Two Souls

Chapter Fifty One

    Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. She was relatively quiet, just muttering a few useless things here and there. I was so interested to hear her question Snape that I had begun to lose interest in my Strengthening Solution that we had been assigned to create.

"Salamander blood, Goyle!" Draco moans, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from adding the wrong ingredient. "Not pomegranate juice! How many bloody times do I have to tell you?"

Umbridge rises to her feet and begins to inspect everyone's cauldron. She looks quite disappointed in Harry's — who's cauldron has a foul odor radiating from it. However, she seems rather impressed with the Slytherins, and for the first time this entire year I'm proud to be a Slytherin.

"Well the class seems to be fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge muses. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer that it be removed from the syllabus. Now . . . how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" She asks Snape.

"Fourteen years."

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post?" She inquires.

"Yes," Snape says quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

"Obviously." A chorus of silent giggles arises from the Gryffindors.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?" Umbridge adds. If she's looking for an explicit way to anger Snape, she is doing a fantastic job at it. He's absolutely fuming right now.

"Yes," Snape says, his lips barely moving.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" Umbridge asks him inquisitively.

"I suggest you ask him. I suppose this is relevant?" Snape responds curtly, narrowing his dark eyes.

"Oh, yes. The Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teacher's backgrounds . . ."

Professor Umbridge questions Pansy Parkinson about the lessons — out of all people!

Snape gives failing marks to Harry for the day, and as much as I hate to admit it, he deserves it. His potion was absolutely wretched.  He always seems to be complaining about Professor Snape's class but never takes the initiative to strive for a better mark.

******

"No quidditch practice," Angelina Johnson says in a hollow tone when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I sit at the Great Hall for dinner that night. The four of us had somewhat reconciled our differences and have eaten dinner together for the past two days.

"But I kept my temper! I didn't say anything to her at all today, I swear —" Harry starts, looking quite angry with his facial expressions.

"I know. She just says she needs a bit of time to reconsider," Angelina says glumly.

"Consider what?" Ron spits. "She's given the Slytherins permission, why not us?" He asks. I'm not sure whether he intentionally glared at me or not, but I did not miss the dirty look he passed in my direction.

"Perhaps give it some time," I assure them. "She can't give permission for only Slytherin and no one else. There wouldn't be any way to hold Quidditch matches," I say confidently, looking at Ron and sending him a supportive smile.

Ron glares at me. "I reckon that's all you care about, isn't it? Having quidditch matches?" He asks.

"No, I didn't mean it like that —"

"Just shut it, Amelia. We all know you've spending all your free time with the Slytherins," Ron snaps, his tone icy and cruel.

"Well maybe if you wouldn't spend all your time avoiding me and keeping secrets I wouldn't have to!" I retaliate angrily, my voice raised and furious.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Angelina look at me with wide eyes. Harry opens his mouth to say something, but I storm out of the Great Hall before any of them can lie to my face and say they weren't ignoring me. Harry stands up to run after me, but Hermione grabs his sleeve and forces him to stay down.

"Trouble in paradise?" Draco asks me from out of nowhere, walking in pace with me.

"Oh shut up, Malfoy. What were you doing anyway that you could hear us? Spying I suppose?"

Draco frowns. "I wasn't spying. You were speaking so loud I'm surprised the entire Great Hall didn't hear you. So what are those secrets that Potter and Weasley are keeping from you?" He asks skeptically.

"I don't know," I confess. "And besides, even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. You'd certainly go to Umbridge and tell her," I tell him.

"I wouldn't go to Umbridge if you asked me not to—"

"And how am I supposed to believe you won't? You hate me! You'd do anything you could to get me expelled!" I snap, still fuming from the situation in the Great Hall. I know I'm taking it out on Draco, but I don't care.

"I don't hate you. Like I said, if I wanted to get you expelled I would have done that ages ago."

I roll my eyes. "You're so strange. One second you're throwing insults at me and than the other second you are talking to me like a civil person."

He shrugs. "I don't need an extra enemy. I have plenty of those," He mumbles.

"So what are you saying? You want to be friends?"

"I mean, that's what I was sort of hinting at, Grey. You seem to be lacking in the friends department currently anyway," He adds.

I cross my arms and walk away. "Forget it."

"No, wait!" Draco calls, grabbing my arm and pulling me back towards him. "I'm— I'm sorry."

I raise an eyebrow. "Draco Malfoy? Apologizing? Oh my god, this day just keeps getting crazier."

Draco smirks playfully. "Who said I can't apologize?"

"I mean, I dunno, you always seem to be the instigator. . ."

"Did you just call me an instigator? I believe you owe me an apology now," He teases.

I laugh. "I'll see you around, friend."

—
Uhh... so what just happened with Draco and Amelia :0 I figured it was time to develop their relationship slightly.

Unfortunately this is my last upload for the night. I have a birthday hangout for a friend.

Thanks for all the love and reads!!