The Next Term
Chapter 3: Mixed Emotions
Mika Avalon sat in a compartment alone on the early Hogwarts Express, for the professors. She couldn't believe it! It was just three years ago that she had been riding on the very same train as a student. Things had changed since then a lot. Her best friend Marionie Hearts was playing Quidditch for England and dating Oliver Wood, Hermione Granger ended up breaking up with Ron Weasley and dating Viktor Krum...while she ended up at a Muggle University in America, studying music and French while trying to forget her life in the wizarding world. She managed to live as a regular Muggle for a while but when she received a letter from Professor Dumbledore himself asking her to come back to Hogwarts and teach, she couldn't refuse. First of all, the Headmaster had been so kind to her during her years as a student, and also she couldn't resist the offer just because she would reunited with her old friends. She had mixed emotions about the job but she took it anyway.
"Professor Avalon! I didn't think you'd be here!" a familiar male voice said behind her, "Decided you couldn't live without me?"
She looked over her shoulder at Draco Malfoy in disgust and replied, "No, I was doing just fine. This isn't about you."
Before she knew it, Draco was sitting in front of her.
"I meant it, Malfoy!" she snapped, "I couldn't care less if you dropped dead."
Within the depths of Draco's cool blue eyes, she found an trace of hurt but ignored it. She continued staring angrily at him.
"You don't mean that...not after all we've been through..." he said softly.
"I wouldn't have said what I said that day if I didn't," Mika told him sharply.
~*Flashback*~
Mika was about ready to leave Hogwarts. She was all packed. She walked out of Gryffindor Tower and headed for the Entrance Hall, dragging her trunk behind her.
"Hey, Mika!"
The voice made her turn around. The second she faced Draco, she began to tremble.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" he asked worried.
"Don't even talk to me!" she hissed before turning around and heading to the exit.
Draco grabbed her shoulder and made her stop.
"Talk to me, Mika. Please?"
"I read the Daily Prophet this morning...that basically just ruined my Graduation. I hope you're happy."
Just then, Audrey Firestorm walked by. She smiled sweetly at Draco and gave Mika a dirty look.
"Mika...I didn't put that announcement up about my so-called engagement."
"No, that doesn't matter. I should have known from day one not to set myself up for disappointment. I'm gonna make sure that never happens again."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll never have to worry about me again. Just go off and marry that bitch! I hope you're happy."
With that being said, she headed out and searched for Harry, Hermione, Ron and Marionie to see which carriage they were taking. She didn't even give Draco a second glance.
~*End Flashback*~
Draco's expression tightened, remembering what Mika told him the last time he had seen her, on Graduation day three years ago.
"Now do you remember?" Mika asked, keeping her sharp tone.
Draco nodded, remembering exactly why Mika was so angry. His lawyer, who was a friend of his father's, put an announcement out about his engagement to Audrey Firestorm, who was his sister Joey's best friend Serena's older sister. The Firestorms and the Malfoys were close friends and they had planned for the eldest of each family to marry each other one day. Of course, Draco didn't agree.
"We're really a pair, aren't we?" he said to loosen up the tension.
Mika softened her tone of voice and said, "What are you talking about?"
"A snobby pureblood Slytherin and a hot-tempered Muggle Born Gryffindor...who would have thought we could have fallen in love?"
"Good point," Mika said softly, "I guess we complete each other in some strange way. I never forgot how good that felt."
"Me neither..." Draco replied equally as soft.
Mika tightened her expression and told him coldly, "This doesn't mean we're back together. You still married her. You still married Audrey Firestorm!!!" Her piercing green eyes stared into Draco's cool blue ones with an angry spark.
"Only because I had to look out for Joey! She would have been the next in line but she was too young...she wouldn't be able to control the Malfoy estate and the fortune until she was 18. I had to do it to look out for my sister...but I never loved her. You were the only one for me!" Draco was begging Mika to believe him with his eyes.
Realizing what he was doing, Mika turned away from Draco and looked out the window. The pair spent a moment in the silence. Draco just watched Mika staring out the window.
"Hey, do you know about what happened to Mari?" Draco said gravely, breaking the silence.
Mika forgot about being angry and turned back to Draco. "No, I cut myself off from the wizarding world for three years, remember, ya dolt!? What are you talking about? Is she okay??? She's not dead, is she???" she blurted out.
"No...she was injured very badly during a Quidditch match. All her bones have healed but she might not be able to have children..."
Mika's jaw dropped as Draco went on.
"...Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I sent owls to your father's to deliver to you. He said you didn't want any communication at all from the wizarding world. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
Draco expected tears to fall from Mika's eyes just because he knew how sensitive she was but he didn't expect what came after: Mika let her defenses down. She sat next to Draco and broken down in tears on her shoulder.
"We'll see how long this lasts before she starts being angry again," Draco thought to himself. He let Mika cry her heart out on his shoulder and sensed there was more to it then just Marionie's Quidditch accident.
Chapter 3: Mixed Emotions
Mika Avalon sat in a compartment alone on the early Hogwarts Express, for the professors. She couldn't believe it! It was just three years ago that she had been riding on the very same train as a student. Things had changed since then a lot. Her best friend Marionie Hearts was playing Quidditch for England and dating Oliver Wood, Hermione Granger ended up breaking up with Ron Weasley and dating Viktor Krum...while she ended up at a Muggle University in America, studying music and French while trying to forget her life in the wizarding world. She managed to live as a regular Muggle for a while but when she received a letter from Professor Dumbledore himself asking her to come back to Hogwarts and teach, she couldn't refuse. First of all, the Headmaster had been so kind to her during her years as a student, and also she couldn't resist the offer just because she would reunited with her old friends. She had mixed emotions about the job but she took it anyway.
"Professor Avalon! I didn't think you'd be here!" a familiar male voice said behind her, "Decided you couldn't live without me?"
She looked over her shoulder at Draco Malfoy in disgust and replied, "No, I was doing just fine. This isn't about you."
Before she knew it, Draco was sitting in front of her.
"I meant it, Malfoy!" she snapped, "I couldn't care less if you dropped dead."
Within the depths of Draco's cool blue eyes, she found an trace of hurt but ignored it. She continued staring angrily at him.
"You don't mean that...not after all we've been through..." he said softly.
"I wouldn't have said what I said that day if I didn't," Mika told him sharply.
~*Flashback*~
Mika was about ready to leave Hogwarts. She was all packed. She walked out of Gryffindor Tower and headed for the Entrance Hall, dragging her trunk behind her.
"Hey, Mika!"
The voice made her turn around. The second she faced Draco, she began to tremble.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" he asked worried.
"Don't even talk to me!" she hissed before turning around and heading to the exit.
Draco grabbed her shoulder and made her stop.
"Talk to me, Mika. Please?"
"I read the Daily Prophet this morning...that basically just ruined my Graduation. I hope you're happy."
Just then, Audrey Firestorm walked by. She smiled sweetly at Draco and gave Mika a dirty look.
"Mika...I didn't put that announcement up about my so-called engagement."
"No, that doesn't matter. I should have known from day one not to set myself up for disappointment. I'm gonna make sure that never happens again."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll never have to worry about me again. Just go off and marry that bitch! I hope you're happy."
With that being said, she headed out and searched for Harry, Hermione, Ron and Marionie to see which carriage they were taking. She didn't even give Draco a second glance.
~*End Flashback*~
Draco's expression tightened, remembering what Mika told him the last time he had seen her, on Graduation day three years ago.
"Now do you remember?" Mika asked, keeping her sharp tone.
Draco nodded, remembering exactly why Mika was so angry. His lawyer, who was a friend of his father's, put an announcement out about his engagement to Audrey Firestorm, who was his sister Joey's best friend Serena's older sister. The Firestorms and the Malfoys were close friends and they had planned for the eldest of each family to marry each other one day. Of course, Draco didn't agree.
"We're really a pair, aren't we?" he said to loosen up the tension.
Mika softened her tone of voice and said, "What are you talking about?"
"A snobby pureblood Slytherin and a hot-tempered Muggle Born Gryffindor...who would have thought we could have fallen in love?"
"Good point," Mika said softly, "I guess we complete each other in some strange way. I never forgot how good that felt."
"Me neither..." Draco replied equally as soft.
Mika tightened her expression and told him coldly, "This doesn't mean we're back together. You still married her. You still married Audrey Firestorm!!!" Her piercing green eyes stared into Draco's cool blue ones with an angry spark.
"Only because I had to look out for Joey! She would have been the next in line but she was too young...she wouldn't be able to control the Malfoy estate and the fortune until she was 18. I had to do it to look out for my sister...but I never loved her. You were the only one for me!" Draco was begging Mika to believe him with his eyes.
Realizing what he was doing, Mika turned away from Draco and looked out the window. The pair spent a moment in the silence. Draco just watched Mika staring out the window.
"Hey, do you know about what happened to Mari?" Draco said gravely, breaking the silence.
Mika forgot about being angry and turned back to Draco. "No, I cut myself off from the wizarding world for three years, remember, ya dolt!? What are you talking about? Is she okay??? She's not dead, is she???" she blurted out.
"No...she was injured very badly during a Quidditch match. All her bones have healed but she might not be able to have children..."
Mika's jaw dropped as Draco went on.
"...Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I sent owls to your father's to deliver to you. He said you didn't want any communication at all from the wizarding world. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
Draco expected tears to fall from Mika's eyes just because he knew how sensitive she was but he didn't expect what came after: Mika let her defenses down. She sat next to Draco and broken down in tears on her shoulder.
"We'll see how long this lasts before she starts being angry again," Draco thought to himself. He let Mika cry her heart out on his shoulder and sensed there was more to it then just Marionie's Quidditch accident.