Aurora
A gloomy sky under a gray veil of rain looked at us from the window. The storm broke out right from lunch and did not calm down until late in the evening. Strong peals of thunder shook the air with a dull echo, and lightning shone in the sky with a bright flash.
However, the Malfoys' living room was warm and cozy, mainly because most of the guests had gone home, including Anna's family. Narcissa and Bella, both oddly agitated, left the Manor in a hurry before it started to rain. As it turned out, they had some important and urgent business of increased secrecy — so high that, apparently, no one was going to dedicate me to its details.
All today, Anna practically did not take her eyes off Draco and obviously hovered somewhere in the clouds, so there was no opportunity to talk to her without strangers.
We spent the evening making small talk and playing magic cards. I doubt they really predicted the future, but they certainly impressed Draco a lot. When Leaning Tower and Three of Lightning suddenly fell out to him, he suddenly got really excited. However, this is not surprising — lately his behavior has been rather strange. First, he changed his face and coughed, then turned deathly pale and looked at us in horror, as if we had abruptly become Dementors. Or Professor Trelawny, who had just prophesied that he would meet Grim. Or with a Blast-ended skrewts.
Looking incredulously first at him, then at the cards, I read the interpretation aloud:
"Hmm. The card is really not particularly favorable — it predicts an unexpected and crushing blow of fate. Perhaps even astral compulsion..."
"I have no compulsion! I won't even listen anymore. Foolish cards!"
The cards flew to the floor in an instant, and Draco jumped out of his chair angrily, almost knocking over the coffee table.
"I'd better go and see what I can take to read in my father's library. Anything is better than toiling with this nonsense."
With an air of the deepest contempt, he stalked over to the huge bookcase and began busily examining the bookshelves.
I followed him with a puzzled look and shrugged, turning my attention to my friend's cards.
"Hurry up, what do I have?" Anna asked impatiently.
"Oh, you have the Three of Swords and the Two of Pentacles..." I squinted my eyes to look at the interpretation, "these seem to be obstacles on the path to happiness."
Seeing how her face frowned, I immediately added:
"But Pentacles — to wealth! And you also have..."
I opened the cards one by one, face down, until I saw what I needed.
"You have a King!"
"What kind of king is that? Weasley, right?" came a snarky voice from around the corner. Malfoy plopped down on the sofa with a book of Forbidden Spells of the Middle Ages and began to nibble on an apple, showing complete indifference to our entertainment.
"King of Wands!" I solemnly explained, ignoring his sarcasm, and took a new card from the deck. "And the Ace of Cups. An ace is a quick wedding, don't go to Trelawney here either."
Anna's face flushed at the mention of the word "wedding". She furtively glanced at the groom — he was lounging imposingly on the sofa, grinning at some thoughts of his own and tearing his eyes away from the book only to put another piece of apple into his mouth.
Wanting to bring my friend to her senses, I waved my hands in front of her face.
"So, do not be distracted, Anna! Tell me now what do you see for me?"
Anna woke up from an obsession and came to her senses.
"Look, you have a Gemini card. The interpretation says this: You will meet a soul mate, or you will find yourself at a crossroads in fate when you have to make a very difficult choice. But the card contains a warning: do not play with fate, do not try to resurrect the dead — after all, death will always take its toll anyway."
"What a nonsense, Anna! Draco is right. It never crossed my mind to raise the dead. Which deceased relative? Will a ghost come to me?"
"Maybe Gemini means still living relatives? Reunion, for example, or communication?"
I just snorted and sighed heavily.
"But, Anna, you know I don't have brothers and sisters."
I snatched the cards from Anna's hands and put them back into the deck. The storm outside the window intensified, and the wind roared with new force.
Talking about relatives always had a depressing effect on me, and what I did not expect was to hear mention of them in the cards. I sighed and walked over to an antique Malfoy organ that was slowly playing Bach tunes. We should also learn how to revive musical tools — a very useful spell, as practice shows. Music has always had a calming effect on me, and, alas, you can't take the organ with you to Hogwarts.
The thought of going back to school brought a warm surge of nostalgia to my soul. Hogwarts is the place where I felt better than ever. I really wanted to plunge into the magical, incomparable atmosphere of the castle again — with its medieval turrets, stairs always tangling underfoot, loving to change direction at the most awkward moment, dark and confusing corridors, mysterious corners. How I missed flying on a broom, this incomparable feeling of flying — when you soar somewhere far away, high into the sky, or forward — towards the horizon, and the wind whistles in your ears, and the skin is pleasantly caressed by the rays of the sun. When you increase your speed and turn into a bird — free and elusive. You fly over the crowns of trees, bask in the rays of the sunset, admire the multi-colored colors of the sky, and life seems to you nothing less than a bright, unforgettable adventure full of colorful colors. OOf course, in life, alas, there are not only bright stripes. But it was Hogwarts that was associated with only the best memories — hanging out in the living room with friends, making potions, practicing spells, playing Quidditch. I wanted to walk around the backyards of Hogwarts again, feeling the crunch of old cobblestones under my feet, visit Hogsmeade, eat magic sweets at the Honeydukes and drink butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.
The smell and taste of butterbeer is one of the best in the world. Apart from the smell of potions, of course.
This year, I decided to diversify the range of potions, not limited to the school curriculum. The Forbidden Forest will surely have all the ingredients I need — in any case, in all my time at Hogwarts, I have never been caught or punished. The most valuable herbs grow in the Forest — belladonna, thyme, violets, lacewings... you can go crazy from their smell. Although, if you do not observe the required proportion in cooking, there is a risk of death...
What a subtle, exquisite art potion-making is! Just like playing a musical instrument: first you need to prepare all the ingredients, mix them in the right proportion, not making a single gram mistake, then gradually add them to the cauldron in the required sequence, and in the end enjoy the unique aroma (well, or the unrestrained stench, here how lucky anyone). Then, enjoying the hard work done, reap the benefits and be pleased of the results.
There were potions that I had to brew myself — they were quite simple and effective in everyday use: Hangover Potion, for example (if the party the day before was too rough). Improves the complexion, gives the cheeks a blush, and the head — clarity of mind. Another useful potion is the Potion of Instant Sleep. If you couldn't fall asleep for a long time, and there was an early morning rise ahead, nothing could be better than it. The Irresistibility Potion was supposed to be used for holidays and parties — it made the skin radiant, the lips bright pink, and the eyes were seductive, just like the girls from the cover of the Witcher. You can't use it often, but it's great for special occasions. The same ingredients could also be used to make a magic ointment, which was infused on the night of the full moon, or the first two nights of the New Moon — the effect was also stunning.
Yes, without all these little secrets, I could not imagine life at Hogwarts. How I dream of learning how to brew all the potions in the world. If I could learn how to brew all the potions myself, I wouldn't need Snape's help anymore. Or at least my medicines, which had very complex prescriptions. So complex that I couldn't do it on my own. After all, I had neither experience nor knowledge to prepare the medicines that were vital to me. Then he got down to business. In fact, he saved me, otherwise, I would not have survived to this day. It's a good thing he's not one of those people who talks a lot — I don't want anyone who isn't supposed to know the intended purpose of these medicinal potions. For example, Pansy Parkinson.
But I can trust him - I knew that for sure.
*
Annabelle
We sat in the living room until late at night. The last piece of the letter with the results of Draco's O.W.L.s was burning in the fireplace. When the owls finally arrived, he didn't even open the envelope — he threw it straight into the fire.
The rain was still drumming on the panes without stopping, which created an atmosphere of peace. Draco was still reading a book, and Aurora and I were chatting about plans for the new school year. To be precise, she was chatting, and I was catching flies, surreptitiously glancing at the groom, watching how beautifully the fire gleamed in his platinum hair.
I couldn't sleep for a long time yesterday after talking to Narcissa. More and more pictures of future family life appeared in my mind, and I must say, I was delighted with them! I kept waiting for Draco and me to be alone today, but it just didn't work out.
"Well, you do as you wish, but I think I'll go to bed already," he slammed the book shut and went out of the living room.
I quickly caught myself and jumped up from the couch:
"Oh, Aurora, you know, I'm already somehow tired and I'll go to my room. Good night!"
I did not wait for an answer and ran out into the corridor. Draco was already gone, so I hurried to the marble staircase and literally jumped over the steps. When I got up to the third floor, I saw him. Draco was just approaching his bedroom door.
"Draco, wait!" I called out.
"Yes, Anna?" He sighed in displeasure, not even hiding the fact that he had become too tired of my company all day.
"We need to talk!" I blurted out, running up to him.
"I'm tired, let's do it another time," Draco waved him off as he opened the door to his room and headed inside.
"Wait, this is very important!" I assured, taking a breath.
"Fine. What's the matter?" He turned to face me and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I just wanted to... tell you that..." Surprising myself, I bit my lip a little embarrassedly and felt my cheeks blush again.
Draco looked at me carefully, frowning a little, not understanding what I wanted from him.
"Look, I'm really tired, so…" he waved his hand, interrupting me, but didn't have time to finish. I flung myself around his neck and kissed him.
"What are you doing?..." he muttered in shock.
"Shh... Shut up," I ordered in a more confident tone, and pushed him inside the room, finding the door handle with my fingers, closing it.
We nearly fell over a pile of books on the floor on our way to the bed, causing Draco to catch me, pulling me even closer to him. I took this as a sign that he could not resist my pressure, and dug into his lips harder. From this, he fell on the bed, well, and of course I followed.
"Annabelle, this isn't the best idea." Draco finally dodged my kisses.
"Why? We'll be getting married soon!" I wondered, not intending to retreat, "and I was wrong in denying it. So why do we have to wait?" I said in a sweet voice, stroking his cheek with my hand.
It seemed to me that he squinted, looking at me, as if he was looking for some kind of catch in my words. But I spoke sincerely, because I really thought so now. He has grown so much in my eyes! I forgot about everything in the world. I smiled at him and noticed how his eyes flashed, and then he sharply bit into my lips. I chuckled in victory and returned the kiss.
Draco began to kiss me more and more insistently, his long and graceful fingers finding the clasp of the dress on my back. I put my hands on his chest and, somewhat clumsily, began to unbutton his shirt. Taking off my dress, he rolled me onto my back and pulled away, getting rid of his shirt and trousers. When did he have time to pump up?
I eagerly looked at his torso, when suddenly I noticed a Dark Mark on the inside of the forearm of his left hand. It revived in my memory all those — invented by me — happy scenarios of our future life together, when Malfoy, finally, will heroically fulfill his task and bring unthinkable honor and respect to our family, becoming a real man.
Such thoughts made me even more delighted and gave me confidence that my decision to give my first time to my groom right now is truly the right one. So, when we were already completely naked, I pulled Draco closer to me, kissing him passionately.
He returned the kiss and pulled away from my lips again, and then I felt a sharp pain. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to relax. I wanted to pull Draco closer to me and hug him so he wouldn't tower over me like that; to kiss him and, with such a tender kiss, to quench this pain; but he did not give in. I was still in pain and it seemed like it was growing more and more.
"Ouch, Draco, wait," I couldn't stand it and asked him to slow down, but he, as if turning off the perception of the world around him, did not hear me.
"Draco, it hurts!" I repeated more insistently, "wait…"
I did not have time to finish, as involuntarily I closed my eyes tightly. I felt his body tense up and, instantly relaxed, he rolled over and lay down next to me, trying to catch his breath.
I lay silently, not knowing even what to say or do; a lump rolled up in my throat and tears welled up in my eyes. Does that mean I'm just a puppet to him? Did he care how I feel? How could he?
"Draco, you hurt me," I repeated in a trembling voice.
"Don't make things up, Anna," he replied indifferently.
"Am I imagining? I was in pain, you idiot!" I could feel anger rising over me. I felt used and unwanted.
"It hurts only the first time. And you should relax and enjoy." Draco chuckled smugly as he folded his arms under his head and settled comfortably on the pillow.
"How dare you! This was my first time! Are you stupid enough not to notice?" I began to explode, realizing that from resentment and anger I would burst into tears.
"Anna, dear, don't lie. I know about you and Krum."
"And what about this Krum? I had nothing with him! He only invited me to the ball!" I was extremely outraged by this accusation. Found what to complain about.
Yes, I do not argue, in the fourth year I liked Viktor Krum, the catcher of the Bulgarian Quidditch team, who came to represent Durmstrang at the Triwizard Tournament. But he didn't pay any attention to me, he liked that mudblood Granger. And closer to the Yule Ball, I so wanted to annoy Draco once again, and even annoy the Mudblood at the same time, that Aurora and I brewed a light love potion and I poured it into Krum's glass. It wasn't hard to do, since he was sitting at our Slytherin table. The potion was excellent! He immediately invited me to the ball. Everyone at Hogwarts was talking about it. So what of it? Nothing really happened! Well, we kissed a couple of times at the ball and after. And then he bored me. Eternally gloomy and awkward. But making claims like Draco did to me is too much!
"I know everything. You openly hugged him every step of the way and didn't even try to hide it from me." Draco continued to insist on his truth.
"What the hell do you know? You got a mark on you and you think that brains will appear from this? It doesn't work like that! You were an idiot hiding behind your parents' backs, and you will remain them. Only now behind the back of the Dark Lord. Do you think, hiding behind the fact that you now have the Dark Mark, you will be treated differently? No way, respect still needs to be earned! And you don't deserve a damn thing! I'm actually surprised how they entrusted you with any task! You can't handle simple things! Brainless troll and then you will be quicker!" I exploded completely, screaming out loud. I was so hurt and offended that I wanted to fall into the ground or at least erase that night from my memory.
Draco's lips trembled, either from anger or annoyance. His eyes darted around the room, he began to breathe heavily and then abruptly jumped out of bed, picked up my dress and threw it at me.
"Get out," he said through clenched teeth. I was taken aback by his impudence and also jumped out of bed, quickly throwing a dress over myself.
"Go away!" Draco was just screaming now, his eyes filling with tears.
"You will pay me for this!" I snapped and rushed out of the room, unable to hold back my tears.
I ran into the guest room allotted to me, closed the doors and slowly went down the wall to the floor. Tears flowed in a stream from my eyes, I was unbearably hurt, offended and so ashamed. Ashamed of myself and my thoughts that I was so naive and dared to assume that Draco could change and become a real man! I myself created his ideal image and believed in him. What a fool I was! I decided to give myself to him, and he treated me so low! He humiliated me, hurt me to the core!
I couldn't stay here anymore. Grabbing my things, I went down to the living room to the huge fireplace. I took a pinch of Floo powder from a small black vase on the mantelpiece, went into the fireplace and threw it at my feet, saying loudly and clearly:
"12 Grimmauld Place."
I was engulfed in flames, and a moment later, opening my eyes, I fell on the floor of the living room of my home and burst into tears again.
"Young lady, when were you supposed to come home? It's time to punish you!" said Sirius jokingly, who obviously heard me arrive and popped into the living room to catch me off guard.
I sobbed even harder, how right dad was! I should have gone home earlier!
"My girl, what happened?" he jumped up to me and knelt beside me, excited in earnest.
"I feel so bad, dad..." I buried my nose in my father's chest.
He sat down next to me comfortably and hugged me tightly, stroking my head soothingly.
"What happened? Did Draco hurt you?" father was still trying to find out the reason why I was killing myself like that, but when I heard this hated name to me, I sobbed even more.
"Well, hush, hush…" Sirius whispered softly and kissed the top of my head, "I will cut off his head."
