All I Ask Of You (Sequel to "The Point Of No Return (Draco Malfoy)"

Chapter Three

            Aly and I met Kay and Lucinda in the common room and we all walked to the Great Hall together. Lucinda was ecstatic to see me and so was Kay. We all hugged, shouting at one another for a few minutes, and then continued on our way to supper.

            This was the first year I’d hear the start of term announcements and see all the first years in the sorting ceremony. I recognized the same old hat that had sorted me only last year.

            We welcomed the new Slytherins to our table and to the house. They weren’t shy at all and started up conversations immediately. I wished I was like that and had the courage to befriend so many people in such a short time. But your house is like your family. You fight, bleed, win, and lose together. You do everything with your house.

            I wondered how much they knew about magic. Had they known they were witches and wizards all their lives? Did they have friends like them at home? I thought of these things because I didn’t have them. I didn’t know I was a witch until recently. I never had friends like me. All I knew was that sometimes unexplainable things happened to me.

            Aly began to elbow me in the ribs, drawing me out of my pondering. My head snapped to the right, in her direction, but what I saw wasn’t Aly. She was there, sitting next to me, but Draco Malfoy was walking down the aisle, towards our table.

            “Natalie, deep breaths. Just keep breathing.” His eyes met mine, only for a moment. But in that moment I didn’t know what to think. Everything else wasn’t important. The room was silent, like it was just him and I. His eyes screamed desperation and for the most brief second I thought I saw the edges of his lips pull upwards, just slightly.

            And then he looked away. He found a spot next to Blaise Zabini and sat down, not uttering a word to anyone. I looked at my hands, awkwardly pulling at the skin around my finger nails. Everyone else had taken food and was happily eating.

            “What’s wrong with her?” I heard Kay mumble to Aly. She tilted her head towards his end of the table and Kay nodded, mouthing “oh” in the meantime.

            “So, Natalie, where’s Monica?” Lucinda asked. I didn’t feel like being in the room anymore, but what was hiding going to do? All I did the entire summer was hide.

            “Over there… probably.” I muttered, pointing to the Gryffindor table. I could just barely see my twin sister. She was sitting with her back to me, so all I could see was her long dark hair. I wondered if that was what the back of my head looked like, and I hoped so because Monica’s hair fell perfectly against the back of her robes.

            “Do you like your dorm?” Kay tried. “This is the first year I’m not rooming with Aly, so it’s a bit odd. And you’ve never gotten to choose a roommate, since you started late last year.”

            I shrugged. “It’s the same arrangement as last year's. Same four walls, same view of the forest, same cold floors...” I drifted off, unwilling to continue wasting energy on all the things that remained changed.

            After a few, lengthy minutes of small talk, Professor Dumbledore stood, approaching the podium and looking out at all of us.

            “Good evening, children.” He started. “Now we have two changes in staffing this year. We’re pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking care of magical creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave.”

            I frowned. I had become quite fond of Hagrid, but would never admit it to the fellow Slytherins. They wouldn’t approve of my taking to him. It was no secret he was associated with Harry Potter, but I liked Harry as well. Harry had never crossed me, so I had no reason to fight him.

            “We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Delores Umbridge. But I’m sure you’ll all join me in wishing the professor good luck. As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you-“

            Just then a small, plump woman cleared her throat. She stood, dressed in only pink, which I must say, didn’t flatter her figure. She gave a taunting smile, coming forward.

            “Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome; and how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. I’m sure we’re all going to be very good friends.” She paused, and I looked around the room. Every student in my view looked miserable. I was just as confused as everyone else was. Who was she? What was she doing here? Why does she think it’s okay to interrupt Professor Dumbledore?

            She continued. “The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance.” That’s when it started to make sense. She was from The Ministry and she was here to keep an eye on us. It was no secret, what happened to Harry Potter over the summer. We all knew he’d produced a patronous charm in the presence of a muggle, which happened to be his cousin, Dudley.

             “Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited.” She smiled another fake smile, almost smirking. A slow, dull applaud rose. I left myself out of it. I refused to clap for someone who could be so senseless.

            “Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating.” Dumbledore said. He then went on to remind us that magic is forbidden in the corridors and that the Forbidden Forest was still off limits. He closed his speech and sent us to bed.

            The moment he sat down, I was gone. I shot up from my spot at the table and bolted towards the door. I made it to the dungeons relatively quickly, retreating to the girl’s bathroom.

            I let the cool water run over my fingers before splashing it over my face, washing away everything that I had just felt in that room with him for the first time in months.

            Taking one of the many clean hand towels, I dried my hands and face. And once I had collected myself enough to be around people, I headed out of the bathroom. I kept my head down as I walked out of the bathroom, hoping no one would recognize me. That proved to be a bad idea when I walked straight into a passing body.

            My head snapped up and there he was. He had stopped and his gray eyes stared straight back in my green eyes. He began to mumble incoherent words. I drew myself back to reality, muttering a quick “sorry” and crossed my arms, walking as fast as I could back to the common room.

            All I wanted was to get as far away from his as possible. Unfortunately, the fact that we’re in the same house ruined that plan. The best I could do was lock myself up in my room and hope he didn’t come knocking on my door.

            But then again, wasn’t that what I’d wanted all summer? Didn’t I want him to come back and tell me how much he missed me? Didn’t I want to hear him say he wanted me?

            I thought he wouldn’t. I knew he wouldn’t.