But As Fate Would Have It

one

Hey everyone! Thank you for clicking on my story. Picture above was found on Google, what I can see Alythia looking like. (ignore the lizard idk what he's doing)
Let me know if I need to fix anything, and I'm sorry if Alythia seems too young.
Also, I'll say this again, THIS IS NOT A SHIP. I'm sorry, I just want to make that very clear. Enjoy!
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I sat straight up, panting and panicking. I could hardly breathe and I felt terrified.
Another nightmare.
I couldn't stay here.
So I got up, and left the dorms.
I walked down the stairs and into the common room.
It was nearly vacant, except for one girl.
I knew she was a first year, she couldn't be any older than 12.
I was in my seventh year, back at Hogwarts.
Outside of the grounds, a war raged on.
I was lucky enough to be here, despite the fact that it wasn't as safe as it used to be.
Had Snape not have become Headmaster, I would not have been accepted back in.
Not after I had let Death Eaters into the school.
I'd have loved to leave the common room and take a walk, but safety measures were high.
Leaving your house after curfew was restricted.
I walked to a couch and sat down, near the girl, and stared blankly into the fire.
I avoided curiosities my mind had about the girl. I didn't know if she was Slytherin or from another house.
With the war going on, many of the younger students of Hogwarts had left. Parents were highly concerned.
However, some people weren't able to leave on such short notice.
Lately, first years from all houses alike had been camping out in the Slytherin common room. I had grown used to it, as had everyone else.
"Hello." she said, smiling.
I took my eyes away from the crackling flame and looked over to her.
I attempted a weak smile, which I'm sure ended up as more of a grimace.
"Can I sit with you?" she asked.
I nodded. I didn't want to speak.
"What's your name?"
I figured that she would probably leave as soon as she realised who I was.
"I'm Draco."
"I'm Alythia. What are you doing down here?"
What was I doing down here?
There was no clear reason. I didn't exactly want to stay in a dorm full of people who didn't speak to me. No one spoke to me. They were either too afraid or hated me for my actions.
"I couldn't sleep. You?"
"Same. Are you alright?"
No, I wasn't. I was depressed and scared. But no, I couldn't tell her that.
"I'm okay, I guess. Just stressed."
"Are you scared?"
Yes. I was so, absolutely terrified. For so many reasons.
"Yeah, I am. Quite, actually. Why do you ask?"
"I am too. I'm a muggleborn, and all the bad people hate people like me."
I felt tears building up in my eyes at this. She was just a first year and she already knew that people hated her because of her parents. What was I thinking when I taunted people for being muggleborn?
"They shouldn't. You're the same as I am, Pureblood or Muggleborn."
She giggled. "Except you're a boy."
I smiled for real this time.
"Yeah, indeed."
"Are you a seventh year?"
"Yes."
"Hey, wait, you look familiar. What's your last name?"
Oh God.
"Malfoy."
"I know you, you're Draco Malfoy! The other Slytherins told me about you."
I knew they'd told her about me. Not pleasantly, surely.
"Yeah, what'd they say?"
"They said you're smart, and that you're really good at Quidditch. They say you made bad choices."
I knew they had told her worse. She couldn't bring herself to tell me.
"I know they've said worse, you don't have to tell me. I've been rude to a lot of people."
She looked at me in all seriousness.
"They shouldn't say that about you.
You're so nice. You have been to me. I look up to you, you know."
I closed my eyes and sighed.
She looked up to me. This made me want to cry. She didn't know what I had done. She looked up to me innocently.
I didn't know what to say.
But she fixed that. She threw her arms around me.
I practically jumped back in shock.
I hugged her back, and i heard her muffled voice.
"You're not bad like they say."
She pulled away and smiled.
"What house are you in, Alythia?"
"I'm a hufflepuff. I've been staying here."
Oh. That explains the hug.
"It's safe here. You're safe here."
She nodded.
"It's cold and dark in here, though. It's kind of scary."
I laughed a little.
"Yeah, it can be."
A bit of silence ensued.
"Draco?"
"Yes?"
"I'm really scared of the war."
I looked over to see that she was crying.
My expression softened.
My first instinct was to hug her, and I acted on it.
I pulled her into my arms.
I felt her arms around me and I took a deep breath.
She didn't deserve this.
She was innocent. In her first year, she should've been enjoying the feast, learning spells, learning how to fly.
Not living in fear.
"You're going to be okay. No one here is going to allow any harm to come to you. You won't have to fight." I whispered.
She pulled away and looked me in the eye.
"Will you protect me?"
She didn't know I was a Death Eater. She didn't know I was a 'bad guy'.
But I knew there was no way in hell that any harm was going to come to Alythia or any innocent in my presence.
I remembered, sadly, that I might not be able to protect her if things came down to it. I was still on the wrong side.
"I... I'll try as hard as I can."
"You didn't say yes."
I tried my hardest not to cry.
"Alythia.. I will protect you with my life for as long as I can. But what people said about me is correct. I made choices. Because of what I've done, I'm on the bad side. I have no choice to, or You-Know-Who kill my family. I honestly understand if you hate me, but I could never hurt you."
As I said all of this, tears began to slip down my cheeks.
She looked at me and didn't answer.
I didn't know if she was going to run away or not.
"I don't hate you. Please don't be sad. You're not bad. I know you're not."
"I am, I'm sorry."
"No, I mean you're not on the right side. You're protecting your family. Nobody who was truly bad would do that."
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes.
The words sunk in, but there was no way I could bring myself to believe them.
"You could never be bad to me. I know you'll protect me."
I opened my eyes again and I saw her smiling at me.
"Scratch what I said. I won't try to protect you. I'll protect you with my life."
"I told you that you were good."
I looked at the clock that was placed on the mantle.
"You'd best be getting to bed, it's 3 in the morning." I said, smiling a little.
"You too. Goodnight, Draco. Wait, are we friends?"
"Yes. If you need something, find me."
I smiled.
So my only friend was an 11 year old, as fate would have it.
But I knew she looked up to me and I was glad to have come down to the common room.
"Thank you Draco! Goodnight." she smiled, and went to curl up on the couch.
I turned in the other direction and walked towards the stairs to my dorm.
I wiped my tears away.
I had one vow to myself while this war went on.
I was going to protect my family and every innocent with my life.
Because no matter what I had been like before, there was no way they would come to any harm.
What as I becoming?