The Dark Lord's Daughter Book 2: Secrets

Mum's Howlin' Mad

Lunch time was Ron's favorite time of day. But today's lunch was tainted by Notte's foul adittude.
"What were you doing outside my class with Malfoy anyways Harry?" Notte asked Harry as she pushed her vegetables around the plate.
Harry choked on his sip of Nottes coccoa.
"Er-" Hermione gave him an amused look as he turned pink. Ron raised an eyebrow at him.
"I was curious about y'know- how you sang." Harry looked at Notte apologetically. Notte turned a slight pink.
"You could have asked- I sing in front of Mione all the time." Notte said reaching across the table to steal the pitcher of coccoa from Harry.
"She does its wonderful- she sings and no matter how anxious I am-" Hermione snaps her fingers, "gone in a moment and I'm asleep."
"Yeah- I just don't really like singing in front of a lot..of people?" Notte said and Ron nodded.
"She gets real nervous. But what happened anyways with Malfoy- you just kept on saying 'Malfoys a pompous git' anytime we asked."
Ron shoved a grape in his mouth.
"Er- well I don't know what happened before I came out, but he called me a freak." Notte said blandly.
"She threw the bracelet he gave her at him! Hit him right in the face! Should be a chaser-" Harry said quickly, hoping that no one would ask about why he had been talking to Malfoy at all.
"Oh well- just lost my temper for a moment, no big deal." Notte said to Hermione who raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh- theres Errol...and Morrigan!" Notte waved at the two birds- Morrigan landed elegantly on the table, her colors now a muted pastel from the charm wearing off. Errol landed in a bowl of potato salad making it splatter all over Rons robes. A red envelope splattered with salad dressing fell in front of Ron. Ron went a deathly shade of white. Notte laughed awkwardly-
"I forgot they made it so mothers can yell at their children for hundreds for miles away."
Notte's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"What's that?" Harry asked eyeing the red envelope.
"Ron's got a howler!" One of the twins passed by the table and paused to stand behind him.
"They're awful- mum sends them to us all the time."
"If you wait- it'll be worse." The twins warned Ron who picked up the envelope with shaking hands, the envelope morphed into a womans face.
"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! Oh, and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud. Thhhhbt!" Mrs. Weasley's howler ripped itself to shreds amd Ron put his head down as the nearby students laughed. The twins left quickly deciding their skill set would be of better use elsewhere. 
"It could have been worse-" Notte started to open her own letter- which was unmarked.
"Mum could have come down herself and yelled at you in front of everyone- what the..." Notte pulled out a red smeared letter, the letter itself written in cut outs from the Daily Prophet.
"Is that- blood?" Harry turned pale as Notte held the letter in trembling hands.
"Yes- it is." Hermione answered for Notte who was reading the sinister poem.
"Your eyes are blue,
His blood is red.
Stay away from Potter-
Or blood will be shed." Notte finished in a shakey voice and looked at Harry who grabbed the poem from her avoiding touching the blood. Hermione jumped up and scurried to the head table where McGonagall was sitting grading papers and sipping on pumpkin juice. Nottes eyes filled with tears and looked into her lap. McGonagall got up and hurried to the group.
"Whats this about a letter-?" Harry handed the letter to McGonagall. Immediately her face contorted with rage-
"Notte, Mr. Potter, come with me please." Notte and Harry got up and followed McGonagall to her classroom. The door closed behind them with a flick of her wrist.
"Now- I have to ask. With what was in the Prophet, are you two dating?" Notte felt tears run down her face as she shook her head no.
"No Professor- we're just good friends, I swear." Harry said to McGonagall and she sighed in relief.
"Of course- Miss Notte do you perhaps have any- admirers that you think could be capable of this?" McGonagall asked softly and Notte wiped her face.
"I- I don't think he would've done that.. but I did er- throw the present he gave me back at him." Notte said more to Harry than McGonagall.
"Who's he dear?"  McGonagall asked Notte who looked uncomfortable and dug her nails into her hand.
"Malfoy- Hes been harassing her since the train!" Harry said for her and Notte gave Harry a disbelieving look. McGonagall looked surprised.
"Draco Malfoy?" McGonagall clarifies with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"He messed with me on the train. He- He broke my bracelet and he made one to apologize for it. I threw it at him- when he called me a freak... while he was talking to Harry..." Harry nodded furiously and looked determined that it was Malfoy.
"I did hear about an incident- on the train. What happened dear- with Draco?"
Notte bit her lip not wanting to get Draco in trouble since earlier he had apologized. That and she couldn't believe it was him.
"Er- he already apologized for it, so I don't want to-"

Brief trigger warning!

"He pushed her against a wall and kissed her hand-" Harry answered for Notte, frustrated that she was trying not to get him in trouble.
McGonagall paled as Harry started to continue.
"And stole her bracelet, and broke it."
"Harry stop- at least let me tell her." Notte said hotly to Harry who grimmaced.
"Something more happened?" McGonagall sat down at her desk and waved her wand at a quill that fluttered to life writing.
"Er- well I lost my temper, when I noticed my bracelet missing. I had worked really hard on it and its very sentimental to me. But.... When I went to confront him- I lost control of my magic too, the windows cracked behind me and Hermione said feathers fell from me- I'm not sure why..." Notte looked at McGonagall who had her hand to her chest in surprise.
"And my eyes went red, I guess I was trying to freak him out really. But then- he snapped the bracelet in two." Notte looked away from McGonagall not wanting to finish.
"And when he did- the windows shattered. I was about to attack him but- I calmed myself down. Just told myself that it wasn't worth it." Notte finished and looked at McGonagall. Her face looked pale and drawn. She flicked her wand at what the quill had written and it transformed into a small origami bird that flew out of the room through the crack in a door.
"Er- but this morning he apologized! And gave me the bracelet and I was fine!" Notte said quickly dread filling her stomach. McGonagall sighed and looked at Harry who stiffened when he met her steely gaze.
"And what- Mr. Potter happenedafter that?" Harry looked nervous now.
"I- Er. Walked Notte to class and waited for her when I saw Malfoy..." Harry looked nervously at Notte before finishing.
"And I asked him if he fancied her." Notte raised an eyebrow at Harry. McGonagall gave a short amused chuckle.
"And then he called me a freak. So I threw the box at him and left. But I still don't think Malfoy would do that-" Note gestured at the bloody parchment on McGonagall's desk.
"Neither do I. But I've sent word to Professor Snape, telling him of the train incident, and suggesting he sit Mr. Malfoy away from you two." Notte let out a relieved breath.
"An investigation on the letter will be made- and if either of you get another threat please bring it to me."  McGonagall gave them a tightlipped smile.
"And perhaps, maybe refrain from-" McGonagall paused thinking of the best way to phrase it.
"Refrain from being- so affectionate- until we've found the admirer- unless Mr. Potter you have another idea?" Harry and Notte went pink and shook their heads.
"Then off to class with you both of you- and please do try to restrain yourselves." McGonagall said with another tight lipped smile and a warning look towards Notte.
Notte stepped away from Harry as they walked towards their next class in silence.
"Do people not understand that we're twelve?" Notte asked Harry who looked pale thinking about it.
"Maybe they don't care if we were or not- maybe they just, want you to stay away from you?" Harry said nervously to Notte who didn't reply, but made a mental note to not sit next to him in classes anymore.