The Malfoy Mystery

3 • outcast

3

The state of the Burrow wasn't as energetic and chaotic as it used to be. The demise of their close ones in the war had taken a toll on them. George was afraid to look into mirrors, Molly's boggart had become a reality, Harry was mourning the loss of Remus whereas Teddy was now a member of the Weasley family.

As an orphan, Harry knew the difficulties of sometimes feeling desolated despite being surrounded by love. He was grateful though Teddy had such a comforting family left behind. To make the young lad happy, everyone tried to smile around him. George would only feel slightly joyful close to the child.

George and Ron still worked at their famous joke store, where the least they could do was make others feel good. Molly Weasley had faced her dreaded fear of losing her offspring, and George had shattered all the mirrors in his room, not wishing to see his brother. Harry and Ginny used to be each other's support. Percy, Charlie and Bill had gone for their jobs. The only one left was Hermione. Like her first year at Hogwarts, Hermione was all alone. Again.

After the war, she attempted to undo the memory spell she performed on her parents but failed. All this time, she'd imagined that she'd live ecstatically with her family, but now her only ray of hope was gone. Her {former} parents were forever stuck in the name tags of the Wilkins. They had been sharing their home with a young woman, who now would be only a little younger than Hermione herself. They treated her as if she was their daughter to such an extent that their last names matched.

Hermione tried to convince herself that maybe it was for the best. Maybe her parents deserved a life where their daughter wasn't willing to risk everything, including their security and lives.

The golden trio, alongside Ginny, had received their Hogwarts letters yesterday. Ron was adamant about helping George run their business, whereas Harry and Ginny had already been offered enticing jobs. Hermione decided to pursue her education and was the only one attending Hogwarts among them.

A few days after accepting to attend her last year at Hogwarts, Hermione decided to go buy necessities for Hogwarts. The policies at the school had reformed majorly. Students would be studying together irrespective of their houses. Moreover, students would be sorted not only in their first year but also in their fourth and seventh years. This was done in order to accommodate for the undergoing changes in a student's personalities and aims.

She was walking in Diagon Alley and finally reached the clothes shop. She entered inside and went to the female section and saw a glimpse of blonde hair far away.

3.5  

Drifting slowly, Hermione double-checked the robes she had picked up for herself. She ensured that it fit her properly without sticking too much to her skin. Her eyes returned to glance at the blond hair. She could recognize that hair even in the dimmest of light - Draco Malfoy.

She pretended not to notice him but strained to listen to their conversation.

"I'm not selling clothes to a death eater!"

"Ex-death eater. I'm willing to pay more, please just-"

"Get out before I make you."

Disappointed, Draco left the shop as the owner loudly sighed. Hermione could see traces of him outside in the sun. Hermione was halfway out of the store when she realized she had bought the clothes for Malfoy. Hermione levitated the clothes next to Draco and left before the man could identify her. The last thing she needs is to confront Malfoy. The shop owner on the other side was giving her bewildered peeks.

Draco tried his best not to have a public outburst by pinching his things. His eyes were squinting under the bright sun. Though the atmosphere was moderately cold around him, he was burning with frustration inside-out. Huffing inaudibly, he turned around and was about to trip. He regained his composure and stared at what caused him to lose his balance. It was a bag full of robes. Hogwart robes.

If you'd told Draco a few years ago that he would accept something given to him as "charity", he would exclaim, 'my father will hear about this.' Now it was mildly a gesture. Without hesitating, Draco gracefully picked up the bag of clothes and marched towards the book store.

The bell chimes as he enters the store, though no one noticed him. He preferred to be unnoticed rather than being gawked at like some exotic pandas at a tropical zoo. He tried his best to quietly pick up books but failed when he crashed into a male figure on his way to the counter.

Blaise Zabini.

"I'm sorry-"

"I apologiz- Wait, Zabini?"

"Draco! What are you doing here?"

"Why, picking up flowers, of course!" he remarked.

Zabini shook his head as a small smile formed on his face. Both of them approached the billing counter with a bag full of books. The shop owner dismissed them from buying books. Only after offering to pay double the price could they buy the books. Asshole. The two boys left as soon as their payment was completed.

Blaise broke the silence, "Did you know we're being sorted every 3 years? We'll be re-sorted again."

"Yes, my mother made sure to remind me every hour. I'm not worried. I'm sure I'll get into Slytherin."

"Getting into Slytherin is worrisome. Don't you think we'll get discriminated against more?"

'If we get into other houses, we'll get ridiculed and secluded. We'll be the new mud- I mean, we'll be the outcasts."

The duo parted their ways minutes later and apparated back to their abodes. Blaise lived alone in the Zabini Manor since his mother had been arrested for innumerable crimes. Major ones are supporting Voldemort financially and performing the unforgivable on non-purebloods. Since Blaise hadn't been directly involved, he wasn't arrested but kept under the watch of various ministers. Since he could get lonely, he invited Pansy and Theodore to share his home.

On the other hand, Draco hadn't gone to his home as he claimed. He was standing outside a tattoo parlour, bandages around his left arm. Over the snakes and skull now lay a freshly inked tattoo - a mysterious woman.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.