My Mute Life (Fred x OC) Book 1

Chapter 7

Draco couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Harry filled Ron and I in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and we spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," said Harry.

But as all we knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, we didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Draco, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. I was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of Harry, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.

Professor McGonagall

Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron and I to read.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."

We left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before our first class, but halfway across the entrance hall we found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Draco seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."

Ron couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Draco snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Draco quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Draco's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.

Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Draco's obvious rage and confusion.

I quickly handed them a note that simply said, 'bathroom,' and I ran back down the stairs.

Thankfully, Draco was just rounding the corner. I quickly caught up with him.

"Seraphine?" He said in surprise. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle. "You two go on without me. I'll meet you in class."

They stumbled away blindly, and once they were out of sight Draco turned to me.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

"M- Meet m- me at t-the B- Black L- Lake at m- midnight," I whispered. "I n- need to t- talk to you."

Draco nodded, and when the bell rang I dashed off to class.

That night I waited until everyone had fallen asleep, and I snuck out of the girl's dormitory, out of the Gryffindor common room, and crept out of the portrait hole. I crept down hallways, ducked through tapestries, and wound up and down staircases. Then I slowly pushed open the castle doors and ran down the grounds to the Black Lake. I could see Draco was already waiting there for me. As I got closer, I could see he was pacing back and forth on the dock, hands clasped behind his back.

"What did you want to tell me?" He asked, a worried glint in his eyes.

"Parlez-vous français?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, but why do you want to know if I can speak French?"

"Je ne veux pas que personne ne nous écoute."(I don't want anyone to overhear us.)

"Et pourquoi pas?" (And why not?)

"Parce que je vais vous dire quelque chose que ma vie dépend de."(Because I'm going to tell you something my life depends on.)

I told him everything. I told him about Sebastian, Eric, my mother, my powers, everything!

"Et maintenant Harry, Ron, Hermione et Fred savent que je peux parler français, et Harry, Ron, et Hermione je sais que je peux parler chien! Ne demandez pas."(And now Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Fred know I can speak French, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione know I can speak dog! Don't ask.)

Draco listened to me patiently the whole time.

"Wow," he said. "That's incredible. You know, you're going to have to tell them eventually."

I nodded.

"Why won't you talk English to me? He asked. You only speak..." He trailed off. "Oh. You can't speak fluent English can you?" He asked. "You can only speak French."

I nodded.

"Well, I have an idea," he said. "What if I teach you how to speak fluent English? We could meet at the Black Lake when we're free, and I could teach you English."

I nodded ecstatically.

"Nous pourrions nous dire quand nous serons libres quand nous nous traversons dans les couloirs. Dans François."(We could tell each other when we're free when we pass each other in the hallways. In French.)

"Great!" Draco said. "It's settled. But we can't start tonight. It's too late."

I looked at the sky. It was getting lighter out. Draco walked with me back into Hogwarts, and up to the Gryffindor common room.

"I'll see you in the hallways," Draco said.I smiled at him, and stepped inside the common room. I managed to wave at him before the portrait closed.