The Mudblood

Chapter 122 : Year 6

The amazing Drainey fanart was made by https://www.quotev.com/29338974 :)

The common room had been desolate when I'd passed out on the couch the evening before, but somehow, when I woke up the next morning, it was even emptier than before: Draco Malfoy was no longer wedged between the couch and me. He was gone.

Thoughts of him lingered in my mind, though, as I slumped down the corridor to my dormitory. Had the scene in the Manor with Malfoy and his son been a vision of the future or simply a dream? It seemed awfully real, too real...and yet...did I want it to be? Draco's son had certainly looked like him, but...had he looked like me as well, or had that just been my imagination? Was that boy our child, or Draco's with some other woman? The Vow bound me to Draco, but it didn't bind him to me. He was free to marry whomever he wanted, even if it killed me. Would that be his choice? It was impossible to tell with him, but...I hoped not.

I realized when I arrived back in my room that I'd forgotten to take Snape's potion before going to sleep the previous night, but I didn't really care. Voldemort wouldn't give a damn about Malfoy's future child...would he? The kid would be a half-blood...if I would indeed be the mother. The only part of the dream that I could see him caring about was the fact that he hadn't been present in it. That could have meant he was dead, or it simply could have meant that he'd managed to take over the wizarding world and had moved his headquarters to the Ministry of Magic. Either way, though, I just didn't care. All I could think about was the boy...and what Malfoy had said to him.

It did sound awfully like me he was speaking about, didn't it? We'd "always" flirted, but there had been times when our feelings were uncertain—even now. And, of course, I did irk him to no end. It just pained me to think that, if I did become his wife, he would still be concerned that I didn't love him the most after so long...

"How was your party last night?" Astoria asked me as we exited the dormitory. Melody was still wrapped in a cocoon of black blankets, and Ashley hadn't returned to our room after last night's party. Most of the Slytherins hadn't, actually.

"It was...fine," I replied with a shrug. Astoria was wearing far less glitter than usual, but she still looked fabulous, and despite the sadness looming behind her brown eyes, she radiated poise. "Why didn't you come?"

"I had some batches of shampoo to concoct. Business is booming, Lainey. Even if this place is going to hell, girls still need to look gorgeous. I still think you should invest in some of my shampoo—"

"I'm poor, Astoria," I interjected flatly as we strolled through the barren common room. "Ask me again in the few years once I've inherited the Malfoy money."

"Of course, of course, you'll need it then. As much as you hate to admit it, Mrs. Malfoy needs to look perfect, and your hair is still far from it."

I rolled my eyes but didn't discourage her. It was nice and...normal to hear her sound so snootily optimistic about something. All sense of normalcy dissipated, though, when we arrived in the entrance hall and heard absolutely no noise emanating from the Great Hall. When we peered in, we found that only about ten students were present, which would have been ordinary on a weekend morning, but it was Friday, and the teachers were looking suspicious. I was hesitant to enter, but, luckily, the sight of Harmony Flemming jogging down the stairs gave me an excuse not to.

"I'll meet you in there in a minute," I told Astoria, who was too busy looking over papers regarding her business to care. As she sauntered into the gloomy Hall, I retreated toward the steps, and Harmony was so focused on the floor that she nearly bumped into me when landing in the entrance hall.