Rivals | D.M

42. The Ring

Aster's POV

I spent the evening grilling anyone that walked past me in the common room. Blaise cowered in the corner, annoyed at my incessant and demanding questions I had been shooting at everyone.

The only person that gave me even the slightest bit of information was Crabbe. I cornered him next to the fireplace, he was shorter and stubbier than me, so I towered over him and pushed my finger into his broad shoulder.

"I know you know something" I challenged.

Crabbe kept his eyes down.

This had been happening with everyone I had interrogated. Montague told me to bluntly fuck off before giving me a huge smug smirk and walking off, Parkinson squealed as I rounded her and whined until I backed off, and Millicent ran as soon as she saw me stroll up to Parkinson. I was having no luck.

So I decided to pull back from my intimidating interrogation and use a different approach.

"Crabbe, look, I just want to get in on the action. I know something important is happening and I want to help" I say on a limb.

From the frightening reactions I had had so far, I had figured that it was important enough to scare people. For Parkinson to stun me was incredibly risky of her. She could have easily gotten expelled if she was caught.

I just had to figure out who was making people do things they didn't want to do. I had a strong feeling it wasn't Pansy behind the cause. She didn't have the nerve or the charisma to charm people into doing as she said.

Crabbe whimpered slightly, his eyes flicking rapidly to and from each side of the common room.

"I don't kn-ow" he stammered.

"Please, Harper won't tell me and I want to help her." I lie, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

He looks at me, examining my fluttering eyes before replying.

"He only likes purebloods. Harper is an exception" he stammered, his face going pale with fright.

"Who?" I press.

Suddenly, he dodges out of my grasp and sprints towards the boys dormitory.

Fuck.

"Are you done?" Blaise whines, creeping up from behind me.

I shove my hands into my robe pockets and my fingers find a small box. I pull it out confused.

Did I accidentally put on someone else's robes?

"What's that?" Blaise questions, noticing the small black box in my hand.

I open it up to find a small note placed on top of a ring clasped on a thin silver chain.

An early Christmas present. You're own family ring. - Draco

The silver ring was set with a large emerald gem, silver thorns cradled the large stone. It was beautiful.

"Is that a ring?" Blaise asks, shoving his face closer to the box.

I pulled the ring out of the box, letting the chain fall loose.

He had given me a ring on a necklace.

"He gave you a ring? Merlin, that's a bit serious" Blaise mutters.

"Its on a necklace" I mumble back.

"And?"

"He obviously didn't want to just give me a ring, that could mean all sorts of things. So he put it on a necklace. Doesn't mean anything as serious" I explain, still transfixed by the shining emerald.