~Unknown Markings~

~Back Home~

Draco POV: TW: A lot of cursing. 

The death of my father had been extremely hard on me and my mother. Ultimately my mother and Uncle Sirius collectively convinced me to go back to Hogwarts in the fall. 

Being back in my dorm again seemed completely unreal and entirely superficial. Almost as if at any moment, I could blink and it would all dissipate in front of me. 

The stares and second glances I got on the train and down the corridor seemed more menacing than usual. They were most likely wondering about my prolonged absence and the death of my father. It had been months now but still had an effect on me. 

I was glad to be near Harry though. Our time apart was too far and too long. He had been tremendous support after my father passed. Maybe it was because he could actually understand and sympathize with me. 

With a heave, I lifted my suitcase onto my four-poster bed and started to unpack my clothing. From behind me, I felt a strong force collide with the back of my head followed by a very loud smack sound. I turned around to see a red-faced girl and a condescending male. Pansy's hair had grown out in the time I had been away and she had grown a bit taller, catching up to me slightly. 

Blaise on the other hand had grown to be more handsome, as some might say. I, on the other hand, would never dare to use that word to describe Blaise. He had put on some muscle and wasn't as lanky as the last time I had seen him. Unlike Pansy, his hair had been cut short. 

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you little fuck! Where the fuckity fucking Salazar have you fucking been for 5 fucking months!?" Pansy spat at me before she attacked me in a ferocious hug. 

"How dare you leave me! Do you know how worried we've been?!" She continued and her voice broke as the tears started to form in her eyes. "Blaise and I have been putting up missing posters. We thought you were gone, kidnapped, or worse dead. "

"Pansy I'm fine. I'm here alive and well." I touched her shoulders like we had done whenever we needed to calm each other down. I spoke in as much as a reassuring tone as I could. 

"Well, I call bullshit on that." Blaise cursed. "Your dad just died, there is no way you are 'well'," 

"And-and even if you were... a letter would have been pretty fucking nice." Pansy sniffled, her eyes were rimmed red from crying. 

"I'm so sorry," My throat choked up and all the emotions that I had been feeling for the past few months started to boil again. "I'm so so sorry." Now I started to cry. I thought about how they had been all alone here for months without me. About how they had been so worried that they put up missing posters. 

Both of my friends came to hug me, it was warm and comforting. Just what I needed at that moment. "We are still incredibly mad at you right now but we agreed that you should explain what happened." Blaise declared. 

I laughed bitterly. "How long did it take you two to come up with that one?" 

"Oi be nice!" Pansy said but gave a little laugh as well and then she whispered into my ear. "Two months. Don't tell Blaise I said that, he did most of the thinking." 

"Alright! Alright, break it up. Now explain Draco." They led me to Blaises bed and we sat in a tight circle. 

In as much detail as I could recall I filled them in on the past few months and everything that happened. Most importantly I emphasized the reason that I left in the first place. I tried to make it very clear that it had nothing to do with either of them. 

"Um Draco darling, we obviously knew it had nothing to do with us. We are absolutely fabulous and anyone would be lucky to have us." Pansy uttered these words with such confidence and then made a face drawn with sass. 

"Moving on Pans," Blaise said. "We're really sorry that you had to go through that Draco. It sounds awful. You went through hell and we weren't even there to support you."

"No. No, don't say that it was not your fault. I was the one that didn't contact you guys. If you knew, if I told you, you would have been there." Guilt lay heavily on my shoulders, I knew that I should have contacted them in some way. 

"Draco it was nobody's fault. If anything it was your father's fault or better yet it's the bloody dark lord's fault." 

"I don't deserve you guys as friends." 

"We aren't sunshine and rainbows either," Blaise added. 

"But-"

"-No buts, we don't want to hear it." 

"Just don't shut us out again," Pansy interjected. 

"Alright, I won't."


A/N

So I wanted to give you guys an explanation for why it took so long for me to update, and the reason is basically that I have been so busy lately. This is the first time we traveled back to my home country since we moved and I have been so busy seeing everybody that I couldn't in the time that we were gone. 

I will definitely try to update more in the future but it is hard more me to say exactly what my schedule will be this summer since it is ever-changing. 

I am so grateful for all of my reads and I hope every single one of you has a great summer!

- Mai