NUMB WITHOUT YOU | Draco Malfoy

| 01

They say once you've been marked, you're marked for life. I was reminded of that fact every single day. Though the war was long over, my forearm never stopped burning. It was a white-hot constant connection to my past life. One that I never truly felt a part of, but one could never truly leave behind.

You see, when you're a Death Eater, people treat you different. Back then, they used to cower in fear and do whatever we wished. But that was then, and this is now. Now, I couldn't go down the street without people turning their backs on me. I was a social pariah. We all were. It's not my fault. None of it was. I didn't ask for this life. It was forced upon me, just like so many of my fellow children of Death Eaters.

Sure, in the past we reaped the benefits while others suffered. But who wouldn't have?

I'll never forget the day I was released from Azkaban. I had never been more thankful to see a mudblood in my entire life. Hermione Granger was my saving grace. She worked so hard to make sure that children of Death Eater's got a reduced sentence and community service. She understood that we were just raised this way. It wasn't who we really were. Because of her I learned that I had a choice. We all did.

I had just finished with my year of community service as a healer at St. Mungo's. It was excruciating to say the least, but not for the reasons you would expect. I found that the work was very fulfilling, when people would let me help them, but often times I didn't get the opportunity. So many patients turned me away or requested other healers. Ones that didn't have the mark. I wasn't trusted there. I wasn't really trusted anywhere.

❂

I kept my head down as I walked past the crowds outside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and went into the building next door where my flat was located. Once I was in the vicinity of my own home I finally felt like I could breathe again. I took off my scarf and hung it up on the hook. I could hear laughter coming from the other room, so I followed the noise to find my best friend and my boyfriend sitting on the couch watching TV.

"I'll tell you what. Muggles did get one thing right, and it's television." Aidan said. His eyes were transfixed on the screen as he watched one of the comedian panel shows that he was completely obsessed with.

"You've got that right." Camille snorted with laughter as one of the comedians said something funny.

I cleared my throat so the two of them would be alerted to my presence. They both took their eyes off the screen for only the briefest of seconds before going back to what they were doing.

"Hey, babe." Aidan said as he shoved crisps into his mouth, "How was work?"

"Would it kill you to clean up in here once in a while?" I scowled as I started to pick up trash that littered the floor. "It's a mess."

"It didn't seem to bother you before. What's the issue?" Aidan turned off the TV to give me his full attention. Camille scowled, upset that she missed the ending of a good joke, but turned around on the couch to face me as well. "Can't you just use magic?" He grinned impishly.

"I don't get my wand back until tomorrow. I just finished my community service, you know that. Hermione Granger is stopping by soon and I don't want her to think I live in a dump. That's why I'm cleaning up." I hissed at Aidan. I tossed some of his dirty laundry at him and he caught it before it hit him in the face

"You should have just gone to Knockturn Alley like we did and gotten a wand on the black market, Rory." Aidan smirked as he waved a wand at my face. Camille giggled and grabbed her own wand to show it off as well. We weren't allowed to practice magic during our probation period, but many of us had found ways around that. I refused. I wanted to at least try to do things the right way for once in my life. I never wanted to go back to Azkaban.