in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter One

𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, MAYA RAJESH  loves mornings.

It's not that waking up early doesn't irritate her - on the contrary, it's one of her biggest pet peeves to have to wake up to the sound of an annoying alarm. It's the atmosphere which she likes. The soft sounds of traffic outside - sounds that don't even faze her after five years of living in New York - are what coax Maya out of her heavy slumber, clumsy hands fumbling at her nightstand as she gropes around for her glasses.

She supposes it's the calmness she likes, the brief period of quiet before the chaos of yet another busy day. A soft silence settles over the room as she slowly gets out of bed, tying her tangled hair into a bun. No one's really awake yet, at this time of day, except her and maybe her mom. It gives her a chance to recuperate, to mentally prepare herself before diving back into her day yet again. Maya straightens her pajamas quickly -which are one size too small and an embarrassing shade of pink - hating the way they've bunched up around her body from tossing and turning during her dreams.

Today is different, from the rest of the peaceful summer mornings that have transpired like this. It's her last day in New York before she heads off to England for the summer, as preparation for the year she's going to start at Hogwarts. The Weasleys have graciously agreed to take her in - old friends from when her parents used to live in the UK - for the remaining two weeks, three days of which will be spent at the Quidditch world cup. Maya isn't fully okay with this plan, obviously. She'd rather stay in New York with Alec, Izzy and the gang, but what can you do when your mother has the superpower of being able to guilt you into doing anything?

Halfway through when she's changing her clothes - into her favorite white-t-shirt and jeans with red converse - , a yeasty, sort of sweet smell wafts in from the kitchen, immediately making her look up from when she's tying her shoelaces. Maya frowns, as she wonders what it possibly might be. Her mother clearly doesn't have time to bake anymore, considering demon-hunting takes up most of her energy, and she rarely buys baked goods from outside. It's not like Nandini starves her daughter - in fact, she sometimes has to force Maya to eat when she accidentally skips a meal - neither of them really want to bake or buy things nowadays, since they're both so busy.

Maya quickly ties her hair into a ponytail, as she walks down to the kitchen. The sight that greets her is a welcome surprise - Nandini chatting with Magnus over a cup of chai, his green eyes lined with their usual splash of flamboyant gold eyeliner. His face stretches into a smile as he catches sight of the young girl, more dressed up than usual in her bright attire. Nandini looks at Maya with a stretch of pity, wondering what exactly she's putting her daughter through by sending her to Hogwarts.

"Look at you!" he gestures, proudly, "All dressed up for your last day in New York"

"It's not my last" corrects Maya, frowning, "I'll still be able to come home for summer"

"Still, none of us will be seeing you for a while"

"Not much today either," corrects Nandini, wryly,"The Lightwoods have her booked all day."

"Please tell me you'll be home by eight" interjects Magnus, an almost pained look on his face, "I finally managed to make dinner reservations at La Maison"

"The place with the amazing canapes and truffle dip?" questions Maya, excitedly. She's been wanting to go there forever, with her friends, but the reservations are very strict, and there's no way they'll let a bunch of teenagers in without prior notice.