Inferno | Draco Malfoy

091 | Wake-up Call

I received a letter from Daphne a few hours ago this morning. She's currently staying at Blaise's house, along with a few of my friends for this summer seeing as his mother is, yet again, on another holiday.

However, Ms Zabini is expected to return sometime soon because of the soirée held at Malfoy Manor. She's not a Death Eater, but, it came as a shock to me that she has a connection with the Dark Lord. A mysterious woman like her, who disappears now and then, having an affinity with the darkest wizard is strange. Nonetheless, I'm sure she's nice as she is the one who permitted her son to let his friends stay (as Daphne informed me), he prefers having his house like this, with some company.

The main topic in Daphne's letter is what most families have now heard of — the joining of two pureblood wizarding families. Furthermore, the engagement between Haine and Malfoy. Word spreads fast when you announce such things like that. Though hardly any ordinary witch or wizard cares, they're just currently fearing for their lives, wondering what are the consequences of this evident wizarding war.

But, if you are a respected witch or wizard in the pureblood community, and you support the Dark Lord, then the news of this engagement is supposedly meant to bring you either joy (for future pureblood generations are secured) or envy because you wanted your daughter to tie connections with the 'handsome, aristocratic and seductive' Malfoy heir.

Despite Lucius' fall from grace, his son continues to have a plethora of girls swinging at him. And if that didn't feed his ego enough, he felt the need to play around with an unattainable Lady, who stumbled for his foolery. God, he really is just as bad as whom he picked to wed, a match made in heaven they are.

But that's beside the point, in Daphne's letter, she asked if I was doing well, in the utmost melodramatic way possible, regarding the situation she found out about. She pleaded with me not to jump out of my window, or intake a poisonous potion. Then, at the end of the letter, she invited me to Blaise's house in hopes of removing the rain cloud above my head.

She's a dramatic girl, yes, but why to this extent as one might ask? Oh, I don't know, maybe because my parents had written to the girl, explaining that I was bedridden with the most fatal sickness known to man and that I was furthermore, 'depressed, driven to misery due to an understandable heartache.'

As a matter of fact, I am no longer driven to misery, and I am doing well. And by well I mean I'm not constantly hiding under my sheets anymore. I've been focusing on myself again, prioritising my well-being above all else, and needless to say, I feel a lot better than before. I've finally been sleeping, eating, and talking again. But, if I said I was feeling over the moon, then I'd be a liar. It's inevitable to avoid feeling an ounce of pain. There are times when I simply just feel hurt or even cry when seeing reminders of him. I've taken off Narcissa's gifted earrings, and though it's a gift from her, it reminds me of him far too much; I've also buried his Quidditch jumper in the abyss of my wardrobe, never to be seen again.

It's a long healing process but, eventually, he'll only become a distant memory, much like Cormac McLaggen.

Now, as I walk up to Blaise's grand house, in casual tailored trousers and a white shirt, Winslet, my magi-guard, tells me that he'll be back by the evening to take me home. He leaves a comment, telling me that he's glad to see me going out more often before he departs, trooping intimidatingly back to the royal carriage pulled by Aethonans.

Usually, I'd be able to stay until the night, but, it's no longer safe. Despite Willoughby still being completely serene and isolated from the rest of the community, my parents feel more paranoid than ever. I wouldn't blame them, the Ministry is now under His regime, and everything is changing, far too fast. New laws state that Muggle-borns must be registered and trialled; the Daily Prophet has been printing propaganda, depicting Muggle-borns to be thieves as magic can only be 'inherited'. What abhorrent behaviour.