Lazuli - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The only small mercy that Umbridge gave me was allowing me to keep my private room. I don't know how I'd have dealt with the shame of having to return to the shared room, met the smug smirks of Pansy and Theodora.

When I returned to the Slytherin common room, it seemed like everybody was there. The word had gotten around about my membership in the DA and I could tell from the way that Pansy was whispering in the ears of some of the other students that she'd been spreading lies. As soon as I stumbled in, the room turned silent, the only noise being the crackling of the fire and the gasps of younger students. I felt my cheeks burn at all of the attention, which for once wasn't good.

My eyes caught sight of Sophia and Honey, who were lounging on one of the chairs. Sophia cleared her throat and nudged Honey when she saw me coming, Honey sitting up immediately and crossing her arms. I shuffle nervously. "I suppose you heard then?" I mutter. Sophia watches me silently but Honey pipes up, never being one to remain silent. "Of course we have, you're the talk of the school. And not for a good reason for a change." Honey's blunt tone takes me back a bit, but I accept it anyway. "Are you guys upset with me too?" I enquire, bowing my head in shame.

"Yes." Sophia says ruthlessly. "But we're upset because you thought that you couldn't trust us, not that you did it."

I look up in surprise, to meet the concerned expressions of my friends. "We're your best friends, Li, we tell each other everything. Why were you afraid to tell us? Did you think we'd betray you or something?" I realise now that Sophia and Honey's tones really aren't ones of sadness, that they're genuinely hurt. "I'm not sure if you'd believe me if I told you." I mutter.

Aware of the attention that we're attracting, Honey stands up and links arms with me. The second she does and I'm seen to have friends still, they turn their attention away and pretend to look like they're doing other things. But it's obvious from the way that they're leaning in and their ears are pricked up that they're still listening.

"Let's go somewhere more private" Honey suggests as Sophia stands up too and takes my other arm. Together they steer me out of the common room and down the corridor until we reach the wooden door that marks my room. I flick my wand to unlock it and the latch clicks open, the door creaking open and allowing us access. Everything looks exactly the same as it did before I left it. Except now everything is different.

I gaze painfully at a card that Draco gave me on Valentine's Day, so lovely that I'd left it stood up beside my bed. There were head-shaped indents on both pillows to show that the bed had been shared the night before, and it crushed me to know that I'd never get to feel the comfort of his arms around me again. Not at this rate anyway.

Honey threw herself down on the bed carelessly whilst Sophia shut the door and took a seat beside her. "Okay, spill everything." Sophia declared, more of an order than a request. I knitted my fingers together and took a deep breath. If I couldn't explain to my two best friends, how was I ever going to explain to Draco?

"Back in October, Hermione Granger asked me to join this club that they were forming - her, my siblings and Harry Potter. I was angry at Umbridge because of her refusal to teach us proper magic, and after what happened to Cedric I guess I didn't want to feel vulnerable. So I joined up." The pair of them are watching me without any signs of wanting to interrupt, so I continue. "They got members from other houses too - I was the only Slytherin though. But I didn't care, because for the first time the Gryffindors treated me like an equal, you know how much they think they're better than us." Honey sniffed in agreement, but didn't interrupt.

"I didn't expect it, but it was fun. I've learnt so much - I can do a patronus charm!" I exclaim excitedly, only to be met by blank expressions. "Anyway, we were practicing today and the Inquisitorial Squad smashed the wall in, Umbridge and Filch were there too. Umbridge stripped me of my title of prefect and Quidditch captain, and I'm banned from Quidditch for the rest of the year."