Passing by carriages to get a seat of their own, Aine sifted through the busy train corridors with Draco. People stare at the couple shamelessly with both disbelief and contempt playing on their faces, gawping and gaping at how intimate both Aine and Draco were. Some had even placed their faces against the windows on their compartments, their jaws dropping. The Slytherin boy's hand grasped onto the Gryffindor girl's and he strokes her hand with his thumb, ignoring the looks of others. It was no surprise to most that they were a couple, many had known of the fact that they were together for quite some time.
Perhaps it was also the fact that both students had a distinct reputation, both of them had come from great families. Lucius Malfoy was well known in the Wizarding world for his high status in the Ministry and Elliot Estoileon was a popular potioneer and honourable healer. Yet, the news of the two fathers' fall had spread like wildfire. With Lucius's allegiance to the Dark Lord followed by his capture, the Malfoy family had plummeted from grace. And with Elliot's brutal murder, it had left everyone in shock. None had expected the death of a man who had seemingly nothing in connection to Voldemort, or at least none had known of the truth.
Aine could see the news of the tragic passing of her father highlighted in the Daily Prophet as she had gone down the aisle. It troubled the girl immensely, the sight of their wrecked home was also flashing on the front page. She could feel her blood starting to boil from her anger, hatred and annoyance. Her fists clenched and unclenched and when her schoolmates were busy leering at them, they did not notice the newspaper lighting up in flames before the ashes of whatever remained had scattered out of the window.
Draco smirked to himself, witnessing the act himself even when he had kept looking forward. "Relax, love," he eases her and Aine grinned back mischievously.
"They deserve it," she replied.
He shook his head, unable to convince her otherwise nor let alone fight her actions. "I wonder why you aren't placed in Slytherin? Had the Sorting Hat made a mistake? You obviously are cunning and ambitious like one," he said, giving her a side glance.
"Mayhaps. But why does it matter? Would you not like me anymore when I am in Gryffindor?" she challenges him back with a raised brow.
Draco chuckled lightly, "Oh, not at all, M'lady. You know that I'll still love you no matter which house you are in," he charms. "I don't really care where you are as long as you're next to me. You're mine just as how I am yours," he added seductively, stirring Aine's heart to flutter.
She rolled her eyes playfully and patted his arm to calm his passionate side. "Being rather protective now, are we?" she questions.
The blonde-haired boy blinked back innocently, he slides the door leading to the next carriage. "Oh? Do you not feel the same way?"
"You know I'll burn anyone for you..." Aine whispered back, sending shivers down Draco's spine. He pulled back to gaze at her, giving her a look. What she had said completely took him aback, he had not seen it coming but with that one line from Aine. He knew she was telling the truth, it was no casual bluffing. She was more than capable of doing so and it had frightened him a little, but he was also touched in some twisted way by the lengths she was going to go for him. However, he knew that he too will do anything for her as well.
After passing by countless compartments, Aine finally found the Trio in one. The corner of her lips curled up when she spotted them, her steps became light as she skips over to them, pulling Draco along. He groans, giving in to her. Before she could even slide the door open, she had overheard their conversation just outside. It sounded like they were having a mini argument with each other.
"It was a ceremony. An initiation!" Harry stated, and Aine narrowed her eyes at him from outside.
Hermione frowns in displeasure at her friend's assumptions, she disliked how he was jumping to conclusions from just one snoop of what happened in Borgin and Burkes. "Stop it, Harry. I know where you're going with this," she said.
"He's one of them!" Harry exclaimed.
Ron glanced between his two friends as if he was the only one who have been left out. He was puzzled about this whole conversation and didn't know where this was going. "One of who?" he asks.
The brunette girl huffs, she then enlightens the lost boy. "Harry's under the impression Draco Malfoy is now a Deatheater!"
Aine felt Draco's hand tighten around hers and she took a sharp inhale of a breath. She looks at the boy next to her, wondering if she should enter the compartment and stop them from blabbering any further. It was clear that he was feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable, both he and Aine hated the fact that they were both Deatheaters now. The mark hidden beneath their sleeves constantly reminded them they were as horrible and wicked as the rest of Voldemort's followers.
"You're barking!" Ron burst into a fit of laughter, making Aine and Draco looked at him. Was it really that big of a shock that he had lost his mind at the revelation? The red-head boy continued, "What would You-Know-Who want with a sod like Malfoy?"
"Ouch," Draco commented at the blunt remark.
"You're nothing of sort, Draco," Aine reassures him.
Ron went on, the words spewing out of his mouth astounded Aine. "You know he has changed ever since Aine started dating him! I doubt he'll do such stupid things and disappoint Aine!"
Aine smiles at her favourite carrot-head friend. She was thankful that Ron of all people was defending Draco, considering all of the bad blood the two had shared before. Despite Ron's heartwarming defence, Aine had felt even more guilty. In truth, Ron was wrong. It wasn't just Draco who had become a Deatheater, doing stupid things, she too had done equally if not more foolish and inhumane things. Not to mention the atrocities they were going to commit.
But what choice did they have, really?
The girl's mood went sour when she began to think about what will happen. Her smile falls from her face and she looks away from her friends. She suddenly felt ashamed and didn't want to join her friends anymore. She wasn't sure she could keep a straight face even if she did wander into their compartment.
"Let's just go..." she said to Draco.
"Don't you want to go in and join them?" he asks cautiously. He scanned her expression and offered, "I can always go find Blaise and Cyrus."
Aine shook her head, she gave him a forced smile. "It's alright, I don't think it's wise to intrude on their conversation."
Nodding, Draco gives their intertwined hands a shake and they proceed deeper into the Hogwarts Express where they were met with his Slytherin friends who were more than willing to let the couple sit with them. It was an odd combination of people but they had banded well after last year's secret training sessions. The four began exchanging greetings, catching up on the time they had missed during the holidays. Aine sitting next to Blaise and opposite Draco who had sat with Cyrus.
Blaise smirks at Draco, "So, making it official, huh?" he jerks to his friends' laced fingers displayed on the table.
"Hasn't it been official for quite some time already?" Draco replied with a smug look on his face, he meets Aine's eyes and her lips tremble to curl again.
"Should we give you some time alone?" Cyrus suggested to the couple who flushed at the offer, getting shy. Everyone simply laughed it off before Cyrus started again. "So, you're a prefect now. Congratulations, Aine."
Aine shrugs, stretching her shoulders awkwardly. "Yep," she replies, popping the 'p'. She didn't know whether it was a good thing or not now that she had another title added to her name. "I don't know... Seems like a hassle. I'm more of a rule broker than a rule follower," she said. Though she would very much love to contradict the sentence she had just said. There were times when she believed that rules were important to follow but lately, she just felt the adrenaline rush and thrill of breaking them.
"I cannot believe you just said that," Blaise said, faking a gasp. He faces Draco, "What did you teach her, my dude?"
Draco rolls his eyes, slightly offended by the accusation. "What makes you think I taught her anything?"
"She's picked up on your rule-breaking habit!" Blaise charged, pointing a finger at him.
"I don't break rules!"
"Technically, you did. A few... Actually, quite a number of times, didn't you?" Cyrus softly chimed in, triggering Aine to snort at his timid yet daring claims. He started to list out some of the past rules that Draco had broken, counting with his fingers as he smirks at him.
"Wow. Not you too, Cyrus," Draco groans, running his fingers through his platinum locks.
"But hey, that also means you'll get to spend more time together at night too, patrolling the castle and you know..." Blaise trails off, snickering at his imagination. He smirked at Aine and wiggled his brows, "You know..." he repeated, poking fun at the pair.
"No, I don't know, Blaise," Aine responded with sarcasm. She obviously knew what the boy meant but chose to play dumb.
"Don't do anything inappropriate, children," Cyrus teases. He cleared his throat and grinned at Draco. His words were more directed at his fellow housemate than at Aine.
Aine face-palmed herself, burying her face into her hands as she hides the rosy tints on her cheeks. She muttered a soft curse under her breath and Draco let out a long and loud sigh.
Being elected to be a prefect was a hassle for Aine, she didn't know why she had been chosen especially since she was pretty much a rebel last year when Umbridge had reigned. Besides Harry who had led Dumbledore's Army, she had her equal share of the blame too. Even so, Aine thought of it in another light. Being a prefect now also meant that she had more time including nights when students ought to be in their common rooms to turn in, she now had the opportunity to say, perhaps mend the vanishing cabinet?
Suddenly, out of nowhere, dirty grey smog emanates into the air, creating a thick smokescreen. Everyone was in a state of panic and terror, coughing as if some sort of powder had been thrown in their faces and hands flailing in the air, trying to diffuse the pollution. Students began complaining and grumbling, staring at one another to see who had started it.
Thankfully, Aine and her friends were a couple of tables away from the disruption so they were safe. Though it was getting hard to see and breathe, the girl held her breath and Blaise quickly opened the windows to let the murky air leave.
"What's that?" Draco questioned, he stood up and scans around the cabin, feeling on edge.
"What's what?" he can hear Goyle asking.
"Dunno! What is it?" Crabbe replied, his head bobbing about to get a better look at the people in front.
Aine tugged Draco's sleeves, resulting in his eyes finding relief in hers. "Relax guys, it's probably some idiot phantom messing around," she reassures her friends who were apprehensive. She gently nudges him to sit back down, calming his uneasiness, "C'mere, love. We'll be at Hogwarts soon."
The inky air soon cleared up, filtering away when students opened their windows to allow it to seep away. Just as the four were about to continue engaging themselves in discussions on the new school staff— Professor Horace Slughorn. Pansy Parkinson had appeared behind Draco's seat. She tapped on his shoulders and the boy turned to her, visibly annoyed when he saw who it was.
"What is it, Parkinson?" he droned.
"Drakey— I mean, Draco!" she quickly corrected, meeting Aine's glowering pupils before she sent her a sly grin. "It's time to go patrolling through the carriages!" she reminded him, hoping that he would join her.
Draco raised a brow and both Blaise and Cyrus glanced at their fellow housemate who was fidgeting, everyone knew that Pansy still had a huge crush on Draco. What's new?
"And..?" Draco enquired, playing with Aine's bracelet without looking at the Slytherin girl. His attention drifted away from Pansy's questions back to Aine, a smile sneaking onto his face when he saw the light blue stone he had given her on it. He felt a little proud to see it strung together with the rest.
"We have to do our prefect duties!" she squeaks back, glaring at Aine who was beaming innocently in her direction. The reaction annoyed the hell out of Pansy.
Still fiddling with Aine's bracelet, Draco showed no sign of standing up or moving from where he was. "You can do it alone. The new first-year students are irritating and noisy, I rather not waste my time trying to calm those children," Draco replied, waving her away. He couldn't be bothered to do any of his tasks when he was having such a great time with his friends.
"You need to do the duties too, Estoileon!" Pansy chastised, gritting through Aine's name. It was infuriating enough to see both her beloved Draco and her nemesis holding hands, let alone being all chummy in front of her eyes. She just wanted to tear them apart and be the one by his side.
"I'll do mine later, Parkinson. Don't worry," Aine responded with a generous smile.
"How do I know if you'll keep your word?" Pansy snaps back, attempting to provoke the younger girl. Aine narrowed her gaze at her, causing the Slytherin girl to shiver. It didn't stop her from speaking another line, "Y- You're nothing more than a liar! I... I can't believe someone like you is chosen to be a prefect!" she jabs back at the girl.
"Believe me, I don't know why either. But I supposed that means the school has recognized my capabilities, no?" Aine chuckles.
"You're an incapable girl! How dare you stand next to Drakey Poo!" Pansy continued to hurl insults at the girl. The nickname she had given to Draco made everyone nearby cringe, even Blaise and Cyrus were disgusted to the core. Draco even prayed at that moment that he did not have any ears to hear that disgusting name he had received. "You're the reason his family's grace has fallen!" she spat, venom lacing in her words as she spirals out of jealousy.
Draco felt his nails dig deeper into his palms. Aine's lips twitched at her comment and the whole trailer became silent. She exhales, standing up from her seat to meet Pansy's wavering irises. The girl blinks back, still having the audacity to puff her chest out and raise her chin as if she had said nothing wrong. "If you're looking to elicit a fight, Parkinson... You should know you're failing," Aine said calmly.
A scoff escaped from Pansy and she shot Aine a scornful look. "If your father hadn't been the one to attack Draco's father, the entire Malfoy family would still be together and everyone wouldn't openly defame them!" she yelled, witnessing the tiniest emotion cracking through from Aine's face.
Aine kept her emotions in check, even when the words Pansy had babbled had punctured the deep and raw wounds that she was healing. At that moment, it felt like she had all the bandaids ripped from her injured heart, the remorse bleeding through into her palms.
"Pansy, that's enough!" Daphane Greengrass hisses to her friend, and the atmosphere around them became sombre and heavy. She noted Aine's darkening face, her jaw hardening but Pansy saw this as gaining control over the girl she had loathed.
Further driving the blade of regret in Aine's soul, she spoke of the one thing that had hurt Aine the most. "Maybe that's how your father died! It was because of you! Well, I supposed that's an eye for an eye isn't it, Estoileon? He got it coming for him!" she sneers aloud, a little laughter escaping from her lips.
A series of gasps left many mouths around them, unable to believe that Pansy had the guts to go as far as using a sensitive topic to get back at Aine. It was a low move on the Slytherin girl's part. Even her friends, Daphane and her sister, Astoria, and some other girls were lost for words. They jerked their heads away, pretending not to know her and be in any part of the girl's shortcomings.
Rage flashed through Aine's golden pupils, she mustered every strength to not kill the imprudent girl before her. She could already feel her power crackling through and the lights were flickering, lamps swaying dangerously above their heads. Her breath was unsteady and her hand reached for the knife in her side boot. Her neck cranks to one side as she trails to Pansy's throat. She wasn't even wearing a collar top to cover her neck.
What a perfect coincidence.
Just one stroke... At this distance, one slash across her bare neck would be enough.
Aine could make it quick and clean without failing.
"ENOUGH!" Draco bellowed, slamming his fists on the glass table and startling Pansy with his fury at the same time. He stood to full height and stared down his former 'friend'. If looks could kill, Pansy Parkinson would already be dead. "How dare you..." he growls at her, his gaze locking onto wide-eyed Pansy's.
She gave a dry flustered chuckle, hiding her fear. "Draco? What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
"Yes... You have said something that shouldn't be said. You've gone too far, Parkinson..." Draco said, his voice had become low and menacing. He couldn't bear to go on listening to the words coming from her mouth, insulting the girl he had loved. Pansy had known nothing about what happened, nothing about the pain Aine had felt and when he saw how quiet and still the Gryffindor girl was, he could already hear her heart shattering into pieces.
"B- But I only said the truth!" she defended.
"And how do you know that?" Cyrus questioned, darting over to her.
"What..? Just what did I say that was wrong?!" the Slytherin girl screams, trying to justify herself. She snapped to Aine who was clearly done with her. She had overstepped her boundaries and taunted Aine's father's death, there were more than enough reasons to have her killed. Oh, how tempted Aine was...
"You're delusional, Parkinson. Why don't you leave before you embarrass yourself any further?" Blaise recommended, glaring daggers at her.
Slowly turning to face the Slytherin girl, Aine's demeanour had shifted. She bore her eyes into Pansy's dark brown irises, "Get out of my sight," she coldly whispers. Almost as if under a spell, Pansy's pupils instantly clouded like a layer of translucent fog had covered them.
"As... As you wish..." Pansy stuttered back monotonously. She fell into a trance, with zero emotion on her face before she complies with Aine's command. She turned her heels and slowly wobbled away, falling on deaf ears to any of her friends' calls from behind.
There was an awkward tension in the air, heads began looking away to the changing scenery outside, gulping nervously. "If I hear another word about our families, mark my words. I will not remain still about it," Draco warns before sitting back down with Aine.
Cyrus squeezed Draco's shoulders, helping the boy cool his head while Blaise offered a smile to Aine, reassuring her that it was all cool. However, it didn't stop Aine and Draco's moods from dropping significantly, and neither can she stop thinking about what Pansy had said. But in the end, they chose to forget about it, not wanting to dwell on it and ruin their first day of school.
Sometime later, both Aine and Draco ended up performing their prefect duties. The boy had originally wanted to ditch his tasks but Aine had dragged him along, saying that it could be fun. Which kinda was, since they had got to see some entertaining moments along the way, something to boost their declining moods from the uproar Pansy had caused.
After patrolling through the few cabins together, they returned back to their seats to rest for the remaining time left before they arrived at Hogwarts. Just when they had thought they could have some peace in their minds, a subtle but irking screech could be heard.
Aine and Draco peer up to their bags placed in the upper storage shelving compartment. They spot it moving every few seconds, the metal buckle of Aine's leather saddle bag scratching on the metal bars. She squinted at it, noticing her bag being nudged away and away. To others, it might have looked like their bags were being moved by the speed of the train. Whereas Aine had found the appearance around the void next to their bags distorting a little, triggering her suspicions.
Then, she catches Draco's gaze on it before meeting her eyes. Immediately, they rolled their eyes in unison, giving an exasperated sigh.
'We have some unwanted guest here...' she heard Draco say in her mind and she blinks once, agreeing in silence.
As if already knowing who it was, Aine continued to look up. She drills her eyes through the Invisibility Cloak and at the boy who was trying his best to crawl past their heads. Aine bluntly swore in her head, making Draco stifle a laugh at her.
For Godric's sake, Harry James Potter... What were you thinking..?
~~~
When the Hogwarts Expressed arrived at the Hogsmeade station, it was already nightfall. Students began to filter out of the train, excitement buzzing in the air. Aine took her coat and threaded her arms through the sleeves before grabbing her bag but not before secretly eyeing the spot Harry was. She had to admit, he was assiduous in keeping still the whole ride.
Glancing at Draco who was still sitting in his seat, she quirked a brow. "How long are you planning to sit?" she asks and he softens tenderly at her.
"You can go on ahead first with Blaise and Cyrus, my love," he replies, resting his chin on his hand. "I wanna check something."
Blaise and Cyrus exchanged puzzled glances and shrugged, they soon left the train while Aine remained behind. She stares at her lover, speaking through minds. She knew that Draco was going to confront Harry one way or another, hating the fact that he had been eavesdropping the whole ride from god knows when? He could only guess.
'Don't be too hard on him, Draco...' she said mentally to Draco, giving him a sad smile. She still cared about Harry dearly, even though sometimes he does the most questionable things and chooses dumb life choices.
Draco swallowed the urge to retaliate, 'I can't believe you're defending him even though he's in the wrong...' he pouts.
'I'll wait for you, so don't keep me waiting, okay?'
'I think you should meet the rest of your friends, Granger and Weasley...'
'Okay, but don't be late,' she cautions him.
'Alright, love. I'll see you later,' he promises.
Draco then shot a wink at Aine who shake her head at his flirtiness, she was already grinning from ear to ear when she turned around. She cast one final glance at the empty space above before exiting the cabin to join her friends.
Once Draco was alone, he stepped towards the door and slides it shut before rolling down the blinds on it. With a snap of a finger, even the shutters on the windows had whirled down. He soon became a volatile being, shifting to a crude demeanour.
He stole his wand from his blazer pocket, "I've spent my crappy summer with people monitoring my every move, and every word I say..." he uttered, clenching his jaw down, allowing the anger he had restrained to tip over temporarily. "Didn't Mummy ever tell you it was rude to eavesdrop, Potter?" he questions, spinning around abruptly.
Draco pointed his wand at the space he believe Harry to be in and shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"
There was a harsh clattering sound and the space in front of Draco's eyes warped a little before landing on the carpeted ground. He strolled towards it and with great certainty that he had managed to hit the boy, he grabbed the deformed floor and his fingers clutched onto a transparent blanket. Then, he peels it from the carpet and revealed none other than Harry Potter, paralysed and frozen as he lay.
He snarled at the spectacled boy, "Oh yeah... She was gone before you could wipe the drool off your chin." With his polished leather loafers, he stomped down on Harry's face, breaking the bone in the boy's nose. Red trickled down his nostrils as he stares at Draco, wondering if this was the man Aine had loved and if it was really the same person that fought alongside them in the Battle at the Ministry of Magic.
"I would use to say that's for my father— But not this time... That's for getting your bloody nose into other people's business when you shouldn't!" Draco spat onto Harry's face. He snatched the Invisibility Cloak and throws it over the boy to conceal him. "Enjoy your ride back to London."
The last Harry saw was a conflicted smirk on Draco's face which almost seemed as if he was biting back to say something. But Draco had clamped his mouth back, resisting the tremendous urge to taunt Harry any further knowing Aine would be upset.
Draco's heels clicked away until his footsteps became distant, disappearing into the darkened grounds of Hogwarts.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
Two protective beans being over-protecting the other and yet still respecting boundaries~ (>///<) What do you guys think of Aine's new friendship with the Slytherin boys, Blaise and Cyrus? Let me know if you want me to write more about them!
Also, writing about Aine having this other entity inside her that just lashes out at the most unexpected times is just a reminder of the effects of the abuse and torture she had experienced. I did say she will become a little more ruthless as the plot thickens!
I hope you enjoy this chapter and upvote if you do <3
- Zeneria