| Puffskein
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,438
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Chapter 8
The Kitchen
The next two weeks passed rather peacefully for me. Draco was actually giving me space, to my own shock. I swear that boy has issues; one minute he’s suffocating me and the next he’s nowhere to be seen.
Halloween was drawing closer, and I found myself growing more excited as the days drew closer. For some reason, every time I ran into Harry he always felt the need to point out how amusing it was that I seemed so happy about the holiday. I wasn’t excited about the actual holiday, I was mainly looking forward to seeing what the meal had to offer. And I heard there were floating carved pumpkins in the Great Hall, illuminating it in an eerie glow. Who wouldn’t be excited?
When the day actually came, I had never felt so happy about anything ever. I went to classes that day practically bouncing. Naturally I heard about it...
“Hey Rosa, I haven’t seen you so happy since your birthday.”
I spun around and came face-to-face with Draco. I glared and growled at him; how dare he bring up that vile day! I had to stow that stupid engagement ring deep in my trunk just so I’d resist the urge to throw it into the lake for the mermaids to fight over.
“Ooh, got festive?” He reached out and lifted a lock of an orange streak in my black hair. I slapped his hand away.
“Watch it,” I snapped.
“You know what, Crabbe?” He looked at his short, fat friend. “She’s like a child on Christmas; overly excited for gifts... but now she’s opened one and hated what’s inside.”
“That’s right, Draco, I hate what’s inside. Just like I hated what was inside the birthday gift you gave me. Now bugger off and let me enjoy today in peace!”
I spun back around and stalked off. I listened to him, Crabbe, and Goyle laughing at me as I stormed down the corridor and in the direction of the library. I lightened my steps and calmly entered the library, my own haven at the moment because this is the one place where Draco Malfoy would never be caught walking around in while he’s alive.
“Hey.”
I jumped and whipped out my wand. Spinning around, I lifted it, but only dropped it back down when I saw Harry put his hands up in surrender, his expression surprised.
“Is this how you great everyone normally on holidays?” he asked warily as I put my wand back into my pocket. I then looked back up at him, still unsmiling. “Festive,” he commented, looking at my orange-streaked, black hair.
“So I’ve heard,” I responded flatly.
Harry’s mouth was now half-open. He was about to say something before, but I threw him off with my response.
“So do you change your hair often? Is it naturally black?”
Even his smiling, curious expression couldn’t lighten my mood.
“Yes, I steak, highlight, and dye it with magic regularly. And yes, the black is natural.”
It was a lie, honestly, saying my natural hair is black. I didn’t want him to know the truth about my horrible hair colour, he might tie it to some unwanted things and, for all I know, have an intellectual moment and realize some of my lies if he knew the truth. I can’t have that happening.
“Sh!” the librarian snapped as she walked by.
Sighing, Harry passed me, taking my arm and leading me down the aisle and to a more secluded table along the library walls. My stomach flipped at the sudden touch. Harry let me go when I was standing behind a chair. He pulled it out and rounded the table to sit in the chair opposite of me as I sat down.
“So why do you change your hair so much?” Harry pressed the moment he sat down.
“I don’t like to keep it the same for too long,” I responded, shrugging. That and I wanted to hide what it truly looks like.
“Where’d you learn it anyways?” he pressed curiously.
I thought about the answer to that. The truth wouldn’t hurt this time, it’s nothing major. “The girls at Beauxbatons. The French love to learn as much as they can about beauty and looking their best. I learned various charms off of the French girls there as a result, and after some tweaking, I got what’s here now.” I smiled slightly at the memories. I once tried to figure out how to get colours besides the natural browns and blondes and reds and how I burnt off a good 3 inches of my hair instead. I blinked out of my daze and saw Harry looking at me with an odd expression on his face. “What?”
“The more we speak, the less you seem like a Slytherin. It’s weird.”
I looked at him thoughtfully, really thinking about his words. Was I already beginning to soften? As much as I loathe the very essence of Draco, was I, without realizing it, softening to him? Was I softening to everyone for that matter? Was that why he’s been around me more, because I invite him it?
I scoffed aloud at that thought. Of course it’s not because I’m softening to him. It’s the total opposite; I’m still as much of a stubborn and blunt person as ever. It’s that exact reason he’s always trying to be around me... guys like girls they can’t have. If I did soften myself to him and pretended to give in, I wonder if he’d leave me alone.
Then again, maybe he’d attempt to get even closer to me then. Oi... Reverse psychology sucks.
“What? You don’t think so?” Harry asked.
I blinked; coming back to reality and looking back into Harry’s confused emerald green eyes.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m different around you.” At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised.
He smiled. “Usually I’m not such a good influence.”
I shrugged. Considering the messes I’ve heard he’s made, I’m not surprised he says that. Suddenly, my stomach grumbled.
“Hungry?” Harry asked.
“Yeah. Wish we had snacks, that’d be nice.”
“Well, actually...”
My head lifted up more, my ears perking up. “What do you mean? There are snacks?” My stomach gave a rather loud, rippling growl, reminding me I hadn’t eaten in 4-and-a-half hours. Even then I barely ate half of lunch.
“If you know the right places, yes,” Harry responded elusively. “But can you keep a secret?”
“Of course,” I responded, smiling. It wasn’t a total truth, but neither was it a complete lie.
“Then let’s go.” Harry got up.
I followed suit, and he led me out of the library. I followed behind him rather closely, getting a few stares as a result, but my hunger was more important than a few muttered words. Harry led the way further down the stairs, almost into the dungeons. Once in the basement floor, we passed a portrait that swung open to reveal a group of 3 Hufflepuff students. I turned my head to look over my shoulder while walking, making sure I saw correctly, but I ran right into Harry. I accidentally slammed him into the wall next to a portrait.
“Whoops...” I stood up and took a few steps back, allowing Harry to have more space to get totally upright again.
“It’s alright, nothing’s broken,” Harry responded. He then lifted his hand and rubbed something on this portrait of fruit. I swore I heard a giggle, and then the portrait began to come out towards us, revealing a hole to pass through.
“How’d you do that?” I asked, amazed.
“Tickle the pear on that portrait.” Harry whispered.
He took my hand, our fingers entwining, and he crouched slightly so he could fit through the hole. I was short enough that I could stand totally straight and yet have two inches of space between my head and the ceiling. When we exited the portrait hole, he still had his fingers laced through mine. I was too busy looking around, marvelling at the sights of the kitchen, to say or do anything about it. Elves were scurrying around every which way, the sounds of pots and pans banging and various squeaky voices echoing around the large room.
“Harry Potter, sir, what an honour! It’s been too long, sir, too long...”
A tiny elf that barely came up to Harry’s waist scurried away from the group of workers and bowed before Harry. I gawked at the thing; why was it wearing a tea cozy for a hat? And socks! Why is this elf wearing wizards’ clothes?!
“Hello, Dobby.”
“Dobby?” The name rang a bell in my mind, but I couldn’t place where. The elf with green eyes the size of my fists looked up at me, his bright expression surprised and filled with a touch of fear.
“The little Miss Black? Dobby hasn’t seen you in many years!” the elf squeaked, bowing until his nose touched the floor.
Harry looked just as startled as Dobby. He looked from the elf to me.
“Get up,” I said with a quiet, urgent voice.
“You know Dobby?” His hand dropped from mine. I resisted the urge to wipe it on my robes.
“Dobby knows the miss, Mr. Potter! Mistress Black visited the Malfoys. Little miss and young master never got along... Dobby always cleaned up their mess.” The elf shivered.
“You knew Malfoy before coming here?” Harry’s hand dropped from mine.
“So, Dobby,” I said loudly, trying to change the topic as I turned back to the elf. “I know dinner is coming soon, but...” My stomach rumbled right on time. “Is there anything we could grab a bite of so we don’t get too hungry?”
“Not a problem, miss! Dobby can sneak away a few pieces of ham and make Mr. Potter and Miss Black a sandwich...” the elf hurried away, starting on the work he set himself up to do.
“Rosa?”
I had to turn to Harry. He looked at me with confused expectation. I inwardly sighed; considering all he’s managed to feat in the past, it’s amazing how he can’t seem to connect the simplest of dots. It’s true what the Dark Lord says, he really isn’t that powerful or bright, he just has powerful connections.
“I told you, Harry, my mother is a Slytherin. She knows the Malfoys. I can’t choose her acquaintances.”
“Exactly how many times have you visited them? Dobby seems to know you quite well.”
“NO! This is for Mr. Potter and his friend!”
Harry and I simultaneously turned our heads towards the sudden outburst. Some ugly, toad-like elf was trying to take away the sandwiches Dobby was half-done making.
“We are not to feed students until dinner.” The elf’s voice was as much like a toad as his face. It was eerie.
“Mr. Potter is hungry, and Dobby shall feed him and his friend!” Dobby snapped back insistently, steal back the bread this toad-like elf was starting to take from Dobby.
“Kreacher, leave Dobby alone.”
The ugly elf turned to us. He bowed down to us. “Pleasure to see you again, m...mas...master.” He seemed to struggle with the word ‘master’, as if he was resisting the forced urge to say it.
The contempt and sarcasm in the elf’s voice was as subtle as a boulder. The elf then looked at me, thoughtful. I really looked at the elf’s face, trying to place where I had seen it before.
“One of Potter’s mudblood friends?” Kreacher asked, looking at me.
My face went bright red at being called a mudblood; I curled my other hand into a fist - I'm far from a mudblood!
“You are never to call any of my friends mudblood, Kreacher! That’s an order!” Harry yelled at the elf.
A couple of the working elves looked at Harry oddly as they continued with their work. This elf, Kreacher, bowed down to Harry. It looked really forced, as though it was an order he couldn’t refuse as much as he wished to. I recognized it right away.
“Is he your elf?” I asked, looking at Harry in surprise. I never suspected someone like Harry to have his own elf.
“Unfortunately. He came with my inheritance,” Harry spat at the elf.
“Inheritance?”
Harry looked at me. “When your father died, he left everything to me in his will. I guess it makes sense he didn’t know you existed... otherwise his effects would’ve gone to you or your mother.” He sounded kind of guilty when he spoke those words.
I finally placed it! My mum had a picture of her, her mother, my father, and his parents, from when they had a dinner together (that was shortly after the two got closer to each other; their parents never knew). This elf, ugly as sin, was in the background of it.
“Father?” Kreacher looked at me, his eyes full of confusion. “That blood traitor never...”
“Dobby finished the sandwiches, sir!” Dobby came racing back to Harry and me, passing one to each of us.
“Thank you, Dobby,” Harry said as he took it. The elf seemed to tremble with glee at the praise.
“Yes, thanks.” I took the sandwich from him and took a bite. I managed to down the entire thing in under 30 seconds. My stomach was rather thankful to have something to digest.
“Dobby will be in trouble with the master for that,” Kreacher croaked.
“Dobby can do whatever he wants! Dobby is a free elf.” Dobby smiled, seeming proud to be able to say those words.
Free? The Malfoys freed Dobby? They never freed any house elf by choice... well, now I have something to use against Draco. Come to think of it, I bet Dobby has a lot of information on Draco I could use against him.
“Come on, Rosa, we should go before...”
“Can I stay here? I know the way back,” I cut in.
Harry looked at me, his eyebrows creased together in thought. “What for?”
“I’m still a little hungry.”
“Ok... I’ll be in the library if you make it out before dinner starts.”
I forced myself to smile at the jibe and Harry left, passing through the portrait hole. Once it was shut, I turned around.
“Kreacher?”
The ugly elf turned back to me.
“What do you know about Sirius Black?”
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Last edited by MalfoyzBeloved; 09-28-2010 at 10:09 PM.
Reason: deleting un-story-related comment
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