PRECEDENT : Draco Malfoy II

45

I find a compartment away from Mandy, as far away as I can get. I end up squished with some of the Hufflepuffs, who are kind enough to leave me out of the conversation. Now that we are on the train, we are legally allowed to cast magic. All of the trip I spend my time hanging over a book I found on the most difficult branches of magic. Thought is forbidden for me now, apparently.

Although, Draco couldn't stop me. He never could, really, from doing anything I wanted to do. The new and improved, and nearly finished instrument that I've got to rename is in my trunk above me. I couldn't use it if I wanted.

Beside me, Justin Finch-Fletchley is nearly vibrating on the seat beside me. Every so often, Megan Jones taps his knee on the bench. He still is incessant.

"Are you..." he pauses.

I turn my head. The train is pulling into the station now. I glance at him.

"Are you going to spend more time in Professor Burbage's room with... the news?" he swallows.

Megan Jones is hanging forward. Her face is vacant in a way I'm not expecting. Perhaps she thinks he likes me, perhaps he does, and maybe he does and that's why he is nervous. Maybe it's not just that though.

"Did you listen to the muggle radio all that much this summer?" I ask.

He shakes his head and looks at Megan who joins him, "no. Cleve would write to Sally-Anne, but I didn't want to know."

"Sally-Anne felt like she had to watch it," Megan offers.

I think of that Hufflepuff girl. Robbie Browning, and her blood splashed against a line of trees, and Sally-Anne, who knew something wasn't going to happen but not what and didn't do anything about it anyway.

Watching isn't doing something. There is nothing to do. It might be better if I looked away.

As the train arrives, I disembark. I unload my trunk and on the walk up, I think and think and think. This is the first year of N.E.W.T. level courses. If things were really and truly bad, Draco would have let me know. He's been sending me mail a few times a week, but they needed to sell one of their house elves and so Mopsy hasn't been as free as of late. Need is too strong a word. They had no use for one, or something or other. Draco's father's imprisonment has had no impact on their financial status.

Once my room is settled, I head off to the Great Feast, and I sit between Morag and Lisa, as far away from Anthony who is beside Mandy. Surely, Anthony will be pulling me into conversations even if Mandy will glare about it. She glares at me now.

I don't see what her problem is. I've stayed away. I haven't talked to her in proper months, and unless we are forced to speak in the N.E.W.T. classes I have no intention of chatting with her. She can calm down about the whole thing.

That night, the best of me is beaten. I test the Sagum, fix it as best as I can. I run several diagnostics and I don't know how it wouldn't work. Then, I spend my free time between classes testing it. I slip Draco a note and tell him to think of me during his study period. From there, I walk and walk and walk, and I do slip off the grounds but I'm sure it would be approved if I have permission.

The range is just over a kilometre.

Classes begin, and I am handed a note in Charms by Professor Flitwick. It summons me to Professor Dumbledore's office after class ends. I was hoping to see Draco for the first time since we had returned. He's in this class, sitting in the back row sandwiched between Blaise and Theo, with Pansy on Theo's right. Pansy catches my eye and blows a big bubble of pink gum in her mouth. It pops and she grins.

Professor Flitwick isn't all that particular. If we were in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall might turn it into a bubble of soap right in her mouth and give Pansy detention.