Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter thirty four

Alora Slater POV

   What was he doing here? Of all the people that could have come and found me, it was Malfoy. He was the last person I ever wanted to see. I already knew was going to ask questions or try and talk about what happened, he went soft in a way this year.

   "Now really isn't a great time, Malfoy."

   "Slater, come on. You've got to talk about it eventually."

   "No, I really don't."

   "Why'd you lie to me this morning? When I asked if you were going to my house?"

   "Because it wasn't any of your business. What I do doesn't concern you."

   "Stop being a closed off bitch for a minute and let me come up."

   I didn't respond, he took that as permission to join me. I guess it was easier to get this over with now than try and dodge him forever and then get cornered at the worst time. He sat on the branch across from me, holding on to it tightly.

   "Are you alright?"

   "Yes."

   "I don't want to be here either, okay? I'm trying to not be an ass, you could give it a go too."

   "I don't want to see you."

   "Well you don't really get that option anymore. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not, and trust me... I dont."

   "You don't have to be up here trying to make me be fine, I'm fine and it's done and over with."

   "Bellatrix is quite pleased with you."

   "She told me."

   "Really?"

   "Yes."

   "I'm glad you finally grew up and did what you had to do. It's nice not having to flee the school to save your ass."

   "Shut up."

   "Seriously, it was getting old."

   "I will push you out of this tree right now, Malfoy."

   "Alright, alright. There's no need to get angry. We're just two old friends chatting."

   "I will never be your friend."

   "You say that, but you'll be begging to see more of me when you're deprived for so long this summer."

   "I hate you."

He smiled stupidly down at the ground before his face fell serious. His grey eyes stared into my green ones as if he were trying to express his remorse without actually saying the words. There was something about him in this moment, I couldn't fully place it, but he looked different. He was different.

Behind those eyes wasn't the hardened, evil boy I spent every waking moment of the last six years despising. No, he was broken, vulnerable. I had never seen this look on his face before, I wasn't even sure he meant for me to see it. I could feel the tears coming again, so I quickly looked down at my hands that were fiddling with my jumper.
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"You're all free to go now."

Snape dismissed the house meeting about ten minutes after it started. I couldn't focus the entire time, I was trying to avoid having to make conversation with Pansy. When Snape disappeared to his office, Pansy stood sternly in front of me, blocking my path to escape anywhere.

"I'm done with you acting all secretive this year, I hate it. Tell me what the hell is going with you. Where do you keep running off to?"

"For fuck's sake, Pansy..."

"No. No! You've barely spoken to Daphne and I in a month. Actually, you've barely spoken to us since Christmas. What went so wrong that you had to go silent? You used to be the most talkative, annoying person I knew, and now you're not Alora Slater."

"People change. You need to accept that not everyone is going to be the same person their whole life unlike you. People grow up."

"You aren't growing up, you're shutting down. You've stopped eating, you've stopped going to Quiddich matches, you barely leave your bed except for class. You aren't okay."

"I have more important things on my mind than Quiddich."

"See, the Alora I knew would rather get detention with McGonagall than skip Quiddich."

"I have new priorities."

"Like what? Tell your best friend!"

"Pansy, I'm not having this conversation."

"You aren't having any conversations. Any time Daph or someone brings up the fact that you're depressed, you get aggressive. You hate violence, you hate yelling. You aren't okay!"

"Pansy, if you don't back off I'll hex you so bad that you won't be able to look me in the eyes again. Stand the fuck down and drop the goddamn subject, for good. I don't want to hear it again."

"Alora..."

Her voice caught in her throat and she was looking down at my hand now, not staring me down. I turned to see what she was looking at and I was horrified. I had my wand drawn and it was jabbing her in the side. I quickly put it away in the pocket of my jumper before trying to walk away, but she grabbed my arm. My left arm.

My jumper slid up slightly when she grabbed my arm, and I panicked. I ripped my arm out of her hand so quickly I stumbled backwards and adjusted the sleeve. She looked horrified. I don't think she saw anything, she was reacting more to my outburst. I had to distance myself from her eventually, I guess this was the only way that it would work.

"I can help you."

"You need to leave me alone, for good. It's not your job to worry if I'm eating enough, or if I'm sleeping enough. You aren't my mother."

"Someone has to be."

"Say some stupid shit like that again and see how far it gets you. Don't think I'm not serious because I am."

"You've gone mad, you've officially lost it."

She turned and walked a few steps before turning back to me and looking at me sadly.

"I never thought I would be terrified of my best friend."

And my heart shattered.