Redamancy || Draco Malfoy

DH // 31

I was so late for class. I was doomed.

I started into a jog.

My steps were haltered when an arm grabbed me roughly.

"Bloody hell." I spat, my books flying onto the ground.

I turned to cuss out whoever had done that, only to see Ginny glaring at me.

Anger sparked in my chest. "What's your problem now?"

Behind Ginny stood Neville, Dean and Seamus.

"Why are you here?" She asked, tone firm.

I cracked a smile, but it wasn't a nice one. I had grown to be tired of Gryffindors and their mentality that they get every right to know others' businesses.

"I'm getting an education." I replied casually.

Seamus scoffed from behind.

"You disappear after the wedding, Charlie having said that the Snatchers got you, and then you turn up pretty much in perfect condition here later on. Not to mention that the Death Eaters are bloody biased towards you. I can't help but wonder, you know? What are you up to, Aria?"

My sister was accusing me.

My own, younger, sister, who used to be my ball of sunshine even on the darkest days.

"Maybe you're just paranoid." I told the lot of them.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at me, "I know you had a hand in murdering Dumbledore—"

"For the love of Merlin, Ginevra. I have a class to get to. So if you don't mind, leave me be. I suggest you place your attention to surviving this school year."

My tone was cold. I was done trying to be nice to her, when all she has done was find reasons to prove that the Slytherin in me meant bad things.

Ginny stared at me for a moment, before she turned and walk away.

Neville offered me a lame smile, shuffling after Ginny.

"Aria—" Dean started, only for Seamus to ask him to leave as well.

I shook my head, "It's okay. You know, snakes and lions just don't fit."

Dean gave me a sad look, before he was off.

Seamus only glanced back at me with hard eyes, but there were so many emotions written on his features, I knew he wasn't just angry. He was in denial. He didn't want to believe that I wasn't on their side.

So many people had learnt to place their trust in me, because I was the only Slytherin who was able to truly bring the rival houses together. But at the end of the day, everyone knew I what I was.

A cold-blooded snake.

With my heart at the bottom of my stomach, I made my way to class.

♚

I sat in the classroom, amongst thirty other students, as we kept our gazes on Amycus Carrow.

He was droning on about the Dark Arts, and the fear in all our hearts was enough to keep us awake and alert.

It was risky, but my mind was elsewhere.

I hadn't heard from Draco in a while. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

I wondered if he was okay.

He had been so nervous about the meetings with Voldemort, he couldn't sleep and hardly ate anything. Just like how Draco kept me grounded, I kept him from starvation and sleep deprivation. And now that I was here, I wondered if he was holding up fine.