"Dufftown?! That's not far from here." A girl who sat with Ron and the other boy said.
I joined the group leaned over to look at the paper. It sparked my interest. Once before, I remember hearing of Sirius Black from my father, but that was years ago. "May I?" I said as I grabbed the paper to look at it. RIght here was the first time I saw Sirius Black's face. He looked demented and angry. He seemed familiar still.
I put my hand on my head as a quick flash of his face in color, and younger appeared in my head. It only felt like a brief headache, but it still bothered me.
"You alright there, Malfoy?" I heard George say. It brought me back to reality.
"Look like you've seen a ghost." Fred chuckled and elbowed me lightly.
I placed the newspaper article back as my eyes met the boy. I remembered Draco mentioning the features of Harry Potter, and this was him in front of me. "Just a mere headache."
Then my ears tuned back into the conversation, "Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
"This class is ridiculous," Draco muttered to his lackeys, which of course, they nodded.
"Shut it," I growled under my breath at him. In return, he did a slight, not noticeable shove at me. He wouldn't do it; then his injury wouldn't look so horrible as he played it up to be. I watched as the students went up and did their best on the spell. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at Ron's fear. Rina shoved me lightly and told me to stop it. "Sorry, sorry."
Potter turned the creature into a dementor. Professor stepped in and fixed the issue, but it was puzzling. Perhaps it was just because they surround the school grounds.
"Potter passed out to one of those. So pathetic, isn't it for a half-blood." Draco laughed as class dismissed.
I stayed after to talk to Professor Lupin, "Professor, I know you said the class is dismissed, but may I give it a go?" I raised my wand and waved it lightly.
"No, no Y/N, that is enough for today, as I said." Lupin turned off the music and shut the case.
"Please, Professor? I promise it won't be any dementor." I walked closer to him. Father always told me to take a chance to be above the others. This could be my way into a quick private lesson.
A sigh of frustration came from my professor, "Alright then. Do you remember the spell?" I nodded in agreement and took a stance in front of the mirrored wardrobe.
The creature came out of the wardrobe once again. It swirled for what seemed like forever until it chose its final form.
"Sirius Black..." Professor Lupin muttered and stepped out, "Y/N-"
"Riddikulus!" I yelled without hesitation. The spell left my wand. The Boggart turned to a tiny hognose snake. I breathed heavily with a smirk on my face, "Thank you, professor. Have a nice day." I turned on my heels and left the classroom. When I was out of sight of Professor Lupin, my calm walk turned into a run.
Why that criminal? Is it because I saw his picture in the newspaper? Of all things, it could've been why Sirius Black. I stopped at the courtyard that held the large tree students studied near. My year was getting ready to leave for Hogsmeade. Since learning was more important than some silly class trip, I wasn't to go.
My heart was still racing, though. I needed to calm down. Have a clear mind. There was one idea that came to my mind. I went back to the Hufflepuff dormitories and searched through the trunk at the foot of my bed. My fingers brushed against the soft satin as I grabbed the shoes from the bottom. My hands pulled up my black satin ballet shoes.
I changed into more athletic clothes and searched for an empty room I could occupy. Finally, I pushed back the desks to give myself space. I placed down a book and cast a spell to cause the music to play directly off the stage. The shoes still fit nicely and were laced up just fine.
The music echoed in the empty classroom as I began my lonely solo. My mother did sign me up for classes. It was to make my body and core more robust and make the magic flow in my blood to the tips of my fingers.
I practiced my combos that were burned into my mind. I bent down, kept my arms light and flowing, then pushed up onto the box of my ballet shoes. I went out on one foot as the other rose behind me. My hand extended forward to make myself look taller from an outsider's perspective.
My feet came back flat as I went to the corner of the square I made of desks. In a diagonal, I went across doing multiple pirouettes. I was about to finish my last one when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned my head in the direction of the voice, seeing a redhead. Not paying attention, I hit my hips into a desk and fell back. I caught myself with my hands and my butt, glad I didn't crack my head against the wooden floors.
"My bad." Fred hopped over a desk. He leaned forward and lifted me from under my arms. "Didn't know Malfoys could dance."
"Didn't know Weasleys couldn't mind their own business." I pulled out my wand and shot a spell at the book, still playing music behind him. "I could've been seriously hurt. Twist an ankle or something." I walked past him and took a seat in a chair, unlacing my shoes.
"Well, then it's a good thing I would be here to take you to the medical wing, hm? And one does tend to follow the sound of music." Weasley motioned to the book I was using as a player.
"So you could come in and hear more venomous words? I'm not a snake, you know." I shot him a glare then went back to taking off my shoes.
"If you were one, you were put into the wrong house." Fred laughed as he towered over me against a desk next to me.
All I could do was scoff. His presence annoyed me, and so did the little comments. "Shouldn't you be off preparing for your OWLS or whatever in Merlin's name they call it."
"George is working on a study plan and passing plan for us. Nothing for you to fret over, little Malfoy." Fred patted my back.
"As if it was making me worry." My eyes rolled out of his view. "The only person I need to worry about is myself and partially that git, Draco."
"Speaking of that little thorn, why didn't you come to Hogwarts with him his first year?" He questioned me as if it was my choice not to come here. He didn't know why though, so I couldn't hold it against him.
I stood up to pick up my book, and my other belongs, "To answer that question, you'll need to take it up with my father. I have heard that he isn't too fond of your family. Blood traitors, I believe he said." I saw Fred shift in his relaxed manner to a hinge of discomfort. "Thought so." A flick of my wand placed the desks back in their proper places. He moved to avoid getting hit by my object movement spell. I couldn't get rid of him though, he followed me out of the room. "Any other questions?" My voice was cold as stone in winter.
"Why are you heartless? I think the sorting hat must be broken after all of these years." He responded less cheeky than his previous inquiries.
"Heartless? People call me heartless?"
"People tend to give that title when a certain someone's family is known for those actions. I had some hope you'd be different." Fred walked past me and didn't turn back to see that his words caused me to stop in my path.
I didn't have the words to come back at him with, "Heartless?"
