Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 50 - Fully Depressed

It was the first day of December. Hogwarts had already turned white under the snow, so did Hogsmeade, the place where I was heading now, accompanied by Harry.

I was looking around nervously. I was very afraid that my guardians were still behind me in every step I made. As always, no one was behind me. It was just an insecurity that I was carrying around wherever I went after two months of observation. I felt like someone was behind me all the time. Aramis and Ferron were following me even after one month that they weren't watching me closely. For now, they were just wandering around the ground until February comes, when they'd leave Hogwarts completely. But my shoulders were stuck to my ears, not because of the cold but because I just couldn't calm down. I had to understand that I wouldn't ever relax if I didn't get the thought out of my mind.

Harry had noticed that I didn't feel comfortable from the first minute he saw me this morning, but he didn't say anything. He had understood that he couldn't do much to help me. He knew I wouldn't easily get over this sense. So he did what he should do. He tried to talk about something else so he could destruct me from my thoughts.

"I really shouldn't be here."

"Don't be silly, they'll be very happy to see you here," he opened the door at Hog's Head for me to get in. The rest of the students were already waiting. Hog's Head was completely empty, something understandable for this hour of the day. I sat by Cho who, I must admit, wasn't that happy to see me. Luna, however, was friendly as always. She never had a problem with me. After all the kids had arrived, we were about twenty now, Hermione started speaking. Some fights occurred but my mind couldn't stick to one thing. Soon enough, I didn't know what anyone was talking about.

"In the third year he fought a hundred Dementors at once," said Ron.

"And last year he really fought out You-Know-Who in the flesh," said Hermione.

"Wait! Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that but the truth is that most of them were just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half of the time and I nearly always had help," said Harry.

"He's just being modest."

"No, Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow but out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes... You don't know what it's like," he sat down again.

"You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because that's the only chance we have in beating... Voldemort," she hesitated before she spoke my father's name.

"He's really back?" asked Colin Creevey. Harry nabbed. Everyone fell in silence.

"If that's so, then why is she here?" said a Gryffindor boy. Yeah, I was wondering when were they going to understand that the Dark Lord's daughter is here. I remembered that boy. He had come up to me and asked me to duel a few days after my hearing.

"Annalise is our friend," said Harry.

"And You Know Who's daughter. She is a threat to all of us," he answered back rudely.

"I would never say anything to anyone..." I said slowly.

"You know, she could be a spy!" he ignored me. "And she was followed around by the Ministry guardians. Who knows if they're watching us right now? Not to mention that she is with this Malfoy guy for over a year. This is definitely dangerous for all of us."

"She would never do that. Doesn't the fact that she's in Ravenclaw and not in Slytherin tell you something?" said Ron defending me. I was surprised. Ron didn't seem to like me all this time.