| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter five

SOME RUMOUR

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At least she still had her Slytherin friends. Or so she had thought.

"This is all your fault," Pansy complained. "If you hadn't thrown that Rememberall, Potter never would have become Seeker!"

"My fault?!" Verena scoffed. "How is it my fault that Potter has almost every teacher on his side? And it wasn't only me, Draco did it, too."

"I'm glad you're not a Slytherin," she went on. "What a disgrace you are. Your parents must be so disappointed. No wonder your brother never talks to you, either. Now that I mention it, when was the last time you talked to him?"

Verena scoffed and said, "Just yesterday, I had."

But that was a lie. It had been weeks since she last talked to Damien. She wasn't sure why. Maybe he was busy with Quidditch tryouts and his studies. Or maybe not his studies, for he procrastinated a lot.

The next day, Verena went to the Quidditch pitch to find her brother. As she predicted, he was in the air, practicing as Marcus Flint threw the Quaffles at him. Verena knew that he would be a great captain once Flint left. That was if he could graduate. Damien told her that he never did well in his studies.

"No Quaffle will get past you, Damien," said Flint as they touched the ground. "You've improved quite a lot."

"Thanks to my sister," said Damien and he saw her walk onto the pitch. "Speak of the little devil."

"Verena Salvador," Flint greeted. "Damien always talks about your great Chaser skills. Sad that you won't be on our team."

"As if you'd let a girl join, Flint," Verena remarked.

"I hope you don't plan on joining Ravenclaw's team, Salvador," said Flint in a dark tone. "Slytherin's winning this year and the next, and the next after that. You wouldn't want your family's House to lose, would you?"

"Hope that wasn't a threat, Flint," Damien said. "You know very well how good my right hook is."

"Not a threat, a warning," he said with a kinder tone.

"Don't think that I'll back down even though I'm not playing for your House," Verena told him. "And who thinks you'll win? From what I hear, Potter's Gryffindor's Seeker, and he's got the Nimbus 2000."

"What they say is true," said Flint. "Verena Salvador's slowly becoming a blood traitor. Only saying what everyone in our House is thinking," he added after seeing Damienʼs glare.

"Leave us, Flint," Damien told him, and he left. "Sorry about that."

"I can handle myself against him," Verena said.

Damien looked at her expectantly, wondering why she was there in the first place.

"Pansy's got me thinking— "

He laughed. "Pansy? Whenever have you listened to her?"

"She's been saying this," Verena said. "I don't like it when people insult my name – our name. Me? A blood traitor?"

"It's all talk," Damien said. "Look, as long as Malfoy's still your friend, no one will doubt you. And you still got me. I won't let anyone belittle you."

"Really?" said Verena. "It's just, we haven't chatted in a while, and Pansy made it seem as though you no longer liked me."

"My God, Verena," said Damien. "You are going to listen to Pansy Parkinson, who I'll have you know, is below you in beauty, wealth, and intelligence."