Malfoy's Moon

train rides

The familiar train sounds settle around her like a string of sweet, harmonious notes. The frigid air is chilled as she slides open the compartment door. From outside the window, she can hear Hagrid bellowing gruffly, "Happy holidays!"

Minutes pass as she sits at the far edge of the seat, drumming her fingers against the misted glass window, her breath fogging up the glass.

The door to the compartment skids to an open, chatter flooding the small space.

Theo, Blaise, Pansy. They all settle down in seats around Astra and she's less than pleased when Malfoy enters in last and is forced to take the only empty seat left, right across from her.

She's not in the mood for an argument, or for anything to be quite honest.

"Did you know Lavender and Ron are together?" Pansy says, mildly.

"The Brown girl?" Theo says, sneering slightly. "Yeah, it's not much of a secret, they've been snogging all over the castle."

"Which Weasley are we talking about?" Blaise inquires, lazily.

"The red-head." Theo says, leaning against the seat with his eyes closed.

Blaise roughly shoves him the shoulder, which earns a yelp from Theo.

"Potter's friend. That Weasley." Pansy says, twirling an inky lock around her finger. "Did you know, Draco?" Upon saying that last part, her voice turns into a simpering tone and all eyes in the room shift to the blonde Slytherin sitting across you.

Malfoy gives an uninterested look in their direction and then looks back out the window without saying a word.

"Been like that all day," Theo says, rolling his eyes. He turns back to Pansy and clears his throat significantly.

"What?" Pansy says, still looking at Malfoy.

"Let's leave while we have the chance," Theo says to her.

"Leave where?"

"To jump out the train," Theo says, raising his eyebrows. "No, I meant to another compartment."

Pansy steals another glance at Malfoy and then stands. "Oh, alright. Come on."

The two of them leave and the absence of their talking fills the room, which feels suddenly empty, too empty. And too quiet.

Blaise suddenly stands. "I think I'll leave too, then –" he mutters.

"Wait, Blaise – stay." Astra blurts out before she has the chance to mull over the words in her head.

Malfoy's gaze flickers to her momentarily.

"Yeah, stay. I'd rather not suffer in the company of her all by myself." He says.

"Look mate, I told her I'd meet up with her –" Blaise says, opening the compartment door.

"Who?" Malfoy says at once.

"No one," Blaise says indignantly. Before Malfoy can further question him, he leaves the compartment, closing the door hard.

Astra's highly aware that this is the first time she and Malfoy were alone since their conversation in the Astronomy Tower, an awareness that incites an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

Crouch's letter comes back to her in a crashing flood. It had all been arranged, even before she'd been made aware of it in the first place. She would meet him on the second day of break, in his office, to discuss an update.
The taste of his letter is acidic.