Black Rose (Draco Malfoy)

The Fable

Chapter 65: The Fable

"How long will this take to brew?" I asked as I stared at my empty cauldron. I did not know why I had not thought to ask earlier; it was of vital importance.

"Six months," said Severus, who was standing in front of me.

I gritted my teeth. "That's too long." Who knew what could have happened by then? I needed it now.

"Do you still wish to make it?"

I was silent for a moment, and then I said, "Yes." If I did manage to get Draco over to my side without the potion, we would be sure to find ourselves in many dangerous situations in which luck would be very helpful.

Severus nodded. "We should begin. Start slowly. You do not want to make a mistake."

Right, of course. The slightest mistake could prove disastrous. I knew this was the toughest potion I had ever made; if I could complete it successfully, I felt like I could do anything.

Nearly two hours had passed by the time I completed the last of the instructions. I looked up at Severus anxiously. He had helped me throughout the process, but I still needed confirmation of the finished product.

"Excellent," Severus said, sounding impressed. "I have never had a student who has been able to do it, but you succeeded."

My heart lifted in pride, and I beamed at him. "Thank you." Now I just had to wait six months. A curiosity crossed my mind. "Hey, how does this potion work, anyway? I know it can't help you with everything."

"Correct," Severus said. "It cannot give you any abilities you do not already possess. It simply guides you and presents you with the best choice out of all your options you would always have had. It heightens your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. It gives you an intuition about what you should be doing in order to accomplish your goals."

"Cool," I said. It sounded like a very neat potion. It would definitely be coming in handy. "So, have you talked to Draco?"

"I have," Severus said. "Unfortunately, he has not changed his mind. However, he does find it acceptable that you and I are meeting."

I bit my lip. "Ok." At least that was something. I would have to find him and try to talk to him myself.

"It's getting late; you should be off to bed. Good night, Crystal."

I gave him a small smile. "Good night, Severus."

***

I received a response from George on Friday morning. Everything was fine back in London, at least, as fine as things could be considering the circumstances. It was always good that no one was hurt. The Ministry was inspecting all muggle-borns and confiscating their wands. I shivered at the thought. I wrote him back quickly during my free period.

Saturday, I found myself with little to do. I did not feel like talking to my friends because I did not want them to get on my case again. Besides, Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts were going on, and I suspected everyone had gathered there. I took Snowflake and wandered around the castle with him.

The cat seemed to be enjoying himself. He would sniff out every corner and meow when he found something interesting. Some people stared at me, but I did not care.

I was surprised when he suddenly took off running. "Snowflake!" I called as I began to chase after him. I could see his white tail disappear behind a corner; I raced after him. Snowflake continued to run along the hallways. When he got near the stairs, however, he turned and leapt onto them. Except, someone's arms reached out to catch him. I skidded to a halt when I got close enough to see who it was.