The Unexpected

Marked For Life

Magnolia was sitting on the desk criss-cross. "Draco-""I miss you, Magnolia. I'm not going to lie. I miss you a lot." Magnolia looked up fiddling with her fingers. "Then why did we break up?" She whispered. Draco sighed. "Because we can't be together. I told you about my family." Magnolia's eyes welled up. "But you have a choice, Draco. You don't have to be like them." Draco nodded. "No, I don't have a choice. He'll kill my family, love. He'll kill you." 

Magnolia took a deep breath and shook her head. "Harry won't let him. He'll beat him. Harry will beat him." Draco scoffed. "You really believe that nonsense?" Magnolia shrugged. "I kind of have to. He's my brother." Draco sighed. "I really love you and I want you to be safe so that's why I ended things between us." 

Magnolia laced her fingers together with Draco's. "I love you too," She whispered. "Don't let this change you. Don't turn cold like them." Draco leaned his forehead against Magnolia's. "I won't. I promise." Magnolia took a deep breath as her heart raced. "Draco, I-" Magnolia cut herself off abruptly. Draco pulled away. "Yeah?" Magnolia let her breath out and shook her head. "Nothing." She whispered. 

Draco took a deep breath. "I have to go. I'm suppose to meet my mother somewhere." Draco turned to leave and Magnolia worked the courage up to tell him again. "Wait, Draco," Draco turned around and Magnolia caught a glimpse of something on his arm. 

Magnolia snatched his arm and pushed his sleeve up. She stared in disbelief at the snake tattoo. "Draco...." She whispered. Draco's gaze turned downwards. Magnolia pushed his hand away. "You already got the mark?" Her eyes brimmed with tears. Draco just nodded, not trusting his voice. 

Magnolia shook her head and forced the lump in her throat down. "I can't believe you. You were suppose to wait! You said you'd wait as long as you could!" Draco nodded. "I did." Magnolia scoffed. "You couldn't have stalled longer than three weeks?" Magnolia turned around as a tear slipped down her cheek. She refused to cry in front of Draco. 

"Mags," Draco reached out to touch her arm but she moved her shoulder. "Don't!" She spun around. "You can't get rid of that! You can-I can't help you know! If someone sees that. If someone finds out that I knew and didn't tell anyone, I could go to Azkaban," Draco looked down at the floor as Magnolia pointed at the tattoo. "That basically marks you for death, Draco," She shook her head. "If Harry wins and they see that you'll be carted off to Azkaban." Draco sighed. "I'm sorry. I-I tried." 

Magnolia shook her head as more tears fell. "No, no, no!" Draco looked up. "Magnolia?" His brows furrowed as Magnolia shook her head. "This can't be happening." She whispered. Draco swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's not that bad, b-""It is. Go, just go." Magnolia pointed at the door. Draco nodded and walked over to the door. He pulled it open and looked over his shoulder at Magnolia. 

She was crying into her hands. Draco walked out of the office and shut the door behind him. He saw Fred and walked over to him. "Magnolia's in the office. She's crying and she doesn't want my help so uh-Woul-Could you h-help her?" Fred nodded and walked away. 

Magnolia pulled her hands away from her face and laid them on her stomach. Magnolia rubbed her stomach when the door open. She looked up and Fred pushed the door shut. "No one can know Draco's the father. Not even him. Everyone needs to think it's yours." Fred nodded. "Okay. Are you sure about this, Mags?" Magnolia nodded. "Yeah," She looked down at her stomach. "It's what's best for the baby." Her voice cracked as she spoke. 

Fred pulled her into a hug and she sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her back as he shushed her. "I won't tell anyone. I promise." Magnolia shook her head. "You have to do more than promise. I've learned promises aren't strong enough. They're just words." Fred nodded. "Okay, I vow that I won't tell anyone." Magnolia chuckled and pulled away. She reached up and wiped her tears away. 

"My makeup's all smudged, isn't is?" Fred nodded. "Yeah. It's sorta bad." Magnolia nodded. "So it's terrible?" Fred shook his head. "No, I never said it was terrible." Magnolia sighed. "You make things sound better than they actually are." He tilted his head. "Oh. I never realized I did that. Why don't you go get cleaned up and eat some lunch. I'm sure Harry would like to talk to you." Magnolia nodded. "Yeah. I should probably talk to him. Thanks, Fred." Fred reached over and swiped his thumbs under Magnolia's eyes. "No problem, love." 

Magnolia and Harry sat at a table in the three broomsticks. Magnolia had her hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate. "You make no sense. It's the middle of summer and you're drinking hot chocolate." Magnolia shrugged. "It comforts me." She took a sip of it and Harry sighed. "So uh Dudley told me why you left." Magnolia scoffed. 

"You mean why I got kicked out?" Harry nodded. "So uh who's is it?" Magnolia set her cup down. She ran her finger over the ring of the mug. "Fred." Magnolia whispered. Harry nodded. "So my best friend's brother?" Magnolia scoffed. "No, my best friend." Harry nodded. "Right. I uh-""Forgot?" Harry looked down at the table and nodded. 

Magnolia rolled her eyes and took another sip of cocoa. "So have you gone to the doctor's yet?" Magnolia shook her head. "No. I go next week um what are the-What's the deal with Voldemort?" Harry shrugged. "I don't know. It's been radio silence since the incident at the ministry. I think you should keep this," He gestured to her stomach. "A secret for a long as possible. If Voldemort get's a wiff of this." Magnolia nodded. "I know, Harry," 

The waitress bought their food over and set it in front of them. Magnolia had a ham and cheese bagel while Harry had gotten a chicken strip burger. Harry took a bite of the burger. "Do you think Mum and Dad would have been disappointed?" Harry shook his head. "No, Maggie." Magnolia sighed. "Don't call me that. I hate it." Harry chuckled. "Why not? It's what I called you when we were kids." Magnolia sighed. "Maggie is a chubby eight year old girl who believed in unicorns, fairies, and Santa Claus." Harry leaned forward. "Santa isn't real?" Magnolia sighed and shook her head. "No, bud. It's unfortunate. I know but life goes on." 

Harry chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "So what are you going to do about school?" Magnolia groaned. "I haven't even thought about that yet." Harry nodded. "You should probably talk to Dumbledore." Magnolia nodded. "Really? I had no idea. I figured I could just play the rest of the year off fine and he would just think I'm fat." Harry sighed. "You don't have to be so mean." Magnolia took a bite of her bagel. "But I do. It's the only way I can get through to your tiny pea sized brain."