Pure-Blood? I'm B Positive

"This is your last Herbology lesson until after the Christmas break, so I've decided to be kind, and not set you any homework this lesson - but, you all have to work hard today and show me that you've all improved greatly since September." Neville nodded and faced the class, rubbing his hands together as we all sat, frozen. When Neville spoke, you could see his breath - the icy weather had got the better of the small flames and pierced everybody who sat inside the greenhouse. The entire class was wearing hats, gloves and scarves. Isobel sat, pretending to put all her attention on Neville to avoid talking to me.
"Isobel?" my voice was quiet, but she still heard my plea as she turned her head an inch or so, only to turn it back.
"Isobel, please. I understand why you don't want to talk to me, just please let me at least explain." She still didn't turn her head away from Neville, who was now explaining to the class the proper ways to ensure certain plants don't die during winter.
"Isobel, I don't want you leaving for Christmas with us on bad terms, please this can't be us." My final plea didn't fall on deaf ears, Isobel turned fully and looked me straight into the eye.
"Go on then, explain." She tilted her head to the side and waiting for me to speak.
"Well, first of all - I'm sorry. There really is no excuse for what I said, and I didn't mean any of it; I was just angry because I had no idea why you were mad at me. I just felt like nothing I did was ever right, or good enough." I sighed, looking up from the table to Isobel, who was still listening.
"So, I just snapped. I'm really, really sorry Isobel. Can you forgive me and my big mouth?" I waited for her response, ever second seemed to drag, she looked at me and gave a weak smile, nodding ever so slightly. The lesson continued without fault (unless you count Neville breaking a plant pot) which was rare, and welcomed.
"I'll see you all after Christmas, enjoy your holidays. Araina, can you stay behind and help me clear up the mess?" Neville smiled and saw the other students out of the greenhouse, closing to the door behind the last to leave.
"You don't need my help cleaning this up, you're a wizard - and you know full well I don't clean up messes, especially one I didn't make" I raised my eyebrows and pointed to the broken clay plant pot which was on the floor in between Neville and I.
"I know, but I wanted to talk to you." Nevile got out his wand and cleared the plant pot in order to clear the path to me. He walked, but with each step he took forward, I took one back. His smile vanished and he stopped dead in his tracks, a yard or two in front of me.
"What do you want, Professor Longbottom." My eyes were set on the cracked greenhouse floor. Neville sighed, the most dis-heartened sigh I had ever heard; every instinct in my body was telling me to look up into his eyes and smile, to cup his face and tell him everything was okay between us. I couldn't do it, not after every moment I've spent literally pulling myself out of his way.
"I, uh. Ariana, I wanted to know what your plans were for Christmas." A tone of desperation rung in his every word.
"I'm just going to stay here, it's not as if I have a home to go to." I looked up, to see Neville leaning on his desk. Every second I spent looking him I found it harder and harder to view him as a teacher - not just because of how I felt about him, but because he just seemed so young and like he had a lot to learn still himself.
"you're going to stay here, alone? That's not exactly cheery."
"Isobel invited me to her house, but I said no. I didn't want to intrude, Christmas is time for family." I choked out the last words as I tried to think of one happy memory I had of Christmas; I came up blank.
"I don't want you spending your first proper Christmas here alone. I would invite you to my house, but I'm going to be away most of it - visiting family." Neville reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, only for me to jerk back a second before he made contact.
"Araina, what is wrong with you?" Neville pleaded and seemed exhausted by the way I was treated him.
"Nothing is wrong." I lied, but it didn't matter, even a fool could tell that 98% of my life is 'wrong'.
"You don't need to keep lying, stop pretending that none of this matter to you. Crying doesn't make you weak, and caring doesn't mean you're not strong." Neville reached for me again, and this time I wasn't fast enough to shake off his concern. I scoffed at his speech and came back with my own.
"You don't know anything Neville. This stuff matters to me, how could it not? I've never denied that, but I've never let it control me either. And I cry, and I care. But, why do you? My misery isn't yours to carry. My problems don't concern you, not anymore."
"I'm not trying to carry your misery, or stick my nose in where it's not wanted. I want to make sure you're aware that you're not alone, not anymore."
"Really? Cause I still feel pretty alone. Spending Christmas with someone elses family isn't going to change that, if anything, it'll just point out that I don't have one."
"Talk Araina, you need to talk. It doesn't have to be to me, just somebody. You'll go crazy if you bottle everything up."
"But you still don't get it. I have nobody to talk to. There are things, things that I can't tell you and I can't tell Isobel - so who else am I supposed to tell?" The more I spoke the more I ached from the cold. I felt tired and worn down with all the arguing, I exhaled.
"Neville, I appreciate what you're trying to do. But please stop, you're just making it harder and harder for me to- Never mind, just please stop trying so hard." Neville looked at me with a vacant expression as I spoke, yet I was confident he understood.
"Can I go now? I have a transfiguration essay to finish." I smiled up at Neville who seemed to have aged massively in the long minutes since I last gazed at him. He nodded.
"Bye, have a nice Christmas." I began to walk away, walk away from the first person to make me feel truly happy knowing I'd hurt him.
"I'm sorry." Tears filled my eyes as I turned to face him one last time before I left. As soon as the door that separated me and Neville was closed the tears came rushing, they traveled down my face, making patterns before they fell from my chin onto my robes.

***
"Took you long enough, you sure you didn't re-build the greenhouse and not just clean it?" Isobel laughed as I sat beside her in the library. Mountains of books surrounded her and she was writing several different essays at once.
"Sorry, I visited the owlery before I came here." Another lie.
"Look, I want to talk to you about why I was so annoyed the other day." Isobel nervously fiddled with her quill.
"Okay, I'm here to listen." I smiled at Isobel with encouragement.
"My mum works in an office, customer service. She spends 7 hours a day answering phones just to have people yell at her about stuff that doesn't matter. My dad works in a law firm that deals with custody battles, family issues. They're muggles; The day I found out I wasn't, the day I got my letter, I was so happy, I felt so special. Then I got here, and I met real witches and wizards, they had been born into it. I felt like I wasn't good enough for this place. Araina, I try so hard to get the grades I do, I work day and night, endlessly trying to prove myself. Then, you come along. A Pure-Blooded witch who is beautiful and smart - everything I wanted to be. If you weren't so nice, I'd hate you so much." Isobel gave a single laugh before continuing. "I just, sometimes I get mad because I try so hard, and i'm never the one - it's always you."
"Isobel, It's not a competition. Listen to me, you deserve to be here more than anybody else, y'know why? Because you want it, more than anybody I know, and you respect it. You need to stop worrying and just enjoy it, you're my best friend, and I envy you in so many ways. You have so many things that I will never have; a loving, caring family, a childhood."
"Araina, I know it's shallow and stupid - I know that now, that is why I'm telling you. What you said it hurt, but it only hurt 'cause it was true." Isobel opened her arms and we hugged. For a moment everything was okay, me and Isobel had never been closer, everything was forgiven and forgotten. Then the moment ended, we pulled away and it all came rushing back.
"Shall we get started on this charms essay then?" I smiled and Isobel and got out my quill. The hour we spent in the library was flawless, we worked on our essays like normal students, we joked about pointless things and for that hour I was an average teenage witch. We finished our essays and cleared away the table we had been occupying, our free period was over - we had lunch, then potions.

"Last lesson of the term, I've worked here long enough to know I probably won't be getting much work out of you in these two hours, which is why I've decided to do something a little different." Excitement filled Professor Malfoys eyes as he spoke to the class, he seemed most impressed by the idea that he was yet to share with us.
"I have made various different potions, they're dotted about the room, you have to test them, and guess what they are - and then you have to work out a way to counter-act the potions affects." Malfoy turned from the class and walked around the perimeter of the classroom, indicating where each potion was and who would be testing what first.
"Once you think you have guessed correctly, write it down on some parchment, and whoever gets the most correct and at the end of the lesson isn't still under the effects of any of the potions, will be excused from holiday homework."
"I think this is more of an excuse for him not to do any teaching rather than us not doing work." I whispered into Isobels ear, although the comment made was probably true it was said more to benefit the friendship between myself and Isobel rather than to critique Professor Malfoy. Isobel nodded and headed towards the smallest of the cauldrons, I decided to head off to a different cauldron, as soon as I saw what was inside the cauldron I had a guess at what it was, I pulled out a few of my hairs, and dropped them into a small goblet which was beside the cauldron, pouring the tiniest amount of potion onto them.
"Meredith! Drink this - If I do, It won't have any affect. I'll tell you the answer afterwards." She looked at me with skepticism, yet still picked up the goblet gulping down the thick liquid. A few short moments after Meredith had put down the empty goblet her features began to melt and distort, her skin became pale and her eyes became blue, her hair got shorter and her robes no longer fit to perfection. Within minutes, Meredith was gone; she was me.
"Polyjuice potion, just as I thought. Write it down quick, and put your back to everyone, otherwise everybody will get the answer."
"I never knew you were so competitive." Meredith giggled and scrawled down the potion name with her quill.
"I only gave you a tiny bit of potion so hopefully the effects should wear off soon, I'm not entirely sure how to get you back."
"Great. Could have warned me before I drank that vile thing." Meredith still seemed to radiate through my pale complexion and wavy hair. Soon after we had identified other potions the Polyjuice potion began to leave Merediths system, making her seem more taller and beautiful than ever as she morphed from the average height girl I was, to the tall and slim beauty she was. Time passed and before I knew it, the list was full and lesson was ending, looking around the classroom I could see people who had boils and people who had scorched robes and eyebrows, the only people who seemed to have escaped this potion edition of Russian Roulette was myself, Meredith and Isobel. Isobel... A thought sprung to mind and immediately I began scribbling away on my parchment.
"Times up. Let me see your parchments." Malfoy out-stretched his hand, but the class weren't exactly eagar to show him what they had achieved. Isobel was the first to hand hers in, Meredith followed taking both mine and hers to the front of the class, slowly everyone began to follow suite. We waited as he checked through each list, finally holding a single sheet of parchment in his hand.
"Miss Falner. 100% Well done." Professor Malfoy handed the parchment back to Isobel who was blushing slightly at the attention. I couldn't help but smile as the rest of the class tutted and huffed at the 'obvious choice'
"And second place, to Araina. Just missed out on the one - maybe next time." Professor Malfoy passed my parchment over and gave a smile of encouragement.
"And Meredith, third. You really surprised me there, good job." Professor Malfoy looked over at me as he gave Meredith her parchment. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was aware she had 'help'. As Professor Malfoy handed out everyones parchments and restored everybody back to normal it was ready to leave, and then that was it. One more day and everybody would be leaving. No more lessons for at least two weeks, just me - free to do what I please.
"Araina, could you stay back for a moment - I wish to speak to you." As always, things don't go to plan - I guess doing what I please will have to wait a few more minutes.
"Yes, Professor Malfoy?" I turned and walked to the front of the room, where Professor Malfoy was sitting.
"Professor Longbottom, he expressed some concern about you to me at lunch and I was just wondering if you wanted to talk." Professor Malfoy opened the top drawer to his desk and pulled out two liquorice wands, passing one to me. I smiled and took the sweet, although I have to admit I was a bit confused by the situation.
"Dark news travels fast." I gave a false laugh before sitting down in the chair situated across from Professor Malfoy.
"He's just worried."
"I know, but it's hard. I mean, he was my friend and now everything is different, and I'm just finding it hard to adjust." I wanted to be honest, yet I didn't want to give too much away about the relationship me and Neville had.
"Well, you'll get used to it. And it is possible for Professor Longbottom to be both. You're talking to me aren't you, and I'm your Professor?" Malfoy bit the liquorice wand and raised his eyebrow at me.
"I know, but thats different. I've only ever known you as my Professor. I knew Neville before I came here. I mean, Professor Longbottom." I played with the liquorice wand in my hands, turning it and twisting it.
"Hmm. Well he said you seemed pretty, emotional. Is something else playing on your mind?"
"It's just that time of year, and I can't help but worry about if i'm even going to be here much longer."
"Why do you say that? Araina, I told you - you're not going to get expelled for being related to You-Know-Who." Malfoy seemed to whisper the name as if saying it too loudly might call him here.
"I know, but I can't help but worry about it, and think about who is actually doing these bad things."
"That's not your concern, the aurors and ministry are handling it."
"I live here too, I care about what's going on out there, especially when I'm getting the blame for it." I waved the deformed liquorice wand erratically as I spoke.
"I know, but worrying isn't going to get you anywhere. Worrying isn't going to stop people trying to undo the good in the world. There will always be somebody trying to gain power, or destroy something. It's just the world we live in." Professor Malfoy shrugged his shoulders.
"I suppose." I nodded and felt as though some unknown weight I had been carrying had been taken from my shoulders, and everything seemed lighter, the candles shone brighter, the cauldrons seems shinier, Professor Malfoys blonde hair seemed whiter. The entire world was more vibrant and intense.
"Christmas break. you're staying here?" Professor Malfoy had finished his liquorice wand and was now twiddling his thumbs while leaning back in his seat. I simply nodded.
"Well, if you want, you can stay with me, at my parents house."
"You still live with your parents?" I laughed at the thought of Professor Malfoy having his mother do all his cooking and wash all his clothes.
"No, it was their house, now it's mine. They've moved abroad." Professor Malfoy laughed and sighed all at once.
"Why? Doesn't that seem a bit weird."
"Well, I think we've got a good thing going here. The talking and eating sweets, Ha. Besides, I enjoy your company, and It's that time of year for me too." Professor Malfoy gave a smile that seems to resemble a smirk.
"Okay then, I suppose It's better than sitting in the Slytherin common room alone all day."
"Great. Meet me in my office with your things packed Sunday morning, 10am?" I nodded, and that was that. As I walked back to the common room, eating my liquorice wand I thought about the arrangement that had just been made. It was a little odd, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it. I enjoyed Professor Malfoys company too, how could you not? He was smart, witty, understanding and he was the only person who I wasn't hiding something from right now. I was hiding practically everything from Isobel & Meredith; I hadn't seen Keeran in days, so I couldn't speak to him. And Neville, Neville was clueless, but I loved him for it. As the thought of sharing Christmas roast and pulling crackers with Professor Malfoy grew in my mind I couldn't help but find it a little hilarious; a part of me wanted to share it with Isobel, but I knew that would only end in disaster.

Saturday passed and as I woke on the Sunday morning I jumped out of bed, getting ready before anybody else awoke. I was dressed just as breakfast was being served, and was on the first to enter the great hall.
"I didn't think you'd be up this early." Isobel sat beside me, wearing her Ravenclaw scarf over a long thick jumper, tights and boots.
"Well, I thought I'd see you off." I passed Isobel a slice of toast and picked up my glass of fresh orange juice.
"I'll be leaving soon, I'm heading off to Hogsmeade with a few others and we're buying last minute gifts, then meet everyone else at Hogsmeade station, get the train from there."
"What about your trunk?"
"I don't need to take anything. I have clothes at home." Isobel gave me her 'for-a-smart-person-you-ask-stupid-questions' look.
"Well, I'm done here." I drunk the remains of my orange juice and stood up.
"I guess I'll be seeing you then." Isobel looked up at me.
"Have a nice Christmas Is. Don't bother writing - I want you to tell me everything you hated about it, when you get back" I chuckled and gave a single wave before exiting the great hall leaving Isobel to finish her final Hogwarts breakfast of the year alone.
It was just approaching half 9 and I was packed and ready to leave, where as people in the Slytherin room common room were rushing around picking up odds bits they had left dotted around throughout the year, packing them all up to go back.
Keeran, it seemed was the only one who had packed in advance. He sat near the fire, his eyes focused on the flames, and as soon as I caught sight of them, I knew why. They danced fluidly, inter-winding within one and other; the blazing orange and yellows standing out next to the cold greys and greens which crowded the Slytherin common room.
"You going home for Christmas?" I sat beside Keeran who seemed a little startled by my sudden appearance.
"Yea, you? Uh, stupid question. Of course you're not." Keeran shook his head and as he turned to face me I noticed how pale and gaunt looking his face had got, it had been mere weeks since we had last properly spoke and yet by the look on his face it seemed to have aged him years.
"Are you feeling okay, you don't look well?"
"I'm fine, just tired. I haven't been getting much sleep lately. Will you excuse me?" Keeran stood up and walked out of the common room, ignorant towards the arguments, conversations, bittersweet goodbyes that were going on around him as he barged past people to the portrait hole.
It was almost time for me to leave, well meet Professor Malfoy. I had no time to take on Keerans problems as well as my own. I headed to my dormitory to collect my things and and made my way through the crowded common room, dragging my trunk along behind me.

I pulled my trunk through the dungeons, past the potions room and stopped when I reached Professor Malfoys office, leaving my trunk just outside his door, confident that it would be left untouched. I walked back up through the castle and towards to owlery. Most of the owls had already been taken by their owners, the school owls and a few others remained. My tawny screeched as I entered the owlery, taking flight and gliding over towards me. I stroked the owls soft feathers before putting him in his cage.

By the time I had carried the cage and bird back to the dungeons it was 10. I got to the door and noticed my trunk was gone, panic filled me - all of my things were in there. My uniform, my books, my clothes. The door opened and Professor Malfoy was standing there.
"You ready?"
"My trunk. I left it here, it's gone." I pointed towards to spot where I had left the trunk. Professor Malfoy opened the door wider and to the side of him laid two trunks, one which was a shiny black and slightly larger than mine, and the other which was slightly worn and greyish.
"Yes, I'm ready." Malfoy pulled both trunks out of his office and through the dungeon as I carried my owl. Nothing was spoken yet the silence didn't scream at us and the situation didn't feel awkward.
We headed out of the castle, past the greenhouses, and out of the castle grounds. We stood a few feet apart as Professor Malfoy stopped walking.
"Take my hand, we're going to dis-apperate now we're out of Hogwarts." Professor Malfoy stacked the trunks on top of each other and with a single flick of his wand bound them together. Malfoy grabbed hold of the rope which bound together the trunks and held out his free hand for me to take, I hesitated then grabbed his hand, which was surprisingly warm. I closed my eyes just as we were sucked through the vacuum of nothingness and were deposited safely directly outside two iron gates which were shut, the grounds surrounding the house were empty yet grand, the grass was perfectly cut as were the hedges which surrounded the large manor. At first I wondered if maybe something went wrong and that Professor Malfoy couldn't possibly live here, It looked like the house you'd see in a gothic fantasy.
"Are you coming in or what?"Professor Malfoy was stood on the other side of the gate, without a word I followed the gate shutting behind me. I looked up at the intimidating facility; so this is going to be where I live for the next three weeks?