Star-Crossed | Draco Malfoy

.02

Natalie

If the ride to the Zoo had been suffocating, then surely Natalie thought the ride back to Little Whining was an entirely different form of torture.

There was an uncanny, unsettling sort of silence that blanketed the car, aside from Aunt Petunia's cooing over the pale, shivering form of Dudley in her lap.

All else seemed stifled by a tension simply waiting to snap.

Natalie could feel the weight of the fury emmenating from their uncle in waves, like a storm simply preparing to wash ashore.

She flashed a hesitant glance toward her brother, eyes nervous and pleading. Harry's lips were set in a thin line.

Both of them knew the wrath that was brewing inside their uncle Vernon was not the sort of storm one could simply whether -- it was one meant to be forced to endure.

And that...was the worst part of it.

As they finally reached the house, Petunia ushered Dudley inside, wrapping him even tighter in the thick blanket she'd manage to snag from the boot of the car.

She was still murmuring comforting nonsense in his ear as they rushed indoors.

Even through her nerves and her discomfort, knowing what was awaiting her and her brother once they were out of the prying eyes of nosey neighbours, Natalie still found herself feeling little to no remorse for the events at the zoo.

It served the git right to be trapped in that cage when all he did was gawk at and agitate the poor creatures behind the glass.

She let out a sniff of satisfaction at the memory of his horrified, gaping face when he realized the glass had in fact solidified after his fall.

But still, she worried what would come of her and Harry now that they had returned.

The punishment after one of the twins mishaps was always severe, no matter if it was an accident, or one of their odd bouts.

But somehow, Natalie had a sneaking feeling the repercussions of this certain act would be much worse than any of their others.

She was growing more apprehensive the closer she and Harry drew to the front door.

Vernon was stalking behind him. If Natalie could compare his likeness to one of the many animals they'd seen on their rather short outing that day, she might have compared him to an elephant.

The way he stamped and huffed after them.

Harry's hand slipped and wound tightly around hers, squeezing it slightly as he passed a thought between the two of them skillfully.

Whatever he does, we'll be fine. We've got each other.

Natalie didn't respond, but she knew he could feel her hesitation, her worry.

The quiet only made the anticipation worse as the twins entered the Dursely home. The door swung shut with a click behind them, Vernon's hulking presence still looming like a storm cloud over their heads.

Natalie knew if she looked at his face at that moment, it would have been redder than a tomato and that was never a good sign.

She sucked in a sharp breath, steadying herself for anything coming toward them. She could feel it building, until it was ready to snap.

And snap it did. In seconds, from the time Vernon shut the door, to the twins moving toward their cupboard, he was upon them, his meaty hand shoving them into the wall just outside the cupboard door.

The suddenness of it made Natalie gasp, her scalp stinging painfully as she bit back a yelp. Her uncle had grabbed a fistfull of her hair, unweaving it from the braid she had it pulled back in as he shoved the twins into the wall roughly.

Harry let out a muffled groan beside her, Vernon's meaty hand pressed into his shoulder visciously. His green eyes were screwed shut against the pain of Vernon's nails digging into his skin beneath his oversized shirt.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Uncle Vernon's voice hissed into their ears hot with spit and full of rage, the smell of his breath was overwhelming.

Natalie flinched, her mind screamed at her to push back, not to be belittled this way. But she withdrew, cowering away as she sunk into herself bit by bit, salt stinging the corners of her eyes.

She wanted to disappear, to simply shrink away until she was less noticeable, less of a target.

"I swear, we don't know!" Harry choked out, his voice strained.

His grip on Natalie's hand was bruising, but it was grounding them both.

They weren't alone. They had each other.

"One second the glass was there, then it was gone." Natalie gasped out, her voice wavering on her tears, "It was like magic!"

But regret filled her as soon as the last word fell from her lips.

Magic.

The single most hated and forbidden word in that dreadful house.

The very mention of it was about as taboo as speaking the name of Macbeth in a theater. Like it carried a curse.

Natalie knew her mistake instantly, her eyes snapping open and locking on her brother in a panic.

A mutual understanding passed between them.

Oh they had truly done it in for themselves this time.

Uncle Vernon's reaction to her mistake was instant and violent. He let go of Natalie's hair and Harry's shoulder, but promptly seized them by the collar's of their shirts, nearly dragging them with all of his strength in the direction of that cabinet.

He kicked the half opened door open fully and essentially tossed them inside without a second thought and slammed the door in their faces.

"There is no such thing as magic."

He snarled through the thin grate in the wood, before that too was slammed shut, leaving the twins in all encompassing darkness.

Natalie couldn't help it anymore, the pricks of salt stinging the corners of her eyes finally spilled forth, wetting her cheeks. She fell onto their pad of blankets and pillows, legs drawing up to her chest, hand clutching that golden lion necklace.

Harry sat next to her, comforting her simply. Together they were each other's comfort.

They were each other's rocks. In that house, they might as well have been all on their own.

But outside, unknown to them, an owl was perched atop one of the neighbouring chimney's, wide clear eyes trained on the Dursely house, watching, waiting.

But for what? Perhaps they would soon find out.