𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

Three Books

Paisley

Over that past month I had gotten letters from Daphne, Pansy, Luna, Miles, Blaise, and Hermione; all of which I didn't write back to. I didn't feel like I had the energy to. I got letters from everyone but the one person I wanted to write me. I never got a single one from Draco.

Most of the letters were like Neville's. They said that I could talk or write to them whenever I wanted and that they were here for me. They were comforting, except for Hermione's. She said that she was sorry about my father but then started to talk about how horrible of a person Draco is. That just made things worse, but at least she wrote. Harry didn't write to me either.

Lord Voldemort is either trying to kill me or trying to recruit me to his side. I'd rather die than help him win this war, that's for sure.

My situation stands the same as it did before and it's not like my depression has improved much. I had cut my wrist again, and I think that might be the last time. When I have Draco back, I'll stop. But for now, that is one of the only ways that I feel like I can get better. Like making myself feel pain will take away the guilt of my father's death, and I feel like I deserve it. If everything goes as planned, Draco will never find out.

Why hasn't he written me back? I'm starting to get worried and I'm having doubts. Maybe he doesn't want to do anything with me anymore because I've become all sad. I'm starting to think that maybe everyone was right about him.

This morning Hermione was going to be coming and staying with us until school, but no one said anything about Harry.

I stayed up in me and Ginny's room while everyone went to greet Hermione. She would most likely be staying in our room, which was going to be awkward. I was preparing myself for her to tell me something like what she said in her letter; that she's sorry about my dad but I shouldn't be with Draco. Well, it's nothing I haven't heard before.

After about ten minutes of waiting, I heard footsteps come up the stairs and the door opened to reveal Ginny and Hermione with her trunk. Hermione immediately came over and hugged me.

"I've missed you, Paisley. Oh, how are you doing? I assume not great, but I'm here to help. I hope Ginny's been helping you too." She pulled away and I thought she would go straight to the topic of Draco. "Let's talk about Malfoy later, okay? I realize I may have been too hard on you for that. You're a Slytherin, and I understand that. It's just been hard to picture someone as nice as you to be with him. It's not my life though, it's yours. I respect that. I don't like him, but I like you and we all want to keep you around. I'll do anything to help you because that's what real friends do."

She sat down next to me on the side of my bed and Ginny sat across from us. Hermione continued to talk, and sometimes she got a little carried away. "With Harry losing his godfather too, it's just a lot. I'm trying to help him and you and I'm trying to understand what you must be feeling and why you and Malfoy are together. I want to be supportive but it's just hard. He always been so mean. I just don't understand-"

Ginny interrupted. "Hermione, just move on from the Malfoy topic. I'm sure she's got enough of that." Ginny couldn't have said it better.

"Right, sorry." Hermione said.

"You know, I saw the two of them together when we were in Dumbledore's office. She had a panic attack and Malfoy stepped in. He's really helped her. I actually think he...cares." It surprised me that Ginny was standing up for him right now. I would have never expected her to say that.

Hermione looked shocked. "It's hard to imagine Malfoy actually caring about anyone but himself."

"Hermione, just leave it. I've seen the two of them together and I promise, he cares. You wouldn't believe some of the stories she's told me about him." Ginny said. It started to feel like a conversation just between them, like I wasn't there.