𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓| 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲✔️

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘|𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑

MARA WILLIAMS (3 WEEKS LATER)

They say time heals all wounds. They lied.
Weeks had passed since the incident. Months since I'd been expelled. Years since my mother died.
-And still my wounds were just as raw as the day they were carved into my flesh with wicked intent. Though my bruises had faded and my cuts had healed pain never stopped, not even for a second, I guess I just learned to ignore it, to go about my day with a smile and pretend if only for a moment that everything was going to be alright.
-Maybe I was deluded. Maybe I was wrong. But I couldn't live without hope.

We walked down the corridor as one, the three of us so tightly pressed that some may gossip, Hermione held her hand in mine. She'd been my rock over the past week, she'd been there to ward off the whispers and chase away the terrors that came for me in the night. This morning she'd changed my bandage for me too as I'd never quite figure out exactly how to tie a bandage with one hand. There was only wound that hadn't yet healed. They'd carved their jealous wounds so deeply into my flesh that they still bled, still hurt, and keeping my wrist bandaged for the past few weeks had only caused a whole other wave of whispers.

"I can't believe we're leaving already, it seems like we've only just got here." Pouted Parvati as she readjusted her crimson scarf. With the passing of time had came the snow, thick and blanketing, enough to cancel all quidditch until after the Christmas holidays.

Hermione gave my hand a squeeze. "Where did you say you were going for the holidays?"

"Oh. I'm not..." I said, pursing my lips as we waited outside Flitwick's class for Ron and Harry, it was the final lesson before the holidays began. "-I'm staying here."

"What?" Parvati seemed shocked, and Hermione's face darkened significantly. "-But I thought you said you were going to your aunts?"

"Yeah... About that, plans changed. She had to go see my cousin down in Melbourne, so I've got to stay at school now, it'll be fine though, I'm sure I'll find something to do."

"You can't stay at school." Hermione said shaking her head firmly as she let go of my hand. "...I won't allow it."

Any semblance of a smile fell from my face, "What? Why not?"

"You need to be careful whilst we're gone-..." Parvati shot me a grimace but Hermione cut her off. She had a strange look in her eyes, one that I couldn't quite decipher. "It's not safe. You need to find somewhere else to go."

"-But I have nowhere else to go..." A frown drew fine lines on my face. "I haven't even packed my bags!"

"Mara. Please." She said sternly, grabbing my arms and forcing me to look her in the eyes. "You know what happened when we were here. I don't want to risk something happening whilst we're gone."

"-I don't think you understand, I have nowhere to go!"

"No, I don't think you understand." She gripped me harder to make her point clearer. "-They're staying... Pansy and Millicent are staying. You've got to go."

"Where the hell am I supposed to go?" I looked at her, as if expecting to find the answer hidden somewhere in her eyes. Instead only big brown eyes stared back at me. "I have no family left to go to!"

"What if I told you I'd already sorted something out..." She trailed off and sick feeling began to spiral in the pit of my stomach like a weight that rooted me to the spot, daring me to ask the unspoken question that echoed in the silence between us. "...Where?"

Her throat bobbed slightly as she swallowed. "...Malfoy Manor."

"No." My fingers trembled as I clenched my fists, she didn't have to elaborate for me to be firm in my affirmation, the name alone told me enough.