Monsoon Wings

The Hogwarts castle loomed nearer, and as they bounced up and down on the carriage which moved by itself, they gaped in awe. It had been two whole months since they last saw it. Then also, last year was not beautiful, not with Sirius Black on the loose.

They all entered the Entrance Hall, which was so huge that Juno’s rickety house was only one-tenth of it. Candles were colouring the path yellow, transparent ghosts were looming here and there, saying their heys and boo. On the farthest corner was Nearly-Headless Nick, a mourning ghost who was not beheaded appropriately during his death.

As they reached the Great Hall, Juno miserably said her goodbyes and retreated to the Slytherin table. Astoundingly, though, Draco was already there, sitting unaccompanied with one leg up, carrying a small roll of parchment in one hand.

Juno walked towards the Slytherin table (feeling stupid) and to two seats away from Draco. Before resting her buttocks on the long stool, her leg got tangled in her own robes and she almost toppled. Klutz movement of the day.

Why can’t I be a little bit cooler? Graceful?

‘Sit next to me, Emily, I won’t bite.’

Juno ignored Draco.

She craned her neck and saw Olivia, lovely as always, sitting beside Harry and was brushing some dust off his fringe, and Harry was blushing, enlightened and amazed by her gracefulness and softness. Olivia always was the light, moving around like a fragile princess.

‘WILL YOU SIT NEXT TO ME!!’ Draco bellowed suddenly. The Great Hall was already full by now. Students were choosing their seats, excitedly chattering, and some of them glanced at Draco.

Juno made a ‘sheeeeshhh’ and moved next to Draco. He smelled of some perfume she didn’t like. Well, it was nice, but she just didn’t like it.

She glanced and caught Draco glaring at her, and she glared back at him. He glared back, and she finally gave up. She felt helpless here, because all her friends were far in the other side of the hall.

They watched the Sorting first (the Sorting Hat sang a new song this year). During the Sorting, Draco was continuously glaring bossily at her, and she did her best to ignore her. Or else she might just leap onto the table and throttle that scoundrel-bag. He was continuously making comments to Juno like, ‘You will be cutting my bacon for me’ and ‘Come with me to the Slytherin common room after this’ and ‘Wonder what it’s like to have someone do my homework?’

Dumbledore then stepped forward for his speech, and the hall went deadly silence.

‘Ahem,’ he started. ‘Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts. This year, Hogwarts is chosen to host a legendary…’

‘Open this,’ Draco whispered, smirking, handing Juno the roll of parchment he had been holding. Juno took it and peeped through it; as if afraid it might explode again at any moment.

‘When I tell you to open, you open,’ Draco said, putting his chin on his cupped hand, which was resting on the table on the elbow. He scowled at her. There was a sudden cheerful erupt from the students, and some of them were whispering excitedly, ‘The Triwizard Tournament! Wow!’

Juno and Draco paused their scowls and looked and Dumbledore. They had missed a quite great deal of his speech. The hall had gone silent again, and suddenly the old and wrinkled Argus Filch came running breathlessly into the Great Hall. Everyone stared as he whispered something urgently in Dumbledore’s ear.

‘Will you open it?!’ Draco had started to get annoyed.

Juno glared at him one more time, and rolled open the parchment. It was not very lengthy, only a hand-length. But the contents made her choke.

DRACO MALFOY AND JUNO EMILY’S ENSLAVEMENT RULES.

It was written neatly in handwriting. Was it written by Draco himself? Juno didn’t bother to care. Her eyes darted to the line below.

1. Juno Emily must stay beside Draco Malfoy everyday.

2. Juno Emily must do whatever Draco Malfoy instructs.

3. If Draco Malfoy is not wearing his leather shoes, then Juno Emily must tie his shoelaces.

4. Juno…

Juno had stopped reading and was kicking Draco hard under the desk. Draco let out a loud ‘OW!’ and several students hushed at him. Serves him right, Juno thought. Draco didn’t kick back, thank you very much.

‘What was the purpose of doing that?’ Draco hissed, crouching and rubbing his poor leg. Never had a girl kicked him before. He felt embarrassed, not to mention Crabbe and Goyle snuffling, which meant they were suppressing their giggles.

Yes, this girl was different.

Since the first time she yelled at him and called him a ‘fool, moronic boy’, he had known that she was different.

No one had ever called him names before!

‘…the lovely ladies of the Beuxbaton Academy, and their headmistress, Madame…’

‘I will not give you a penalty for kicking your master,’ Draco said, clenching his teeth. The doors of the Great Hall was flinging open and the Beuxbaton ladies were coming in, all appealing and elegant and slim, dressed in blue, gracefully and proudly swinging their buttocks here and there. Juno and Draco weren’t paying any attention to the ladies.

‘This night you are excused. But tomorrow, exactly at eight, I want you in down in the dungeon stairs, waiting for me. There you will take my bag and walk with me to breakfast. Never once shall you leave my eyes, unless I permit so, and, well, during classes. You must sit next to me during classes in which Gryffindor and Slytherin are combined. If I tell you to do A, you do A. If I tell you do to B, you do B. Is that taken and understood?’

The Great doors were opening again, and this time, the Durmstrang boys, in their flaming red cloaks, came in enthusiastically, carrying a metal walking stick, which they were banging against the ground. They created fiery sparks against the tiled ground.

‘IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?’ Draco was growling again. Fortunately the ‘thump-thump’ of the sticks and the cheery shouts from the students died out his growl.

‘YES,’ Juno said furiously.

Draco smirked, satisfied. Thanks to the Unbreakable Vow, he was going to play this girl like a puppet. A dangling puppet with strings.

Oh, Lord.