We Met In The Shadows.

A Slytherin's Serpent

Daphne was feeling exhausted. She had just spent the day completing multiple assignments for Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. Her left arm and back ached considerably, after having spent multiple hours hunched over on her desk, filling parchment after parchment with answers and essays. As she changed out of her robes into her pyjamas, thoughts of one Harry Potter filled her head. She hadn’t seen him for dinner that night, or the previous night, or the night before that.
He must be serving detention with Snape, she thought. She was probably going to meet him tomorrow, however. The Slytherins and the Gryffindors had combined Potions tomorrow.

She got into her bed and made herself comfortable. Just as she was about to close her eyes, the door to the dormitory burst open.

“THERE YOU ARE! I’ve been looking for you for the past thirty minutes! It’s not even midnight yet, why are you already going to sleep, Daph?!” screamed a girl.

Tracey Davis, Daphne’s roommate, classmate and best friend. Daphne was a person with a cold exterior. She was rude, snarky and cold to everyone who tried to approach her. There were very few people who had managed to penetrate the rock hard shell that Daphne’s ‘Ice Queen’ persona was. Only three, in fact. And Tracey was one of them. It was probably due to the fact that Daphne and Tracey had been friends long before coming to Hogwarts.

“I’m tired, Tracey. Let me sleep.” said Daphne, as she turned and pulled a blanket over her head.

“Oh you’re SO boring. Come on, let’s talk pleeeease! I haven’t seen you all day…” Tracey pouted, her glasses slipping on her nose.

“What the hell is wrong with you? We’re both in the same class and we’re roommates on top of that. We see each other all day every day.”

“Oh shut up. Now tell me about that letter you got in the mail today. I couldn’t ask you about it earlier.”

“Well, that was from Astoria. She told me she’s been well… and I should stop worrying…”

Tracey’s demeanour changed entirely. Her face sombered and she settled beside Daphne in her bed. She put a hand on Daphne’s shoulder and said, “We’ll figure out a way, Daph. I know we will.”

But Daphne knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The Greengrass bloodline was cursed. One random member from every generation of the family contracted an ancient blood curse. A curse that would shorten the lifespan of the affected person considerably. Her Aunt Agnes had been affected by it, and she had died at the age of 26, when Daphne was barely 5 years old. And now, her sister Astoria was affected by it.

She remembered the day she had found out. She had had a row with her father, demanding why Astoria of all was cursed. Why did her little sister have to die? Why her sweet Astoria? Daphne loved her sister more than anything and the news of the blood curse had nearly ripped her heart in two. She had donned a mask of emotionlessness since that day and vowed to find a cure.

“Tracey, I’ll try my best but… what if I’m unable to… what if Astoria ends up dying?” Daphne’s voice trailed off into a whisper.

Tracey squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “We won’t let that happen. I’ll help you. We’ll save Astoria, okay?”

“Why did it have to be her? Why not me?” asked Daphne to no one in particular.

“It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. We can’t focus on that, we must fi-”

“I know! But I can’t get it out of my head. I know I shouldn’t feel guilty, but I do. I feel like I’ve failed as her elder sister… I’ve failed to protect her.”

“You’ve failed at nothing, Daph. You’re a great sister. And I promise you, we’ll save Astoria.” Tracey pulled Daphne into a tight hug. Daphne shook her head slightly. Tears had begun to well up in her eyes. She hated being this vulnerable, but was thankful Tracey was there for her.