𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#3 The Death of Me

Draco returned almost in time for the start of dinner in the Great Hall.

We had to go through proper security activities as we entered the castle, but apart from the extra time it took, I felt just a small amount safer.

There were a bunch of eyes flickering towards me as soon as Blaise, Theo and I entered the Great Hall. A few students started to whisper to each other with their gazes on me, a few tried to escape my look as if I would burn them alive otherwise.

Blaise tried to distract me from that, but there wasn't really a need. I just simply felt empty. Something I learnt from the reporters lingering around our estate - to ignore. To close up.

It was strange being back in Hogwarts without my sister. Painful sitting in the Slytherin rows without her on my side, a funny comment here and there. She left a gap between us. A big one. Constantly I caught myself looking over to the entrance, expecting her to walk in just running late.

Draco caught up once we took our places on the Slytherin table and indulged us some food. He placed himself next to me, his hair kinda messy, at least enough for me to notice.

My eyes flickered over to the Gryffindor table at Hermione and Ron, who looked kinda nervous towards the entrance - probably looking for the dark-haired boy, who wasn't with them.

Just as Dumbledore stood up, El, Luna and Harry came through the double doors. The boy was holding a napkin to his nose as he stopped and sat himself down next to Ron, escaping Hermione's narrowing eyes. But his gaze landed on me, only for a blink.

I felt Draco's body tensing up at the sight of him, he breathed out annoyed and shook his head in disbelief, before he shoved himself some lasagne on his plate, but just played with his fog in it, not actually taking a bite.

"What happened?", I asked without lifting my gaze from him. I knew by his fumbling leg that he could feel it burning into his side, but Draco wasn't looking up.

"Why the hell should I know? Ask your pale, since you two are best friends now.", he simply shrugged.

"Let me think, maybe because you stayed back and threw me off the carriage? Did your ego made you to punch his nose, since I was staying with him a few days?", I raised one eyebrow, aware of Blaise's chuckle from across the table.

"Sorry, but the world is not only spinning around you, Fox. Maybe you should watch your ego.", he simply answered, his eyes still clued on the plate.

„Wow, thanks.", I turned towards my own again.

I didn't dare to look up towards Blaise opposite me, who tried to distract himself with digging his fog into the noodles in a steady and fast rhythm. But I could literally see his smirk on my inner eye, his face probably red in the attempt to suppress it.

„Very best evening to you all.", Dumbledore stationed himself on his podium, spreading out his arms to greet us and get the attention up front. „First off, let me introduce you to the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn."

A friendly smiling man quickly stood up and nodded in the students direction, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

By the quick first impression, I immediately relaxed my tense figure again. After last year, where Umbridge was introduced as the new staff, I had clenched my hands into fists under the table, once the headmaster mentioned a change under his colleges.

And I didn't even notice. I just did as Draco took the right one into his, massaging my fingers until they let go of the tension. I quickly shot him a look, before he let it sink away again.