The Gryffindor Malfoy

Chapter 16

Summary: Carina and Emma talk. The two go to the Hogwarts kitchens and meet someone.

She lifts her head when I call her name.

"Oh, Carina." she says, her voice sounding shaky. "Well, again, I'm sorry..."

"Is everything all right?" I ask, even though I know she's not well. 

She quickly wipes the tears from her face, as if she's only just realised that she's crying. She hesitantly nods, but we both know she's lying. I see that she seems about to head off in the direction of wherever she was going when I have an idea.

"Wait," I say, making her stop and turn to me. "Don't you want to go to the kitchens with me? I was thinking of going there myself."

I can see on her face that she seems to be thinking about my invitation. She bites her lower lip, probably mentally pondering whether or not to accept. 

"Okay." she says, stopping to bite her lip and raising her head to look me in the eye. 

"Let's go then." I say, giving her a slight smile.

I guide her towards the kitchens. On the way, I think about whether to stay silent or try to ask her why she's crying. My curiosity wins out in the end. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but what happened?" I ask. 

I see that she's thinking again about what to do. I hear her take a deep breath, and then I realise that Emma has stopped following me. I turn round and walk towards her. 

"Do you promise to keep it a secret?" she asks, her gaze looking desperate, as if she really wants to tell me whatever is troubling her but is holding back because of something. 

I crack a small smile. "Of course. We're friends, aren't we?" 

She nods, smiling slightly. Emma sighs before saying whatever she has to say.

"I... I sneaked off to Hogsmeade with Harry." she starts to say. 

I widen my eyes, shocked that Emma has somehow managed to go to Hogsmeade, when no second year student is allowed to do so. "H-how?" I ask. 

She again seems to be considering whether or not to tell me. 

"Well, now that you know I sneaked off, there's no point in me hiding this... The twins gave me a magic map, actually they gave it to me and my brother." she replies. "That's how we managed to sneak out through one of the school's secret passages. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. Harry and I were with Ron and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks and we found out something about our parents..."

This only gets my attention. "What did you find out?"

She sighs before answering. "Sirius Black was our father's best friend. He's Harry's godfather. He... he betrayed our parents the night they were killed. My parents are dead because of him!"

I try to disguise my shock so that I can comfort Emma. I hug her, feeling her head rest against my shoulder, and she starts to sob. I never thought I'd imagine a Black and a Potter being friends. Well, before I went to Hogwarts, I would have said that a friendship between a Malfoy and a Potter was just as unlikely, but look where we are: Draco and I are friends with Emma. I am friends with Harry.

I wait for her to calm down and, when I feel the sobs subside, I stop hugging her, one of the hands that was wrapping her in a hug sliding down to her hand. I try to comfort her in the way I think will work best at the moment: distraction. 

"Shall we go to the kitchens?" I ask. "I spent the afternoon with Stella and Aster found out where it is and how to get in."

She sniffles and wipes away her tears before nodding slightly. Hand in hand, I guide Emma to where Aster had told me the entrance to the kitchens is. As soon as I find the painting with the bowl of fruit, I look for the pear and then hesitantly tickle it when I find it. Within seconds a doorknob forms. Emma giggles.