Thou whose breath empoisons the sweet air,
Whose heart is evil, and whose mind despair;
Whose baleful tongue the fairest fame can blight,
Whose deeds of horror shun the eye of light.
How cam'st thou, fiend, upon this earth to dwell?
Did thy perturbe...
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"Not good news?" Theo asked me with a half smile making me look up from the letter. "Not good news." I shook my head sighing in response. I knew this wasn't a big deal, it's a school house for crying out loud. But the way he brought up my mum stung, and he knew it would. I keep trying to think she has no idea what has happened and if she did she wouldn't care, she's not like that anyway...is she? I don't know anymore. He's the most manipulative man I have ever met and it wouldn't surprise me if he had got into her head and made her think such disturbing thoughts. "Who's it from?" Draco asked biting down on a piece of toast. "Gabriel." He just rolled his eyes in response. "Wheres Mattheo?" Pansy questioned. "Still asleep when I left." Theo quickly answered. "Typical." Draco added with a scoff. "What's typical?" A deep voice spoke making us all look up or turn around quickly. "Nothing." Draco quickly answered sounded scared. "Right." He sighed sitting next to Draco, in front of me. My eyes traced the scars on his face, scanning his features, until he looked at me for a split second meeting my eyes making me jump so much I could have screamed. But I just looked away. "So Ruby, are you excited for Friday?" Pansy said including me into the conversation. "What's Friday?" "The Slytherin welcoming party...?" "Oh um, sure yeah totally." I shook my head acting like I remembered. "I don't know how we are going to get drinks though." Pansy cunningly grinned, her eyes drifting to Theo who quickly looked up from his plate. "Yes Pansy, I will sort it for you." He huffed making us laugh.
Potions. Never have been good at it, doubt I ever will. And what are the odds it's with my head of house, Snape, and no one I know. I was walking while these thoughts spiralled in my head and found myself early to the lesson. A few students sat sparse around the room and I knew I needed to get a seat at the back while I could. I wanted to be hidden in this lesson, especially after that letter this morning I was in no mood to feel like more of a failure. As I sat there the seats stared to fill up, all except one, the one next to me. Tragic. Around 10 minutes had passed and Snape was way along with the lesson, but I wasn't paying attention. My mind started to wander until I was quickly interrupted by the slamming door. "So glad you found the time to join us Mr Riddle." Snape said it that monotone voice. Mattheo answered with a half smile and widened eyes. I could hardly see him over everyone's heads from the back just his face poking over, his smirk. "Please take a seat next to Miss Hunt." That smirk was quickly wiped off his face as his eyes shot over to mine. The way his eyebrows scrunched and his posture stiffened as if the very sight of me made him sick. And I wouldn't be surprised if it did. "No." For Fuck Sake. "Excuse me Mattheo." Snape's head tilted. "I'm not sitting by her." The way the room then filled whispers making my stomach knot. "And why not?" Mattheo took a gulp and deep breath. "Thought that would have been obvious Professor Snape." I wish the fucking floor would swallow me whole. "Miss Lovegood would you please move seats next to Miss Hunt." And that was it. No forcing him. No punishment. No nothing. "Thought that would be obvious." What would be obvious? What have I done? Why does he hate me so much? "I'm Luna Lovegood." I don't even look up. "Ruby." "I don't think Mattheo likes you very much, which is surprising." "And why's that surprising." I sighed. "Well you're pretty." She shrugged. I just laughed. I guess he had more of a reputation than his last name. "Thanks." "Maybe the nargles stole something of his and blamed it on you?" This made me quickly look up at her. "Nargles...?" "They steal your stuff you know, you should really get one of these it keeps them away." She told me fiddling with a cork necklace. "Right...yeah, maybe they did steal something of his." My eyes drifted to the side of Mattheo's head seeming to find more healed scars everytime I looked at him. "But he's definitely blaming me for something."
The day dragged on. Each lesson more tedious than the last, well almost. I sat in my dorm studying reading line over line trying to take it in but I couldn't. "Thought that was obvious." It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was talking about. Gabriel. Yet I still felt anxious, like I should be scared or something. He's the dark lords son I don't know what he's capable of. It was around 10:30 and Pansy was fast asleep in her bed. "Shit." I needed one more book for charms and the library shut in 30 minutes. I crawled out of bed grabbing my wand, as I opened the door the cold air gave my bare legs goosebumps and I fiddled with my pyjama shorts. Hogwarts was always cold but at night it was unbearable. I slowly walked to the library taking this as one of my chances to really take in the hallways since they weren't filled up with students. Almost every inch of the walls were covered in photos. Then my body froze. Whispering. Whispering swirled around my body suffocating me. I span around in panic looking around. "Hello..?" It was hissing, like a snake, yet it was taking to me. I couldn't breathe, as if I could feel its scales wrapping around my throat keeping the air from my body. I was so scared I didn't realise I was practically running. I swung the library door open and slammed it behind me shutting myself into the dimly lit room. Then my eyes met his. Mattheo. I made my way to the bookshelf's not looking at him but I could feel his eyes on me. Potions book, Potions book...fuck it was a charms book. I just grabbed the first thing I saw wanting to get out of there as quick as possible. I quickly walked past him until I heard a scoff which made me turn around. "Problem?" Please shut up. His posture straightened and it felt like he was towering over me even though he was sat down. "Quibbler?" He looked me up and down. I looked down at the magazine I grabbed. Why is this fucking in here. "...yeah?" I said to him as if he was crazy. He just scoffed again and went back to reading his book. "What is your problem?" The question I had been thinking since I met him, the words came out before thinking. His eyes darkened looking at me, I felt like he could see every flaw. Outside and in. I don't know how he does it but one look from him brings every hidden insecurity to the surface. His face relaxed into his usual disgusted manner. "You."
