I stared out the tinted windows of our car at the sheets of rain pounding down on muggle London. The car pulled up to the curb and I stepped out and over to the door on the other side, opening it for my mother. We quickly walked out of the rain and into King's Cross. Walking over to platforms nine and ten, we casually glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then walked through the barrier.
Of course, Platform Nine and Three Quarters was packed. It was warm and filled with smoke in here. I gazed around at the hazy scene. Children and teens wearing both muggle and wizard clothes dashed about, chatting with friends or finding compartments before the train set off. I felt distant from it all, like these people and I were separated by a wall. Mother pulled on my sleeve and gestured toward a lonely corner of the platform, pulling me out of my musing. I followed her much shorter figure over to the corner.
She gazed up at me, her large blue eyes wet with a myriad of emotions: love, fear, and worry, to name a few. "Draco," she said softly, "Please be safe." She reached up to touch my cheek. I turned away from her touch. Her eyes flickered with pain, but I didn't care. I had my reasons for being angry with her. And with my father. "I'll be fine." I said tonelessly. "Draco," she said again, "Don't be this way," my mother softly implored. I knew she loved me. But she hadn't loved me enough to stop what had happened this summer. "I know you're angry. I am too. I never wanted it to happen, but what choice did I have?" I just stared at her coldly. I didn't want to hear her excuses again. Of course she could have stopped it. It had been her choice to become a Death Eater, hadn't it? I wasn't going to forgive her. Not this time.
A whistle blew, signaling that the train would be leaving in five minutes. "I should be going now." I said tonelessly. My mother's eyes filled with tears, but I turned away. "Goodbye," she said softly. I grabbed my trunk and walked away from her. That was when I noticed the girl. She was staring curiously at the corner of the station where my mother and I had been talking. Who was she? I thought about it as I walked onto the train. I knew she was a year younger than I was, and in Ravenclaw. Her name was escaping me, but as I looked for an empty compartment I found myself thinking about her. Her long blond hair waved down to her back, and she had the strangest eyes. They were large and almost seemed to glow. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I didn't care about this girl. But I did care if she had heard my mother and I. She couldn't have, could she?
I was lost in these thoughts when the compartment door slid open. "Draco!" a high pitched voice squealed. Pansy Parkinson rushed in and gave me a hug. "Hi," I said, trying to sound like I was happy to see her. Which I wasn't. Pansy had been trying to get me to go out with her since third year. It wasn't that I didn't like her: she was a cool friend. I just didn't feel that way about her. I doubted I ever would.
Next, Blaise Zabini stepped in. "Hey Draco," he said, taking a seat across from me. "Long time no see." Finally, Crabbe and Goyle lumbered in. I pasted on a fake smile for all of them. The train was picking up speed now. I thought that being with my friends would make me happy. But it didn't. Now I felt like I just wanted to be alone.
"So Draco, how was your summer?" inquired Pansy. She was leaning in closer to me as she talked. "If was fine. Same old, same old really. Practiced some quidditch, went to a few games, stayed at our summer house for a few weeks. How about you?" I answered, trying to sound normal. Pansy then went off into a long story of shopping, swimming, visiting France, and staying with her cousins. "Draco? Are you even listening to me?" Pansy said angrily about fifteen minutes later. "What? Yeah of course," I automatically answered. They continued to talk, and I would nod my head or throw in a meaningless comment every once in a while. They didn't even notice. Blaise was busy staring at Pansy. I knew he liked her, and I hoped they would get together because then she would stop chasing after me. Pansy was talking so much she soon forgot about me, and Crabbe and Goyle-well, they weren't the most observant.
The ride continued on like this for some time. I had so much to think about, I didn't care that I wasn't part of the conversation. It did bug me, however, that none of them even seemed to care. "I'm gonna go get something to eat," I said, standing up. "Okay," they all said.
Once I was out of the compartment, I wandered up the aisle, looking for somewhere I could be alone. No one was out of their compartments, so I just kept walking. Then, I heard a low, comforting voice and crying sounds coming from the nearest compartment. My curiosity got the better of me and I entered.
In the compartment, I saw that blond girl I had seen earlier today. She was already in her school robes. She was sitting next to a small girl with curly brown hair and wide, brown eyes. The small girl was crying, and the Ravenclaw was rubbing her back and talking to her. I wondered what was going on. As I entered they both looked up at me. "Sorry to intrude," I muttered, "I'll just go." "It's all right," said the blond girl. She had a wonderful voice. It was soft and had musical tones to it. "Take a seat. Maybe you can help." I wasn't sure how I could help, but I sat down nonetheless.
"What's wrong?" I said, feeling awkward. The small girl was staring at me, and she looked afraid. "Allison here was getting teased by some boys. She's pretty upset," the girl said, as she continued to comfort the girl. I felt bad, so I tried to cheer her up. "You know," I said leaning in closer, "when a boy teases a girl, it means he likes her," I said. The little girl, Allison, widened her eyes. "I'm sure Draco would know all about that," the blond whispered to Allison, who giggled. "Feeling better?" the blond asked Allison, who nodded. "Here," she said, pulling a chocolate frog out of her pocket. Allison accepted it and opened it with a look of awe. "Wow!" she said looking at the card. "He winked at me!" The blond girl laughed. "Why don't you go show you're new friends that card?" I suggested. Allison hugged the blond girl, then shyly stepped over and hugged me. I was surprised, but smiled at her. She skipped out of the compartment holding her treasured candy and card.
Now I wasn't sure what to do. "I'm sorry," I began, "but I don't know your name." The blond girl stood up and gracefully walked over to the door. "Luna Lovegood," she said in her singsong voice. And with that, she was gone.