I stepped into the Prefects carriage and silently sat down next to Draco, only the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff prefects were there at that moment but it wasn't long before the Gryffindors walked and despite my mood, I snorted when I saw Granger and Weasley walk in and Draco smirked.
"Seems like standards have dropped," Draco said and I rolled my eyes, Granger and Weasley ignored his comment and sat down.
I zoned out of the conversation filtering around about the duties of the Prefects and the consequences of abusing that power. It was pretty self-explanatory anyway so I just gazed out of the window and watched the world race by. Thankfully Draco didn't ask about the visit with The Dark Lord again, I didn't know how long I could too keep it from him but the longer the better. Well, for him at least.
"Come on, Dia" Draco finally said when everyone left, "Let's go patrol" I rose from my seat without saying a word and walked down the train with Draco, I wasn't surprised when he opened a compartment door to reveal Potter and his friends.
"What?" Potter said aggressively before we could say a word and Draco smirked.
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Draco said still smirking "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."
The others in the compartment started to snigger and my anger rose slightly. "Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter? I said with a smirk and Granger's face flushed in anger.
"Shut up, Morrigan" She snapped at me and I shared a look with Draco.
"Ooo, I hit a nerve," I said and Draco chuckled.
Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line." Draco said with a shine to his eyes.
"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up. I shrugged and Draco smirked at Potter before taking my hand and walking back off down the train.
We sat in a compartment and Blaise and Pansy soon joined us and sat opposite us, "Hey, Adria" Pansy greeted and I smiled at her weakly, "How are you guys doing?"
"We're good," Draco said and slung an arm around my shoulder, I couldn't resist leaning into his side, "Sorting through things"
"Finally!" Blaise said but he frowned when he saw me looking out the window, "Are you sure your okay, Adria?"
"Hmm?" I turned my head to look at my half-brother, I suddenly became all too aware of The Mark on my arm and I absentmindedly ran my hand up and down on my left arm. "Yeah, I'm fine"
Blaise didn't look convinced as he shared a look with Draco and Pansy frowned at me slightly but made no comment, I twisted a hair tie around my wrist before starting to pluck it gently. I looked out the window as I continued to pluck the hair tie, Draco, Pansy and Blaise drifted off into a lazy conversation about who could be our new Professor for DADA this year.
"Shit!" I muttered when I plucked the hair tie to hard, I looked down realised I had broken the skin on the inside of my wrist, Draco looked at me quickly and grabbed my wrist as I tried to turn it away, he frowned when he saw the thin line of blood on my skin.
He said nothing as he pulled a white cloth from his pocket and pressed it against my skin, I saw a muscle in his jaw flutter signifying he was pissed. He quickly removed the hair tie from my wrist and stuffed it in his pocket and fixing his eyes on mine.
"Knock it off," He said quietly to me and I said nothing as I turned my head to look out the window, Draco kept the cloth pressed to my wrist for a few minutes before removing it and running his thumb along the think line.
"How long have you been doing that again?" Blaise asked me and I shrugged without looking around.
"On and off since the Summer Ball" Draco supplied, "It's picked up again since yesterday" I rolled my eyes but kept quiet.
"What happened yesterday?" Pansy jumped in and I could feel Draco' eyes on me.
"She had an unsettling visit from someone," Draco said quietly and the compartment fell silent. Draco continued to run his thumb on the inside of my wrist the rest of the way to Hogwarts.
An unsettling visit is one way to put it, the fact that I was keeping a secret from Draco was slowly eating me up inside and I know I was withdrawing into myself again and I did nothing to pull myself out of it. When the train came to a stop Draco took my hand, lacing his fingers between mine and we headed towards a carriage.
I didn't eat anything during the feast, I just pushed my food around my plate. "Is she okay?" I heard Blaise ask Draco quietly, he must have thought I was having one of my quiet moments where I don't listen to anything.
"I don't know" Draco sighed, I felt his eyes on me but I didn't look up, "I don't know what happened when she went to my fathers' study, she won't tell me" Draco had a bitter edge to his voice and I shifted slightly in my seat.
"Maybe she has a reason" Pansy offered and I was grateful for her, "Give her time, she'll tell you when she's ready"
"Maybe" Draco muttered and pushed his plate away from him.
I felt awful. There was no other way to put it. I reached under the table and silently entwined my fingers with Draco's and his hand tightened around mine, I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. My heart warmed when his eyes lit up slightly, he let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist instead and pulled me closer towards him, I rested my head in the crook of his neck and my body relaxed as the smell of his cologne washed over me. His scent has become my comfort.
When the feast was finished Dumbledore got up to do his usual welcome speech which I barely ever listened to, "That must be the Ministry official my father was talking about" Draco said to me quietly when Dumbledore introduced Professor Umbridge, a toad-like woman drowned in pink.
"Did she get dressed in the dark?" I said quietly and Pansy snickered into her hand.
"Hem hem" my head turned back towards the front to see Umbridge had risen to her feet, indicating that she had something to say. Dumbledore seemed surprised but let her continue. "Thank you, Headmaster," Umbridge said in a sweet voice and I shuddered, "for those kind words of welcome."
"You okay?" Draco asked me quietly and I nodded in response, my stomach flipped when Draco's hand moved from my hip to rest on the dip in my waist, "I need to talk to you after" I didn't reply but my heart started to pound in my chest.
My mind went elsewhere as Umbridge did her speech about The Ministry always considered our education of importance but I could barely listen to her, with Draco's hand resting on my waist, his fingers occasionally flexing it was easy to be distracted. I felt cold when Draco's hand slid from my waist as he stood up.
"Come on, Dia, time to show the runts where to go," Draco said and held out his hand, I rolled my eyes but took his hand nonetheless.
"First years, follow us!" I said, making sure my voice was clear, a group of First Years clustered in front of us, I spotted a young girl looking at our entwined hands with a smile on her face.
"Oh! Are you two together?" She gushed her eyes shining and I looked at Draco, my face flushing but Draco just smiled.
"Not yet" Draco replied smoothly and I bit back a smile, the young girl smiled. "What's your name?"
"Aria Ripes" She replied proudly and Draco smiled softly at the girl. "What's yours?"
"Follow us and stay close!" Draco raised his voice so he could be heard and started to lead the First Years out of The Great Hall and through the halls. Aria Ripes stayed upfront with us still smiling brightly, "I'm Draco Malfoy and this beautiful woman is Adria Morrigan"
My face flushed at Draco's words and smiled at me. Aria gasped and was practically bouncing as she walked with us, "You're the Slytherin Royals!" She gushed and Draco laughed, my heart filled up at the sound of his laugh and I couldn't hold back the smile.
"That's what they're calling us now?" I muttered to Draco and he shrugged.
"I guess so," He said and smiled at Aria as he came to a stop outside the Slytherin Common Room, he turned to face the students "Right, listen up because I am only going to say this once! The password to get in is Pure-Blood. Do not give it to anyone else except those who are in Slytherin!"
We led the First Years inside and I watched as they all gaped at the room, reminding me what it was like to see it for the first time. Draco instructed the first years where the dorms were and they rushed off to find their assigned rooms.
"You have a knack for leadership, Draco" I commented and Draco smiled brightly.
"A common trait among the Slytherins" Draco said as he crossed the room to sit on the sofa by the fireplace and I sat next to him, "About what I wanted to talk to you about"
"Draco-" I tried to stop him but he cut me off.
"I want to make us official," He said quickly and my heart stopped briefly before picking up speed.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"Oh, I-uh" I closed my mouth quickly and twisted the ring around my finger, "Draco, the thing is-"
"Do you not want to?" Draco interrupted me quickly, I could hear the panic in his voice and the look of worry in his eyes. I looked away quickly and I rubbed my left arm.
"Of course, I do," I said instantly and I sighed, I didn't meet Draco's eyes instead I focused on the floor, "But I can't"
"What?" Draco said, "Why?" my heart broke at the break in his voice, "I thought you-"
"I do!" I said quickly and looked at him, his eyes were shining and I could see his hands shaking slightly, "Merlin knows, I do"
"Was it something I did?" Draco asked quickly, his hands fisted on his thighs and my eyes burned. I shook my head and looked down. "Then why? And don't you dare say 'it's not you, it's me I think I'll lose my shit if you say that"
"That's the thing! It is!" I said quickly and Draco scoffed.
"There's someone else," Draco said dryly and I looked at him sharply.
"No! Of course, there isn't!" I defended quickly, "It's just more complicated now"
"How is it?!" Draco snapped and stood up quickly but I stayed put. "I thought you loved me?"
"I do, Draco," I said quickly.
"Then how the fuck is it complicated?!" Draco shouted and I bowed my head down as tears filled my eyes.
"I can't tell you," I admitted and I looked up again, Draco ran his hands through his hair before turning to me, his eyes blazing.
"When did we start keeping secrets, Adria?" Draco snapped at me, "I thought you trusted me"
"I do trust you, Draco, but this is something I need to work through"
"Now who's the one with issues!" Draco's voice had risen again and I looked away.
"Woah, what's going on?" Blaise asked from behind us, he must have come down when he heard Draco's shouting, "Why are you shouting at my sister?"
"It doesn't matter" Draco spat, "Not anymore" He turned on his heel and left the common room, he went up the stairs and I jumped when I heard the door slam shut.
I buried my face into my hands and cried, the sofa dipped as Blaise sat down next to me, "Adria, what was that about?" he asked and I lowered my hands, my left arm burning as a reminder.
"He wanted to make us official" I muttered, "I couldn't" the tears continued to fall, "I did something, Blaise. I'm not proud of it but I had to!"
"What did you do?" Blaise asked softly and I sighed, "Come on, Adria. I promise I won't say anything"
"I had to do it because if I didn't he would have killed Draco and I couldn't let that happen"
"Adria. What did you do?" Blaise asked me and I looked at my arm, Blaise followed my gaze and he sucked in a breath. "You didn't! Adria, please tell me you didn't take The Mark!"
"I didn't have a choice!" I shouted and the tears fell harder, "He threatened to kill Draco! I did it for him!"
"He doesn't know, does he?"
"No," I said and wiped my eyes, "He can't know, Blaise, you know as well as I do what it would do to him. Please, Blaise, you can't say anything!" Blaise quickly pulled me into a hug and I broke down, my sobs slightly muffled because my face was buried in his chest.
"He's going to find out sooner or later, Adria" Blaise said softly as he rubbed my back, "But I won't say anything"