Chapter 5-A Deal with a Snake!

Chapter 5

NARCISSA BLACK

The youngest of the Black sisters strode through the express, empty-handed as the unlikely figure of Alden Potter led her through the corridor towards her desired compartment. Andromeda had told her about how the Ravenclaw senior had agreed to go forward with the ruse, yet even then, she had been surprised by him.

She had expected him to be angry, frustrated, reluctant, and snappy and had prepared herself for much rebuke and anger, yet things had been entirely different than her initial expectation.

He had greeted her rather warmly and had even played along in front of Marauders and Professor Slughorn, having secured her a spot in the infamous Professor's gatherings as he somewhat publicly announced their relationship.

"Is this the one?" he asked suddenly as she bumped into his back, lost in a trance.

"Sorry," she apologized as she looked towards the compartment he was pointing at and nodded her head.

"Yeah," the last compartment of the aisle, it had been the gathering spot for her and her friends for years now, though she did wonder how many of them would join her this year after the events of last year.

Alden nodded at her words, slid open the door, and placed her luggage on the top before moving out.

Though before he could move off she cut in.

"I am sorry," she began timidly making him frown.

"What for?" he questioned, and she raised a brow as she twirled her blonde band with her other hand as she timidly began.

"About all this, you know. I know you are angry about all this, but I promise I will…" But before she could continue, a small chuckle halted her as Alden's voice interrupted her.

"I am not angry," he said as he smiled at her, moving a bit closer, and for the first time, she noticed why the female population of the school was bonkers over him.

He was tall, handsome, if not roguishly heartbreaking, and very well-mannered if his reputation was anything to go by, which actually wasn't for Lucius. For Lucius had a very good reputation as well, and he wasn't well mannered.

Though she doubted now that he was anything like him.

"Plus, this whole mess is more your family's fault than yours. Even mother seems to think so. So, don't worry about Narcissa," though he halted suddenly as he looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"I can call you that, right? Narcissa?" he questioned with a smile, and she was quick to nod.

"Of course," she replied quickly as he continued.

"Yeah, so you don't need to worry so much. If there is anything you need, you can call me, and I will come pick you up for the party in an hour or two," he said, and she cut in once more.

"Why did you do that?" she questioned again, trying to find out more about him. However, a part of her, unknown to her, liked having him there alone, all to herself.

He frowned as he waved his hands in the air, questioning what she added.

"Asking me to Slughorn's party and what you did in front of my cousin and those fifth years, that way, the whole school will know of this," she argued, and he frowned.

"Isn't that the whole intention?" he replied surprising her once more.

"Plus, your cousin was there, and it's pretty well known that he has a pretty loose mouth. By doing all that and inviting you to Slughorn's party with me, I am basically declaring this relationship to the whole school. It would make things easier for you," he added.

And it would. The backlash from Malfoy would come, but if there was anyone in the whole school who could protect her from that, it was Alden, someone with a reputation even more dangerous than Malfoy, for while Malfoy may boast of his family's wealth and his prowess, Alden Potter was quite a legend amongst the school.

His grades were impeccable, but more dangerous was his reputation for dealing strictly with bullies and other misdemeanors. In his third year, some Slytherins had bullied a muggle-born girl rather severely, the teachers as always, had ignored the girl's complaints, and then one day, she had ended up in the Hospital Wing, her arm broken as those three Slytherins pushed her off the stairs.

The school had failed to punish the culprits until one day, three Slytherin members, sixth years, were found in the girl's bathroom, bloodied and unconscious. Their arms were broken in the same way as that of the muggle-born girl.

It was rumored that the Slytherin had declared war on him, his own house preferring to stay out of it, and even then, with all the might of the Slytherins, they had lost, all of them unable to win against a single third-year student.

"But what of you?" she questioned, recalling how his own life had been affected by her selfishness.

"What of me?" he questioned, and she looked down, ashamed of her actions as she questioned.

"What of your life? I am sorry about all. Andy told me how this caused quite a mess…." But before she could finish up her stammer, he cut in.

"You don't have to worry about me," he said softly as he waved his hand.

"I will manage," he said with a smile that seemed too sweet as he began to walk out of the compartment.

"Call me if you need anything, I will be back to in an hour or two," and with those words, he was out of the compartment leaving her all alone. She settled down, a part of her looking forward to the boorish party that her head of House was rather fond of throwing.

And then the doors to the compartment slid open, and she looked up and found Wilma Davis, her friend standing outside the compartment staring at her with those round brown eyes of her.

"You have to tell me that your sister came through," her friend asked animatedly. She had written to him a bit about her situation.

"Yes, she did," she replied and saw her friend's eyes go wider as she began jump off like an excited rabbit.

"I knew it! I knew it," and with that, she wildly slid the compartment door back as she began to hound her as she plopped down beside her and flung away the book she was reading.

"I want details. Copious details!"

0000

CANDACE SHACKLEBOLT

"Potter, Stay!" she called out as the prefects made to leave the compartment for their assigned duties. Alden stopped as she called out to him, the perfect beside her Alden stopped as she called out to him, the perfect beside her, Frank Longbottom met her eyes, and when she waved away his concern, he left the compartment as well, leaving her alone, with the Ravenclaw sixth year.

Alden Potter was an enigma to many, the young Potter was raised in privilege, born to two of the oldest wizarding families, he was the literal definition of having been born with a golden spoon. And while many in his position could have grown up to be people of questionable morals and values, he was a surprise much like his own sorting when he had been sorted into Ravenclaw, unlike either of his parents.

"Yeah, anything wrong, Shacklebolt," he asked; they were not friends but were acquainted with one another. And unlike much of her House she was not blind to what was going on, both with Lucius and his group rather frequent disappearances and the unsolicited recruitment drive that were carrying out at their school.

She had complained to both the Headmaster and her head of the House, yet these weren't simple students. Their ties ran deep, nearly as deep as Potter's, if not deeper.

"Nothing, but I wanted to give you a heads up," she began, making him frown.

"About what?" he asked, and she narrowed his eyes. He wasn't dumb.

"About, Lucius," she elaborated and saw his eyes widen momentarily, and then there was the shift, the usual cheer gone as the Alden who had thrashed three sixth-year Slytherins while being three years their juniors appeared momentarily, yet he was gone as quickly as he sighed.

"What's he planning?" he asked, his tone carrying none of his usual cheer, instead having an icy edge to it.

"I do not know, but I saw him with his group brooding together, and your name was brought up many times. I know that there has been some trouble in between you and Lucius since the end of last year, so I thought I would give you a warning," she said as they began to walk out the compartment.

"He holds a grudge and I wouldn't let his civilized façade fool me, Lucius runs in quite some circles," she told him. And didn't she know that.

He would too.

"I know, though I am surprised how you came to learn of such things," he questioned her, and she raised a brow.

"Let me guess, your brother must have mentioned it to you in passing," he guessed correctly. Her brother, Kingsley, had become an auror after much effort, and through him, she had gotten a much better picture of the war that brewed in their world. From what he had told her, Lucius's family was right in the mix, along with those of his chums.

He was also one of the reasons she had told him of Lucius and his men. Kingsley had been under the tutelage of Charlus Potter during his training and had spoken rather highly of the man. Unlike the rest of her House and this lot, the Shacklebolts weren't a rich and old family. They were purebloods but new ones with little to no connections. Despite this, Alden's father helped her brother along, and so she was repaying the kindness he had shown his brother by helping out the man's son.

Plus, she was also protecting her own, for she knew that if somehow Lucius and Alden came to head, it would not end well for the Slytherin, after all Alden Potter had a very dangerous reputation for a reason.

"I will not answer that. Take of that what you will, I have done my part," and with that, she was about to walk away.

"Candace, wait!" he called back, making her stop, and she turned towards him.

"I can handle myself against Lucius and his fellows, though I had a small favor to ask of you. Actually, it might not be that small," he said as he walked towards her.

"And why should I help you? You must know, I am a Slytherin, we don't give favors, at least not for free," and he rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, you just did, like, a minute ago," he said with a smile, and maybe he was right.

"That was not a favor, but regardless, tell me what you can offer in return," she asked him as he groaned, and she was sure she heard him mutter.

'Pretentious snakes,' but she chose to ignore him as she smirked.

"What do you want?" he relented, and she smirked.

'Got him,' she thought.

"Dueling," she was quick to answer and saw him nod along.

"I should have guessed, you must want to be an auror just like your brother," he said and he was right.

"Ten" she offered.

"Two," he countered.

"Eight!"

"Three," he countered once more as they looked each other in the eye.

"Five, and that is final, and I will decide on the times," she offered, and he nodded as they shook hands on the deal.

"So, what do you want?" she offered as she leaned against the door of a compartment. The train was set to take off soon, so they had to get to their duties soon.

She saw his eyes glint as he looked him in the eye.

"I know Lucius and his group have been disappearing from the castle for the last year or so," he said, and she perked up at that. For her to know such a thing was a different matter, she was a Slytherin, yet how the hell did he know that? Lucius and his group were quite secretive, and even though she had found out about this quite recently, he seemed to be aware of this.

"I do…"

"Don't deny it. I already know," he cut in, stopping her mid-sentence, and she feared that she had gotten herself into something troublesome.

"What of it?" she questioned as she looked him in the eye.

"I want to know when they do the same this year," he said, and she smirked.

"If you plan to take this to the teachers…" and he shook her head.

"I don't. Not that they would be much help, but I want to know when they vanish, nothing more, It would be better to know on the day, but the next day would work out as well," he offered and she didn't know what to think of his request.

He was planning something, that was for sure. But what.

"You do know what they are involved in?" she questioned, for she wouldn't want to see him dead.

"I have an idea,"

"Do you?" she confirmed.

"I do," and then she shrugged.

"I will see what I can do."

With that, a deal was made, and none of the parties seemed very happy about it.

That showed that this was a good deal.

0000

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