Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter nine

1996
First day of sixth year
Alora Slater POV

I ran through the wall and on to the platform alone, my mother had just apparated me here and I left before she had a chance to object. The sight of everyone with their families burned, I had just lost the rest of mine. Adrian had barely been around all summer, I guess the guilt kept him away. I put my things on the train quickly before boarding and finding my way to the Slytherin car.

Pansy saw me walk in first and she jumped up and grabbed me by the hand, pulling me to her table. She was very bubbly this morning, quite unlike her usual self. She went on and on about her summer, barely taking the time to take a breath. After examining my facial expression, she stopped talking for a minute and her mood changed.

"What happened? I didn't see Adrian or your mother saying goodbye."

"That's because they didn't."

"I'm sorry, Alora," she reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

"I didn't want them to, so don't be sorry. It was certainly a long summer."

"You didn't write."

"Sorry."

"What happened? You look awful."

"Gee, thanks. Nothing, just my mother was... a handful."

"Adrian didn't help?"

"He was out a lot."

She could tell I wasn't telling her the whole truth, but didn't pry any further. By now, Pansy knew I wasn't one to talk everything to death, I liked to deal with things on my own. We were the only two from our group on the train so far, she always came so much earlier than everyone else to make sure we got good seats.

About fifteen minutes later, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and Daphne all came on together. None of them had seen Malfoy yet, the train didn't leave for another fifteen minutes though. I greeted everyone, asked about their summers like usual. None of them asked if anything was going on with me, which I appreciated.

While Daphne was talking about this boy she met in Hogsmeade over the summer, I saw Draco coming up the aisle towards us. There was something different about him, I just could exactly tell what it was. He didn't have his usual smirk plastered across his face, he wasn't calling out to Blaise and Goyle. He kept his head down and walked quickly and silently down the aisle.

When he reached us, his mood changed. A fake smile formed on his lips and he started a conversation with the boys. He sat down across from me and beside Pansy. She shot me a puzzled look before returning to her conversation about Draco's father. Apparently he had been thrown in Azkaban over the summer, I guess that's why he wasn't his normal self. He told Pansy to drop it and she looked concerned, I would definitely be hearing about this later tonight.

The entire train ride was awkward. Nobody really knew what to talk about, nobody wanted to upset Draco. We were all walking on eggshells around him, every word had to be carefully thought about before being said. He even made some comment about "pitching himself off the astronomy tower," but quickly changed the subject.
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The only normal thing that had happened today was that it was nearly nightfall when we arrived at the castle. The feast was almost silent at our end of the Slytherin table. Afterwards, we split up and walked to our common room in little groups. Daphne and Blaise walked together, Crabbe and Goyle trailed loosely behind Malfoy and Pansy and I were hanging behind everyone else.

"I know Draco's dad was just thrown in Azkaban, but he's acting much stranger than usual. I'm scared to talk around him!" She whispered.

"I see it too."

"You're acting just as strange. You're always happy on the first day, it's the day you get away from your mother for a year."

"I'm fine, Pansy, seriously. Just drop it already, will you?"

She shut up quickly after that. The walk to the common room was once again, awkward. The second the door opened, everyone went their separate ways. Our things were waiting for us on our beds as usual, so I began unpacking to avoid having to make conversation. Daphne and Pansy were chatting away about their classes, we had a new Potions professor this year and Snape had finally made Defence Against the Dark Arts.

I finished putting my things away far sooner than I meant to, meaning I would have to join their conversation.

"What classes do you got?" Daphne asked me from across the room.

"Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Charms."

"I think Draco has those classes too. Your teachers have been quite unlucky the past two years," Pansy giggled.

"I've been unluckier, they think they're doing us a favour by putting us near one another, but it makes my life miserable."

"The two of you have never made sense to me. You're practically the same person, anyone would think you would get along."

"I am nothing like that self-absorbed, spoiled prat."

"He said nearly the same exact thing. Maybe things will be different this year, you're both so off this year."

"Pansy, if you don't shut up about me supposedly acting strange, I'll make you."

"Okay, sorry."

This new professor had already taking a liking to Potter, I heard from Daphne. Chances are he wouldn't like me then, despite being a Slytherin as well. Any teacher who likes Potter hates me, I was dreading to find out if that would continue to remain true.