Forgotten: A Dramione Fanfiction

Chapter 4

Draco POV

AFTER TRAIN RIDE

I step swiftly off of the Hogwarts Express, my emotions conflicting between happiness and despair. I flip my hair to the side and toss my bag over my shoulder.

Pansy already took it upon herself to find Blaise - it surprised me that he even came back at all- so I am left walking to the carriages semi-alone. A huge gathering of students fall into step down the path. Hagrid is heard calling out, "First years! First years only! To the boats!" Its nice that at least the arrival to Hogwarts is still the same.

I am actually feeling quite happy until the crowd stops at the carriage's lot. One girl screams and two fourth years try to calm her down.

Huge black creatures with long papery wings stand hooked to the carriages. So these are the things that pull us up to the school every year. I am too confused to be in awe. Why can we suddenly see these things now? It seems almost everyone around me sees them, but the select few are running around asking why everyone looks so stunned.

Soon the masses are loaded up and sent away to the castle. I was at the back of the crowd, so there are only two carriages left at this point. I have climbed into the last one, waiting for the group of giddy witches behind me to take the one in front. I feel relieved to have a carriage to myself until i hear the voice of my "new acquaintances" advancing.

"But the elves should have equal rights! Especially now after the Wa-," says Granger, then I hear her babbles cut short.
by Weasley exclaiming," What the crap are those things!"

I turn my figure towards their voices and catch them gawking at the thing in front of me. Potter is the only one of the group of them who is unfazed.

"Thestrals," he says calmly and runs a hand through his untamed black hair. " They only show themselves to people who have witnessed death..."

Weasley boy chokes,"Then that's almost everyone now, isnt it?" Potter nods solemly.

"What are they doing here?"Ginny squeaks.

Granger speaks up this time,"Too pull the carriages of course... They aren't just for transportation to the ministry."- a reference to their fifth year.

Weasley boy wraps an arm around her protectively and I snort, bringing their attention to me. I didn't want to see them at all after the awkward encounter on the train. I had to play dumb in order to give an apology gift to Granger for all the times I called her a mudblood. What a silly word. I will never get the sight of her screaming on the floor in my living room. She has a permanent mark of the war now, just like I do.

"Malfoy," Weasley boy squints at me, and I give the group a half-hearted wave and a too-nonchalant expression, while playing off the snort as a cough.

He doesn't buy it.

They silently climb one by one into the carriage, eyeing me and the...thestral as they take their seats. I scoot as far to the side as I can when Granger sits on the opposite end. Potter and Ginny take the other side of the cart. Weasley boy does not seem happy with this arrangement and plops right between me and Granger. I don't really care at this point. When the "Fantastic Four" start discussing Quidditch and classes, I feel like a major outcast.

I am staring at the trees, uninterested until the group's conversation catches my attention.

"So what about the Order?" Granger asks the group hesitantly. She's cautious since I am riding with them in the carriage too, but the question doesn't surprise me as much as the fact that she trusts me enough to include me in conversations like this one.

"Nothing at the moment since Voldemort's finally been defeated, and all his followers with him," Potter says. I shift uncomfortably in my seat.

Weasley boy murmers just under his breath, "Not all of them, we haven't."

I  instantly know he is talking about me, and I suppress the urge to throw myself off the carriage right then and there.

Hermione shoves him, obviously not happy with his testing of my patience. I am surprised once more at her actions. Since when has Hermione  tried to protect me?

Okay, maybe the Battle of Hogwarts, but before that?

And since when have I started calling her Hermione?