A/N: Draco's musings over the petrifications in his second year.
They are both 21 at the end of the fic. I guess it would be an AU because of the Dramione, but otherwise talks about canon events. RxR. FxF.
Submissions for:
A Dramione Prompt Challenge!: Coincidence (16), Muttering (17), Regret (26), "Who in their bloody right mind does that?!" (27), Slytherin (32)
OWLs Competition: Herbology Assignment: Mandrake - write about someone who is/has been petrified (literally or just very scared)
Fanfiction Scavenger Hunt Competition: Your OTP: Dramione!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Everyone thought I was the Heir of Slytherin. I mean I wasn't, but being the Heir of anything came with its own prestige, and being the heir of two of the most prominent wizarding families was even better. So at first, I didn't deny it. I even boasted about it, in the Great Hall, in class, in front of the common room fire. But I was a foolish second year then, when I thought name-dropping meant something.
Some people thought it was Potter. It was very creepy when he started speaking to the snake during the dueling club meeting. It was only natural that people would link him to the heir. Salazar was a known parseltongue. Hell, our house mascot is a bloody snake.
It wasn't until people started being petrified did I want to run away from the title. Petrification is a serious thing and I no longer wanted to be associated with the heir, but no one could find the true heir.
The first message read, "The Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."
Everyone was scared. Most didn't even know the Chamber existed, and it was written in blood on the walls! And my foolish twelve-year-old self shouted out something about mudbloods. In such a horrid and terrifying time, I did the stupidest thing I could possibly think of as all my housemates egged me on. Then, I thought I was being smart, cool even. Now, I know I was just a rotten kid.
I should have never shouted that but twelve-year-old me still valued blood purity because my father did and twelve-year-old me didn't know how to deal with liking a mudblood after being taught to hate them, especially one that my father punished me for being second to. Hermione Granger, my first crush, the Gryffindor Princess and the one thing twelve-year-old me wanted but couldn't have. No amount of money or name would let me be seen talking to her, much less friends with her. So I would comment how I wished she would be attacked and everyone would laugh. I actually felt proud of myself for living up to expectations and thinking I was sneaky enough not to let anyone know my true feelings for her.
Then she was attacked and put in the Hospital Wing with the others. Potter and Weasley were like headless chickens without her, though no one thought Potter was the heir anymore. He wouldn't off his own Golden Girl.
But was it just coincidence it was her? Was it irony? Was it my own pigheaded, self-absorbed and cowardly thoughts and words coming to bite me in the arse? At the expense of a life, her life? I was devastated. I didn't know what to think. Had I somehow actually caused this?
That was the first time I ever regretted anything. I had always done things without caring of the repercussions. But at that point, I regretted ever saying anything, ever liking this whole 'heir of Slytherin' thing, ever wishing it was her. I started to panic, something so uncharacteristic of me that people started to question my sanity. My whole façade against the girl was breaking into small pieces and my futile mutterings about simply fearing that she'd come back to haunt us with her frizzy hair didn't help my case. I tried to keep up a brave face but it was hard.
And one more message from the heir himself: "HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER"
Which her? They wouldn't let us students roam freely though the castle and no one could go into the Hospital Wing. Did something happen to her while she was there? It was a long night and I could hardly sleep without thinking about her. The professors didn't know what to do but they wouldn't let a student disappear right under their noses, right?
It wasn't until the following morning did we find out what had happened. Though the professors wouldn't say much, a lot travels through the students. There was a basilisk hidden deep under the school that had been petrifying the students. Is it wrong to say I was relieved when it wasn't Granger, but Weasley's sister? Granger had still been in the Hospital Wing but now I knew just how close she was to being killed by the bloody monster if she could have been petrified by it. With the threat removed, all the victims had been unpetrified and I fought against the urge to visit her, just to see if it was really true, if she was really good-old know-it-all Granger. I-
"Draco?" a voice interrupts my thoughts and I realize I've been sitting on the back porch for awhile now. The pink and orange sky hangs above and cool breeze is blowing through the trees. I look towards the sound and see my girlfriend walk towards me and take a seat on the swing beside me. "What have you been doing out here?"
I throw my arm around her shoulders and say, "Just thinking about a twelve-year-old that should have stopped being an arse a long time ago."
She giggles, "If this twelve-year-old had blonde hair then I agree."
I pull her close to me against my side. She smells like her vanilla shampoo and I take a deep breath before kissing her temple, "Well, if there wasn't a bookworm twelve-year-old catching his eye, then he wouldn't have had anyone to be an arse to."
"So my bookworm-ness made you an arse? And here I thought I was just being little old me with a blonde prat following me around everyday," she says smiling up at me.
"I didn't follow you every day. Maybe every other day," I grin back down at her.
"With all the times I found you lingering around every corner and the back of every classroom watching me throughout Hogwarts, it was a wonder I didn't go mad."
"I think you were already mad to begin with. You purposely went into a bathroom you knew had a basilisk. Who in their bloody right mind does that?!" I say, my eyes widening as I looked into her own. "You don't know how worried I was that night," I ended quietly. I had never admitted that her face-to-face and I felt vulnerable sitting on this plain wicker swing.
She frowns a bit and we sit in silence, just staring at the colourful sky. Soon I feel her relax in my embrace, "It was kinda of stupid and impulsive, but you don't have to worry anymore. That's in the past and I'm here now."
I place my chin on her head and whisper on the cool evening breeze, "And I'll be here with you forever."