𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 [Harry James Potter]

Chapter 5: The seven of swords

The Seven of Swords

Trigger warning: Use of Substances

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The sound of logs crackling in the fireplace was a blissful addition to the mostly empty Slytherin common room as the echo of the fire travelled to each wall and bounced off it. Delicate fingers travelled over golden etched tarot cards as lime-coloured irises searched them frantically, hungry for information.

The Slytherin witch's psyche was an intricate and detailed pattern, much like her pearl-coloured hair that was now in detailed braids leading up to a bun, with the odd pieces of hair sticking out, framing her face.

Vera's temperament had grown restless with the growing war outside of Hogwarts's walls. Reality set in for a lot of students with the first person to suffer a loss within the school. It had been only a few weeks into term, Hermione and Vera were seated in Herbology when Hannah Abbot was called out of class only to receive the news of her mother's death, she had been murdered by death eaters.

Vera was now seated on a leather couch in her emerald quidditch jersey as a particular card lay between her fingertips.

"What does that one mean?" asked Malfoy who had suddenly appeared by her side.

Her eyes fell on him as he sat next to her, he too was in his quidditch uniform however he wasn't wearing his usual excessive rings, the ones adorned with emerald lining and the Malfoy's family crest. She silently wondered where his family stood in all of this, with his father in Azkaban.

"The seven of swords. It means tactics, deception and betrayal." Her eyes fell back to the black and gold card, she wasn't plotting anything, in particular, which meant something, or someone wasn't right.

"Feeling a bit more paranoid than usual, are we?" he jeered.

"Barely." She uttered, not paying attention to him.

"Well, are you coming? Without a captain, I'm afraid it won't be much of a team," he said referring to quidditch trials.

"I wasn't aware that you needed an escort," she rolled her eyes.

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The dark atmosphere of the quidditch pitch held half of Slytherin House, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking intimidating. Vera however stood in front of all of them, despite being smaller than anyone on the team, she was still undeniably the best player having joined the team along with Harry in their first year after helping Neville retrieve his Remembrall from Malfoy. Looking back, she would have much preferred a captain like Oliver Wood, instead of the crude Marcus Flint who chastised her for liking a "manly" sport at eleven years old.