I hope our story has a happier ending

wake up a different person

His soulmate is hundreds of miles away, and yet—Draco knows something is off.

It's a relief, being at Hogwarts and finally able to communicate again; finally able to speak, rather than taking turns bruising themselves to communicate that they're still alive.

And as horrific as Hogwarts is, at the moment, anything is a step up from what he experienced over the summer.

Even as the Carrows crack down—as they're asked to perform illegal curses on younger students.

Even as the light and fight are beaten out of them by every method in the book.

It never truly works, of course, not with ASA still going strong. They're more careful than ever, and meet much less frequently, just in case—but it's there, a reprieve from the hell an openly Death Eater headmaster has allowed the school to become.

Only Aaliyah can open the chamber, with Harry gone, but she's currently teaching Neville to say open in parsletongue—he insists, in case there ever comes a time she doesn't want to take the risk.

And it's wonderful, all of them having a safe haven together, but—it's hard, too, the days when someone in the room's lost a family member.

(When it's another person in the room's own family that's done the killing.)

But they don't take it out on each other, even on the bad days. They just try to find some semblance of peace, maintain the unity and love that have made everything thus far bearable.

The true saving grace of it all is that Draco and Pansy have been made Head Boy and Girl—which, definitely biased, Snape not even attempting to hide the favoritism, not even trying to pretend Voldemort doesn't rule Hogwarts, now—

But in any case, it's their reality—and right now, that means they get private quarters of their own, where they, Blaise, Neville, and Ginny have taken to hiding out. A place where they can unequivocally be themselves, and never worry about being found.

A place where they can be honest about what they're feeling, plan for how to handle the madness Hogwarts has become, where eleven year olds are forced to perform illegal torture curses and students are permanently damaged by the degree of severity they're experiencing.

(It figures, that this solace would come to them when three of their number aren't with them to share it with.)

Draco is doing rounds with Neville, one night; he'd had to pretend it was an insult in their prefects' meeting, but is of course delighted, having the best night of patrols he's had in weeks as they chat about anything and everything in the world around them.

"I'm a little worried," Neville says quietly, as the round a corner in the fifth floor corridor. "About Gin."

(Understanding instantly floods through Draco.)

Ginny's been quiet—not just less talkative, or oddly pensive, but an entirely uncharacteristic silence.

He wouldn't blame her, or anyone, for trying to keep their head down with everything currently occurring in the castle, but her shift was overnight; brazen and defiant, even in the face of detentions and crucios, and then suddenly anything but.

She's still fighting for their cause, still working to undermine the Carrows and Snape with every waking breath, but without a word escaping her.

"Me too," Draco admits. "There's something she's keeping from us—even Blaise doesn't know what it is."

Neville rubs at his jaw, concern etched in his stance. "I just—I feel like she's not telling because it's something that's going to get her into serious trouble; whatever she's planning, it's a bad idea, and she doesn't want anyone to know until it's too late to stop her."