Home [Draco Malfoy x Reader]

chapter fifteen

The night was hot and left ___ tossing and turning in her bed. It wasn't normal for the rooms to be this heated, even in the winter. She turned on her back and groaned softly before pressing her hands against her eyes. Everyone in the dorm was snoring. ___ wished she could share the same peaceful dreams they were living.

She was annoyed with herself as she flipped onto her stomach and shut her eyes. They kept wanting to pop open. She squeezed them shut and flattened her face against her pillow. She took in deep breaths. The pillowcase smelled like her favorite shampoo.

She started to repeat the ingredients of a potion she'd recently learned about in her head. Over and over again, a chant in her head. By the time she was twelve times around, she knew she would pass the pop quiz whenever it would come up. Over and over again. Twenty times. Fifty times. She was starting to forget a few steps. She would backtrack and think for a long moment. Fifty-five.

She felt her mind slip away. The darkness overtook her and the moonlight that she could see from behind her eyelids vanished. All at once, her arms and legs felt as if they'd left the hot bedsheets. She didn't feel the tangle of the comforter around her ankles.

Then, with a gasp, she was standing.

She wasn't completely sure that what she was seeing was a dream. It was too familiar; the air smelling of soil and water; droplets of humidity sticking to her forehead; smooth stone against her bare feet. Her breathing was heavy, and each breath was getting harder to push out of her lungs. She turned around in circles, not moving her feet from the spot she was placed in. She could faintly see green light coming in from the tall glass windows that were oddly familiar.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It felt as if the words next spoken were whispered against her skin. "___."

She whipped around and grabbed her wand from her pocket. She swallowed thickly and held it out. "Who's there?" she called. "Come out!"

"___," it whispered again.

She stumbled forward. "Who is it? Come out, I said!" Three steps forward. A sharp breeze against the back of her shoulders. She gasped and turned back. There were several people, just simple silhouettes, standing where she originally was. She held her wand towards them and stiffened. "Where am I?"

Two of them stepped forward. Her mouth fell open and she felt tears swell up in her eyes. Her wand fell to the floor with a clatter. She fell to her knees in pure shock. It was so real. She blinked in a desperate attempt to wake up. This wasn't real, this wasn't real. They couldn't be.

Her parents, both alive and well, with black dress clothes on and their hair neat and taken care of, no traces of blood on their bodies, no signs of harm on them, gestured around the room. ___ realized where she was. The herb shop she had grown up in.

"You're home, sweetheart."

Her eyes flickered to the movement behind their unsuspecting heads. She gasped and shakily pushed herself off of the floor. She reached for them, her mother and father, completely unaware of the man stepping out from the back of the group. He raised his wand.

"Mother, Father, no!"

There was a flash of blinding green, and she flew backwards.

She shot out of her bed. The morning sun was shining cheerfully through the windows and every girl was getting up and gathering their robes clothes. ___ felt the sweat coating her skin and grimaced. Her pillowcase was soaked with tears that she had been shedding. No one bothered to wake her up? She got out of bed, ignoring the strange looks from her roommates.

She got dressed slowly. She had very little energy in her. Every movement made her groan and grumble. There were purple circles under her eyes that she couldn't hide well enough with her makeup. She gave up and went downstairs, yawning several times as she made her way down the steps.

As she walked through the giant doors of the Great Hall, she felt two arms hook under her own. With a gasp, she felt her feet leave the ground. Fred and George cheered as they spun her around in a quick circle.

"Happy birthday!" they cheered at the same time.

___ laughed as they set her down. She looked at Ron and Ginny from where they stood in front of her. Ginny handed her a wrapped package, which ___ hesitantly took.

"It's from Mum," she said.

"Really?" she breathed in disbelief. Ginny nodded. "They got me a present?"

"A sweater, I'm guessing," Ron said. Ginny elbowed her brother in the ribs and shot him a glare. Ron rubbed the aching spot. "But I'm sure it's still a good gift."

"Well, come on then," Fred said.

She followed the group of sibling to their usual table. They handed her a tiny tin that was full of Molly's homemade sweets. The aroma of apple and cinnamon made her mouth water. She set the tin aside and unwrapped the gift. A folded sweater sat in the middle of brown paper wrapping.

"Wow," she said. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at them. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, guys."

"We didn't buy any of it," Ron said.

"I know," she replied. "But you guys have tried so hard to make me feel welcome." She pulled Ginny close and hugged her. "Thank you."

"You're one of us now," Fred said with a grin.

"Yeah, you've got the sweater to prove it," George said.

They both looked at each other. "And you'll be getting another one during Christmas," they said together.

The attention was off of her. Breakfast was served, catching the attention of the boys while the arrival of Harry Potter stole the attention of Ginny. ___ felt someone staring at her. She turned her head and smiled. It was Draco. He mouthed something.

"Happy birthday."