Little Memories

“Students, settle down,” a silky, deep voice filled the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Professor Snape, now Headmaster, stood behind the golden, owl-embellished lectern. His inky black eyes roamed the spacious gathering place as silence quickly fell. “I assure you, as your new headmaster, I will ensure that your education is taken with the utmost seriousness. The school year will go on like it has in years before. No major changes will be made…as of yet.” Whispers threatened to break out amongst the group of students but were quickly hushed when Snape sent them an icy look. “I must ask that you carry papers verifying your blood status at all times and will subject yourselves to questioning about it without hesitance.” He gave the large collection of students another appraising look before drawing in a deep breath of air.

“That is all,” he said simply and food suddenly filled the tables as talking broke out amongst the students.

Charlotte, Draco, Gregory, and Crabbe sat at their usual places at the Slytherin table, having changed into their uniforms before going to the Great Hall. Gregory and Crabbe immediately began to fill their plates, but Charlotte took small amounts of everything and Draco only put a few items on his. Surprisingly enough, the Slytherin students hadn’t said much to Charlotte, which comforted her a bit. At least she was not being ostracized by her own House. That would at least mean she’d be able to retreat to the Common Room without frightened stares and murmurings.

Gregory hadn’t said much to any of them either since they left the carriages. Melody immediately parted from his side and joined the first years to be sorted, since she hadn’t ever attended Hogwarts before. She hadn’t shut up for the rest of the carriage ride up to the school, much to Charlotte and Draco’s dismays. In that short time, they had learned that she hoped she was sorted into Ravenclaw(which caused Charlotte, Crabbe, and Draco to simultaneously scoff), she was in her seventh year(which Gregory was very pleased to hear), and she supported the Holyhead Harpies when it came to Quidditch. Melody had been sorted into Hufflepuff, much to her and Gregory’s disliking. Charlotte attributed that to his sudden sore expression.

“You feeling better?” Draco asked Charlotte when he noticed her staring down intently at the golden plate in front of her. She hadn’t touched a bit of her food, except to place it onto her plate. She slowly shook her head and let out a heavy sigh before looking over at Draco. There was something deeply disturbing her and it showed itself, not in her expression, but in the depths of the hues that colored her eyes blue. “Look…we’ll leave early, alright? We’ll just hide away in my dorm until it’s time for you to go to bed.”

“What’re you two murmuring about over there?” Gregory butted in brusquely, looking quite cross indeed. Charlotte’s eyes snapped to his and she gave him a ferocious looking glare.

“About how much we dislike that Melody you were drooling over. What’s it to you?” She snapped, causing her brother to glower at her even more.

“Look…I know she was a bit tactless when she was in the carriage, but I actually find her interesting,” Gregory growled, forgetting the food he had piled onto his plate.

“And now she’s in Hufflepuff, where she belongs, and now you will not be able to talk to her as freely as you want,” Charlotte said bluntly, staring her brother down.

“Says who?!” He burst out suddenly, attracting the attention of nearly half the Great Hall. Charlotte got a bit flustered at that, a bright pink color painting the apples of her cheeks.

“You’re a Slytherin. You aren’t supposed to fraternize with other houses,” she hissed, leaning across the table and glaring at him. “She’s an idiot. And I think you’d be better off finding someone else to be interested in.”

“You’re a Slytherin. It’s never stopped you from talking to any of those blood-traitor Weasleys,” he said in a low voice. Charlotte merely stared at him darkly for a moment, her eyes watering slightly.

“You know? I never thought I’d see the day when my brother would pick a bitch he just met over his sister,” she said in a small voice before she stood quietly and left the Great Hall with her head down and her eyes focused on the floor.

The three boys remaining at the table exchanged glances for a few tense moments before Draco pushed his plate away and stood from the table. Thanks to Goyle and his big mouth, he’d have to fish Charlotte even deeper from how troubling the day had been for her. He could see where she was coming from, in her rant against Melody. The girl was daft enough to believe everything in the Prophet and, had Draco any male siblings, he definitely wouldn’t want them dating her. It did sound suspiciously like Gregory was standing up more for this girl than Charlotte, who probably needed his support the most.

He was pleased to find that the school had been rid of the Aurors that had paced the hallways the year before. They were only a nuisance, someone else to breath down the back of his neck and watch his every move. Now, it seemed, the school had taken a completely different turn. He could probably get away with murdering a mudblood or two and be applauded for it. Not that he would want to ever murder someone, but he knew that since he was branded a Death Eater, he would be given leeway if he did something outside the rules.

Hogwarts seemed quiet for the moment, not only just because the students were at the beginning of term feast, but because nothing drastic was happening. Draco knew it would only be a matter of time before things began happening and Hogwarts would be changed forever because of it. As he traveled down the long, winding staircase to the Slytherin Common Room, he wished he could have gone back to previous years, so that he wouldn’t have to deal with stress. Last year had been rough, which would have been worse if Charlotte hadn’t helped, but knew this year would probably be rougher still.

He entered the Common Room with a quick murmur of the password. It was as dank and as dark as ever, left in the same condition he remembered it to be. The green lanterns, the constant dripping of water, the drone of a small fire in the fireplace, the black leather furniture; it was all the same…except for the blonde girl who sat in one of the high-backed chairs, staring darkly at the fire. She had changed a lot since the last time he had been at Hogwarts.

Draco noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears as she bit the inside of her cheek nervously. He stepped toward her and her eyes slowly slid over to him. She drew in a deep breath of air as she stared at him before looking away. He stared at her curiously for a moment before closing the distance between the two of them and sitting in the chair just beside the one she was sitting in. There was a tense silence between the two of them before he reached out, feeling very bold, and grasped her hand in his. Charlotte looked over at him for a moment, biting her bottom lip.

“I don’t understand anything anymore, Draco,” she breathed, shaking her head slowly. He gently squeezed her hand, silently urging her on. “I mean…I understand why she likes her. She’s very pretty.” Her face suddenly crumpled with a mixture of sadness and anger. “But I’m his sister. I should always take precedent over a girl he just met.”

“I know,” Draco said softly before sighing heavily. “He should be more worried about you at the moment.” Charlotte pouted a bit before turning back to the fire, intertwining their fingers.

“Can you give me any idea why, apart from her being a Veela or something, that he would overlook me?” She asked, her voice shaking slightly. Draco stared at her profile, thinking through any possibility he could give to her, in an attempt to quell her fears. His mind rested on one in particular, but he didn’t know if it hurt more than help. He’d tell her though; it be at least something to say to her.

“Well…he’s probably been worried sick about you for the majority of the summer. Maybe he sees her as some sort of escape from all that worry,” he said, causing Charlotte to turn her eyes back to him sharply. “He knows that I will always be here to look after you and…maybe he’s tired of all the stress he endured this summer.” Charlotte stared at him, a sea of emotions in her eyes.

“Are you?” She asked in a wavering voice, gazing directly into his eyes. Draco’s brow curled with curiosity and he shook his head a bit.

“Am I what?” He replied. She let out a heavy sigh and looked as though she could cry.

“Are you tired of looking after me?” She asked in a quiet voice, tucking her quivering bottom lip between her teeth.

“No, of course not,” he said quickly, shaking his head. A small, reassured smile curled her lips as she stared at him. “I will never get tired of looking after you.” Charlotte merely nodded a bit, relapsing into silence as she turned back to the fire. Minutes of silence passed by before either one of them talked again.

“Look…Draco,” she started in a serious voice, turning her bright blue eyes to his, “I need to tell you something before somebody else does. I don’t want this to be some sort of crude rumor that comes about during the school year.” Draco could feel her hand trembling in his and he gave it a gentle squeeze, knowing nothing good could come from what she was about to tell him. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment, gathering whatever little confidence she had left in her after the horrible day she had already been through.

“Draco…I’m a-” Her words cut off as the stone wall of a door to the Common Room slid open and the students piled into the room. Charlotte quickly pulled her hand from his and placed her hand back into her lap, staring off at the fire harshly. Draco glanced over to the doorway and spotted a few first years, staring wide-eyed at Charlotte before being shooed off by a fifth year prefect he didn’t care to know the name of. Charlotte stood suddenly and turned to Draco.

“I’m turning in for the night. I’m tired,” she said plainly, staring up at him. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek before nodding once and starting toward the dormitories, her head bowed and her shaking hands clenched in fists at her sides.