Just Ellie ⌁ Draco Malfoy (ON HOLD)

41

"Looks like we've lost the help of Draco Malfoy."

Ellie shifted uncomfortably in her seat at Silas' words. 

The morning was a warm and welcoming one and, for once, Ellie was looking forward to her classes. She was welcomed with five N.E.W.T.S: Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Although happy that she was able to take five N.E.W.T classes, she could've gone the rest of her school career not having to take Transfiguration or Herbology... but her mother would be furious if she turned any N.E.W.T classes away. 

On the bright side, Nikolai couldn't turn his nose up at her as she had gotten accepted to N.E.W.T level Potions. She smirked at this. 

"Forget him," Ellie said distractedly as she scanned her new timetable. She grinned at her free period first up, but grew disgruntled as her eyes scanned second period: DADA with Professor Snape. She tucked her timetable away into her bag and then wiped toast crumbs off her face. "We can do it on our own. Besides, I'm not letting Nikolai boss me around this year. The only reason I kept my mouth shut last year was because I thought if I'd gotten evidence on him that my parents would shut this whole thing down, but... Well, clearly that isn't an option. And I was scared, so stupid..."

Silas looked down shamefully, softly shaking his head. 

"Ellie, we've got Divination, see you in Defence Against the Dark Arts," Lavender said as she and Parvarti passed, giving her shoulder a soft pat as they departed. 

"Ew, she just had to remind me," Ellie groaned, lowering her head until her forehead rested on the table. "I've always liked Defence Against the Dark Arts, and now I have to take a subject I like with a teacher I can't stand."

"An unfair mix, I say," Silas chuckled. He cleared his throat and began to tuck his things away in his bag. "Arithmancy here I come. See you later, Ellie."

Ellie leaned her cheek into her hand as she used the other to push away her empty plate. She had spent all breakfast resisting against it, but she couldn't any longer and flicked her eyes over to the Slytherin table. 

Nikolai, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were huddled together but not in any suspicious way -- they were grinning and laughing like any other group of friends would. No doubt they were picking on someone behind their back. Ellie looked a couple metres down the table and saw Draco sitting with Pansy right beside him, only he looked as though he wanted her gone as she yammered in his ear. The Malfoy boy looked like he was a thousand miles away.

For her first lesson of the day, Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape, the sixth-years were to be partnered up and attempt to nonverbally jinx one another. As Silas opened his mouth to presumably call dibs on Ellie being his partner for today, a hand reached out, grabbing Ellie by the arm and pulling her up out of her seat.

She was staring into warm amber eyes... though they were not a pleasant warm. Nikolai raised his eyebrows for a second before lowering them again, parting his perfectly shaped lips. 

"You're my partner for today, Ellie," he said with no emotion in his voice, though there was a small, cocky smirk on his face, as though he thought it would be easy to knock Ellie off her feet. 

Little did he know, she had been practicing whenever she could in the Room of Requirement last year with Dumbledore's Army, so she wasn't as stupid as he thought she was. 

"Ellie?" Ellie said questioningly as the two of them found some space to practice. "What ever happened to Elyssa?"

"Turns out you're not important so I don't care to waste my breath on that extra syllable," Nikolai rolled his eyes at her.

Dramatic much, Ellie thought.

 Nikolai raised his wand, his mouth opened, and his lips moved and a spell was coming at Ellie. Though Nikolai tried to make it look as though it was non-verbal. 

"Protego!" Ellie couldn't help but exclaim, shielding herself against whatever Nikolai had muttered. 

"Non-verbal, Ellie," Nikolai said hotly. 

Nikolai sent another jinx gritted through his teeth, and Ellie attempted to non-verbally block it. It had worked-- a shield formed in front of her, protecting her, but it was weak and barely lasted until it was more like half a shield, and Ellie was knocked back a bit. 

The more jinxes Nikolai sent towards Ellie, and the more half-hearted shields she managed to produce, the better she became at it. Her Shield Charm was weak when non-verbal, but it grew less and less weak every time she non-verbally produced it. 

"My turn," Ellie said, taking Nikolai off guard and thinking very hard of Cantis, focusing on it as much as she could, and sending it right towards the Slytherin boy.

It was supposed to make Nikolai sing, but as Ellie thought it would, it only half worked, and Nikolai was reciting the Hogwarts song like he was reading it from a book that he was disinterested in. 

"Is that the best you can do?" he spat at her, raising his wand to send a jinx her way but she was quicker, sending the impedimenta jinx at him. The rest of the way he raised his wand, it was like watching a very old person walking. 

"You should really learn how to shield yourself from me," Ellie said to him, making his eyes narrow. "Honestly, it isn't that hard."

Nikolai opened his mouth to spit a jinx at her, but the bell started to ring and Snape dismissed everyone. Ellie smiled at Nikolai and turned to head towards her desk. Draco smirked at her as she passed him, as though he heard her comment and secretly approved. Ellie didn't react to him; she was still hurt by the fact that he didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Though it was obvious there was something on his mind...

"Watch yourself!" Nikolai called out to Ellie, but she paid no attention and joined Lavender and Pavarti.