𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

Okay

Draco

Paisley was crying more than she usually did. Recently, actually, she rarely cried at all. This was unexpected.

I looked to Snape for the answers to why tears were streaming down her face so much. He had a calm expression; like he expected this to happen. I wanted to know what the hell he just showed her.

Snape and I both looked at her as I held her close to my chest. When her crying slowed, she looked up at me. I stroked her hair calmingly. "Are you okay?" I knew to ask quietly.

She nodded and smiled. For the first time in a long time, she had answered 'yes' when I asked if she was okay. Whatever Snape showed her helped.

She rubbed her eyes and I moved hair out of her face before she turned back around to face Snape. I still had my arms wrapped around her.

"You can come back anytime and watch those over again if you want, but I'm hoping you found peace and clarity by watching that." Snape said. "I will give you another week off of apparation lessons unless you want more time, but for now," he looked at me, "I have scheduled a check-up in the Hospital Wing, and I want you to take her there. Madam Pomfrey knows what happened and we agreed to just this one check-up, she won't have to stay there."

And then he looked back to her with serious eyes. "I want you to come to me if you have anything you need...and I shall leave you with that."

After a few seconds, I said to Paisley, "let's go now."

So we started to walk away when she turned back around. Snape was sitting back at his desk. "Snape." She said, and he looked up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said as he gave us a nod. I think I saw the corner of his mouth perk up a little. "Remember to go to the Hospital Wing."

I held the door open for Paisley as she looked back at him, and then we left the room.

When I started guiding us to the Hospital Wing, as Snape told me to, I wondered if she was ready to talk to me or if I should just start talking to her. But I didn't have to wonder.

"I saw my parents." She said. "I saw myself and my childhood. I saw...the moments I had forgotten about and the moments I remembered. I saw them and me...and we were happy. They - they wouldn't want me feeling like this, Draco."

As we kept walking I said, "yeah you're right, they definitely wouldn't." I didn't know if I wanted to say it to her, but this seemed like the thing that would get her back to feeling herself. "Did you see the time your mom took you to see the stars?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah, I saw the first time she took me and I saw so many more times." She said with a smile. "You know, I was always worried I would forget what she looked like or what her voice sounded like, and now I don't have to worry. It was like I got them back for a few short minutes and they told me everything I needed to hear, but I had already heard it all. I think I just needed the reminder that all of that happened and that they're not gone. Not really."

She looked up at me like she didn't even realize she said those things to me out loud. "Sorry, I'm talking too much." She said in a small voice I could barely hear.

"No, no it's good." I said. "I want you to talk." I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head before we reached the Hospital Wing and I opened the door.

Madam Pomfrey quickly told me to stay while she took Paisley to a section of the room and moved the curtain for privacy. I sat down on a chair and waited.

Madam Pomfrey, along with everyone else here, looked drained from this war. I think she had it the worst though, to be honest. With kids as young as eleven were coming in day in and day out with injuries from our own classes and teachers, she was probably running around as if the lives of all these kids were her responsibility. I felt bad for her.