Monsoon Wings

‘WHAT?!’

That was Jayden, Harry, and Hermione. Ron chocked on his apple pie; Hermione immediately stood up; Ginny gaped; George seemed to stop breathing; Fred fell off his chair.

Juno was sitting in the middle, and the way the rest were incredulously gaping at her, you could tell as if she was in some convention in the court—holding the position as the horse-mutilator and baby-killer.

‘There’s no use biting your tongues. The deed is done,’ Juno said out loudly, a little uncomfortable.

‘We—are—talking—about—the—Unbreakable—Vow,’ Hermione emphasized, eyes bulging. ‘It cannot be undone!’

‘I know!’ Juno said out loudly.

‘And you think Malfoy’ll be fair with you?!’ Harry said, scoffing.

‘Knowing Malfoy, will be something foul,’ Ron’s ears had turned red. ‘And how are you doing it, besides?’

‘He wants it to be done tonight. Nine o’clock, in the same soiled alley. He wants me to come alone,’ Juno said, trying not to shiver.

‘You’d better bring a knife with you,’ Jayden said miserably.

‘And a cross and Bible. It’s a fifty-fifty chance,’ Juno replied, smiling smugly.

*

Jayden offered to walk her, but Juno refused. The rest had convinced Mr and Mrs Weasley and she was going home to take something. Luckily, they didn’t sniff anything abnormal and fell for it.

It was quite chilly that night. As she walked down Diagon Alley (she got there by Floo Powder, all right), she wished she had agreed when Jayden offered to accompany her. The street was still quite crowded, but somehow the cold air had taken the upper hand, touching everyone with invisible fingers, making them shudder. Juno zipped up her jacket.

She could have worn Jayden’s sweater if it was not burnt by that monkey-brain.

She walked and reached the filthy alley. It was entirely dark inside—she couldn’t tell if Draco was there already or not. She took a step inside and peered into the total darkness.

‘Woi!’ She shouted. No reply. Jolly good.

She stood there, watching people walk past for about ten whole minutes before the tall blonde finally made his appearance. He was wearing dark jeans and black jacket, and his hair was wet.

‘I had to sneak out, okay?’ he said, rising up a hand, when she opened her mouth. ‘Now stop babbling and let’s get it done quickly.’ He pulled her upper arm and led her into the dark hallway.

‘How are we supposed to know which side of the coin is facing upwards if we are both sightless here?’ Juno snapped. She could hear Draco fumbling with his pockets, searching for a coin. When he found it, he spoke, ‘Our eyes will adjust. Stop acting like a talkative ape.’

She opened her mouth to argue again, but Draco hushed her and gave her the coin. He was indeed true—she could see the outline of his body by now, about a head taller than her.

‘I’ll take number,’ Draco said, tossing the coin—which held their fates.

‘Then I’ll have to take picture,’ Juno said, grumbling. Draco had caught the coin and was showing it off on his palm.

In the darkness, they peered.

Which side of the coin was facing upwards?

There was the outline of the coin. Then writing. It was a number.

A number!

Shit for Juno, triumph for Draco.

Draco chuckled nastily. Then he quickly shoved the coin into his pocket. Juno was almost crying. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then open and close again. Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest, and bent his neck down, bringing his face closer to Juno’s, grinning.

‘Guess what, Emily?’ He said. ‘I won. That proves you are the monkey-brain.’

Juno just stood there, speechless. She was gone. She was going to spend her fourth year at Hogwarts being Draco Malfoy’s slave. She pictured herself, following Draco everywhere, carrying his bag, adjusting his tie, while the rest just laughed and mocked at her.

‘It starts on September 1st,’ Draco said. ‘And when I said it, it’s done. We made the Unbreakable Vow. No turning back now.’

She couldn’t say anything. Her brain was stupefied.

‘I’m leaving,’ Draco said. In the darkness his eyes seemed to glow in joyousness.

*

The impact of this event on the last days of the holiday was incredible. The rest were continuously barking about it. Jayden spent the rest of the holiday giving her advices and quotes about life, sounding like a monk. Hermione was continuously telling her spells she could use in case Draco showed any sense of being a bitch, in other words, walking all over her. There was no silence in the house now, now that everyone was banging on her and giving her counsels on how to face that monkey-brain.

No, Juno had thought of another name: the scoundrel-bag.

Days flowed as fast as raindrops fall from the clouds. In no time it was September 1st, and as they all sat in the compartment in the Hogwarts Express (except Fred and George, they were with Lee Jordan), Hermione was still hissing and tut-tutting.

‘You know what he did, do you?’ Hermione was hissing. ‘It was his coin. He bewitched the coin so both the sides showed number.’

‘How? We’re not supposed to use magic when not in school.’

‘Telling someone else to do it,’ Hermione said.

Juno smiled like a nun refusing to admit the cruelness of the world God had created.

Disaster came not long after the train reached the fields. Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, came banging into their compartment, smirking smugly. They were already in their school robes. Crabbe and Goyle, the immense baboons, were putting their hands in their pockets, looking like accidental mafia bosses.

‘No wonder we’ll be meeting you here,’ Draco drawled.

The rest stood up, but Juno remained seated. This obviously pissed Draco, because he had eyes only for her. He glared at her for a second, and she was boldly glaring back at him. But a second later she lowered her eyes to the ground, checking her sneakers.

Watching the expression on her face, he almost felt pity for her. Ha! Juno Emily, spending a year as his slave. This would be hot news. What would the headline be?

Juno was thinking the same thing, too. She had prepared herself if tomorrow’s Daily Prophet shows her news.

POOR MISS EMILY PINNED UNDER THE MALICIOUS SHOES OF DRACO MALFOY.

She sighed. ‘What do you want, Malfoy?’

Draco looked at her eyes. This was the first time she had called his name. Or was it not? He couldn’t tell. He only remembered her calling him monkey-brain. What else? Oh, yeah. A fool moronic boy. A despicable know-it-all.

Haih.

‘Just wishes to convey a message, Emily,’ Draco talked, leaning on the compartment door. ‘Tonight’s start-of-term feast. I want you in the Slytherin table.’

Juno nodded, giving up, still looking at her sneakers. They looked grubby. She would need to wash them. Or just ask Hermione to perform the Washing or Dirt-Sucking Charm.

‘Good then. As for you, Potter, mind your scar. Make sure no dirt gets trap in it or you’ll get an infection. And I am advising you to be careful, because Mommy isn’t there to put plaster on it,’ Draco sneered, and his cronies laughed so hard at this.

Before Draco turned to leave, he looked at Olivia, standing beside Potter.

‘Fancy seeing you here with them, Wince,’ he said, and turned to leave.