The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 12

Inside was a gorgeous , who was dark blue with a white underbelly. Delilah stared at it, speechless. Then she wrapped her arms around Draco.

"Thank you! She's gorgeous! Or is it a he?"

Draco laughed. "Why don't you ask?"

"What's your name?" She asked in parseltongue, stroking the snake's scaly body.

"Midnight."

"And are you a he or she...?"

"She."

"Thanks."

"He likes you, you know. He talks in his sleep."

Delilah blushed.

"What did he say?" Draco asked curiously.

"She told me that her name is Midnight," Delilah stated. She wasn't technically lying, just not telling the whole truth.

"Huh, interesting. Hi Midnight!" Draco waved at the snake.

Midnight curled up and moved her head side to side in response.

Delilah picked her up and set her on the ground. Midnight slithered onto Delilah's lap and coiled up, setting her head on her arm.

Delilah couldn't help smiling for the rest of the day, even when at lunch Harry looked suspiciously from Draco to Midnight, who was wrapped around Delilah's shoulders.

It didn't help that the teachers had moved the House tables against the walls so there was a single table for twelve students. There also were seats for the teachers that had stayed who were Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick. There also was a seat for Filch. The only other students were the six from the Animagi Program.

Delilah and Draco sat next to each other and after a minute Harry, Hermione, and Ronald came in.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables.... Sit down, sit down!"

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically.

"Why is Dumbdoor so overenthusiastic?" Midnight hissed.

Delilah surpressed her laughter and quietly replied, "It's just his style, he likes attention."

Dumbdoor, as Midnight called Dumbledore, offered the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who reluctantly took it and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Delilah noticed how Harry and Ron glanced at each other, grinning. Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who immediately swapped it for his wizard's hat.

"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.

They all dug in, and Delilah's smile faltered when Harry glared at Draco just because he nudged her while whispering to her that his gift was her favorite, and she couldn't argue, though the memory book was a close-ish second. It wasn't really, but that was what she told him to shut him up.

Halfway through, Professor Trelawney, the divination teacher, glided toward them as though on wheels. She was wearing a green sequined dress that made her look like an oversized dragonfly.

"Can I eat the dragonfly?" Midnight asked.

This time Delilah wasn't as good at keeping her giggles to herself.

"N-no," she responded between laughs.

"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise! " said Dumbledore, standing up.