Draco's Charm

Prologue

I though my life was pretty ordinary, even happy, until the day my world shattered—when my mother passed away. You see, we didn't have a picture-perfect family, but she was my anchor, my best friend. Together, we faced the world, an unbreakable duo. She showered me with boundless love and affection, nurturing my childhood into something magical.

There was something ethereal about her, an aura that drew people in, captivated them. She was universally adored, yet somehow, nobody could measure up to her. She was perfection incarnate.

Two months ago, she left this world, leaving a void within me I could never fill. A part of me died with her that day. Her passing on May 5th, while I was still at Beauxbatons, felt like an injustice. The school was so strict; they barely allowed me to attend her funeral, then whisked me right back to my studies.

I used to resent the headmistress for that decision, but looking back, it was a blessing. I was emotionally fragile, incapable of navigating a sea of unfamiliar faces while my mother was laid to rest. I was left alone, without family or a legal guardian, or so I thought at the time. Had I attended the funeral, I might have discovered my half-brother sooner.

Grieving amidst my peers at Beauxbatons made me resent my surroundings. How could the world move on when she was no longer in it? I was excused from classes and exams, sparing me from the judgment of my classmates as I wept myself to sleep each night.

It wasn't until Kathy and Suzzie, my dearest friends and roommates, convinced me to attend wizard therapy that I began to heal. Dr. DeLaurough guided me through endless conversations, breaking my emotional barriers with Legilimency when words failed me. Sleepless Night Potions eased my pain, allowing me to function once more.

Dr. DeLaurough urged me to cherish the memories of my mother and carry her last words close to my heart. "Time will heal your scars," she assured me.

But my mother's last words were not the ones I shared with Dr. DeLaurough. Those last words remained our secret, a bond that pulled me out of the depths of grief and brought me closer to her.

Flashback

My mother coughed weakly, lying in her hospital bed. The sight of her frail form, pallid and frail, pained me beyond words. I approached her, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Romy, my darling," she whispered, beckoning me closer. "There's something I need to tell you."

I nodded, my voice trembling. "Yes, Mom?"

"Please don't be angry with me for this, but I have to tell you. I need you to understand, so you're not confused when you face the real world."

I mustered a weak smile, my heart heavy. "Mom, there's nothing you could say that would make me upset with you now."

With a deep breath, she continued, "Okay, honey, here it is. I know you're a smart girl, Romy, I know you noticed... uhm... that I had a few more husbands than other mums'' she smiled at me weakly through the pain.

Tears started forming in my eyes, ''Yes, mum I noticed but that's nothing to be ashamed of! And certainly nothing I would be mad at you for.''

''Yes, I know. I know, darling. However, there is a reason why they all left us.'' she paused. ''You see I possess this very special gift which makes me... uhm more likable but not really— not loveable''. She finished the sentence with big tears falling from her eyes.

Likable but not loveable? 

''No! Mum, I love you with my whole heart! Everyone else loves you as well!''

''Baby I know you love me. I love you even more! It is more romantic love that I'm talking about.'' 

''Go on. Please.'' I sobbed.