Dear Livia...

Summer 1994
“Some sugar?” the tall witch across from me asked, pointing to the small bowl of white sweetness. “Thank you.” I shook my head and took a sip of the scalding hot drink. I liked my tea bitter. With a satisfied smile, Narcissa put the sugar back on the table and added a teaspoon to her tea. My gaze wandered to the many pictures that hung on the walls and represented excerpts from the most divers epochs. By now, I felt like I could paint them from memory myself, as many times as I had looked at them over the past few days. With an easy movement, Draco’s mother opened the Daily Prophet and began reading the latest news. Large and small font sizes were spread across the light- coloured paper and gave a glimpse into life in the wizarding world. The sound of footsteps echoed across the aged floor, drawing my attention from the paintings. With hasty steps, Draco appeared at the top of the stairs and walked towards the table where his mother and I were already seated. He always looked well-groomed and licked. “Draco, my darling.” Narcissa’s red lips curled into a smile, and she put the newspaper down for a moment. Her son had inherited his light grey eyes from his father Lucius, but from the distance they might as well have been mistaken for Narcissa’s blue eyes. She picked up the small jug and poured a cup out for Draco, who meanwhile sank into the expensive chair next to me. “Thanks,” he replied curtly and took the cup from his mother’s hand. I quietly watched their doings and sipped my tea. He was very similar to his father, both inside and out. In addition to his eyes, he had also inherited his blond hair, which he had combed back neatly today. Ever since I had known him, I had thought he was a smaller version of Lucius. At school, he at least acted as confident as his old man. “Are you going to be the Beater on the Quidditch-team again this year?” Narcissa blew off the hot steam from her tea and put the cup to her mouth. Her demeanour was as accurate as her looks, and you could tell from right away that she came from a rich family. “Yes;” I said curtly. “I’ve practised a lot on our lands over the summer;” I added, lest my first answer stand alone. My summer was extremely varied this year. In addition to my training with the broom, which I had done so intensively that my mother had to remind me of the twilight, I had been on holiday. I had been visiting Tessa in the muggle world for a week. Her father ran a small café in London, and unlike the Malfoy residence it was cute and quaint. Although I had already read some things about the muggle world, the reality was a completely different experience. So many unknown things to discover, but muggle life always seemed to be pressed for time. As if they had a fixed goal in mind, which they would never achieve at the same time. Places like the little café were an exception. Of course, I hadn’t resisted taking some souvenirs with me. In addition to some clothes, a rubber ducky joined them. A completely irrelevant object that had no real function. It floated aimlessly on the surface of the water during a bath and beamed in your face. Not every object in the world had a deeper meaning, but the yellow rubber made me wonder how muggles could get excited about it. At the same time, I watched every inch she moved across the watery surface. I was like a cat fascinated by an insect or a bird. Of course, it wasn’t easy to persuade my parents to take this holiday. Eventually, I got to visit Tessa in her world in return for spending another week with the Malfoy’s. I had climbed high into the air, only to fall deep afterwards. How long could I blame Tessa for taking on this burden? Hopefully long enough for her to bring me one of those ducklings at some point. “You two could fly,” Narcissa mused now. I didn’t mind flying, really, but with Draco? He’s been our team’s Seeker since his second year. Even though we belonged to the same house, and I had known him since we were children, we had never done anything great together. Maybe when we were very young, but that time was long ago. For most of my life, I couldn’t stand him. He had been the kid of another rich scamp, so I had and would never attach much importance to him. I had always drawn a line, so I didn’t identify with him. “To keep Livia behind all the time,” he teased. So that’s how it was. At home, too, he liked to fill his mouth. “Who always saves you from the Bludgers?” I arched one of my brows. He didn’t have to trust his racing broom at all. Just because he filled the same position as Harry didn’t make him any better than me at the sport. On the contrary: I was on the team a year longer, and bet that I trained more often than he did. “Have fun.” Narcissa’s head had disappeared behind the Daily Prophet again, so instead of her face, so could only see a moving image of today’s headline. She thought we had something to do for the afternoon, but what about Draco? I didn’t hope that he would take his mother’s suggestion, because I didn’t really care. We hadn’t done anything together in the last few days, either, apart from eating together. Why? Just because I was spending part of my holiday with the Malfoy’s didn’t mean I had to enjoy the time and play pal to Draco. Did we have any interests in common other than playing Quidditch? “What is it, you lame duck?” Draco asked in a reproachful tone that was different from the one he was giving Harry. I loved to see the face of the surrounding wizards, who were only too happy to underestimate me and regret it afterwards. Challenges have been the dessert of my life. A thrill. But the insults wouldn’t give him a win either. I drained my tea in one gulp and set the cup down on the saucer, making the porcelain jingle. “Tell me when you’re ready, grandpa.” With a quick movement, I rose from my chair and looked down at him. Draco didn’t bother to finish his tea and did the same. Our bodies were only inches apart, and each of us was trying to find a weak spot or a glimmer of insecurity in the other’s eyes. So, he could wait a long time. As if I let him finish me off. Luckily, I had gained quite a bit of height so that I was no longer the shortest member of the team. I was a few inches taller than the blond boy, forcing him to look up. This sight gave me satisfaction. I knew I was good, and that feeling gave me enough strength regardless of the Seeker’s weaknesses.

With quick steps, we left the small table, and each returned to their room. It was only a few minutes before we met again on the first floor, both of us with their broomstick in hand. Draco pushed open a glass door that led to the manor’s garden. Though garden was the wrong term, considering half the forest was part of their estate. The warm summer air rocked us in its sluggishness, and the glaring sun shone in our faces. Synchronously, we put our brooms on and were ready for flight. “First to snatch an apple from the tree to be the fence,” I said curtly. We both knew which tree was meant. “It starts on three. One. Two. –“ Before Draco got to the last number, he pushed himself off the stone floor and soared high into the air. This little rat. I immediately followed him with my broom. I had hoped that he would have more decency than Marcus, but I should have known better. There was no referee making the rules. Luckily, neither of us had our wands with us, otherwise this flight would probably degenerate. The blond hair was a few meters away from me and flew over the treetops of the land. The wind roared in my ears, reminding me of my position in the game. If I had a bat now, I could easily throw the wizard off his broomstick. I tried to adapt my body to the shape of the broom, so that I created as little air resistance as possible. Even if it wasn’t an ace up my sleeve, my idea seemed to work. Bit by bit, the distance between us got smaller. “Think you can pass me with that?” Draco called out in a mocking tone that was muffled by the loud rush of air. With hasty grasps, he felt his pants pocket and pulled a small object out of the fabric. At first, I assumed it was some magical object, but he was holding a simple pocket watch in his hand. He lifted it in front of his chest, and I had the feeling that the hot air had gone to his head. The sun’s light was reflected at the optimal angle to the precious metal and dazzled my vision. I put my hand to my forehead to get a good look at my surroundings. Of course, I was practised flying with one hand, but I couldn’t win this race as a blind chicken. A mocking laugh was his answer. I lowered myself a few meters, so that I was flying directly over the treetops. Now and then, my legs brushed against the leaves, and the branches began to rustle. It would take quite a bit more to render me flightless. Slowly, I managed to catch up and was now below Draco. I glanced up briefly at the grey eyes and recognized the irritated face that was being kissed by the sun. All of a sudden, it reminded me of my school days when he walked through the common room with just that facial expression. I daringly reached into the treetops, hoping to grab something useful. Not long now, and it was September, which almost meant that the first trees were germinating and growing their fruits. Reflexively, I grabbed and was surprised to find that I had plucked a few acorns from the branches. Even if they were small and green, they would serve their purpose. Draco just eyed my action disparagingly and was surely wondering if I was off my rocker. With a slight swing of my arm, I threw one of the acorns up, trying to distract my classmate. Luckily, I was much better at aiming than Marcus had spoken to me in the meadow. A second nut made its way, hitting Draco on his head. I couldn’t help but smile, and I threw the last nut in my hand at him as well. Of course, the fruit wouldn’t knock him off the broom, but hopefully it would distract him. Just a split second, that’s all I needed. I heard an annoyed sigh and saw my chance. Leaning into the air again with my whole body on top of the broom, I managed to get a few feet ahead. Not long now, and we had reached the end of the lands. I would like to get the boy down to earth again, as cheeky as he sometimes acted. From a distance, I could see the tree I was looking for, towering up next to the fence and swaying back and forth in the light wind. After this race, the first thing I would do is take a shower, because the sun was doing its full work. On the other hand, I deserved a winning bath. I was about to reach out to fish one of the early ripe apples from the tree, but suddenly I felt my broom tug. I looked back and saw Draco holding his hand out for my broom.

It only took a little movement of my hand, and my broom wobbled. While I had taken advantage of my lead, I head completely failed to notice that Draco had sunk to my height. My hand missed its target by several feet, and instead of reaching for an apple, I spun in the air and floated past the tree. As the world spun around me, I could see Draco pause next to one of the branches and grab an apple. Harvesting the fruit too early snapped the branch back. The next thing, I saw was the treetops I fell into. I crashed into branches and twigs with my broom and felt the hard wood on my skin. My broom fell tumbling towards the ground and was only slowed down by the undergrowth. With a leap, I landed on the wooded ground, which my body clearly felt. A soft moan escaped my mouth, but it could have been a curse at Draco. The blue sky was only blotchy to see through the treetops, and a few leaves that I had detached from the branches during my fall fell down over me. I slowly sat up and rubbed my head. Luckily, I hadn’t sustained any serious injuries. Marcus would certainly have whacked my neck if he found out that I broke my bones and was unable to play for such a stupid thing. I hauled myself to my feet and rubbed the dirt off my arms. My white blouse had got some green and brown stains from the forest floor, as had my black trousers. I ran a hand through my brown hair and found some leaves tangled in my curls. I picked up my broom, which was lying on the ground a few feet away from me, and luckily had also escaped with only a few scratches. With a purposeful look, I stomped toward the fence that shimmered between the tree trunks. Draco settled lightly as a feather beside the apple tree and eyed me. “Tell me, are you crazy?” My anger was clearly heard in my voice and probably also in my face. For a brief moment, the blond boy flinched and let his hand holding the apple disappear behind his back. The grey eyes sparkled uncertainly, but caught themselves not a second later. “What is wrong with you? You’ve taken worse on the field.” Draco laughed, the familiar sneer finding its way onto his face. He was right. Especially as a beater, I was now used to being hit by a Bludger if I accidentally missed it during training. “And yet, that’s no reason to wantonly pull me off my broom.” I kept my irritated and loud tone, because I had every right to be. I was pissed off at him. Blinding myself is one thing, but I would have liked to have avoided falling through the trees. I gripped my broomstick tighter, my knuckles white. I felt like knocking the damn apple out of his hand with it. “Now calm down. Nothing happened to you.” Again, that hypocritical face, as if everything was okay, and there was no problem. I wasn’t often overwhelmed by the urge, but I would wipe that grin off his face with my hand if I had to. He might be able to threaten the other students with his family’s status in society, but that ploy wouldn’t work on me, either. We came from the same background. “Nothing happened to you.” I mocked him with a wasted face and swung the broomstick between my legs. I would have liked to throw countless things at him, but this conversation was too stupid for me if he didn’t even see his mistake. With a generous swing, I lifted off the ground and flew over the dark fence I had been chatting to Draco through for the past minutes. “Don’t be so irritated now. Where are you going?” You could have found concern in his words, but I knew I sounded more like an accusation. Without answering, let alone turning back to him, I flew away on my broom. The rush of the wind drowned out his voice, and I was solely focused on the one in my head. Nothing happened to you. Again and again, the words echoed in my head and at the same time showed me this mischievous smile from him. No matter what I had thought of Draco over the last few years, I would never come up with such an idea. Pulling myself off my broom just like that… Shaking my head, I flew on and fixed on the property. He could stand there all evening and wait for me – I wouldn’t come back.

I gently rubbed my towel over my wet hair, as I sat cross-legged on the chair. The brown leather nestled against the bare skin of my legs, which I had tucked into short, comfortable pants. Even if I washed the stains and dirt off my skin, I would surely get some bruises. It was already dusk outside, and the last rays of the orange sky shone through the window into my room. I stared at the wallpaper in front of me, which was a dark green. It was only a guest room, but it had been furnished with the same splendour as the rest of the house. A few books adorned the shelves, and you got the feeling that you could happily stay here for several days. When I got back here earlier, Narcissa just looked at me with a worried face. When she asked where her son was and what had happened, I only replied that if he turned up here again, she was welcome to ask him herself. I wasn’t going to cry at Draco’s mother for what her son had done to me. If he had any dignity in him, he could explain it to her himself. Since then, I hadn’t left my room and only disappeared into the adjoining bathroom for a half of an hour. It was my last night with the Malfoy’s, but at least assumed it would be a lot more relaxed.

“He did what?” a voice drew my attention. My eyes left the green wallpaper and inevitably looked at the door, although I couldn’t see through it. It wasn’t Narcissa or Draco who hysterically uttered those words. Lucius had apparently returned from his work. A low murmur, which I could not understand, was the answer. “Draco!” Again, the voice of Lucius echoed through the great building. My classmate’s father was by no means happy. I heard the dull sound of the heels of his shoes clicking on the stairs. With a lot of momentum, he put one foot in front of the other, willing to find his goal. It wasn’t until he had to be level with Draco’s room, which was not far from mine, that his footsteps stopped. A door slammed. “You kindly apologize to her.” Lucius’ voice was sharp as a knife and allowed no arguments. “I wanted to do that, too.” Draco’s tone, on the other hand, was low and almost intimidated. He was the little puppy cornered by a big wolf. I could well imagine Lucius slapping his son on the head at the moment. Heels whizzed past my room again and then descended the stairs. Now it was quiet again on this floor, but this calm should only work for a short time. It wasn’t a minute before there was a knock on my door. I rose from the chair and shuffled towards the dark wooden door. Of course, I had an inkling of who was waiting for me. I slowly pulled the door open and met Draco’s grey eyes. “What a surprise,” I said curtly. “May I come in?” He leaned his arm on the door frame. A convincing pose in itself, but after overhearing the conversation between him and Lucius, I wondered if he was just pretending. I let go of the door and padded to the chair in front of the old desk. I put the towel on the tabletop. With an indifferent look, I glanced at the door, which Draco carefully closed behind him. There was caution in his movements. “So?” Not a muscle moved in my face. He was more than welcome to feel that I resented him for his afternoon’s action. “So,” he began, glancing around the room for a brief moment, then looking back at me. “I’m sorry that I pulled you off the broom.” There was neither mockery nor spite in his face, and one would have thought that his eyes really meant what he said. What should I answer? Fine, I can push you off your broom for that? I hope he meant it and didn’t do it out of duty. “And you want me to believe that?” I asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of my body. He hid his hands in the pockets of the dark fabric. “What am I supposed to do to make you believe me?” Draco shrugged, and his white shirt moved up for a moment. To my surprise, it wasn’t tucked neatly into his pants as it usually was, but hung loosely down his torso. Don’t worry. I would think of enough things for him to do for me. I briefly put on a considered expression, which Draco studied in surprise. Of course, I could have taken advantage of his defensive stance, but another thought pushed that aside. Even though he had come to me of his own free will to apologize, I also recognized an intimidated Draco on front of me. Not that I would have that much of an effect on him. Only once had I managed to get him to look at me with that look on his face. The expression that lets you know you’ve done something wrong. It was now a few years ago, and before I even attended Hogwarts. That day he accidentally tore up some old writings that I had painstakingly found in an old store. It had been the same expression – that gleam in his eyes, that made him human. A flawed being. He no longer seemed like the braggart who boasted about his parentage, but like a simple boy. A simple boy who was clearly afraid of his father.

Although I wasn’t sure if you could really call it fear, Lucius intimidated his son. And it was precisely this behaviour that had an effect on Draco, consciously or unconsciously. “Nothing,” I sighed, breaking the silence that had lasted for too long. The tension in his body eased, and a relieved expression, if only for a second, crept onto his face. It really had been too long since I had seen him in this condition, I was amazed but just like back then, there was a boy standing in front of me who was just plain nervous. I pulled the book that I had been reading piece by piece over the last few days from the desk, and opened it in my hands. ”What are you reading?” Draco had now settled himself comfortably on the armrest of the armchair, so that he no longer had to stand around in the middle of the room. He was looking for something to do. I looked up from the beige paper, a bit puzzled that was still here. “A book on alchemy,” I said, pursing my lips. It wasn’t a book that was actually on the Hogwarts syllabus, but it interested me nonetheless. You had to hand that to the Malfoy’s: they had an extensive collection of texts and books. One of the reasons why my holiday with them was more pleasant than I first thought. “You are interested in alchemy?” Draco’s voice almost jumped a little, and the gleam in his eyes sparkled a little more. But this time it wasn’t because of his previously felt nervousness, but he seemed genuinely interested. “Yes, why?” Now I was puzzled. Was this child really interested in reading? With one hand, I grabbed the wand that lay on the table next to the towel and whispered the words, “Incendio.” The candles in the room began to burn, giving the dark furniture a warm glow. The sun had meanwhile disappeared behind the trees that grew for miles around the manor. “Just like that.” He rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “Are you interested in that?” My voice was a little softer and not as judgemental as it was a few minutes ago. Despite this, I kept a certain distance. “A bit. At least for alchemy,” the boy confessed to me, with the light blond hair that matched his grey eyes perfectly. I was beginning to get the feeling that I was dealing with an honest Draco who, like a normal boy, had normal interests. Now he sat down on the seat of the armchair, but he didn’t lean against it completely. “What did you read?” I asked, looking over at him. I had no reason to get rid of him. Furthermore, I didn’t care if he went or stayed – either would say something about his character. “Advanced Potion-Making.” Draco began to list. Although it was a school read, I knew it wasn’t read until higher class, but like him, I had read it some time ago. I could imagine all too well that there were other works of potions and alchemy slumbering on the Malfoy bookshelves. Draco stayed in my room for the rest of the evening and told me about the things he had found in various books. Of course, in a week’s time at Hogwarts, he would show his well-known character again, which only flaunted self-confidence. And yet, I couldn’t deny that I saw Draco in a different light that night. A boy who was more than his father’s image. A boy with independent interests. A boy who might occasionally hide behind a facade of scorn and ridicule, although he didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t see us as friends. Was it because he actually had interest that I shared with him, or because of the conversation I had overheard between him and Lucius, but I could safely say that Draco wasn’t a bad boy. He was okay, sometimes at least. And probably not as dissimilar to me as I first thought.

_______________________________________

“I hope you had a nice time here.” Narcissa curled her red lips into a smile. What was the definition of nice? In any case, I would have imagined my summer holiday to be different from staying with the Malfoy’s. I forced a smile and nodded. It wasn’t even an outright lie. Since I had spent a large part reading or having tea with Narcissa, I couldn’t really complain. Even Draco’s action yesterday, for which he later apologized, couldn’t cloud this feeling. But the list of things, I would rather have done instead, was still long and stood before my stay with this family.
“Come on, we have to go.” Lucius was already standing on the stone floor that spread out in front of the large front door, and his mouth twisted. “Draco.” Narcissa’s voice, on the other hand, was so loving. The person called stepped out of the door behind his mother and gave me a quick look. The white shirt had given way to a black suit. His mother briefly put her hand on his cheek, which Draco just shook off, a little annoyed, but Narcissa didn’t let that deter him. With a brisk step, Draco walked towards his father and stood next to him. I nodded to the tall witch one last time and then joined the two wizards as well. Again, I had this image in my mind that Draco was a smaller version of Lucius, also dressed in black. “Hold on to my arms.”, Lucius struck the stone with his cane, and a dull thump rang across the estate’s open garden. We did as we were told and put our hands on the man’s cloak. In the next second, our environment became blurred and a great deal of pressure was placed on our bodies. It wasn’t the first time I had been Apparated, but the feeling was definitely uncomfortable. It felt like being pushed through a hose. After a blink of an eye, the type of location was already over, and I felt solid ground under my feet again. The previous idyll on the Malfoy manor was replaced by a loud commotion that I could hear in the distance. In addition, I recognized a large spot on a meadow not far from us, which, on closer inspection, was filled with tents, colourful flags and many wizards and witches. Probably Lucius had brought us here on purpose, so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the ‘common people’, as he always called them. “Follow me;”, the wizard’s stern words instructed us, and Draco and I picked our way through the green grass toward our destination.
“Richard.” Lucius’ voice brightened, and he spread his arms when he spotted my father some distance away. He turned away from an older man and smiled in our direction. The perfect whiteness of his teeth also stood out against his all-black attire. As always, his brown hair was gelled back. Although I wanted to be different from my father, I had listened to Narcissa’s advice and dressed in dark clothes as well. How would it appear to the outside world if I didn’t fit in with my father and his friends? Inwardly, I rolled my eyes and then bumped up to my father. “Livia, I hope you behaved yourself?” He put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with his grey eyes, which were in no way inferior to mine. “Of course,” Lucius replies, as I just stare at my father’s face in silence. He didn’t have complete trust in me. Lucius didn’t mention the incident that happened yesterday afternoon and introduced himself to the older man, who on closer inspection turned out to be Cornelius Fudge. The Minister of Magic gave me a brief nod of greeting and then turned back to my father and Lucius. He didn’t want to waste his time on a bunch of children. The men laughed. Urgh, that fake sympathy they all pretended to be. I let my eyes dart across the surrounding meadows, knowing that I wouldn’t recognize anyone from here. With our fathers and the Minister of Magic leading the way, we headed towards the grand arena where tonight’s game was taking place. I accompanied men who held the highest positions in the ministry, so we didn’t have to push past anyone or stand in line. As festive and pompous as the arena looked from the outside, it was so narrow inside. Many small corridors and stairs branched around the high building and led to the individual squares, some of which were so high up that it was like climbing a mountain. Fudge had already gone ahead, so Draco and I followed our fathers. We came to a stop on a small platform that offered a little more space than the narrow corridors. The lights now and then stripped these dark corners and gave light to our surroundings. “Let me put it this way: if it rains, you’ll know first.” Lucius’ voice took on a mocking tone, and his face lifted. I peeked over my father’s shoulder and saw part of the Weasley family on the stairs above us. Arthur made a grumpy face. Ron looked at his father, then back down at us. “Father and I are in the minister’s box. Personal invitation by Cornelius Fudge himself.” Draco followed his father’s example and started boasting. He immediately fell back into his old role. Because the blond boy was so intent on looking up, he ran straight for his father’s stick, which he then pricked in his stomach. Serves him right. “Don’t roast, Draco. There’s no need with these people.” I was reminded again of why I hated spending time with the Malfoy family. I fully understood that the Weasley’s and their friends didn’t feel like talking to them any further. Harry started to lead Hermione on, but the snake on Lucius’ wand bit into his hand. “Do enjoy yourself while you can.” Lucius pointed out the latter with a fake smile and let go of the fourth year. Striding quickly, the Weasley’s climbed the stairs, putting a great distance between us before I could even say hello to my friends. “Nice of you to care about the boy.” My father laughed at his friend. If we had stayed longer at this point, my father would have intervened in the conversation as well. When we wanted to continue walking, I kicked my father in the heel. Oops, what a terrible mistake. He turned around, eyebrows furrowed. “Sorry,” I said calmly, shrugging my shoulders, so it looked like an actual accident. With an incomprehensible grumble, he continued on our way, and after a few minutes we arrived at the box. With the seat on the benches, I had the perfect view of the game. The cheers of the fans could be heard from every corner, and the first team flew into the arena.

A giant leprechaun dressed in green and white danced in the air, drawing people’s attention. The colours went out with a bang, and the opposing team presented red fireworks. Viktor Krum, the Seeker of the Bulgarians, performed some tricks on the broomstick, and the cheers got even louder. He was clearly the attraction of the game tonight. “Good evening. As the Minister for Magic, it gives me great pleasure to welcome each one of you for the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch-world cup. Let the match begin.” The minister let go of his neck and shot a spark into the air with his wand. With the first whistle, the players rushed across the field, and it was immediately apparent that they weren’t doing things by halves. Fast and hard throws and punches alternated between the individual players, and I could only imagine the power behind it. Would we ever play that brutally? With my Firebolt, I was at least on the best way to get there. For the time being, I wanted to keep my hands off this idea because training for the official teams was extremely tough. “It’s going to be a good evening, Lucius.” My father elbowed his old friend in the side. He acknowledged my father’s gesture with a knowing look. Whatever it was, they were up to something. I just hoped they would leave the Weasley’s alone. It had been one of those moments where I hated my father and Lucius for their kind. And that Draco was going along with it, too… It was almost awkward the way he was courting his father’s attention.

“I’m going to get something to eat.” I leaned toward my father and tried to amplify my voice, so he could hear me over the cheering. He just nodded and focused back on the conversation with Lucius. With quick steps, I left the box and made my way to the stairs. On the way, I passed many people who didn’t seem to bother to follow the game. Some gave me a puzzled look and wondered why I was strutting around alone. I let them bounce off me and increased my pace. I could hear muffled applause. A team must have scored a goal. As I climbed the stairs, I felt pain in my legs, as if I had exercised too much. My fall yesterday was still in my bones and wouldn’t make my ascent any easier. Maybe I should get revenge on Draco after all.
When I got to the top of the arena, I almost snorted. Whoever came up with the construction for the building was out of their minds. I fanned myself with a casual gesture, knowing it was useless. I closed the distance to my friends and squeezed myself against the railing between Fred and George. “If that isn’t our Livia.” Fred’s face was covered in green and white make-up. “What brings you here from your chic box seat?” George also had make-up on his face. You could clearly see which team they supported. “As if you don’t know.” My mouth tightened, and I squinted down at the box. “Hello, Livia. Nice to have you here.” Arthur looked away from the game and smiled at me. “I’m sorry, Mister Weasley, for how Lucius acted earlier.” I had been so uncomfortable that I apologized to him. “Haven’t we already been to Arthur’s?” corrected my friends’ father. “Besides, you can’t do anything about their kind.” He was the complete opposite of my father and Draco’s, and it didn’t surprise me that most of his children shared the same warmth. He didn’t blame me, didn’t count me among that arrogant pack. “By the way, thanks for your package. I was very happy.” He nodded to me and turned back to the game, which was enriched by another goal. “Since then, he only goes swimming with the rubber ducky.” George rested his elbows on the parapet and leaned down, so I could hear him better. “Hopefully you too.” I replied cheekily. Of course, I hadn’t just sent Arthur a little package from the muggle world. “How was your holiday at the blondie’s?” Fred also leaned towards me. “Don’t ask.” I looked to the right and rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on, wedding bells will be ringing if this keeps up.” Fred nudged my side with his elbows. “Urgh. Without me.” I made a face. Another item on the list of things I never wanted to do in my life. I could well imagine that Lucius and my father had this plan in mind, but before that happens, I preferred to live in exile. “Who do you like?” George asked teasingly as he followed the ball around the field. “Not Draco, that’s for sure.” Fred started to speak, but before he could voice his answer, I forestalled him. “And neither do his weird friends.” Fred had to suppress a laugh. “Then I would rather marry one of you two.” George’s brown eyes sparkled. “Is that an offer or a promise?” he asked in surprise. “More like a threat,” Fred conceded. “Time for me to go,” I said, eyes rolling again, but I couldn’t help but smile. I briefly wrapped my arms around my friend’s backs and then squeezed past the parapet towards the stairs. “Say hello to your sweetheart from us.” Fred called after me. “Better think about my bet,” I replied, ignoring Fred’s comment. During the holidays, we had discussed via letters how to place our bets on today. The twins put their trust in Ireland, while I was sure that Viktor Krum would catch the snitch. It was a strange mission, but we couldn’t agree on a better compromise. When I finally got back down to the box after a few minutes of walking, the game was already coming to an end. I casually settled down next to my father and watched the seekers chasing after the snitch.

“I didn’t know you got make-up on when you ate.” My father’s grey eyes stared straight ahead. I took my eyes off Krum and cocked my head in his direction. “Do you think I’m that stupid?” He raised one of his brown brows and gave me a knowing look. I wiped my cheek with one hand to remove the make-up. “You talk to your friends, I talk to mine.” I replied without changing my expression. “You know I can’t stand this family. Their presence is just awful-“ His voice was so mocking that it took a lot for me not to stand up angrily. “I can’t stand your blond friend either, and yet I put up with him for a week. At least I have decency.” Viktor Krum grabbed the snitch, and the game was over. I didn’t care how loud I spoke. Let the big and the little rat hear us. “Watch how you talk to me.” My father grabbed my wrist with a jerk, and he eyed me admonishingly. “Are you trying to embarrass us?” he added menacingly. Naturally. What else should it be about? I pulled my arm away from him. “Smile and at least pretend. You can do it with your colleagues, too.” I replied curtly. I rubbed my wrist, but that was my only sign of weakness. The announced that, although Bulgaria caught the snitch, Ireland won. At least we had made some nice pocket money. I got up from my seat and wanted to get away from here as soon as possible. Within a few seconds, the mood had changed. How long would the hypocritical chatter from my father, Lucius and the Minister go on? I was clearly uncomfortable spending so much time with my father and that he was teasing me about it. “You can go home in the meantime. Narcissa would have to wait outside the arena,” my old man said, as he absently glanced at his pocket watch. His frustration with me was still in his voice. Surprised by this statement, I glanced at Draco, who was hearing the same words from his father. Were they doing us a favour or just wanting to get rid of us? The question burned on my tongue, but I accepted the possibility. The sooner I got away from him, the better. With quick steps, followed by Draco, we left the box and finally got outside via the countless stairs and platforms, where Narcissa was actually waiting for us. “I hope you realized what it’s like to be a Weasley up there,” the blond boy teased, as we walked across the lawn. “Are you sure you want to start this conversation? I don’t want to make you cry.” My irritated look met his sneer, and I signalled that I had no problem using my wand. My eyes glowed like icy fire. Luckily, that statement was enough to shut him up. Just because my father had presented it didn’t mean he had to follow suit. He should say it to the twin’s faces at school and see what happened. In the end, Draco would already cuddle because of their height. Maybe Draco was our first victim of the new school year. We held onto Narcissa’s arm, who took us to my parent’s mansion in a second. “Thanks, Narcissa.” I put on the best fake smile I could manage. I ignored Draco skilfully. With a blink of an eye, they disappeared, and the dark night sky stretched over me.

A few hours later, I was standing in our kitchen, waiting for the water to boil on the stove. It was now well past midnight, and the tea was supposed to help me fall asleep. Resting my elbows on the counter, I watched the steam rising from the teapot. The last few days had made it clear to me how much I longed for Hogwarts. Although Draco and I belonged to the same house, I had more leeway in front of him at school than I did at the Malfoy manor. And I didn’t even want to talk about my father. Today was another brilliant achievement of his upbringing. I didn’t understand how anyone could be so derogatory. When would he realize that the world wasn’t always satisfactory? The whistle of the pot pulled me out of my thoughts, and I poured myself a cup of bitter tea. I left the kitchen and slurped through the entry hall. To not spill the hot drink, I carefully climbed the stairs. Only my footsteps and the chiming of a large clock could be heard. My sister had been asleep for hours, and my mother was probably in bed. A brief whoosh echoed off the high ceilings, and I turned around cautiously. My father was standing in front of the large, massive front door. He was still dressed in black, and yet he had on a cloak that he hadn’t worn before. “You still awake?” He brushed some of his brown strands back into his hair and removed the new robes. In response, I raised my cup. “Where have you been?” I asked, not being particularly curious. Most of the time, it happened like this between us: there was a disagreement or my father lectured how I should behave, and after that everything seemed to go back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. He either suppressed what had happened or overreacted. “On the road with my colleagues.” He waved this off casually while a smile spread across his face. If he were in such a good mood more often, our relationship might be easier. “You seem to have had fun.” I, on the other hand, just looked at him in surprise. He rolled up the sleeves of his dark shirt and brushed a speck of dust from his matching vest. “You said, I should smile more.” There must have been an ulterior motive to his words, because he rarely did what I asked of him. His thought had a bitter beige taste. He consciously used the words I had addressed to him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out the answer and left it at that. I wasn’t particularly keen on hanging out with him. Maybe he had just been courting Lucius for Fudge’s attention, they had won. “Good night, darling,” he called to me, as he disappeared into one of the downstairs rooms. As I continued up the stairs, I shook my head. I must have misheard. It had been a long time since he called me by that name. Too long ago. Surprised, I went to my room and sat down on my chair with the cup. With the other hand, I held my wand and guided a book from the shelf to me. Sleeping was out of question now.

The next morning, I was supposed to read in the Daily Prophet that the campground next door was devastated after the game.