His Saving Grace

Chapter 18 - Blossoming Chemistry & After Hour Recklessness

The following morning, Abraxas and I walked through the whimsical large hall filled with Hogwarts ghosts, professors, and students chatting and eating. Every day that passed, him and I only became closer. I had never met someone worthy of befriending or someone that saw me as anything beyond a test helper. His company and friendship were refreshing and strangely necessary. Chatting with Abraxas about my newest book, having him ruffle my hair, helping him with Divination, making jokes together, and all of the cherishable times we had spent together really made me value the pretentious bloke with a soft side.

Abraxas put his arm around my shoulder and questioned, "Where were you yesterday? Nearly the entire day, poof gone!"

I really did not want to tell him I was busy plotting secret plans and borrowing books recommended by his house's Head Boy.

"At the library reading alone, as usual.", I quickly replied, lying through my teeth.

"Athena, Avery saw you with Riddle. It was the raging topic of the night in the Slytherin common room.", he responded with a knowing look plastered on his face.

"At one point Riddle was there, yes. Is that all for the interrogation?", I retorted while slightly pushing him to the side.

"Did you guys do some snogging in the corridors?", he further interrogated while shimming his shoulders in a cheeky manner.

With a shocked look making its way onto my face I angrily questioned the sanity of the Slytherin, "Bloody hell? I would never 'snog' that tool! Abraxas, have you gone absolutely mad?".

He did the only thing he knew how to do, laugh. Laughed until he had a tummy ache, but I stopped his howl fit as soon as he started garnering attention from other students near us. Throwing daggers at him through my eyes, I waited for some type of response besides his attention-seeking childlike laughter.

As soon as he settled down I heard him tauntingly say, "The blossoming chemistry does not go unseen!".

I rolled my eyes and gave up on having a reasonable discussion with him. If he thought there was anything between Riddle and I that wasn't pure hatred or some tacitly spoken distant respect, he was horribly wrong. I scoffed, turned around and exited the room dramatically.

He knew I'd eventually stop with the dramatics and we'd laugh again, but he also needed to understand that he could not make such assumptions and expect me to enjoy it. Snogging? Pfft! I'd rather be tortured to death than put my lips anywhere near Riddle's, much less snog him in a small library vestibule. I think the library deserves much more respect than that.

I was now, more than ever, seriously considering buying those glasses for Abraxas. Perhaps then, he wouldn't see 'chemistry' or anything of the sort because he would be able to see clearly once more.

The rest of the day was spent attending classes and making it a point to avoid Abraxas and Riddle as if my life depended on it. Although I would hate whatever questioning would follow, I had to tell Riddle that Avery was a nosy Slytherin that made our business his own. If Riddle was hiding anything troubling, and I intended on finding out what, we could not have Avery or anyone meddling.

Naturally, I had now made my way inside the library. Today would be a defining moment for my plans concerning Riddle, of course, that is if I played all my cards right. I rummaged through my bag in search for the colossal guide on everything concerning lycanthropy I had only partially read while waiting for the hand on the main clock to fall on the sixth roman symbol.

This book, unlike the others, I had not shared with Abraxas. I cared for him deeply, but the Malfoys were still known for their cruelty and prejudice against such beasts, or every beast for that matter. I did not need the heir to the Malfoy name and fortune to know details on how werewolves originated or how to rid the world of them.