Beneath Her Skin

Chapter Nine

Since coming back to Hogwarts she'd been having constant nightmares, she'd quit quidditch, broken her toe, nearly got into a fight with a seventh year student and had suffered through the absolute worst Defense Against the Dark Arts classes since Gilderoy Lockhart was her teacher.
There just didn't seem to be any good news to report back to her family.

A warm hand fell down on hers, gripping it tight, Alastriona forced a smile at Darcy and stopped scratching the skin on her thumb.

"Hey." Alastriona greeted her, Darcy sat down next to her with her own parchment and quill. 

"Hey." Darcy said with a sigh. "Can I use your ink?"

Alastriona nodded. "Sure."

"Uncle Finn?" Darcy questioned, she thought it'd been a while since Alastriona had written to her family, not that she could talk. She hadn't spoken to her parents since they kicked her out and sent all her things in boxes to Uncle Finn's house without so much as a note.
When she had a family of her own she would treat every single person with love and respect.

"Yeah, and nana and grandpa. But I can't think of any good news to tell them."

Darcy sighed heavily. "It has been a pretty shit start to the year... just like last year." She said as an after thought, immediately regretting it, their minds going to Cedric. "What about that Potions class last week? You got a perfect score!" She said suddenly. "And quitting quidditch will free up time so you can study more, you can embroider more and you can really look into becoming an animagus."

"How--"

"Red, I remember everything." She said before shrugging, "You've also still got a book on them on your bedside table."

Alastriona laughed quietly. "You're right. Sometimes it's hard to remember the good things..." She wanted to start writing but something was playing on her mind. "Have you thought anymore about Lee?"

Darcy was so grateful she'd asked, she could hardly think of anything else and all she wanted was to talk about her and Lee. "He's pushing me away, Red, and I don't know if I should let him or if I should try harder to hold on. There's a massive part of me that is just so mad 'cause he thinks he can just keep pushing me away and not even try to deal with the problem but..." Darcy sighed, the anger leaving her, tense shoulders dropped. "He's my first boyfriend, I hadn't loved anyone until I met him, it seems wrong to let him go." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "But I hate the idea of hanging onto someone who doesn't want me, or who doesn't want to fight for what we have."
Darcy sighed and gave a tight lipped smile. "I guess I just really needed to talk to you."

"I'm sorry, I know I've been up and down lately." Alastriona said, picking at the skin on her thumb. "I've been a shit friend but everything's just so..." She sighed. "Complicated."

"Finally!"
Alastriona flinched and knocked her ink pot over on her way to her wand.
She swore under her breath when she saw Hermione Granger standing behind her and Darcy's seats. "Bloody hell, Hermione!"

Hermione lowered her surrendered hands when Alastriona put her wand back in her hair.
"Sorry! I've just been looking for you two everywhere, I should've known you'd be in here."

Darcy chuckled. "What's up, Hermione?"

Hermione sat down opposite them and glanced around, she leaned forward and spoke quietly. "Harry, Ron and I are planning something for the next Hogsmeade trip, we'd like you both to meet us at the Hogshead Inn."

"What's this about, Hermione?" Darcy asked.

"It's about Professor Umbridge. We aren't learning what we need to and not just for school but for life too now that... now that V-Voldemort is back."

Darcy inhaled sharply and sat back.

"We have an idea on how we can learn what we need to. We'd like you both there."
Alastriona and Darcy shared a look.

Alastriona smiled at Hermione. "Can Dawn, Theo, Blaise, Tracey and Draco come?"
Hermione opened and closed her mouth.

"Um... I just don't think Harry or Ron would be comfortable with Draco around." She didn't say it but she wouldn't be comfortable with it either. 

Alastriona felt a little ashamed at how easily she'd forgotten about Draco and Hermione's history, the fights, the name calling. Even though Draco had changed so much over the years she knew the wounds caused by him in the past would still take time to heal.
"Just Dawn, Tracey, Theo and Blaise then?"

Hermione smiled and gave a nod. She could convince Harry and Ron of those four at least.

"Okay, we'll meet there in the afternoon."

Once Hermione had left Alastriona and Darcy shared a look.
"Are you going to tell Draco?"

"I'm not sure... maybe. He wouldn't want to come anyway, I'm sure." She said to Darcy. "I really need to write these letters, should we go find them afterwards?"

Darcy nodded and they both turned to their letters, having completely forgotten about the spilt ink covering the table.

"Shit."