eyes turned to us. But I couldn't stop, because the next second, she was stomping off to the girl's dormitory, her face still red with anger.
*
"Zabini." I called, walking down to Hagrid's hut for another boring lesson on Care of Magical Creatures.
"Malfoy." Zabini muttered, as he fell into step with me, "Was it you sleeping through Transfiguration?"
I nodded, rubbing my face harshly, I've been really groggy all day. Even after I had a full nights rest. Well as much rest as you can have knowing that you went to school with the evilest wizard of all time when you were 11 and now that same wizard occupies your home like it's always been his.
Not for the first time, I wished my family wasn't into dark arts.
"Did you sleep at all last night mate?" Blaise asked, looking at me with concern, I waved it off, just about to fire my own question when we spotted Carina, Daphne and Pansy laughing behind us.
"Hey guys." Daphne said, "Draco, I'm pretty sure McGonagall is going to kill you."
I snorted, she had no idea I was asleep, I'm sure of it. What else are Crabbe and Goyle there for? If not to be used as Human Boulders to block shit out?
"Blaise." Carina said, gesturing for all of us to slow down as she came to stand between Blaise and me.
"Yeah?" Blaise asked uncertainly eyeing the class downhill, most of it wasn't there yet.
"I wanted to ask you-"
"Nott." I mumbled, pointing at a brown head standing a few feet away from the rest of the Slytherins grouped around the Bowtruckle table.
"Yeah him." Carina whispered, just loud enough for us to hear and we all looked at Zabini expectantly, "He's been..."she faltered, her face scrunching in confusion.
"A bit more-short tempered than usual." I finished for her, looking at Carina briefly whose expression cleared, "and he's been skipping."
"Yeah." Carina attested, crossing her arms. She looked a little miffed, but then she probably hadn't expected anybody to catch her. It was futile though, I knew her too well.
"Theo's been skipping?" Daphne asked in disbelief, her eyes going wide as she too gazed at him from a distance.
"He wasn't in Charms yesterday." Pansy whispered, "And he's stopped making fun of people with me too." She pouted.
We rolled our eyes, of course Pansy would be sad about that.
Zabini sighed, "I know I said I would talk to him..." he started, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "but he doesn't wanna talk at all."
"We got that." I grunted, while Carina just snorted.
"And," Zabini continued, his eyes narrowed now, "he got really mad after I mentioned his family." That got our attention, "he looked like he was going to hex me for even saying the word, 'Home.'"
We fell silent, and a small bubble of disappointment settled in my stomach. I knew my suspicions were right.
Should I tell them?
Before Theo self-destructs?
But before I could decide, Blaise was pushed into Carina who in turn backed into me, a huff leaving her as my hands wrapped around her shoulders to steady her and we all looked behind Blaise to see Weasel looking sheepishly at us, Potter and Granger giving him exasperated looks.
"What are you looking at?" Pansy snapped, putting a hand on her hip, "Apologize, Weasel."
Potter rolled his eyes, while Granger just held Weasel back as he opened his mouth to say something to us. "You did accidently push him, Ron." Granger reminded him, urging him to keep going down the steps.
The red-head gave us another look before he started to walk off, with Pansy still fuming at the fact that he hadn't apologized, and mumbling something about 'Mannerless buffoon.'
"What the fuck happened to your hand?" Carina's voice cut through all of it, making Potter stop on his way down and now that I look at it, the hand he had been scratching his nose with was red and cut.
Like someone carved something on it with a knife.
He quickly looked back to see Carina's horrified expression before he tucked in in the pocket of his pants and went along to walk away.
"Potter!" I called, "She asked you something."
"I don't see why I need to answer our ques-" Potter started angrily but Granger was there too, pulling him away.
"Hermione!" Carina cried, making her stop in her tracks. I risked a quick glance at Carina, but she was staring straight at Granger, her eyes daring her to walk away, for the second time from her.
My arm tightened over Carina's shoulders, but she didn't look like she noticed it. Everyone around us fell silent.
I wanted to remind her again, that Granger was the one who would never accept their friendship in public, but somehow I knew that she would punch me in the face if I do so.
Granger gulped, before she nodded her head and almost turned to leave when Carina shouted, "Murtlap essence!"
Granger stopped in her tracks, looking at her with a lost expression, but this time Potter was already pulling her away when Carina shouted again, "Arch and Milo were stuck to it like morphine this entire summer because of the-"
"Competition." Granger finished for her, a faint smile on her face, Carina nodded.
Granger gave her one last nod, before she turned around and steered Potter away with her.
"What was that?" Pansy immediately pounced but I had a better question.
"The competition?" I asked, Carina, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.
She shrugged, pulling out of my hold as she started to skip down the steps to the class.
"Was that wise?" Daphne called after her, linking their arms together as all of us fell into step behind them.
Carina shrugged, "Sometimes you have to be as reckless as a Gryffindor to make them understand, there's only one language they do understand anyway."
Blaise guffawed, while Pansy continued to shoot confused glances at the two blondes in front of her.
I sighed, because I had realized another horrible thing this year.
The competition Carina spoke so highly about, whatever it was called, was obviously a muggle competition and she had participated in it.
What was it again?
Testing their fears.
And what does Carina fear the most?
Reptiles.
It's ironic, but I guess we all have our fears.
I grinned as I followed the others down the hill, having already made up my mind to quiz Carina about her stupid muggle competition.
I was genuinely curious too, the sight of her excitedly yapping about it still fresh in my mind from last year.
It was also the day we stopped being friends. You tend to remember shit like that surprisingly, no matter how awful the person you think is one of your closest friends turns out to be.
But my hopes were squashed the minute we saw Dumbridge (Oh what the hell, she is dumb!) in all her pink glory waiting for us, clip board in hand for an inspection.
A quick glance at everyone in class told me that everybody was pretty annoyed by her presence.
Crabbe and Goyle instantly made their way to me, I'm sure they're still eating though, but I guess there is one silver lining to this. I think we can get rid of Hagrid forever if I can convince the old toad that he really was dangerous. A smirk automatically crossed my face.
Well, I thought, tuning into the class, might as well use this opportunity to get in Dumbridge's good books. Guess questioning Carina will have to wait for another time.
But as I saw Zabini inch towards Nott, I knew the time wouldn't arrive soon. We had bigger things to solve right now.
*
"So Nott told me Carina was in our room yesterday?" Zabini asked me as we all trudged uphill to the greenhouses for Herbology.
I nodded, eyeing the very person we were talking about, walking ahead of us, quietly talking to Daphne as Millicent and Pansy shrieked with laughter ahead of us.
"Found any itching powder?"
I shook my head, "I'm still unsure about what she did." I admitted, the uneasy feeling I've been trying to squash making itself known again. It was driving me nuts, 'What did she do?!'
"Really?" Zabini frowned, opening the door to the greenhouse and immediately scrunching up his nose, the smell of Dragon Dung was everywhere. "She does look smug..."
I shrugged, stepping at a random table and taking out my Dragon-hide gloves. "It's not like I can ask her."
"Of course you can," he said, mimicking my actions, "Look, here they are..." and sure enough, Carina and Daphne made their way to our table, looking thoroughly peeved.
"What I don't understand." Daphne mumbled, roughly pulling her gloves out of her bag, "Is why did she have to kiss Corner?!"
Carina shot her an exasperated look, "Daph."She murmured, "It's not like you can change it-"
"Ginny Weasley's boyfriend!" Daphne cut her off angrily, shooting glances to a Ravenclaw guy standing in the corner, "She'll annihilate Astoria!"
"What's up?" Blaise asked, looking at Daphne with concern, she looked ready to snap someone's head off.
Carina sighed, "Astoria snogged the Weasley girl's boyfriend."
"What?!" Zabini cried.
"Holyshit." I said, laughing out louder than it was required, Daphne shot me a dark look.
"It's all very hush-hush." She said quickly, her eyes straying to the dark haired guy again, "He just cheated on Ginny with Astoria and if she finds out, my sister is in for it!"
"Daph will you chill?" Carina said, turning her to us with a serious face, "If anything happens to Astoria, we'll help." she finished, looking at Blaise and me expectantly, "Right?"
I sighed, "Fine." I mumbled.
"Of course." Blaise promised.
"So...." Blaise started then, as we all turned to see Professor Sprout demonstrate fertilizing Bubotubers, "What were you doing in our room, Carina?"
Carina stilled, her back going rigid, as she slowly turned to me with an accusing face, "Well I didn't do anything to you Zabini so chill the fuck out."
Daphne gave all of us a side-way glance as she shook her head at us.
"Well you see," Blaise continued, "Draco hasn't found anything out of place yet, so if it's something deadly I would want to know so that we can keep some back up-"
"What??"
"-you know in case something happens to Draco." Blaise charged right ahead, "What will you do if he dies? Who will you torment?"
I stifled a laugh at Carina's flabbergasted look, trust Zabini to rile her up like that.
"I would probably throw a party Zabini." Carina replied after staring at us intensely, her eyes narrowed, "Now if you don't mind, I have to pay attention."
I snorted, "Yeah sure."
She gave me the stink eye then, "I haven't done anything yet." She said, tilting her head to the side, and I knew it was true. She's bidding her time. Probably for something huge.
"CLASS!" Sprout shouted then, making us all turn to her, "Here is all the fertilizer, do not drop it on the floor please!"
We groaned, "Why do we have Herbology again?" I whined.
"I'm so glad this is the last class of the day." Carina muttered, "I can almost imagine myself running out of here and taking a shower."
"Big talk." Daphne sighed, as we all walked over to the smelly pile of Dragon shit, "Class has just started."
And so for the next 45 minutes, we stuffed dragon dung into pus plants making sure to not have any pus fall on any of our exposed skin, but the shrieks from Tracey Davis and Terry Boot did show us that it was indeed impossible for them to do so.
Well at least they were rushed out and got to bunk rest of the class.
"You know." I muttered as I flung some shit into a pot, "We need to get Carina to talk."
Blaise murmured in agreement, stuffing the plant over the fertilizer and dumping some mud on it, "She won't say anything."
"Oh I know." I said, smirking as I eyed her scrunching her nose up while she blindly threw the plant in, "I have something else in mind."
"Which is?"
"You know how absolutely horrible it would be if say, someone accidentally dropped some Dragon dung inside your bag?" I started conversationally, going on with my task, Blaise's hands went slack, so I continued, "And you know how we all stink of Dragon Dung after Herbology?"
"You wouldn't." He said flatly, his eyes going to Carina who was working in the first few rows. A devilish smile spread across my face as I eyed her bag resting not too far from where I was working, we had one of the last workstations available.
"Draco-"
"Won't be much." I promised, "She won't even come to know until later, I mean we all stink of this shit till we're done showering anyway!"
Blaise shook his head, "Just don't dirty her books-"
"No promises." I replied I was getting sick of waiting for something to happen to me anyway. One shouldn't go inside his room doubting the ground he walks, it's just unnatural.
*