Chapter 3
Draco’s Pov:
As we approached the carriages we saw the thestrals. The thestrals looked beautiful as always. They were in the front of the carriages waiting for students to get in. There was no rope that attaches the thestrals to the carriages. The thestrals pulled the carriages with a magical pull instead. While walking by them I reach over my hand and let them sniff my hand before I attempt to pet them. You normally can’t see thestrals unless you have seen death, but after the war almost everyone could see them except for 3rd years and below. After a few seconds, they got used to my scent and nudged my hand with their snot. I gave them a small smile as I pet their head.
“Sorry sweetheart but I have to go,” I whispered to the thestrals while slowly taking my hand away from their head.
They let out a small huff once my hand was gone and I let out a small laugh at their antics. I bid goodbye one more time before I ran to catch up with my friends. Once I caught up to my friends I stayed quiet as we walked to an empty carriage. When we finally found one in the back, we got in and sat down waiting for the carriages to start going. My friends made some small talk but I had enough socializing for the day so I kept quiet unless someone specifically addressed me.
After about 20 minutes, we finally reached hogwarts. We got out of the carriages one by one and started walking towards the doors of hogwarts. Hogwarts looked different from before, well atleast to me it did. Yes it still looked like your good old Hogwarts with a few added perks, but for the people that were fighting within/around the castle during the war and saw how recked it was you can definitely see the difference. I feel horrible for letting the death eaters in.
‘It was all my fault that so many innocent students died. I should've never let them in’ I thought to myself. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts that I was having. I really didn;t feel like having an entire panic attack at the moment. We got out of the carriage one by one, me getting out last. We started walking toward the entrance as they continued to talk. They made sure to include me from time to time but they knew that I wasn’t really in the mood to talk much.
Once we made it to the great hall, we went to the slytherin table. The great hall looked exactly the same. The same candles floating, the same starry sky, everything. It's almost as if nothing ever happened here. The slytherin table had a green tablecloth on it while it was decorated with all types of candles and a lot of golden plates. My friends and I take our seats at the back of the table. I keep my eyes on the table while everyone else filters into the great hall. I continued to stare into space while the first years got sorted. I didn’t really think about anything specific.
I was startled by Theo snapping in front of my face and him asking me,“Hey mate, are you alright?”
“Y-yeah I'm fine” I replied with a small smile.
“Aren’t you gonna eat?” asked Pansy.
“No.” I said nervously “I don’t really feel hungry”
“Are you sure?” asked Pansy, “You seem really thin and even more pale than before.”
“Alright, fine. I will eat a little,” I said knowing that she wouldn't leave me alone until she saw me eat at least a few bits.
She smiles triumphantly as I put a little little bit of food on my plate to eat. I grab a bit of mashed potatoes, some roasted asparagus, and a small piece of chicken. I started off with the mash potatoes knowing that they could do the least amount of harm to my stomach. I joined them in some conversations to stop myself from eating anymore.
I couldn’t stall for much longer so I took a small bite out of my mashed potatoes. The minute I took a small bite I knew that my stomach would hate me later tonight but I decided to ignore that for now. I took a few more bites before stopping completely. If I ate just one more bite I knew that I would throw up immediately.
I looked up from my plate and caught Potter staring at me. I immediately looked down before I could catch his eyes. I suddenly started feeling extremely self-conscious that people were staring at me. My anxiety was getting too much. I felt as if everyone in the great hall was staring at me and I felt like I was suffocating. My hands started shaking and twitching marking the start of a very bad event.
‘My hands are gonna hurt so bad after this, I need to get out’ I thought to myself.
I stood up abruptly, scaring all my friends around me. The only thing going through my head was ‘get out’ repeatedly. I started walking towards the exit of the great hall. I was so close to leaving when suddenly I felt someone grab my wrist. I turned around to see the one and only Harry Potter gripping my arm.
“Potter let me go.” I said frantically.
“No” He replied in a hard tone “Where do you think you're going? To bully someone?”
“Potter please just let me go” I pleaded as I started to pull my wrist out of his grip. I could feel the entire great hall staring at me and Potter and it was not making anything better.
“No, not after everything that you are known for. How am I supposed to know what you are gonna do” He said.
I kept trying to pull my wrist out of his arm and he kept his strong grip on it. (Merlin when did potter get so strong?)
“Potter let him go!” I heard a familiar voice call out as It got closer.
I was finally able to pull my wrist out of Potter's grip but within the process my glove slid off my hand into potter.
“You have gloves on?” Potter asked “Why are you wearing them? What are you hiding?”
“Potter, give it back,” I said.
“No, why should I? I don't even know what this is for. What are you hiding, Malfoy?” He replied.
“Potter please” I begged. If I don’t get the glove back then I don’t know what will happen. Things can go bad really quickly.
“No,” he replied.
Realizing that Potter wouldn't give it back I turned around and started running towards the exit. But again potter caught me before I could get out
I felt myself start to lose my temper. I knew I needed to stay calm before I did something stupid but it was too late.
“Potter, let go!” I wish I could have held myself back but it was too late. I let out a huge glacier of ice between me and potter. The entire great hall went silent. I froze to my spot as I realized what I just did. Everything seemed to freeze as everyone took what I just did.
“What the fuck?” Asked potter.
I regained my composure and I ran out of the great hall before anyone else could talk. I kept running, not even stopping when I heard my friends run after me. I'm pretty sure I even heard uncle sev following me too.I made it out of the castle and started running towards the forbidden forest. (Would I regret this later? Yes. But at the moment I just needed to get away.)
After a bit I made it to the forest. I hesitated going inside of it but when I heard the people following me. I ran in without second thoughts. I kept running. I almost tripped multiple times but I always caught myself. I suddenly came face first with a lake.
‘Since when was there a lake in the forbidden forest’ I thought to myself.
I turned my back to the lake and I watched as people started getting closer to me. I saw Pansy, Blaise, Theo, Uncle Sev, Potter, Weasley, and Granger.(Why are does 3 here?)
“Draco!” Yelled Pansy. “Hey! Hey! Its ok I promise”
“Get the fuck way from me” I repled.
“It's ok, don't worry about it! We can figure this out.” Said Pansy putting her hands up. She slowly started walking to me.
Every step she would take I would start to inch my way near the edge of the lake. I look back to check how much space I have until I fall in. I gasph seeing that my right foot was already over the edge a little bit and it seems like the water is freezing under my feet. I look back at Pansy and I see that I am almost within arms length. I panicked and I started walking backwards. I hear one of them yell my name but they seem to stop themselves halfway.
I look down and see that I'm falling standing on ice that has formed under me. I look up at them one more time before I make my decision. I turn around and start running into the lake. I heard some of them yell my name but I didn't pay attention. I just needed to go.
Once at the other side I look back and see pansy standing at the edge of the frozen over lake with blaise and theo holding her up and the golden trio standing there looking shocked as ever. I dont give myself enough time to examine them before I run straight into the forest.
This time I don’t look back.