A Serpent's Heart

Chapter 13. Walks and Character Improvements.

Advanced Arithmancic Practice lay open in front of us. I stared at it blankly. I was not at all in the mood for 'numeric movement predictions'. Draco, who sat next to me, stared out of the window. It was raining.

"It's been a while since we hung out together," I said.

"I know, but I'm just so busy with the upcoming N.E.W.T.'s," Draco sighed.

"So am I, but surely we could go for a walk sometime," I answered.

"If the weather is good we'll go for a walk tonight," Draco said resolutely. I smiled at him.

"That would be nice," I said.

***

That night, the weather was good indeed, thus at 7 p.m. Draco and I met up at the entrance of the school. We made sure the Carrows weren't around and we went outside.

It was dark already. I suggested going to the lake. We held hands. Draco's hand was cold, as it always was. "How are your friends?" Draco suddenly asked.

"You never ask about my friends," I said, surprised.

"Indeed, because I always thought they were worthless blood traitors," Draco said sarcastically. "I was just trying to be friendly," he added.

"You bullied them," I replied.

"I bully everyone," Draco stated.

"And you find great pleasure in doing so," I said flatly.

"That doesn't mean I'm completely heartless," Draco said. "So how are your friends?"

"They're fine, Emma is just very upset about this entire obsession with bloodlines," I answered.

"Well, she was allowed into Hogwarts, so she shouldn't complain," Draco said.

"You've called her a mudblood for years," I said indignantly.

"I know, and I realize that wasn't friendly. Can you forgive me?" He asked dramatically. He pouted and grabbed both my hands.

"So you're trying to become a better person, Draco?" I asked and laughed.

"From now on, I'll never call anyone a mudblood again," Draco said solemnly.

"Because the person you call mudblood most often doesn't attend school anymore?" I asked.

"Granger? True, but I promise I will not call anyone a mudblood from now on," Draco replied.

"Maybe I'll miss your bully-attitude," I laughed.

"You fell for me because I was a badboy?" Draco laughed.

"No!" I said, but before I could tell him what I did fall for, he pulled me in for a kiss.

We sat by the lake, the moon reflected in the water. The grass was cold, but Draco had wrapped his arm around me, providing some warmth.

"I was serious, you know, when I asked you if you were trying to become a better person," I said.

"Define "better person" please," Draco replied.

I sighed. "More like Potter for example. Kind, humble, never making fun of others," I answered.

"In other words: weak and boring," Draco mocked.

"I'm not saying I don't like you the way you are, but life is hard enough already for a lot of "mudbloods" (I formed quotation marks with my fingers) these days and I'm sure they need your sneering comments like a hole in the head," I stated.

"I nearly killed Dumbledore and you complain about my forms of address?!" Draco exclaimed.

I was caught by surprise by his sudden mood swing. "But you said you wouldn't use the word 'mudblood' anymore," I said.

"Really, Keira, insults are the least of my flaws. I'm a fucking Death Eater."

I looked at Draco's face, lit by the moonlight, making it look like porcelain. Delicate and breakable. I put my hand on his shoulder and said: "I'm sure-" but Draco interrupted me, saying: "I don't want your optimism right now. I want to drown in my sorrow and cry. Please, just leave me alone now." He turned away from me, his gaze fixed on the lake. Tears glittered in his eyes. I, stubborn as I was, wanted to stay and comfort him, but Draco hoarsely said: "Didn't you hear me?"

I hated to see him like this, but I turned around and left. Lost in thought I returned to the castle. "Alohomora," I whispered, while pointing my wand at the door. The heavy door opened. I walked up the stairs. It was dark in the hallway, so I said: "Lumos." Aided by the light of my wand I found my way through the school.

I heard something behind me. Quickly I dimmed the light of my wand, but it was too late: "Student out of bed," someone somewhat triumphantly said behind me.

I tried to sneak away, but the person grabbed me by my coat. "Well well, a Ravenclaw on a nocturnal adventure? Unprecedented," Filch sneered. "That'll be detention, miss." I roughly pulled my coat out of Filch's hand. "Give us a light," Filch demanded.

"Lumos," I said. The light lit Filch's warty face, framed by his filthy hair. He took a notebook from his pocket. He opened it and determined: "Wednesday, 4 p.m. in the Dark Arts classroom, miss..."

"Tacendi," I sighed. He wrote down my name in the notebook. "And now back to your dorm!" he grinned. Furiously I pranced back to my dorm.

When Luna saw me enter the room, she asked what was wrong. Apparently my expression spoke volumes. "Filch caught me in the corridor," I said curtly.

"What were you doing there anyways?" Luna asked.

"I was supposed to go on a romantic walk with Draco, but I told him he should stop bullying others so he can become a better person, because let's be honest, he could use some character improvements. But all of a sudden Draco realized how badly he had messed up. His emotions played up and he did not want me to watch him collapse in sorrow."

"Is he still out there?" Luna asked, looking out of the window.

"Does it matter? He's wise enough to go inside when it's cold," I replied.

"Perhaps he'll get detention, too," Luna pondered.

"Probably not. He's a Malfoy. They wouldn't dare, imagine if his father would hear about it!" I laughed.

"You're right. I suppose headmaster Snape would like to keep his new position a little longer," Luna giggled.

***

After I had put on my nightgown, I couldn't suppress the urge to look out of the window myself. I moved aside the curtain, but it was too dark to see much. I wasn't angry with Draco. Of course, he was a bully with a superiority complex, but back in the days when my father supported Voldemort, I behaved regrettably similar. I was only a child, but thinking back  to those days I was a terrible kid to be around if you were a "mudblood".