The Greywitch Trials | Harry Potter AU

Old

Eloise had stared at the tapestries in the dining room for the entirety of the short lunch she'd shared with Susan and Hermione, watching the artwork come to life while her friends spoke quietly about an upcoming raid Kingsley and Hermione were planning. It was impossible to ignore the glaring depiction of Morganna's death, but she tried her best to focus on the Lovers; the Knight; the Party. It didn't work. Again, she'd agonized over the woven details. 

It was too colourful. She hated the bright green and yellow that clashed against the red of the Crown, the blood. The glittering black threat interwoven through the yellow skirt drew Eloise's attention, but she tore her gaze away from the pattern adorning the skirt that pooled around the witch's knees. To the side, there was a magenta cloak at her feet that must've fallen when she'd been forced to her knees by Merlin. He wasn't in the tapestry. It was just her on her knees, arms wide as if she'd been beseeching the Round Table to reconsider her punishment for her crimes against the world. 

Too little, too late.

Such gruesome fates were always for those who practiced dark magic like Morganna in the histories and legends of the magical population. And yet ... 

Eloise had seen firsthand that there was no natural retribution for such crimes. She'd been hunted for less, tried for less, sentenced for less. There was no natural justice. Retribution had to be meted out. 

"Eloise?"

She glanced up at Hermione's voice, marking her place in the book she'd been reading on Ancient Runes, "We're ready, then?"

"Yeah," Hermione shuffled from foot to foot, "Malfoy's waiting in the office."

"Alright." Eloise snatched up the pile of books she'd amassed over the past hour or so that she intended on looking into and fell into step with Hermione as they left the library. 

"I apologize in advance for his temperament. Just because he's joined us doesn't mean he's any less of a ... "

"An arsehole?" Eloise offered, smiling weakly. "Don't worry about it. I'll manage."

Hemione's answering expression wasn't all that encouraging, but she turned the corner and opened the door for Eloise, gesturing for her to enter first. 

"Thank - "

"Just why, exactly, do you think you can come along and undo all of the research I've wasted months on?" Malfoy cut her off before she could even properly enter the room. He was standing with his hands braced on the table, glaring at her with the force of a thousand suns. "How do we know you're not a spy for the Dark Lord? Why should we listen to a - "

He was sneering the same sneer he had all those years in Hogwarts. He looked almost the same, but small things had changed since she'd last seen him. He had a scar peeking out of the collar of his shirt that looked like it had nearly been fatal, and he was a bit rougher around the edges, with longer hair and broader shoulders.

"Draco!" Hermione hissed angrily. "Behave."

Eloise gritted her teeth and ignored the spike of fear that lanced through her body when she saw him. It wasn't easy to look Draco in the eye, but when she did, she didn't see an evil bastard who would gladly sit back and idly demand the blood of her ilk. He was just like her, human. Broken.

Behind his bitter words and sneer was the unmistakable stink of fear that mirrored her own. They were being backed into a corner and the prospect of upending all he'd done to regain a semblance of hope based on her word alone was a hard sell. 

"Look," Eloise dumped the hefty tomes on the table and dusted off her hands, "I don't mean to ruin all you've worked for, but I've done a lot of researching on Warding. I was planning to be a specialist and work for the Ministry when I graduated. I had it all mapped out with Sprout in fifth year. While I'm sure both you and Hermione are adept in Charms, you simply didn't know about the Archaic Sets."