𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 26

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE RETURNS

. . .

Standing beside Draco in the Prefects' cabin, Aviana realised several things. One, she would have to be absolutely horrible to anyone she had stayed with. Two, she had to pretend that none of it would never happened.

Both of which she had been planning on doing, but when it came to watching Hermione and Ron walk into the Prefects' cabin together and Draco sending various remarks in their direction, Aviana had gotten so used to ignoring their presence or trying not to start a fight that she found herself fumbling, finally getting something out as the head boy and girl arrived, shining badges pinned to their robes.

It didn't help that Ron seemed to keep throwing glances her way as the head boy and girl instructed them on what to do, and sent them off to do their jobs. Instead, Draco and Aviana just made their way to the cabin that Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore, Pansy and Blaise would be in.

"You lot look miserable." Aviana's tone didn't change from the cold one she had been using with Draco since they met up on the platform, as the girl sat down beside Pansy, crossing her legs. 

"Didn't expect you to be so chipper." Theodore replied, looking forward and Aviana noticed his eyes travel up her legs, promptly arranging her skirt to cover as much as she could. 

"Meaning?"

"Well didn't you spend the entire summer cooped up in the Rosier Manor?" Pansy continued on. "After your Dad got arrested and your Mother went to France?" 

"Oh.. that." Aviana nodded. "I wasn't really alone, I had all the staff there and Blaise visited me a couple of times, didn't you?" The Zabini boy looked up at her words, nodding briefly before returning to staring out the window.

"Whatever the muggles did, they probably deserved it." Theo scoffed, sitting back in his chair. "Either way, I think it's safe to say your father missed some rather.. interesting meetings."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Aviana glanced around, eyes settling on the boy across from her.

"Well isn't it obvious? With the Dark Lord's return, there's been meetings all over the place." Theo replied, various hisses for the boy to shut up being thrown at him. "Alright, I get it, just letting her know."

"Meetings that took place at my Manor." Draco looked grumpy. "I would've told you about them, but Mother warned me against them checking owls at random." 

Aviana could only shrug, listening as the conversations continued and getting a Pumpkin Pasty as the trolley passed. She was rather quiet, not exactly feeling up to taking part in the talks of Death Eaters and Voldemort.

"Draco, we should do some patrolling." Aviana muttered to the boy beside her. "The compartment is getting stuffy." 

"Whatever." Draco said, standing up. "Crabbe. Goyle." He continued, the two cronies also standing up and following them out. "After what Potter with that mutt of his, I think it's only acceptable we pay him a visit."

"Sure." Aviana shrugged, before realising what he had said. "Wait what-" But Draco was already walking ahead, and the Rosier girl had to try and get past Crabbe and Goyle before falling into step beside him. "Are you sure that's a good idea - I mean Granger and Weasley are prefects now and-"

"So are we." Draco shrugged, looking at her and tilting his head. "You seem off. Potter didn't do anything to you whilst his mutt came up to you?" 

"I'm just tired, it's been a weird summer." Aviana couldn't protest against his actions anymore without looking like she had completely lost her head over the summer, and just resigned herself to following Draco to the compartment that Harry would be in.

Crabbe pulled the door open, and Draco peered in. But before he could open his mouth, Harry was speaking. "What?" he asked aggressively, eyes flickering over to Aviana before looking back at the Malfoy boy.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Draco drawled. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments." 

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." Aviana bit her lip so she didn't laugh and Draco looked over at her, nudging her with his elbow.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" Draco continued. 

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione said sharply. 

"It seems that touched a nerve." Aviana's face, that had seemed so close to laughing over what Harry had said completely changed, closer to what the others were used to looking at. "I suppose it wasn't expected of a Weasley to get something over Potter." 

Her eyes flashed dangerously, knowing that was exactly how it had first gone down. It seemed that despite her words promising she wouldn't tell anyone about what happened at 12 Grimmauld Place only extended to topics of Voldemort.

She had heard and experienced the every-day goings of the house, and with full knowledge of those things, she could use them against the others. 

"Shut up." Harry spoke this time, meeting Aviana's eyes and expecting to see some hint of apology in them like earlier with Sirius he instead found them empty, void of any true emotion. 

"So it seems we're right. Does touch a nerve, doesn't it?" Malfoy smirked "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" Hermione insisted, standing up. And as Draco grinned maliciously, the four inhabitants of the compartment staring at the girl who had stayed with them for the final part of the summer.

Watching as any change that they had noticed in her personality was completely reversed, and the girl who they had known before she arrived at Grimmauld Place returned.

✧