The Girl In The Chamber // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 19 - Lupin's Request

Serpensi was pleasantly surprised with how relaxing she found her lunch that afternoon with the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione. This was especially welcome after the high adrenaline of the quidditch tryouts. It also made a huge difference from eating with the Slytherins all the time, she never felt truly welcome and relaxed around most of them, accept her two girlfriends. Whilst she enjoyed Draco's company a lot, well if she was being honest, more than a lot. She did like to spend some time in different company now and again, and she was sure he could survive her absence a few more minutes. And as an added bonus, Draco was never fond of having dragon  ball as lunch, and the trio were very keen on them, especially Hermione, so this was the first time she had gotten to try them. However, she did make an effort to get the taste of them out of her mouth before she went to find Draco after lunch. Another thing she noticed herself doing too was that she felt very self-conscious eating around Hermione, and she could not explain why.

Once she had found Draco they both made their way to the Defence against the Dark Arts lesson. He was interested to know where she had been for the past hour. Whilst he wasn't too bothered, she was happy that he wasn't being pushy about it,  like he had been a few times in the past. But she could see him trying to keep his emotions down when she said she had been with Hermione and her friends. He made his best attempt to give her a nice smile as he said through gritted teeth, "Aw, that's nice. It's nice that it's so easy for you to make friends." Despite how hard she could tell it was for him to say this with a straight face. She knew he genuinely meant it. But she was sure that if they were both around the rest of the Slytherins, he would've said something entirely different.  But she knew small steps were better than none.

When they made it to the classroom, it was unusually dark compared with how Profferer Lupin had the room. Serpensi just imagined that it was his attempt to make the room  "atmospheric" before the lesson, she had seen him do it before. As they all took their seats in the dark room, Serpensi could hear chatter that there must be something up, as no one as shown up to the lesson yet and he was always on time. Draco stood up on a chair and shouted out towards the class "If a teacher doesn't turn up in 5 minutes, we're legally allowed to leave." Serpensi slightly smiled, rolled her eyes and replied to Draco "Draco, don't be so stupid. Sit down." Draco's eyes caught Serpensi's with half annoyance and half embarrassment. Opening his mouth to say something, but then he decided against it, he stood down. Then suddenly the door to the classroom swung open. She and all of the other students hard a bang of the large wooden doors. Before they saw who it was, they heard his voice "Mr Malfoy, you would do well to listen to Miss Gaunt and SIT DOWN. I would think you would know better than to muck around in lessons. You are a Slytherin after all. Are you not." As he strode towards the front of the classroom, he closed all the blind with a flick of a wand, turning the room into darkness.

There was a lot of excited muttering, as for some reason the dark room made everyone begin to misbehave. However, it only took one glare from Snape to put them straight. As only a look into his angry eyes to most people was the equivalent of staring at the tip of a wand that had curses flying out of it. This gaze seemed to mostly avoid the Slytherins, and land on a lot of the Gryffindors, especially Neville Longbottom. 

The thing about Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons for Serpensi, was that she probably knew the same or even more than the professors, but one thing that caught her off guard in this lesson was the mention of Werewolf's - she did however enjoy Draco's impression of one. As she was about to do an impression of her own, she was interrupted by her new friend Harry Potter as he came skidding into the room panting. Immediately all eyes, including Snape's were drawn to him. She noticed that his apology to Professor Lupin didn't go far with Professor Snape "This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think I'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." Harry stood his ground, at the same time him and Serpensi queried "Where's Professor Lupin" Snape sneered but still answered "He says he is feeling too ill to teach today." He turned on Harry "I believe I told you to sit down?" Serpensi was satisfied with this answer but Harry wasn't. "What's wrong with him" "Nothing life-threatening." Snape countered, although he looked as if he wished this a lie. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Giving in to Professor Snape's request Harry took his seat. There was nothing else eventful that  lesson except the occasional werewolf impression from the odd Slytherin . As she was packing up to leave at the lesson Draco gave her a wave to join him on the way out, Serpensi followed the flow of  students out of the room, with her back to Professor Snape as she did she heard "Miss Gaunt, I would greatly request that you remain where you are for the moment." Not being quite sure why she had been singled out she said firstly to Draco from across the room "I'll just be out in a minute or two." with a little smile of reassurance.  Then to Snape 

"Yeah sure. Am I in trouble?" She had no idea what she could have done wrong.

"No Miss Gaunt. I can assure you that are are NOT ." His tone of voice was not so assuring. 

 "Oh good, so can I go ?"  She questioned hopefully.

"No, I am afraid not." He came out from behind his desk "Now Miss Gaunt if you are quite finished I simply wish to convey a message." 

"Oh from w-" She was cut off by Snape as he was clearly not in the mood for a two way conversation.

"There is no need for questions, my patience is as thin at the moment so please let me finish. Professor Lupin's request is for you to meet him after lessons have concluded today on the small island by the lake. Now that is all, you may go." 

Serpensi, slightly confused said in as levelled voice as she could  make "Thank you Professor." She look back to the entrance of the classroom to see if Draco was still there, she was happy to see he was. She turned back to Snape to ask were Professor  Lupin was, but he was already  gone. By the time she had told Draco the situation with Professor Lupin and why Snape needed her, they were at their Charms class, and he was just as confused as she was.