Author Note: This is my first attempt in writing a Harry Potter story. I've been wanting to for quite a while and haven't had the courage to do it. There is two songs that inspired me to write this and I'd like to thank Shinedown for creating those perfect songs. 'Breaking Inside' and 'Unity'. I'm always open to helpful tips to help me along the way. Enough of my words, please enjoy and let me know what you think.
Breaking Inside
Chapter 1: Return to Hogwarts
Her screams were loud and clear. It was something he knew he would never forget no matter how much time passed him by. Flinching at the sound, his eyes shut tight with a slight turn of his head. He knew exactly what his aunt Bellatrix was doing to the Granger girl. He also knew that her friends were being kept in the lower portions of the manor, unable to do anything to help her. He struggled with what to do. If he tried to stop it, he would be labeled a traitor to the dark lord's cause. Even if he did try to help, who was to say Potter and his allies would except it. Maybe everything he's done in the past was too much for them to overlook.
Another high pitched scream flowed through his head. Turning away, he walked to the opposite side of the house hoping that the sound wouldn't come to him anymore. Everything he's done up until this point has been to make his family proud; but now, the dark lord has made him question so many things. Was any of this right? Was his hostility towards Potter and his friends wrong?
"Draco?" His mother called in her soft toned voice. One that made him almost turn and run into her arms like a child.
"Is she finished?" He asked in return, keeping his voice emotionless.
"I don't know. Does it bother you?"
"Why would it? She is no friend of mine."
She gave him a questioning glance. He waved off her concern as nothing, which was something he was known to do when unable to come up with an excuse. The silence ended abruptly with another scream coming from Bellatrix's play-toy's mouth. Holding back the flinch of his eyes this time, he simply walked away.
Draco Malfoy shot up from a dead sleep. Sweat rolled down the sides of his pale colored face. The room was completely dark. The moon was still high in the sky and easily seen from his bedroom window. It's been months since the defeat of the dark lord and most of the trials were almost completed by the ministry of magic. "Damnit." He cursed softly.
This wasn't the first time his mind replayed that night in his own dreams. It's been happened quite a bit lately. Was his subconscious trying to tell him something? He didn't know. What he did know, was that his final year in Hogwarts was quickly approaching. With all the death and destruction caused by people he considered family, he felt like maybe he shouldn't go back at all. What was the point? They would stay away from him; but wasn't that what he wanted in the first place? For them to fear him?
A flash of the blood oozing from the girl's arm as Bellatrix had sliced the word 'mudblood' into the inside of her arm. He had used the word to degrade her heritage because he could. Sure he had been taught to hate them, especially when his father would lecture about it. The man felt that muggle-born witches or wizards weren't worthy of magic at all.
Shaking his head of the thoughts, he tossed the covers off his shirtless body. He roamed the room towards the window and sat down on the edge of the oversized sill. Another sleepless night to remind him that his actions in the past needed to be atoned for if he was going to be able to live with himself in the years to come.
A soft knock on the half-closed door startled him slightly; but he knew that his mother would be on the other side waiting to talk him through this never ending nightmare of memories. She was the one person he was grateful for. It seemed like she was the only one who truly cared about what happened to him. "Draco, another dream?" She asked stepping into the room dressed her night robe.
"It's nothing different than the last time." He answered shortly.
"Despite what your father may think, I find no harm in socializing with non-pure blood magic users." Narcissa stated warmly, keeping her feet firm in their place by the door.
"Do you think that's what this is about?"
"Isn't it? You feel guilty for not trying to stop the torture on that Granger girl...as do I."
Draco looked from the window to look his mother in the eyes. Her guilt ridden face sucked the air from his lungs almost instantly. His mother had a front row seat to all the torture her sister inflicted on his classmate. He couldn't image how that made her feel, because he knew how he felt about it. Draco mentally cursed the bastard that caused all the unwanted emotions that dwelled deep within him now. "Maybe going back for your last year will do some good...for everyone." Narcissa commented turning away to walk back out of the room, realizing that her son wasn't going to open up to her. Not that she expected him to. That's just the way Draco was.
"Perhaps..." He replied softly, knowing that his mother wouldn't have heard it.
Hermione Granger wasn't as excited for the start of her final year as she should be. Maybe that was because of what she had been through the year before. She knew the struggles everyone went through to get to this point, including the death of the Headmaster Dumbledore and the promotion of Professor McGonagall to the position of Headmistress. Her hands were neatly clasped across her lap sitting across from Ron and Harry on the train that would take them to Hogwarts.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked out of concern.
He had noticed for a while that his best friend wasn't quite herself. He really couldn't blame her either. She had been through a lot over the last several months. No matter how hot it was outside, she always wore long sleeves to keep the scar on her arm covered. It just brought on too much for her to handle.
"Is this really the right thing to do?" She questioned.
"There's no reason not to. He's gone. Nothing but peace now..." Ron assured moving across to sit down next to her.
She loved Ron. She did; but after the defeat of he-who-shall-not-be-named, she felt empty. Her enthusiasm for magic had left her and all that was left was a shell of the former she used to be. Hermione didn't want to worry them with her own personal demons and hopefully once she got back to Hogwarts it would all change. She missed the entire Gryffindor House and even the fat lady painting.
Ron took one of her hands into his own, lacing his fingers through hers in attempts to comfort her uneasiness. Harry smiled the second Ginny walked into their compartment. Her long red hair hung over her shoulders, accenting to her outfit of simple muggle clothing. Jeans and a dark green tank-top, exposing her bare arms. "There is nothing to worry about, Hermione." Ginny stated giving her friend a sweet smile.
She spent the rest of the train ride listening to her friends talking about what classes they were taking. Turning her head slightly, her eyes caught a glimpse of light blonde hair walking passed. Draco Malfoy. Her heart fell into her stomach at the mere thought of him. She was surprised that he was even allowed to finish his final year, considering everything he had done to ruin them. Somehow, there was this voice at the back of her mind that whispered that not everything was his fault, which only conflicted her. "'Mione." Ron called.
"Huh..." She said snapping out of her thoughts.
"We're here." Harry said placing a hand on her shoulder before stepping out of the compartment with Ginny trailing behind.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione stood up and followed the rest of her friends out of the small room and out into the aisle-way. She noticed that there wasn't as many people on the train as previous years, questioning if it was because of the past happenings or if it was because of something else? It made her wonder if coming back was actually a good thing.
She walked silently up the stairs, not really making any eye contact with anyone. Nothing was going to be the same and no matter how many times she told herself that things would get better and that the feelings of emptiness would go away, it never did. Her scar burned as a reminder that she would never be viewed as an equal.
The Great Hall welcomed her warmly. Looking around, her eyes caught sight of Draco entering with no one standing at his side. He was alone, which was completely unheard of. She had always seen him with at least two people that she assumed were his friends; but they were nowhere in sight. "Maybe they didn't come back or maybe they weren't allowed to come back." Hermione thought to herself.
"Check that out, Malfoy is alone this year." Ron poked fun.
"Be nice, Ronald. This is supposed to be a fresh start...for all of us." Ginny scolded.
"Gin, he's one of the reasons all of what happened did." He countered.
Both were right in the arguments; but Hermione wasn't going to take a side. She didn't feel like she could. The new Headmistress stepped down from the large table that housed all the professors for the year. Minerva McGonagall looked at the Gryffindor House table, giving them a brief smile before opening her mouth to speak.
"I know the last several months haven't been the easiest on anyone. Voldemort has taken a lot from all of us. Friends, family, and classmates. This year will be the last for some of you and I want it to start with a clean slate within all houses. I want to see more unity. This is supposed to be a time of peace and lets give that by less hostility towards others."
Her words rippled over Hermione's skin. The new Headmistress was right. There never will be peace if they continued to hate each other and not forgive past transgressions. The question in her mind now was that if she could forgive or even had the ability to do so. She supposed only time would tell. Once again, her eyes shifted to catch sight of Draco sitting at the Slytherin table. His gray eyes caught hers a moment before looking away.
Just by looking at him a third time, she knew that he wasn't the same person. The actions of Voldemort had changed him. How much? She didn't know and again, time would do the telling in that equation as well. Ron and Harry continued to talk about Draco and what his presence in their last year would cause. Ginny tried to defuse the entire conversation, not wanting any conflict at all. "What do you think Hermione?" Harry asked, severing her thought process.
"I'm going to try and listen to Headmistress McGonagall. I don't want any conflict either. I seriously doubt Malfoy will cause any problems this year anyway."
"How so?" Ron asked giving her a confused stare.
"He's been through just as much as we have. We don't have any idea what Voldemort did to him behind the curtain. Let's not forget how his mother lied to him about Harry's death."
Hermione stood up just as those words were spoke. She needed some air and now was the best time for it. There was no need to settle in, everything was still the same in the tower. Her legs carried her to one of the connecting bridges that overlooked the lake. The warm breeze flowed through her long sandy brown hair and caressed her face. "Unity huh...what can I do about that?" She said asked herself, not realizing that eyes were watching her from a distance.