Monster

Parchment 15: Granger Girl and the Rude Painting

Sighing I find myself dreading supper, yes the food is wonderful and excellent like it always is, but, this time I just feel different.

The whole thing with Malfoy was just unbelievable, I can't believe I said and acted like that. Cold hearted and just undesirable, why was I like that. That's the part of me I didn't even know about...

Just shows how much of a monster I really am.

"Hey," a voice comes from behind me, turning I see our Quidditch Captain.

"Oh, hi," I say quietly, my mind still rambling and screaming at the things that happened a long while ago. Meaning Dra-Malfoy and I haven't talked or looked at each other for at least two months, not to mention it's almost Christmas break and I can't go home.

Oh, the joys of having a father like mine, who wants nothing but perfection and he only gets a messed up daughter who obviously doesn't exceed to his limits.

My family loves me.

"Mind if I sit here?" I nod my head and he takes a seat, pulling the plate forward he loads his tray full of food. "Now, why the long face?" He asks stuffing a huge turkey leg into his own face.

I guess I haven't talked to Marcus Flint in a while either, only making eye contact during the practices and exchanging smirks when Draco Malfoy makes a fool out of himself. It doesn't happen too often but when it does, it's a sure trip.

"Well, I guess the whole thing with break coming up-"

"What! I've been waiting for this for ages! I can't wait to go home and tell everyone about our team and have good it is! For Slytherins are one of the best teams this year.." Flint says proudly, with the turkey skin and grease all over his grinning face.

"I guess," I mumble, reaching out I take a small sip of the what I have ahead of me, which is plain and simple water.

I could really go for a Butterbeer though.

"But one thing that annoys me  that Malfoy won't let you play in his place for once, you could have beaten that Potter kid to the Snitch..any blooming day.." Flint grumbles stuffing his face once again with meat, but this time is another stick of turkey. He must have a huge appetite tonight.

"Maybe, I don't know.."

"Oh stop being so modest Nebula, you know you could have, the team knows you could have and Draco knows you could have, though he doesn't admit of course..." I turn to him wide eyed, he never called me by my first name ever.

If that still means anything to anyone anymore.

"Well, Flint, I don't know, I just," clenching my fists I wish I had a wand to make myself invisible at this very moment, "I'm just worried okay, my father, he won't be the happiest, nor was he ever the happiest." Flints face changes quickly, to confusion but it melts away, and into worry instead.

"Your father?-"

"It's nothing," standing up I grab my plate and walk off. The only good thing is it's Friday and I think Dumbledore said something about us going to Hogsmeade this weekend. Or giving us the choice to go or not. I myself am sure going to get what I need most, what mother wouldn't let me get and what father hopes I get to please him and be the 'son he never had' since Andrew didn't meet up to the 'perfect boy' or 'child'.

My feet lead me to the base of the Astronomy tower, that's when I see the curly haired girl come running at me and not stopping, with a lot of books covering her vision. Her not stopping and having me be there at that moment meant a head on collision. Books fly every which way, getting knocked on the head a few times by a history book also.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry!" She says hurrying to pick up her books, I help her clean up. She has all types of books, this Granger girl, a nerd for books like me.

"Oh no, it's okay, you were probably heading back to your house and couldn't see over your book stack," I say giving a light laugh, she chuckles at that. Looking straight she sees something that makes her face go pale and stiffen. Looking down myself I see what she is looking at. My tie. It doesn't have blood stains on it, or something abnormal it's just there.

"I know what you're thinking," she lets out a sharp breath looking up at me as I stand, holding on to her the other books I carry them myself, "I'm not like other people in my house..." Silence forms between us, uncomfortable to her but it was fine with me, just letting the words sink into her and hoping she understands like I understand her situation.

"Now, I'll help you back.."

。。。

Walking with her was a nice thing, just starting a conversation was the hardest of them all. She would stay quiet a majority of the time, but then I sparked her interest. I started talking about books.

Then a smile formed on her face and she began to talk once again, we couldn't stop either. Laughing and just being together made other people, who were out also, look at us oddly, earning a few glares from Slytherins I just told myself and Granger to ignore them.

Coming up to the painting the woman looks down at me with disgust.

"Oh no, no, no!" She squeals, crossing her arms over her chest with a huge frown on her face. "No snake is coming in here!" Grangers face gets a little red by this embarrassment, I just shrug my shoulders and give her books back to her. That's the only things I can do in this situation.

"Well, I guess Slytherins have a permanent record of being rude and nasty in the Gryffindor book," I reply very sarcastically, hiding my hurt inside for oh no, don't want to show that.

"The snake is pretending to be dead when it really isn't."

That's a phrase in heard from another house during a Quidditch match, it was Slytherins against Ravenclaw I believe, we won that one. But the words just stuck to me, a snake pretending to be dead, so of course, you either think 'kill it' or 'help it'. For those who will help it, they, they get bit because they were foolish enough thinking that since they helped the snake it would be grateful towards them... But no, the snake draws venom in the person's veins and they die right in front of them. Then the snake slithers back into the darkness from where I came from.

But that isn't true.

I'm not like that.

I'm not a dead snake!

"You've got that fight forked tongue!" Inside I snapped but outside I just start walking away. Just a few feet away from Granger I hear a low, quiet phrase.

"Thank you."