ETHALINE

FEAR STUCK

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THE MANOR had been dead silent since the game. Lucius Malfoy was determined to keep things under wraps from his two kids as he used Narcissa to entertain them.
They went to Diagon Alley to get their books and supplies. Two well behaved and raised twins entered the stores with a power sticking woman they knew to be their mother.

Ethaline wasn't stupid, she knew the influence her family had because of her father. After the first war he worked to build a reputation for himself that mattered more than anything else to him. So, to keep him happy with her, at least enough to look and speak to her, she did her best to make him proud.

"I'm going to get a quill set," Ethaline announced as Draco looked around for parchment paper and a box to store sweets in while in class.

Ethaline navigated about the store, holding her stuff in a store provided basket before she finally found the quill sets. She looked at them, the prices different before settling on a white quill set adorned with gold. As she walked back to her Mother, she saw Harry, Hermione and Ron arguing about whether or not they needed parchment paper for Ron if he never takes notes.

"I don't need it! All of the information is stored in my head!" Ron insisted as Hermione dropped a fact on memory.

"It's been scientifically proven that writing things down helps our brain retain more information than just listening!" She insisted before Harry sighed.

"Ron just get a bit, y'know just in case..." he said as he looked around and caught someone's gray stormy eyes looking at him.

Ethaline didn't know why or what had come over her when she motioned for him to follow her. Harry excused himself, saying he had to use the loo and finally met up with her outside the door by a small corner.

"Ethaline..." he said slowly and awkwardly as he shifted in his spot. She nodded in his way, holding herself tightly. "How...how are you?"

It was then she finally spoke, "I'm well, thank you for asking." She said quickly, "I never thanked you for-well for helping me and if it isn't too much to ask...could you perhaps not tell anyone?" She asked quietly.

Harry's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, "I'm sorry I'm not...not following."

Ethaline sighed and unfolded her arms, "If...if my brother or my parents knew you aided me, they'd...well they'd have a fit and I wouldn't want to upset them." She finally said, "So if you could-as well as Hermione and Ron-not tell anyone about finding me in that...state then I would greatly appreciate it."

Harry Potter gave her a short firm nod, "Course'." He said as she thanked him and began to make her way inside when he called after her.

"It's okay if we found you like that, it's normal...to be scared. Human." He said as Ethaline shrugged his words off and went back inside.