Metanoia

“Malfoy’s acting weird.”

Hermione looked up from her book but didn’t look happy to be doing it. “He’s always weird, elaborate.”

“In detention today, he asked me if I’d cursed him.” She paused. “Out of nowhere too. He was trying to pick a fight and then he suddenly got this strange look on his face and asked me if I’d hexed him.”

Hermione’s eyes narrowed with curiosity. “Did he have any effects of a curse on him?”

“Not really. Nothing I could see at least. I’m just wondering, why would he ask something like that out of the blue? Is he up to something?”

The other girl sighed. “It’s probably just that someone actually did hex him. Maybe one which doesn’t immediately show the effects. Him thinking it would be us is not really that far fetched, Ronnie.”

Veronica supposed that could be the case but it just didn’t sit right. Malfoy had looked like he didn’t mean to ask her that, even looking sort of angry with himself that he’d let that slip out. 

Something was definitely up.

Gideon looked exhausted. Dark purple shadows hung under his eyes and he was more sluggish than his usual self. When she caught him nearly sleeping on his toast, she couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“What’s going on with you these days? You look like you haven’t slept in a month.”

He looked up from his hands( on which he had been resting his head). “It’s nothing. Don’t worry. Just tests and whatnot.”

It probably was just that but she was paranoid about him, even over small things. It annoyed him but he also understood why.

“You’re doing that thing with your face again,” he said, flicking her lightly on the forehead. “I’m really alright, Ronnie.”

Her eyebrows scrunched in worry but then she noticed the way he brightened when Luna Lovegood entered the hall, looking similarly exhausted.

Something started clicking in her mind. It solidified when she sat next to her brother instead of her own table.

Oh. Ok then. Suddenly she didn’t want to know about what it was that had him up at night. At all.

Next to her, Harry’s face bulged with the effort to not laugh. 

“Shut up, Harry.” she grumbled, ears fire engine red.

She stared at the mushroom shaped slime in front of her. It stared back.

Hagrid had called it Moonjelly, a distant cousin of the Flobberworm. If they were polite to it, it would allow them to gather its slime which was used in potions like Wolfsbane. 

It was also incredibly endearing.

“You’re so cute,” she whispered to it , gently stroking its chubby cheeks. It’s tiny, translucent cap flopped to cover its red face and it grumbled like a toddler. She nearly burst. 

Seamus passing by squinted at her like she was barmy. Apparently the sentiment wasn’t shared by her classmates. Most of them were done with their work already. But if she finished it, she’d have to have to give the mushroom away and that wasn’t something she was prepared for yet.

In her musings, her eyes wandered and came upon what had to be one of the strangest things she’ll ever witness.

 It was Malfoy. Laughing genuinely.

He seemed to be narrating a story to Daphne Greengrass. It was the most human she had ever seen him, laughing before he could get his words out and imitating what seemed to Snape. Greengrass smothered her giggles into her hand and his eyes glinted in mischief as he took in her reactions.

It was..a pleasant sight.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she pushed the thought far away and resolved to never think about it again.

It had been a good day. Harry and Hermione had made up again after their fight and two of the day’s classes were cancelled. She smiled around the chocolate frog she was eating as she climbed the stairs.

It would have ended a good day too if the stairs hadn’t chosen to turn just as Malfoy got on.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” said Malfoy, glaring down at the step he was standing on.

It was an extremely awkward three minutes. And it only grew because the stairs had stopped at some remote corner of Hogwarts , away from both of their dorms.

Malfoy climbed up angrily, passing her and turning a corner into who knows where. Now the thing was, curfew had been announced nearly an hour ago. If Filch caught her( which seemed rather likely considering her luck) she was done for. And Malfoy was a prefect unlike her so chances are, it wouldn’t affect him.

After some thinking, she reluctantly followed him.

 He wasn’t far. The hallway they were in had just one room and a window opposite to it. Malfoy was glaring out of the window, hands in his pockets and she kinda wished she never broke curfew.

“Why are you out at this hour?” Came his voice, breaking the tense silence.

“It’s not any of your business, Malfoy.” She said quietly, straining to hear any odd footsteps, or Mrs. Norris.

“Is that so? Just make sure to say that to Snape too when he finds out.”

Of course he’d tell on her. And here she was thinking it was both of them against Filch, no matter how terrible the company was.

“You’re out yourself aren’t you?” she tried even though she knew it was futile. He didn’t even reply to that, just pointed at his badge. 

They fell back into the awkward silence with that. Her gaze darted to the floor and at the wall at odd intervals, wishing she was anywhere  but here. 

The stairs must turn around soon, she thought to herself and moved to check. But then what she feared came true.

Blank green eyes stared at her from the floor, gleaming with knowledge. She froze mid step. Mrs Norris meowed at her innocently and disappeared into the shadows.

What happened next was a blur. 

One moment, Malfoy was yanking her back by her arm, next they were in the room. 

Then, a terrifying explosion of light.