when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

Year 7 - 199

Coming back to school hadn't made anything better. Draco had not found the words how to address her so he simply had not. 

Astrid kept her distance and even Daphne had come over to Draco, asking if he knew what had happened to the girl. He had shrugged in response, though, of course, he knew. He didn't fully understand how it could've happened, but it was clear Astrid had given up attempting to convey any kind of emotion. 

Even as they sat in the Great Hall, listening to an arrival dinner speech, she had sat down away from everyone else she had sat with her entire life. She sat, back straight, listening to the speech carefully, never letting her eyes wander anywhere else. Watching her, Draco could see Mike Hallminster, a lad she had once dated, watching perplexed her sitting even past his table. The annoying boy looked in the direction of the 7th-years, accidentally making eye contact with Draco. Instantly, Hallminster's brows furrowed, his eyes settling into a glare. Draco did the same.

Both boys held eye contact before a certain sentence, spoken by their headmaster, set Draco's skin crawling.

"And now coming back this New year and semester, we also have a marriage to announce."

Forgetting all about being angry, he looked down at his plate, embarrassment flooding his veins instead.

"A celebration of preserving pure blood," Headmaster Snape droned, not sounding too happy about the announcements he was reading. Though honestly speaking, the man never sounded satisfied. "Let's congratulate with applause, Draco and Astoria Malfoy."

The silence that set over the Great Hall couldn't have been louder. Draco heard a few gasps and never before had he wished to vanish off the face of the earth as bad as he did right then. Reluctantly, somebody started clapping and soon others followed. The Carrow twins who had previously stood by the left corner of the professor table smirking, now scoffed. Though not at the news - they scoffed at the lack of enthusiasm.

Unable to resist, Draco again turned to look Astrid's way. Still, she sat, face blank, watching the speech. Never before had he longed so much to take her in his arms again. To hold her. To tell her it would be alright. To shake her until she finally came back to her mind.

Asking his mother, his father, questioning Theo, and hearing his aunt brag, Draco had gotten the gist of what had happened that night just a few days ago. Gaining only snippets, he hadn't fully figured out what exactly had triggered her loss of emotion: her loss of love, and care, and compassion she had been working so hard toward learning. All he knew was that he couldn't stand it.

"That's what y'all should strive for!" Amycus declared, again pulling Draco from his thoughts. "Take yer right path early." Snape had turned to look at him like one would at a piece of gum on the sole of their boot, probably wondering why the man was even speaking out of his turn. "Superiority awaits us. No more hidin' in shadow and secret cause muggles fear our power. No more pretendin' to be less when are more. The Dark Lord leads us to the bright future!"

"All power to the Lord!" the student body droned as one, just like they had been taught to whenever His name was mentioned.

"All purebloods should be strivin' to remain pure!" joined Alecto. "All less should be strivin' to become more pure!"

"Y'all who don't believe so don't deserve to live."

As part of the regular protocol, Draco did not think too much of the words. 

"Y'all opposin' the cause of Wizard greatness don't deserve livin' to fight against it."

But when Draco glanced the kinky curls of Maggie Rosier peek through one of the doors at the front by the professor tables, the unsettling gut feeling was undeniable. Too busy thinking about Astrid, he hadn't even noticed the girl was absent.