DARK SOULS ☽ 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚘𝚢

𝔳𝔦 | third year

Mother and Father took a trip to Switzerland to experience Muggle skiing for the first time over the holiday break, so I am stuck at Hogwarts all winter. Though I love it here, it's oddly empty and I do miss my family. I have been receiving letters written by Mother almost every day, which help my homesickness. 

Early one Sunday morning, I take a curious Azazel out to the lawn to play in the snow. My little kitten has been growing in recent months, and looks quite a lot larger than when I first received him. After a couple minutes of frolicking around, he decides he doesn't like snow, and meows loudly, begging to be brought back to my dormitory. I laugh, and pick the feline up in my arms. 

As I straighten up, a flash of white-blonde hair and green robes disappear from my view, almost as quickly as I notice the figure. Was Malfoy just watching me? I hold Azazel close, and walk hurriedly towards where I last saw him. Why was Malfoy not at home with his precious pureblood family I wonder?

The boy is only a few steps ahead of me in the halls when I call out to him, "Stop pestering me!" He turns around, a foul look on his face, and continues walking, "Malfoy!" He stops in his tracks. 

"What do I have to do to get a dirty mudblood off my back?" He spits at me, his teeth bared as he approaches me, looming above, "Stay away from me or you'll regret it." Another look flashes across his face, but as soon as it appears, it's gone before I can even decipher it. 

I step away from him in shock, noticing how close we got and how my breath hitches in my throat, "I-" I stutter, my face flushed, "I'm sorry." I hold tighter to my kitten and rush past him, our shoulders brushing, and don't look back. 

❂

On Christmas Eve, I headed to the great hall for the annual feast. Not much of the student body is at Hogwarts this winter holiday, which makes for a strange atmosphere. Especially after my encounter with Draco, I've been dreading seeing him again for the past couple days. I've stayed confined to my dorm, only making small talk with Daphne Greengrass and Blaise in the common room. Mostly, I've been getting ahead of work and spending time with Azazel. 

I walk into the hall, seeing how little students sit at every long table, barely taking up a third of each one. Draco sits in between Crabbe and Goyle, and is the first person I can pick out from the crowd. Almost as if he feels my eyes on him, he looks up, no expression on his face.

I keep his gaze, almost like a competition of who will look away from the other one first. I can't explain the feeling that rises in me, but I decide that it's pure hatred. I roll my eyes, ending our petty game, and find a seat at the Slytherin table. 

Since Aurora has returned home for the winter holidays, I have made a friendship with Daphne Greengrass, a pretty blonde girl in my year. She and Blaise have always been close friends, and I sometimes wonder if there's more going on between them. 

I groan as I sit down across from them, and Daphne looks at me with a concerned look on her face, "Is something wrong?" She fiddles with her tie as she questions me, and Blaise watches her carefully. 

"Oh, nothing, just that Malfoy has been persistent in terrorizing me all month," I sigh, and begin adding different items of food to my plate from the platters scattered before me on the table, "He likes to look at me as if I'm a piece of meat."

Daphne and Blaise exchange a subtle glance between each other, which I barely notice. I smile at their subtle flirtations with each other.

"Malfoy does talk about you more than anyone else, I've realized." Blaise responds, a smile playing on his lips. I scowl, picking at my food, annoyed. 

"What about?" I ask, and notice another glance between the two. I wonder if they even care about this conversation, or if they just want me to leave so they can flirt with each other in peace, at least that's why I think they are exchanging small glances.

"Just how you're Muggle spawn, a mudblood, a blood traitor, scum, dirty, you know... the usual." Daphne explains, chuckling a little. 

"Figures," I say, rolling my eyes at the thought of Draco and his love for name calling, "I wonder why daddy's boy is home for the holidays." I fake a sympathetic frown, then smile to myself. I hope Draco is upset that his family didn't want him home. 

"I heard his parents have some important meeting. You know what that means, don't you?" Daphne smirks as she eats a bite of mashed potatoes. 

"What does that mean?" I ask, not following. 

"His father, Lucius, is known to have been a Death Eater in the past, and not many people believe that he actually abandoned He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named completely like he said so." Blaise explains casually.

"Doesn't surprise me that's who raised Hell-boy over there." My eyes flick up to the platinum blonde student, and I find his already on me. I give him a disgusted look, and turn back to my friends, "Look, prime example of his dodgy behavior."

"I mean..." Daphne smiles at me, an awkward look on her face. I raise an eyebrow, "I don't want to say it but we're both thinking it."

"What?" I ask, utterly confused, "That Draco's a miserable excuse for a human being?" 

"I've never heard you call him Draco before, Y/N." Blaise points out, and my face flushes again. What are they possibly trying to get at?

"Are you insinuating-"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Blaise cuts me off, and Daphne laughs. They begin another conversation as if nothing happened. I set my utensils down in frustration, and look to the snow falling from the enchanted roof of the great hall, as if it has some sort of answer for me.