when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

Year 7 - 193

Astrid had had an odd dream. 

A large bright space had stretched out in front of her, until slowly but surely it continued to become smaller and smaller until it was nothing but a tiny dot amongst the imposing darkness. Two hands had continued to pull her down, away from the light, and whenever she leaned back to try and wiggle out of the grasp, she felt thick curls tickling her neck. Astrid had tried to scream but a close friend of hers had still managed to pull her away from a better life.

She had not been able to shake the slipping feeling away. Even actually seeing Rosier that day, or when sitting through breakfast, through the classes of the day. 

The dream made no sense to her. All of the rest of the day before she had felt so much lighter, having finally told somebody the whole truth of everything. A rock had been rolled off her shoulders and for once she could breathe easier. Until the following morning... when she woke up frightened from the awful feeling of falling.

Astrid, who had stepped out of bed with the wrong foot, was met with grave disappointment when she failed to remember Daphne was still mad at her and was awkwardly reminded of it with a glare. Later there was even greater disappointment when nothing in her actual physical situation had changed - she felt lighter, yeah, but her life was still very, very crappy.

It was only when at the last hour of the day the Carrows ordered her to torture a few trouble-makers, did she realize just how frustrated she had grown. It was only when she was met with Rosier's glare did she realize how wrong it was what she was doing.

The day before Astrid had shared to Tracey and Rosier what Draco had told her. She had told them about his idea of learning compassion and the two girls had excitedly agreed that it was a great idea.

And Astrid tried to make it work now.

Sweaty white hair stuck to the forehead, silent tears running down his cheeks, muscles shaking in agony - Astrid tried imagining the kid at wandpoint was Draco. Brown hair, chubby cheeks, loud whaling - Astrid soon saw it was nobody else but a fourth-year Ravenclaw being punished for daring to correct Amycus on use of a spell in the Dark Arts. She had never met the Ravenclaw lad before, how was she to care.

That's not who you are, daughter, a voice whispered in her head and her fingers tightened around her wand in sudden annoyance.

From the other end of the room, Rosier gave a subtle shake of her head, much like her dad had done in the last moment of his life, before finishing to put chains around the limbs of two other students to whom she then inconspicuously slipped a key.

The other girl left and soon Astrid did too. It was a dark hallway she walked into. Nobody else was there.

* * *

Astrid had never imagined time could hurt. Time - an abstract noun - was not something one could touch or hold in their hand, not something one could see, not even feel. Yet, even so, it managed to pain unlike anything else could.

Time spent apart. Time spent alone. Time spent ignoring one another in the hallways, or time spent laughing with somebody who was not her own. Faint amusement got intensified and stretched out into a louder laugh just for the sake of acting normal, all the while Astrid thought about how she had never felt like that with a certain another.

True heartache never ends. That's why oftentimes time can become agonizing. One just learns to live with the pain.

The place where Astrid stood, peeking around the corner, was rather brightly lit and if anyone walked by, they would've seen whom she was looking at. Tall windows illuminated the conversing pair of Astoria and Draco, one more annoyed than the other, both with their arms crossed over their chests. In the light of the fall sun, his hair almost looked silver. Her eyes shone a turquoise blue before she stepped aside to avoid direct sunlight. The pair were whispering and no matter how hard she tried, Astrid could not make out the words.