Dare - Draco Malfoy

Chapter 1: Back

Maeve:

I am being rocked away. The constant swinging, white noise coming from behind a closed door. I open my eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light of the softly setting sun, over a golden landscape.The clouds are creating tricks with the lights, painting the sky with shades of orange.

I sit up straight as I wake fully. I have fallen asleep while reading. My book is lying on my lap.

"Oh about time"  Aria calls.

"Hey. Ugh I haven't had much sleep last night." I speak in a yawn.

Aria is my best friend. We have known each other since our first year but we never got close until the third. The events of the escape of Sirius Black scared me as much as they scared her and out of fear our bond tightened. That was also the year in which my nightmares begun. I am not really sure why I have them, but they are recurring. Always the same.

I take my book from my lap, mark the page I am on, close it and shove it in my bag.

"How long left anyway?"

"It's gonna be an other hour at least. Wanna play chess? These two are losers". She says scoffing at Blaise and Nott sitting in front of us.

Blaise glances at her with an annoyed look and Nott laughs as he closes his eyes, his hands behind his head, rested on his seat.

Blaise and Nott have been my friends ever since our first day at Hogwarts. Blaise, always ready to make a joke out of anything. He's the positive, chill type.

Nott is handsomely galant. He's caring and sweet, but you never really fully understand him. , For as long as I have known him, he has always been that one person I could count on, almost like an older brother.

Isy is sitting next to Aria. She is quiet and reserved and can come across as quite introvert, but deep down she's a kind soul.

-

Hogwarts always gives a sense of home. A static, safe surrounding. Everything about this place is just too familiar. The people, the voices, walls and corridors, never changing,  filled with 6 years of memories, moments, fleeting words. My dorm, the bed always made, always inviting, a shelter. The fires, crackling. The widows drowning the room in green soft light from the lake surrounding us. In the abyss of the dark lake, I'm home. It isn't a particularly happy place. I have memories, loads of them, but not all are happy, though I don't hold a grudge to the place. I am more home here than anywhere else.

My last year scares me. Knowing we won't come back next year terrifies me. It has always been in the back of my head, always pushed aside, never wanting to think about it.

-

I wake to find Aria and Isy getting dresses, looking as pretty as ever. She did her hair soft in twisted braids, making it look soft and full. Isy has her hair as usual, falling below her cheeks, her uniform carefully tucked under her pants. Isy isn't always put together but to be honest, neither am I. She doesn't wear make up and almost always has her uniform pants on, instead of skirts.