The Eye of the Snake [Draco Malfoy]

o34: Horrors of Halloweens Past

With the daunting homework assignments, lessons with McGonagall, and the D.A. meetings January flew by in no time. Melissa and Cassie had split up their classes, giving each other the notes from the classes they took charge of. The secrets of her lessons and the D.A. meetings were becoming hard to keep with Cassie and Draco constantly asking where she went and what she was doing. Draco was witty enough to realize something was happening, that he probably didn't approve of, and had taken to having Crabbe and Goyle attempt to follow Melissa. However she found it rather simple to elude the oafs.

Melissa walked through the castle after dinner, alone. She'd been studying throughout all her classes, and didn't feel like going to the library with Draco and Cassie. As she reached the third floor, a twinkle off something gold caught her eye. She slowly opened the door of the trophy room, and looked around slowly at all the awards, ribbons, and golden trophies. A plaque shined brightly, hitting her eye. She walked over to it and read the names on the small gold plates covering the plaque. The plaque was made for Quidditch awards from 1977. She looked it over and her heart froze as her eyes moved across the name Dracul Vladimirescu, he'd won an award for being a chaser. She couldn't take her eyes of the plaque until a grape hit her in the temple.

"What the bloody hell," said Melissa and looked around to see Peeves floating above, aiming another grape at her head. Melissa quickly dodged the next grape, but as she ran out of the room a grape hit her back hard and exploded. Melissa snarled at him before leaving the room bitterly. She walked up the marble staircase to the next floor and hastily walked to the library, right past Cassie and Draco who watched her with confused looks.

"Madam Pince," she said as she reached her counter area.

"Yes dear," she said sweetly.

"Do we have any files on past students by any chance?" Melissa asked quickly.

"Who might you be looking into?" she asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Dracul Vladimirescu," she said and the wheel began turning in her head. "And Alexia Dmitry," she added quickly.

"Tragic story those two are," Madam Pince said, shaking her head as a never ending file cabinet began flipping through itself.

"What do you mean?" Melissa asked.

"They married a couple years after Alexia graduated from Hogwarts. Lovely girl, invited me, she was in here quite a bit." She said with a soft smile, remembering Alexia fondly. "They died on Halloween a while back." She said and Melissa's heart fell. Lupin had lied to her.

"How," Melissa said slowly, almost not wanting to know.

"They were murdered." Madam Pince said as the file stopped moving. "Seems their files have been removed by the headmaster." She said and looked back at

Melissa.

"Thank you," Melissa breathed and quickly left the library quickly, hearing Draco say her name but it sounded like nothing more than a distant echo. The corridor around her soon became fuzzy, only being able to see shapes as the seconds past. Drac, look, she's walking... No one can know... won't be safe...voices surrounded her as her legs suddenly decided they didn't want to work anymore.

"Missy," Draco yelled and caught her, picking her up quickly and held her tightly. The blurred lines soon sharpened and she looked around the corridor, blinking. "You alright," he said pushing her hair back lightly.

"Yeah, I just, I got a little dizzy is all," said Melissa with a convincing smile.

"I'm taking you to the hospital wing," Draco said firmly.

"No, Draco, I'm fine, really. I just...need to sit down." She said trying to come up with something quickly.

"You need to be more careful." Draco snapped angrily, glaring harshly at her. She glared back at him, not understanding why he was suddenly so angry.

"Okay, I'll take you to the common room." Draco said and set her down softly, grabbing her hand tightly. "Get my things," Draco snapped at Crabbe and Goyle, and they quickly stumbled back into the library. Draco led her back to the Slytherin common room. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, trying to sort through everything. Lupin had lied to her and she'd trusted him and believed him without a second thought. Alexia was her mother and Dracul Vladimirescu was her father. Her mother did not die in some magical accident; she'd been murdered on October 31st, 1981.