Slytherin Pride

The Train Ride "Home"

Draco's POV
I smiled at gins letter. I was invited somewhere for a change. But it also reminded me that I had to go home over break. I would be tortured. Aunt Bella...she was out of her trial. She would be home too. I placed my hands on my abs. Feeling them. They soon would be covered in deep cuts from the spells. I touched my arms. They too would be covered in words like "worthless." Or "failure." Or even "traitor" and they would all be scrolled into my skin by aunt Bella, using her most formal cursive. I knew my mother would try to stop them. But she's so weak and frail. She will be to no avail. I made no effort to sleep that night. I just stared at the dark green walls thinking. I kept running my hand up and down my arms and chest. This would be the last time they would be clean of blood.
The next down was the day. Everyone in the great hall chattered. And I scooted in the Slytherin table on the end. All alone. Silently.
I longed for the moment to never come but soon Mcgonagal stood up and spoke to the prefects about lead first years to the boats and the others to the carriages. I stood up and walked out of the hall. I ran the nearest bathroom and straightened my tie. My hair was combed to the side. Not a strand out of line. My crisp suit was without a speck of dust. I looked Malfoy worthy, if I had the family I had before. Now I have a bunch of Death Eaters coiled up in a manor. I stepped out of the loo and walked among the many students towards the carriages. I accidentally ran into Weasley Number 6. "Watch it ferret. Or should I call you a death eater prat?!" He laughed along with Granger. And the worst part about these situations is that he is always right. I am a prat. And my family is literally death eater central. The carriages can only hold 9 people. And so the professors shoved nine of us each into one. I "coincidentally" got shoved into the same one as Weasley and Granger along with Longbottom. Luna sat in the corner with her nose in the Quibbler. "Oh, hello Draco." She looked up. A kind dreamy smile appeared on her face. "Come. You can sit by me If you'd like." I looked around the carriage. All the other glares that stared at me made me feel like I had killed their best friend. Come to think of it, I have tried. In the past. "Sure Luna. Gladly." I sat beside her and smiled. A real smile. Not a smirk. Weasley snickered. "Wow ferret. You smiled. Not that it's a sight I want to see but I thought all you could do was scowl and smirk." I stared at the floor of the now moving vehicle. It's amazing how many specks of dirt can be on a certain area of the floor. Seeing how intently I was staring at it. I think I could have counted. "What's the matter Malfoy? Cat got your tongue?" Granger snorted beside him. "No, but Ginny did." She laughed at her own comment. I turned a shade of red that would match Weasley's hair. Luna looked over bending down to look at my eyes. I was close to tears. She had a weird look on her face. Now that I thought about it, I think it's anger. "Now listen here Ronald Weasley. We have to share this carriage, and he has said nothing to you except sorry for accidentally running into you in the rush of people!" This was the angriest I've seen her since Voldemort was standing feet from her. But Ron just kept smirking. "Yeah, well, he probably, Intended to kill me but of course his plan failed. Like they always do." A tear slipped from my eyes. I continued to stare at the ground. Granger suddenly spoke up. "Ron...i think we better stop..." I feared the tear might roll down my cheek and fall so I quickly wiped it away so Weasley wouldn't see tears falling from my eyes. "Malfoy?!" Ron said in mock surprise. "I-I made you c-cry?!" He smirked. "Good, that can start adding up from all the stuff you did to us all those years." Granger spoke again. "Ron, stop." She looked at him sternly. "That's what Malfoy did. Not us. Be better than him." I nodded slightly but I think she saw. I hope she did. She saved me an emotional experiance. I have only had two this whole year. Once when I first arrived. I had gotten a good beating over the summer. I had made the cuts in that time. Then the second was with Ginny in detention. She-she cut herself. I couldn't help it. The carriage came to a stop and I practically hurled myself out of it. I walked quickly to the train. Weasley sprinted beside me. "Hey ferret. Stay away from my sister. Think I didn't pick up on Mione's joke? Well, you thought wrong, you git. Stay away. I'm warning you. And I don't mind decomposing you. Pulling limb from limb away from your body. I don't think you want to test me." He snarled and spit in my face. I didn't bother to wipe it off until he was well ahead of me.
The train whistled signaling it departure. I slid into an empty compartment. All alone. But I was used to this by now. I had been doing this since the end of last year. I decided to go through my trunk since I had a half a day of free time. I pulled out my clothes and got down to all of my keepsakes. I had photo albums from back before the Dark Lord ruined everything. When I still thought about girls and sex and Quidditch. I smiled. I pulled out my ring and my ties until I got down to all of the letters I kept. It was a stack, bundled together tightly bounded. They were from everyone from Blaise to my mum. It made me want to just break down in sobs. He did this to me. And my family. Voldemort. Did. This. He ruined my mums spirit. Harshened my father till he used Crucio if I talked back. at all. And made Aunt Bella fall in love with the thirst for unruly power. I untied the bow and placed the ribbon neatly on my knee. I grabbed the first one and read.
'Dear Darling.'
I didn't have to read any further to know this letter was written by my mother. My old mother. My hearted mother. But that mother was tortured into nothingness but depression and fright for me and my father. Now my old mothers soul barely stirs inside of her. I read on.
'I'm so proud of you darling! You're a wizard! See? I told you. You didn't need to come crying to me. Fearing being a muggle isn't bad. I would love you all the same. I'm so happy you got your invitation. And I know your fathers wish is to be in Slytherin. But, I want you to pick whatever makes you happy. No matter what you do in school never forget kindness. Never forget your heart. It's there for a reason. And it's an important reason too. I love you Draco.
Love, Mummy.
I let the tears fall slowly down my cheeks. I had forgotten my heart. And the kindness. For six straight years. I remembered when I just turned ten and started crying. What if I didn't ever get my letter? What if I was a muggle? My mother had looked at me. "Draco you are going to be the best wizard out there. I love you." I smiled looking back on all those innocent memories. The train came to a screeching stop. I hurriedly bundled the letters back up and threw them in my trunk along with all my clothes. I closed the lid. One sleeve of a shirt hung out. I reached out to throw it on top of the other clothes when the other side had a huge blood stain on it. Faded and old. This was the shirt I had worn to detention with Ginny. The shirt that changed everything. I'm always going to keep that shirt. Even when I outgrow it.
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