Dark Blood // D.M.

THE HOWLER

Armena Riddle-Lestrange 

Thursday

I pushed past a group of third years leaving D.A.D.A. My feet took two steps at a time, as I burst into Snape's office unannounced. He didn't even bother looking up from his stack of parchment papers, he just continued to grade. 

I took a seat in my usual chair, taking out the apple in my robe. I spun around the green object in my hand, examining it. I let out a long sigh, before sinking my teeth into the juicy, crisp apple.

"What did I tell you about spending meals with me?" he hummed, not bothering to look up.

"I would hardly call this lunch professor" I said, taking another bite.

I pulled out my Ancient Runes scroll, glancing over my translation that was due next class. It was perfect work if you ask me. 

"How was Divination's today?" he asked.

"That class is absolute rubbish..." I muttered, tucking away my scrolls into my bag. "She says I'm talented in it but I don't see it. To me it seems like just a bunch of hocus pocus."

"I was never... fond of that class in my younger years" he hummed.

"See, I would rather be taking arithmancy or something interesting" I sighed, taking another bite of the apple.

"How is Ancient Runes?" he hummed, still not looking up at me. 

This was our routine. I would explain to him my studies and how I was doing. He would test me either mentally or physically, if the subject required, then he would report to the Headmaster. 

"I transcribed my scrolls for next week already" I motioned towards the parchment sticking out of my bag. 

"I see you and Mr Malfoy are on better terms, as well..."

"We are— um, cordial" I muttered. 

I felt crimson rise to my cheeks, I don't know what kind of terms Draco and I were on but it was not pleasant. Mainly these past few days, since the shrieking shack, and that night in my dormitory, have just been us ignoring each other or saying harsh things under our breath. We just had a constant need to hurt each other. 

I wanted to smack myself and most importantly I wanted to smack Draco. 

"Thanks for that permeant seat change, by the way. That was really nice of you" I hissed. 

Ever since that day in class when he switched Blaise and I, he permanently kept the seat assignments. Draco and I are now forced to spend our class time sitting shoulder to shoulder, not even uttering a simple hello. I honestly think this was worse than when we actually went speaking or near each other. 

Professor Snape looked up at me, leaning forward on his desk. He raised his eyebrows at me, studying me carefully. 

"We never talked about your boggart" he hummed.

I felt the color wash out of my face. This was the one subject that I was hoping that he would avoid. The one subject that I wanted to personally never speak of again. 

I had not said a single word of it since that day and he never brought it up, until now. I clenched my jaw tightly, feeling a mix of emotions. 

"Professor— I would rather not speak on it" I said through my teeth.

He pursed his lips, looking at me carefully. We sat in dead silence for a few minutes. I looked down at my ring, twisting it in my hand carefully. I took a deep breath through my nose and continued.