"Do you really think Harry is going to come with them?" Ellie mused, pushing the couch into place. Kyra rolled her eyes; Ellie had been making it exceedingly clear that she was a bit of a fangirl. Kyra was nervous it would become a small issue but she pushed it from her mind.
"I don't know, Ellie. Neville said that he had talked to Harry and they had gotten people together. He didn't mention if Harry was coming but he helped get a hold of people. He's probably pretty busy though, I wouldn't get my hopes up." She explained for probably the fifteenth time this week. It had been nine days since Kyra had gotten the letter from Neville so people were due to arrive very soon. They had managed to scrounge up another 2 couches for each dorm. Two people would have to sleep in chairs but it was the best they could do. There was hardly enough space for the couches as it was.
A loud knock sounded at the door, causing Kyra to jump slightly before heading to open it. Draco stood on the other side, worry etched onto his face. He stepped past her and immediately began pacing around the room, swerving around the obstacle course of couches.
"They're here. I saw them. They were wandering around the entrance. Potter was talking to the headmaster. I ran here as quickly as I could. What do you want me to do? Should I be here when they get here or do you want to talk to them first?" He was rambling, running his fingers through his hair and quickly pacing around the room, "Merlin, this is such a horrible idea, Kyra. None of them will want to help me. This is such a mistake. Why did we invite them here?" Kyra grabbed his shoulders tightly, stopping him in his spot. She looked in directly in the eyes, trying her hardest not to falter as he met her with those captivating icy eyes.
"Draco, stop." She said confidently, "It's going to be fine but you need to calm down. Go sit in my room. I'll talk to them and I'll come get you when we're ready for you. Now go and try to relax. It is going to be okay. Think up some great apology while you're waiting." He sighed dejectedly, hanging his head, turning to slump into Kyra's room. He stopped at the door, looking back at her. She simply waved him away so he continued in, shutting the door behind him.
"He said Potter!" Ellie squealed, clearly having held it in. Kyra rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to respond but was interrupted by another knock at the door. She beamed excitedly at Ellie and shuffled to the door, inhaling deeply before opening the door.
She was met with an enthusiastic smile from a boy clad in an argyle sweater. His goofy lopsided grin sent a warm sensation through her body, the smell of plums and cinnamon reminding her of her old life. She grinned back at him, quickly wrapping him up in a hug that seemed to take him by surprise. However, he was soon hugging her body, his arms tightly wrapped around her. He felt familiar in a way Kyra didn't even realize she needed. She was reluctant to let go as he began to pull away from her.
"I've missed you, Kyra." Neville cooed, taking in her appearance. Her mouth curled into a meek smile.
"I missed you too, Neville." They looked intently at each other for a few moments before there was a cough behind them. Kyra glanced up spotting George standing behind Neville. He had a full grin plastered to his face as he towered over her. She quickly broke away from Neville's gaze and crashed into George's open arms. He squeezed her for all she was worth, her feet raising off the ground slightly before he pulled away. Despite how on and off George and Chelsea were, he had been a staple in Kyra's life since fourth year. The battle had been devastating for both of them and it was now abundantly clear to her that, perhaps, they could have helped each other.
Kyra stood back, opening up the doorway, to allow everyone into the dorm. It was then that she got a full look at everyone that had managed to make it out. She waved as Seamus Finnigan passed her, wondering absent-mindedly if he knew what was really going on, considering Dean was here and knew Kyra had become close with Draco. She offered a small smile and wave to Ginny, Cho, and Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff from her year that she had never gotten very close with. Luna lazily flittered toward her, draping her arms around her in a bizarre hug. Kyra had become fairly friendly with Luna during their seventh year when they were in DA together. Luna was one of the only people that had managed to receive an owl back from Kyra after the battle.
Kyra smiled and ushered Luna inside and saw that the couches in the room had filled rather quickly. Ellie was standing in the kitchen, appearing rather disappointed, likely due to the fact that Harry was nowhere to be seen. Madison and Hayden had taken a spot near Eli, Marcus, and Derek and were whispering to each other, seemingly attempting to place names to the kids in front of them. Kyra took a deep breath, and cleared her throat, standing tall in the center of the room.
"So is everyone here?" She asked, her voice sounding less confident than she had hoped it be.
"Harry, Ron, and Hermione got pulled away by the headmaster but they should be here pretty soon." Neville piped up, making a strong eye contact that Kyra couldn't bear to keep. She glanced over to the kitchen, spotting the look of pure glee that had risen to Ellie's face now that she knew for certain that Harry was here.
"Well before I get into why we needed you all, why don't we wait for them? For now, we can just get acquainted with one another and pick back up once we're all here." Kyra took a seat in an empty armchair and allowed everyone to wander around the room, introducing themselves. She glanced up as she noticed Seamus hovering above her.
"I just wanted you to know that I know why we're here. Dean told me about who you became friends with this year. He says that he's not so bad and thinks I should give him a chance. I'm not sure that you'll convince everyone but you should know that I'm willing to stick it out and see how it goes." Kyra gave a broad smile and nodded.
"That means so much to me, Seamus. I know how this must seem but I promise, he really is a different person now." He merely nodded, moving into the kitchen, introducing himself to Ellie while attempting to look suave by leaning against the fridge. Kyra chuckled to herself and perked up as yet another knock sounded at the door. She rose to her feet, nearly stumbling over her legs and swung open the door. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood on the other side of the door, seemingly healthier than she had seen them in years. Kyra offered quick hello's before showing them into the room. Kyra watched in amusement as Ellie zipped across the dorm, stopping short in front of Harry, clumsily introducing herself and shaking his hand. Kyra cleared her throat and asked everyone to sit down.
Her nerves ran rampant as she looked out at all the sets of eyes. They were all so loyal. Kyra hadn't been very close with most of the people in this room and they still flew across the world when she called them. She was suddenly filled with an immense desire to abandon this plan—Draco could handle himself—these people were the friends she needed to surround herself and if she told them she had called them here for Draco Malfoy they would never trust her again.
Kyra took a deep breath and her eyes fell over Seamus, who was sporting a wide, knowing smile. She gave a meek smile in return and glanced at Neville. His kind eyes studied her expectantly. Kyra let out a final sigh and blinked hard.
"So as you all know, I called you here because my friends and I are in danger. I'm sure you have all heard that Alecto Carrow was recently found innocent. We have reason to believe that she, as well as a few other deatheaters, may be looking to come here and hurt us." The room was stiff and silent for a moment, the air not moving.
"Why would Alecto want to hurt you?" Luna piped in hardly above a whisper. Kyra braced herself, inhaling deeply.
"Because this year one of the kids in my roommates' friend group turned out to be a bit problematic. I want you all to be open minded when I tell you this…" Kyra trailed off, carefully watching the expressions on the faces of her friends. " I know you all will have your reservations and I don't expect you to be warm and welcoming but I need you to step back from the situation and hear me out." She paused, the familiar sensation of vomit rising in her throat but she pushed it back, "This year, I've become friends with Draco Malfoy." Silence. No one spoke for nearly a minute. Kyra couldn't bring herself to continue talking as everyone gaped at her in disbelief.
"Kyra you can't be serious." Harry finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"You have got to be mad." Ron joined in, finding his voice. Kyra wished he hadn't because he had gotten quite loud, "Tell me you didn't call all of us over here—pull us away from our lives—to help Draco Malfoy. You must be barking mad. Why on Earth would I help that git?" He continued in a volume that caused Kyra to cringe away from him.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself, "He isn't the person you knew in Hogwarts. Believe me, I had trouble accepting it too but I've gotten to really know him this past month and he isn't a bad person. He surprised me and I think if you gave him a chance, he could surprise you too."
Several looks of skepticism were traded throughout the room, setting Kyra on edge. Her eyes connected with Neville's. His appreciate was clearly scrawled across his face. Kyra knew she was asking too much of her friends but she had no other option.
"I'm in." Seamus spoke confidently, causing everyone to gawk in his direction. Kyra gave him a thankful look, breathing easier now. She was now just hoping it would encourage the others to agree as well. However, no one else was speaking; Kyra knew she would need to convince them a bit more.
"Look, even if you don't do this for Draco, do it for my other roommates. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. They don't know how to fight a battle and they could use some practical training in defending themselves. Please," She begged, "Don't let your feelings for Draco get in the way. They could be seriously hurt if they don't have training. Please, you don't owe him anything but I'm begging you. Do it for me. Do it for my roommates. Do it because you know that I wouldn't have called you here unless I truly thought Draco was worth protecting. Trust me, please." There were several minutes of silence while telling looks were exchanged. Just Kyra was certain her nerves couldn't stand anymore, Susan stood up.
"Kyra, I'm sorry but I can't do this. Draco Malfoy tormented me in school and I'm not going to sit here and risk my life to protect him." She fumbled slowly to the door, shutting it loudly behind her. Kyra was quite certain now that she was going to throw up. This was certainly not a good sign.
She glanced around, hoping to make eye contact with someone but everyone was avoiding her gaze. Finally her eyes connected with George. She gave him a pleading look, giving him all the emotion she could through her eyes. He sighed, his lips folding into a tight line.
"I trust you, Kyra. I'll stay." He declared with an edge of irritation in his voice.
"Well I think you're mad. I'm not doing anything for that git. Sorry, Kyra, but I'm out." Ron fumed, though he kept his seat beside Harry. Kyra's eyes finally connected with Harry's, though she couldn't read him.
"I'm not going to stay for Malfoy." Harry finally voiced, Kyra's heart fell. Without Harry, everyone else was sure to leave, "But I'll stay for you and your roommates." Her breathing hitched and she shut her eyes briefly, taking a deep, appreciative breath. She held up one finger, urging them all to stay where they were.
Kyra decided now was the time. She quickly headed to her bedroom, opening the door, slipping inside. She spotted Draco sitting on her bed, looking intently at Kyra's photo of Chelsea. Kyra quickly ripped it from his hands, tucking it away again. Draco glanced up at her, embarrassed. She merely rolled her eyes and took a seat beside him.
"I assume you've been listening, not just messing with my personal belongings?" She spoke, irritation ringing through her voice.
"Yeah, it sounds like its going better than I expected." Kyra nodded, keeping her face neutral.
"I think you need to come out now. If you apologize, we might be able to win over everyone else." Draco shot her a look that normally would have made her falter. However, today, she knew what needed to be done. "You cannot expect these people to just forget about everything you've done to them. Suck it up, be a big boy, and go apologize for being an asshole for 8 years." He scowled at her, his silvery blue eyes narrowed.
"Fine." He spat, standing abruptly and storming out of the room. He stopped short the moment he actually passed over the door frame, every set of eyes in the room swiveling to look at him. Kyra had never seen Draco like his. His body was rigid and she stepped forward, placing a hand on his back, urging him forward. He stumbled a bit but quickly regained his composure and strode to the front of the room, every set of eyes following him.
"Hi." His voice was quiet as he addressed the room filled with people he knew actively hated him. He glanced over at Kyra who gave him an encouraging smile. "So I know that none of you are my biggest fans and I understand. I was cruel to all of you at Hogwarts and I want you to know that I'm sorry." Ron scoffed across the room, seemingly shaking Draco's concentration. "I…um…I really am sorry. I was terrible to you and none of you deserved it. I don't expect any of you to like me. I don't even expect you to accept my apology but I do want you to know that I am truly sorry for everything that I've done to you in the past. I'm hoping that someday we can work past it and maybe even be friends." Kyra could see the pain the last sentence caused him. Draco may have been different but he certainly wasn't looking to be friends with Harry Potter. He was visibly uncomfortable and began to shift his weight between his legs, waiting for a response. The room fell into a stale, awkward silence.
Kyra stood beside Draco, ushering him to the seat she had just been sitting in, causing Cho to scoot further into the couch.
"So, I know it's not what any of you were expecting but I'm hoping you'll be willing to stay and help us. What do you say?"