When Bellatrix has a Daughter

14. No longer fear

“And why do I need to go to the girl’s bathroom?” Draco said bad-temperedly. I dragged him along without answering. Once I reached, I said, “Myrtle,” quietly, knowing she would hear me.  For a while, there was silence. Then-

With a huge splashing sound, Myrtle came out squealing.

“Oooh, Draco,” she put her hands together and giggled in a self-conscious, girlish way. I was sure that if she were not dead, she would have blushed uncontrollably. She flew over the basin gleefully. “Okay Myrtle, listen,” I said. Myrtle howled angrily, rushing at my face, passing right through me. My body went cold. “Uh,” I said in shock. I looked at Myrtle, who was once again in front of me and saw she was glaring at my hand intertwined with Draco’s. “Oh,” I said suddenly, and quickly let go of his hand.

She circled Draco, and tip toed her fingers on his shoulders. “And what do you want?” she came in front of him, blinking flirtatiously. “Well actually, Draco needed a favor,” I said. I could almost feel the confused frown forming on his face. “Oh?” Myrtle said her voice skeptic. She turned to Draco, “Is-”

“He’s just too shy,” I continued to make her understand. Draco turned to look at me with his eyebrows raised. I pleaded with my eyes to not spoil my plans. “Ohhh!!!!!” Myrtle exclaimed, her laughter ringing as she flew all over the bathroom. She stopped in front of Draco, her eyes down, sometimes looking up to blink, and then she would giggle again. “What’s that?” Myrtle said, leaning on his shoulder. Myrtle giggled again when Draco flinched (she must have thought he was still shy). “Um, if someone enquires about where he and I have been, you need to say that we were with you the whole night. That is, for three hours, from 10 to 2. At least, that was what Draco was telling me to tell you before he got all nervous for meeting you.” I wanted to laugh. Poor Draco. I was having fun!

“Really?” she looked pleased as well as a bit angry. Draco turned to look at me with an angry face.  “Yeah,” I said.

Myrtle started howling suddenly. Then she shouted, “And who do you think would visit Poor Myrtle??? Moaning Myrtle?” her voice decreased dramatically as she started to cry. “Draco,” I said quickly.  “Really?” her head snapped up in hopefulness. “Well, he’ll be dropping in from time to time,” I said. Silencio! I performed a non verbal spell on Draco (I had mastered in that, and like Snape said, it was useful). “Alright then,” she flitted gleefully, “See you around Draco.” she floated upwards and plummeted into a cubicle, splashing water around, leaving silence behind.

Once we were out, I undid the spell and said, “Sorry,” quickly. Before he could say anything though, I continued, “Yesterday Hermione interrogated me. I’m sure Harry put her to it. I told her I was in the girl’s bathroom. She didn’t seem to buy it. I’m sure she’ll check; she’s very thorough.”

He made a face, “Potty is getting suspicious?”

“That’s what I said.”

*

For the next weeks, we worked at nothing. We did nothing. Draco was getting more and more restless. I felt some fear that he might do the necklace thing and blow everything up, but it was present only at the back of my mind, I didn’t really think he would do it. Draco was finding it hard to have sleepless nights at a row, so I let him off alternate days. It was easy for me because I’d done all of this, sleeping only four to five hours, last year. On those days when I was alone, I did some reading and again came up with… nothing. I’d started to think too. About what Dumbledore had said… about choices. But did I really have a choice? When thoughts such as these entered my mind, it was then that I left the room. Crabbe and Goyle stayed as guards by the Room only during the day, when we sneaked out from school. Hermione had stopped staying on guard, but sometimes she still turned around in her sleep to look at me accusingly as I ignored her and put on my pajamas.