Draco Malfoy's Perspective

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Violet was gone. After he had gotten her to tell everyone the lie he'd crafted, he'd released her from the curse. She didn't even look at him before Apparating to Vincent.

He'd spent over a month now without her, but it was busy. He thought that would help, that he wouldn't think of her so much, but it was the opposite. The more he had to do, the more he wished she was waiting upstairs.

Then his father came back, looking ten times as bad as Draco had at his worst time last year. He could barely do anything unless they had company.

It was mid-August. The largest meeting of Death Eaters had come to Malfoy Manor. Draco absently played the part of the host, and sat quietly while everyone discussed things he couldn't hear over the rush of blood in his ears as his eyes flickered around, always returning to the Muggle held above them.

His fingers kneaded the fabric of his pants; he wanted Violet here. She would grab his hand, squeeze it, make him feel like he had some control by giving him someone to protect. But no. He'd ruined that. He'd pushed and shoved and kicked her away from him as she held on with gentle fingers. But she was safe. That was what mattered.

A few weeks later, that terror was gone. He didn't feel out of control now. He was around Crabbe and Goyle, and they were idiots that he had command over. And they were in their seventh year. They were the oldest, the ones with the most power.

The three of them walked the train corridor, shoving kids out of the way, hexing those who stood their ground. Pausing beside Violet's compartment as she saw who it was and adamantly ignored him.

Theresa noticed and sighed as the three boys walked on. "Alright. Out with it. What happened this summer? You vanished after the attack, and you didn't show up to Dumbledore's funeral, and you didn't send me a single letter this summer."

"Oh, Draco decided I was too close to him and used the Imperius curse to make me leave." Her voice was hard.

"An Unforgivable Curse?!" She stood and reached for the door; Violet grabbed her hand down.

"He isn't worth it." The words slipped out, but she didn't flinch like she wanted to. He already felt like he wasn't worth it, and now she endorsed it. Who cares. He'd cursed her. She wouldn't be careful with what she said for his benefit.

"No, not a quick revenge. Of course not." Theresa sat back down, tapping her wand against her crossed arm in thought.

Violet looked out the window at the passing scenery. Since coming to Slytherin, she had been much more outgoing and extroverted than usual. She could feel that slipping away now. Draco had brought her out of her own mind.

For the rest of the train and carriage ride, Violet was silent. Eventually Theresa stopped talking, but for a few hours her mouth wouldn't stop running. That evening at the feast, Violet spoke up only to ask for something to be passed.

"Talk to me, Vi." Violet jolted out of thought, only hearing the words and not the voice, and saw Draco at the other end of the table.

"Don't call me that."

"I've been trying to talk to you. Come on, open up."

In her friend Violet saw a lot of herself last year. Begging for a friend to talk to them, not giving up. Violet didn't respond and finished her meal. She was walking out when she heard a shout and looked down the Slytherin table. Draco was wiping food off of his face. Narrowed eyes fell on Theresa, who looked at Violet mischievously and put her wand away.

"He isn't worth it," she repeated before walking out.

There were a lot of new rules this year, to keep houses separate. With Snape as Headmaster and Amycus and Alecto as prison guards, there would be no fraternizing between houses. And every house was under strict rules for conduct apart from Slytherin. Slytherin was as free as they'd been before.