Traitor: A Draco Malfoy Story

three

When I awoke the next morning, I was alone in my room. Lilian's bed was messy; she obviously hadn't made it like she was supposed to. I glanced at the clock. 10:00?!

I leaped out of bed, throwing my covers back and slipping one arm into a sweatshirt all at the same time. I hadn't woken up this late in probably five months because of ballet rehearsals or taking care of Lil. I immediately felt guilty for being so careless when I thought of how the little girl must be pestering Barbra to play. I yanked on a pair of sweats and, after brushing my teeth and raking my hand through my hair, I ran out of the bedroom.

To my utter surprise, Barbra sat at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of green tea in front of her and a sippy cup of what I assumed to be the same liquid only cooled down for Lilian. Rae was drinking coffee and reading her art history textbook for school.

"Morning," Barbra chirped happily and got up to hand me a cup of coffee she had already made, cream and sugar making the liquid a tannish color. I almost turned around and went back to bed so that I could wake up from what was clearly a dream.

"...Morning?" I said suspiciously. "I'm really late for ballet," I said after a glance at each person at the table. "I should probably run without breakfast, sorry."

I almost dropped my cup and jumped out of my skin when John put his large hand on my shoulder. "Holy Sh--" At a sharp glance from Barbra, I stopped and finished the word a different way. "...ips and sailors." Barbra didn't care about swearing if it was just Rae and I, but she didn't want the words falling on Lilian's young ears. I understood. What I did not understand was why my whole family was just sitting at the house like we were a normal home.

"What the hell is going on?" I said, mouthing the swear word and saying the rest allowed.

There was a knock at the front door and Barbra jumped up. "That's him!"

John handed me a crisp off-white letter sealed with red wax. A crest of some sort was imprinted in the seal, but I didn't know what it meant. My name was written in ink as well as the address of the apartment. "Mr. Dumbledore told us you had gotten in contact with him and he wanted to give you this formal letter of admittance to the Hogwarts School," John beamed proudly. Rae smiled up at me too.

"You have got to send me pics of Stonehenge and all that," she said.

I was a tad disturbed my family was so chill with what was happening. What about caseworkers? What about the foster system? What about my records? I literally belonged to the government, I couldn't just up and leave.

Barbra had let Dumbledore in, and after a quick good morning, he addressed all my fears like he had read my mind. "Hogwarts and the Ministry that supports it have been working closely with your government to provide this opportunity for you and I would be remiss if I did not mention how much of a hassle it was. However, you are in the clear to come with me and my colleague who is waiting downstairs if you are ready to go."

Go? Now? This was all moving so fast. What was the rush? "I'm not really--"

Dumbledore smiled. "How about I help a little?" He winked. "We'll be going to a special type of mall to get your supplies for school, so you won't need much. Just enough to fill this trunk." He gestured to his right where an old-fashioned brown truck was sitting. I was one hundred percent positive it hadn't been there a second before. Warning bells rang in my brain, but Barbra and John and my foster sisters smiled at me, so proud, so congratulating, that I oblidged, and the old man followed me with the trunk rolling behind him.

I watched in astonishment as he stood, one hand clasping the other in front of him, as clothes began to fold themselves and float in a orderly fashion towards the trunk. He turned around with a glitter in his eye so he had his back to me. "I am not one to intrude on privacy," he said. I was grateful, I didn't really want this stranger to see my underwear float through the air. I respected him because of that.

Soon, the trunk was full of my small array of clothes, and I added my dance bag to the trunk as well. I'd packed my computer and phone when Dumbledore said, "Hogwarts, unfortunately, does not permit students electronics as it interferes with learning, but we do permit letters to be written. Our postal service is quite good." He tapped his chin with his index finger. "We do not have internet there, so it would not seem prudent to bring along extra baggage."

Rae looked horrified. "Thank god I'm not going." I snorted in response to her comment.

Honestly, that rule didn't bother me. I really only used my phone to let Barbra know where I was going to be. As long as I could take my pointe shoes, I was good to go. I would need those anyway, that's what I was going to this special school for.

I kissed Barbra and John goodbye, did our secret handshake with Rae, and scooped Lilian up in my arms. "You be a good girl for Barb and John, okay? Write to me often."

The little girl hugged me tightly. "Don't go, Azalea," she whimpered. "I'll miss you too much."

"I'll be home for Christmas," I said. "And you can show me how you build your snowmen."

She giggled and I set her down. With one last glance at my foster family, I left with the strange old Brit and we ventured downstairs together.