𝐿𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓀𝑒 | D.M. & G.W.

Chapter Fifteen: Return to Hogwarts

❝Wouldn't be

The first time someone

lied to get famous.❞

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Chapter 15

Return To Hogwarts

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

  The two weeks after the brief reunion of my friends before September 1st was spent in another stretch of forced isolation from Lucius and Narcissa in response to catching me socializing with my housemates. Each day was both easier and harder than the days trapped in my room at Greengrass Estate. Days hidden away in the gloom of the guest room dished out less stress than tiptoeing around the manor attempting to be nothing more than another shadow gathering in the corner of the room. There was no loss of affection between Lucius to mourn, and barely any from Narcissa. Well, only affection I wished she had for me. Those lack of emotions prevented a long lecture and was replaced by a sharp slap across the face and banishment with Bernie to my temporary quarters. Seeing me with my friends wasn't anything they weren't already expecting from me. There was no hurt from the disappointment like Uncle Jasper. It was almost like they were bored I did exactly what they thought I would. The shadowy manor could hide much around corners and in little hiding spots but my bedroom hid no surprises. If someone was entering the room, I could ready myself by the time the door swung open on its creaky hinges.

This ordered confinement proved to be more difficult, simply because it wasn't home. It wasn't my bed and none of my things were here to distract my idle mind. Everything in my possession was taken away from me last time but it was still my safe bedroom. Bernie was, luckily, the most comforting part like last time. Except for this time, he wasn't worrying himself over my zombie state, and let himself be his true sloth self. While lazy and slightly grumpy, he was the perfect companion for long days alone. Letter writing privileges were provoked, obviously. Jareth was popular enough he probably didn't even notice my letters stopped. He mentioned he had two different secret admirers right now. Honesty I didn't even try to see if that was still an option. My actions only landed me on thinner and thinner ice since I started school. I tried my best to keep my mind off the fact Lucius wrote a letter to Jasper about what happened in Diagon Alley. Clearly, I had no self-control around my friends to follow the wishes of my family who keep insisting they have my best interest at heart.

Draco managed to weasel his way into my room a few times but it was pretty boring to mess with me when all I did was read over my summer work and finish the book on Merlin. His teasing about the mistakes on my homework was actually helpful, not that he realized he was helping me earn a better grade, but maybe it was his way of helping. He was...hard to understand. I wasn't very bright in a few of my subjects and my lacking confidence only made my performance worse. I'd have to get Jareth or Hermione to look over my work before I submit it to make sure I don't fail before the semester starts.

The various house elves of Malfoy Manor were the highlight of my day. Those little creatures made me laugh more than anything, mostly unintentionally. Dobby and Gilly were both very intense about making sure I adjusted to the punishment well since I was their favorite witch. It wasn't exactly difficult to do sadly. I just said thank you a few times and asked how their self inflicted injuries were healing. Admittedly, I wasn't the rare case of a child raised in wealth hesitating to give orders to the servants. House elves have prevented me from learning a lot of life skills simply from doing it for me. Without them, I'd be just as lost as Draco or Pansy. But at least I didn't treat them like vermin, or call them names. Dobby always made sure to bring a little dish of catnip to Bernie every afternoon alongside the daily comic section. Gilly took extra care in packing away my luggage the night before we left for the express and left out a comfortable traveling outfit for the train journey. It wasn't pants, which most people would assume would be the best thing to wear for a travel day. Jasper was a touch... old fashioned when it came to women in pants. Narcissa agreed from the way she guided me away from all of the trousers I selected. Hermione's voice mumbled in the back of my head about equality and the ridiculousness of the rule. She wasn't wrong. It wasn't pants but it was a black skirt, with sewn-in shorts. I think Hermione said muggles call them skorts and said muggles thought it up a few decades ago. If you ask me muggles are brilliant. Ever since meeting Hermione's parents I've been more and more curious about muggleborns.