Dark Magic

Little Talks

By the time Remus returned with lunch, it was nearing the afternoon. There was enough for the three of us to share, but Severus ultimately decided to leave us to talk for a while. We spoke about the Triwizard Tournament, Christmas and his job at the bookshop, which he was greatly enjoying.

Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived shortly after lunch, where I informed them of my magical predicament; but they did not have much time before Madam Pomfrey insisted I rest and asked them to leave. Hermione reassured me she would scour the library for answers to get my magic back. But, I rather enjoyed the solace from my legilimens abilities.

I wanted my Godfather to stay a while longer, but he needed to go home and prepare for the upcoming full moon. After a small catch up it was, to my dismay, time for him to leave. "Give Padfoot a hug from me." I spoke as Remus took me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. A low scoff emitted from him, "I would, if I knew where he was. He left a little over a week ago; prowling about the country, I presume."

I chuckled lightly, changing into some clothes Madam Pomfrey had brought for me and walking him to the outskirts of the school. Remus turned to face me, noticing the sun beginning to set in the distance. It must have been nearing dinner time, by now. "You better get inside. And make sure you have something chocolatey with your tea, tonight. It helps."

I nodded with a half-smile at the bittersweet moment, and the thought of how long it would be before we could share another one. "Take care, Rem." For some reason this moment felt harder than leaving for school at the start of the year. As though something would change before I'd see him next.

"I'm only one owl away if you need me." And with one final hug goodbye, I watched my Godfather turn on his heels and swiftly disapparate home. Home.

"Emerald?"

My stomach plummeted at the sound of the voice I had spoken to countless times in the past. That silver-tongued voice that always sounded so similar to that of his father's. The Malfoy voice.

My shoulders dropped, the sudden chill in the air hitting me as I placed my hands instinctively into my green hoodie's pockets. Strange, the cold didn't bother me before. Before I had the chance to question this observation, however, the blonde Slytherin spoke. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," I sighed, tucking a strand of my red and white hair behind my ear as I turned to cross his path, trekking my way back up the hill and towards the wooden bridge.

"Did Snape give you my message?" He called out, his tall, slender physique catching up with me very easily as we began to cross the grand bridge, side-by-side. But my determination to reach the school as swiftly as possible deterred me from sparing him as much as a glance. "Yes, he did." I nodded.

"And?" Draco pressed, growing seemingly frustrated with each step.

"And, what?" I retorted with the same amount of venom.

The boy tripped on one of the crooked logs, falling behind my trail a little as I neared the end of the bridge. "Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I've been a horrible arsehole to you and you didn't deserve it. I wanted to ask you to the ball, I really did but-"

I cut him short, turning on my heel and darting back, forcing him to stumble into the side of the bridge as I forced him against the wall, "I hope you don't seriously think that's what last night was about!?" I saw the terror in his eyes. I couldn't read his mind to find out why, but I knew it was surrounding the night's prior events. He was afraid I might conjure the Fiendfyre curse again. Afraid of me.

As though I had suddenly touched a hot stove I took a step back, "Merlin's, Draco, can you really be that dense? Of course, it hurt, watching you take Pugface Parkinson to the ball but not as much as you ignoring me the past month, forcing Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee to tell me it was your father's prejudice beliefs that made you do so and forcing me to take back your Christmas present!" I was shouting now, but his fear had now dwindled to almost nothing; being replaced entirely with guilt and slight confusion.