"You're dead to me."
Y/N POV
After Christmas, Hogwarts seemed a bit frightening to me. I was horrified of what the Death Eaters did to The Burrow. It burnt down in flames, and I couldn't do anything to save it. My powers had no match for theirs—I just wasn't strong enough.
I trailed through the hallway, casually being nudged by first years rushing to their classes. But I didn't think much of it. I didn't think much of anything, really. Only that terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen very soon.
"Hello, y/n." Professor Slughorn said to me as I took a seat in the back of the room.
I gave him a weak smile, showing him that I wasn't in the mood for talking.
Other students filed in and sat down. Some tried to say hi, but I didn't respond. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were switched to a different class, leaving me stuck here with snotty Slytherins, Ravenclaw know-it-alls, and extremely talkative Hufflepuffs.
I decided to ignore them, letting myself go numb. I was completely deep in thought. That was, until I was broken out of my thoughts.
"Y/n?" Slughorn asked, rather impatiently.
My eyes moved to his, and I realized he asked me something. Oh no.
"Sorry." I said, straightening my posture and glancing up at him. "What?"
"What are the affects of Elixir to Induce Euphoria?" He asked me.
I felt dozens of eyes glance at me, making me very uncomfortable. I hated being the center of attention.
"Elixir to Induce Euphoria induces a sense of irrational happiness upon the drinker, and cures depression." I said rather quickly, wanting the attention to go away.
"Very good." He said, turning around.
I took a deep breath, knowing that I'll need to pay attention more. I need to focus. Absolutely nothing can distract me.
"Ah! Mr. Malfoy! Please, come in." Slughorn said, making my stomach drop.
Surely enough, I looked up to see Draco, standing in the doorway. So much for nothing distracting me.
I looked around, noticing that there were only a few spots left in the classroom. Obviously he would take a spot in the Slytherin section—I had nothing to worry about.
"Take a seat over here." He said, pointing to my table, making me feel uneasy.
My head shot up, and I began to panic.
"No, Im going to sit over here." Draco said, walking over to Blaise Zambini and Pansy Parkinson.
I let out a loud and noticeable sigh, which I quickly regretted. Draco shot his head my way and scowled at me. What was his problem?
"I guess you'll have to brew the Wit-Sharpening Potion by yourself. Do you think you can handle that?" Slughorn asked me as if I was a first year who wanted to go to the bathroom by herself.
"Yes, I think I can handle that." I challenged.
"Splendid! Well, everybody, get to work!" Slughorn said, clapping.
I opened my textbook and read out the ingredients, putting them into the cauldron.
Wit Sharpening Potion:
1. Mix in Ginger Root until lime green.
2. Mix Armadillo Bile until blue.
3. Mix Ground Scarab Beetles until red.
4. Remix Armadillo Bile until red liquid is yellow. (Not dark green)
5. Remix Ginger Roots until brew is lime green.
6. Mix Armadillo Bile until the potion is purple.
7. Allow potion to simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Add more Ginger Root until the potion is dark orange.
After I completed all of those instructions, I noticed that I was the first one finished. I sighed and rested my hand on my head, letting my hair fall in front of my face.
My eyes began to get drowsy, and I felt faint. Thankfully, class ended and it was time for lunch. I quickly grabbed my books and sped out the door, but only for a moment, I was able to see Draco, sitting in the corner, gazing off into the distance.
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My next few classes went by like a blur. I was uninterested in basically every single word all of the Professors said—including the remarks of students who, frankly, made me even more annoyed.
It was about 8:00 in the evening and I found myself taking a stroll through the castles corridor. I traced my finger on the walls as I passed, looking at the artistic features of the stone. All of a sudden, I found myself looking at a tall boy, standing in front of a wall. I quickly stepped back, peeking out to see who it was.
Once I figured out who it was, I ran after him, into the Room of Requirement—just before the doors shut. I immediately hid in the piles of unused junk and priceless items. I followed close behind, watching him walk towards a large, black cabinet.
He looked to be holding a green apple—one that he had probably stolen from someone. He caressed it with his fingers, rubbing his thumb over the top.
After minutes of standing before the cabinet, he finally spoke. It was hard to make out, and sounded like a different language. He then opened the cabinet, placing the apple inside.
He spoke the same word, then slowly opened the cabinet, and in my surprise, the apple had disappeared. Satisfied with his actions, he slowly closed the cabinet, repeating the word twice more.
And surely enough, the apple was there. But a bite was taken out of it, meaning that the apple had transferred to a different person or thing.
Wait—this cabinet looks awfully like the one and Borgin & Burkes. You don't think.....oh no. I have to tell the others. But I wasn't sure enough yet. I had to get out of here.
Before I even took a step, I accidentally knocked over a piece of furniture. Draco's head immediately shot over to my hiding spot.
"Who's there? Show yourselves!" He yelled, pulling out his wand.
My shut my eyes, and clenched my jaw, slowly walking out from where I was hiding just moments before.
Once he saw me, his eyes dropped. I walked closer to him, and the closer I got, the more change I saw in his face. His skin was pale white, his eyes had noticeable bags underneath them, his hair was ruffled up, and his eyes didn't gleam like they used to.
I tried to take my hand and lightly touch his cheek, but he turned away.
"Don't touch me." He said sternly, as if he was angry.
"Draco, what's wrong? Please tell me I want to help you." I asked sympathetically.
"I don't want your help, y/n! You don't understand what is going on." He said, looking down at the floor.
"But I can if you would just tell me." I pleaded. "I can help you get through whatever you are going through, just please tell me."
His dark eyes made my way to mine.
"I want you to leave." He said, looking at me with anger.
"Draco, please," I pleaded, taking a step closer to him.
"Stay back." He said, stepping back. "I'm warning you, just please go away!"
"No!" I yelled back.
I looked down at his forearm, and noticed a tattoo—not just any tattoo, the Dark Mark. I gasped in terror as I looked at the snake and the skull imprinted on his arm.
"I-is that?" I asked, looking up at him.
"None of your business." He said, rolling down his sleeve.
My words fell quiet as I searched his eyes, "Draco, you need to tell me whats going on with you. Are you okay?"
He paused and sighed. "No... I'm not." His cast his gaze onto the ground and his eyes darkened, his voice sounded more pained than anything. "But it is none of your business, and you need to leave.
"I can't believe-"
Before I was able to finish my sentence, the last thing I ever expected to happen, well...happened.
All of a sudden, I felt a harsh, stinging sensation on my cheek. Letting out a gasp in disbelief, I lifted my hand up to where he had hit me — feeling a red, gooey substance trickle down my face.
A single tear slid down my cheek. Then another. Soon the tears just kept coming.
I looked up at Draco in complete horror. His face soon softened, realizing what he had just done.
Wincing in pain, I started to grab the corners of desks and at the cracks in the stone to help me pull myself way. I was careful to not look at the boy standing before me, for my eyes were blurred with watery tears as I was pushing every which way to move. Unsteadily rising to my feet, I looked down at my hands and saw the red painted over them.
"Y/n, I'm so—" I cut him off before he could say another word.
"You're dead to me." I choked, running away in tears.
He stood there in complete shock, not knowing what to do. He pleaded for me to come back, but I just kept on running. I ran all the way back to my dorm, which was currently empty—all the students had attended dinner.
I sat down on the windowsill, looking out at the dark grey sky. My eyes were red and puffy, and my nose was stuffy. I was a mess. But who could blame me? The only person I've ever loved just pushed me away. I was numb, unable to move, yet I was still able to realize what had just occurred. Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater.