Finding Herself || Draco Malfoy [BOOK 2]

Chapter 7

"Goodbye," I thought, looking reminiscently at the house. "I'll miss you."
———

I turned away from the house and looked at the three adult wizards, all of which standing in front of a car I'd never seen before. Lupin and Tonks looked concerned, while Moody just looked like he wanted to leave. His eye was flickering around like crazy, as if he was just waiting for us to be ambushed.

"Well, we should be off," said Lupin, clapping his hands together. "Alastor, do you mind getting the trunk into the car?"

Moody let out a grunt and complied, picking up the enormous trunk with ease and carrying it to the back of the car.

"W-Where?" I forced out. I anxiously fidgeted with my fingers, picking at my cuticles.

"Why are you so anxious? Calm down. You're fine,"  I tried to tell myself, but my brain wasn't having it.

At that moment, my brain decided it was the best time to come up with scenarios involving the Death Eaters showing up to the Morrisons' house after I left, only to find out I wasn't there. To be frank, those images made my pulse increase significantly, and like Moody, I couldn't help but look around for any sign of Death Eaters.

"You can't calm down," said my conscience. "You just spoke in front of the Morrisons' house. Death eaters could have heard you, and they could kill them just like they killed Cedric. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

I clamped my mouth shut and bit my bottom lip so hard that I could taste blood.

"We'll talk about it once we're inside," said Lupin, still looking concerned.

"Come on, Maya," said Tonks. She walked towards me and held out a friendly hand. I instinctively recoiled.

"My hand isn't going to grow teeth and bite you, you know," said Tonks with a friendly smile. She reminded me a bit of the classic clumsy/funny best friend in every muggle romantic comedy, and I couldn't help but like her already.

I felt my lips curving upwards slightly, on the mere cusp of a smile. Although her joking attitude did not completely cure my foul mood and anxiety, her positivity made me feel a little less in the dumps than usual.

I took her hand.

"You know, you look exactly the way I thought you would," said Tonks, leading me to the car. "Except for the blonde hair going on, but I like it. It suits you."

I gave her a small nod in thanks. She smiled once again and opened the back door of the car.

"Hurry and get in," said Moody, looking around. "We don't need anyone spotting you. Go on."

I climbed into the backseat of the car, and Tonks went into the car after me. Lupin hopped into the driver's seat, while Moody rode shotgun.

"Where are we going?" I forced out. "Who's car...? Why t-take a car?"

"It's my dad's old car, he let us borrow it for the meantime," said Tonks. "Remus is the only one here with a license. We're taking a car because it's the most efficient and inconspicuous way of travel during daylight. Dumbledore wanted us to do it this way."

"Where we're going," said Lupin, pulling out of the driveway onto the open road. "It's where you're going to stay the rest of the summer."

"Where is that?" I asked. I felt every word burn in my throat as I let them out. The amount of talking I did yesterday really pushed my voice over the limit. It was as if my voice forgot that before June 24th, I was a relatively talkative person.