Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter ten

Alora Slater POV

Potter and his Weasley friend walked through the door after class had just begun. Late on his first day and Slughorn didn't bat an eyelash. I watched the two of them wrestle over a book in the cabinet while listening to Granger describe the potions that were displayed in front of us. Draco stood next to me, listening intently.

Granger was explaining Amortentia when the two boys came over and joined the rest of us. I read about this last Christmas, it smells like whatever attracts you most. A group of girls were mesmerized by the scent of it and looked as though they were in heaven. He told everyone to line up to smell it, but I didn't move, neither did Draco.

The two of us stood away from the line, neither of us were apparently interested in finding out what attracted us most.

"You two, get in line now, come on," Slughorn pointed at us.

"All due respect, sir, but I really don't care about what attracts me most," I said.

"You might when you smell it, get in line."

Draco and I rolled our eyes as we joined the line. I hadn't even the slightest idea what it would smell like, there wasn't anything I was exceptionally attracted to. It was finally my turn, so I stepped up to the cauldron and bent over it, taking in the scent of whatever attracted me most.

It smelled like a combination of things. Peppermint, apples, parchment or book, tears and broomstick wood. When I smelt the wood, my heart ached. I used to be a Quiddich god, the best chaser our team has seen in decades, but I got hurt really awfully at the end of my fourth year and my mother banned me from playing. It was understandable, I did almost die, but I hated her for months.

I guess it all made sense enough, peppermint was my favourite flavour of green tea, I almost always had an apple on me, the books probably were because of how much I study... but I couldn't place the tears. Maybe it was saltwater as in the ocean, but that would make even less sense. Content, I walked to my seat and opened my book to the page on how to make the Draught of Living Death.
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After classes were over, I met Pansy and Daphne in the common room. We had planned to go to the gardens to talk about how our first day went. They were already waiting for me when I walked in, so they walked over and joined me at the door. The three of us walked down the hallway, Daphne filled us in about what happened in her Divination class.

"And Finnegan somehow made his tea leaves blow up in his face... how does that even happen?"

"Remember when he burned his eyebrows off first year? Priceless," I chimed in.

"The whole lot of sixth year Gryffindors are a waste of space, completely useless," Pansy grumbled.

I pushed open the doors and we all walked outside. The gardens were down the hill a little bit, it looked empty from where we were at the moment. Things seemed to be going back to normal, we weren't awkward like last night. It was nice, just talking with them. So nice that it almost made me forget about what was happening in just over three months.

Focusing on them talking helped. It distracted me and kept me from going mad. Talking and thinking about something else was good. And no, I wasn't living in denial here, I wasn't trying to pretend I wasn't going to become a Death Eater. All I wanted to do was live my life as normal, as I chose, until I didn't have a choice anymore.

We climbed up a tree that was in the corner. It was sort of like our tree, we've been coming up here since our first year whenever we needed some alone time. It was strange how all of my hideouts were in trees, the one by the Black Lake, this one, and one in the courtyard that I haven't been to in a while.

I pulled an apple out of my bag and lightly tossed it a few times, then rubbed it on my shirt. It was a green one, those were my favourite. The bitterness was refreshing, apples that were too sweet weren't worth eating. It had a nice crunch to it when I sank my teeth into it, breaking the crisp, green skin.

"The first year Slytherins do not look promising, have you seen them, Alora?"

"This morning, yeah. All of them looked so lost. I almost felt bad for them before realizing how ridiculous they looked."

"We were never that young were we?"

"If we were, we certainly weren't that dopey," I laughed.

If I could live each day like this, going to class and then hanging out with my friends after, then I think I would be okay. It's not like I would never see them again once I... get the mark. He can't keep me from going to school, can he? I put that terrifying thought to the back of my head and made fun of the first years with my girls. I'd be okay.