Draco Malfoy and the Girl Who Hid

7

"You're late," Professor Flitwick, scuttled over to them in annoyance. Looking at his list and then peering behind Draco and Yn's legs. Yn remembered Professor Flitwick clearly. Particularly, at how amused she was when he was decorating the Great Hall Christmas tree in first year with a charm that he was teaching them and was getting frustrated that decorations were not being placed in accordance with the design he had planned,

Draco's mouth turned down in more vexation than Professor Flitwick could ever muster up, and he looked away. Yn glanced at Draco.

Slightly embarrassed by his reaction she intervened. "Apologies Professor Flitwick. We missed the carriage because of me."

Professor Flitwick was a short man, with spectacles and hair part down the centre hanging three inches over each side of his head. He looked up at Yn's face curiously. He was the head of Ravenclaw and had been a student in that very house many years ago. It did not take him long to put two and two together. "Ah, Miss Avery, it's a pleasure to see you again. Although, perhaps this is not the best start to a new year." His glasses slipped to his nose, and he looked up at her.

"Sorry Professor," she timidly added. "I left my book on the train and Draco offered to help me fetch it so that I would not have to ride the carriage alone after all this time. But the last carriage left by the time we made it back."

Draco eyed her suspiciously. He knew what game she was playing. Yn had always known what to say to who and how to say it. It was no wonder that Professor Flitwick was eating out the palm of her hand.

"Very well," he cleared his throat and checked both of their names on the register. "Check in with Caretake Filch."

This got Draco's attention. "What for?"

Flitwick raised eyebrows. "Mandatory bag search Mr Malfoy." Then he waved them off before pacing in front of the gate again.

Draco mouth was open ready to rebuttal about how this was a violation and that his father would be hearing about this etcetera etcetera. But Yn was faster than he was. She took one step in front of Draco, so she shielded Professor Flitwick from Draco wrath. "Of course. Thank you Professor." She smiled at him as she nudged Draco.

Draco had planted his feet. He wasn't done. Yn glared at Draco. He glared back. Someone had to relent first. "Draco," she warned. He practically snarled at her in response. "Seriously, this like being with a child. You don't have to throw a tantrum about everything Malfoy."

He finally dropped his gaze and turned around. "Oh, so it's Malfoy now," he muttered under his breath, before striding away to where Filch was prodding student's luggage.

Is this what school was like? Yn wasn't sure she liked it all. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Professor Flitwick flashing him one last smile before making her way to the pile of bags. She stood arms folded while Draco chose to argue with Filch about some stupid stick. She tapped her foot impatiently at the ridiculousness of the situation. That was when she noticed the Aurors pacing around. They looked like shadows drifting eerily, like ghosts. She recognised some of them from her ministry visits with her father. Her head had involuntarily tilted.

"It's not a cane, you cretin. It's a walking stick," Draco spat out.

Without any context Yn spluttered with laughter, looking up and down at Draco. Draco scowled at her. She tried to contain the laughter, by bringing her hand to her mouth.

But Filch only made her laugh harder. "And what exactly would you be wanting with a walking stick?"

Just then a cloaked figure emerged from around the pile. "It was his father's," Snake drawled.

Draco warily eyes his as he snatched the stick back from Filch. "It is my father's. He's not dead." No, he wasn't, but he was in Azkaban. None of them knew what pressure that brought on him. As much as he despised his father, he had not realised what he had been able to shield him from until now. As he gently handles the stick, he could not help but see the face of his poor mother. She was the only one he was doing this for.

Snape watched Draco carefully as Draco wrapped the stick with felt and lay it back inside his truck. "It's alright Mr Filch. I can vouch for Mr Malfoy." Then Snape's eyes snapped to Yn, who had finished chortling and had become rigid at his unannounced arrival. "As a matter of fact, the same can apply to Miss Avery. No doubt she carries no prohibited items in her trunk."

Yn who had been watching the interaction unfold was startled at the mention of her name. She shook her head in acknowledgment. Professor Snape was much the same as she could recall. Generally suspicious and always alert and constantly avoiding her eyes like he knew something she shouldn't. But before she could make any more observations, she caught Draco's eyes slide from his trunk across the ground up to her face then somewhere behind her. "Nice face Potter," he taunted, before shrugging off.

Yn turned slowly and saw Harry and Luna, but most noticeably the blood splattered on his face and slightly crooked nose. She looked at him questioningly, her feet bringing him closer to him. But he shrugged of the blood dripping from his nose gave a swift up and down of his shoulders. Again, she stepped closer, but this time to her surprise Draco stopped her.

"Let's go we are already late?" He stepped up behind her, she could feel his breath on her neck. He took her bag and her book from her hand. "I'll carry these." Essentially taking away the option from her. Yn looked back at Harry who was throwing daggers at Draco who was returning them with equal force.

Harry silently indicted to Yn that he was fine and for her to go on. Harry knew there was no point in creating a scene here.

"Yeah... Okay," she replied to Draco, reluctantly traipsing after him and occasionally turning back to see Harry holding his nose in pain. "Luna perhaps you might be able to fix Harry's nose,'" she fleetingly suggested.

Ahead of her, Draco was storming of at quite some speed.

Yn had not noticed Professor Snape's steps sync up with hers. "A word of advice Miss Avery."

Yn blinked rapidly in surprise.

"Be careful. You can never quite be sure what everyone's intentions are?" And with that bold statement, Snape accelerated forwards, his cloak flying behind him in dark whisps.

That was the second time an unexpected source had told her that today.