𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ─ draco malfoy

09. compromise

A M I R A H A Y E S

(unedited)

November 18th 1994

MY ENTIRE JOURNEY to the Grand Hall for breakfast consisted of many stares coming from faces I don't know. I liked it much better when no one knew who I was. When no one cared whether or not I showed up to the Grand Hall for meals. Now it's almost like they anticipate it, they want something to talk about, to gossip about. Making rumors about someone's struggles isn't pretty. I could totally just turn back and go rot in my room for another few hours until class begins, but I want to see my friends. I miss them. When I approach the large entry way, an amicable Elio is departing and we nearly walk directly into each other. His hands reach out to stop us from colliding.

"Morning to you too." He stumbles back a step, fixating his tired eyes on me. I observe his Hufflepuff tie hanging loosely around his neck, underneath a silver chain.

"My fault." I mumble, my raspy morning voice seeping through my tone.

He flashes me a smile and maneuvers around me swiftly. Interesting.

It feels too silent and dull in the room. Entering it washes numbness over me. People talk in hushed voices, it being too early to hold a full conversation. I take my seat at the Gryffindor table beside Hermione, who's too consumed by a novel in her lap to notice me right away.

"Amira." Ron says, almost in relief to see me.

Hermione looks up at me, her eyes lighting up. I watch as she places her book onto the table, being sure to mark her page before closing it.

"Hey." I speak into Hermione's hair as she pulls me in for a side hug.

"Merlin, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. I'm so so sorry, I've just been extremely focused on my studies." She rambles on anxiously, squeezing my torso tighter.

I gently place my hands on her shoulders, pulling her away from me so she can look at me fully. "It's okay, don't worry."

"Well maybe if you didn't disappear for weeks on end we wouldn't be so worried." Ron adds. talking while chewing on toast.

"Oh please, drop the attitude Ron." I smile at him, lightly kicking his leg from under the wooden table, bringing my hands to a burning hot cup of coffee in front of me. The smell of the caffeine makes my body shiver, I'd been craving it for so long.

I take a long awaited sip and glance over my cup towards Harry, who appears to be just as numb as the room is. I take note of the gap between himself and Ron. They're still not talking I assume. I brush it off as a stubborn Ron thing, he tends to hold grudges a little too long for my enjoyment. I know he and Harry will make amends eventually, I just wish it was sooner. The awkwardness between the two is driving me insane.

"What class do you have?" Harry directs his question towards me.

"Guess." I say as I poke my fork through a strawberry on my plate.

"Charms?"

"Nope, Potions." I shove the strawberry into my mouth.

"Lovely." Harry speaks sarcastically, pushing his glasses up his nose securely.

I detest potions almost as much as I detest people who put the milk in before the cereal, and that's a lot.