❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

ONE

"I am the antidote, I'll suck your venom out.
Show me where it really hurts."

***

ALICE AND HER MOTHER stood on Platform 9 3/4, ready to head back to Hogwarts. Was she excited? No. Was she stressed? Yes. The platform was filled with new students, making it hard for Alice to be sure that her friends had already arrived. The two walked to the train, struggling to pass through people before finally arriving close to one of the open train doors.

    Alice sighed and turned to her mother, eyes glossing for a moment when she realized it would be a while before she saw her again.

    "We'll owl you as soon as possible," Her mother smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Promise."

Alice nodded as Gemma Rowle walked off the platform, her perfume lingering in the place she once stood. She never was happy to leave her daughter, but having her safe at Hogwarts was a better option than home surrounded by Death Eaters. Anything was better than that.

Boarding the train back to Hogwarts after a long holiday away, Alice quickly found herself seated at a table with Holland and Cara opposite her. The two girls were overjoyed to see their best friend after spending the entire summer apart. Normally they would all meet up at least once before school, but Alice's circumstances interrupted their usual routine.

"That's a lovely necklace you got there," Alice commented glancing at the silver heart with a snake around it, on Holland's chest.

Holland beamed, "Blaise sent me it, mentioned he loved me, he did."

Alice and Cara glanced at each other raising their eyebrows before they sighed. Holland was too oblivious to notice that Blaise Zabini was using her to get a name for himself, and neither Alice nor Cara had the heart to tell her.

"So, how was your holiday, Alice?" Cara asked, tearing her eyes away from the necklace Holland was now enthralled with.

Alice shrugged, she really didn't do much.

Usually her family would go on a trip to Paris, but with Death Eaters being caught so frequently at the moment, her parents didn't want to risk anything. So, they stayed at their large mansion, opened the few presents they had gotten, and visited the Malfoy's.

"Nothing really," Alice replied, "couldn't go to Paris like usual, mum and dad were too worried about the Ministry."

Cara nodded understanding, her father was a Death Eater as well, but with the loss of Cara's mother, they rarely ever left their house.

"Anyways," Holland cleared her throat. "Can you believe that, that oaf, Hagrid is back?"

Alice shrugged, she thought Hagrid was quite funny.

"He's alright, just a shite teacher, I'd say." Alice defended him, as Holland rolled her eyes, turning the page of the Quibbler in front of her.

Cara laughed, "You think Hagrid being back is bad? Why haven't they gotten rid of that slime, Umbridge? She's ludicrous."

"Well, with those escapees from Azkaban, I'm sure the ministry is going to be even harsher on the school's protection."

Alice sighed, she hated being back at Hogwarts with all that was going on at home. Not to mention O.W.L.s were coming up.

Her parents were allowing several death eaters to live in hiding in their spare rooms. They had even put spells on the house so nobody could get in or out without the secret words, "The Dark Lord is in control." Something her mother had told her was, "the Dark Lord's idea," which made her even more unsettled.

"Please, don't bring up Death Eaters, I've had to spend a Christmas with too many." Alice shook her head, Holland laughing.

"You went to Malfoy's, huh? Mum got a Christmas card from your family and his in the same photo."

Alice groaned taking the picture from the brunette girls hands. She looked awful, she hadn't even recalled they were taking a photo, which was possibly why it looked so candid.

Handing the picture back she shrugged, "We always spend the holidays there for a few days, guess mum decided to memorialize it."

Alice continued taking about nonsense with her two best friends as, unknown to her knowledge, Draco Malfoy watched from afar.

He twisted the ring on his finger as he pretended to listen to whatever it was Blaise was going on about. Alice, well Alice's family, had gotten Draco the intricate ring as a Christmas gift. Something he hadn't taken off since he opened it.

"I picked it out, you arse, you better like it." Alice nudged Draco when he opened it, making him laugh.

"Of course, of course." She placed it on his ring finger as he smirked to himself.

Draco glanced at Alice again catching her attention, she lightly smiled at him, before looking away. He always felt unstable when she looked at him like that.

—

As Alice sat through dinner she couldn't help but feel someone staring at her. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar platinum blonde head of hair.

"Malfoy, stop looking at me like that, have I got something on my face?" Alice looked at the boy, breaking him from his trance.

She swore she noticed a growing blush on his cheeks, but shook it off as he rolled his eyes.

"I was just so admired by your beauty I couldn't help, but stare," Draco winked as Alice rolled her eyes.

"Very cheeky, Malfoy, very cheeky."

Alice turned back to Holland who was now gushing about how "cute Draco and Alice would be," causing Alice to roll her eyes so hard they hurt.

As she started eating her pudding, she still felt the same pair of eyes watching her.

She blushed.