The Half-Blood Princess- d.m

XVII

Serena's pov:

"what's her deal" was what I did say before huffing past her and marching upstairs.

I went into my bedroom to blow off some steam. I mean, we wrote to each other during school, and I was so excited to finally see her. Now that I'm home, it's almost like she wants nothing to do with me. It's so frustrating—one minute she's all friendly over letters, and the next she's giving me the cold shoulder. What's going on?

I went into her room, hoping to find the reason for her angst. Her room, just down the hall from mine, was noticeably more cluttered than usual. Clothes were strewn across the floor, and books were haphazardly piled on her desk. It looked like a whirlwind had swept through. As I navigated the mess, my eyes were drawn to a trashcan overflowing with crumpled up papers. Curious, I picked one up and started to smooth it out, wondering if this is what caused her behavior.

After reading its contents, it was clear why she was acting like this. Lucius Malfoy had gotten to her too

"Dearest Daniella,

I'm sure you're curious about how I obtained your name, let alone your address. That's classified information, I'm afraid. However, I've uncovered some equally classified details about your cousin. If you continue to protect her, you'll find yourself next on you-know-who's hit list. If I were you, Daniella, I'd watch every step I take.

Always watching,

Lucius Malfoy"

I crumpled the note back up and tossed it into the trashcan again. Determined to get through to her without letting my anger show, I marched downstairs to find Dani. My frustration wasn't just with Lucius; it was with her too. I hadn't done anything wrong, and I could handle this on my own without her acting like a bitch. I just needed her to see that.

As she sulked in her own sorrow on the couch, staring blankly at the TV, I walked over and turned it off. She looked up, startled, as I faced her.

"HEY! I was watching that," she exclaimed, propping herself up to face me, her eyes narrowing with irritation.

"Clearly," I said sarcastically. "You've been a bitch since I got home, and ever since I found the note from Lucius in your room, I'm sure you've been on edge. But that doesn't mean you need to avoid me," I scolded, trying to keep my frustration in check.

"You think you know everything, huh? Well, you don't. Yeah, Lucius threw me off, but you also were told you have to turn yourself in to the Dark Lord and haven't done that. Rena, do you know how much shit I'd be in, let alone you, if you don't turn up on their side?" she said sharply, her frustration and fear evident in her voice.

"I- I had no idea," I stammered, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. "I mean, I knew I would be in trouble, but I didn't think of anybody else, to be honest. I don't want that for you. I'd do anything to keep you away from all of this," I sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation.

She gets up and pulls me into an embrace. Overwhelmed with emotion, I start to silently sob, knowing that my fate was soon turning into a harsh reality—that I would have to turn myself in.

Pulling away from our embrace, I immediately head to my room to send a letter off.

I page my owl to be on standby, and as it arrives, I gather my ink, quill, and paper, preparing to write.

"Hey, Lucius Malfoy,

I say 'hey' loosely because we both know 'dear' doesn't fit. Fine, you win. I'm ready to talk about my future with the Dark side. Let the right people know. I'll be waiting for your next letter with the details.