Lonely

Chapter Six

Leo awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming into the seventh year girls dormitory. She sighed, annoyed that the weather wasn't respecting her mood about the upcoming day. If she had her way the sky outside would be dark and rainy.

Accepting the fact that the sun wouldn't be on her side that day, Leo got out of bed and changed into her school uniform. She stared at herself in the floor-length mirror, it was strange to see herself back in her uniform when she felt so different. Leo supposed she looked different too, older and more worn. Leo took note of the figure staring back at her in the mirror, the same light brown hair falling in waves down her back, same brown eyes, same knee-length socks, and shiny school shoes. Yet the figure in the mirror felt detached and unfamiliar. Worried eyes with faint dark circles under them from sleepless nights, palms that bore the marks of her nails from continual clenched fists.

Leo managed to pull her eyes away from her reflection in the mirror and grabbed her book bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder as she made her way to the great hall for breakfast before class. Hannah had a strict policy of never waking up early enough to have a full breakfast and Susan was already out around the castle helping the Hufflepuff first years locate the different classrooms, so Leo made the trek to the great hall alone.

There were a few students scattered throughout the great hall, Leo noticed Ginny Weasley eating with Luna and Neville, their heads tucked as they conversed quietly. Slouching onto a bench at the Hufflepuff table Leo grabbed a few pieces of toast and began to spread jam over them. She had just taken a bite when a figure sat down next to her. Leo continued to eat, paying no attention to her new shadow.

"Are you just going to ignore me forever?" Draco said, the hint of a laugh in his tone but Leo thought she may have heard some concern as well. She simply shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of her toast, although it now tasted too dry in her mouth. "Please Leo, can't you just talk-" She shot him a glare cutting his words short. "Why are you bothering me?" She demanded cooly. "You've won, haven't you? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your Death Eater pals, or fawning over Snape with the rest of Slytherin? Why'd you even come back to school this year anyway?" Leo noticed with satisfaction that Draco's eyes dropped to his lap and he sat silently for a few moments. She turned back to the table and had almost convinced herself he had left when she heard him say quietly.

"I haven't won. I haven't won anything. The Dark Lord knows I failed, he's punished my family because of it. We've little standing with him or any of the rest of them." Draco took a deep breath before continuing. "Hardly anyone in Slytherin respects me and I knew everyone else at school would hate me for last year, everyone that knew I was... there that night. I came back to school because even with all that it's the only place that feels ok. And, well, I wanted to see you."

Leo laughed, a foreign and bitter sound, causing two Hufflepuffs sitting down the table to glance her way. She lowered her voice, turning to once again look at her cousin. "What do you want, for me to feel sorry for you? Everything that's happening to you is because of your own actions." Draco's eyes filled with pain, but she continued tears falling lightly down her cheeks. "You want me to forgive the fact that you let Death Eaters into the school, that you agreed to kill Dumbledore, that my mum and dad got tortured because of information you told your father, all because what? You're lonely?" She wiped away her tears angrily and stood, her breakfast long forgotten. "You don't get to feel sorry for yourself Draco, not after what you've done." And with that, she left him sitting shoulders hunched at the Hufflepuff table as she stormed from the great hall.

Leo's first class of the day was Muggle Studies. Leo had never chosen the class as an elective, since her father was Muggle-born and often discussed various aspects of non-magic life she had never felt the need, however this year the class was mandatory for all students. She arrived at the classroom and slid into the open seat next to Hannah. All the houses were in the class together as was typical for sixth and seventh-year classes, however, since the class was mandatory for all students the large classroom was quite full.