Broken: a Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 18 - The Return

Alexia hurried onto the Hogwarts Express early a few days after New Years on the day the students returned to Hogwarts. She had purposely escaped from both her mother and the stares from other students by boarding the train a good ten minutes early. She couldn't bare it any longer to fake that her mother and her were completely fine in front of all those people. She had confronted her mother about their money problems the day after New Years Day. It didn't go very well at all; the two had argued and the few days up to today had been very tense at the Estate.

She knew there would be stares from people if she arrived later when it was more busy because the photos from her shopping trip in Diagon Alley had been published in Witch Weekly yesterday. This didn't help her argument on why her mother should trust her enough to tell her about their money problem, and having to walk through a busy platform and full train was not a nice thing when embarrassing photos had just been released. She had even heard a few of the early comers on the platform snicker as she walked past. So Alexia concluded that getting on the train early was an exceptionally good idea.

She walked through the train to their compartment and sat down beside the window. She opened her handbag and took out the book Daphne had given her for Christmas. She began flipping through to the page she was up too when someone cleared their throat in the doorway.
Alexia looked up and saw Sullivan Fawley leaning on the door frame with a grin on his face.
"Big sunnies, hey? I know what that means!" he said.
Alexia sighed, "And what does that mean exactly?"
"Big sunnies hide all sins, Alexia... they hide all sins." He told her.
Alexia snatched off her sunnies and shoved them into her handbag. She squinted from the light coming in from the window; it did hurt her eyes a little. She had drank a little bit last night, but she was lonely and annoyed, so she thought it was acceptable.
Sullivan laughed at her, then after winking, headed off to another compartment.
Alexia wiped her hand against her forehead and leant her elbow against the window. Today was going to be a tough day, she had to keep it together.

As it got closer to departure time, both Daphne and Eva joined Alexia in the compartment. Alexia and Daphne filled Eva in with gossip from the New Years Eve Ball, but Alexia made sure she left out one of the major details that even Daphne didn't know about.
The next and most dreaded person to arrive was Draco (with Crabbe and Goyle both close behind him like usual). As soon as Alexia saw him, she thought it was a good time to search her bag for some lipstick.
"Al, we need to talk," Draco said, seeing her trying to avoid his presence.
"Don't do this now, Draco." Alexia replied still not looking up.
She heard Draco exhale, "Is everything alright?"
Alexia quickly looked up, and once she had, she deeply regretted how quick she had. Her stomach seemed to do a flip and she felt dizzy. "Stop asking if I'm alright! I don't need your sympathy!" She said with a struggle, "I'm fine!" She added despite how sick she felt.
"You don't look fine..." Draco honestly told her, noticing that her face was very pale.
"Stop looking then." She snapped, putting her hand over her mouth immediately after.
Draco shook his head, "I need to go to the Prefect Carriage, see you later," he muttered to Crabbe and Goyle, then walked off.

"What was that about?" Daphne asked Alexia, but Alexia couldn't speak, she was too scared she might be sick. She couldn't go to the bathroom because that meant rushing through the crowded train of nosey teenagers, so instead she shook her head, and spent the next twenty minutes quietly sitting until the urge to be sick went away.

Morning turned into afternoon, and when they were only about thirty minutes away from Hogsmeade Station, Alexia changed into her Slytherin robes. It was good to be back in them, and it was good to be going back to Hogwarts where she could finally rule. She pinned on her Supreme Slytherin badge and grinned to herself, soon enough another badge would be beside it for Professor Umbridge's group Lucius Malfoy had mentioned.