Eriseds

Chapter 4

Year 7 

Knots. 

Literal Knots.

Bowline, clove hitch, reef overhand, surely she would develop an ulcer as her stomach churned and tangled with nerves. Step by step she made her way from the Slytherin dormitory to the Great Hall. Tracey Davis, small in stature but boisterous, called for Camille across the opening. Heads turned in her direction. Camille didn't meet any of their eyes, but quickly turned around and darted down the hallway. She passed rows of moving portraits, some sleeping and others gathered in celebrating groups, cheering to the new school year. 

Dinner was simply not happening tonight. She would send Crescent, her white Nebelung cat, with a note for Tracey or Daphne to bring food back to the Common Room for her. For now, her night would be spent in the library, flipping through old annuals or articles about historical fashion.

The library was empty, not even a Prefect to keep watch. Camille grabbed two of her favorite annuals and an old article about Gatsby fashion in modern clothing. She discovered the annuals during her first year when she wanted to find pictures of her parents during their time at Hogwarts.Over the years, she noticed they de-shelved the annuals from years of attendance by Tom Riddle, the boy he was before the became the dark lord. Many magic folk were too afraid to speak his name. Harry Potter was one of the few she heard call him Voldemort. Every year she'd been at Hogwarts, Voldemort had tried to infiltrate their lives to get to Harry Potter, the only wizard to have ever survived the killing curse. Most refused to believe Voldemort had returned to power. It took him murdering a boy three years ago to get anyone's attention. 

Cedric Diggory's death was the starting point,  a catalyst for the new movement. He was one of the reasons why she joined Dumbledore's Army. She deeply felt the impact of Cedric's death, even though he was a stranger to her. Empathy was one of the reasons she felt she was in Slytherin. Not because she felt sorry for those around her and wanted to help. Simply, she just felt every emotion as if it were draped around her like a cloak. Fred had always said she could feel his heart speed up without ever laying her hand on his chest. 

Before another thought of Fred could pass through her mind, she slumped into the couch, the large orange puff pillow swallowing her small frame. She thumbed through the first few pages and jumped when a short stack of books clattered to the ground behind her. 

"Shit," giggled a girl.

"It's fine, just go."

A rustling of books being laid back onto the shelf and the quiet that followed gave Camille the nerve to turn around in the couch. Draco Malfoy was still standing there, an open book in hand. He read the open page for just a moment before finally zipping his black pants and fastened his belt. 

"She has a boyfriend you know."Camille didn't bother to look up from the annual in her lap.  

Draco came to face her. His voice void of emotion.

"Your point?" he crossed his arms.

"I don't have one. I just think it's fucked up. Blaise is Pansy's boyfriend, not you. Isn't he like, your friend?"

"Friends are only as good as their worth." He spat. 

Camille stood, doing her best to match his bravado but he had her beat by a good seven inches. 

"So you won't mind if I go find Blaise and let him know that his girl is sucking off his mate in the library stacks?"Camille turned away and started toward the door. Draco grabbed her left wrist firmly. 

"What makes you better than me if you're going to expose your friend as the whore she is  in front of everyone?"

She stared back into his cold, grey eyes. His icy fingers laced around her wrist. 

"You're right. You are completely right. I am nothing like you, though. The only thing we have in common is the house we share."

For the first time, he smirked and laughed to himself.

"Keep telling yourself that, Carrow."

She jerked her hand away at the mention of her last name which made him smile more. 

"Better run off to dinner. I'm sure your poor boy's siblings are awaiting your charity." He brushed past her.

Her face burning with anger she continued out the door. She followed him all the way to the Great Hall with every intention of slapping the shit out of him. She made it into the Great Hall hot on Draco's heels when she heard a familiar voice. 

"Ginny, she's right behind you." Seamus Finnigan whispered loud and breathy. Dean threw a  chicken bone at him.

"Scream it why don't you."

Camille did her best to keep her eyes forward, staring at the blonde boy in her path. He took a seat next to Crabbe and Goyle, two large Slytherin boys. 

"Camille!" Tracey's voice once again overshadowed the room.

Tracey scooted down a seat and patted the empty table top. Camille gave up and joined her friends. To Tracey's left sat pug-nosed Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. Pansy gave Camille a fake smile. 

"Still following Draco Malfoy around I see." Pansy smirked. 

Camille and Pansy used to be inseparable the first four years of school, but their friendship faded when Camille started to disappear for hours during year five and would never tell Pansy where she was. Pansy would never understand or agree with an organization such as Dumbledore's Army. Actually, Pansy helped Umbridge in her crusades. So instead of mending their friendship, Camille played nice and Pansy traded passive aggressive remarks. Her favorites were to tease her about her year one crush on Draco. 

When Camille started dating Fred, Pansy went for Draco, but he denied her so she quickly rebounded with Blaise. 

"Oh no, Pansy. I think you've got something white on your robe, like just under your chin." Camille said, pretending to wipe something from her own robes. 

Pansy's eyes widened, trying to be inconspicuous about looking because Camille's comment had gotten Blaise's attention. 

For most of the dinner and sorting ceremony, Camille kept her back to the Gryffindor table. She started to open up and talk freely with her friends, noticing Draco glancing at her every few minutes as he folded those ridiculous paper birds. Crabbe and Goyle heaved at Malfoy's comments on the new first year students as they tossed the birds, forcing them to fly inconspicuously from table to table. The closing speech was not the same without Dumbledore, nothing would be the same this year or any year after. The death of Albus Dumbledore rocked the wizarding world. Most expected school to be cancelled, but the Ministry of Magic was more determined to get students in school than ever. 

Houses were being dismissed table by table to return to their dormitories, starting with Gryffindor. Daphne Greengrass was in the middle of telling Camille and the others about her summer trip to Australia. She stopped mid story about a kangaroo entering her rental home when Ginny Weasley appeared behind her.

"Ginny." Camille stammered. 

"If you think you're going to manipulate or bully me into talking my brother into contacting you, think again. Clearly he made the right decision by breaking up with you. Shame that you fell back  into the likes of them." Ginny spat, eyeing the group at the table. 

Before Camille could defend herself, Ginny joined Seamus who looked as if he literally may spit on Camille. She turned back to the birds. Everyone at the Slytherin table was silent as they watched the spectacle. Her closests friends, Tracey and Daphne already knew of the break up, but surprise was clear on everyone's face as she looked at them individually. Even Pansy seemed to be surprised. Crabbe and Goyle were giggling like school girls, but Draco stared at her, keeping his eyes on hers. She broke her trance when Tracey pulled her arm. Raising her chin, she gathered herself, crushing the birds in her hand to take back to her dorm. She would not give any of them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.