Malfoy Amongst The Chaos

The Next 7 Years

<02>

Wanda

The night Dumbledore found me, everything changed. Though it has been over 7 years, the memory of crawling through the ruined remains of our apartment, searching for my family, has not left me; despite my best attempts to forget.

For years afterwards, I had dreams, dreams of that night. Ones where I would push through the broken ornaments of our life, sifting through rubble and struggling against great chunks of ceiling resting upon the place where we had all been just moments before, digging and digging through the stone-submerged remains of my life - of our  life.

But every time, it was untouchable, just as I knew it would have been had I stayed to try and dig them out for real. The guilt I feel today does not dull.

My life moved on as theirs didn't - but I tried to remember what Dumbledore said to me that night; "They have moved on to the next world. They are happy and safe." 

Yes, I really hoped that the next world was nothing like the one they had left behind, that they had the opportunity I've had by moving to England, that they were indeed happy and safe. They are. I repeat to myself. I must believe it, for the sake of my own happiness. 

Again, I remember what Dumbledore told me - what I think he may also have told Harry; "Do not pity the dead, Wanda - pity the living. And above all, pity those who live without love."

I'd lost everything I knew and everyone I knew, but I did not live without love. From the moment the sorting hat placed me in the house of the brave, I'd been welcomed into a new life - one with friends, safety, and a family; things I was sure I'd lost forever. 

<<>>

The morning was a slightly watered down version of the rush it normally was before returning to Hogwarts for another year. Despite Mrs Weasley insisting we pack the night before, Ron had still forgotten half of his things, Ginny had not put her quidditch robes in the wash since yesterday's match, and even Hermione had left Crookshanks in the kitchen. 

"Ow, Ron!" I hissed, when he crashed into me and sent us both tumbling into the mud outside The Burrow. "What the hell are you doing?"

Fred and George were laughing from the porch, wands in hand as I picked myself up, scowling; my jeans were stained with mud and the cold wind rushed through my loose jumper, the red also splattered with brown.

"I thought- I don't- I'm not sure-" he responded in a daze.

I nearly asked what?  but Ginny called from the waiting ministry car- "He hoped dearest phlegm would kiss him and when she didn't, he sprawled in the mud."

Fred and George burst out laughing again and I glanced behind them - it was unfortunately true, a silvery sheet of hair was disappearing through the front door behind the twins' hysterical faces, and Ron scrambled to his feet - beetroot red.

Neither of us got chance to get into the car before Mrs Weasley came bustling out of the house with Hermione's cat and Ginny's freshly laundered quidditch robes, looking extremely harassed as she berated the both of us for being covered in mud. "Look at the state of you both!" She cried, distractedly, bundling her armful into the backseat of the car and returning to brush down my jumper.