𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟿 - 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜

Draco Malfoy

The Bell House was a splendid little cottage. Not a rich one, not a poor one either, they were a middle-class family. After three grown-up children, Katie was the last kid Gary and Thalie Bell had with them at home.

Katie was making tea in the kitchen, while I was checking the picture in the hall.

I was hypnotised by her smile in this beach photo with her brother. It seemed so natural, so pure. Photos I could never have with Hecie. Moments I could never share with Hecie.

"Have you hidden the fact you're a muggle photography enthusiast?"

Hecie was standing near the big corridor doorstep, her shoulder resting on the frame.

"Would it surprise you?"

"Well, yeah. I think I'd need time to process the news indeed," she chuckled.

"What are their names? Your brothers. I mean, you never told me much about them," I asked.

To be fair, Katie rarely talked about her family. She always said she was a better listener than she was a talker.

"This one," she started, pointing to a giant family picture. "It's Martin. He's 28 so I was pretty young when he left the house. He's now living with his partner, Damian in the US. We barely see him but he calls as often as he can."

Martin was a small blond man, at least he seemed small, which was quite perturbing, due to the fact he was wearing a huge beard.

"There is Simon," she pointed to a brown eyed and hair man. "The family's brain. He left Hogwarts during his fifth year in order to go to a muggle school. Now he's 26 and he's studying in Oxford, finalising his MRes in neuroscience-"

She stopped when she saw my face.

"Master of Research."

"Oh," I answered.

I didn't understand neuroscience too, to be honest.

It was pretty dumb of him to not wait to graduate Hogwarts, it was an important degree in our society, but Simon seemed to be more inclined to the muggle one.

"And there, who's that?" I pointed to the beach picture.

"That's Louis. He was in his last year when I was in my first. He's 24 now and lives only 10 minutes from here. He was quite something back at school, always messing around with his best friend, Nymphadora Tonks. Chaotic duet. these two."

I knew by name and by Mother that this Nymphadora Tonks was my cousin. Mother's sister's daughter. Never met her and Katie seemed to know more about her than I did.

"You seemed to go along well!" I said.

She took the picture in her hands

"Yes, we do. Since my other brothers are way older, I didn't get to know them as much as I did with Louis. He's still coming every now and then and always sends me the best letters when I'm at school." She seemed so nostalgic in her voice's ton.

That is when I realised what my actions' consequences were.

In addition to depriving Katie from a normal year, for almost killing her, I deprived her family of a sister, of a daughter. I deprived them for other moments near the beach or warm nights playing games.

What I did was unforgivable and no matter how Katie was trying to forgive me, I couldn't forgive myself ever.

The discussion stopped after that and we both went to the living room where a tea-pot and some biscuits were waiting for us.