Blaire Zabini || Draco Malfoy

58 - The Bad Bitch

It was soon clear Draco wasn't coming back to Hogwarts.

Yet he wasn't the only one. Dean Thomas amongst other Muggle-borns had decided to go into hiding after it was declared that anyone who couldn't prove their magical heritage would have their wand confiscated; possibly even get locked up for 'stealing' magic.

And then there was the Golden Trio, who, as rumour had it, were too on the run; hopefully coming up with a plan to put an end to this shit.

So really, despite the new mandatory law that all wizards and witches of school age must attend Hogwarts; the school was looking rather sparse.

"Well I'm going to do my bit," Neville announced boldly as I congregated with him, Luna and Seamus in the library on the second evening of our return. "I say we carry on with the DA in Harry's absence and use it to rebel against the school."

"Neville, shush," Seamus said, nervously glancing in my direction. "Harry said no Slytherins, remember?"

Oh for fuck's sake, I thought exasperatedly as I rolled my eyes.

"Screw Harry," Neville spat, "he's not here, is he? And the DA should be honoured to have someone like Blaire on side."

"But aren't you sleeping with a Death Eater?" Luna asked, her wide eyes blinking up at me. "Isn't that a bit contradictory?"

"Drac was forced into doing things no person should ever have to be put through," I snarled, feeling horrendously defensive on his behalf. "He is no more a bad person than you or I."

Just mentioning his name made my heart twist violently. I missed him so incredibly much and, not only that, I was terrified for his safety.

I couldn't stand not knowing what was going on with him, so I sat down and wrote him a brief, simple note asking how he was.

Just ten minutes after I'd sent it off with a Hogwarts owl, I was called to the headmaster's office.

"I cannot impress upon you strongly enough how dangerous it is to associate yourself with the Malfoy's at this time," Snape said in his cold drawling voice as my undelivered letter sat upon his desk in front of him; the owl I had left it with looking sheepishly up at me.

"I just need to know that my best friend is okay," I stated coolly, refusing to blink as I looked into his intimidating beady black eyes. "I haven't heard from him in over two months."

Snape emitted a small derisive sigh as he stabbed the envelope with a single finger and slid it across the desk towards me.

"The Malfoy's are under house arrest and all correspondence is being vetted," he explained as though addressing an imbecile. "If he wants to punish them further then he won't hesitate to use close family friends to do so. Do you understand what I am saying, Miss Zabini?"

Wow, so Snape was actually trying to look out for me.

But I hated it; I hated not being able to communicate with Draco and I ended up having dreadful nightmares imaging the things he was possibly being subjected to.

Life at Hogwarts was cold and depressing. Spirit had hit an all time low as, like me, everyone had someone to fear about back home.

Neville seemed to be the only one who had any fight left in him; squaring up to the Carrow's whenever he could.

"For fuck's sake, Nev," I hissed as he turned up at dinner with a bloody cut down his left cheek. "What've you done now?"

"Asked Alecto how much Muggle blood she and her brother had between them," he chuckled, as he buttered a bread roll, completely blasé about the whole thing.

"You need to chill before they kill you," I warned, feeling sick at the thought of losing him too.

"Hey, don't worry about me," Neville replied, placing down his roll to put an arm around me; squeezing me to his side. "I'm tougher than I look."

"I don't doubt that," I gritted, hating this anxiety I had bubbling away inside of me.

"Oi, Longbottom," Theo hissed from across the table, "fuck your Gryffindor arse off of our Slytherin table."

"Get bent, Nott," I snarled as Neville just continued to chuckle; tucking happily into a bowl of pumpkin soup.

******

At Christmas, Luna was taken from the train.

Neville tried his best to stop them, but he ended up getting thrown to the floor for his troubles.

"Please, Nev," I begged as we returned to Gran's for the holidays, "stop this, stop this now."

"Never," he answered furiously. "As long as I'm still breathing, I'll fight those bastards."

"That's my boy!" Gran roared jubilantly.

Two weeks into the new year, they went after Gran in a bid to control Neville.

The very next day, he had gone.

******

"They say Longbottom's gone into hiding now."

Draco looked up sharply at his mother's words.

"But why?" He spluttered, trying to hide his panic. It'd always made him feel better knowing Blaire had Longbottom since he couldn't be there by her side himself. "Isn't he a pureblood? What's he got to hide from?"

"Apparently the boy has been giving the Carrow's a lot of grief," his mother sighed heavily as she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, "refusing to cooperate and constantly breaking out students in detention."

Damn it, Draco thought angrily; why couldn't he have just kept his head down? Bloody Gryffindors and their stupid heroics.

Reaching into his pocket to feel the monopoly piece he constantly carried around with him, he wondered how Blaire was coping, wishing so much he could see her and just hold her; for his own reassurance of her living breathing existence more than anything else.

With over half a year having passed since he'd had any kind of contact with her; he started to wonder if she was even real anymore.

"I'm sure those that remain will be fine if they keep to Severus's regime and not step out of line," his mother added, looking at Draco meaningfully.

She knew what was on his mind; what was always on his mind. She was, after all, just as worried about her as he was.

He knew this because he'd overheard his mother talking quietly to Snape after one of those god awful meetings.

"Please look out for her," she'd hissed furtively in his old professor's ear. "I can't sleep for worry."

"You have my word," Snape had replied, "Miss Zabini will be safe under my careful watch."

It had been something, at least.

But then, just before Easter, Draco overheard something that made the blood in his veins run cold.

And he knew then, that he had to do something, even if it risked getting himself killed.

Because if there was one thing he was certain of in life, it was that he'd do anything for her.

She was the best friend that he'd die for.

******