AUTOPHOBIA - G. WEASLEY

Third Year: Godfather

✯ CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE ✯

❝Alright, can't blame you for that one.❞

September 4th, 1993.

MALFOY DIDN'T REAPPEAR back in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Estella's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace, but he winked at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.

"If I'd walked in late it would've been 'Detention, Lupin!'," Estella muttered, to no one in particular. "Not 'Settle down, settle down'."

"He's an idiot!" Ron scowled.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table. Estella and Hermione were directly in front of them.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm --"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.

Estella rolled her eyes. Ron went brick red.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.

"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

"Stop laying it on so thick," spat Estella, turning her head around. "I can guarantee you Madam Pomfrey has fully healed that arm by now. You just want attention."

Malfoy chuckled. "I'd be quiet if I were you, Lupin. I heard about what happened in your Divination class the other day; its spreading quickly. Haven't you got a little secret?"

Estella turned back around, laying her knife down on the table sharply. She'd managed to get over that little incident, when her friends had told her they didn't believe what Trelawney was saying, but now that Malfoy had brought it up when he was fully aware of the secret she was keeping her fury returned.

She was actually quite shocked at the young Slytherin, she had to admit. He hated her so much that she had fully expected him to have told the entire school who her Father was by now, but he seemed to be going along with the fact that it was Remus. Because that had gotten around the school before Estella had even been back for a full night.

Why Malfoy was keeping her secret for her, she didn't have a clue, but she also wasn't going to deny the fact that there was still a chance he would expose it, if Estella annoyed him enough. One tiny little slip up on her behalf and she was sure it would be Hogwarts' latest gossip within half an hour.

So she was going to try her best to not get on Draco Malfoy's nerves this year, or atleast until Sirius Black was found.

Already that was being proven pretty difficult, because he was getting on hers.