Green Apples; Draco Malfoy [1]

Chapter 27🍏

𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘨𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘻𝘻 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴.

It turns out that she wasn't actually dead, just petrified. But Filch made sure that everyone remembered, pacing around the crime scene in case the attacker returned. They all had to keep a safe distance from the second floor unless they wanted Filch to think they were guilty.

He was so unhappy that he tried very hard to put the students in detention for the silliest of things, like "breathing too loudly" or "looking too happy".

And everything was most definitely back to normal because Alexis had been held back in Potions.

She got the measurement of one ingredient off by a drop and the whole cauldron bubbled over, the purple liquid she was brewing spilling onto the floor.

She had been made to stay back and clean up her "pathetic failure".

Luckily, Harry held been held back too, so she isn't alone. Without trying to draw Snape's attention, she mops the purple mess across the room until she's opposite Harry, who picks tubeworms off the desks.

"Harry," she whispers, covering her face with the mop rod. "What really happened? You know, with Mrs Norris."

He looks up at her and frowns. "It's complicated. Can't really explain."

Really? It's complicated?

"What do you mean it's complicated? How did you find her?"

"She was just there, hanging from the light."

Anger is the first thing she feels. It bubbles up, like a potion brewing. "But that's not it, is it?" she hisses. "What are you hiding?"

"Why am I hearing all this chatting and not seeing enough cleaning?" thunders Snape's voice.

"Sorry Professor," she mumbles, sloshing the water away from Harry.

If he wasn't going to tell her straight, she'd have to find out for herself some other way.

They exit the dungeons together, books in hand and walk to their next class. But she can't let the conversation go. "Harry, seriously, you have to tell me."

It's too much of a coincidence that he happened to be at the crime scene when everyone arrived.

"There's nothing to tell Alexis. I said before there's nothing to explain. It's quite simple really."

A frown appears on her face. He's lying about something.

"Simple? I thought you said it was complicated before," she scoffs.

They stop walking and stare at each other. Harry's eyebrows furrow and Alexis' lips thin in a tight line of annoyance.

A loud voice pulls them out of their trance, making them turn around. "Potter, what are you doing here?"

Draco marches toward them, head held high.

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchens, helping the elves get lunch prepared?"

Harry squints his eyes at him but says nothing.

Draco then sees Alexis, realizing she's there. "Hendrix, why are you with Potter?"

"I'm not. Come on, let's go," she says, pulling his arm and leading him away from Harry. She doesn't look back as they walk away.

"What were you doing back there?"