𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 | 𝐝.𝐦.

nine

New year's day passed in a flash. And so does the Christmas Break.

Betty spent every waking second in the bleak manor with her family, avoiding Joseph Bennett and keeping her siblings away from him - despite that, Josette refuses to listen to her older sister, and instead continues to indulge in his presence. For that, there is nothing Betty can do to change her mind.

Although they both stay in the same manor, Betty rarely sees Malfoy around. Not that she wanted to see the hubristic young boy - but she has to admit, she has grown slightly used to his existence whether she means to or not.

When she does glimpse a speck of blonde hair in the crevice of the hallway, she doesn't strike conversation with the boy - nor does she wave a hi.

They're still not pleasant friends, only people whom are fairly tolerant of each other. And he doesn't even give her a glance when he notices her, so she automatically assumes that they were back to normal.

Back in school, Betty is overwhelmed by the mountain of homework ascending on her desk.

Despite the warning she's received from her unfortunate father, she found herself taking a small break from the Room of Requirement and the incomplete ploy she's been working on.

Rather, placing her focus on the upcoming OWLs and apparition classes that are additional to her year. It was optional, so Betty decided she would forgo it.

After her second lesson of the day, her divination class, she tells a fib to her unsuspecting knot of friends before rushing off to the seventh floor, gravely aware that she has been neglecting her family's safety.

She is gleeful when Hermione and the others don't question her like they always do, or hold her back. It seems they've gotten used to her vanishing midday, and they have busied their curiosity with other things, like Harry's weekly meetings with Dumbledore.

Betty reaches the solace of her sanctuary, breathing in the tantalising scent of ancient pages and rosemary wafting through the air.

Nothing has changed since the beginning of Winter break, as per expectation, everything is still in a disarray, peppered over the cushions and rugs.

She has even conjured a couple desks where she could execute her actual plan, following the recipe that she has laid out. Some beakers laid restfully on it, swirly black liquid emitting a pleasant smell that pervades the scents of her candles, a hoax to disguise its true purpose.

She has left it for a couple weeks to sit, hoping it might brew and turn out the way the potion book portrays it will. Betty has never been an adept at potions, in fact, it might have been one of her worst subjects, especially since Slughorn's joined the school board - he mainly focused on winning the students' favour, often neglecting the fact that they are supposed to learn.

No matter how much she wants to deny it, Snape was the better teacher, even if his loathe for his students discourages her.

Anyway, it seems that her yearning was met to no avail, as no smoke emerges from the tiny mouth of the beaker. Utterly disappointed, Betty drains the beaker with a wave of her wand.

The door slams, and Betty doesn't flinch - she's grown used to it in the wake of the past three months -

"What is this place?"

Betty spins, hand clutching her chest in a state of surprise.

Malfoy watched her in mild interest before his gaze flickers away and he is examining the room, finger thoughtfully at his lips.

"Malfoy, what - " she struggles for words before she gulps, and finally clears the knot of words in her throat, "You shouldn't be here."

She tries to hide the broad table behind her physique, but of course, fails. Unfortunately, the room doesn't come with the function of removing things at her will, like it allows her to materialise them.