Elysia Dumbledore [A Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter Twelve ~ The Announcement

But, not even jealousy could distract me from the grand entrances made from our visiting schools. The Beauxbatons were all beautiful, their movements fluent and almost... liquid. I tried to ignore Drew's slack jaw, but it was hard to ignore his very loud comparisons between me and the Veela-girls.

"Hahaha, Elle could almost be one of them... If she was a bit taller, and didn't look so sullen!" he bellowed, laughing with his crowd of chimp friends.

Indignation can't describe it. It doesn't even scratch the surface. Since when had I become some quiet, reserved girlfriend who let this stuff slide? Whipping out my wand, which was buzzing in anticipation, I directed a particularly amusing hex in his direction.

The look he gave me was sheer ignorance, until he glanced at my wand and something clicked. He raised his hand (as if to hit me in fact) but his gaze was distracted from my face as he saw thick, brown fur beginning to spread across his hand and up his arm.

Niamh gripped my forearm, frightened at the sight of my 'boyfriend' transforming in to a great big gorilla. Soon, his face was as heavy-set as one of the Durmstrang boys (whose entrance I had just missed because I was too busy watching Drew's performance).

He roared and thrashed his hands, breaking glasses all over the place, but he wouldn't hurt me in public. Laughing at his bewildered friends, who all feared a similar transformation for themselves, I flicked my wand without performing any incantation and sent them all running out of the hall in fear.

Luckily for the Ravenclaws, we were situated close to the large doors, giving them a discreet exit, without disturbing my fathers speech. Looking back up, I couldn't concentrate at all. The talk of a Tri-Wizard tournament had already spread, and I didn't need to worry about the Goblet of Fire, because I was too young to enter anyway.

 All that I could think of was the repercussions... and Neville's friend. Sighing in both anxiety and frustration, I speared the carrots on my plate with perhaps a little too much strength and made a very appetising carrot puree to enjoy...

"Elle, Drew probably won't do anything... I mean, it was just a joke... right?" said Niamh, her voice higher than usual.

Judging by his family history, I'm not so sure that Drew will let this slide, and I'm not so sure that I will either.

"I don't know if it was..." I grumbled, lamenting on the rubbish he says about me.

"But... he's not all bad..." she continued, her manner both sheepish and confused.

"Niamh! Seriously! He's only nice when no-ones looking!" I screeched, gripping my fork with greater intensity.

"Talk like that will scare all the boys off." snickered Willow, sliding herself in Drew's previous seat.

"I don't think I ever want to touch a boy again." I sighed, glaring at Neville in the corner of my eye.

"More for me." she hissed, narrowing her eyes as she captured a fat chocolate in to her mouth.

There were times, kind of like these, when she reminded me of Jane with her bitterness. I never knew if she was kidding or not, and I didn't really have any kind words of hers to compare this to, so I had no idea if it was normal for her to be so... so... Cold?

I was just furious. Stupid decisions had landed me here, and besides my horrifying dreams (which I wasn't even sure whether they were dreams or some freaky connection to Voldy) I couldn't shake the withered old Prunella, her heart devoid of beats and lungs starving for air that would never come.

If I hadn't seen or kissed Drew at the World Cup, I wouldn't have been choked by Drew's possessiveness and I wouldn't have lost Leon. And, if i had Neville and Leon, I would have been able to talk to somebody about Prunella, and whatever the hell I did that day, but I haven't got them.