The Witch's Tale

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"What are you still doing up?"

A voice pulled Emerald from her midnight reading. She looked up over the pages of her book as Draco entered the common room.

She noticed the fire had died down to embers and the common room was dark and scarce.

"A bit of late night reading, hm Thropp? What could this be?"

He snatched the book from her and held it high out of her reach.

"Hey!"

Emerald shouted as she stood and tried to grab it. He was just tall enough where he could hold it above her, teasing her like a dog.

"Give it back!"

She shouted. And Draco chuckled as he held it lower for her to grab only to pull it away before she could snatch it.

"The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West?"

Draco raised a brow.

"Give it!" "No I don't think I will." "I said give it back!"

She shouted and a flash of green lightning expelled from her hand which had flushed with green wickedness. The lightning shot his hand and Draco howled with pain. He dropped the book to the ground which Emerald picked up.

"Bratt." Draco snapped. "Yes you are." Emerald replied as she scooped the book up from the ground.

"Why is that so important to you anyways? I thought you despised your heritage." He asked but Emerald didn't answer.

"You said yourself you want nothing to do with the Wicked Witch of the West. That you're just a normal witch. Why do you care what happens to her belongings?"

He strode over to her, pompous with each step.

"You know the story, she was wicked to your mother." "There are two sides to every story, Draco."

✮ ⊹₊ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊₊ ⊹ ✮

"What do you mean by that?"

Draco looked at her with disgust.

"Elphaba was wicked. Theres no other side to it."

"That's Dorothy's version of the story."

Emerald said as she settled back down in her chair, flipping the pages of the book open back to where she left off before she was interrupted.

"You're starting to like her, aren't you?"

Draco asked, amused as he sauntered over to the chair where Emerald sat and leaned against it, looking down at her.

"Her wickedness is growing on you." "It is not!" "That's not true." "What do you know?" "Only what I've been able to observe." "Which is?"

"You've grown into her power nicely. In charms class you eradicated a bucket of water with just your hands. You used your power to get what you want just now but shooting me with a bolt of green lightning, which still hurts by the way, you're lucky it's past midnight otherwise I'd be up at the hospital wing right now begging for the aid of-"

"Look I'm sorry. Something just comes over me sometimes and I can't explain it."

Draco grinned smugly.

"You're just like her. You'll make a fine Witch of the West one day." "Shut up."

Emerald snapped the book shut, seeing as he wouldn't let her concentrate there was no reason for her to try to read with Draco around.

✮ ⊹₊ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊₊ ⊹ ✮

"There's a war coming, you know."

Emerald turned to face Draco. She had surrendered for the night and was heading up to her dorm when Draco suddenly called to her.

"What?"

She said as she turned to face him.

"The dark lord, he will wage war on the halfbloods soon."

he said as he walked over to her.

"Which could include you, unless you're smart."

He said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You are the heir of Oz. The dark lord knows it. He would spare you if you agreed to help him." "Help him? Have you misplaced your mind?"

"He would spare you, if you serve him. But if you fail... if you go agains the dark lord... he is far from forgiving and understanding. He is cruel and he will make sure you know it."

For a moment there was something in his eyes. It wasn't cruel or pompous like usual. It was fear. Draco was fearful of something, someone.

"Draco,"

Emerald said slowly as she stepped closer to him.

"Has the dark lord threatened you?"

Draco itched at something under his shirt sleeve. He didn't respond.

"Is he forcing you to serve him?"

His jaw clenched.

"Don't you dare ask me such a thing."

he snarled.

"All I'm saying to you is a war is coming, you will need to pick a side, and it is best for you to pick the side that will leave you alive. Don't be like Elphaba. Fight with him not against him if you want to live."

In that moment, Draco was talking about someone other than Emerald and Elphaba. He was talking about himself.

✮ ⊹₊ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊₊ ⊹ ✮

"Harry!"

Emerald ran after the chosen one, books in tow, including the diary of the Wicked Witch, which she hadn't read anymore since Draco interrupted her last night. She found herself unable to focus on its contents after what Draco had told her.

Harry was walking with Hermione, just Hermione. Ron was missing.

"Where's your third friend? The redhead?"

Emerald asked and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Probably snogging his new girlfriend." "oh?"

Emerald looked to Harry who offered her a warning look not to press Hermione on the subject.

"Oh." Emerald said "Well, anyways, I want to tell you about a conversation I had with Draco last night."

"About what?" "the dark lord."

Emerald said as she pulled "The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" From her bag.

"I think Draco is being threatened to work for the Dark Lord as a death eater." "oh not you too!" Hermione groaned.

"He isn't being threatened." Harry snapped. "Draco's as evil as they come. He'd follow the dark lord willingly." "But do you know that?" Emerald asked.

"Or is he just trying to survive a war?" "What's the difference?" "There's a huge difference."

Emerald said as she opened her book.

"Elphaba refused to chose the winning side when it came to her tyranny obsessed wizard and it resulted in her melted."

She pointed to the paragraph she read last night. Harry peered through his glasses down at the passage, skimming over it.

"What does this have to do with Draco?" He asked.

"Draco is trying not to be the collateral damage of another battle between witches and wizards. That doesn't make him inherently evil, it makes him a desired survivor."