Stitches - Drarry

Chapter One

A/N: The first chapter has the potential to be short. I've been mulling over different ways to begin this and several times I've ran into problems. At this point, I'm just going to go with whatever it is I write next. Because of that, it may be a shorter chapter than intended. My apologies! 

The gloom that filled the castle was almost to horrible too bear. The scars that remained, the scenes that had unfolded, all remained within the hearts and minds of those who fought. The battle may have been over, the castle may have been rebuilt, but for those who experienced it, it would never end. The deaths, the cries, and all of the pain were wrapped into the minds of all that saw. It would always be there, reminding them of a hard-fought, but horrible battle.

This was quite the case for Draco Malfoy, but he had his own demons to bear. He had been on the other side, but his heart was not, at least not at the end. He had not thought through the things he had done. He used the marks as a means to gloat until things had taken a turn that he simply couldn't side with. He had to deal with those consequences now.

 He knew coming back for another year would only cause more heartache, but he felt as if this was something he needed to do. He knew that not many would go as they'd be unable to face all of this once more. Draco had to. He owed the ones that died that. Years before, these intentions would have not been in his nature. His smugness and pride would had directed him on another course, one of which would involve fleeing from the scene, not letting those whom he knew detested get the better of him. The war however had changed him. Whether it was for the better or the worse, he simply wouldn't not know. 

--

The long walk down the corridor was one of the hardest things Draco had to do. Everything seemed as if nothing happened. There were no cracks, not mounds of rubble, all was peaceful, but he was able to see through it. He could see all of what was once there. It hurt, but he simply closed his eyes for a moment, willed the thoughts away, then continued his walk towards the Great Hall. He knew that people wouldn't be thrilled to see him. He knew that not many would welcome him, but in order to forgive himself, he had to. He had to do this. Those thoughts brought his gaze down to his arm, the same arm that showed where his loyalty had been. Why had he done all of those things? He thought back to 6th year; he had been so proud of himself! Draco Malfoy, a boy only at the mere age of 16, chosen to be a death eater by him. Foolish was the first word that came to his mind, then idiotic. Why had he not realized what he was getting himself into? Surely he had some sense back then, but clearly not. He'd give anything to change some of the choices he had made, but such an option would not be given to him. He had to face the wrong doings that he had done. 

All of those thoughts had been pushed aside when he arrived at the large doors that opened to The Great Hall. He could do this, he had to. So, with a ragged breath, he pushed open the large brown doors and emerge through. The hall looked as if it always did; bright, candle lit, but the joy just wasn't there. Even the first years, whom he notably saw were fewer than ever before, looked as if they've experienced the war themselves. It left a tugging feeling at his heart. This wouldn't just go away. No, this war would stay in the lives of everyone, not just those who experienced it first hand. 

As the blond took his seat at the table he had once prided himself to be at, he realized that not many remained there. Blaise Zabini, Astoria Greengrass, and a few others had returned, but other than that, the house had consisted only of a few number of first years, who seemed just as disappointed where their placement as Draco had been excited about his. He almost felt sorry for them, but there wasn't a single thing he could do. 

The mood in the room only seemed to darken as the new headmistress, Professor McGonagall, rose from her spot in the front of the room and began to speak, "I'd like to welcome you all back to Hogwarts," Silence filled the halls, "And to those who have just begun, welcome," It looked as if she was trying to find the correct words to say. Draco didn't blame her. Even if he had a year to prepare a speech, he wasn't sure any words could be said that would lighten anyone's moods, "I know that there are spaces amongst us that should be filled; many lives were lost during the war, but that doesn't mean that they are gone for good. Inside of all us of, their memories will live on. None of them died in vain. Their hearts beat for every single one of us, even until their last breath was made," Her voice was ragged and through her rimmed glasses, Draco could see the glistening of tears beginning to form. His gaze drifted to those around him. From the Ravenclaw's, the Hufflepuff's, the Gryffindor's, and even the Slytherin's, he could see the tears. 

It was a sad thing, war was; only with the threat of death were people able to set aside their differences and fight alongside each other as comrades. 

Draco wished he had done so. He wished that instead of fighting on the side of dark, he had fought for the side of light.

He guessed now his only option was to fix what had been broken....

A/N: Well, that's chapter one! The ending of this chapter didn't end as smoothly as I wanted it to go, but I was slowly losing motivation as I wrote. Anyways, I really hoped you enjoyed! This new adventure has only begun.

-Kira