(2) Dracarys (D. Malfoy)

Chapter Ten

Dani taps the heel of her shoe against her chair. Her fingers turning her crystal ball around in her hand, sat in defence against the dark arts beside Neville waiting on Remus to arrive. Neville watches his friend, can see that something is bothering her. The ball is new too but not surprising. He overheard Trelawney and Dani talking about finding an outlet for her visions, he figures they meant a crystal ball now.

"Turn to page 394," Snape tells the class as he walks into the room and magically closes the shutters on the windows. The students eye Snape with guarded curiosity, considering he is not their professor for this class. Draco finishes scrawling something on a bit of parchment and balls it up in his hands. As he opens them, a moth flutters from his palms.

"Excuse me, sir, but... where's Professor Lupin?" Harry asks.

"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter? Suffice it to say, your Professor finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time. Page 394. Miss Scamander" Dani lifts her eyes to find Snape watching her. "This is not divination, put it away" Dani clutches to the crystal ball before she sinks, relenting, she slides the ball into the pocket of her robes. Snape waves the moth away, blows out a candle and a slide show begins. An ancient woodcut of a horrific beast flickers at the front of the room. Ron frowns down at his book.

"Werewolves?" Ron asks. Vis looks up from his book and over his shoulder at Dani. They both know this is no accident.

"But, sir, we've only just begun learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks. We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks..." Hermione defends.

"Quiet" Snape snaps at her. Ron turns to Harry.

"When did she come in? Did you see her come in?" Ron asks.

"Now. Which of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" Snape asks the class. As the class stares mutely at a slide of an attacking werewolf, Hermione waiting desperately for someone to respond to Snape's question, the moth flutters by Harry. He swats at it. Pins it to his desk. A tiny cloud of moth dust mushrooms into the air and Harry lifts his palm. Draco's parchment has reappeared. "No one? How... disappointing."

"Please, sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the matter." Hermione bursts. "Furthermore, the werewolf actively hunts humans and responds only to the call of its own kind...." Draco lets out a low howl.

"Quiet, Malfoy!" Snape snaps. "Though one must admit to feeling your pain. That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Tell me. Are you incapable of restraining yourself? Or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?" Snape asks, Ron looks at Harry.

"He's got a point, you know." Harry stares at the parchment. Draco has drawn a crude caricature of Harry in his Quidditch robes being struck by lightning over and over. 

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape turns back to the class. "As an antidote to your ignorance, I prescribe two rolls of parchment on the werewolf by Monday morning, with particular emphasis placed on recognizing it. Passing notes, Potter?" Snape snatches the drawing from under Harry's nose and then peers. Eyes it. "Not exactly Picasso, are you? I hope you demonstrate more talent on the Quidditch pitch this weekend then you do as an artist. If not, I fear you'll perish, given the weather forecast. Until that time, however, you'll forgive me if I don't let you off homework. Should you die, I assure you... you need not hand it in." As Snape turns away, Draco laughs with Crabbe, Coyle and Vis. Harry glances down at the drawing once more before he looks across at Dani, her hand in her pocket, fingers grazing over the orb in there.

..............

Dani sits in a corner of the library, tucked away in an aisle alone when Draco spots her. He wasn't even looking for her this time, just looking for a book when he spotted her. Huddled away. It's odd to see her alone. Either she has Neville or Hermione with her, or that dragon of hers. But she's all alone. He cocks his head and moves down the aisle. He sits across from her but her eyes are locked on the crystal ball in her hand, the smoke inside twisting and shifting. She's too focused on it to give him any attention. Which bothers him, but he also gets how important divination is to the shadow-kissed.

"Scamander?" He asks, she hums a little but still doesn't look up at him. "Daenerys?" She still ignores him as an image takes form in the crystal ball. His eyes flicker to it. There is something blue and glowing taking form. "Hey...." He snaps his fingers, now he is getting annoyed that she is ignoring him. He snatches the crystal ball from her and peers into it, but the image is vanishing without her touch on the glass. She lifts her eyes to look at him now. He raises an eyebrow at her in question, she growls slightly.

"Give it back" She snaps at him trying to reach for the ball but he lifts it out of her reach. "Malfoy" She warns practically climbing into his lap to try and get it back from him. He laughs though so she shoves her hand into his face to shove it back against the shelf, he lets out a muffled cry against her palm.

"Hey!" He scolds, his free hand going around her waist to try and pry her off of him, but she is determined to get her crystal ball back.

"What's going on?" Ray's voice stops them both from the end of the aisle, Dani scooting away from Draco and moving to her older brother, his disapproving eyes following her before he glances at Draco, he notes the crystal ball in his hand. "Is that yours, Dani?" Ray asks, Dani nods and goes to take it back from Draco. Ray glares at Draco as he pulls Dani back by her ropes, he'd rather not have her anywhere near the Malfoy boy. "I suggest you return the crystal ball to my sister, Malfoy" Ray warns, Draco scoffs but does as he is told. Holding it out to Dani who snatches it back and pulls it closer to herself. Wisdom hisses from Ray's side and then glares at Draco who watches Dani, something is going on with her and that crystal ball. Ray looks down at Dani when he notes Draco's gaze. "Dani?" He asks, she hums but keeps her eyes on the crystal ball. "You okay?"

"Yes," She answers but still doesn't look up. He reaches for the crystal ball and she snaps a glare up at him. Ray rears back slightly because she has never glared at him before, ever. But he also sees just how tired she is. She's not sleeping, which is probably why she is in such a bad mood.

"Alright, come on" He threads his fingers with hers, her fingers clutching to the crystal ball in her hand. "Stay away from her" Ray warns Draco as he walks away with his sister.

................

Dani sleeps, curled up in an armchair, a blanket around her. Rolf and Ray stand talking close by, Vis sat ignoring them as he studies a herbology book, but his eyes do keep flickering to his sister. Drogon lays on the floor with Callie by Dani's feet. Wisdom and Dior close to Rolf and Ray. It's sort of a mini family reunion. They barely see one another all year round between classes and specific house and year events.

"I'm telling you, she wouldn't give it up" Ray points out, eyeing the crystal ball in Dani's lap. "She was practically clawing at that Malfoy boy's eyes when he took it off her...."

"Do you recognise it?" Rolf asks, Ray shakes his head.

"No, I've never seen it before" Ray admits. "I didn't think she had one"

"I'm going to send an owl to dad" Rolf states. "He needs to know what's going on"

"And if he pulls her out of school?" Vis asks. "She'll never forgive you" Rolf scoffs.

"What do you care what she wants?" Rolf counters. Vis shrugs and looks down at his book.

"I don't" He answers, Rolf and Ray both share a look. Ray shakes his head, not wanting to get into Vis and Dani right now. They have enough to worry about.