Decree No.29 (O.C) Fred Weasley/ Draco Malfoy

Sticks, stones, and the words that hurt me.

"Draco was at your aunt's house?"

"Yes."

"With his father?"

"Yes."

"And they were there for your necklace?"

"Yeah, but they couldn't get it off - go figure."

Jessica wasn't handling Snapes's intensive questioning well. She had been sitting for hours in the corner of his dingy office, knowing that an explosive volcano of emotions could erupt at any moment.

She didn't quite know how to explain to him how it felt to find out that everyone around you had lied to you at some point to either deceive or protect you. It was like when she had woken up that morning at St Mungo's, not believing in anything being shown or said to her.

Snape shrewdly changed the subject as he walked back behind his desk, annoyed that she had attacked his livelihood. "I just don't understand, why would they be sent to retrieve it if the Dark Lord himself couldn't?"

Jessica placed her chin in her palms, her knees supporting the arms too tired to hold up her head alone. "Probably because my necklace hurt him, and he sent them as lambs to the slaughter. What are you doing?"

"Writing to Dumbledore," Snape replied, scribbling away.

"Wait, do you know where Dumbledore is?" Jessica asked Snape, not even surprised that Snape knew this. "Where is he?"

The scratching of the quill crescendoed into an uncomfortable rhythm. "You better go back to the common room," Snape ordered dismissively. "Any longer, they'll suspect something's up."

"Go back?" Jessica argued, rising from her slump against the wall. "I can't go back now. I don't know if Draco's going to try and sell me to Voldemort in my sleep!"

"You have the necklace; you'll be fine," snapped Snape. "Goodnight, and be safe."

Be safe.

Be safe?

He must have been joking.

Jessica hardly wanted to be there as much as Snape wanted her to be, but at least she was protected by a qualified teacher here. Outside, there was too much anger to face, and so much danger was between her and the solace of the Gryffindor common room.

She looked to her left and found a small vial of clear liquid tidily placed on top of a little cupboard. It was just out there unprotected, daring to be touched, and Snape wasn't paying it any attention. Jessica reached out and wrapped her fingers around the bottle, subtly tucking it into her robe when Snape wasn't looking.

"Are you going to check in later?" she asked as she opened the door, but Snape was too busy to answer her as he was writing away. 

She never fooled herself into thinking he cared for her, even as her Head Of House, but given the situation, she would've thought he would've shown some concern.

"Bye then."

Jessica exited Snape's office with her uniform hanging off her like an ill-fitting suit. It was damp from where she had sweated in her vision, and her hair was straggly from where she had been pulling at it. She needed a long shower and a good nap, but the question was where she was safe enough to do it.

The Gryffindor common room was eight floors away.

Jessica walked along the darkly lit corridor of the dungeons until the light started to grow from the candles that hung above the Slytherin common room door. Her mouth went open to say the password 'pureblood' but she stopped herself before a sound could come out. That room had nowhere for her now; she certainly couldn't say that word.