The Carnival ⌁ Draco Malfoy [1/4] ✔

24

It was unexpected; after the public knowledge of the escaped Death Eaters, after it was all the school talked about, Harry finally pulled himself together and started his D.A meetings at the rate of which most of his usual 'students' would say he doubled them. He had no need to teach Emma the disarming spell, and she had caught up on their usual hexes and jinxes in no time. In fact, it was a good thing Harry finally taught her - Emma was able to partner up with Neville Longbottom so that Harry could walk around and see how everybody else was doing.

At Emma's second D.A meeting, even though she was quite sloppy at the hexes and jinxes she was taught in her first, Harry showed her how to do a Shield Charm anyway, and Hermione and Neville were the first two to get it right. Neville seemed, quite weirdly, overdetermined. He barely spoke, only worked hard on jinxes and counter-curses.

And the snow out on the grounds seemed to fade as Emma seemed to grow better and better with every D.A lesson. Sabrina seemed to grow more distant as the snow faded, even as January left them.

Fred and George both stopped Emma in the middle of the corridor whilst on her way to Defence against the Dark Arts.

"So, did you use it yet?" asked George, seeming to have had a free period as he was not in a rush to get to his next class. Or both twins just did not care.

"Use what?" Emma blinked.

"You know," Fred whispered. "The stuff we gave you. On the ferret."

"Oh," said Emma, realising that they were referring to the purple substance that she was saving for their date in a weeks time. "Right - no, I haven't yet. I'll be using it in Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?" the twins chorused, looks of discomfort dawning on their faces.

"Yes, Hogsmeade," Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm going on a date with Draco."

"A date?" Fred's mouth dropped, him and George both exchanging a look of horror and disgust before facing Emma with the same look. "A date?! Did you not just tell us you were pissed off at him? He made you cry for heaven's sake."

George laughed half-heartedly, though he looked a bit worried. "You sound just like Mum."

"He didn't make me cry," Emma protested, prodding her bag nervously. "I made myself cry by thinking about it. There's a difference."

"Not really," Fred continued, staring down at Emma as though about to disown her.

"Look, I've gotta go or Umbridge is gonna kill me," Emma said, trying to fight her way past the twins but they wouldn't let her.

"If Harry finds out -"

"- he won't be happy."

"I don't care," Emma nearly shouted. "Jeez, Harry and Draco are just as bad as each other. Can't I see, talk, or go on dates with people without someone else having a go at me? Move!"

And she pushed the twins apart and walked in between them down the corridor, and ran as fast as she could to her next class. Professor Umbridge paused mid-sentence and the class turned their heads around when Emma burst into the room, panting and holding tightly onto her bag.

"Miss Baranov," said Umbridge in a sickly, sweet, conversational voice. "How wonderful of you to join us. Sit down quickly, please."