Draco's Hufflepuff | Diminishing

One: Hiraeth

**

Tuesday, 1st July, 1997

It was gone three in the morning by the time I actually settled down at the cottage and got to sleep. My mum and dad were naturally freaking out and asking me a million questions by the time I crossed through and into our fireplace.

I explained as much as I could without naming Draco. I said about me and Harry watching Snape cast the Killing Curse that hit Dumbledore and about the Death Eaters invading the castle.

By the time I opened my eyes, the sun was blaring through the curtain. I squinted and tried to read the time on the clock hanging on my wall. It said it was around lunch time, 1:00pm.

Groggily, I rubbed my eyes and swung my legs out of bed. Despite the sticky heat, my arms were covered in goosebumps, and I shivered as I walked through into the living room.

Both of my parents were sat at the dining table, with worried expressions on their faces, talking quietly, presumably about me. They shut up instantly as they spotted me.

"Oh, hello, honey. Did you sleep well?" mum asked, her tone cheery and loving as usual.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly, not knowing how to reply.

"Would you like a cup of tea? Perhaps something to eat? You must be starving," mum offered, whilst dad just stared at me,

"No, I need to write a letter quickly," I mumbled, not looking at them as I walked over to my dad's bureau desk.

With shaky hands, I grabbed a piece of parchment, an old quill, and an inkpot.

Dear Draco,

Are you alright? I hope you're safe, baby. Please, just let me know that you're alive and you're okay. I need to know that you're okay. Sorry, I just said that... didn't I? This is killing me. You know I am always going to be here for you. I am always going to be yours.

I love you.

I do really love you.

Love, Madeline xxx

"Malfoy Manor," I whispered to our owl, hoping my parent's didn't hear me, a tear trickling down my face.

**

Friday, 4th July, 1997

It was supposed to be our last day of term today. I hadn't ventured out of my bedroom since arriving, except for sending a letter to Draco every single day. I couldn't help myself, I just needed to reach out to him.

I was curled up in bed and got to thinking of all the ways I should be spending today and the rest of our summer holidays together. It should have been a happy day, filled with nothing but excitement and optimism.

Instead, I'm stuck in bed, with my own misery and despair. After Christmas, I had an idea in my head of how my summer holidays were going to go. I assumed I would get to be with Draco most of the time. We would be going out together and enjoying the sunshine. I would get to show him all the fun Muggle things I did every year.

I could have taken him to a beach and Merlin, would that have been a memory to keep. I could imagine how pissed off he would have been and how grumpy it would have made him. But we would have kissed, and he would have calmed down. It would have been magical.