By your side: d.m

Year 6- Task

In my dorm, I stayed awake staring at my roof for hours. I couldn't sleep. I wish my dad were here. He'd give me advice and play dominoes with me to get my mind off things. And my mom would play quidditch with me while telling me it'll be alright. I tried writing to my mom, but she never responded. But now my dad was dead, and my mom hated me, and my 'boyfriend' wanted nothing to do with me. But since that day in my fourth year I knew that I was never going to give up on Draco. And I intend to keep that promise with myself.

In the common room, Harry was still reading from the book with notes. It said it belonged to the 'Half-Blood Prince.' "Harry, are you serious? You're going to keep doing what it says?", I told him. "Nothing bad is going to happen, Slughorn thinks he's a genius.", said Ron.

~~~

I was walking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were talking about the Half-Blood Prince and I agreed with Hermione he had to turn that in. At the Three Broomsticks, we saw Ginny snogging Dean, which Ron did not approve of and Harry looked uncomfortable. Then, Professor Slughorn came up to us and invited me, Harry, and Hermione to his party that he was having for all the smart kids. When we got out, we heard a scream coming from somewhere. We ran to see what was happening, and Katie Bell was floating in the air, screaming in pain. She fell to the ground, and we went to get Hagrid for help. Apparently, she had been cursed. In a package, she had a necklace that cursed her. We went to McGonagall's office to talk to her because we saw it happen.

"It was Malfoy.", Harry accused. "Are you serious, Harry?", I shrieked. I took out my wand before Snape said, "That's enough!". "That's a very serious accusation.", said McGonagall. "I know it's him. I just cant prove it.", added Harry. McGonagall sent us back to our dormitories. "What are you so mad for, are you on my side or his?", Harry asked me. "You just... Can't start accusing people.", I said. I went up to the dormitories.  "Who are you going to bring to Slughorn's party?", Hermione asked me. I looked at her. "Well, I was going to ask Blaise Zabini, but he's already going so I might ask Theodore Nott.", I said, grinning. "Oh. I thought you might... Nevermind. I'm asking McLaggen." I scoffed. "McLaggen? Really?" "You're asking Nott." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and went to sleep.

The whole 'asking Nott' thing did not go well. I went to the slytherin common room and found him sitting next to Blaise. "Hey!", I said flirtaciously. Why am I doing this? "Hey.", he said back grinning. Blaise then whispered something inaudible to him. He whispered something back. I managed to catch something about 'with Pansy now' but Theodore seemed to look scared. "Uh.. Anyways.. I was wondering if you'd like to go to Slughorn's party with me!", I said sitting down next to him. He gulped and cleared his throat. "Yeah I would...", he started saying before I heard the door open. Draco came inside and he looked at us angrily. "Something to say?", I said. He stomped back up to his dorm room and Theodore quickly said, "I actually have something that day..." "But I haven't even told you when-" "Sorry", he said before directing his eyes somewhere other than me. I rolled my eyes and went back to the Gryffindor common room. I figured I just had to ask someone as a friend. "Hey, Neville?" "Oh hey, Talia.", he said looking up from his work. "I was wondering if you'd like to go Slughorn's party with me as my friend.", I suggested. "Oh, I'm already going." I huffed angrily. "Sorry...", he said apologetically. "No, it's okay." What the hell we gon' do now? I don't have any other friends anymore. I guess I'll just have to go by myself.

For Slughorn's party, I wore a short/medium length black dress with a short blue blazer. We were talking about what our parents did. Slughorn asked me and I said; " Well, my mum was an auror, but now she's a healer at St. Mungo's. My father was a muggle teacher in a school in London." He asked Hermione, and she responded with "dentists." I looked around, DARING anyone to critique. No one really said anything, but I caught Blaise staring at me. I winked at him and he chuckled. Ginny came in and Harry was being all awkward. "Think he's in love?", I whispered to Hermione. I giggled.

Harry tricked Ron into thinking he put Felix Felicis in his cup and that gave him enough confidence to win. He used psychology instead of magic to solve a problem, and it worked 200%. That's when I realized Hermione had a crush on Ron, but he was busy snogging Lavender Brown. She would never admit to it, of course. She ran away at the sight of Ron making out with Lavender and Harry and I went to comfort her. Ron was crazy for not wanting Hermione, she was so amazing and they've been through so much together. And when he's with someone else, it hurts. And it's not gonna get better if she goes and uses people. I went to the astronomy tower to gather my thoughts and saw Draco staring over the edge. I cleared my throat and went up to him, something I should've done before.

"Draco..." He turned around, startled. "Talia..." I went closer to him. His expression of kindness quickly faded. He turned around again. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone? I'm with Pansy now, if you haven't noticed and-" "Draco. Stop lying to me. Please, tell me why you're acting like this I want to help you.", I said desperately.

"You can't help me. You'll only get killed."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're with me you'll be in danger. He's going to kill you, Talia. I need you to hate me. I'm a monster, it shouldn't be hard. I need you to get as far away from me as you can. It won't be a life to live without you but if you're with me you won't live at all. I need you to be safe and happy, and I'll manage a way to live without you somehow because I love you, Talia. I love you and I hate myself for it. So, please, find someone else and leave."

There was seconds of silence between us when I stood my ground and decided what I had to do. I couldn't do anything else.

"You're an idiot, Draco. You're an idiot if you think I'd want to live at all. I don't care if I'm in danger because of you as long as I'm with you. I already hated you once, I'm not going to do it again. Don't you remember? We said we hated each other. And one day we realized that we were liars... The point is, I'm not going anywhere, Draco. You are my home and as long as I'm here with you, you're not alone. Because I'm by your side. You're not a monster. Whatever you are, I'll accept it. And I'm not going to leave for my safety. I'll risk everything. I have nothing to lose anymore. Because I love you. So tell me, please, and let me help you."

He turned around and slowly put up his sleeve to reveal a black tattoo. I recognized it immediately. It was the death eater's mark. A dark mark.