Redamancy || Draco Malfoy

DH // 28

"You shouldn't have come here. I can manage." I grumbled, as Draco stood with me, carrying my bags.

Here we were. Platform 9¾.

I stood in front of the train doors, heart pounding.

Around me, first years were buzzing with excitement, parents were tearing up, and friends were hugging one another.

It made me sick.

Beside me, Draco wasn't speaking. He was silent, jaw clenched.

I turned to him. "I'll be fine." I told him gently.

He nodded, but he avoided my gaze.

I bit my lip, reaching for my bags.

A hand shot out to grab my arm.

I glanced back at Draco.

"Write to me." He said, starting to sound a little bit frantic.

I swallowed my uneasiness and shot him a small smile. "I will," I replied, just as the train whistled. "I love you."

Draco shook his head, pulling me close to him.

He sighed, "I'm sorry this happened to you, Aria. I love you so much. I don't deserve you."

I knew better than to argue with Draco. He'd always believe that. But I knew that he was going to try. We were both going to try.

I smiled again, but this time I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince that everything would be okay.

I quickly hopped on the train as the last whistle blew.

And as the train sped away from the platform, I saw Draco, standing there amidst the crowd of people, yet my eyes would always find him. With his platinum blond hair, silver eyes, dark clothes.

My man.

My love.

♚

I sighed, turning away from the doors.

Only to bump into someone.

Well, blending in was certainly not working out for me.

The boy in front of me startled, before he regained his composure and pinned a glare on me.

I pushed down all the fear gathering in my stomach. "Hello, Seamus." I greeted politely, offering him a small smile.

Seamus' only reply was a scoff, before he walked away, back to his group of friends. His friends were all eyeing me, some of them looked angered, and the rest seemed... Afraid.

I inhaled deeply, before straightening my clothes, and heading towards the Slytherin cabins. There, I spotted the people that always stood by me for the past six years.

Relief crept up, but I pushed it away.

Pansy was the first to lay eyes on me, and Blaise turned soon afterwards.

And I stood there, like a fool, wondering if they were happy to see me. It wasn't long before I got my answer.

In the blink of an eye, Blaise was striding towards me, before he wrapped his arms around me.

"Aria," He sighed. "Thank Merlin you're okay. We heard that the wedding was attacked, and no one could get to you."

Pansy was beside me in the blink of an eye, on the verge of tears. "I was so scared, Aria," She fretted, shoving me. "Don't ever pull something like that again."

"Hey."

I turned to see Marcus and Daphne come over.

"We're glad you're safe." Daphne sighed, and Marcus agreed.

The few Slytherins in our compartment were looking over at us, and some eyed me with fear, some smiled at me warmly, and some stayed stoic. But none of them seemed spiteful.

I may have friends in Gryffindor, or used to, but I was a snake.

A Gryffindor couldn't even begin to understand. A Slytherin didn't even have to ask. They'd all understand anyways.

We reached Hogwarts quicker than anticipated.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Pansy asked softly, as we stepped off the train. "With Snape as Headmaster?"

I tightened my robes around my body. The air was unusually chilly.

"Hell, probably." Blaise answered.

Even he seemed to be anxious.

Things were so much different now. Everyone was quieter.

Today, for the first time in seven years, Blaise and Marcus didn't argue. Not one bit.

"It'll be worse than hell," I told my friends solemnly. "The Death Eaters are in our walls now. No one should've come back to Hogwarts."

"So it's true? That the Death Eaters are going to teach here?" Daphne questioned, unable to mask her horror.

Blaise scoffed, "Teach? They're going to be pricks here."

My heart lurched at his words. I knew that he would have to stop saying such things so publicly. It was dangerous, and we were under dangerous people now.

But I couldn't bring myself to remind him to be careful of what he said.

Blaise was always the lively, carefree one. It would break my heart to see his freedom taken from him.

When we stepped into the Great Hall, the air was sombre.

My heart twisted once more.

I missed how Hogwarts used to be. With candles lit up in the air, with Nearly Headless Nick going around scaring first years, or us trying to avoid Peeves as he hurled water at us.

And Professor Dumbledore welcoming us, before our feast commenced.

Now, we were only met with Snape at the stand where our late Headmaster had once stood at, Death Eaters cladded in black staring back at us, faces rid of expression.

There wasn't even a feast.

We were all sent back to our rooms upon arriving.

The older students were angry, it showed on their faces. But what could we do?

As we walked back, Blaise cursed under his breath.

"How dare they think they own this place!" He hissed, fists clenched.

"Hogwarts has gone to hell." Daphne muttered sadly, Pansy wrapping her arms around her comfortingly.

Marcus was quiet, anguish radiating off his being.

"I'll show them," He said softly. "Hogwarts doesn't belong to them."

But all this anger, it was all bark. There was nothing we could do.

"These are murderers we are talking about," I told my friends in a hushed whisper. "No matter how angry you are, please, don't challenge them."

The two boys didn't protest.

In my heart, I was angry too. Furious. I always never knew to walk away from a fight, but this one, I wasn't stupid.

We had already lost.