The Dark Lord's Daughter Book 2: Secrets

Herbology

It was time for the second-years first time in Greenhouse 3. Unfortunately it was a double lesson with the Slytherins and Notte was regretting ever being born.
Notte put her chin in her hand and glared out the window. She could feel Draco staring at her and Harry was awkwardly trying to ignore it. Hermione pretended not to notice at all and Ron glared back at Draco.
"So- Hes still looking at me isn't he?" Notte asked quietly. Harry sighed in response. Notte sat up tall and spun around on her stool to look at Malfoy who turned pink and looked away.
"You'd think after all the times I've threatened him he wouldn't stare at me." Notte said tiredly turning back around. Harry peeked over his shoulder and saw Draco sneaking a peek as well over his shoulder.
"Blimey- Notte! I think he fancies you!" Harry whispered to Notte who laughed bitterly and collapsed onto the work bench in front of her.
"As scary as you looked then- you were kinda...elegant? I mean you all but sashayed up to him." Hermione said quietly. Ron shook his head in frustration as Draco looked over at Notte again.
"D'you reckon I should say something Notte? Or maybe do something..." Ron sinisterly pulled out his broken wand he had taped together with Spell-O tape. Notte shook her head.
"I think I'll have to talk to him- I don't think you should come with Ron I'm afraid you'd try to hex him." Notte looked pointedly at Ron's wand. Harry patted Nottes shoulder sympathetically. Suddenly Rons face contorted in confusion.
"Bloody hell- he looks jealous Harry!" Ron half whispered and Harry looked at Malfoy who was now looking away gripping his fists. Notte realized what had happened.
"Harry your bracelet- he saw it." Malfoy saw The bracelet Notte had made for Harry and realized it matched the one he had broken. Notte looked over her shoulder at Malfoy, but she couldn't tell if he felt guilty or jealous. Maybe both.
"Morning, everyone! Good morning, everyone!" Professor Sprout finally came into the greenhouse to start our lessons.
"Good Morning Professor Sprout!" The students called back and she nodded approvingly.
"Welcome to Greenhouse Three, Second Years. Now, gather around, everyone. Today, we are going to repot Mandrakes. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root? Yes, Miss Granger." Hermione immediately shot her hand up.
"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to return those who have been Petrified to their original state. It's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it." Hermione recited and Notte silently swore that she had memorized the textbook.
"Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor! Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings their cries won't kill you yet. But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I have given each of you a pair of earmuffs for auditory protection. So, could you please put them on, right away? Quickly! Flaps tight down, and watch me closely. You grasp your Mandrake firmly, you pull it sharply up out of the pot... " Notte pulled on her earmuffs and rolled her eyes when Harry couldn't figure out how to tighten them.
"Here Harry-" Without thinking Notte tightened the muffs for him.
"Er- Thanks Notte." Harry said to Notte but it was muffled from the ear muffs. They awkwardly turned back to the lesson. Sprout yanked her Mandrake from its pot, and it wailed shrilly.
"Got it? And... now you dunk it down into the other pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm." Sprout poured soil over the mandrake.
Neville groaned and slumped to the floor.
"Uh, Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs." Sprout said shortly. Seamus leaned over to look at Neville.
"No, ma'am, he's just fainted." Seamus replied.
"Yes, well, just leave him there. Right! On we go! Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrake, and pull it up!" Notte and Harry pulled up their mandrakes and they wailed until they sprinkled soil over it. Hermiones seemed to not want to come out and Ron was still glaring at Draco. Draco however had moved onto repotting his Mandrake.
"Oh yes! Hermione I have a gift for you!" Notte said loudly to get her attention, Notte pulled out a short necklace with a small obsidian stone with the same protection rune as Harry's. But the stone was rain drop shaped and held to a silver chain by an upside down flower.
"Ooh- Notte! You shouldn't have! Hermione forgot about pulling up her mandrake and took the necklace excitedly.
"I thought you wouldn't mind a practical gift- and keeps you safe-" Notte looks over at Harry whos feigning hurt.
"And here I thought I was special Notte." Notte shoved Harry playfully.
"You are- in the head!" Notte said holding back laughter. Ron and Hermione laughed at Harry who looked at Notte in disbelief.
"I'll remember this Weasley." Harry said sinisterly. Hermione pulled out her mandrake root suddenly and it wailed.
"You know- they're kinda cute!" Notte tickled the mandrakes belly and it screetched with laughter until Hermione plopped it into its new pot.
"What do we have next Hermione?" Ron asked loudly.
"Free Period-" Hermione replied shortly and dusted her robes off.
"Oh- I don't. I have choir. Doesn't everyone?" Notte asked nervously. The other three shook their heads.
"Choir? We shouldn't get extra classes until next year." Hermione jealously checked Notte's schedule, and to her dismay choir with Flitwick was indeed there.
"I have a feeling Mum was involved here..." Notte raised an eyebrow at Ron who nodded looking away nervously.
"You know something Ronald- what do you know?" Notte leaned over the table and grabbed the front of his robes desperately.
"It was the Twins! The twins- they're in choir too. Flitwick said he needed a soprano and they told mum. She wrote Flitwick." Ron pushed himself away from Notte who squinted menancingly at him as she sat down. Nottes demeanor suddenly changed from menancing to distraught.
"Oh what am I going to do!" She dramatically put her head on the table. Notte looked at Hermione.
"You wanna join with me?" Hermione shook her head quickly.
"No I'm awfully tone deaf-" Notte sighed at her best friend and glanced at Harry who shook his head no before she could even ask.
"Remember you need to write a 12 inch essay on the Mandrake root and its properties by next Monday! Class dismissed!" Proffessor Sprout disappeared through the glass doors as the students cleaned up their station. Hermione quickly wrote down the assignment and stood up.
"I'll walk you to class Notte- then I'm off to the library." Hermione patted Notte on the back.
"Thanks Mione." Notte shook her robes clean and pulled her hair into a slick pony tail, and Harry sniggered at her.
"You've smeared dirt all over your face you know?" Harry said with his eyes glittering in amusement. Notte huffed and grabbed a tissue from inside her bag.
"Thanks-" Notte wiped her face off and saw that Draco was alone by the door, watching her.
"Looks like someone wants to talk to you Notte." Harry whispered to Notte. Notte gave an awkward half wave to Draco who looked away suddenly.
"Alright I guess you boys should go on ahead- We'll be fine." Notte said looking at Hermione.
"No way- not after what he did. And how you reacted, its better if we all go talk to him." Hermione said with a squeak watching as the last of the other students left.
"Fine- just stay here. I'll talk to him right over there." Notte walked over to Draco who eyed the boys and Hermione.
"We need to talk." Draco said simply, not looking at Notte.
"'Bout what Malfoy- the train?" Notte gripped her book bag strap. Draco looked at her awkwardly.
"Er- yes. About that." Draco turned slightly pink. Notte glanced back at the boys. Hermione was talking quietly to them as they watched Draco.
"I-" Notte said but Draco interrupted her.
"I'm- I'm sorry. About- kissing your hand... and for your bracelet..." Draco didn't look at Notte but glanced almost bitterly at Harry.
"I didn't know you were actually dating Potter-" Malfoy looked at Notte who had her eyes closed in annoyance.
"I'm not even- look, I'm not going to say that kissing my hand was okay. But." Notte sighed deeply,
"I lost it over a bracelet and went too far. For that I apologize." Draco looked surprised at Notte.
"Well- anyway. I guess this wouldn't help then but-" Draco shoved a small silver box into Nottes hand. Notte raised an eyebrow at Draco who left quickly.
Notte looked at the three behind her.
"He apologized." They looked surprised and Notte lifted up the small box.
"And I think he- just gave me a gift?" Ron looked at the box in disdain.
"Hes trying to buy you! Thats all!" Ron stalked over and grabbed the box from her hands.
"I bet its something really exspensive to make you forgive-" Ron opened the box and showed the contents to Harry and Hermione who balked. Notte couldn't see what was inside.
"Him?" Ron looked at the box in surprise.
"What is it?" Notte grabbed the box from Ron and looked at the bracelet in the box, and it was a small black leather braid bracelet with a blue stripe braided through it. It was obviously hand made. There was a piece of parchment inside. Notte decided to read it later in private.
"Oh." The four said together and Notte closed the box, now very unsure of what to do.
"Will someone walk me to choir?" Notte said and slipped the box into her book bag. Hermione wrapped an arm around Notte's and the boys followed behind them.
"So er- why did the twins and your mum want you in choir?" Harry asked awkwardly. Notte groaned and threw her free hand up.
"Shes a bloody good singer but-" Ron sniggered, Notte threw a haughty glare at him.
"When she sings around the house- she likes to screetch as loud as she can just to annoy mum. In the middle of singing all nice and sweet she just screams and its the funniest bit ever." Ron laughed remembering all the times Notte had made Mrs. Weasley drop things in surprise.
"That seems about right." Harry and Hermione said to each other. They reached the choir room and Hermione shoved Notte inside.

Hermione left for the library and Ron ran after her pleading with her to 'look over' his potions assignment. Harry stayed behind and leaned on the wall, curious to hear what Notte sounded like when she sang. Professor Flitwick called the roll inside,
"Weasley, Notte!" The short Professor squeaked excitedly.
"Here..." Notte answered half heartedly. Harry listened to Professor Flitwick explain how he would sort them into sections and that he would start with the girls. Several girls were called and sang the notes rather well and were given a place.
"Miss Notte! You're up!" Harry's heart skipped a beat. And just like with all the others Notte sang her scales. But her voice rang out clear and sweet, she sang lower and higher than the rest and every new note she sang sounded more melodious than the last. On the last note she sang her voice cracked.
"Oh- Er sorry." Notte said from inside and Professor Flitwick gave her an excited squeak.
"First Soprano- go on dear, don't be shy." Flitwick put her into place and moved onto the rest of the girls.
Draco walked past Harry.
"Hey, Malfoy! Can I talk to you?" Harry jogged over to Malfoy who looked at him bitterly.
"What is it Potter? I'm busy-"
"Its about Notte, Malfoy d'you-"
"Do I what Potter?" Malfoy turned on Harry angrily.
"D'you fancy her?" Harry said standing his ground.
"No- course not, her family is a bunch of traitors.  Shes a freak too." Malfoy spat angrily and Harry took a step back.
"Malfoy I almost thought you were alright- but I couldn't have been more wrong!" Notte said from behind the boys making Malfoy go pale, she dug in her bag for a moment. A silver box flew at Malfoy and Notte grabbed Harry's arm towing him to the library. The box hit Malfoy in the face and fell to the floor.
"Damn it... " Malfoy said quietly and picked up the box sadly.