𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔡 • 𝔡𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔬 𝔪𝔞𝔩𝔣𝔬𝔶

07 - dumbledore falls

Pun intended. No I'm not sorry.

Sunday

A week later we were on the train back to Hogwarts.

"So Athena, what was he like?" Daphne asked suddenly.

"He was Draco" I replied.

"Seriously? We always joked about that but I never though you would actually have to marry that prick."

"Its rubbish" Pansy said shaking her head.

"But at least he stood up for me" I smiled remember what he said about making sure I got whatever job I wanted at the ministry.  "I said that I wanted to work at the ministry after Hogwarts, my father laughed, and Draco said I can get a job if I want to and said that I belong at the ministry as much as anyone."

"Really? That sounds like he was... nice" Daphne said in disbelief.

"Its weird, lately he's started being overly nice and he won't leave me alone" I said.  "Its not normal for him.  He's usually such an asshole so its strange when he's nice."

"Just be careful" Daphne said.  "I've never trusted him before and I still don't.  I don't want him to hurt you."

"Don't worry Daph, I won't let that happen."

☆

The rest of the year flew by, it was mostly normal except that Draco began calling me 'Mrs Malfoy' all the time.  I've talked to Harry Potter more in the last two months than I have in all six years here at Hogwarts.  He's not like I expected.  We aren't exactly friends but we study together sometimes and help each other with homework.

This made Draco really angry, but of course it would annoy him since Harry and Draco have been rivals since day one. 

Draco also has gotten more jealous of other boys, he glares at Carlos every time he talks to me.  We aren't even together and yet his possessiveness was scaring me. 

The year ended the night Dumbledore died.

I was in the common room doing homework when  Draco came downstairs.  He seemed shaken up.

"Draco, are you okay?" I asked as I stood up.

He jumped at the sound of my voice.  "Yeah, I'm fine" he lied.

"No you aren't, whats wrong?" I pressed.

"Nothing Athena, I have to go" he side stepped me and I followed him out of the common room.

"Where are you going?"

"Never mind.  Go back to the common room" he demanded.

"No" I said, and grabbed his wrist so he would stop.  "Somethings wrong. Tell me."

"Its sweet that you're concerned but you need to mind your own business.  I have to do something" he started walking again. 

"I'm coming with you" I said.

He turned around.  "Athena, do what you're told and go back."

"You aren't my husband yet" I snapped.  "You can't tell me what to do."

He clenched his jaw.  "Look, you have to go back.  I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection!"

"Athena, please just go back and wait until I find you" the look in his eyes softened.

"Fine."

I turned and went back to the common room.

After a while I got tired of waiting and went to look for him.  When I went upstairs all hell had broken loose. 

Spells were flying everywhere, the Great Hall was a mess.  A death eater shot a spell at me and I stunned her. 

Suddenly a hand was around my wrist and I was pulled around the corner, into a dark and empty corridor.

"I told you to wait until I found you" Draco said, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah well I got bored so I came to find you."

"Athena why can't you just listen?"

"I'm sorry" I said.  "Whats going on?"

"Dumbledore is dead" he said quietly. 

"What?"

"Its all my fault" he said.  "I'm sorry.  Hogwarts will never be safe again.  It will never be home."

"Hogwarts will be fine without Dumbledore, I mean, it did fine without him before he was headmaster."

"No its not that. Its the Dark Lord. The only thing between him and Hogwarts was Dumbledore and now hes gone."

"Its going to be okay" I tried to reassure him.

"No. No its not, everything is ruined." 

I stepped closer to him.  "We'll get through this" I said softly. 

Then I did something that surprised us both.  I hugged him.  He wrapped his arms around me immediately and held on really tight, as though I might slip away at any minute.

We both held eachother for what felt like an eternity as our world fell around us.  And even as everything was wrong in the world, this felt right. Then he pulled away from me.  He lifted my chin with his finger and for a moment we looked into each others eyes.

"I have to go" he said softly. "You need to go back to bed and stay safe."

I nodded and he smiled, before he turned and walked quickly away. 

In the midst of all the chaos, I found Draco.  It surprised me.  I didn't realize I cared about him.  I've hardly even touched him before, let alone hugged him, and yet I did when my home was falling apart. 

And despite everything, for some reason, everything felt right in his arms.