Storms Ahead

|Chapter 162 : Bubotuber Pus|

"Hey, Lia?"

"Yeah?"

"Who are these from?" Daphne asked quietly as me and Draco looked up, watching as several owls fluttered down in front of me, a tawny, a barn owl and two eagle owls as I raised an eyebrow, watching as they all tried to deliver their letter first as I caught sight of the one the tawny owl was holding, watching as it danced around in pain as I carefully took the letter it was holding away from it, careful not to touch any of the thick, yellowish green liquid that was covering nearly the whole thing. Beckoning the owl forward I rolled my cloak sleeve over as it hopped on top of it and started lifting its feet as I looked at the boils all over its talons as I glanced back to the liquid as the other owls flew off, Draco holding the stack of letters

"What the hell is that?"

"It looks like undiluted Bubotuber pus" Draco pointed out as I nodded in agreement as I poured water onto my clean and empty plate until the whole of the bottom was covered as the owl hopped in, hooting loudly as it moved around in it

"Poor thing"

"Who would do that to an owl?"

"It wasn't meant for the owl: it was for Lia" Draco mumbled as he rifled through the letters and I turned my head as Adrian and Miles came over

"Why in the name of Merlin is there an owl walking around your plate?"

"Because it's helping" I explained to them as they sat down next to me and I flattened its feathers down as it continued to try as wash its feet before I picked it up and swung my legs over the bench

"I'll be back" I said to them all before walking up to teachers table as I made my way to Hagrid

"Hagrid? Is there anything you can do for this owl?" I asked as he picked it up and looked at the birds talons

"Is he yours?"

"No, he was just delivering a letter. Undiluted Bubotuber pus was all over the envelope"

"I'll 'ave a look Amelia, see wha' I can do" he told me as we swapped smiles

"Thanks, Hagrid. I owe you one" I told him before walking back to the Slytherin table as I claimed my seat back, scanning the looks they all shared

"What is it?"

"This" Draco mumbled as he waved an open letter around with an unclear look

"You opened one?"

"No, I didn't. He did though" he told me as he jerked his head to Adrian as I took the letter from him and looked at the letters cut from various magazines and newspapers as I read it aloud

"You don't belong at Hogwarts. You are a wicked girl and a danger to everyone. Go to Azkaban and take your fathers cell- well that's just splendid" I said as I pulled a face before flicking my wand as it set on fire as I took the rest from Draco and started opening them

"Are you sure you-?"

"What harm is it going to do? They're all basically the same thing anyway" I told them with a shrug before setting them on top of the first letter as they too, started to char and crumple

"I wonder how many more I'll get before the year is out- anyway, what is it you two need?"

"I mean, I wanted to know why there was an owl on your plate-"

"But I came to tell you that Flint has booked the pitch tonight, half seven onwards" Adrian told us as me and Draco nodded as the two disappeared a couple of minutes later while I grabbed a slice of bread and stabbed it with my knife as I held it over the small flames as the two laughed

"Please don't eat that"

"I wasn't going to- should I give it to Blaise?"

"Amelia, that's cruel-"

"Do it. I'll give you seven galleons and three sickles to make him eat that" Draco said with a grin as an amused smile grew on my face while I gave him a questioning look

"Why is that so precise?"

"Because it's how much I found in my trunk last night"

"I wish I could find that much in the bottom of my trunk-"

"Hey Blaise? Do you want some toast?" I asked after he sat down as I held the piece out to him and watched as he shrugged before taking it and taking a bite as we all stared at him

"What?"

"You better start paying" I told Draco quietly as I turned to him and looked at him with a grin as he shook his head amused

"We didn't shake on it"

"Fuck off, don't you dare do that. Two galleons and that's it"

"Alright, deal"

"Hey, what's this?" Blaise asked as I watched him nod towards the pile of burned letters as I watched him take another bite

"It's what I used to make that toast" I said to him with a smile as he stopped chewing, as he looked between us, dropping the slice of toast and grabbing a napkin as he spat into it

"Blaise!"

"That is disgusting!"

"I wish I didn't have to see that"

"Yes, well, I wish I didn't take a bite out of that piece of toast!"