The Potions Master's Daughter (Book One)

Chapter 29

In the silence that followed I realized he looked really worried. His icy blue eyes kept darting around. He kept running his slender fingers through his blonde hair.

"What's the matter," I asked softly.

He looked at me and said, "Oh it's nothing."

I looked at him in the eye, "Yes it is. What's the matter?"

He looked down and said, "Well all the Slytherins are going to hate me even more now. I just don't want to face them. I know they'll be mad at me for helping you."

"You didn't need to," I said,

"Sorry," he replied misunderstanding me.

"Oh no I don't mean it like that. I mean if you thought that by helping me they would hate you more then you really don't need to."

"No it wouldn't even matter except they're violent people. I'm sure I can manage though," he said quickly.

Worried I asked, "How do you know they're violent? I know they are mean but I haven't seen them be really violent."

He sighed and said, "Nevermind. Forget I said anything. I'll be fine, I'm sure I can handle it."

He tried to walk away but I caught up to him easily. I had passed the Charms classroom but I wasn't going to leave him now.

"No wait how do you know?"

"I told you it's nothing. I didn't mean to say that," he said angrily.

"Why not?" I asked.

He looked down and I went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Because you would think I'm really weak if I told you."

"No I won't I promise," I said gently.

He sighed and lifted up his robes to expose his arms. I saw a bunch of seemingly random red marks. From experience I recognized them as knife marks. I looked closer and realized they spelled out the words "Mudblood lover"

I looked back up at him and he was wincing back, "They did that?"

He nodded and said, "Well yes but it wasn't a first year who actually did it; it was a big 6th year that seemed to know Draco."

"That's terrible," I said.

He shrugged and said, "Whatever. I'm used to it," he covered his mouth, "Never mind."

"What?" I asked concerned.

"Oh it's nothing."

"Yes it is. Look I'm not going through this again. Just tell me; I swear I'll understand," I said.

"No you won't. You'll think I'm weak just like everyone else I've ever met."

Sighing I pulled up my own robes exposing my own scared arms, "Believe me, I'll understand."

He stared down at them then back up at me, "Well my parents do it to me all the time. Not necessarily carve words but I mean it still hurts the same."

"It's all right. My mother does too."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Me too. Listen your scars that are red look fairly new, when did they happen?"

He winced back, "Monday."

My mouth opened slightly, "What?" I asked angrily then softened, "Well then a potion I know of can make them go away."

"Yeah I know; it's the Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction potion but I don't have anything to make it with."

"And I thought you were smart. Professor Snape does. We'll make it tonight."