The Half-Blood Black

Chapter Twelve✨

I do my best to ignore Draco Malfoy as he does his best to ignore me. Like hell I'm going to make the first move, where would I even go? I'm more than happy to sleep on this floor, if not to spite Slytherin then to spite the sisters who led me here. I shoot him a side eye and see he's looking into the water, turned slightly so he could do the same to me. I crack open the spine of the book and read the words embossed on the first page. 

 To all the Blacks in the past, present, and future in this house. Defend the name, keep the Pure-blood line, and support the Dark Lord. Long live the Blacks.

The family crest is beneath it, and I turn the next page to a portrait of a man with curly black hair, he looks just like Sirius, just like me. The name, Sirius Black 1845-1853, sits under the photo. It lists his siblings, but his death is marked unknown. So young to die, too young. 

I flip the last page, annoyed that Malfoy hasn't offered to take me to Gryffindor, and see the name Regulus Black. I catch my breath and pick up a slip of paper wedged into the page. The resemblance between Sirius and Regulus is uncanny. It's like I'm looking at a younger version of my father. Year of death: 1979, Age:18. 

"Are you ready?" Draco says, avoiding eye contact and coming away from the window.

"It's you we were waiting on," I say standing and crossing my arms over my chest, tucking the book into my armpit. "Wasn't it?"

I raise an eyebrow and we stand in silence. There's something about him that is just ... so familiar. I rack my brain until finally I get it. Malfoy, the family that Tonks warned me about. His father, yes, I guess he does have the same hair. 

"Gryffindor Tower then?" Malfoy asks finally. He puts his hand up almost immediately, shaking his head. "Don't answer that. Obviously." 

With his back turned, I grin. Draco Malfoy, son of Death Eaters. Perhaps I could be more useful to the Order than previously expected. I befriend him, we get insider information, and viola! Sirius Black is cleared for murder in exchange for information on Voldemort. I'm racking my brain for something to say, anything to say, as we march in a single file line through the castle. Our footsteps echo through the silent halls, and I try to remember identifying marks for where I am. Somehow in all the movement, we've made it to our destination, and I have come up with nothing. 

We arrive in front of a portrait of a large woman who appears to be sleeping and Draco nods. "This is it." 

"What do you mean?" I say turning to him.

He snickers. "The door to the common room and the dormitories. Do you have the password?"

I stare at him and blink, my legs heavy and my arms hanging dumbly at my sides.  Awkward silence surrounds us once more, the air thick with tension. He's obviously annoyed, and I'm getting annoyed at his annoyance. What did he expect? It's only my first day out here. 

"Come on, stop messing around." Draco says to break our silence.

"Malfoy, I don't have a password." I reply, turning my back to him, craning my neck up to look at the portrait.

"Excuse me!" I whisper yell to the picture, feeling ridiculous and looking at Draco out of the corner of my eye.

Nothing.

"Hello!" I say again, this time waving my arms and the book in the air. "I need to get inside!"

"This isn't going to get you anywhere, once she sleeps she sleeps. Trust me, I've tried to get in." Draco says yawning.

"But you're a Slytherin?"

"And you're a Gryffindor, but somehow you made it into my territory?" I blink. "Potter and I have some differences."

I blink again, this time in disbelief. "You know Harry Potter?"

"What? Have you got a crush on him like all the other girls?"

I roll my eyes and look away from him.

He smirks again and scuffs at me. Leaning against the portrait he rolls his eyes. "You do, don't you?" 

"Listen, Draco Malfoy, was it? Why don't you just go back to your dungeon, make it easier for the both of us, yeah?"

"You never know where Professor Snape might be, and I have all the intention of winning House Cup this year. Headmaster Dumbledore has all but handed it to Gryfindor in past years."

"What are you doing?!" The portrait says looking down at him. Draco jumps back from leaning on her, clearly startled that she awoke. "Do you not know that I am sleeping?"

I take my opportunity to get out of his presence, my annoyance growing heavier by the second. "Hello, miss. My name is--"

"Have you come to hear me sing?" she asks.

"I--"

Grinding my jaw, I look to Draco for help and he starts shaking his head frantically, making cutting motions at his neck. I can't imagine she can be any good. "I'm sorry ma'am, I was just sorted today. I was hoping to get inside but wasn't given a password. I was hoping you could help me?"

She chuckles, and by now some of the other portraits are yelling at her to go back to sleep. "Oh, sweet girl, now I can't do that. But how about some opera, hmm?"

The portrait begins to sing, loudly, and the other portraits start groaning and walk LITERALLY out of their frames. After a few minutes Malfoy slumps against the wall and puts his head back, closing his eyes. I sit down in front of the singing woman, elbows on my knees, chin in my hands.

I bet Sirius would get a kick out of this. Severus probably is, sitting in his office or laying in his comfortable bed, or wherever he stalked off to, laughing at how he got his revenge on his life long enemy Sirius Black through tormenting his daughter. I sigh and the woman stops.

The singing woman gives me a dirty look, calls me rude, then leaves her frame, bringing me back to square one.