our little angel

Back to Hogwarts

Age 13
Words411
Summary: Raven goes back to Hogwarts after Winter break.

The Hogwarts Express was buzzing with excitement as students returned from Winter Break. The chatter of students filled the compartments, laughter echoing down the corridors. It was supposed to be a normal return to school—but for Raven Malfoy, nothing was ever normal.

She sat by the window, her forehead pressed against the cold glass as she watched the snowy landscape blur past. The train ride felt different this time. She was different.

The pain that had haunted her for months was gone—just gone—like it had never existed. But that only made her more uneasy. Something had happened. She just didn’t know what.

“Alright, what’s with the brooding?”

Raven turned her head slightly to see Scorpius Malfoy, her cousin, smirking at her from the seat across.

“I’m not brooding,” Raven muttered, rolling her eyes.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. “Could’ve fooled me.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

Scorpius leaned back, stretching his legs across the seat. “Lemme guess. You’re wondering why you suddenly feel fine after months of nearly dying?”

Raven shot him a glare. “Wow, thanks for putting it so delicately.”

He smirked. “I do try.”

Before she could respond, the compartment door slid open, revealing Albus Potter and Rose Weasley.

“Mind if we join you?” Rose asked, glancing between the two Malfoys.

Raven scooted over, nodding. “Yeah, of course.”

Albus and Rose plopped down, their expressions filled with the same curiosity that Raven had been avoiding.

“So,” Albus began, tilting his head, “are you actually better, or is this one of those ‘calm before the storm’ situations?”

Raven hesitated. That was the question, wasn’t it?

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But something tells me… this isn’t over.”

Rose frowned. “What do you mean?”

Raven glanced at her hands. “I mean, what if it wasn’t just luck that made me better? What if something changed?”

The compartment fell into silence.

Finally, Scorpius scoffed. “Well, whatever happened, we’ll figure it out together.”

Albus nodded. “Yeah. No more secrets, Raven.”

Rose gave her a reassuring smile. “No more dealing with things alone.”

Raven looked at them—her friends, her family. Maybe she didn’t have all the answers yet. Maybe things weren’t over.

But at least she wasn’t alone.

As the train sped toward Hogwarts, Raven took a deep breath and let herself hope—even if just for a little while.