The Gryffindor Malfoy

Chapter 11

Summary: Carina comes out to Stella. Narcisa talks about her memories of her sisters. Carina boards the Hogwarts Express for another school year.

My summer holidays are better than I thought they'd be considering that my father wanted to disown me, only he didn't do it because Mum wouldn't let him. As well as having Stella here at home, the two of us have exchanged letters with some of our friends: Theodore, Emma, Aster, Ginny, and my Gryffindor roommates. Emma even vents in her letters about her aunt and uncle and how unbearable they and her cousin are. I even invite her to spend the rest of the summer with us, but she reminds me that it wouldn't be a good idea, both because she wouldn't leave Harry alone with their aunt and uncle, and because my father would probably never allow a Potter in Malfoy Manor.

I'm sitting hunched over my desk in my bedroom, so focused on writing a letter to Hermione that I don't notice the sound of my bedroom door opening and someone's footsteps approaching me. 

"Who are you writing to?" I jump when I hear the curious question from Stella, who is standing behind me trying to look at the letter.

"I'm only writing to Hermione..." I reply quickly, for some reason feeling my face heat up. 

I put the letter away to finish writing at another time, since I know that with Stella here I won't be able to concentrate on finishing it. I then turn the chair I'm sitting on towards Stella, who is now sitting on the end of my bed, looking at me with a mischievous smirk.

"What?" I ask, nervous to see the smirk on her face.

She giggles before replying. "Nothing... It's just that you got all red and flustered by my question..."

"I... I was just surprised! That's all..." I reply quickly, my voice showing my nervousness.

Her mischievous smirk only increases when she sees my nervousness. "Rina, do you have a crush on Hermione?"

Now I really can't hide my reaction from Stella. My face, which was already red, manages to turn even redder. Instead of answering her, all I can do is stutter, not knowing what to say. I hadn't planned on telling Stella, at least not now.

The smile on her face disappears, her expression is now serious. "You really do have a crush on her, don't you?"

I can't look her in the eye at the moment, I look at the floor, at my feet, at anything that isn't Stella. As I was already afraid of her reaction (and everyone else's) because of this secret of mine, for telling her who I am, I immediately interpret the serious expression on her face as something bad, I think she must think I'm a freak or something. I feel tears forming in my eyes and I blink several times quickly, trying to get rid of them. 

Both because of the tears blurring my vision and the fact that I was staring at the floor, I don't notice Stella getting up from my bed and approaching me, putting her hands on my shoulders. 

"Hey..." she catches my eye, causing me to reluctantly raise my head and look her in the eye. "I'm not angry or upset or anything, okay? I'm just surprised."

I sniff. "You're not...?"

Stella smiles gently. "Of course not, Rina. You're my sister. You're my family. There's nothing in the world that could make me stop seeing you with pride and love."

I hug her desperately, the hug is so strong and catches her so by surprise that she unbalances and falls backwards, thankfully my bed was nearby, cushioning her fall.

"I understand that you don't want to tell me something like that, especially considering what our families believe..." Stella starts to say. "But I love you no matter who you like." We sit in silence for a few seconds before she asks a curious question. "You only like girls then?"