Draco listened to Hadrian’s conversation with the new girl. For whatever reason, he seemed fascinated by her. It wasn’t until he noticed that she was transfiguring her pumpkin juice into some sort of alcohol that he began to actually pay attention.
“Careful what you wish for, Mr. Potter,” he heard her sneer pausing to refill her goblet with the transfigured alcohol. “I just might turn all that knowledge on you.”
Hadrian froze. In their 5 years at Hogwarts, Draco had seen Hadrian freeze only once and that was when his parents had shown up on the train platform after their second year.
He watched surreptitiously as she finished her drink then stood from her spot. She was promptly stopped by Professor Snape. Draco watched a tick form in her jaw as Snape spoke.
“Forgive me, professor,” she sneered derisively. “But I have had quite a long day traveling here from my home in Japan and I would like to get a full 9 hours of sleep before I attend what passes for class here.”
“Be that as it may, Ms. Oda, you are not to leave until Professor Dumbledore dismisses everyone for the evening,” Snape replied coldly.
At this, Hadrian came alive.
“Besides, you don’t know where the common room is or the password to get in,” Hadrian snickered in glee.
His face fell when she completely ignored him. He didn’t hear what she said next but he could see a flash of anger in Snape’s eyes. Moments later, he was waved forward by Snape. He rose and made his way to stand behind the girl.
“Draco,” he croaked. “Please escort Ms. Oda to the Slytherin dormitory.”
“Of course Professor Snape,” he answered.
She spun to face him. Her indigo hair fanned out behind her making her look even more beautiful. She looked him up and down briefly before rolling her eyes and brushing past him.
“Stop looking at me like I’m your next fuck,” she snapped as she did so.
Draco looked to Hadrian and he looked just as surprised as Draco himself felt. This Oda girl was very bad news. Draco sighed and turned to catch up with her, which he did with several long strides.
“I apologize for looking at you in a way that displeased you,” he told her.
“If you’re not going to be sincere with your apology, don’t bother making it,” she growled.
Draco pulled her to a stop.
“What makes you think my apology is not sincere?” He demanded.
She tapped her temple with a finger.
“You’re a legimens?” He asked. “But my occulmancy shields are always up.”
“Whatever let’s just go to the dormitory,” she scoffed.
She turned to leave but Draco pulled her back with the wrist he still held.
“How can you get past occulmancy shields?” He asked quietly.
“If it gets you to take me to the dorm I’ll tell you, otherwise let me go,” she hissed.
Draco didn’t reply or move to let her go.
“I’m an empath,” she whispered.
Draco stumbled back, forgetting that he still held her wrist causing her to stumble with him.
“Happy now?” She demanded quietly. “Why the fuck do you think I wanted to leave the hall, hmm? I can’t fucking be around people without hearing their every thought and feeling every emotion 100x worse than they do. It’s why I liked Mahoutokoro. I didn’t have to deal with everyone all at once. But my father insisted I come to Hogwarts after we moved back to his home. Gods why can’t he just listen for once?”
“Your father is from here?” Draco asked confused.
“It’s a long story that I don’t like telling,” she sighed.
Draco nodded and released her wrist.
“Follow me,” he told her. “And be careful, the staircases will change when you least expect it.”
“I know,” she grumbled.
“I guess your father told you about Hogwarts then?” He asked.
“No my oba-san did. She told lots of stories. Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what parts of the story are actually true. Gods I miss her.”
“Did she stay in Japan?”
“No she died just before I started at Mahoutokoro.”
Silence enveloped them.
“That must have been hard.”
She shrugged.
“Oba-san was old and worn down from her occupation. But I never once heard her complain. She loved her people up until the end.”
“What did she do?” Draco asked.
“She was the Empress of Japan.”