The Green Man and the Goddess

I sat on my bed, yet another un-written note to Ginny sat in front of me. For the better part of the summer, I had been trying to write to her and tell her what had happened but whenever I wrote her, I could never find the words to tell her that my father had made me a Deatheater. I was shamed beyond belief and being stuck in a house with Jade, and my parents just made it worth... it made me bitter.

I stared down at the letter in front of me. I had thought it was the one. The one where I told her the truth but I had smeared ink all over it and whispered to myself, 'it has to be perfect. I can't send Ginny a smeared letter.'

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and hastily crumpled the letter, before throwing it in a trashcan and hesitatingly taking a box of matches from my dressor and liting it on fire. I stood there and watched the letter burn, marvelling on how the muggles had amazing come up with a good idea... matches, before pooring water into the trashcan, dosing the fire.

I slowly walked to the door, feet dragging across the carpet. I opened it to see my Mother there.

I glared at her. "At least you knock," I muttered. I remembered the time when my parents would just burst in the room with little tolerance for my privacy but since I had been made a Deatheater, they had shown me more respect, even if it wasn't very much. I was pretty sure my mother was frightened of me now.

"We are going to Diagon Alley, get dressed. We will meet Jade's mother there and shop for your school clothes," my mother told me. "Do not speak to anyone below your status, Draco. Arretta Grolloni will want to see if you are a good match for her daughter and if she feels you are not, she is likely to call it off."

I snickered under my breath but didn't say anything. I just pushed my mother out of my room, ignoring her protests, and slammed the door in her face. It felt good. Tomorrow I would be gone to Hogwarts and then my parents would have no control over me.

We arrived in Diagon Alley about noon, Jade hanging off my arm. Whenever I tried to walk anywhere she was like a dead wieght. She wouldn't let go either. Her nails dug into my arm, drawing a little blood through the fabric although it wasn't noticable since I was wearing black.

A large blond woman soon acoasted us, happily pulling Jade off my arm and throwing her arms around her. Jade just glared and I could hear her hissing, "Mama, get off me! We're in public."

Arretta Grolloni of course did not care what other people thought. She seemed to think herself above everyone else and she just pushed her nose in the air and glared at her young daughter. Then she linked Jade's arm through her's and motioned for my mother to do the same. Of course Mother was not happy about this but she took it all surprisingly gracefully.

They strolled down the street, looking into shop windows and chatting about the latest fashions as I trudged after them. In all the years that I had come shopping to Diagon alley with my mother, I had always hated it... but this year I loathed it.

Finally the three females stopped their shopping quest to have lunch. By then they had quite an armload of bags and they had forced me to carry a lot of the load. I decided to take the opportunity to go to the bathroom and then get side tracked at the enterance of Knockturn Alley.

At first, I really wasn't sure if it was a good idea to venture into the darker sector of Diagon Alley since I really wasn't sure that Ginny would approve and that morning I had solomely promised myself I wouldn't go there but the damned woman were driving me so crazy and although their husbands were deatheaters, my mother and Mrs. Grolloni wouldn't be caught alive there since it would do terrible things to their social status. It was okay for their husbands to dabble in it but not themselves, according to the writings of Purebred society.

Finally I decided venture into Knockturn Alley, just so that I could get away from Mother, Jade and her terrible mother.

The interior of Knockturn Alley was dark and dingy. It was never cleaned and there were cobwebs littering the darker corners of the small street.

As I glided down the cobblestone walkway, I was sure not to show fear to the miscreant who passed by. In my mind, I chanted, I belong here, I fit in. It had been tradition since the first time I had ever visited the alley at the age of seven years old. I had been terrified of the dirty men with missing teeth and shabby clothes but I had showed no fear, even though my hand shoke in Father's grasp. Afterwards Father had congratulated mr for using my wits and showing close to no fear.

I entered Borgin and Burks and browsed through the rows of cursed items. My eyes fell on the shrivelled hand that he had so admired in his second year was still sitting on the same shelf as he had seen it, although it was now covered in dust. It must really of been bad luck to its owners, I thought distantly.

As I browsed thorugh the other items, I stopped to study a wicked looking walking stick. The handle was curved in a crow's beak and all down the side crows were carved in, wings spread, ready for flight. I fingered the stick lightly, marvelling in the workman ship before wandering towards the back of the shop.

The shop keeper who wasn't the usual man but an old witch ignored me as I browsed the rows of items at the back. Obviously she had respect for the Malfoy name, I thought sniring.

Suddenly I heard bells ring then and some had entered the shop. I was standing at the back of the room, behind a shelf filled with different shaped swords. Peaking inbetween the shelves, I quickly checked to make sure it wasn't Mother or Jade looking for me but instead it was Harry Potter who was scanning the collection of dark arts books at the front of the room and running his finger down the spine that held the title of the book.

I edged to the end of the shelve and peaked out to get a better look. Harry was bent over one book, studying its contents, absorbed in the contents.

Suddenly the old witch snapped, "If you want to read, buy it young man!" her voice crackled angrily and I wished that the usual owner was around. I could of easily bribed him after Harry had left, for the title of the book that Harry seemed so intent on but I seriously doubted that the old witch had simular values to the usual vender.

Harry studied the book for a few more minutes, rudely ignoring the old woman, before placing it down and selecting another book which he quickly flipped through before stopping right in the middle, as if he found what he wanted. I strained my eyes but could not see the title of the page. Slowly I glided towards the next set of shelves, wishing vainly for an invisibility cloak. Again I strained my eyes but it was not close enough.

I was just about to move to the next shelf when Harry suddenly turned to the old woman and I quickly had to concealed myself behind the selves again. I didn't think that Harry had seen me, although he did cast a look in my direction at the sight of movement out of the corner of his eyes. But soon Harry turned around, obviously deciding that it was his imagination.

Harry approciated the old woman to pay and it was then, that I finally got a glimpse at the title of the book, Grims' Book of Dark Mind Magic." Harry quickly dug some sickels out of his pocket and handed them to the old woman before quickly exiting the store.

After he had left, I quickly slide from behind the shelve and went to a dirty window, squinting as Harry walk quickly down the street and out of Knockturn Alley with his hood up so no one would reconize him. The old woman was watching me keenly before asking, "That was the Boy Who Lived?"

I turned to her and stared at her for a second before answering, "Yes, yes it was."

"Always knew he wasn't as pure as the world thought he was. He wasn't so great. Does that make you happy Malfoy?"

I stood there, watching the old woman, mouth agape. "Yes, I suppose it would make me happy. I always thought he wasn't what he seemed to be."

"Of course you did, young Malfoy. Of course you did," she replied.

"What was in the book?" I interupted.

The old woman just laughed. "If I told you, that would ruin half the fun. You know the name, do you not." Somehow I knew she wasn't asking, she knew he had seen the title of the book. "Well then you've already solved half the mystery."

I rebeliously strode over to where the books were kept on Dark Arts and scanned the covers.

"Oh, Mr. Potter just bought the only one Mr. Malfoy. You'll have to look for it else where."

I looked disapointed as I scanned the books anyways, and saw for myelf that it wasn't there. "I was going to buy soemthing," I annouced, "but I have decided against it."

The woman just laughed. "Many years ago, someone left something for you Mister Malfoy," she told me, as she walked out from behind the counter she had stood behind and crossed the room, picking up the old walking stick. "He told me that one day a Malfoy would walk in here with a golden heart and the grey eyes of a certain servant of a Goddess. One would not think that a Malfoy would be a servant but the old man has proved me wrong once again. This is your's Mister Malfoy," the old woman annouced, handing it gently to me.

I ran my hand over the crow shaped handle and as my hands past its eyes, they lit up briefly, giving off a sinister effect.

I looked at the old woman. "I can't take this. Not for free anyways."

"It was meant for you. It is one of your tools and you must understand to use it before you are to take on Voldemort. You must take it."

I frantically plunged my hand in my pocket and rummaged around for some money. Finally I pulled out seven galleons and shoved them into the woman's hand. "I know that's less than it's worth but take it!"

The woman looked at the money lying in her palm before shaking her head. "No, I cannot."

"Too bad. Malfoys always get what they want," I told her and turned around and left, strolling back to Diagon Alley. When I arrived, he saw Mother still sitting with Mrs. Grolloni and Jade, oblivious that I had disapeared. I tried to slide the walking stick into my coat but I knew I couldn't conceil it that way, so I just walked back to them and plunked down at their table.

Jade and Arretta looked at me in surprise but Mother did not even notice. She kept on eating her salade with no dressing, just lettuce. Finally she took notice of me.

"Where did you get that horrible piece wood, Draco?" she asked rudely.

I simply ignored her question.

I sat there, swirling a glass of water in front of me with the tip of my finger.

"Draco!" she almost yelled, "Where did you get that stick. Tell me right this instance!"

I almost laughed but wisely held my tongue. "Mother, there are questions you might ask, that I might refuse to answer and this is one of them, especially since it is not your business."

Narcissa Malfoy went white. Her son had always been so obident. He had rarely talked back. What had happened? Of course, she thought. The Weasley Girl. At that moment she made a firm pact to talk to Lucius about that girl. She was causing a lot of pain about Draco's future.

"Draco, how about you take Jade and go and shop for school supplies now?"

I glared at her but stood up, not waiting for Jade and walked away.

That night the Malfoys dined with the Grollonis. Apparently Joesph Grolloni had spent the entire day with Lucius, discussing the marriage contract and arranging Jade's affairs at Durmstrang before she transferred to Hogwarts.

Halfway through supper, as Grolloni was talking about his boring affairs in Romanio, France and England, an owl swept threw one of the low windows of the dining hall, dropping a letter in front of me as well as a letter at Jade's place.

I was about to quietly rise and excuse myself when Father harshly motioned me to sit down. "Whatever you have received can be shared with the rest of the dinner party, Draco."

I took a deep breath and prayed that the envelope contained good news. Slowly I opened it to reveal a letter from Hogwarts. Scanning over the letter, I found it contained the names of prefects and head girl and boy. Under the title of Head Boy was printed in gold, flowing letters, Draco Malfoy.

I smiled a wonderful, genuine smile. "I am Head Boy, Father. Aren't you proud?"

Lucisu Malfoy just looked at me, and grunted, "Who is Head Girl?"

I quickly ran down the list till I came to the Head Girl's name. "Hermione Granger," I told my father.

Lucius grunted unhappily across the table but kept eating his food. Jade was noicily opening her letter and peering at the contents.

"I am to report to Professor Dumbledore before the Sorting Ceremony tomorrow, to be sorted into a House since I am not a first year," she told everyone seated at the table.

I silently prayed that she would not be in Slythen and spent the rest of the supper in realitive silence.

The next day was a dreary day.

I woke up early and dressed in my uniform black robes before calling a servants to take my trunks to the car parked in front of the house.

Not to soon we were heading away from Malfoy Manor, the dreaded house getting smaller and smaller as the seconds rolled by.

We arrived at Platform 3/4 where I got out and waited for the servants to put my trunks on the train before looking around for Ginny.

After the servants had left, I spotted Ginny and I started to join her when something or someone grabbed my arm.

Turning around I saw that Jade had attached herself onto my arm, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Don't go near the tramp, Draco. You belong to me now and forbid it," she whispered viciously. Out loud she said, "Oh Dracie, I don't know anyone here! Won't you show me around?"

I stared around, starting to panic. Ginny was standing close to me. Close enough to hear what Jade had just said and close enough to see the way she was holding my arm. Hurt flashed across her eyes and her ring flashed in the sun. Then she turned around and walked towards Harry Potter, hugging him and holding him close to her.