𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (𝐝.𝐦.)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱

♔

"What are you doing down here?" He snapped at me, and I stood still, not knowing whether or not I should leave.

"It's a common room," I said bluntly.

"But it's late," He said simply.

I rolled my eyes, not understanding his huge problem with me being here. "Pansy and Millicent were keeping me awake so I thought I would just come down here. They talk so much," I said, no realizing how much I was talking.

"Oh, okay," He said awkwardly, and I walked over to the couch to sit down. I had brought some paper with me so I could write a letter to my dad, and I put it next to me.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, and I looked up at him again, exasperated by his questioning.

"Are you gonna stay there and interrogate me all night?" I asked and he scoffed.

"As if anything you'd say would interest me," He shot back and I stifled a laugh.

"Ok, then why are you still standing there?" I asked, and he shrugged. "I was already here," He defended.

"Well, I'm not leaving," I said.

"Neither am I, I was here first," He said.

What a childish argument we were having. "You're ridiculous," I said, but he said nothing. He simply walked to the furthest chair away from me and sat in it.

He had some homework with him, so he opened his books and began working.

Having nothing more to say to him, I began to write my letter as Draco and I actively ignored each other.

Dad,

I like Hogwarts a lot. Blaise Zabini, your friend's son, has been helping me out a lot here, and it's making my life so much easier. I got into Slytherin, just as you wanted, but I honestly thought I might've made it into Gryffindor. Talk soon. 

- Maggie

When my letter was done, I folded it up and put it into the envelope I would give to my owl.

"Are you-" Draco started, but I turned my head harshly in his direction before he could say anything.

"Do you need something blondie?" I asked, and he sneered at me. "Forget it," He snapped.

I sat there for about two hours more doing homework and other tasks, and surprisingly so did Draco.

We didn't talk anymore, we just sat in silence in each other's presence. I decided to finally go up to bed, figuring Pansy and Millicent were probably passed out by now.

I stood up and gathered my things up, not looking over at Draco and simply going back up to my room. "Goodnight," I said quietly just before going up the steps.

Although I didn't like him, I would feel bad if I just left without saying anything.

"What?" I heard him question, but I didn't need to strike up a conversation with him, I just had the decency to say goodnight.

I ignored his question and walked up the stairs, finding myself back in my room and flopping onto my bed. I fell asleep rather quickly and had a pleasant dream.

I dreamt about my parents. 

When I was younger, my dad, my mom, and I would go to the park near our house and we would make those little daisy chains together. 

I loved spending time with them back then, but I don't remember much else about my mom. She died when I was about five years old, and I still don't know how. 

She had brilliant golden-blonde hair which was obviously not passed down to me. I remember her being beautiful. 

My dad doesn't like talking about her, so I don't ask too much. 

The dream was nice, but it inevitably ended. 

I woke up and rubbed my eyes. There was very little that upset me usually, but I woke up with a certain sadness about me. This was the anniversary of her death, and probably the reason I dreamt about her. 

This was never a good day for me, and it was worse for my dad. He never left his bedroom on this day every year. 

This was the time I most hated the fact that I went to boarding school. I couldn't just leave and see him, I had to stay where I was while he was alone. 

"I miss you, mom," I whispered to myself as I changed into an outfit of baggy mom jeans and a black tank top with a baggy flannel on top. This style was my favorite from back home, but I worried about if I would look too out of place here. 

I stuck my hair in a loose low bun to get it out of my face as well. 

I shrugged off my worries, deciding to just put on my white converse and go to the Great Hall to find a familiar face. 

As I went downstairs into the common room trying to find my way out, I noticed Draco standing talking to Pansy. Interestingly enough, I didn't hear much from either of them, but they hadn't made it obvious that they had seen me. 

I wondered where Blaise was, he would be a friendly face I could go get breakfast with maybe, but I didn't see him anywhere. 

As I walked a little bit closer, Pansy turned around, looking at me with disgust. "What on Earth are you wearing?" She asked with a sneer, and I looked down at my clothes. "An outfit? What about you? Where's the funeral?" I asked, referencing her all-black plainclothes. 

"What I'm wearing is sensible-"

"Yeah, and ugly," I said, cutting her defense off. 

"Whatever, I was too tired to pick out something cute. I hardly slept a wink with all that crying you do in your sleep," She snorted, nudging Draco as if it was an inside joke between the two of them.

"What?" I asked, and she snickered. 

"Mum? Mum! I miss you, mummy, where are you, mummy? I need you!" Pansy mocked, and my face paled. I must've sleep-talked.

"You're such a bitch," I said coldly, no humor in my voice at all. 

"How devastating, you really miss your mother that much? Grow up, it's like you've never been to boarding school. You'll see her for holidays, you big baby," Pansy said, and I didn't have the mental capacity to deal with her anymore.

The stinging sensation on my palm and the distraught look on Pansy's face told me that a slap what just what the doctor ordered. Where I had hit her was a searing red mark. It was more vivid than I had thought. 

"You're insane! You belong in St. Mungo's you loon!" She shrieked, clutching her cheek as I looked at her. 

"My mom's dead, just to fill you in," I said, and the look of hurt and shock on her face turned to one of instant regret as the words left my mouth. 

"Have a nice weekend," I said, walking away and out of the common room as fast as I could. 

Asshole. 

♔

i've been writing this story a lot, and ohhhhhh shit it gets juicy. i hope you guys will like the path i took with it, but you'll just have to see i guess!