Let it be • Draco Malfoy

41

Draco and I sat on the train together, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna sat around ya. It was the first day back at Hogwarts. It took a lot for us all to make the actual decision if we wanted to go back or not, I managed to get Draco to finally come back. Harry and Ron decided not to go back to Hogwarts, we understood why. Draco held my hand tightly. I thought of Helios and George, how they'd already be in Rome, how they'd had already probably adventured around. I smiled to myself. I stared out the window as we got closer to Hogwarts, closer to the memories.

Nights were hard. Full of nightmares, plagued by the sight of death. Draco and I spent many nights awake for most of them, the fear of going to sleep present. We stayed with the Weasleys, Molly asked us to stay until we were don't with school this year. They'd stationed therapists in every house, many of the witches and wizards who fought that night, had served PTSD, many suffered with depression, with long-lasting injuries. Hogwarts had now been the battleground of a war, a war that had been won.

"Eurydice." Draco nudged me, knocking me out of my daydream. He smiled at me sweetly. "We're back." He told me and I smiled and nodded. We got up from our carriage, making our way off of the train.

"It's crazy isn't it, how normal it all looks again," Neville said and I looked around, nodding as I looked around.

"We've given the dust time to settle, now it's time to kick it up again," I told them all, Hermione smiled and joined our arms. We walked into the school, laughing and joking, but we took the time to pay our respects to the plaque that now sat on the wall of the entrance.

'To all who we lost'

My gaze landed on Cedric's name and I gently brushed my finger over it. Luna stood next to me as I did.

"He would've been proud." She said and I nodded, agreeing with her. The doors to the castle opened and we walked in. First years took their time in entering the school, some of their parents had fought in the war last year, the stories they told must have given them a different perspective on everything. As we entered the great hall, my stomach turned, everything coming flooding back.

"How shall we do it?" Ginny asked and I looked at her confused, she looked back at the tables and I was about to speak when McGonagall showed up at the front, on the perch where Dumbledore would address us all at the start of a new year, but now she was headmistress.

"There were be no house tables from now on. You may sit at whatever table you'd like with whoever you'd like." She announced and we all smiled at each other, sitting at what used to be the Gryffindor table. Draco settles down beside me, carrying on his conversation with Seamus and Dean. The tables filled up with foods to feed a giant, the candles hung above our heads, the atmosphere of the hall was in happy, full of love.

"This is lovely," I told Neville who nodded, passing Luna the salt, smiling at the girl lovingly. Minerva McGonagall looked around at her students, a smile on her face as she began to address them.

"Welcome all back to Hogwarts." She announced. "I'd like to address the elephant in the room, the knowledge of what happened in the battle of Hogwarts last year, the people we lost, the pain that the war caused. Hogwarts is now a place to heal, a place where you can feel the safest. After the events of last year, a lot has changed. Houses will stay the same, but during breakfast, lunch and dinner, you may sit with who you want." She looked around the room, taking in the new students. "Now, on with the sorting hat." She smiled. We watched as the first years were given their houses, Slytherins sat with Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs. I looked at Draco who looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you think if we had this kind of seating arrangement, maybe we wouldn't have gotten into this mess?" I asked and he scoffed and shook his head.

"I'd still have hated, Potter." He told me and I rolled my eyes, making him smile. I nudged his shoulder before turning back to McGonagall.

"We've decided to designate therapists to every house. A lot of people suffer from the memories of last year, there will still be a lot of fresh wounds. We will try our hardest to help everyone we can. Now, please, enjoy your feast." She told us all. We all dug in immediately. Once we were all done, we decided to take a walk around the school.

"One of the things I'll never forget is the way Hagrid looked as he walked up with Harry in his arms. So much pain." Ginny whispered and I nodded with a sad smile.

"I looked back at Draco who was walking beside Neville. Talking about something that wasn't about last year.

"There's a lot I'll never forget, like the way Remus was hunched over in pain, the way the death eaters eyed up Helios and I, but the one thing I won't forget, is his face when we were in the room of requirement. When he finally picked his side." I looked at Draco again. Hermione spun me around so I was facing where I was going.

"You were so hooked on him, even when you went to the Yule Ball with Cedric. All you did was look at me in annoyance every time Draco got close with Pansy." She laughed and I rolled my eyes with a smile.

"Says you, who was in love with Ron since 1st year but you just bullied each other until you both couldn't deny it anymore," I told her and she stuck her tongue out at me. We made our way back around the school, out to the courtyard, where it had all taken place.

"It's nice to be back," I whispered, feeling slightly emotional. Everyone nodded. I looked over at Draco who was standing by the fountain, looking at the sky. I made my way over to him, standing by his side.

"I always loved Hogwarts, every year at Christmas, I'd go home and tell my mother about everything I did, about all the people I'd met. Hogwarts was the only thing I had to look forward to. For the last 2 years I had that taken away from me, this year, I can finally be someone I always wanted to be." He stared at the sky as he spoke, his words full of so much emotion.

"Hogwarts will always be our home, Draco," I told him. He looked down at me, taking his hand in my own. He leaned down, kissing the top of my head.