Chapter 110. Back to Hogwarts

While heading onto the last car of the train to Hogwarts, I looked back at my waving mother. I gently waved back, thinking of the last night I had in the house, wondering if I might see Hermione or Chiara on the train ride, dreading if Hermione might speak her mind of my actions of deserting them at the hospital, even after I had made sure to have a close eye on Chiara’s condition in the hospital, not that she would believe me.

After getting Hermione and Chiara to the hospital, I checked back down onto the field, looking for anyone in those black robes. Finding nothing, and the sickening scent staining my nose, I decided to return home. Being grounded for disobeying my parents for the remaining time until school started, I laid in my special room for my ‘magical expulsion’. “Master?” Nalby asked, getting my attention after appearing at the foot of my bed. I glanced up at him from my pillow, the full moon nearing with every passing hour, ready to show its face tonight. During these times, he was safe to ask help from, my parents staying far away to avoid even hearing me as something so vile. Instead, leaving me in a dungeon of the house with nothing but candles to illuminate the cracked stone surrounding the metal bed frame. I used to lose track of time before I understood the feeling of the moon rising constantly in my mind.

“How are they?” I asked, Nalby quickly nodded with the purpose of his orders while his hands tapped against themselves. “The silver haired one has been discharged.” With a sigh of relief escaping my nose, I nodded slowly, a small smile adorning my face. “Thank you, Nalby.” I whispered, my only eyes and ears to her condition after getting Hermione and her to the hospital. I had sent him there and back at least once a day to make sure Chiara was okay. “Of course! It is my greatest pleasure to serve the young master!” Nalby cheered as I patted his head in thanks, the most I could offer Chiara while locked away.

The sound of the compartment door opening woke me from my reminiscing, a swift tackle into my sternum forced the air from my lungs. “Lucas! I heard of the attack! Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?” I looked down to see Pansy tapping and prodding my whole body, kneeling on the seat beside, checking me for any damage while her glistening eyes studied my expression. I smiled at her, wrapping my arms around her and bringing her into a tight hug, showcasing my strength I still had, to prove I was still okay. “I’m fine, Pansy.”

Pansy froze, without a sound she rested her chin on my left shoulder, before her arms moved from my chest, and slithered around to my back. “Your parents sent us a letter, saying you all were fine, b-but I still couldn’t sleep…” She mumbled, her words shaking through each syllable she tried to utter without the fear she had kept within her for so long. With a wave of wrongdoing, I held on to her tighter, pulling her closer to me, which she inadvertently took as a message to sit on my lap for.

Unable to correct her, I just stayed silent, letting her tension and fear fade away in my safety. Both of us were happy to see the other, safe and sound. “I was there too, y’know?” Draco suddenly asked with sarcasm, reminding me he had been sitting across from me this entire time. I instantly felt ashamed at Pansy’s position on me, and stammered while opening my arm to easily let her slip back off of my legs. However, she paused, turning her head around with surprise. “Oh… I didn’t see you.”

***

Draco gulped, the death glare he was receiving from Pansy instinctively yelled at him that his actions were costly. Without thinking, his sarcastic comment, had now robbed Pansy of her alone time with Lucas, now forcing her to descend back only to his side. With a shiver running down his spine, he watched as Pansy’s glare instantly erased itself once her expression was able to be seen by Lucas again. “Actually, I’m going to get some snacks from the cart, I’m not waiting half the trip to get something.” Draco quickly spat out an excuse as he stood up.

***

“Just don’t get any bertie botts!” I yelled as Draco closed the door behind him, letting out a small sigh at the disgusting candies. However, the moment he was gone from sight, I noticed that my arm was now slung over Pansy’s shoulders as she sat beside me. “Oh, sorry.” I muttered, starting to move my arm, but Pansy grabbed at it, stopping me. “It’s fine…” She muttered, a small smile of tranquility in her gaze as she leaned her head back over my shoulder like a pillow. “This is more comfortable.”

I held back a sigh studying her resting eyes. ‘I made an excuse that I heard Pansy scream, and that was why I disobeyed my parents. I only hope they didn’t say a word about it to her parents, I don’t want to have them thinking about… joining families.’ I shuddered at the image of our parents talking about setting Pansy and I together for purity reasons. I already knew both families had that idea already, that was another large reason for coming to school for us, not to learn, but to get together with a high ranking partner. Something I learned from my mother not long before the incident. It wasn't that I didn’t like Pansy, in fact it was just the opposite. I liked her too much. If things progressed between our families, Pansy would be told, and she was the one person I feared most of all rejecting me. I grit my teeth, instead focusing back out the window, watching the horizon to quell any thoughts I didn’t want to think of at the moment.

***

In another car, much further ahead, Ron leaned closer to Harry in a whisper. “What’s wrong with Hermione? She’s been pissed ever since we met back up after the attack? Is she still mad we all got separated?” Both boys silently glanced at Hermione’s snarling expression, her foot constantly tapping against the floor with fury. Harry took a moment to collect himself, thinking back to how Hermione acted when the Weasley's and he all rushed to St. Mungo’s Hospital. After her relief of their safety and a lull was created after Harry and Ron explained how they got lost in the myriad of tents surrounding the massive field, Hermione refused to say much of how she and Chiara escaped after falling down from the bleachers, instead slowly devolving into anger.

Harry gulped, before finally opening his dry mouth to speak. “H-Hermione?” He asked, her sheer glare made him wince. “Is… There something you want to talk about?” Hermione took a deep breath, sighing as Chiara sitting beside her silently patted Hermione’s shoulder to ease her rage. “No… There’s nothing-” Hermione’s eyes then caught the image of Malfoy walking through the car, moving further away from the back.

Without another thought in her head, she stood up, and before anyone could say a word, she left for the door, pausing to answer back at Harry. “You’re right, I have someone I need to give a piece of my mind to.” After the door slammed back shut, everyone’s eyes immediately centered around Chiara, her nervous squirming amplifying under their oppressive gazes. “Chiara, you gotta give us something.” Ron begged, leaning forward in his seat, the mystery killing him as well as Harry eagerly nodding, wanting his close friend back, rather than the always angry counterpart she had become.

They were both smacked by Ginny, darting beside Chiara, and easing her anxiety while representing both boys. “Can't you see your making Chiara uncomfortable?” Harry quickly lowered his head with a wince, mumbling his apology to Chiara while Ron stood firm in his demands. “We should know! Hermione has gone off the rails this past week, and Chiara is the only one that knows why! We were all there together when the attack happened!”

***

As Hermione heard her friends arguing over her temper, she hurried her footsteps faster down the cars of the train. She knew that she was acting unnecessarily unkind to everyone, but the overflowing turmoil inside her had to let out. It angered her to no end at Lucas’ actions at the end, abandoning Chiara to her at the last moment. She could understand why, but that meant very little to her, more than anything, she just wanted to yell at him.

***

As I continued to follow the clouds with my gaze, the door suddenly opened. “Anything you feel like sharing?” I asked while turning my gaze to see what Draco procured, however I froze seeing the frizzled brown hair I knew all too well. “Hermione…” I muttered, pausing after her name, not knowing what else I could say. The reflection of her expression in the glass she was covering with the blinds made my stomach twist.

After she was done, she turned around, sending me a fierce glare, as if daring me to justify my actions with any excuse. “You look well…” I whispered, my eyes avoiding her gaze. Hermione, without a word, sent a punch to my free arm, forcing a grunt of repressed pain from me. I took a deep breath, slowly nodding, silently acknowledging I deserved that. “Why must you be this way?” She asked, her voice shaking, trying to keep her rage quelled enough to avoid waking Pansy sleeping against me, Hermione’s glare ricocheting between Pansy and I.

I took a deep breath, wondering what to say. “Because I couldn’t take the chance of being seen, I’m sure you know that.” Hermione quickly kicked my shin in retaliation, making me wince in pain. “Hermione!” I grunted with slight anger, trying not to move too much to wake Pansy. “I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear?” I asked, starting to glare back at her, Hermione’s eyes squinting in distrust.

I sighed while massaging my temple, closing my eyes as I leaned my head back against the headrest. “I’m sorry… I really am.” I opened my eyes to see Hermione’s squinted eyes lessen in their aggression while I continued. “I couldn’t be there with Chiara while she was at the hospital, the most I could do was have my house elf quietly check in for me, and I’m sorry I’m too fearful to be there in person for a friend.”

Hermione pouted slightly, slowly nodding her acceptance of my apology. “Fine…” She mumbled, her eyes still upset, now spoke of slight anxiety in her shaking pupils. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she finally mumbled a random question. “Are you and Pansy dating…?”