Bad Blood | Draco Malfoy

t w o

Six days later I begin to pack my stuff with Belle, who is getting pretty emotional. At the moment we're sorting through my music collections, throwing my old vinyls into a rubbish bin and the ones I want into my magically charmed bag with infinite storage space.

"I cannot believe you're leeving tomorrow!" Belle exclaims, using her wand to chuck a few broken vinyls into the bin. I flick my wand to put a few vinyls I want into my bag and smile at Belle. "Eef eet doesn't work with your mother'z family, we will always be 'ere."

"Thanks, Belle," I say appreciatively. "I doubt my mum will let me move back unless Hogwarts is really bad too."

"'Ow could anyone bully such a nice girl like you?" Belle scoffs. "When I was at Beauxbatons, they 'ad class, unlike now.  Pathétique!"

"Different is dangerous, no?" I shrug. "What did you think when Dad told you I have prosopagnosia?"

"'Onestly," Belle begins, "I waz scared because I deedn't theenk you'd theenk I understand, and that would make you 'ate me. But you don't 'ate me and I've 'elped you through theez.  After all zat, you're leaving, and I can't believe it!"

"I'm going to miss you loads, Belle," I look to Belle and beam. She hurries up to me and pulls me into a bone cracking hug.

"I'll meez you too, ma cherie." Belle says.

The next day I sit alone in the living room, flipping through a photo album. I only have three hours before my father is apparating me to London. All my bags are packed and I changed into a white belly top and bleached blue boyfriend jeans. Currently, I'm smiling at a moving picture where a man with dirty blonde hair and bright eyes (Dad) had just thrown a slice of cake at a young girl's face (me) and a pretty blonde woman (Belle) is stuffing her face with chocolate frogs. I remember this as my tenth birthday - one of the best birthdays I've had.

It's hard looking through the album without pausing for a few minutes to identify people. Once a person's face is out of my vision I forget what they look like. I'm getting better at remembering faces but it's going to be pretty hard at a new school. "We're leaving in half an hour," a voice I know as my father's says.

"Half an hour?" I say, shocked. "I thought I was leaving in three hours!" I turn my head and meet eyes with the only person in the room: my dad. He sighs and then sits beside me, smiling weakly.

"Your mother owled me not long ago saying she wants you there earlier," Dad tells me. I groan in exasperation and flop back. "I know this so hard for you, but you can always visit me. And owl me regularly and if you're not being treated right then I'll come and we can figure something out."

"I'm mostly worried about Tia," I say to Dad. "Living with her again, even though I've forgiven her... c'est putain effrayant!" It's fucking scary.

"Mira," Dad looks at me sternly. "Just because you're not allowed to swear in English here doesn't mean you can do it in French. And I know it's going to be challenging for you to be in full contact with your sister, but you just have to try, d'accord?"

"D'accord," I pass the album over to Dad and stand up. "I'm going to get ready to leave."

"Mira, one more thing," Dad calls out to me just before I walk out of the living room. "Please be good at Hogwarts. Ask for help if you need it." I nod and continue walking, scenarios playing in my mind of my new school and home.