Weakness

Ellietta sat in what had become her usual place at the Slytherin table, between Crabbe and Draco. She nibbled cautiously at some porridge while Draco chattered with Blaise Zabini, who was seated on his other side. The owl post arrived while they ate and Draco's owl found him almost immediately. It dropped a package in front of him and fluttered off. Ellietta had post too, The Daily Prophet and a plain envelope with her name on it. It was from her mother.

Dearest Ellietta,

I hope you my owl finds you well. Everything at home is as usual, though a bit quieter without you. Please write soon.

Love Mother

She folded it up, slipped it in her pocket knowing full well she wasn't going to write back, and turned to Draco. He had already ripped the brown paper to shreds and was pulling out the contents of the box. Some jelly slugs, sugar quills, and a couple of toffees had been sent along with a note from his mother. He gave two Jelly slugs and a toffee to Ellietta and completely ignored Theodore Nott's begging ("But Jelly Slugs are my favorite!") and Pansy's cross stare from the other side of the table. Ellietta slipped the sweets in her pocket with her mother's letter and continued poking at her porridge.

"Double potions with the Gryffindors," Nott was saying, "This ought to be unpleasant."

"Unpleasant," Draco sneered, "I think you mean unbearable."

Ellietta knew Draco was not fond of Harry Potter. She didn't know for certain what had happened when he'd gone looking for Potter on the train (other than Crabbe getting savaged by the Weasley boy's rat) but she knew it wasn't anything good. She had never asked and he had never told; they hadn't spoken much at all in fact. Pansy Parkinson did a pretty good job of keeping Draco distracted. Despite the lack of communication Ellietta could tell that Draco was at least somewhat fond of her.

There was time to spare after breakfast and before Potions so Draco and his friends set up shop in the common room. Draco sat between Blaise Zabini and Goyle on a green sofa while Crabbe and Nott occupied matching armchairs across from them. Draco thought of every insulting word he could, aiming them all at Harry Potter, and Blaise and Theodore lapped it up like Butterbeer. Crabbe and Goyle were too thick to understand, but laughed anyway when they felt it was appropriate. Ellietta watched all this over the top of The Daily Prophet from the other side of the common room. Draco met her gaze.

"C'mere!" he shouted, though not in the commanding tone he usually used.

She folded up her newspaper and strode over.

"Yes?" she stood in front of him with an expectant look on her face.

"Move, Zabini," Draco waved his hand dismissively, Blaise did as he was told, and Draco patted the newly empty spot beside himself, "You needn't sit by yourself, Ellie."

"Ellie?" she questioned, taking the seat without hesitation.

"If you don't like it-"

"It's fine."

She reopened The Prophet to where she'd left off and sat, quietly reading, while the boys resumed their game of "Bash Potter". When the five of them got up to go to Potions, Draco changed the subject to what a brilliant potioneer he was and bragged the whole way to class. Goyle made the mistake of trying to take the seat next Draco in the dungeon and Draco glared daggers until he chose another. Then, once Ellietta was seated beside him, he glared daggers at the back of Harry Potter's head. Much to Draco's delight Professor Snape made Harry look a fool, unable to answer a single question. He even took points off Gryffindor. Ellietta could tell this would be Draco's favorite lesson.

"I will divide you into pairs now and you will brew the cure for boils as outlined on page 48 of your textbooks," Snape directed them.

There was only one person in the room that Ellietta truly didn't want to be paired up with. Pansy. She had taken to bombarding Ellietta with questions about Draco whenever she had the chance and never forgot to remind her who his real best friend was. As though thinking about it had somehow jinxed it, Snape spoke the words Ellietta had been dreading.

"Parkinson and Widdersham."

Ellietta went straight for the supply cabinet before Pansy could say anything. She was counting out porcupine quills when Draco entered her line of sight. Although he verbally said nothing, he apologized for the Pansy situation with his eyes. Ellietta just sighed and went back to the table where Pansy was waiting with an annoyed look on her face.

"Don't look at me," Pansy huffed, "Those snake fangs aren't going to crush themselves."

Pansy just watched while Ellietta brewed the potion entirely on her own. Occasionally, she'd point out something she thought Ellietta was doing wrong but Ellietta paid no attention to Pansy's suggestions and since Snape told them as he walked by that their potion looked good, it seemed she didn't need to. Neville Longbottom, the boy who'd lost his frog on the train, blew up his cauldron. Snape took more points from Gryffindor and sent Neville to Madame Pomfrey. He also took the opportunity to bestow several compliments on Draco, who looked only too happy to receive them.

On the way back to the Slytherin common room after Potions was over, Ellieta would have liked a moment to speak with Draco. He was laughing with Crabbe and Goyle about what a dimwit Harry Potter was. She was about to say something when Pansy appeared and began speaking animatedly with Draco. Instead of going back to the common room with them, Ellieta veered away from the group. She simply didn't have the patience for Pansy at the moment. She wandered down hallways and staircases and found herself rather lost. She sighed and leaned against the wall opposite a rather peculiar tapestry. I wish there was someplace I could just be alone she thought wistfully as a ghost flew past her. Suddenly she was falling backwards.

The wall had moved aside and Ellieta had fallen into a large room filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items. Books were stacked in teetering piles almost to the ceiling. Various phials of various potions were scattered around. There were chairs and tables in varying states of disrepair. It appeared to be a room full of, well, everything. Ellieta walked around, taking it all in. She knew her Transfiguration lesson would be starting soon and that McGonagall would not hesitate to give her a detention so she decided to leave, though she really wanted to explore the strange room more.

Ellietta arrived at the Transfiguration classroom at the same time that Ron Weasley happened to be strolling through the door, surprisingly sans Potter. He shot her a dirty look, presumably because he'd seen her sitting with Draco at some point or possibly just because she was a Slytherin.

"Shouldn't twist your face up like that, Weasley," she told him, "It'd be a shame if it got stuck."

"Shove it, Widdersham," he muttered and traipsed over to the seat Harry had saved for him.

Pansy had helped herself to Ellietta's usual seat next to Draco and although he seemed unhappy with this, he said nothing. Ellietta took the only empty seat left which, of course, was next to Ron. Just her luck. He glared at her as she sat down and Harry, who was sitting on the other side of Ron, followed suit. She ignored them and tried to pay attention to Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall called, "Could you please tell the class what five variables influence transformations?"

His mouth opened but no words came out. Hermione Granger's hand shot high in the air, but Professor McGonagall continued to stare at Ron. Ellietta scratched out the answer on her parchment and kicked Ron under the table.

"Body weight, viciousness, wand power, concentration, and an unknown variable," he read, trying to sound as though he wasn't reading.

Professor McGonagall accepted his answer and moved on. He turned to Ellietta and gaped. She shrugged and continued to listen to the rest of the lesson. After Transfiguration, Ron stopped her in the hall. Draco was peering at her curiously and she thought he might not be happy if he saw her socializing with Potter's best friend so she told him to follow her, but not too closely. She stopped opposite the absurd tapestry of the dancing trolls. She leaned against the wall the way she had when she'd fallen through, but nothing happened.

"I just wanted to say thanks," Ron said softly, "You didn't have to help me."

She didn't answer him. She pushed on the wall, tapped it with her wand, but nothing happened.

"What are you doing?" he asked in confusion.

"I just wanted a place we could talk without anyone seeing," she said, and as soon as she had the wall slid aside, "Hmm, I guess you've just got to tell it what you want."

"What is this place?" Ron asked, following her inside.

"I don't know," Ellietta picked up a book and flipped through it.

"Why'd you help me?" he posed another question.

"Because you needed help," she said, "though I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

"Oh, don't worry," he laughed, "the last thing I want is everyone thinking I've gone and made friends with a Slytherin."

"Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Gone and made friends with a Slytherin?"

"Dunno," he shrugged, "Maybe."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks passed without much incident. Ellietta didn't see much more of Ron Weasley other than passing in the halls nor did she see much of Draco, who was eternally busy with Pansy. She had usurped Blaise's seat at the table in the Great Hall and talked Draco's ear off all through breakfast. Only when Harry and Ron walked by did he shrug her off to fire some insults in Harry's general direction.

This had become so commonplace to Ellietta, she had stopped paying attention to their little squabbles. She tuned them out to the best of her abilities. She noticed Pansy get up and leave so she knew the argument was getting heated and she tried to keep her eyes on the parchment she was scribbling on but her head snapped up when she heard the word "duel".

"I'll be his second," Ron was stating defiantly.

Draco opened his mouth but Ellietta cut him off, "And I'll be Malfoy's second."

Potter and Weasley walked off in a huff and Draco grinned jovially.

"Blithering idiot!" Ellietta spat at him, trying to ignore the feeling of fire in her veins.

His smile disappeared and Crabbe and Goyle looked frightened. Nobody insulted Draco Malfoy, after all. He did look rather angry but he did not raise his wand, merely took a step forward so there was hardly any room between his face and Ellietta's. It took every ounce of self control she had not smack him. She'd never felt compelled to do something like that before.

"And why, pray tell, am I a blithering idiot?" he asked in a hard voice.

"You could get hurt," Ellietta said slowly, "Or, more likely, you'll end up in detention."

"Oh please," Draco chuckled, a smirk forming on his lips, "Like Potter and the weasel could hurt me. It's cute that you care though, Ellie."

"I don't," she hissed, but she knew she did and it was a very foreign feeling.

"Well you volunteered yourself to be my second," he pointed out.

"Because if you get in trouble I highly doubt that one of those buffoons could save your sorry arse," Ellietta pointed over her shoulder to Crabbe and Goyle.

"They don't need to," a wicked grin spread across his face, "I never planned to duel Potter, just to tell Filch exactly where to find him."

"Ingenious," Ellietta muttered sarcastically as she walked away.

"Ellie!" Draco called after her, "Ellie, wait!"

She didn't wait. Ellietta weaved through a sea of students to make sure Draco didn't follow her and set off for the secret room on the seventh floor. Her hands were shaking slightly, the entirely new sensation of anger still coursing through her. She concentrated deeply on her need for a quiet place where she could be alone, away from Draco for a bit. The wall slid open and she was surprised to see a head of red hair over a large stack of books.

"I thought you were different," Ron said, realizing that she was there, "I guess I forgot; all Slytherins are snakes."

"It's complicated," she breathed out.

"It is not," he shot back, "Malfoy's a slimy git and so are you."

"I don't want to duel you," she sat in the corner, "I just felt like I had to protect Draco; he's not as good with wandwork as he'd have everyone think. Not yet anyway. I know he can be a prat sometimes but-"

"Sometimes?" Ron roared.

"Okay, he's a prat most of the time," she amended her previous statement, "but I just … it's complicated."

"Oh I get it," Ron tabbed through a random book, "You like him. You've got horrible taste in boys."

"It's not like that."

Ellietta stared at her feet. The only person she ever tried to explain this to before was her mother, who had written her off rather quickly and without much consideration. It was even more complicated now than it was then. Ron would never understand. He barely knew her.

"Well then, what's it like?"

"I don't feel things like you do," Ellietta picked a freckle on Ron's wrist and concentrated on it rather than his face, "Joy, anger, grief; I don't feel any of it. Never have."

"Not at all?" Ron seemed calmer now.

"No," she twirled her wand in her finger, "I can fake it well enough. I've learned what reactions to pretend to have to certain situations, but I don't actually feel it."

"So you're just empty all the time?" he sounded saddened by this information.

"Something like that," Ellietta shrugged.

"What's that got to do with being Malfoy's little sidekick?" Ron suddenly remembered he was angry with her.

"I don't feel so empty when he's around. Even if they're not always good feelings, they're feelings. Being furious is better than being nothing," and with that, Ellietta left.

She wondered, as she walked back to the common room, if she should have told Ron that the duel was a set up. If Draco somehow found out it was her who'd given Harry a heads up he'd probably never speak to her again. The worst that would happen was that he and Ron would end up in detention. No, it was better she kept her mouth shut, she decided. The wall to the common room slid aside as she muttered the password and she tried not grimace when she saw Pansy and Draco in the far corner.

Ellietta had a free period and no homework which needed doing so she plopped down on the nearest chair with a heavy sigh. She watched as Pansy skipped away, a grin on her face, and glanced over her shoulder at Draco. He stood and she thought he would follow Pansy out of the common room, but he didn't. He sat down next to her, though there was barely enough room on the chair for both of them. He flashed her a sweet smile, the kind he reserved strictly for her company, and threw his arm lazily around her shoulder.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Nothing in particular," he told her, "Just looking for someone to spend my free period with."

"Perhaps you should have asked Pansy to stick around," she shoved his arm off.

"She's bloody annoying," he groaned, "I like you better."

"You do?" Ellietta wasn't sure that she believed him.

"Sure," Draco smiled again, "I've known Pansy forever, our parents are friendly, but she's always getting on my nerves. You don't push my buttons like she does."

"Where is the rest of your posse? Crabbe and Goyle don't want to spend free period hanging off your every word?" Ellietta questioned.

"Crabbe and Goyle went to the kitchen for more food. Zabini's around somewhere I think, but I don't care enough to go looking," he put his arm back around her shoulder.

"So, what are we going to do?" she decided to let his arm stay put this time.

"Haven't put much thought into it," he confessed.

They stayed in the common room a while longer. Draco liked to talk and Ellietta didn't mind listening. Eventually they (Draco) decided to go for a walk around the grounds. They stopped by the lake, taking refuge from the hot afternoon sun under a shady tree. His arm found it's way around her shoulder again and she nestled into his side. A comfortable silence passed between them and Ellietta found herself wishing Draco displayed the cuddly version of himself more often.

"I'm sorry for earlier," he said after a while, "I only intended to be an arse to Potter, not you."

"I know."

"And I am going to laugh at him when he gets detention," he continued, "I get the distinct feeling you'd rather I leave him alone but the boy is a right git and so long as he continues to be one, I will continue to give him hell for it."

"I know."

"Oh and thanks for being my second. Unnecessary, but I appreciate it."

"I know."

"Is there anything you don't know?"