a rose by any other name

chapter five ❃ home

September: 5 Months.

I ran through the wall with my trolley and ended up on Platform 9 3/4. I was finally going back home, away from my parents and back with my friends. I was ecstatic to say the least.

Summer had been worse than i'd imagined it. I don't know how i lasted so long in that house. My parents didn't speak to me much after that first night. When they'd told me what was to happen. I took the summer to let it sink because it was going to happen in what was now 5 months whether i liked it or not. 

In 5 months my life as i knew it was going to be over. I was going to belong to The Dark Lord because i was 'chosen' and you don't have a say when he chooses you. I knew now, now it was really happening that it is not what i wanted. But what could i do? Nothing. I dragged my trunk on board and went to my friend's and I's usual compartment, they were already seated and chatting away, when i sat down Draco stopped talking. 

He looked at me with what i think was sympathy? He knew. Of course he knew. The train ride seemed to take an eternity and I spent the whole time avoiding Draco's gaze or being alone with him. I'd spent the whole summer surrounded by the constant reminder of what was going to happen, I didn't need my school year to be like that too. To my dismay, half an hour in Draco caught me, by myself, coming back from the bathroom. I tried to ignore him but he pulled me into an empty compartment. 

"I heard about your um birthday, Parisa." He said sitting down. "Look. If you're here to tell me how honoured I should be, save it. I've heard it all summer." I turned to leave when Draco stopped me. "No! I uh, I understand Parisa. I don't want 'it' either." I froze...

"Wait, You're getting 'it' too? When? Why?" I sat down opposite Draco and he sighed. "On your birthday too. There's something uh special about that day, my father wouldn't say why but i uh. I think it has something to do with him." I didn't say anything. Trying to the process this information. "When your father told mine that you were going to get 'it' my father said i had to get 'it' too. He doesn't want your family to been seen as more Loyal than ours." 

I felt sick. This was my fault. "Draco I- I'm so sorry." He looked down. "It's not your fault, i knew it was going to happen at some point. Just listen. No one can know about this." "Obviously..." I interrupted and he sent me a look. "We need to stick together okay. At least we have each-other to help." I stared at him blankly, we'd never been that close, not close enough to rely on each-other. "I've heard it hurts." I said just to break the silence and Draco stood up. "We should get back to the others, they're probably confused where we are." I nodded as I followed him out of the empty compartment and back to our seats. 

We soon arrived at Hogwarts and we were all in the Great Hall and had finished the feast. We were waiting for Dumbledore to dismiss us when he stood up and started speaking. "This year i am honoured to announce that Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be hosting The Triwizard Tournament." Everybody looked around at each-other. Everybody knew what The Triwizard Tournament was, it was where hero's were made. Champions. 

Draco and Blaise started hitting each-other excitedly, the whole hall was ecstatic. "However!" Dumbledore shouted. "Due to the nature of the Tournament, The Minister of Magic has insisted that only Witches and Wizards over  the age of 18 can participate." The whole hall erupted in shouts. I even heard the Weasley twins shout "That's Ridiculous!". "Please come forward now if you would like to place your name into The Goblet of Fire."  Many students stood up, one of them i noticed was Cedric. 

I don't know why but I felt some kind of... panic. I wanted to tell him to stop, of course i stayed in my seat and kept my mouth shut. He probably wouldn't be chosen anyway.  Everybody who was of age, put their name into the goblet. "Now we have our Hogwarts volunteers I would like to proudly introduce the students of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and The Durmstrang Institute." 

The whole hall fell silent as the grand doors opened. Income the students that would be staying with us. Almost every boy was drooling over the witches from Beauxbatons, and the girls all drooling over the boys from Durmstrang. A certain wizard did catch my attention. He was a famous seeker from the Bulgarian team. Draco adored him. He went on about how brilliant (but not more brilliant than him.) he was, all the time. 

His name was Viktor Krum, I admit i was staring at him but when our eyes met I quickly looked away blushing. The volunteers from the other schools put their names into the goblet and we were all dismissed. I went straight to my dorm I shared with Pansy (Although, she wasn't here so I assumed she was with Draco again.) I was tired from all the events of the evening and slept claimed me almost instantly.