Pure-Blood? I'm B Positive

I wandered the train, almost bumping into people along the way looking for Isobel. I stumbled across Meredith who was sat with the Slytherin Quidditch team, I asked her if she had seen Isobel before leaving her alone to flirt. She said she had seen her in a compartment with a few younger year Ravenclaws. I walked down the train and finally found her. I knocked on the window of her compartment, disturbing her and a few other Ravenclaws from reading. She stood up and quietly made her way out of the compartment and shut the door before greeting me.
"Hi Araina!" She hugged me tightly before we made our way to my empty compartment.
"Hey, how was your Christmas?" I asked politely shutting the compartment door.
"It was the usual - being carted round to every family member possible for them to tell me how tall I've gotten" Isobel laughed, shaking her head. "Why are you on the train anyway? You stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas didn't you?" Isobels tone changed from chirpy to accusatory.
"Well, it was a last minute thing." I said, the last thing I wanted to do was upset or anger Isobel by telling her I had Professor Malfoy to myself all of Christmas break.
"Is that all I get? Your best friend?" She raised her eyebrows at me as she spoke.
I had to think of what to say, I had no idea how to explain it to her, without telling her the whole story - but I didn't want to lie either.
"I decided to leave for Ryton Dene a few days after everyone left. I was bored and wanted to pick up the rest of my belongings so I thought it was a good time to visit." I smiled at her and this seemed to suffice.
"Okay, I bet that was about as eventful as my Christmas then. Next year you can come to my house. I already told my parents about you and they suggested it." Isobel smiled at me encouragingly. I grinned back, flattered by the kindness of her family.
"Thank you so much Isobel." I know she wouldn't realise how much it meant to me so I changed the subject matter to avoid us getting too deep. "Did you study at all over the holidays?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, I've been freaking out about these N.E.W.Ts - They're going to be so much worse that the O.W.Ls and we should all really start studying for them now so we don't feel overloaded in the summer." She spoke fast, before rummaging in her satchel, getting out a notepad. She moved over next to me and opened the notepad. "I have made a study schedule, you can join me if you like?" I looked over the multicoloured table that allocated study time for each subject around her classes.
"That's very productive. I've never taken these things seriously, but then again I wasn't as invested in the muggle curriculum." I laughed, looking over the table more intensely. "I'll have to make my own for my own timetable and exams." I closed the notepad and Isobel put it back in her Satchel.
For the rest of the journey Isobel helped me organise my studies and timetable to ensure I got a good mixture or study-time, sleep and relax-time. We decided to close the blinds in our compartment to get changed. The sky was turning a dark grey, giving us notice we would be arriving soon. We then packed away our books and pieces of parchment into our trunks before hitting Hogsmeade station.

I followed Isobel to the carts and we headed off through the woodlands to Hogwarts. It was a cold crisp night, but I was just thankful it wasn't raining. Soon enough we were all shuffling into the Great Hall, the heat hit me as the doors opened and I welcomed it. My face tingled and my nose and ears soon regained feeling as I followed my fellow Slytherins to our table. Soon enough everybody was sitting down and McGonagall stood to welcome us back after the holidays. The food soon appeared in front of us, mountains of potatoes, meat, buckets of different gravies and sauces. It was truly delicious and satisfying. I always felt sleepy after eating this much delicious food. I was one of the first students to leave the Great Hall. On my left sat a seventh year Slytherin girl who was facing the other way, talking to her boyfriend. On my right was a younger year Slytherin boy I didn't recognise. Bored and full I finished off a piece of cheesecake and made my way to the Slytherin common room. It was eerily quiet walking down the corridors and through the dungeons. The only sound came from the torches on the wall, their flames crackling as I walked past them.
I soon came to the entrance of the common room. I shouted the password to the portrait before it slowly swung open, creaking as it moved. I walked through the opening to the common room. I saw someone sitting my the fire on their own.
"Keeran?" As I stepped closer I recognised the silhouette.
"Araina." Keeran turned his head to face me as I walked towards him. I sat across from in the emerald leather arm chair. I looked on his face and realised how different he looked. He was gaunt and frail, his skin an almost grey colour. His eyes dull, and his hair unkempt and greasy. I wasn't sure whether it was the shadows from the fire or if he actually looked like this. He looked positively ill, it was like I was looking at a ghost of his former self.
"Are you okay?" I finally asked, Keeran shuffled in his chair with unease.
"I'm fine, Araina." He spoke quietly, as if speaking took too much energy.
"Have you ate today?" I asked, speaking equally quiet. Keeran shook his head. I filled with worry - he obviously wasn't okay. I wasn't sure what was troubling him so much to the point he couldn't eat, but it scared me.
"What's wrong? Talk to me." I pleaded, sitting on the edge of my seat.
"Nothing, just leave." Keeran hands clenched as he spoke and he closed his eyes to avoid looking at me.
"Do you seriously think I am going to leave just because you tell me to?" I stood up, an un-explainable anger came over me. I grabbed Keerans wrist and realised how cold he was. I dragged him up from the seat and out of the common room towards the Kitchens. I didn't want to draw attention to Keeran, I knew he wouldn't appreciate it, so I avoided the Great Hall.

I entered the kitchen and asked for some nutritious food to be made for Keeran. I sat him down and slowly he began to eat. I watched him tentatively until he had finished a bowl of soup, stew and a berry crumble. I thanked the elves and we both walked silently back towards to common room, it was no longer empty by the time we got back. Keeran walked ahead of me heading towards his dorm room. I followed him up the stairs until we both stood at where it splits in two to separate the girls dorms from the boys.
"Thankyou Araina." Keeran looked at the floor as he spoke, his hand clenching the banister. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight.
"If you ever need to talk about anything, I am here." I let him go and smiled at him, he seems shocked by my sudden outburst - so was I. He didn't respond, just turned and headed toward his dorm. I walked up the stairs to mine, I needed some alone time to think.
I laid on my bed, kicking off my shoes and undoing my tie.
Yesterday I was being told about The Order and a dark wizard, I imagined I would come back here to fear and caution. Everything is normal. I don't understand. Everybody is just talking about their Christmas break and exams, not knowing there is something more sinister stirring in their perfect world. I wasn't sure how I would be able to juggle all of my duties as student alongside training to try help the order.
Perhaps I was trying to do too much at once. I'd never had all of this responsibility before, it was overwhelming and frightening, but I couldn't ignore my duties, or hide away from the truth. Darkness was coming to take my new home, and I wouldn't allow it.
My mind then began to fill with thoughts of Keeran. He was a complete mystery. I was unsure what had happened over Christmas that has caused him to go from being a model Slytherin to a wreck. He looked like a stranger when I saw him tonight. He was broken. I had experience with broken things, many of the kids and teenagers I lived with at Ryton Dene were broken for one reason or another. But I knew how to fix them. You fixed them with trust and patience. You showed them you cared and you gave them someone to rely on. You let them share your things, and you gave them the last chocolate even though you've had none. You protected them and taught them, and soon they were able to mend themselves.
But I had no idea what had broken Keeran, I had no idea what had caused him to spiral so quickly into depression. But I knew I wouldn't let him go - I wouldn't watch him disappear.