XXII

Cho was right. Cho was always right – she knew; she'd been in that position not so long ago. They were fast, but Veja was faster.

At this point it didn't matter what anyone said to her; she was done.

She ignored the moo-ing calls they made out to her. She was thankful they gave her a wide berth so she could run faster.

The only thing she heard was the beating of her heart through her eardrums. Everything else melted together and dissolved into silence. Excitement raced through her just as fast as fear did. The quiet place was only a few yards away.

Today, Veja knew she could run. She had always known that she was a runner; she could feel it in her veins as the wind swept her hair away from her face for the last time.

She gripped her wand tighter. Nothing else was more important than the fact that she had to get it right. She'd spent all night practicing, such that her skin was still sore.

Grega leaped over the black velvet robe, long since discarded. She took out a second to appreciate the taste of style before her mind focused back on the issue at hand.

She wasn't getting expelled. Not today. Not ever.

Hether watched as Draco balanced himself on the railings of the tower. He'd suggested the Astronomy Tower was the best place to dry off after their swim. Now he was sat on the thin metal as if he was ready to take off and spread his wings any second.

The thought made her snort. He couldn't fly; he was a water dragon, not an air dragon. The most he could do was to slither so fast on ground one would think it was lightning touching the ground.

She watched him. He was deep in thought, that much was obvious, because he didn't care that he was quite close to falling off the railing. She wanted to know what was going on through that white head of his. She could pry, but he deserved his privacy. She wouldn't take it so kindly if she knew someone was in her mind, but that was her job.

So, Hether leant back on the wall instead and lifted her eyes to watch the afternoon sun burn weakly in the sky.

"This place has gone to the dogs." Draco sucked his teeth.

Hether turned to him. "Hm?"

"Look at it." He turned to her. He wasn't angry or spiteful; rather, he was calm, as if he was accepting everything that stood before him. "Father said it used to be very majestic."

"Really?" she responded softly.

"Very." He turned back to the mountains. "He said the mountains used to glow bright green in the afternoon. And sometimes he thought he could see them ripple like waves on a calm lake."

"'Must have been very nice."

"'Must have been."

They both fell back into the calm silence. Hether looked down to her fingers. Her crest ring sat still on the same finger it always had. It often made her reminisce about all the things they had been through together, but today it reminded her that they had a lot to do.

"I think you're good to start using water magic." She twisted the silvery jewelry round her finger.

"What makes you think so?"

"You changed. Your body is immortalising because you've accepted your nature."

"Was that what went on in the lake?" Draco asked and she nodded her reply. "So, does that mean my body is shedding itself?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Of course not. You're just accepting-"

Hether was cut short by the door as it was flung open and hard against the stone wall. Both turned to see who had dared to intrude in their conversation. Draco's face hardened.

"Are you deaf?" Hether wondered if his face was competing against the granite walls in terms of which was harder. "You're not allowed in the-"

"Fuck you, Malfoy." Veja spat out, much to Draco's surprise.

Both of them sprung off the railing as she bound up the steps in quick steps and headed straight towards them. Draco put as much distance between himself and the girl. He didn't want to catch her infection. Hether moved away, puzzled. She couldn't read her mind; tell what she was going to do. Veja's future said she would be okay, but her actions were unpredictable, which made for an unstable variable.

"VEJA!" Grega's voice warbled up the stairs. Hether's eyebrows raised as she heard more footsteps. The girl had brought a whole party with her.

The girl spun around like a mad person, eyes wide with rage. "WHAT?! What do you want from me? 'Come to mock me once more? Have a laugh, maybe?" she let out a forced chuckle.

"Veja, please, just listen," Grega pleaded and stepped forward but froze when the girl whipped out her wand and waved it blindly at them.

Cho backed up, hand to her mouth, as if the whole thing was just too much for her.

"NO." the girl's chest rose and fell with each angry breath. "I'm done listening to you. I'm done listening to everything!" her voice resonated through the cold afternoon air. She turned with a swish of her hair and climbed the railing.

A sob broke loose from Cho's mouth, much to Blaise's distaste. He clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her firmly towards him to shut her up. Hether saw the tears that fell from Veja's eyes as she placed her foot firmly on the railing. They weren't tears of any emotion. They were just tears, flowing down her face, burning their paths into her brown flesh. Neither her nor Draco made any move to stop her.

Veja was glad they didn't. Why should they? She knew they both wanted her out of the way. Draco did. Hether just didn't want to interfere. It wasn't her business to. The girl gripped her wand firmly and pointed it to herself. What on earth did she intend to do?

They would all soon find out. That was, until Grega reached out with a shout of "NO!" and made an attempt to pull the girl back down. She would have succeeded, Hether noticed, of she had reached out with her right hand and not her left; but she didn't, and they both toppled over the railing.