FicWad

She was walking in the corridor when a group of giggling girls passed her and looked with eager eyes at a handsome young man who walked beside professor Dumbledore. Young man spared the group with a cynical half-smile, fixing his gaze on Elfy. Elvein looked down and passed them without a trace of emotion. Everything swam into darkness, then spun into the black fog. She was standing in The Three Broomsticks. In the crowded hall, Elvein was buying butterbeer. Madam Rosmerta had to go to storage for her bottles when two strangers approached her, trying to talk. She looked down, not daring to glance at them, but the men were not having any of it. Elfy was already turning to leave the pub when she heard a stranger's voice.

"She made it clear that she is not interested!"

"Who the hell are you to nose about?" answered one of the pushy men and looked around. They then both abruptly left.

Elvein recognized the handsome stranger, who she had seen in Hogwarts several days before. He turned to her and said,

"Do not judge them harshly. Not everyone can see through the surface." He smiled at her and drank fire whiskey from his glass. Elvein dared to give him a side glance from under her eyebrows.

"I understand your skepticism. You think while I talk about others, can I see anything through a Veela's facade?" he turned around, leaned back on the bar, nodded, and continued, "Let's try together," the hand in which he held a drink pointed to the far end of the pub. "Ludovic Bagman. I assume you have heard of the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. What do our eyes tell us? A richly dressed high employee of Ministry is having a drink with grumpy goblins. What do our minds say? On Saturday, when the second tour is so far away, what does our Ludo do in The Three Broomsticks with the goblins? Was he not able to find a more pleasant companion? Therefore, the conclusion: Our high employee with expensive taste and, judging by his past, a dull brain, has serious financial problems. I would not have made a bet with him, though he encourages us vigorously."

This time, Elvein gave the stranger an interested, intelligible glance. How odd, she thought, that several minutes earlier, the same idea passed her mind.

"Or." the stranger continued, moving closer to Elfy, pointing towards the opposite side of the hall, almost whispering in her ear. "Bartemius Crouch. Scrupulous, law-enforcer, ideal Barty Crouch. Even in the middle of The Three Broomsticks, he's reading The Daily Prophet. If we observe closely, we see that he reads the same line again and again. Then his eyes go dead for several seconds, and he starts reading the same lines once more. If we will look closely, he looks like a person who-"

"Has made an unforgivable mistake." Elvein finished for him.

The stranger, satisfied, smiled once more. He raised his glass and said,

"Cheers to you."

Once more, dark fog consumed her, and the girl opened her puffy eyes to meet the day's first sunlight.

"Take it easy...

Think again...

Trust your instincts...

Think with your head, not with your heart...

Remember what happened...

This will pass too..."

She repeated these words like a mantra. They helped her to leave the dream of the past behind her. She rose from her bed. Traitorous fingers went towards the key on her nightstand. From its cabinet, a tiny light was protruding, alluring Elvein. At the very last moment, she snatched her hand away, leaving the past where it belonged.

Her knee did not hurt anymore, though her head and empty stomach ached in unison. She put on a simple black dress, combed her hair, and went to the common room.

Draco was asleep on the sofa. He sat, leaning his cheek on the back of the seat. His face was calm, all crinkles were gone, and there was no trace of that wicked smirk or the evil glow of his eyes. He looked so peaceful, as tranquil as a child. Elvein felt an urge to hug him. Instead, she passed him quietly and left the small tower.

Elvein was thinking, "Why was he asleep on the sofa and for how long?" when she reached the Great Hall. Some students had already returned from the Christmas holidays, and their joyful noises made her feel slightly better. Her thoughts flew towards the dark forest, centaurs, thestrals, and Hagrid's dog, Fang. She wondered if he would allow her to play fetch with his dog today.

"Hey there!" A grinning Dean Thomas took the seat beside her.

"Good morning, Dean."

"How did you spend Christmas?"

"I would have said as usual, but there were a few surprises." Her forehead wrinkled as she recalled the crazy night before. "What about you?"

"My mom and I went skiing. That's a muggle sport where you put long sticks on your legs and slide-" Dean's voice sounded distant when she saw Draco, who had just entered the hall. He stopped for a second, eyeing them, then turned towards his table.

"I am familiar with skiing, Dean. It is a fascinating sport."

"Really? Awesome! I was thinking. Maybe we could go to Hogsmeade together next week? You know, drink a couple of glasses of butterbeer?"

"I am sorry, Dean, but I don't have permission to visit Hogsmeade."

"For real? Why?" The astonished boy could not hide his surprise.

"That's a long story, and unfortunately, not a very exciting one. I am sorry, Dean, but I need to go now."

"Oh. Ok. It was nice seeing you. I'll catch you up later."

Elfy could not hear his last words since she was already rushing towards the residence of Madam Pince.