[Niela]
After I told Laurel and Cecily that I had a date with Draco, hell broke loose.
It was a weird feeling to wake up and be followed by stares again.
Sure, I always got a few weird looks, because a new demigod girl at Hogwarts wasn't seen everyday, but overall I was ignored.
Now the whispers were following me in the hallways again, though it was different from before.
This time, they partly made me smile. People were genuinely happy that I was with him. Others confused. Most were wondering why.
"I don't understand how you're putting up with this", Laurel said. "Some of these people are very rude."
I shrugged. "I learned not to care too much a long time ago. Also, they ain't that bad."
Laurel wanted to argue, but Cecily held her back.
"If she says it doesn't bother her, let it be."
I gave Cecily a thankful look, which she answered with a smile.
Alicia was snoring next to me, right in front of Professor Binns.
I had tried to wake her up quite a few times, but after dodging her fist (mind you, she'd still been asleep) I gave up.
The history teacher managed to make the topic a dread once again. When started talking about the enslavement of houseelves though, my attention was back.
"Did you catch the time period?", I asked Cecily, who was sitting on my right. She shook her head. "I didn't, sorry."
Eagerly, I listened to the elves' history and wrote down as much as I could without having the problem of being unable to read my own notes afterwards.
"In the fifteenth century, Houseelves were bargained into a new contract. They had already been servant for a while as I mentioned, though this time, the free servant lost their freedom. Once a houseelve was bound, the spell could only be broken by a wizard or witch.
Today we merely give them a piece of clothing or something they can possess, when wanting to set them free. Back then however, a spell was needed ... HOMEWORK !"
Suddenly, Professor Binns had the classes attention (even Alicia jerked up from her sleep).
"Read page 576 in your books, then write an essay on the enslavement of houseelves. Minimum 3000 words, maximum four thousand.", he said, as if shouting that one word had taken all energy from him.
The class groaned simultaneously.
+
Draco was already waiting for me at the entrance of Hogsmeade when I rushed there.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You're late, Eletherya."
I tried to catch my breath from running.
"And you have horrible stamina."
"Sometimes it's not needed to state the obvious just to poke fun at others, Malfoy. There is this thing called being nice."
"Better wise than nice", he replied.
"Poking fun at others ain't wise, though", I remarked, genuinely confused.
He shrugged.
"I know, just felt like saying that. But Elethrya?"
"Hm?"
"We really need to work on your - ow!" I punched him a second time.
"My rips will break at this rate, woman! Stop it!"
"The woman's got a name, honeyboo", I laughed. "Also, you're being dramatic. Your rips are just fine."
He bent down and kissed me. "Now, I'm fine."
"You do know that we're in public?", I asked.
He grinned. "Let them stare."
Draco held out his arm, I took it, and we disapparated.
A moment later, we were on a hill. He flicked his wand and a tent appeared. "Get in."
Curious to see what was hidden in the tent, I walked in.
It resembled a small living room with a long (black) table, two seats, a couch and a shelf board on which art supplies and suspicious looking potions were stored. The walls were painted in a dark orange, and though I normally wasn't the biggest fan of the colour, it suited the room pretty well.
"It's beautiful", I said honestly and put down my cloak.
"Of course it is", he replied, though his face looked relieved. "I planned everything. Sit down, please."
I sat on the chair he had pulled out for me. Draco snipped his wand, mumbled something and cake with coffee appeared.
He wanted to sit down, but then seemed to remember something last minute.
I had already wanted to ask wether I could help him, but then music started playing.
To my very surprise, it was Nat King Cole - and I was pretty sure he wasn't a wizard.
"How do you know Nat King Cole?", I asked him.
Draco shrugged. "I thought you might want to listen to music and since you grew up in the muggle world, I picked muggle music. Actually, Aunt Dromeda has left a device with music for mother when she was banned from the family, so I borrowed it."
I didn't know who 'Aunt Dromeda' was, but that was a question for a different day.
"You know that it wasn't necessary to do all of this, right?"
He shrugged once again. "Only the best for you, Eletherya."
Somehow, he always managed to get my heart-rate up.
"So", Draco said, sipping his coffee. "Blaise, Goyle and Alicia gave me this list of questions. You're getting one half"- he pushed a small stack of cards into my direction - "and I'll do the other."
I nodded. "Sounds good.
I'll start ... what is your favourite - oh gods no."
Next time I was going to meet Alicia or Blaise, we had to have some serious talk. Who on earth asked dirty questions like that on the first date?
He laughed. "Now I really want to know what was standing there."
"You don't, trust me. Uhm ... Alright, this one's different. What kind of music do you like?"
"I don't listen to any music."
"Really?" I couldn't imagine my life without Tupac, The Fugees, TLC and The Black Eyes Peas. "Why, though?"
"We don't really get any access to music from other countries, and here most artists mostly publish corny ballads - or bad pop songs."
I had to introduce him to good music some time.
"Alright, my turn." He picked a card.
[Draco]
"What do you most like about me?"
"You're caring", She answered immediately, as if she didn't even have to think about it.
"I didn't expect that", I said. I'd never thought of myself as somebody caring.
Niela smiled. "That's because you don't see yourself like I do, Draco."
She never ceased to surprise me. To be honest, it was still beyond my imagination why she (or anyone in particular) would think of me as caring. Maybe it did depend on the point of view.
"Why are you dating me?"
A tough question. I had multiple reasons I wanted to be with her, one cornier that the other. If I had to narrow it down to one though ... "You make me smile."
That made her smile, though it was the simple truth. Maybe I should start being more straightforward when speaking.
"What was your childhood like?"
The smile faded and I regretted having asked that question.
"It was alright", she said. "Could've been worse, I guess."
Even me and my lack of empathy for others could tell that she was not saying the full truth. But I didn't pressure her. When she was ready, she'd tell me, I was sure.
"What annoys you the most about people?"
"Their stupidity."
"But you were around Crabbe and Goyle for six years?"
That was an argument. "Your Slytherin side is showing, Eletherya."
She laughed. "Pick the next card, Draco."
"Can you cook?"
Niela shook her head. "Not really. I can survive with my cooking skills, but they're not phenomenal. You?"
"I'm a master." And I wasn't exaggerating at all. My cooking was amazing.
"I wonder where you always get that confidence from."
"If you look like this", I gestured to my face, "you can't help but be confident."
She wrinkled her nose, as if I was being too cheesy. Cute.
All of a sudden, a very familiar cold filled the room.
Dementors.
"Niela! Are you alright?"
She had sunken down onto the floor, her hands covering her ears.
"Please make it stop", she whispered. Tears were streaming down her face, violet shadows surrounding her.
Quickly, we got out of the tent. After getting rid of it, I took Nielas hand, but she wouldn't move.
The dementors had come closer, ever so slowly approaching us from a short distance.
My first instinct was to shield her with my body.
Probably the most stupid reaction I could've had, because fighting dementors from a short distance was basically a death sentence.
Still, it was all I could do.
I held her as tight as I could, not daring to let go.
The dementors came nearer.
"Expecto Patronum!"
As expected, nothing came out of my wand.
"Expecto Patronum!"
I could see my mother crying after Aunt Bella had been killed. The first time I had ever seen her cry.
Crabbe dying in the demonic fire.
Godfathers body, covered in blood.
My father being sent to prison.
Fenrir Greybacks teeth next to my throat, ready to rip it out -
Niela screamed.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A giant Lion with butterfly-like wings shot out of my wand.
It didn't last long, though; my patronus vanished after failing to fight of one dementor.
We were doomed.
"Draco?"
I loosened my hug. "Are you feeling better?"
Her eyes were glowing, but the shadows had disappeared. She attempted a smile.
"It's okay."
Nothing was okay, but this wasn't the time to get mad at her.
"If you say so." I let her go.
She stepped aside.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM"
A giant lioness with butterfly-like wings shot out of her wand before she collapsed.
+
"Malfoy! What is happe- goodness, is that Elethrya?"
Without asking what exactly had happened, Professor Sprout led me to her office. After laying Niela down on a sofa, the herbology master dusted some sort of ill-smelling green powder over my girlfriend's nose.
Niela flinched and started to sleep. Her breathing was a lot more regular as well.
"The girl was nearing death", Professor Sprout explained. "Next time, check her heartbeat. It was extremely slow and would eventually have stopped if you didn't bring her here in time."
Just one of wrong step and it would've cost her life.
"I'm sorry Professor."
"It's fine, boy. Sit down, will you?"
"Shouldn't I bring her to Madam Pomfrey?"
"Miss Eletherya needs some rest. Afterwards, we can bring her to Poppy. Now tell me, what happened?"
Sprout turned out to be a good listener. I told her everything and she didn't interrupt me once, nor did she loose interest in what I was saying.
Hufflepuffs really had a patience of steel.
"I'm not quite sure why she reacted that way.", the herbology teacher said.
"The usual reaction is to simply pass out. It shouldn't trigger her magic to act on its own accords. Then on the other hand, she is a Demi-goddess. There might be a chance of the encounter with the dementor awakening a new power within her."
"What power would that be?", I asked.
"Empathy."
Empathy? A skill alright, but powerful magic? "With all due respect, Professor..."
"You're being close-minded, Malfoy", Professor Sprout scolded.
"Magic based on passionate feelings like love, kindness and pain is ancient. It's the most powerful magic we can produce.
If Niela is truly an empath, she probably felt all the emotion and fears these particular dementors have nourished themselves with."
As logical as all of it sounded, I still found love or kindness as a source of power ridiculous. Often, those were the feelings that made humans weak. They could be strengthening at times, but usually people lost themselves due to love.
I was lucky, having Niela. She liked me as the arrogant bastard I was.
My mother had given up her freedom for love and was restricted in speaking her mind.
Aunt Dromeda had given up her whole family's fortune and wealth.
And Aunt Bella ... well, love and obsession had driven her mad.
All in all, the Blacks and Malfoys did not have very successful love stories.