Venom & Virtue

chapter 45

Two days later, I found myself standing on the sixth floor, outside a large wooden door with classroom 6B written upon its black plaque.

I glanced down at the lilac poster in my hand, absorbing the lettering written there, cursive and decorative in its appearance.

NARGLE CLUB

Come along
and learn all about
these mischievous creatures,
including where to find them
and how to protect yourself!

Thursday 20th - 3pm
Classroom 6B

Club Leader: Luna Lovegood

I lifted my wrist, double-checking that I'd gotten the time correct.

I had arrived exactly on the hour, eager to use my free period for anything other than studying.

My hands folded the poster carefully, slipping it back into my pocket before I pushed open the door, peeking my head inside.

The room was fairly large, with a chalkboard at the front, and groups of tables dotted around the floor.

As I'd expected, there was only one student present, the whimsical blonde Ravenclaw that I'd been hoping to see.

My mind had gone back and forth over the idea several times during the last 48 hours, debating if it was a good choice to attend the session at all.

The majority of my instinct had argued in favour of the proposition, knowing that there was a significant chance I wouldn't get to talk to the girl under any other circumstance.

Plus, the opportunity had revealed itself to me with eerie convenience; all three of my friends were wrapped up in their lessons for the afternoon, meaning, no one was going to question my absence from relaxing in the common room or studying in the great hall.

But even as I sat with Violetta at lunchtime, I'd had doubts about whether it was a good idea to go behind her back.

I'd considered telling her about my plan, perhaps even offering for her to come along and talk to the girl herself, but I'd eventually decided against it.

Although she'd mentioned wanting to know her cousin, I wasn't entirely sure if Luna would feel the same way, deciding instead that it would be safer for me to go alone and simply get to know the girl.

Despite my attempts to not factor Draco's feelings into the decision, it had failed significantly, my thoughts automatically worrying about his reaction to what I was doing.

From what Tom had said, it definitely wasn't something he'd be happy about, probably considering it betrayal of some kind, going into the enemy camp.

But I'd eventually realised that he seemed to have little regard for my feelings on other matters, so it only seemed fair to extend him the same courtesy, especially since we weren't even talking when the idea had come to me.

And the most important reason of all for my choice, the one that had brought me up the staircases and to the door in the end, was the fact that I was eager to talk to the mysterious Ravenclaw.

Selfishly, I wanted the chance, at least once, to know what she was really like, to understand up close what similarities, if any, she really held to the Malfoy siblings and their father.