Enchanted By The Thought

FIVE: Really? A Ravenclaw?

She was a storm; beautiful but destructive.

Beth entered the Great Hall, flanked by her friends. The pain in her nose was now a dull throb but she scanned the tables for Harry. He was nowhere to be found. Her anxiety was high and she wanted to find her twin. There was sharp pain in her nose and she pinched it. It felt as though it had been reset. Did her brother break his nose? And how? Movement caught her attention and she turned her head. Malfoy was sitting down with his friends and he looked pretty pleased with himself. As if sensing her gaze, his eyes lifted to connect with hers.

A jolt rushed through Beth and she tore her eyes away, focusing on the ground. Maggie poked Beth's side, worried. "I don't see Harry." She whispered and slid into a spot on the Gryffindor table, yanking Kat and Beth down with her. Sitting down, Beth rested her head on her arms. She honestly wanted to cry. She hated being able to feel her brother's emotions but not knowing what had caused them. She felt Kat's soothing hands rubbing her back and allowed herself to relax a little. Harry couldn't be in that much trouble, he was on school grounds. Too caught up in her thoughts, she faintly heard the Sorting Hat singing his song. When he'd finished, a great cheer erupted from all houses. As Professor McGonagall read off first year names, Beth raised her head to watch. Like the others at her table, she clapped when someone joined their house but her heart wasn't into it. Her eyes were glued to the Great Hall door, waiting.

Dumbledore stood, demanding Beth's attention. Her eyes betrayed her by focusing on her Headmaster. "We have a new Professor. Please welcome Professor Slughorn!"

Beth heard her friends snicker at the name and looked at the man with a round belly who was standing up, waving to the students. He smiled cheerily and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Professor Slughorn will be teaching Potions and Professor Snape will take over Defense Against The Dark Arts-"

"No!" She half gasped, her eyes wide. Several people around her turned to stare, surprised. Kat kicked Beth under the table and she snapped her mouth closed, bowing her head. But she was not the only one who was protesting. Murmurs erupted as everyone shared a dark look. Snape as DADA teacher? Dumbledore's eyes found Beth and he looked around the table; she knew he had finally noticed her brother was missing.

Snape had a gloating look on his face and he lifted his chin slightly. Someone cheered from the direction of the Slytherin table. The girls looked over to see who had the nerve to celebrate something so horrifying.

Malfoy looked embarrassed and put his head down on his arms. His friend, Zabini, was clapping loudly. Well of course he was happy; his head of his house was teaching the class he'd sought after for years. The rest of the Great Hall started to clap slowly, sounding a bit reluctant. The only table that sounded genuinely happy was Slytherin. Dumbledore began to talk about Voldemort and Beth's attention cut short. She ignored him completely as her mind once again focused on the fact her brother hadn't returned from the train. His emotions were faint which meant he was safe now but... that still didn't answer her question.

When Dumbledore was done, he clapped once and food appeared on the golden plates in front of the students. Beth's stomach rumbled and she grabbed the first thing she saw; bread rolls. Taking a bite, she sighed in contentment. There was nothing she loved more than food. The Great Hall's doors opened and she glanced up, taking another bite of a roll. She just managed to swallow before her mouth dropped open in shock when she spotted Harry's face, stained with blood. She wasn't the only one who saw him. There was a shocked whisper that circulated. Beth's brother looked completely ragged and tired. She waited until he staggered to Hermione and Ron before heading over, worried. "What the bloody hell happened?" She asked, sliding in between Hermione and Harry; Hermione moved over without complaint. Harry took off his glasses and briefly touched his nose. Beth grew aware of the dull throbbing pain. "You broke your nose?" She guessed and he sent her a surprised look. "I felt the pain." She added and he nodded.

"Yes. I was spying on Malfoy but he knew I was there. When we got off the train, he stunned me and stomped on my face." Beth's twin admitted and her rage flared.

Fucking Malfoy. He'd pay. Dearly. Nobody touched Beth's twin brother without having to deal with her. She turned her head to locate that blonde brat and saw he was talking to Goyle. As if sensing Beth, he looked up and smirked at her. She flipped him off before returning to her friends.

Beth's revenge pot was stewing and many ideas raced through her mind. Dessert came and she slowly ate a piece of apple pie, concentrating. Kat and Maggie were whispering and she pretended to listen, not wanting to draw their attention. Beth was not in the mood to answer their many questions. As Dumbledore dismissed them to bed, she pushed herself out of her thoughts. She grew aware of what her friends were actually talking about; Malfoy. He's called the Slytherin Prince." Maggie was saying sarcastically and Kat emitted a giggle.

"You have to admit, he is more attractive this year. Too bad he's such an asshole." Kat answered and they both looked at Beth. "What's your opinion on him?" Kat probed, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Beth felt her heart skip a beat at the question but reminded herself they couldn't possibly know about her strange attraction to Malfoy. "He's fine." She replied nonchalantly, shrugging.

"You mean fine." Maggie teased and Kat was overcome with laughter, clapping her friend on the back. Beth rolled her eyes at their childishness and turned her gaze down to the floor. The Slytherin Prince. Huh. She wondered why they called him that. Sure, Malfoy was a bit of a stuck up prat but it wasn't as if he were anything like- she realised that she had strayed from her friends sides. She was nowhere near her tower. As a matter of fact, she had no idea where she was. This part of the castle was unknown to her.

Laughter reached her ears; it sounded like it belonged to a girl. Curiosity got the best of Beth and she slipped into an empty classroom, leaving the door open just a crack. She listened intently, her eyebrows drawing together. "Draco. Couldn't we have found a darker corner?" Beth heard a girl whine and she couldn't help snicker. Ah, Malfoy was going to shag someone. Typical.

"This is a dark enough place, Pixie." Malfoy answered flatly and Beth peered through the crack, trying to see what poor girl had fallen for Malfoy's horrid charm.

Malfoy had a smaller blonde girl backed up against the wall. She looked like she was a couple years younger or so than him. He was a bit taller than her and she was looking up at him with adoring eyes. Beth so didn't want to creepily watch Malfoy hook up with a girl. Nor did she want to hear them getting it on. She'd be labeled as a creep. Thinking they were distracted by each other, Malfoy certainly looked distracted, Beth pushed the door open slowly. She winced when it creaked loudly, announcing her presence. Malfoy stopped whatever he was doing to look up, a look of panic on his face. "Sh! Draco! Someone's there!" Pixie whispered, shoving him away. She pulled her robes back on, shielding herself with Malfoy. But he moved away from her and Beth fully saw the girl; she stopped dead in her tracks.

Pixie had the blue robes of a Ravenclaw.