in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Nine

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒

TO DISTRACT HERSELF FROM NEW EVENTS, Maya decides to go skating, Diana in tow.

The sky is a cloudy gray as they lace up their skates, Maya tugging her sweater around herself due to the moderate chill in the air. Snow paints the edges of the lake, falling in little clumps over the frozen grass. Some is caught in her hair, flakes sprinkled through the messy braids which hand on either side of her face, the bird's nest that is the top of her head hidden underneath a beanie. The cold has reddened her cheeks, as well as the tip of her nose, making Diana let out a snort of laughter as she glances at her friend.

"You look like an elf"

Maya rolls her eyes at the remark, brushing the remaining snow off of her jeans as she stands up, slightly wobbling due to the added height of her skates.

"Shut up"

Diana grasps onto Maya's hand to steady herself, legs awkwardly spasming due to her being rusty with skating.

"If you drop me, I'll kill you" she mutters, resentfully.

Maya snickers.

"Don't worry, darling" she replies, a little mockingly, "I'll make sure nothing harms a hair on your pretty little head"

"Oh, shut it" replies Diana, playfully, as they begin to glide across the ice, following a little behind Maya, "Tell me about your friends from New York."

"The ones we're going to meet over break?"

"Yeah, those"

Maya sighs, getting distracted for a moment.

"Well, first off, there's Isabelle - everyone calls her Izzy. She's a year older than me, super badass, one of the Institute's best fighters. I aspire to be like her when I grow up."

"Wow" replies Diana, with an awestruck chuckle. She almost slams into Maya, suddenly dodging to avoid an oncoming student.

"Total softie on the inside, though. Then there's Alec, her older brother. Pretty serious, uptight, protective of his family..........and also denying the fact that he's gay as fuck"

"Wait, what?"

"Long story. Anyway, no one's figured it out yet, except Izzy and me, of course. Then there's Jace, their adopted brother. He used to be nice as a kid, but puberty turned him into a cocky little shit. Huge ladies man, never seen with the same girl more than twice. Don't worry, he's not going to make a move on you" she adds, seeing Diana's alarmed expression, "....I think"

"What about your parents?"

Maya glances away at this, looking at the forest to gather her thoughts. A few more figures join them on the lake, and she's suddenly overwhelmed with the fact of how ridiculous she must look, haphazardly dressed, with messy hair and a hat that she's had since primary school. Pansy Parkinson especially seems to notice this difference; She turns her nose up at Maya's appearance as she skates past the two of them, the silky strands of her black bob being ruffled by the wind.

Her voice is considerably softer when she speaks.

"It's just me and my mom"

Diana's face falls.

"Maya, I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"

"It's fine" interrupts Maya, her voice turning back to normal, "She's head of defense at The Institute, and her work takes her around the world. But Magnus usually lets me stay with him in case I can't go with her. He's kind of like a parent, in a way, considering he part-raised me after my dad passed when I was four, but a lot less strict"