White lies

Chapter 1

The Dark Mark, a mark that proved that you're a follower of the Dark Lord, one of his many servants, slaves, people he tossed around as if he was changing his clothes. Anyone who has that is seen as an enemy of the Wizarding world, a curse that will forever haunt you long after you stop following the Dark Lord. So when news spread at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry, that a student in the school has succumbed and gotten the Dark Mark, proving their loyalty to him. The school was thrown into an uproar at the sound of a follower residing with them. Who could it be? No one knows.

As I sit in class, my mind becomes a whirlwind of speculation, a tempest of suspicion swirling around.. Naturally, the first suspects to cross my mind are the Slytherins. But as a member of that house myself, I can't help but feel a pang of defensiveness. Yet, it's a rational starting point. Suddenly, the calmness of the classroom is shattered as the heavy door swings open, and Professor Snape strides in, his cloak billowing behind him like the dark wings of a looming storm. For a moment, I'm struck by an absurd image of him as a princess, a thought that elicits a stifled snicker from me.

However, any amusement is swiftly replaced by a jolt of surprise as Draco Malfoy enters roughly behind Snape. His usual air of haughty superiority is conspicuously absent. Instead of his slicked-back hair and immaculate attire, his appearance is disheveled. His shirt is wrinkled, his vest absent beneath his cape. He looks utterly miserable, a stark difference from his usual self-assured demeanor.

A sudden realization hits me like a bolt of lightning. Could it be Draco? The pieces seem to fall into place with alarming clarity. He fits the profile perfectly, ticking off all the boxes of a potential suspect. But then doubt creeps in. Would he really be so visibly down if he had indeed embraced the dark mark? Or perhaps it's all an act, a clever ruse to deflect suspicion.

The urge to confirm my suspicions overwhelms me. Should I try to catch a glimpse of his arm, searching for that telltale mark? The stakes are high, and the tension in the air crackles like static electricity as I wrestle with the decision.

    "Good morning students, welcome back to another miserable year," I tone out the teacher, as I watch Draco find his seat all the way at the back of the class. Which is surprising as he usual takes the front seat, wanting to be the best of the best as per usual. Something was clearly off about him, and I don't know why but I really wanna find out– "Ms. L/N, would mind trying to at least pretend to pay attention" Professor Snape glares at me as I turn my attention from Draco back to him. "Sorry sir.." I mumble out. Forgetting my thoughts about Draco, i take out my quill and sheet of paper and take down the notes he has already started on. Seriously it's only the first day, ugh! Snape was always known to give a bunch of homework on the first day, but it was still so frustrating.

    When class ends i start packing my stuff, when from the corner of my eye i notice someone hurriedly rush out of the class before anyone could process it. I look up and notice Draco's seat is empty, clearly he didn't want anyone talking to him, which added more to my suspicion that it was him. I hurriedly shove my stuff in my arm bag, I race out of the classroom to try and catch up to him. Obviously I won't talk to him, yet, just follow him and see what he's up to. Simple as that. I run down the corridors, turning abruptly when I catch a blob of blonde hair turn right, I run into someone in front of me and stumble backwards. They reach their hand out to grab and stabilize me before I could fall on the ground and make a fool of myself. I rub my forehead when I come into contact with their chest, I peer up at them so I can apologize, giving them a lopsided smile, I stiffen when I realize who it is. Shit, did he catch me following him? God why is it always me. "I am so sorry, I shouldn't have turned the corner so quickly. Are you okay?" I ask him, he doesn't look injured but my head sure as hell hurts.

    "It's okay.." Those two words send a shiver down my spine, what the hell! When did his voice get so deep! I blush threatens to rise up to my cheeks, now that I can look at him properly. Draco was an attractive fellow, with his soft platinum blonde hair that fell roughly on his face, and his sharp ice blue eyes that you could stare at all day, white porcelain skin that looked like soft snow, high cheekbones that gave his face a nice definition, and pink lips that looked so soft to kiss. He really was an attractive guy, if only his personality was better. "Really, once again I am so sorry." I say sheepishly one more time, before he turns away and continues down the corridor, I hesitate to follow him but go through with it anyway.

As Draco stops abruptly in the middle of the bustling hallway, I instinctively slow my pace, trying to maintain a safe distance while keeping him in sight. His sudden halt catches me off guard, and I freeze in place, a nervous anticipation tightening my chest. His gaze scans the area, and then, to my surprise, he locks eyes with me. It's a startling moment of connection, his usually steely gaze softened by an uncharacteristic vulnerability. For a fleeting moment, it feels as though we're the only two people in the world, suspended in a silent exchange of uncertainty.

Draco's approach breaks the spell, his measured steps closing the gap between us. His usually sharp features seem softened, his demeanour strangely subdued. His first words, delivered with an uncharacteristic gentleness, catch me off guard.

"Are you... following me?" His voice, usually dripping with disdain or arrogance, is surprisingly soft, almost hesitant. It's a stark departure from the Draco Malfoy I thought I knew.

Caught off guard, I stumble over my words, desperately trying to come up with a plausible explanation. "No, I wasn't following you," I manage to say, my voice betraying a hint of nervousness. "My class is this way." I gesture down the corridor, hoping to divert attention away from the awkwardness of the situation.

Draco's response is unexpected. Instead of the anticipated sneer or sharp retort, he looks down at his feet, a flicker of something unreadable passing across his features. He takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something, before finally meeting my gaze again.

"Sorry about that then, you can forget what I said," he mutters, his tone a curious mix of resignation and apology. His eyes meet mine once more, and for the first time, I see a glimmer of uncertainty lingering beneath the surface of his usual façade. But before I can delve deeper, he averts his gaze, his usual mask slipping back into place with practiced ease.

    "Sure i can do that, are you um..," I wasn't sure how to say this, me and Draco weren't really friends, we just had mutual friends who occasionally hung out together. But I've never spoken to him and he's never spoken to me before. "Are you okay? You don't seem," He turned his head back to me looking at me intently, waiting for me to finish what I was about to say. "The same? Of course i don't mean it in a bad way i was just wondering" I ramble on, but i stop abruptly when his expression sours a lot from his earlier mood. Did I say something wrong? His hand that was holding his arm bag over shoulder tightened around the handle, his knuckles going white. "There is nothing wrong with me, you scum" He sneers, and there he is the Draco Malfoy that was all love and know. Not very heavy on the love part. He's not very likeable, loved would be so far fetched.

    I watch his back as he hurriedly stalks away from me, rushing down the corridor to his next class. I debate about following him again, but think better of it. I've been caught twice already, so I wait in the corridor for a couple of minutes until I think that he's out of sight and I can go to my next class. What the hell happened to him over the summer. Now I'm really set on figuring him out.