Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter forty one

September 1st, 1997
Alora Slater POV

   "Are you ready to go?"

   "Not at all, come on," I held my hand out to him.

He took my hand and lead my out of my room and down the stairs with our things. Mrs. Malfoy would be taking us to King's Cross because Mr. Malfoy was supposed to be in Azkaban. My mother also didn't write me back when I asked if she was coming to see me off, so this was my only option. I didn't have much to bring back because I didn't take half of my belongings home over the summer.

I didn't even have a real home anymore, I was back and fourth from three places and I clearly didn't belong at any of them. Mrs. Malfoy was more of a mother figure to me than my own was, but she was my boyfriend's mother, not mine. Draco and I told his parents we were together about two weeks after we started dating, just to make sure it would work first.

They reacted about as well as I thought they would. Mrs. Malfoy was much nicer about it than her husband. He never liked me, probably because Draco ran to tell him every little thing I've done to him through the years. His mother hugged me though, in private of course. She couldn't let her husband know she had different beliefs than him, Merlin forbid.

Draco hid our hands behind his trunk but didn't unlink his fingers from mine. It didn't bother me, I more than understood.

"Are you two ready to go?" His mother asked quietly.

"Yes, goodbye father," Draco said, looking at his father who was standing in the doorway behind his wife.

"Thank you again for everything, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," I said.

Lucius nodded before walking up the stairs quite aggressively. It was clear he wasn't my number one fan, but he didn't need to make a scene. Draco looked at me sympathetically before I nodded him off. Mrs. Malfoy grabbed one of our arms each and we were disapparating before anyone could say another word.
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We appeared in the train station and went on to the platform together. She patted Draco's hair down before hugging him goodbye and whispering something in his ear. He smiled at her and stepped back, then she turned to me after waving Draco away for a moment. He gave her a strange look before squeezing my hand and walking over to Blaise who was standing with his family. She grabbed both of my hands and looked into my eyes.

"Alora, honey, we haven't had a real chance to talk. Now is a better time than most before you leave for a while."

"Of course, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, Narcissa is fine. I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"I've heard a lot about you throughout the years, not many good things."

"Your son and I have a complicated past."

   "Yes, of course. This past year has been very hard on Draco for obvious reasons, but I've noticed his happiness slowly come back these last two months, and I owe that to you."

   "Oh, Mrs. M- Narcissa, Draco doesn't need me to be happy, he has you. He loves you very much, he always talks so highly of you."

   "He does need you, darling. You understand him, and he needs someone like that. The two of you are good together."

   "Well if he needs me, then I need him just as much if not more. And thank you."

   "Of course. Oh, my son is starting to get anxious, I suppose it's time for the both of you to get going. I'll see you at Christmas."

   "Are you sure?"

   "Of course, you do have a room in our home after all, you're practically family."

   I couldn't help but smile at that. She was a little misguided, but had an incredible heart. She was a good woman, and I appreciated her.

   "Thank you."

   "Hey, it's time for us to go," Draco whispered from behind me.

"Goodbye, Narcissa, and thank you again."

She nodded with a small smile before Draco pulled me away and on to the train. Blaise was a few people behind us but didn't say anything. I was the problem, Draco and him clearly didn't have any bad blood.

"Hey, why don't you hang out with Blaise on the ride up?" I whispered.

"What?" He said as we weaved past some of the younger Slytherins.

"It's obvious he wants to speak with you, I'll be fine, I've got my books."

"You're mad if you think I am going to leave you to sit alone."

"He's one of your best friends, you need as many allies as possible now. Don't burn your bridges because of me."

   "You could always come back to the group."

   "As if they would welcome me with open arms. Please, you need people in case something happens to me."

   "What could possibly happen to you?"

   "If I get called away, you can't be alone."

   "You can't be alone either."

   "That's where you're wrong. I survived the majority of my sixth year alone, I think I can last a few days here and there. Go, now."

   He rolled his eyes at me before quickly kissing my forehead and sitting down at the table next to Blaise and across from Goyle. Pansy and Daphne were sitting at the table next to them and they were both staring at me. I tried my best to ignore them and found an empty table at the end of the car and pulled out one of my books. It was best for me to get some learning in now because surely I would be paranoid this entire year.

   "Can we talk?"