A boot.
I don't think I've ever loved a boot as much as I do right now.
It was a very ugly brown colour and smelled like mud and cow turd but I loved it just the same. For you see, that's not any ordinary old boot.
It is my ticket home.
Three years have passed since I've arrived here in New York and so much time has passed. The Junior Politics Program was perhaps the most boring thing I've ever had to do. I don't think I could've survived four more years of it.
A couple of months ago, my grandfather and I were diagnosed with Dragon Pox which meant a temporary end to the Junior Politics Program. For a while, we just stayed inside our penthouse apartment to avoid infecting anyone else. Our Healer promised us it'd pass in about a month, which it did for me.
Unfortunately, my grandfather wasn't so lucky. A few weeks after we were diagnosed, he was transported to the nearest Wizarding Hospital where he was immediately given the treatment. Sadly, they must've been too late, or maybe he was just too old, but nevertheless, he passed away just three weeks ago. I've been living with his house elf ever since, but without any of my legal guardians living in New York, I was forced to go back home – not that I was complaining.
So now as I held the boot in one hand and my packed trunk in the other, all I could think about was how excited I was to be almost home.
"Goodbye Casey," I said to the kind house elf. "I'm going to miss having your around."
The house elf smiled. "You are very kind to Casey, but Casey does not deserve it."
"What are you talking about? Of course you do! You're a wonderful elf, one of the best!"
"Thank you, Leaena Malfoy."
The last thing I saw before I was jerked uncomfortably forward, was the elf who had been my good friend for these past few years, raise her hand in farewell. I doubted I'd ever see her again, a sad thought until I remembered why. Because I was going back to England, back to my family.
I arrived in the Malfoy Manor foyer seconds later. I had expected my family to be there awaiting my arrival but to my surprise, it was completely deserted.
"Hello?" I called out.
No response.
"Is anyone home?" I tried again. Again, no one responded but I did hear voices coming from the living room. Leaving my trunk and boot in the foyer, I made my way to the living room. There I found both my parents arguing over something I couldn't quiet decipher.
I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat loudly. "Am I interrupting anything?"
The effect was instantaneous. My parents spun around faster than I'd predicted and just stood there, wide eyed with jaws dropping to the floor.
"Leaena!" My mother cried out, hurrying towards me and suffocating me in her tight embrace. "I thought the portkey wasn't set to return until dinner."
"I'm sorry, I thought I told you two o'clock," I said once my mother had loosened her grip enough so I could physically speak again.
"No, you did," my father said. "We just presumed because of time difference you wouldn't arrive here for another five hours."
Understand hit me and I couldn't help let out a small chuckled at the small misunderstanding. "Oh, I see what happened… I told you time I'd be arriving here – in Wiltshire, but you thought I meant when I was going to leave New York. It was nine in the morning when I left."
My father was not as amused as I'd hoped and he frowned. "Be clearer when comes to things, Leaena." Then his expression softened as he said, "You're glad I decided to take the whole afternoon off work, otherwise I would've missed you."
"You took time off work for me?" I asked, touched.
"Of course he did," my mother smiled kindly. "And Sinney's going to make a very special dinner in honour of our daughter's return. Oh, I almost forgot... wait here."
My mother turned and hurried into the next room. She returned moments later with a box in her hands.
"You got me a present?" I asked in surprise. "You shouldn't have… thank you." I took the box and opened it instantly. When my eyes saw what was inside, I placed my free hand over my heart. Setting the box on a nearby table, I pulled out the large green Slytherin banner.
"It's to hang over your bed at Hogwarts," My mother explained.
"Hogwarts?" I asked, sure I had just misheard her.
"That's right," she grinned. "Your father talked to Dumbledore and he agreed to let you attend Hogwarts on the promise that you work very hard. But I'm not worried – I'm sure you'll make us all proud."
"Thank you," I said earnestly, pulling my mother in for another hug. "Thank you so much – both of you." I then embraced my father though that was a little more awkward and lot more brief. But I didn't care. I was going to Hogwarts. I was going to Hogwarts! I was going to Hogwarts!
"You're back early," came a familiar voice from behind me.
"Draco," I greeted, turning to face him with a polite smile, only to find he didn't have the same respect.
"You weren't supposed to get here for another five hours," he frowned in a tone that sounded almost… disappointed.
"Yeah, well, here I am," I said, stating the obvious. The silence that filled the room was the first time I had felt uncomfortable in a room with my family. Had my trip to New York really changed our relationship that much?
My mother cleared her throat once the silence had gone on for too long. "Well, I'm sure you've had a very stressful morning and would like to go unpack in your room. I'll call Sinney do bring your trunk up…"
"Oh that's alright, I can manage—"
"She's right Narcissa," my father cut in before my mother could argue. "Sinney's still clearing up lunch dishes and then I need her to assist me with something in the office. Draco, you can help you sister unpack."
Seeing the annoyance in my brother's eyes, I quickly said, "That's unnecessary – I can carry my own trunk."
"Your brother will help you and that's final," my father said stubbornly. "Now go."
Draco and I walked back into the foyer to collect my things. "You don't have to do that you know," I said when Draco attempted to lift my trunk up.
"Yes I do," Draco answered without looking at me.
"No you don't. Dad's not here."
Sighing loudly, Draco let the trunk fall on the floor with a rather loud thud that caused me to wince. "So what? Are you going to carry it up these stairs?"
"Yes." I answered. "I'm strong too you know. I only need you to show me to my room as I'm going to presume we're not sharing anymore."
"Your presumption would be correct," he said. Then, after a long pause, he said. "Okay. If you're sure you can handle it. Follow me."
Please, I thought to myself. This going to be a breeze.
Draco headed for the stairs as I managed to lift my trunk up. It was surprisingly quite heavy but I managed to half walk, half stumble towards the stairs where Draco was watching with amusement. I let it drop right there, letting myself catch my breath before attempting to haul it up the staircase.
It was no secret that I was not finding it 'a breeze', so it was with a reluctant sigh that Draco knelt down beside me taking one side of the large trunk. Seeing what he was suggesting, I grabbed the other side and together we managed to heave the trunk up the stairs and into one of the guest bedrooms.
Except now it wasn't a guest bedroom. It was my room.
"Thank you," I said to my brother.
"Yeah well," Draco said. "I couldn't have you drop it on your way up. Somehow I figured I'd be the one in trouble for it."
"Always about you, isn't it," I sighed.
"Anyway," "Sinney will be up soon to unpack your stuff for you."
"I'm sure I can manage…"
"You've always hated unpacking," Draco reminded me. "Besides, Mum insisted and Sinney's excited to meet you properly, not just at Christmas lunch."
"Well, I'm excited to meet her too." Draco lifted an eyebrow. We were both raised to see house elves as nothing but a servant, not someone one should be excited to meet. But in my defence after the past few years of Casey being my only real friend in New York, I'd grown to respect the small creatures.
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"You'll ask me even if I say no."
"Whatever happened to Dobby? He's always been good for this family, at least when I was still here—"
"When you were still here what." Draco snapped. "Are you implying we don't know how to keep a house elf."
"No!" I exclaimed. "I just want to know what happened. Is he… alive?"
"Alive and free," Draco murmured. Then at my confused look, he added. "We were tricked into handing him a sock."
"You fired him by accident?" I exclaimed. Of everything I had prepared myself to hear this was the most surprising of all. "By whom?"
"Harry Potter," Draco spat venomously.
"Oh right, I heard he was in your year at Hogwarts," I said brightly. "I have to ask, what's it like having a famous person in your class? He is in your class, right? Do you share a dorm? Are you guys like the best of friends? Ooh! Will he come stay with us here! I'd really like to meet him—"
"Will you please just stop talking," Draco moaned. "Potter does not share a dorm with me, we are not best friends, and you definitely do not want to meet him."
"Why not, just because you obviously don't like him doesn't mean I will..."
"He's best buddies with Weasley and Granger. You know the Weasley – the family of red-headed blood traitors. And you wouldn't know the Grangers. Why? Because she's a filthy mudblood!"
"Draco!" I hissed. "Don't say that word. You can judge someone by their parents' lack of magical capabilities! So they're Muggle, so what? Obviously she's a witch if she goes Hogwarts."
"She punched me at the end of last year," Draco said furiously. "Right in the face!"
I snorted. I don't know why I did. Draco's my brother, I know I should be on his side but the idea of a girl punching him in the face brought tears to my eyes. And not sad ones.
"Unbelievable," Draco muttered before stomping out of my room.
"I'm sorry Draco, wait—" But by the time I got out into the hallway, Draco had already reached his bedroom door and had slammed it behind him.
Sighing I went back to my room to start the tedious process of unpacking...