two can keep a secret,

chapter twelve.

Lilith.

Warrington kisses my cheek at breakfast while we are talking. He stole Riddle's spot again today. If looks could kill, he would be six feet under.

Tell him to get his mouth off you.

Jesus, Dad.

I shut him out. A moment later, Riddle turns to look at my dad and it seems they have almost a silent conversation. Great.

"After your detention tonight, I thought we could hang out in the common room for a little bit. It won't be as loud," Warrington says, grabbing some food and putting it on his plate.

"I have to do something for my dad," I say, grabbing a goblet and drinking from it.

"Hey!" Blaise exclaims. "That's mine."

I roll my eyes and give him the goblet. "Oh, don't act like we haven't drank from the same cup before."

Warrington swallows his food and starts talking again. "Then before?"

"She's with me before," Riddle says, cutting me off. "We have a Potions essay to write." He glances at me. "Right?" he asks, raising his brows.

I sigh. "Yeah, we do."

☯︎︎

In Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Grubbly-Plank is talking to us about how we had to sign a waver in order to learn the day's lesson.

"Your parents and guardians had to sign a waver because of what we are learning about. This creature can be very dangerous if you do not follow my instructions," she explains.

We're all sitting or standing in an opening in the Forbidden Forest. We aren't deep enough in the forest for anything dangerous to be around. I'm standing next to a bunch of people. Some people are sitting on stones. Riddle is leaning against a tree near me.

We're in the same spot we were in in third year, so I can already guess what creature we're looking at.

"Now, I'll go over the basics," she says. Then she explains that we can't make sudden movements. We have to bow and wait for it to bow. Blah, blah, blah. I already know it all.

"The animal we will be learning about today is a hippogriff!" she exclaims, and gestures to a hippogriff that walks out from behind a tree.

People gasp and stare at the hippogriff. It's feathers are a beautiful dark gray that turn a sea green when the light hits them.

"Snape," Riddle whispers. I turn to him and raise a brow. "Why the hell did we need a waver for this shit?"

"In third year Draco was being a dumbass and got cut in the arm. He was trying to show off," I say quietly, turning back to look at the front.

"Would anyone like to pet her?" Grubbly-Plank asks. Everyone moves back a step, and I get deja vu. "Ms. Snape," she says. Great. "Your father has told me you are good with animals, yes?"

I shrug. "It depends."

She waves me over. "Remember, slow movements and bow. Do not move close unless she bows too."

I sigh and nod, dropping my bag on the ground. As I start towards the hippogriff, everyone tenses. I bow, some of my hair falling in my face.

The hippogriff tilts its head at me, deciding what to do. After a few tense seconds, she bows too. Everyone lets out a breath of relief and I smile to myself, so small you almost can't see it.

Grubbly-Plank waves me to the hippogriff. "Go on," she says, "Go and pet her."

I stand and take a few steps towards her. I put my right hand out, and the hippogriff sniffs my hand before nudging it onto her nose. I smile and step closer to her, petting her.

She nudges my shoulder, trying to put her nose in my neck. I chuckle as she keeps nudging me gently.

After a moment, Professor Grubbly-Plank claps quickly. "Good job! Would you like to feed her?"

I nod and she grabs a dead ferret, handing it to me. I have to stop myself from laughing as the ferret reminds me of Draco, and I toss it to the hippogriff. She catches it and starts eating it.

☯︎︎

We're all sitting in the common room. We're either talking or doing homework, unless you're Crabbe, who is still trying to figure out how to play cards.

Warrington twirls a strand of my long hair on his finger. It's losing its dark color and turning into a lighter brown.

"I love how long your hair is," he says, looking mesmerized. "It looks amazing on you. Don't ever cut it." I smile at him.

Someone lets out an exasperated sigh. Next thing I know, my wrist is being grabbed and Riddle is pulling me off the couch.

"Library," he says. "For the Potions project."

"You guys try too hard," Pansy says, jotting notes down on her parchment. "Granger and I switch off from writing."

I gesture to Pansy. "See? We could just do that."

Riddle shakes his head and starts dragging me out of the room. "They can get away with that, you cannot. Your father will know if only one of us does it."

"You literally just sit there and flip through books while I write," I retort.

I can hear Blaise start banging his head on the table. "Why—do—they—always—have—to—bicker?"

We leave the common room and go to our, now normal, spot in the library. He grabs a random book on our way there.

We sit down and I get out parchment, ink, and a quill. The wrap on my hand moves, and the cuts start to burn. I suck in a breath and fix the wrap quickly, trying to play it off.

Apparently, that didn't work. Stupid Riddle.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Fine," I reply, starting to write.

We sit in silence. I write, he flips through pages in his book.

"I don't like him."

I turn my head to look at Riddle. His elbow is on the table and his chin is in his hand, watching me with a look in his eyes that I can quite decipher. "Who?"

"Warrington."

I turn back to my parchment. "Why should your opinion on Warrington matter to me?"

"Because you're too friendly with him."

"He's my boyfriend," I say, glancing at him.

Riddle sighs and shakes his head. "You don't even call him by his first name. You have more chemistry with Parkinson."

I smile slightly, shaking my head. "Yeah, me and Pansy have also made out before. Your point is?"  He hums. "Look, Riddle, you don't get to have a say in my love life. You never will. I like Warrington, and if you have a problem with that, that's your problem. Not mine and not Warrington's."

He furrowed his brows, and I can tell he's mad now. Maybe I went too far, but I could care less.

"Don't play that game with me, Darling. You won't win."