Emerald (Lazuli Book #2) Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

SNEAK PREVIEW

Here's a sneak preview of Emerald, the sequel to Lazuli!

In the last book, we left Juliet lying in a field after being attacked by Voldemort himself, and forcefully given the Dark Mark. This scene would feature sometime in the summer, although it won't appear in the main book, I thought I'd give you a little preview, enjoy!

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I tug down on my left sleeve.

I might be alone, but it's a habit that I've been unable to break for the entire summer. I'm constantly on edge, terrified that someone will notice the hideous black scar on my left forearm and realise what I am. Terrified that they'll scream and shout, and tell the entire world what I am.

Juliet Weasley, the Death Eater.

I always wear long-sleeves now, to cover it up. I do it partly to stop my mother from fainting at the sight of it every time I walk into a room, and for myself. Perhaps if I can't see it, then it will go away.

Unlikely.

We tried every spell we could think of. Even Dumbledore visited our home, armed with his wand, the most powerful wand I've ever seen, and was unable to banish it from my arm. They tried everything, but to no avail. The Dark Mark remained.

I lie down in the field, folding my hands behind my head. The July sun beats down but despite the heat, I daren't take my long sleeved shirt off and relax in the vest I have beneath. What if somebody say?

Today is July 31st, Harry's birthday. We were meant to be celebrating our friend, but as usual my mind was full of Draco and wondering if Voldemort had murdered him for helping me to escape.

That's been the worst thing about all of this. I know that Draco has probably joined Voldemort's followers, and that he wouldn't have been forced like I was. But that depends on if he's still alive. I've had no news all summer, there's been no mention of him and everybody despite how many times I've asked Damon, he hasn't seen him in Diagon Alley once, and he's been working in the Leaky Cauldron all summer.

Crabbe and Goyle still aren't talking to me after my supposed betrayal last year (despite the fact that Draco had forgiven me for joining the DA, they hadn't been able to) and Blaise had been travelling all summer with his mum and her new husband, so no word there.

All in all, I'm expecting that the truth as to whether Draco is alive or not will come in just over a months time, on September 1st when we arrive at Kings Cross the start another year of school.

Other than the fact that I have a terrible new mark on my arm that could number me as an outcast and cause me to lose all of my friends outside Slytherin (considering that a lot of the Slytherin kids are well on their way to becoming Death Eaters willingly), I'm greatly anticipating the start of school. Ron and I got our OWL results by post a couple of days ago, and I'm glad to say that I did incredibly well. I got Outstanding in basically everything - Potions, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts - and only got an Exceeds Expectations in Herbology. But I wasn't particularly bothered about that anyway. That means I can take all of the N.E.W.Ts I want to, which will be vital if I want to achieve my dream of becoming a Hogwarts professor.

Well, unless I'm called forward to murder some muggle-borns first.

I tug again at my sleeve even though it's stretched as far as it will go. I need to break this habit, otherwise it'll become obvious that I'm trying to hide something. Dumbledore is the only Professor at Hogwarts who knows about my evil tattoo, but I expect Snape will probably have been told too, if he really is a member of the same dreadful organisation as I am. Other than my immediate family - which is actually quite large, considering all of the siblings I have - and Hermione and Harry, nobody else knows about it. Except for Draco.

I wonder if they told him that I was dead? That I'd been caught by Voldemort and he was so furious at my betrayal that he'd killed me straight out. Would Draco have retaliated? Or would he just have submitted to their requests and finally joined the league that his entire family was a member of?

Not knowing if the other was still alive really sucked.

"Juliet?" I hear someone shout. Draco, is that you?

I bolt upright, turning my head violently to look in each and every direction. I still have his locket around my neck. It still feels subtlety warm and vibrates like a beating heart as it always has, the only sign I have that Draco is still alive.

It's not Draco. The voice is much higher and more sugary sweet. Hermione.

"Juliet, where are you? Ron and I are going to Diagon Alley to meet Neville and Luna, we were wondering if you wanted to come?"

That's the most surprising thing about Hermione. I'd have thought that she'd be the first to run when she saw my arm, like my mother, my father and Ginny had done. The others had stood back and stared. But Hermione had been the first to come over to the other side of the living room where I'd been placed when they found me, listen to my story and give me a hug.

Following her example. Ron, Ginny, Fred and George were trying. I could see it, how difficult it was for them to sit next to me at dinner, or ask me to pass the cheese. But they forced those feelings down and tried their absolute hardest to avert their eyes from my left arm. The fact that they're trying means more than they could ever understand.

Mum and Dad are more difficult. It was easy for Mum to slip back into her old ways of just ignoring me, but now it's become evident that she actually leaves the room when I enter. Dad spends more time at work than he ever used to, his excuse being that since Fudge resigned, everything has been thrown into turmoil and he needs to work extra hard to get in the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour's good books. But no matter how much he denies it, I know that he finds it impossible to even look at me, his little girl, knowing the evil that has supposedly consumed me.

I brush myself off and stand up, becoming visible through the long, tall reeds. Hermione catches sight of me and smiles. I notice how pretty she has become over the summer, most of which she's spent with us, her previously oversized teeth have somehow shrunken to give her a sweet smile, her brown hair has grown longer and isn't as unruly and bushy as it used to be, and there's a new-found wisdom in her eyes that all the books in the world can't teach, wisdom that only comes when you've seen a death.

Hermione, along with everyone else, saw Sirius die in the Department of Mysteries. Apparently after I was taken, Harry ran after Bellatrix Lestrange and came close to killing her himself. I wish he had done. Then Voldemort turned up, and somehow Dumbledore got wind of it all and arrived too, and a huge battle occurred between the two most powerful wizards alive. Ron's description was vague, and Hermione's full of enhanced truth, but in the article I'd read in the Daily Prophet, our friends looked on as Voldemort infiltrated Harry's body and tried to possess him. But Harry was too strong and Voldemort disappeared, but not before the Ministry officials arrived and caught sight of him.

I haven't seen Harry all summer. From what I heard, he was switching from staying at his aunt and uncle's house in Little Whinging and hanging around London like some sort of homeless person. Ron had invited him more than enough times to come and stay with us where he'd have a proper bed, but I think Harry prefers to be alone right now. Alone to deal with his grief for Sirius.

"Sure, I'll come" I reply to Hermione, "It will be nice to get out of here for a bit."

She nods in agreement, and takes my arm, linking it with hers. I listen half-heartedly whilst she babbles about visiting Fred and George's shop whilst we're there, but I can't help but find my heart and mind drifting away as it often does.

It's impossible to stop myself from wondering if Draco will be there.

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There's a sneak preview!

I'm going to start writing this new book in a couple of weeks probably, because I have a lot of important stuff going on right now and I can't be distracted. Until then, check out Lazuli if you haven't already, and my other books as well. Oh, and become a fan to get updates when I do begin writing properly again.

Thanks!