The Future Doesn't Scare Me
The Future Doesn't Scare Me
"Ahh, History of Magical Theory." Thought Joya Riony happily. She had finally reached her sixth year at Hogwarts and was eligible to take the NEWT level course. The Ravenclaw prefect entered the modest classroom as the base of the Astronomy Tower before anyone else, taking a seat in the very front row. Parchment out, quill at the ready, Joya tucked some of her wavy, fire-red hair behind her ears and waited as other less-enthused students trickled into the room.
“Oh great, History of Magical Theory.” whined the insufferable voice of Slytherin’s pride and joy, Draco Malfoy, as he and his goonies stepped foot in the room. “What a load of rubbish.”
Joya took a deep breath and glared in Malfoy’s direction. This behavior wasn’t untypical for him. Draco Malfoy never passed up an opportunity to say he was “too good” for something or someone. However, as much of an ignorant prat as he could be, Draco was always careful to not insult Joya. They had a strange relationship that way- she seemed to be the only non-Slytherin that Draco didn’t have a personal vendetta against. It even appeared at times that he may, daresay, respect her.
Today, however, as he walked into the stuffy classroom, his usual sneer was present, along with his condescending stare. There was something different about him, though. He looked a little lackluster, tired, and maybe a little scared. His typically brilliant green eyes were tame, contained in black circles. If it was possible, he was even more pale than he usually was, and his sleek blonde hair looked a little rumpled- as if he had taken up the habit of nervously running his hands through it often. Something about 6th year Draco Malfoy was different, alright- but it certainly wasn’t his attitude.
“This school has really gone to the dogs. For goodness sake, they don’t know what I’m capable of. Instead of actually letting me use my magic, they’re filling my brain with mush about where it came from. My father said once Dumbledore is out of the way-”
“Have you ever even thought about why you’re learning this?” Joya burst out before she could stop herself. It was one thing to insult the curriculum, but the way he talked about Dumbledore crossed the line.
Goyle, Crabbe, and particularly Pansy Parkinson looked at Joya as if she had grown a second head. Draco, however, as a testament to their unique relationship, decided to give her an answer.
“It can’t be for any useful reason. Personally, I think it’s so we have less time to look into dark magic. What are you suggesting, Riony?”
Joya thought for a moment. To try to explain things the way she wanted to in front of his bonehead friends would be impossible. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come. With me.” Joya repeated firmly, holding out her hand for him to take. Pansy Parkinson let out a shriek of disbelief.
“Have you gone mental, weirdo!” She jeered, earning the approving laughter of the other Slytherins. Draco, however, held up his hand to silence them, and looked hard at Joya’s unwavering, outstretched hand, measuring up her seriousness.
“We’ll miss class.”
“I don’t care.” She answered honestly.
“Where will we go?”
“You’ll see.”
“Are you serious, Riony?”
“Deadly so.”
Pansy was watching their exchange like it was some sort of sick tennis match. “Draco, you aren’t considering-”
And then there it was. His cold, glass-fragile palms fell into Joya’s hand and without another word to his posse he let Joya lead him out of the room, out of the castle, and into the late summer air. They had walked some ways by the time he spoke again, still holding Joya’s hand.
“Ok, what’s this about?”
Joya stopped walking and dropped Draco’s hand. They had found themselves on a small knoll overlooking the pumpkin patch. The September midmorning sun shone bright, and the entire world seemed to be alive and thriving- swallowing in the remainder of the summer. Some wildflowers brushed at their ankles in the breeze. Joya bent down, picked a pretty purple one, and placed it delicately in Draco’s palm.
“Asking me on a date, Riony?” He asked sarcastically. Joya ignored the comment.
“You wanted me to explain my reasoning, so I’m doing it.” She responded. Understanding this as less of a statement and more of the command it was, Draco brought his eyes down to the fragile flower in his hand and listened.
“I believe that if you want to take a deep breath in this world, it starts in the mind. An open mind, because a closed mind is stifling. Suffocating. Insufficient. With an open mind, you can flood your lungs with the wonders of the Universe. You can read between the lines. With an open mind, and maybe a little bit of empathy, you can not only learn about the world- but experience it too.”
“What are you on about?” He asked, though not meanly, but rather with a sincere curiosity.
“I believe that an open mind stretches through your body, fingertips to toes, like a warm, relaxing glow,” she closed her eyes and felt the sun warm her skin, “while a closed mind clings to that tiny part of your conscious that says ‘I’m afraid of the world.’”
“Fear always starts at the same source: the unfamiliar. Those with a closed mind fear what they can’t relate to- whether it be blood status, ethnicity, even love, Malfoy. While the closed-minded individual choses to hide behind their ignorance, an open-minded person welcomes the change of pace with open arms. Open minds want to be filled with new knowledge and fresh perspectives, while the closed mind choses to fester in stale air, never reaching out to breathe in something new.”
She turned to him now, bringing her hands onto his, and closely cupping them over the flower. “I believe that in a world of dead, dormant foliage, an open mind is that first colorful bloom of a new season.”
She removed her hand once more, and the purple wildflower had transfigured into a young robin. It twittered cheerfully at the pair of them, thanking them for a life to live and lungs to breathe, before flying off in the direction of the modest cabin in the distance.
“Everything tangible in your life started with one of those blooms. Magic. It all began with an open-mind yearning to to take a breath and try something different. The world around us is amazing, bursting with the brilliance and vibrancy of these fresh blooms. If you see it, then you have an open mind. If you don’t, than all it takes is one, inaugural deep breath. That’s why we study the origin of magic, Draco. So we appreciate it. So we learn from it. Experience the aromas of this budding world and soon you’ll become a part of it.”
He considered this for a very long time, while Joya waited patiently and allowed her eyes to follow the path of the happy robin. Eventually, Draco hoarsely asked, “why do you bother with me? What makes you think I can change?”
“Because you took my hand and followed me here. Because I can see it in your eyes.”
Realizing his expression was betraying him, he turned to face the glistening lake, squinting in the sunlight. “You might not think that in the future.”
Joya wasn’t sure what exactly Draco meant by this. Perhaps it had something to do with why he appeared so tired, why he stared out over the horizon in a way that was so meaningful, as if he were wishing he could escape something the had him bound. Either way, it seemed to make him very, very sad. Joya looked at this mysterious boy’s sharp profile sternly and said, “the future doesn’t scare me.”
“Oh great, History of Magical Theory.” whined the insufferable voice of Slytherin’s pride and joy, Draco Malfoy, as he and his goonies stepped foot in the room. “What a load of rubbish.”
Joya took a deep breath and glared in Malfoy’s direction. This behavior wasn’t untypical for him. Draco Malfoy never passed up an opportunity to say he was “too good” for something or someone. However, as much of an ignorant prat as he could be, Draco was always careful to not insult Joya. They had a strange relationship that way- she seemed to be the only non-Slytherin that Draco didn’t have a personal vendetta against. It even appeared at times that he may, daresay, respect her.
Today, however, as he walked into the stuffy classroom, his usual sneer was present, along with his condescending stare. There was something different about him, though. He looked a little lackluster, tired, and maybe a little scared. His typically brilliant green eyes were tame, contained in black circles. If it was possible, he was even more pale than he usually was, and his sleek blonde hair looked a little rumpled- as if he had taken up the habit of nervously running his hands through it often. Something about 6th year Draco Malfoy was different, alright- but it certainly wasn’t his attitude.
“This school has really gone to the dogs. For goodness sake, they don’t know what I’m capable of. Instead of actually letting me use my magic, they’re filling my brain with mush about where it came from. My father said once Dumbledore is out of the way-”
“Have you ever even thought about why you’re learning this?” Joya burst out before she could stop herself. It was one thing to insult the curriculum, but the way he talked about Dumbledore crossed the line.
Goyle, Crabbe, and particularly Pansy Parkinson looked at Joya as if she had grown a second head. Draco, however, as a testament to their unique relationship, decided to give her an answer.
“It can’t be for any useful reason. Personally, I think it’s so we have less time to look into dark magic. What are you suggesting, Riony?”
Joya thought for a moment. To try to explain things the way she wanted to in front of his bonehead friends would be impossible. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come. With me.” Joya repeated firmly, holding out her hand for him to take. Pansy Parkinson let out a shriek of disbelief.
“Have you gone mental, weirdo!” She jeered, earning the approving laughter of the other Slytherins. Draco, however, held up his hand to silence them, and looked hard at Joya’s unwavering, outstretched hand, measuring up her seriousness.
“We’ll miss class.”
“I don’t care.” She answered honestly.
“Where will we go?”
“You’ll see.”
“Are you serious, Riony?”
“Deadly so.”
Pansy was watching their exchange like it was some sort of sick tennis match. “Draco, you aren’t considering-”
And then there it was. His cold, glass-fragile palms fell into Joya’s hand and without another word to his posse he let Joya lead him out of the room, out of the castle, and into the late summer air. They had walked some ways by the time he spoke again, still holding Joya’s hand.
“Ok, what’s this about?”
Joya stopped walking and dropped Draco’s hand. They had found themselves on a small knoll overlooking the pumpkin patch. The September midmorning sun shone bright, and the entire world seemed to be alive and thriving- swallowing in the remainder of the summer. Some wildflowers brushed at their ankles in the breeze. Joya bent down, picked a pretty purple one, and placed it delicately in Draco’s palm.
“Asking me on a date, Riony?” He asked sarcastically. Joya ignored the comment.
“You wanted me to explain my reasoning, so I’m doing it.” She responded. Understanding this as less of a statement and more of the command it was, Draco brought his eyes down to the fragile flower in his hand and listened.
“I believe that if you want to take a deep breath in this world, it starts in the mind. An open mind, because a closed mind is stifling. Suffocating. Insufficient. With an open mind, you can flood your lungs with the wonders of the Universe. You can read between the lines. With an open mind, and maybe a little bit of empathy, you can not only learn about the world- but experience it too.”
“What are you on about?” He asked, though not meanly, but rather with a sincere curiosity.
“I believe that an open mind stretches through your body, fingertips to toes, like a warm, relaxing glow,” she closed her eyes and felt the sun warm her skin, “while a closed mind clings to that tiny part of your conscious that says ‘I’m afraid of the world.’”
“Fear always starts at the same source: the unfamiliar. Those with a closed mind fear what they can’t relate to- whether it be blood status, ethnicity, even love, Malfoy. While the closed-minded individual choses to hide behind their ignorance, an open-minded person welcomes the change of pace with open arms. Open minds want to be filled with new knowledge and fresh perspectives, while the closed mind choses to fester in stale air, never reaching out to breathe in something new.”
She turned to him now, bringing her hands onto his, and closely cupping them over the flower. “I believe that in a world of dead, dormant foliage, an open mind is that first colorful bloom of a new season.”
She removed her hand once more, and the purple wildflower had transfigured into a young robin. It twittered cheerfully at the pair of them, thanking them for a life to live and lungs to breathe, before flying off in the direction of the modest cabin in the distance.
“Everything tangible in your life started with one of those blooms. Magic. It all began with an open-mind yearning to to take a breath and try something different. The world around us is amazing, bursting with the brilliance and vibrancy of these fresh blooms. If you see it, then you have an open mind. If you don’t, than all it takes is one, inaugural deep breath. That’s why we study the origin of magic, Draco. So we appreciate it. So we learn from it. Experience the aromas of this budding world and soon you’ll become a part of it.”
He considered this for a very long time, while Joya waited patiently and allowed her eyes to follow the path of the happy robin. Eventually, Draco hoarsely asked, “why do you bother with me? What makes you think I can change?”
“Because you took my hand and followed me here. Because I can see it in your eyes.”
Realizing his expression was betraying him, he turned to face the glistening lake, squinting in the sunlight. “You might not think that in the future.”
Joya wasn’t sure what exactly Draco meant by this. Perhaps it had something to do with why he appeared so tired, why he stared out over the horizon in a way that was so meaningful, as if he were wishing he could escape something the had him bound. Either way, it seemed to make him very, very sad. Joya looked at this mysterious boy’s sharp profile sternly and said, “the future doesn’t scare me.”