Weakness

Pansy had reached the point of pretending Ellietta did not exist. She hated how Draco fawned over her; always making room for her to sit by his side and spending his free periods with her. It wasn't fair. Pansy had been Draco's best friend since birth, practically. Was she really so easily replaceable? And by a girl who couldn't be bother to even speak half the time? She glanced across the table at Draco. He was deep in conversation with Theodore Nott but Ellietta was there, a quiet presence at his left side. Pansy was just wondering what hex would cause the most humiliation on Ellietta's part when Professor Quirrell darted into the Great Hall.

"Troll in the dungeons, thought you should know," he gasped and then fell to the floor with a thud in front of Dumbledore's chair.

The prefects were ordered to take the students back to their dormitories. Pansy was so terrified she forgot all about Ellietta. She rushed into her room, drew her curtains, and cowered under her quilt. Ellietta, who feared nothing, remained in the common room with a few other slightly braver students. Draco was, of course, one of them.

"I could take on a troll," he was gloating.

Ellietta rolled her eyes, her hair turning a darker coral red as she did. After a long while of Draco gloating, Crabbe and Goyle egging him on as they felt necessary, the Bloody Baron drifted through the wall and announced that the troll had been dealt with. Things went back to normal almost immediately. Pansy even ventured out from beneath her blankets to get a bite to eat, since the Hallowe'en feast was to be continued in the common room. Ellietta almost choked on her treacle tart when Pansy sat directly on top of her.

"Oops," she giggled airily, "I didn't see you there. Do you mind moving a bit so I could have a word with Draco?"

"She doesn't want to move," Draco hissed, and Pansy backed away, slightly frightened.

"I can speak for myself," Ellietta frowned at him, her hair now a bright fiery red.

She stood up and retired to her room for the night. She dreamt of the day, a few weeks prior, when she'd spent her free period by the lake with her face pressed into Draco's shoulder. Though she felt the warmth radiating from his body, when she woke she was cold and alone. She sat next to Draco at breakfast, and he gave her some of the Fizzing Whizbees his mother had sent, but they didn't really speak. He was too busy complaining to anyone who would listen (even Pansy, much to her delight) about how unfair it was that Potter got a broom and a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. After breakfast it was off to potions and it was quite clear from the moment they walked through the door that Professor Snape was in a foul mood.

"Turn to page 117 in your textbook and brew the draught of peace according to the instructions," he barked from behind his desk.

As Ellietta shuffled to the supply cabinet, something caught her eye. Barely visible beneath his desk, the hem of Professor Snape's robes had become caught on a blood soaked bandage wrapped around his leg. His dark eyes met with Ellietta's lighter ones and she thought for sure he'd tell her off for staring. He did not. Snape jostled his leg a little and the robes became free and dropped back down to his feet. Her hair slowly turned so orange she could have passed for a Weasley and all the while his gaze bore into her; almost through her. As she walked away (prompted by a sharp jab from the end of Draco's wand in her shoulder blade) she could have sworn there was a look of longing on Professor Snape's cold, hard face. By the time Ellietta had returned to her cauldron, whatever it had been, it was gone.