Love protection (book 1: to be loved)

Our turn (part 2)

As they made their way down to the basic care department, they came across several healers in deep discussion. When they reached their destination, Samuel spotted Draco, who seemed surprised to see them there in the middle of the day.

— What are you doing here?' asked Draco as he approached.

— Come on, we've got some news to share with you,' said Samuel as he pulled Drago aside, where they could talk quietly.

Once they had calmed down, Samuel released the news like fireworks.

— It's a girl!

Draco congratulated them immediately, but Abby couldn't help noticing a brief moment of hesitation in his eyes, a glint she'd seen several times since that day at Honeydukes. It wasn't obvious, but it was enough for her to sense it. Since that incident, Draco had always seemed a little distant, almost embarrassed in her presence.

— It's great, really,' said Draco, a slightly tense smile on his lips.

— Thank you,' she replied softly, exchanging a glance with Samuel, who didn't seem to have noticed anything.

The atmosphere soon became light again, and they chatted for a while before leaving. But as they walked away, Abby couldn't help thinking about that look. Something was not quite right between her and Draco.

She knew that the last few years at Hogwarts and the war had been traumatic for Samuel, Astoria and Draco. They all bore the invisible scars of that time when every choice could lead to tragic consequences. But to see these marks of suffering in full force, like what she had felt during that incident at Honeydukes, made those wounds much more real. The wizarding world was not yet fully healed. Even after all this time, certain mentalities were not changing so quickly. In the eyes of some, because she was not a witch, she was inferior. For these purists, convinced of the superiority of blood, she remained a 'mudblood', an anomaly, almost a different species.

Draco had changed, she knew. She had never known the old Draco, the young man who followed the doctrine of the Death Eaters, hating Muggles. She couldn't see how he could have been a Death Eater. He had no choice. However, since that incident at Honeydukes, she felt that she had awoken memories in him that he would have preferred to forget.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Samuel watching her, his expression slightly worried. Finally, he put his hand gently on hers.

— Abby, are you all right? You're very quiet.

She snapped out of her reverie and turned her eyes towards him.

— Yes, I've... I've been thinking about all this,' she said, sweeping her hand across the air. About Draco, about what happened at Honeydukes.

Samuel stared at her for a moment, attentive, before answering.

— Do you want to talk about it?

She nodded, taking a deep breath before speaking.

— Ever since that incident, I've had the impression that I've awakened something in him, something he'd buried. When that man insulted me... I saw Draco become someone else, as if anger had completely overwhelmed him. He was furious. And then, afterwards, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off him. He became... haunted. It's still there with me. I feel like it's partly my fault.

Samuel frowned, annoyed.

— He definitely got the worst of it. The past has this... power. He's strong, but there's still a lot of guilt in him, even if he doesn't show it. What happened at Honeydukes... I was revolted by it, so Draco, it must have brought back memories he'd rather forget. It wasn't you who stirred them up, Abby. It's this guy, this insult, this belief in the superiority of blood. He'd learned to face his past, but sometimes he needed to be reminded of how far he'd come.