enchanted • draco malfoy

Year 5: Grawpy

Felicity's POV

With Umbridge now appointed Headmaster, Hogwarts truly was a hell in which the devil reigned. Detention, for all of Dumbledore's Army, every night, even for the First Years.

Almost as painful as said detention sessions, I forced myself to forget about Draco. I refused to care about someone who clearly cared so little for me, refused to let anyone, let alone a Slytherin boy, make me feel so completely torn up and destroyed. So I left my scarred hand unbandaged, word after word layering over one another for everyone to see, so that they'd understand- so that he'd understand, that I didn't care what anyone said. They could whisper and they could taunt, and I would only raise my head, smirk, and strut down the hallway, like I had done before everything blew up.

And it worked. Eventually, people stopped talking.

The crude notes passed to me in class stopped, the looks in the corridors, the muttered insult of, "Slytherin Slut", even the glares from my Housemates.

The Weasleys, however, and Neville and Harry. . . while they weren't ignoring me anymore, they weren't exactly speaking to me. But it was enough. Enough acknowledgement from my friends, my family, to keep me from fully losing my shit.

I focused on my plan to talk to Harry, Ron, and Neville after detention rather than the burning pain on the back of my hand.

Look, guys-

I shall not-

Trust me, I know now that it was a bad decision, and I should have known then, but-

Illicitly form any club against the Ministry of Magic again.

But I didn't, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me, I need you-

"Dismissed," Umbridge's voice rang out in the near-silent room. Sighs of relief sounded as students hurriedly pushed out of their seats, leaving the quills and parchment for Umbridge to collect on the desk. I was dimly aware of Mione and Harry on either side of me rushing from the room, but I stayed a moment longer, just to write, 'Piss off, you fat pink toad.'

I drew a slender line through the words, making sure they were still legible but clearly crossed out. I watched the words appear on my hand, and then the line that followed. Satisfied, I stood up quickly enough for my chair to scrape obnoxiously on the ground, snagging Umbridge's attention. Giving her a glare that would send anyone else running, I walked out of the hall, back straight and head held high.

I only made it two hallways away before the door to none other than the Room of Requirements appeared before me. I hadn't even realized that I'd been thinking about it. Umbridge had tried, unsuccessfully, to locate and destroy the room, but it never showed itself to her. I flung the door open and slammed it shut before leaning against the cool stone and covering my face with my hands as my sobs interrupted the quiet.

The room was simple. Walls made of some sort of grey-flecked stone, a plush and out of place dark blue rug covering the whole floor, a sink in the corner, with bandages to the side, and a table in the center, laden with food, and a chair on either side.

I took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly before pushing off the door. I made my way over to the sink and washed my hand slowly and methodically, despite the stinging. I bandaged it carefully before taking a seat at one of the two chairs.

Just as I was about to eat the food the Room had so generously provided, the door opened, and in walked-

"Neville?"

"Felicity," he said, sounding relieved. He closed the door behind him and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. "Mione said you never came back after detention, and I got worried, and- are you crying?"