Adoring Her, the Moon

Cromulent

Cromulent

(N. chrome-you-lent) - appearing legitimate but actually being spurious.

September 1st, 2002

The awful sound of little children woke me from my sleep that I'd hoped would last forever. However, it obviously did not, and now, school is starting. I slowly get up, put on my robes, and head to the staff lounge.

"Mr. Zabini, how was your first sleep of the year?" Millicent asks as soon as she sees me enter the room.

"Good," I reply, before continuing to grab myself a bagel and some coffee. Considering we're one of the best schools across the globe, we don't have very good food. We used to.

The day passes quickly, as usual, and by six I'm on my way to coffee with Draco Malfoy. The ugly blonde man was sitting at our usual spot. Table farthest from the window. Apparently, he couldn't stand being seen with me anymore. I sit across from him and he doesn't even look up.

We sit in silence for a good half hour before he decides to break it. "I saw Ala Ellen the other day, she looked bloody terrified when she saw me."

"No wonder; you would have killed her x amount of years ago," I say, Draco rolls his eyes. "You know I'm right."

"But doesn't it make you wonder? What their lives look like," he questions, eyebrows doing that weird thing they always do.

"No, it doesn't matter to me,'' I take a casual sip from my cup and continue eating my sandwich.

"Why the fuck not? It's our fault that they don't get to use magic anymore. It's our fault that Voldemort took over the fucking ministry. Don't you give the slightest shit? Don't you even fucking feel bad?" Draco whisper-yells, trying to not make a scene. It's not working.

"I don't know if you recall but it wasn't me, it wasn't Pansy, and it wasn't Theo, it was you who let them into the school. The rest of us were fine, we were safe until you fucked up." By now everyone was looking. Good thing we're in a muggle shop. We can be sure no one from the current wizarding world would be in here.

"At least I'm not the one who's doing jack shit about it! At least I'm fucking trying to fix my mistakes!" He's grabbing his things, putting his grey coat back on, pulling out money.

"What the fuck do you mean trying? We've done nothing but help Voldemort these past five years!" he doesn't answer me, he just leaves. Everyone in the coffee shop is sending me concerned glances. At least he paid for my food. I look at the 50€ he left on the table and smile.

***

I get back to my office and sit down at my desk. The large space has always been colder than my fucking dead dad. But at least I'm not surrounded by my coworkers. I pull out some of the kids' homework and start marking it. These children are incredibly stupid.

"Still working?" I hear Millicent's frightening voice echo through my room. Fuck.

"Sadly, but it's not like I sleep anyways." She smiles and I internally cringe.

"I might be able to help with that," she says suggestively, and although it pains me, I smile back. She comes and sits on my lap, looking at my work. I awkwardly trail kisses down her throat leaving light marks as I go, nothing that'll be there in the morning. I try to imagine it's someone else, but no one comes to mind... I need to get out more.

September 2nd, 2002

English muffins are delicious. But once again I'm stuck with a fucking bagel and an annoying ass Millicent Bulstrode attached to my arm. All the other teachers are watching us. It's weird. I don't like the attention, but she seems to love it. She's almost glowing with that Slytherin pride I lost all those years ago.