Always. (A Draco Malfoy Story)

Absence.

Throughout the day, students around me either avoided my pathway or darted glares at me as I walked by.
It's hard not to notice when almost every student watches every step that you take.

I turned the corner to walk to Potions and entered a very crowded hallway. It was still the same...whispers and glares everywhere.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway and yelled out, "If someone has something to say, say it to my face before my fist meets yours first!"

Everyone looked at me, suddenly silent at my threat. I looked around and huffed, "Exactly. Next time you wanna gossip, remember that I find out everything. Just try me."

I looked around to everyone who quickly diverted their eyes in the opposite direction of my glare. I rolled my eyes and continued on my way to class.

-

During the lessons behind Professor Slughorn's back, both the Slytherin and Gryffindor students would whisper in hushed tones and close huddles while occasionally peaking over in my direction.

Seamus nudges to a few Gryffindor girls to shut up, then looked to me apologetically. I flash him a soft smile and mouthed 'thanks'.

"Psst!" Blaise whispers to me, "Did you hear?"

I shake my head.

"Find me after the game today. I'll tell you."

-

Voldemort looked through the glass windows of his home with his hands behind his back, staring at the dark sky above him.

"My Lord." Bellatrix and Lucius appears behind him.

"What do you have for me?" Voldemort asks.

Nervous, Lucius approaches Voldemort,
"As you have asked, I was cleaning out what Ben has left here and..."

"I do not have all day, Lucius!" Voldemort bellows out, making Lucius even more nervous and slowly taking a few steps back.

Bellatrix walked up to the Dark Lord and pulled out a photo, "We found this, my Lord."

Voldemort turns around and grabs the photo from Bellatrix's fingertips. He examine it closely and realized what it was: A photo of young Joy.

"What is the meaning of this?" Voldemort tries to figure out what the two have deciphered based on the photo.

"We believe for it to be Joy, my Lord..." Lucius begins to explain.

"This is not Joy." Voldemort burned the photo in his hand with a simple clenching of his fists.

"But my Lord—"

"Silence!" Voldemort's voice echoed on the walls of his home, "You two will cease this agenda you have against Joy. You've seen what has happened to Ben. I suggest that you two do not receive the same fate as him."

Bellatrix and Lucius both look to the floor as they said in unison, "Yes. my Lord."

-

It was Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff for the Quidditch game today, the last game of the year as it was already the middle of April.

I cheered alongside of the rest of Slytherin house as Slytherin has just taken the lead by 10 points.

I began to think about Draco and how he loved playing the game, until he received the dark mark, making him lose out on doing anything fun for the last year he attended Hogwarts.

My heart suddenly began to race and my breathing got shallow. I tried to hold onto the railing to keep me standing upright, as my vision darkened and I fell to the floor.

A thundering sky.

A dark forest.

I see Harry in the distance, walking towards me... scared.

The background changes. It's the courtyard again.
I'm screaming, down on my knees.

The echo of my scream haunting me as it fades out to black.

I jumped awake in the infirmary, immediately looking around and making sure I'm awake and aware.

I could feel my heart still racing. My bed began to shake slightly and I waved my hand over the bed to cease its movements.

I look down and see Madame Pomfrey and Snape in an intense conversation, until Snape realized that I was awake.
He rushed over to me and immediately yelled at me, "I told you not to go to the Quidditch game today!"

I smirk, "And I told you that I was still going just to spite you."

Madame Pomfrey scolded the both of us, "Enough, you two!" She turns to me, "You fainted again, Rosie...and you're looking a bit pale. I suggest you stay at home for a few days. I will notify your professors of your absence."
I smile and thank her before she went to do so.

Snape glares at me, "You had another vision, didn't you?"

I nod, "I was just screaming the whole time... but I saw Harry, in a forest, walking towards me."
Snape sighs and helps me out of bed, "Collect your assignments from your professors before you go."
I nod and leave the infirmary, walking to the other part of the castle.

-

After collecting my assignments, I was close to getting to Snape's office when I see Blaise.

"Blaise!" I yell out and run after him.
I catch up to him as he was talking to a few other Slytherin boys and lean down to catch my breath, "Damn, I'm out of shape."

The Slytherin boys whisper to each other before one of them reaches into the locker of their trousers and pulls out a rubber, "This might help next time, Rosie."

He tosses it to me and I catch it in my hand. I quickly realize what it was and threw it back to him, "Ugh, you wish!"
I gag at the thought of his actually thinking he'd have a chance with me.

Blaise pushes the boys away and motions for them to get gone.
I look to him, "What the fuck was that about?!"

He looks to me, "You really don't know?"

I roll my eyes, "In case you haven't noticed Blaise, but I'm not here most of the time... and when I am, I'm almost always in the infirmary."

He sighs, "Well... people have been talking."

I giggle, "You sound like Tori."

"There's a rumor going around that you're pregnant, Rosie." He blurts out.

I stared at him, "What did you just say?!"

"Snape's having you live at home... and you're always fainting. Pansy and Jake—"

My ears muted out the rest of our conversation. My rage began to overtake all of my focus and energy as I began to think malicious thoughts of what was about to happen.

Pansy Parkinson and Jake Lawrence...
Great Salazar fucking Slytherin.