Obliviate

29

It was Friday evening and I had my detention with Leo today, I avoided him ever since our potion incident. My friends are still pushing me to talk about what happened with Leo, last year, and I just don't know what to tell them.

I was in the dungeons, trying to reach the potions classroom when I saw Draco talking to someone by the entrance of their common room with his arms draped over her - Daphne Greengrass I believe.

I scoffed as I walked past them and turned a corner. He never asked me to be his girlfriend, he has every right to have his arms over another girl, right? I just hope he's not doing anything with other people, I don't want to be one of those girls that hook up with guys for fun. It doesn't even feel like that with Draco, it feels different with him.

I walked inside Snape's class to see Leo standing next to him, "I have a meeting to uphold so you will both be doing detention with Umbridge." I let out a scoff as I crossed my arms, "You want me to do detention with that toad? Piss-"

"Watch your tone, Scott. Off you go, both of you." I rolled my eyes as I clutched my bag and walked out of the classroom, assuming Leo is following behind me.

Shortly, we arrive at the DADA classroom and start climbing up the stairs that lead to her office. I gulp before I slowly knock on her door. "Come in." I looked at Leo who was avoiding my gaze before I opened the door.

"Take a seat, please," she smiled as she gestured to the two chairs before her. I glared at her before dropping my bag on the floor and sitting at one of the tables.

"You're going to be doing lines for me today." I rolled my eyes before grabbing my bag to get my quill out. She grabbed my wrist, pulling me in front of her, "Not with your quill, I have my own I'd like you both to use."

I yanked my arm off of her and dropped my bag onto the floor as she placed a red, firey quill in front of me. "I want you to write 'I must show respect to my professors and follow instructions'," she giggled.

I glared at her before grabbing the quill, she moved to Leo, "I want you to write 'I will not explode classwork'." 

"How many times?" Leo mumbled, I looked up at her waiting for an answer. She sat on her chair, sipping her tea, "As many times as the message takes to sink in." 

She had a disgusting smirk on her face which made me shiver, I rested my head on my hand before writing on the parchment.

I got up to three lines before my hand started to burn, mixed with a strong rash nipping. I rolled up my robe to see the words 'I must show respect to my professors and follow instructions' written on my backhand.

The pain was becoming too much as I began itching the scar, which only made it worse. I looked up at her to see a huge smirk forming on her lips, tilting her head, "Is there something wrong, dear?" 

"Fuck you!" I spat which made her eyes widen at my use of language at a professor.

I threw the quill in her face before scraping my chair, grabbing my bag and storming out. Once I got out of the classroom, I fell onto the floor crying as I clutched my hand. There was blood dripping down my hand, I couldn't even see skin as there were 10 words carved into my hand.

The door opened and I saw Leo walk out, his eyes a little glossy. He turned his head to see me on the floor, clutching my hand as I tried to quiet my sobs. I felt him groan before he dropped his bag next to me and fell onto the floor, grabbing my hand.

"She did the same thing to me," he said, lifting my head up and wiping the tears away on my face. "Yours is nothing, sh- she carved a-a whole fucking message o-on my h-hand," I stuttered, my hand was beginning to feel numb at this point.

He kissed his teeth before dropping my hand and pulling me into a hug, I missed this so much. His hugs were one of the best qualities he had, they were always warm and soft. "What happened to us?" I sniffed, pulling away as I leaned against the wall.

"The day your boyfriend attacked me after class, I was there and watched the whole thing up until you kissed him," he sighed. I had a feeling he saw that because how else would he have known. 

"He's not my boyfriend," I whispered, his eyes popping out before shaking his head.

"I wasn't mad that you had a thing going on with Malfoy, it was none of my business. Well, I was upset yes but not mad." I rose my brows at him, "Then why did you suddenly hate me?"

He took a deep breath in before he looked me in the eyes, "It's when I found out you were a Vanderwal." 

"What did they do to you?" I choked out, not wanting to know what awful thing my family must've done to his, I can feel it coming.

"When I was 8 my father came home one night and got drunk in the living room. Dad never drank, he was always an organised person in his life. I overheard him telling my mother how Joseph Vanderwal fired him from his job at the ministry." I felt heartbroken, this is what my father does he fucks with everyone's lives.

I wondered how many other people's lives he ruined, "Why do you keep talking about him in the past tense, Leo?" His eyes began tearing before he wiped them away.

"We needed money to survive so dad took a job all the way in America. He died on the first day of his job," he choked. I let out a few tears before I pulled him into a hug, a long hug.

"Leo, I am so sorry. I-I I understand but I want you to know something..." I breathed, pulling away to look at him.

I explained my whole story to him. How I was always neglected by my parents, I lived with my grandmother from the age of 10, how I only feel loved by my siblings. I only tolerate my cousin to an extent, I told him everything. 

My father ruined lives, he ruined families and didn't feel any sort of remorse for his actions. I don't even care that he pays no attention to me, I don't want to be associated with a man like him. Never have and never will.

"I'm sorry I've been a dick to you, Coraline. I just- you've been lying to everyone for so long and I-couldn't take it, I always blamed every single Vanderwal for my father's death," he sighed.

I shook my head, stopping him, "No need to apologise. My father is a dickhead, a rude man who fucks up everyone's lives and I truly apologise for his actions. It won't bring your father back but I can assure you I will do something about this."

He smiled at me before pulling me into him, hugging me tightly as he kissed my forehead. "Can we go back to being friends? I seriously missed my study buddy," I pouted which made him chuckle.

"Yeah yeah, but I want to hear this whole Malfoy thing. The night of the Yule Ball I could tell something was going on," he said. 

I got up and pulled him up, "I'll tell you on the way. Come on, I can feel Umbridge's aura around me." I did a fake shiver and linked my arm through his as we walked away and I explained my situation with Malfoy.