Love's Decisions

*two weeks later*

I was in a car again, looking out of the window. I’d been sent off to the Malfoy’s house. Or mansion, should I say. My thoughts were bitter as the car pulled closer to their house. The Malfoys represented everything that I hated. Lord Voldemort had been the one that had destroyed my parents. He didn’t approve of a witch being with a human. I swore to myself that if nothing else, I would make sure that I killed Lord Voldemort. Darkness had been born inside me that I could not battle.

The Malfoys had been close friends of our family for a while now. My mother and Narcissa Malfoy had been friends at Hogwarts when they were younger. It’s funny, because I didn’t think people as uptight as the Malfoys would ever mix with a family that was only half magical. My father, being a muggle, had never bided well with the Malfoys. But Narcissa had honored her friendship with our mother. Then of course, my parents had burned down with my house in a house fire two weeks ago, and now I was on my way to live with the Malfoys. I could tell that they weren’t best pleased with the situation – me being a half blood and all. But they’d stupidly agreed to be my god parents, and so they were all I had left. I didn’t really have any other family.

The car drew up outside their manor, and I got out slowly, my feet dragging behind me. I walked at snail pace towards the front door, and knocked with the brass knocker that felt as heavy as my heart.
The door was opened by a house elf. Typical. They sent someone of my status to greet me. I sighed and walked inside, letting the elf take my suitcases. The living room had had an enlargement since the last time I walked in. The hearth rug was different: bigger, of course, and now pure white. The mahogany table had been replaced with a modern black table which contained a glass top. You know, too see underneath the table just incase someone had crept under the table and planned on killing them. Their superficiality was suffocating. The fireplace had, however, remained the same. The only difference was the mantle above the fireplace had contained pictures which had been swapped out for more current ones. The old picture had been of Narcissa and Draco standing outside the Olivander’s wand store, getting his wand for the first time. But it had been replaced with an older version of Draco, smirking as he held the Quidditch cup above his head, his team mates patting him on the back. Many other photos had been updated, and all contained the same smirking boy staring into my eyes. I averted my eyes from his gaze and looked around the rest of the room. The plush leather sofas had been replaced with colder, tougher leather sofas that seemed more ‘business-like’. They’d gotten a bigger TV because apparently two extra inches are so important to them. I guess it would be for an egotistical man like Lucius. What he didn’t have, he had to make up for with materials. If it made him feel better then I guess I couldn’t judge him or his big head. It annoyed me that money was so important to them. The only one with a little bit of a heart was Narcissa, and that was only because she was a mother so she knew how to care about someone other than herself. I was sure that back in my mother’s day, Narcissa was as cold as Draco. My heart stopped beating for a little while as I thought of my mother, before shaking my head and taking a deep breath. I promised myself I wouldn’t think about it. It would only hurt me more.

I heard movement behind me and turned to see Lucius enter the room, looking down at his wand before looking up to see me. He seemed startled, as if he’d forgotten I was coming – which was most likely the reality. I nodded at him, as a form of greeting, but he ignored me and breezed past me towards a desk, which he placed something inside. Narcissa walked in a few seconds later
“Lucius can’t we talk about this-” she started, before seeing me and stopping. “Oh, hello dear, I wasn’t expecting you to come so early” she greeted, before coming over to hug me. I didn’t hug her back, and just let her hold me. She let go of me quickly, before giving Lucius a meaningful look. He sighed and walked out of the room, before Narcissa called Draco.
Master Draco took his jolly old time, dragging his feet downstairs and seeming annoyed that his mother had summoned him. He entered the room and our eyes connected. Draco looked… different… out of school robes. I didn’t even think he’d taken it upon himself to respect muggle clothing, let alone wear it. Right now he was dressed casually in faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt with short sleeves. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he looked at me. He jutted his chin upwards as a form of greeting, and I offered him a small smile before turning away.
“May I retire to my sleeping chamber now, Mrs. Malfoy? The journey has tired me” I asked politely. Narcissa smiled at me
“There’s no need to be so formal, dear. You can call me Narcissa. This home is yours now. Draco, show Kara to her room” Narcissa responded, before walking through the same doors that Lucius had walked through. Draco tilted his head towards another set of doors, to motion for me to follow him. I obeyed and walked behind him as he walked up a flight of stairs, turned left into a passageway, walked up another flight of stairs, and turned the opposite way. He then walked me to the end of the corridor and opened a door which revealed a cream/blossom coloured room.
“Breakfast is at 9am. Be there” he replied, before walking away quietly. I exhaled sharply, scoffing as I walked into my room.
“Breakfast is at 9am. Be there” I mimicked quietly as I started unloading the clothes from my suitcase.

Draco and I had never really been friends. We were both in the same house, yet he hadn’t really wanted to mix with a half-blood. No, instead he’d had his friends and I’d had my friends, and we stayed out of each other’s way. Once in a millennium, when our families met up, we would just start out of each other’s way again. But it wasn’t such a big problem since in my entire 16 year existence; I’d seen his family outside of Hogwarts about twice.

I pulled on some sleep wear and crawled into bed. This bed wasn’t right. It was too cold, too rigid. It didn’t feel like my safe, warm, cozy bed back at home. Because back at home, I’d had the protection of my parents. I shut my eyes and let the tears fall. I didn’t think about my parents in the day time, but as night time drew closer, there was nothing to distract me. I just had an endless stretch of time ahead of me that I should spend sleeping. But instead I cried myself to sleep each night.