Partners

Part Two: Head Boy

It felt like home.

It felt like a rebirth had happened.

It was as if nothing had happened.

The whole aura felt alive and well.

Walking into the Grand Hall for the feast, Draco felt as though millions of eyes were glued to him in an instant.

The chatterings of joy and reminiscing turned to whispered sneers and quips that left his body feeling achy and broken. If he had any sense in his head, he would have continued to Hogsmeade instead of allowing St. Granger to influence his decision.

One might ask...okay everyone asks- why a 'death eater' would come back to the place they single handedly helped destroy.

The answer provided was that his parents gave him no choice.

Much like everything else in his life.

Lucius Malfoy somehow managed to talk his way out of receiving any punishment for being involved with Voldemort. It was the cause of many riots and hard endeavors that left the Malfoy parents sending their only son back to school to more or less be ridiculed: all because a Malfoy will stand up proud and take what he wants and deserves.

But what Draco wanted was to stay hidden in his near perfect bedroom and wither away in his comfortable bed until the world forgot about his disloyalty.

He used to believe he was entitled to be bowed down too. That the world owed him for being rich and fabulous and a beautiful human being- mainly because that's what his parents instilled in him. He figured being feared like his father would pay off greatly for him- he would end up on top with the world bowing and kissing his feet.

How wrong he was.

The world hated him- even after he switched sides.

The world saw him as a pathetic waste of space- who was laced with evil and had no good qualities to him.

And maybe they were right.

Maybe he was a waste of air and matter.

He certainly felt that way the more he stood there being gazed upon by the angry eyes of his peers. All he could do was take a seat at the end of the Slytherin table- and hope they all eventually stopped looking at him.

"Good evening, Students! Now that the sorting ceremony is over- I want to welcome you all back." Minerva McGonagall states at the owl podium in the front of the hall. She looks well- cheerful even and this surprises Draco more than the fact that Snape is no longer with them. "Let me begin with telling you all, how grateful I am to be able to look out amongst the hall and see all of you- hard working, passionate, brave students..."

She nearly choked on the air in her lungs as she looked at each table: when her eyes catch Draco Malfoy all the way in the back- a very small smile comes to her face and it confuses him so.

"This year will be about Healing and coming together as one. You will find that maybe there are friends out there you never dreamt of meeting. That through compassion and understanding- you each can leave here wiser, more caring, and maybe even find a kind spirit you never knew before. Personal growth comes from learning to forgive and forget as well as challenging yourself to be a better you than you previously were. I know that though this year will pose its challenges and leave some of you questioning the ways of others- I know that each and every one of you will overcome your fears and let your true selves find out who you are at heart. And with that, enjoy this glorious feast."

As Minerva sits down, her curious eyes wander to Draco, who instead of digging in, removes himself from the great hall all together and though she thinks she's the only one to see this action- her eyes quickly catch another's.