RIDDLE ME THIS

13

"where were you?!" Matteo crashed into me, hugging me tight.

"it doesn't matter, i need to talk to you and Tom." i dragged him upstairs.

"do you ever go to lessons?!" i asked Tom who was laying on his bed.

"no," he replied. "what do you want?"

"i was just walking in the forest and Bellatrix apperated." i explained.

"what? why?!" Tom sat up.

"she said Father has something planned during the game tomorrow."

"why didn't he send an o-"

"because the Ministry is censoring all letters! it was safer for her to just tell me directly!" i cut Matteo off.

"well what do we need to expect?" Tom frowned.

"she doesn't know but we need to be ready—she said you'd be able to take care of it."

"we've got training now," Matteo reached for the door. "should we tell the others?"

"i don't know." i turned to Tom. "what do you think."

"tell them," he said. "most of their parents are Death Eaters anyway. just tell them something's going to happen."

"and if they ask questions?" Matteo opened the door slightly.

"we'll all find the answers soon enough."

Matteo, Regulus, Pansy, Blaise, Draco, Enzo, Theo and i were all stood on the Quidditch pitch.

rain poured down on us and the wind pulled at the hood of my cloak.

"we all need to be prepared for something to happen at tomorrow's game!" i yelled over the wind.

"yeah, like us winning!" Theo held onto his broom for dear life.

"no, something serious!" Matteo called.

"like what?!" Pansy didn't bother with her hood. water from her plaits dripped onto her cloak and slid to the muddy ground.

"all we know is it's important." Matteo's brown curls were plastered to his head.

"is it to do with... your family?" Regulus asked.

"we don't know that either." i lied. "i got an owl this morning saying all we've told you."

"and where's this letter now?" Blaise frowned.

"i burned it."

they all seemed to believe me.

"will any of us get hurt?" Pansy frowned.

"no, of course not." Matteo really was a gifted liar.

"ok," Pansy nodded.

"right, let's get in the air then." Regulus shouted.

seeing as we had no other team to play against, we all helped each other.

Draco threw fake Bludgers for Matteo and Regulus to hit.

seeing as they'd only Beaten once they were doing surprisingly well.

Enzo raced towards Theo who was in goal with a Quaffle tucked under his arm.

as he hit it towards the second goal hoop, Theo swooped in and caught it then threw it back to Enzo.

Pansy and i threw a Quaffle between us, working out a perfect dynamic: she flew low while i flew high.

we practised passing the ball to each other then i taught her how to push her broom faster.

she taught me an excellent turn and in turn i showed her how to nosedive.

we congregated by the goal hoops, shivering and huddling together.

"i'm pretty sure my cloak is soaked through." Enzo groaned, raising his arm and showing us his dripping sleeves.

"what's the next lesson?" Matteo wrung our the end of his own cloak.

"Herbology," i answered.

everyone groaned.

"at least it's indoors..." Pansy tried to look on the bright side.

we trudged indoors, the water in our boots making them squelch.

our cloaks trailed on the ground leaving wet trails for Filch to clean.

Regulus held the curtain open for us all to pass through and we sighed at the warmth of the common room.

we left our cloaks and boots to dry next to the fire and ran to our dorms to change.

my hair was relatively dry thanks to my hood but i had to use a towel to dry the rest of my body.

i put on two pairs of woolly tights rather than my usual opaque ones, as well as a long sleeved shirt and thick winter jumper.

i tied my hair into a slick ponytail and fished my cloak out of my wardrobe, securing the silver clasp around my neck.

lastly i slid my feet into my black shoes.

most of the teachers had told me they weren't appropriate for school but Father hadn't told me to change them, so i didn't.

they were patent Mary-Janes with a five inch heel and little strap over the top.

i grabbed my gardening gloves, hand fork and little shovel before going down to the common room.

Pansy was just leaving.

i hurried over to her and we walked to the greenhouse together.

"so," i turned to her.

"so?"

"what's going on with you and Matteo?"

she turned red again. "Matteo? nothing!"

"don't lie to me. if you like him then tell me—i'll pull some strings."

"would you?" she was doubtful.

"of course." i said drily.

"i feel like you wouldn't."

"why would i lie?" she was starting to piss me off.

"no reason... sorry." she held the door open for me.

i strode across the wet grass towards the greenhouse.

Pansy trotted along beside me.

"thanks by the way—for talking to Matteo."

"i haven't done it yet," i walked into the greenhouse.

"ah, Pansy." a short woman with curly white hair smiled at us. "and you must be Lolita?"

"i am,"

"i'm Madame Sprout, the Herbology teacher here at Hogwarts."

everyone's eyes were on me but when i looked at them they focused on their plants quickly.

Draco beckoned us over and i stood at the work bench next to him.

"what are we doing?" i glanced at the Fanged Geranium in front of me. 

"harvesting the fangs..." he snatched his hand away from his own flower as it tried to bite him.

i laughed and picked up the pair of tweezers next to my plant and grabbing its stem, then took Draco's unused ones and used them to pull out the fangs quickly.

"well done, Miss Riddle!" Sprout bustled over. "you're the first one to harvest your teeth!"

Draco grumbled something about not having enough time.

"ten points to Slytherin!" she nodded exuberantly.