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Half way through August, the night before we visited Diagon Alley, Draco came into my room again. He had done this several times over the summer, each time ending the same – us arguing, often resulting in violence, and him storming out of my room. I felt sorry for him, it was clear he wanted to be friends still, like last year, but his father had scolded and punished him. Mr Malfoy scared me as well, glaring at me in the corridors and acting colder than winter at mealtimes. Again, I gained several fresh bruises for display tomorrow including a rather dark one across my cheekbone. I felt I deserved that one, as I did bait him for his actions.
Draco, Mr Malfoy and I set out after breakfast, which there was always plenty of though I ate very little still, for Mr Malfoy wanted to visit a place called Knockturn Alley before Diagon Alley. So, I meekly followed Draco around the shop we visited, Borgin & Burkes, not touching anything after I noticed an opal necklace with a little plaque next to it, reading 'Do not touch: Cursed.' I shrunk away from the shelves cramping me in either side, wishing Mr Malfoy would hurry up. Draco however was looking at everything he could, working his way closer to a dark-looking cabinet. But before we reached it, Mr Malfoy completed his business, and we left, Draco pulling me roughly.
At Diagon Alley, we got everything else we needed; new quills and ink, new parchment and refilling our potions supplies, before going to Flourish & Blotts, the bookstore for our new books, most of which were written by Gilderoy Lockheart, who was signing books as we got there. We watched as Harry got pulled up front, having pictures taken by some wizard. He got handed a pile off books, and made his way from the front. I looked at Draco to see him sneering at my brother. The famous Harry Potter, my twin brother.
"Typically, Potter's here with the press." He snarled, and I backed off a step. I watched despairingly as Harry came closer, dropping the books in the cauldron of a small, first-year girl, who reminded me of Ron, with his flaming red hair and freckles. Draco moved forward, and I followed.
"Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Draco snarled at him as he approached our place in the store.
"He didn't want any of that!" The redhead girl piped up, glaring at Draco.
"Potter! You've got a girlfriend!" Draco laughed cruelly. Both Harry and the redhead flushed.
"It looks like you do too…" Harry began to retort, trailing off as he leaned around Draco gesturing at me. His eyes widened, tracing the bruise across my cheek, and the visible ones on my hands and neck.
Draco's smirk grew wider. "Why yes, it does." He agreed, dragging me forward, almost off my feet. I dropped my head in shame. Draco's smirk broadened even more, if possible. "Shocked, Potter? Wait until you find out where she lives." He taunted.
Draco's dad handed us our books, and desperate to get away before Draco could spill any more, I hurried to the counter, to pay for my own, brushing past my brother and Draco onto the busy street outside.
"Hey, Amy." I heard a pair of voices say. I turned, looking for the source of the voices – the Weasley twins, Fred and George.
I tried to return their bright smiles. "Hey guys." I greeted them, halting outside the bookstore. It probably wasn't the smartest of ideas to run off without my escort. Mr Malfoy would not be pleased.
"Are you okay?" they asked, and I saw George's eyes trace the bruise across my face.
I sighed. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I fell over, actually, bit embarrassing." I winced inwardly at my lie.
The grinned at me, and Fred produced a small pot from his bag. "Well, little miss, if you keep getting into trouble like we did, you'll need this."
"It's a salve, helps bruises heal quicker, as well as concealing the worst of them." George explained.
Surprised, I accepted the small pot, turning it over in my hands as I examined it. "Thanks," I began looking up to find them, but they'd already disappeared.
Finally, the end of the holidays drew nearer, and I packed my bag for the train. Draco had only been in once, since Diagon Alley, enough to keep my bruises fresh and painful. I hoped he wouldn't come in tonight – they were still livid from last time. Thankfully, the salve pot from the twins did exactly as they said – concealed the darkest of the bruises, and took the pain from them.
Mr Malfoy took us to Kings Cross, and I boarded the train as soon as we got there, to escape. They didn't seem to mind so much.
I sat in an empty compartment I found, nervously waiting for Harry, Hermione and Ron to get here. They were bound to ask questions, about what I was doing with Draco, about why I had bruises. Surely enough, a few minutes later, Hermione appeared in my doorway sitting in the empty seat across from me.
"Amy! Are you okay?" Hermione asked as soon as she saw me, a few faint bruises marking my skin. I was glad she couldn't see how dark they were without the salve.
"Yea, I'm fine. Tripped down some stairs in the holidays." I grimaced at my pretend accident, and all the lies I'd told about them. "Where are Ron and Harry?"
"Harry was staying with Ron's family. They should be here any moment."
But Ron and Harry never joined us. Hermione had pulled out one of her schoolbooks and was reading that, while I stared out the window, not seeing the scenery that passed, lost in my thoughts. After a while, I half dozed off, still awake, but not thinking of anything. I only roused when Hermione looked up from her book, and looked around.
"Amy?" She called softly, waking me up.
"Hmm?" I sat up, rubbing my face.
"Where are Ron and Harry?" She asked, looking around again. "It's nearly dark, and I haven't seen them show up. Have you?"
I shook my head, noticing that as well. She looked stern.
"I hope they're okay, not breaking rules or anything. Term hasn't even started yet."
"Mm." I replied, for lack of something other to say.
At Hogwarts, we discovered they weren't in the Great Hall for the start of term feast either. Hermione and I really began to worry. I left the Great Hall as soon as I could, barely touching my food, running up to the dormitory. Harry and Ron were outside it, just entering.
"Harry! Ron!" I panted, having run up several floors. They held the portrait hole open for me, pulling me through.
"You guys weren't on the train. Or at dinner. Where were you?" I gasped for air, collapsing into one of the seats scattered around the common room. Harry and Ron told me, how the barrier was blocked, and they couldn't get through, so they flew Mr Weasleys enchanted car here instead, how Professor Snape had caught them, and, yet, they hadn't been expelled. I stared at them, all during the story.
"But, why couldn't you get through?"
Ron shrugged, but Harry looked thoughtful. He turned to Ron.
"Maybe it was Dobby." He suggested. Ron nodded enthusiastically.
"Yea, after he couldn't persuade you not to come, he tried to stop you coming!"
I sat there in shock. "Dobby?"
Harry started to explain about how a house-elf had turned up in his bedroom, told him not to go to Hogwarts this year and caused havoc when he had refused; dropping a violet pudding on an important guests wife's head. How, for that, he had got an official warning from the Ministry of Magic, and the Dursleys had put bars on his window until Ron, Fred and George had rescued him.
"So, you think it was Dobby?" I asked, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach.
Harry nodded. "Yes, it could've been, after I refused to not go to Hogwarts."
I nodded, and then faked a yawn. "Well, I'm exhausted, so, 'night!" I headed to my dormitory, the door now labelled 'Second Years'. I collapsed onto my bed, wondering, yet again, how badly I had messed up.