𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒 | draco malfoy ✔️

41. prefects

TRAINING WHEELS—
PREFECTS.

041

"Amora?"

The dark-haired girl contemplated ignoring the voice calling her like she had been doing all summer. From where she laid by the edge of the sea, the salty waves crashing against her feet and ankles in a steady beat, Amora could always pretend that she didn't hear her mother or father calling her name. She could close her eyes and listen to the familiar crashing of the sea, and she could pretend whoever she wanted was beside her. Sometimes it was Draco, sometimes it was Cedric.

Her skin was bronzed from two months of doing this. Sometimes with a book, often without. The book Hermione gave her about grief had told Amora that meditation was great for the mind and to help with the healing process. After the anger had gone, and then some more sadness, it was what Amora resulted to for her 'acceptance' stage. Some days she wasn't sure she was there yet, but she was really working on it.

"Amora?" The voice was weaker than her mother's, and a lot deeper too.

The brunette sat up, turning to see her Uncle Amos was standing at the front door of her home beside her mother. Amora took a deep breath. She hadn't seen him all summer. He and her aunt were not taking Cedric's death lightly. They were more distraught than she was, especially Uncle Amos after seeing his son's body.

His distant figure sent her a wave, and Amora waved unsurely back. When he moved to enter the cottage with Professor Buckley, Amora turned and grabbed the book that had been discarded by her side, tucking it underneath her arm whilst she shuffled her flip flops back onto her feet to walk across the rocks and stones.

The front door was open, welcoming in both Amora and the late August weather, and the old floorboards creaked beneath her as she pushed open the door to the kitchen, finding her mother and father sat with her uncle. She offered him a small, shaky smile.

Uncle Amos stood up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as if she was afraid he would disappear. Amora hugged him back just as hard. He smelled of his home, the same home that Cedric had lived in. It brought her more comfort than pain today.

"I'm sorry I am a week late," Uncle Amos apologised as he pulled away, wiping some stray tears as if it was normal to cry all the time.

He grabbed a small box out of the pocket of the coat he wore, despite the fact that it was relatively warm out.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Uncle Amos," Amora murmured, but sent him a grateful smile nevertheless.

"I think you'll like this one."

When Amora undid the bow on the box and pulled the lid off to reveal a slightly discoloured yellow prefect badge, her heart dropped and her eyes began to water. Her fingers shook as she moved forward to delicately take it out, feeling the cool metal on her skin.

"It was Cedric's badge," Uncle Amos explained, throat thick with emotion. "I- Well, your aunt and I decided that it would be nice if you wore it. I understand if you'd rather wear the nice, new one that the school have given you, but it would mean a lot to us. I think it would mean a lot to Cedric, too."

Amora blinked back tears before they could fall. She had done enough crying over the summer. She clutched Cedric's badge and nodded quickly at her uncle.

"Of course, Uncle Amos," She whispered quickly. "Thank you."

That night, as Amora finished packing her trunk for the train the next day, an owl she had become familiar with flew through her open window, dropping a letter down onto her bed. It moved to sit on her messy desk, its orange eyes staring straight at her. Amora dropped the shirt she had been folding and opened the letter.