Through Her Eyes

Chapter 106

After that conversation with Nott, Ophelia did not return to the girls nor did she visit the boys. She stood in that compartment and looked only at her fingers, playing with her ring as she started to think about her next decisions. There was no way that she was going to be left out of her friends' lives aka Malfoy and, more or less, Rabastan. Besides, she was more than sure that she already missed a lot already.

Once arrived at Hogsmeade, Ophelia felt this dread, as if darkness was looming over the whole village. She wasn't the only one, many students shuddered as they stepped on the platform.

"It's not what I expected to see," Ophelia mumbled as she noticed how the number of students who returned to Hogwarts after the holidays was half of how many departed.

"The world is changing, haven't you heard?" Nott replied, approaching her with a poker face. "There are dementors watching these grounds, that's why it feels so...empty." He explained, pointing at the sky.

Indeed, once she raised her head, she could see more than the grey sky and dark clouds, there were these black spots moving around yet none were anywhere near the castle itself. Dumbledore still had Hogwarts safe but for how long...that was a question she didn't want to answer.

As they were walking to their carriages, Nott noticed that Ophelia was deep in thought and was avoiding her Gryffindor friends. Actually, she was avoiding everyone. He could understand the heaviness of her situation, her father was the world's enemy (or savior, depending on which side you were on), and she was at the most extreme opposite corner, fighting against her family's values and beliefs.

"Let's ride together, shall we?" He asked, more assured of himself than before when he would scorn and call her names.

But Ophelia agreed, not wanting to see her friends and hear their opinions on the changes.

"You're awfully silent,"

"And you're awfully chatty," She said coldly glancing at him. "Didn't you just say that I have no business with Death Eaters?"

At that moment, Nott rolled up his sleeve and showed her his very clean and unmarked arm.

"I'm not a Death Eater yet. I want to graduate first and have a position at the Ministry before dedicating my life to your father," He said before he changed the subject to something he knew bothered her. "You know, Ophelia, you could be more like him. Or at least, let yourself use his ways if you want to survive. Death Eaters aren't scared of anything,"

"Except death. That's the main reason why they chose him."

"Not really. Some of us do believe in his ideals. Regulus seems to be obsessed with the Dark Lord, didn't Sirius tell you?" He asked with a smirk.

"What's your point?" She asked getting annoyed.

"If you wouldn't be trying so hard to be different from your father, you'd see there are certain ways to keep loyal people around," Nott said, watching as she started to play with her ring. "But you already know that, don't you? That words can really bind people, not only spells."

"Why the sudden interest in my well-being?" She asked with a scornful expression.

"Because I like you," he replied nonchalantly, having accepted his feelings at this point. "It's the Slytherin in you that I like, more specifically. There are moments when you can't help but act like the pure-blooded murderers that you hate." He added with a grin. "Did you find out who tried to enter your mind on Halloween?"

Ophelia looked up at him with a glim of darkness in her eyes, which was a hint enough of the answer.

"Aren't you angry? It was your precious Snape after all," He asked, growing endearing and curious. "He did it willingly although he ended up with a massive headache after that night."