Dare - Draco Malfoy

Chapter 28: Back again

Maeve:

Trying to hide what I was feeling during the last couple of days at home was excruciating. I tried to enjoy my parent's company, but pretending to be fine, as if nothing happened is not something I am used to.

I needed space, yet I left lonely, isolated from everyone. Aria and I never wrote to each other. She spent the Christmas in Oman, and was always too busy to write.

Now I am at King's Cross, exchanging some last hugs with mum. My dad could not come, he has an important meeting to attend. She's helping me getting my stuff on the carriage.

I am on the top step of the the train, mum on the platform. I turn my head to see who is around. My eyes fall on a certain someone. Draco is with his father and mother, stiff and serious next to them.

He looks sick, exhausted, the worst part of it all, his parents know about it. He sees me at the door as he starts walking parallel to the train. Our eyes rest on each other for a good second and then suddenly the gaze breaks. My mum notices and follows the trail of my eyes, still fixed on him walking straight past me.

"Maeve" She looks back at me with a worried look.

"Please be careful who you get close to" She says a little more quietly now.

I raise my eyebrows. What does she know about Draco?

"Just be smart okay?" She says now, with a weak smile.

I don't want to worry her.

"Yes mum! I am fine" I finish and get down the steps to hug her one last time.

It's 11:00am. The train is departing.

11:08am and I am still looking for an empty compartment, or Aria or Blaise or Isy. I want to see them. I missed them all. I wonder if they would even look at me if they knew. Nott knows.

"Maeve!" I hear a monotone but happy voice call me.

I turn.

"Hey Isy" I say cheerfully.

Her hair grew a little but she still looked the same throughout. Tall, pale, her eyes black. Classy checkered pants and a black turtle neck.

"Are you okay?" She asks walking closer towards me in the tight corridor.

"Yeah, how was your break?" I ask cooly.

"Meh, it was alright" She responds lazily.

"Hey uhm, have you seen the others?"

She nods forward. I let her pass in front of me and follow her to a compartment door a little further ahead. I can see her smiling at someone in greeting, through the door window. I follow her in.

Blaise and Aria are sitting, talking quietly. Isy sits next to Blaise, I next to Aria.

"Heeey Maeve" she cheers.

"Hey" I respond chucking.

"How was your break guys?" I ask, removing my coat and settling my things.

"Oh not bad." Blaise responds yawning. Aria keeps quiet. I turn my head to her.

"Yeah it was good actually, Oman is so pretty, I have to tell you all about it" She starts.

Her eyes widen in realisation a few seconds later.

"Oh actually I got you something" She adds rampaging in her canvas bag.

"Here" She beams looking back at me.

In her hand is a small maroon pouch. I take it and feel something hard in it.