Chapter 10
"You know, for a Ravenclaw, you certainly don't seem to like studying."
I lifted my head up dispassionately from the book I had repurposed as my pillow. Frey pulled out a chair in front of me, laying his various furs across the back before sitting.
"This is a school for magic," I reasoned sarcastically, "I'm hoping the content of this book magically diffuses into my brain through direct contact."
"Sound logic," he agreed, nodding seriously. "Mind if I join you?"
I bit my lip, undecided and fully expecting him to want to talk about the whole Malfoy thing. That's all anyone seemed to want to talk about, which was why I sought refuge in the library in the first place. Only the unfortunate sought to spend their weekend underneath the librarians scrutiny, and I was certainly lacking in fortune.
Before he could trap me in conversation about them, I launched into my own suspicions.
"What game are you playing at? We're supposed to be opponents." I pointed a finger back and forth between us to illustrate my point. "Not friends."
"I like to be contrary," he said, shrugging, like that was the only explanation needed. "It will drive my headmistress up the wall, knowing I'm befriending the enemy."
The way he stressed "enemy" implied that it had indeed come up frequently in conversation with his headmistress as a source of contention.
"Speak for yourself. I don't see you befriending anyone over here," I said, about to continue my nap, when he snatched the book out of my hands and started flipping through the pages. "Do. You. Mind?" I grumbled, lunging across the table to try and reclaim it.
"A tome of hexes," Frey noted appreciatively, leaning on the hind legs of his chair just outside of my reach. "Preparing for the first task, are we?"
"Maybe," I growled, finally taking hold of the thick textbook and pulling it back towards me. "But there are plenty of hexes in here that will work on you if you don't quiet down."
"See? You can't help but love me. I'm simply irresistible." He shrugged. "It's a curse."
I sent him an incredulous look.
"Where in that statement about me threatening to curse you, did you deduce that I like you?"
"You didn't immediately send me away."
"I didn't realize that was an option you'd agree to."
A set of books slammed down beside me, causing me to jump. Frey glanced up at Cassius, serene as ever.
"Sorry!" Cass apologized in a hurried whisper to the librarian, who glared our way with suspicion. He apologized again to me. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"
"No, you didn't, and you don't need apologize for everything, either," I grabbing a book from his pile and opening it to a random page.
"Sorry," he muttered, before adding quickly, as he realized what he had said, "I mean, not sorry. I think."
"Really?" Frey asked, sounding hurt. "I though he was interrupting a great deal. I was seconds away from having you declaring for me your undying love."
I snorted. Why did he have to be so bloody likable? So... devil-may-care. "Fat chance. I'm closer to declaring my love for the giant squid than I am for you."
"It wouldn't be the first time a lady has fallen for me." He winked. Looking at Cassius, he added, "Or a gentleman."
Cass looked like he didn't know what to do with this new information, and neither, in fact, did I, though I didn't doubt it. His looks had attracted a legion of admirers around the castle who had followed him into my safe haven, giggling as they seated themselves at nearby tables. Frey waved at them graciously, running his other hand through his wavy blonde hair. A couple may or may not have actually fainted.
"Ugh, can't you turn it off?" I protested in disgust. "Either stop looking so pretty, or leave and take your fan club with you."
"You really think I'm pretty?" Frey I queried, batting his eyes in exaggeration. "Maybe love isn't so far off."
Of course that was the only part of that sentence he heard.
Regardless, he rose to his feet, slinging his furs over his shoulders, and strutted his way out the library. If one of the trials was a popularity contest, Frey would win hands down.
I watched him go, shaking my head in disbelief. Feeling Cassius eyeing me closely, I turned back to him expectantly. "Yes?"
"He, uh, really seems to like you," Cass said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.
"Not particularly." I thought more about the enigmatic champion from Drurmstrang. "No, he's up to something, or maybe he just likes antagonising people. There was a cat at the o— I mean, where I grew up. The people she loved forcing herself upon the most were the people who least wanted anything to do with her. She thought it was a challenge, I think. He might be like that."
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Cassius admitted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure I even want to know what you mean."
"Fair enough," I conceded, sliding him a musty book and sending dust mites spitting into the air. "Regardless, its time for us to do our best to make sure I don't get incinerated, smashed, flattened, mashed, chopped, stabbed, eaten, hexed, drowned, burned, or murdered during the first task."
"I guess, we just have to get started," he sighed, opening the book to its first page.
And so we read. For HOURS, I might add, until I could feel the weight of happiness lost encroaching upon my soul and forced myself to give up for the day.
"I think it's time for a strategic surrender," I whispered dully, knowing full well I had given up at least a half hour earlier, opting instead to document the arch of the sun falling behind the horizon through one of the West windows.
Cass looked up in surprise, and then followed my gaze outside.
"I guess it has gotten late," he decided, closing the book before him with a thud. "Pretty sure that we missed supper. Do you fancy raiding the kitchens?"
I shook my head. "You go ahead, I'll put all these," I nodded to the piles of books scattered across the table, "away, since you pulled them out."
"Are you sure? I can help,"
"Absolutely positive," I reaffirmed, pushing him towards the door. "You've done enough for me already. Just the fact that you're still talking to me makes a world of difference, honest."
"I'm sure Damon and Lyra miss you, too," Cassius said reassuringly. "The three of you are just too stubborn to admit it to each other."
I gave him one last shove out the door. "Not to be dramatic, but I'd rather die than admit I was wrong." I clarified, "Because I'm not."
Cass simply sighed and walked back to his dormitory, not wishing to argue his point, but that was almost worse.
I piled the textbooks dangerously high in my arms, because I wasn't a quitter and it would be a cold day in hell when I make two trips when I could just make one.
One by one, I stumbled from bookshelf to bookshelf, haphazardly shoving books into empty spots. By the time I reached the bottom of the stack, my arms were trembling with exhaustion. The last of the books led me into the restricted section, a shock, considering it was my unassuming Hufflepuff friend who had chosen most of the books in the first place. If I said I wasn't proud, however, I would by lying. We had spent so long trying to corrupt him, and to think all that work had finally paid off nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Then, I tripped. The books went sprawling and so did I. Pushing myself off the ground with my hands, I looked back to locate the perpetrator, finding a very guilty looking pair of shoes. The shoes were, in fact, connected to a pair of legs, which in turn attached to a whole person. Not exactly a surprise. The real surprise, indeed, would have been to discover a pair of disembodied legs in the library.
"As graceful as the day we first met," Altair commented coolly, not granting me the honour of even looking up from his book.
"What sort of sociopath just sits alone on the floor of the restricted section reading," I grumbled menacingly. "In the dark, I might add."
I crawled to the remaining three books I had yet to put away and piled them up, once again.
"You'll never win the tournament by just reading."
"You're reading," I pointed out, rising to my feet.
"I'm not a week away from dying painfully in the first task," Altair replied coolly, turning a page.
"Thanks for that ringing endorsement."
I turned to leave, books in hand.
"I could train you. My offer still stands." He snapped his book shut, the sound echoing down the aisle. "A fourth of the winnings in exchange for teaching you how not to die sounds more than fair."
"You ought to work on your delivery," I muttered, slamming a book into the shelf with far more force than the simple task required. "What about that is going to make me want to more time in your presence? My blood pressure has risen to unhealthy levels just listening to you."
"Perhaps, but if you appreciate your blood coursing through your veins at all, then I suggest you listen." I hadn't even noticed him walk up behind me before he placed a book on the shelf beside my left ear. He leaned in, whispering, "Unless you want to leave Thomas all by himself, that is."
My breath hitched involuntarily, though I was unsure if it was because of what he said, or the fact that he spun me around at that moment to face him.
"Won't you swallow your pride for your own brother?" Altair asked, tilting his head.
I pushed him back, swallowing hard.
"Leave him out of this."
"Of course," he replied, his voice rising with each word out of his mouth. "Thomas has nothing to do with me, and neither do you, other than the fact that I have already saved both of your lives once before. Isn't protecting him your job, though? Who will do that if you're dead?" I knew he wasn't saying it to be cruel, but having uncomfortable facts shoved down my throat by a person I could barely stand to look at anymore was not a pleasant experience. "Are you going to leave him the same way your parents did?"
Before I could respond, he shoved me into the bookcase, hand over my mouth, and his wand out. My eyes widened, as I wondered, What the hell is he going to do to me? I struggled to pull my own wand out of my pocket, but by the time I managed to, Altair had already cast his spell. Whatever sensation I was expecting, it wasn't what I got. It felt icky, like he had cracked a dragon's egg over my head.
"What are you shouting about down here?" the librarian demanded, rushing us like a bird of prey. "And after curfew in the restricted section?" Her voice rose to a shriek at the last part, somewhat undermining her point about not shouting in the library. "Head Boy or not, there is no excuse..." She turned around, tottering off back to her desk. "Follow me."
Damn. If Altair was in trouble, then I was dead meat. He was a model student, even if he wasn't a model person, and he never seemed to get caught in any of his misadventures, so if the librarian was willing to dole out punishment for him, despite his spotless record, then, my questionable record was my death warrant. I couldn't afford to get detention, not with the first task so close at hand.
I moved to follow, but Altair held me back, a single finger to his lips.
"Stay," he murmured, before turning around, confidently going to meet his punishment.
At first, I had plans to completely ignore him. If he thought I was going to risk getting into even more trouble by trying to sneak out without her noticing and hope she forgot about me, then he had another thing coming. Except when I moved, something weird happened. My skin, my robes, everything changed to match my surroundings, like a chameleon, and it clicked — his spell, her reaction, everything. The librarian had never noticed me in the first place. He had enough time to conceal only one person, and for whatever reason he chose me over himself.
I wasn't going to say thank you.
I tiptoed out of the restricted section when I heard their voices fade, and slung my bag over my shoulder. I saw Altair's back retreating down the corridor, ever so at ease, and rushed to catch up.
Unfortunately, I repaid my debts.
"Fine," I said, doing my best not to sound too grudging. "You win. Half my winnings for your help preparing for the three tasks."
He didn't often seem surprised, so it was hard to tell, but the way his brows rose infinitesimally implied I superseded his expectations.
"Half? What happened to a quarter?"
"Are you honestly complaining?" I scoffed, looking to the heavens and hoping I wasn't making a big mistake. "You get half if we win, because you got me out trouble back there, even though you didn't have to."
Despite everything dishonourable within me begged for me to reconsider, I stalked off as quickly as my legs could carry me so I didn't have time to change my mind.