When I emerged from the Hospital Wing, I ended up running into Dumblebore himself.
"Ah, Taylor, what a nice surprise…"
"Hello sir, you wanted to see me?" I asked.
"Yes actually…I just wanted to explain what happened…it's pretty new to you, isn't it?" he laughed. I smiled, but was confused. He then continued to explain Voldemort and Harry's relationship. By the end of his lecture, I was defiantly well informed. I was excused and I ran to find Ron and Hermione. Both of them were seated in the Great Hall. "Taylor!" piped up Hermione. "Thank heavens you're alright! What happened? I wasn't able to see, since I was rushed back upstairs."
"I am okay now, I was just splinched."
"Oh, bugger, what a shame," Ron chimed. I nodded.
"I wanted to thank you though. If it weren't for both of you, my soul would have been dessert for those dementors."
"Don't worry. Once we woke up and were alone, I thought it'd be best to hide until we were needed. Not all of us needed to be helpless," Hermione said.
"Excuse me! I thought it was my idea to hide, you wanted to go help," Ron said. I laughed. Hermione just rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, Ron, where do you come up with your stories?" Hermione laughed.
"What was the white light, by the way?" I asked, wondering what sent the dementors away.
"A patronus. Harry taught us how to do that last year when Hogwarts was under horrible management. He was taught by Professor Lupin, in our third year." Hermione answered.
"Okay, well, I just wanted to thank you both for saving my life. And also, Draco's. I know he wont thank you both, so I guess I will be doing the honors. I have to go find him anyway," I said, and then excused myself from the table.
I found Draco in the hallway. "Hey, I was on my way to the Hospital Wing to see you. But I guess you are alright," Draco smiled.
"Yeah, I was just splinched. My skin is growing back now," I said.
"That's good to know," he laughed. "So that's good that you are feeling better. I was worried after you fainted."
"Blood is not a great sight for me. But, are you okay?"
"Yes. No pain or scratches. Nothing. Maybe a dysfunctional family, but don't we all have one of those?" he joked. I really wondered if he was sincere in that statement. Was he now really against his family's dark powers? Only one way to find out.
"What are you going to do now? About your family I mean."
"It's all taken care of. I convinced my mum that it was too dangerous to become a death eater and to work with Voldemort. She agreed with me, and convinced my father. They decided that my well-being was more important than the dark lord. We would never tell Voldemort this, but I can still live with them, while they deal with telling Voldemort that I do not wish to work under him. How they will make that work, I don't know, but that is not my job."
"But aren't your parents both death eaters? Shouldn't they be forcing you to join them?" I asked. I was so sure that death eaters only loved Voldemort and only wanted to serve him. They now could be sincere?
"No. My father has the dark mark. My mother, does follow the dark lord, but in a lesser sense. No dark mark. Actually my parents are more worried about their pride than the dark lord. If their standards are lowered, they are destroyed. I must be holding a great deal of pride for them to choose me over their leader."
I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded. "Look, I've got to get back to my dormitory, I'll catch you later," Draco said. He kissed me and then walked off to the Slytherin common room.
FF: End of the school year.
The letter came on the last day of Hogwarts. Everyone was all hyped for the summer, while I became as depressed as ever. "What's wrong? What does it say?" Harry asked, once I opened the letter.
"It's from my father. I have to go back to America this summer."
"That's not too bad, you'll come back next year, right before Hogwarts begins," Harry concluded.
"No. I mean, I will move back to America. I wont come back. My father said that now with my mother gone, he needs somebody with him. I guess I understand that…but I don't want to go. I will miss you all so much," I confessed. I have no idea how I would break this to Draco. I don't want to think about that now.
"Well, there's nothing we can do, now, is there?" Hermione asked. I shook my head. I couldn't be mad at my father for this decision. It was the right thing to do. I couldn't live in England by myself and my father couldn't live in America by himself. "We have to go get our trunks now, come on."
I followed the trio out of the Great Hall. We grabbed our trunks and put them with the rest of the student's belongings in the hallways. Just like the first day of school, we piled into a chariot to be brought to the Hogwart's Express.
I searched through all the students looking for Draco, but he was nowhere to be found. I stayed with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the train as well. I figured that Draco would come and find me.
The whole train ride back to King's Cross Station; Draco did not enter our compartment. I needed to find him when the train entered the station. The four of us conversed the entire train ride, to keep my mind off of leaving. This was the last time I would spend time with these people. My friends. This was way more depressing then I thought.
Reality got the best of me when the train stopped in the station. I saw families outside the windows waiting for their children to tell them all about their year at Hogwarts.
I said my goodbyes to Ron and Hermione, and they ran off looking for their families. Harry was next. "It was an interesting year, Taylor," Harry said.
"Yeah, it was. I'm gonna miss you Harry, a lot. You've been a great friend, and I hope we can meet again."
"Me too." And then we hugged. I released Harry and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Taylor."
"Goodbye Harry." I turned around, not wanting to linger for too long. I searched through the crowd to try and find Draco. Soon, I was lifted off of my feet from behind.
"There you are!" chimed Draco. He smiled and then kissed me. "Ready for summer? You know, you can always stay a week at my place," he said as he began to laugh, obviously joking.
"Ha, well, that wont be happening. But, speaking of summer. Draco, I have to tell you something," I began.
"Alright," he said, grabbing a hold of my hand as we began to maneuver through the crowd to a bench.
"I got a letter from my father. I am actually going back to America."
"For the summer, right?"
"Not exactly…I am leaving England today. I am moving back to America and going to school there," I finished seeing Draco turn pale.
"You're not joking," he said. "But, what about Hogwarts? What about us?"
"I don't know. Draco, I don't want to make this hard. I really hope we see each other again. I am going to miss you so much," I said, trying hard not to cry.
"Yeah. Me too," he mumbled. I could tell that this was hard for him. I have never seen a guy show so much emotion before, especially a guy with a reputation like Draco's. I stood up and waited for him to stand beside me. I kissed him for the last time. Trying to capture his taste and what his lips felt like against mine. This turned into a giant embrace. I held onto him like I never wanted him to let me go.
Before I broke away to find my father, he whispered, "I love you, and I will miss you so much." He broke away from the hug and then trudged away, looking for his mother and father. I found my father standing near the nine and three quarter pillar. We hugged and then fell silent while walking through the pillar.
"What's wrong honey?" he asked, concerned. He shifted his weight so that my trunk could be easily pulled.
"Nothing…I am just going to miss my friends terribly. Even after a year, I grew really close to a few…one in particular," I sobbed. I didn't care who was around me. I broke down in tears in front of my father. He pulled me into a great, big hug, which I needed.