Center of Attention

I looked around the station. A couple of students were milling around, meeting up with friends, saying goodbye to families.

Two Indian girls walked past. One leant into the other and whispered something to the other. I knew what they were talking about, and I looked at the floor, nervously.

It had been a hard summer, and all through it I had looked forward to coming back, but scared to do so at the same time. School wouldn't be the same, not without... them. They had helped me through so much, but now they couldn't. No one could help me. I was too far-gone.

"I'm sorry I stepped towards the edge of the platform. I looked down at the tracks. Trust me to get here early. Trust me to be stood on my own before the train got here. Trust me to start crying in front of everyone.

I heard someone call my name. I wiped the tears away, fixed a smile on my face and turned. When I did so, I heard a rumble in the distance. A bright light came from no one. I jumped away from the edge, just in time to stop the train hitting my right arm.

Tonks was suddenly stood beside me, laughing. I frowned. She patted my arm.

"Just dropping Harry off. I heard about your summer. How are you?" she asked kindly. I frowned deeper.

"How do you think I am?" I replied, scathingly.

She stepped back, shocked.

. I was only- I didn't mean to- I'm sorry!" she muttered, turning away. People seemed to be doing that more and more. Turning away from me. Giving up. I would if I were someone else.

I shook my head, trying to stop the guilty little voice in my head. It was telling me things I didn't want to hear. I grabbed my trunk, and the basket with my cat inside, and stomped onto the train.

And straight into someone I didn't want to see.

"All right?" he said, nodding his head. I shook my head, and looked at him angrily.

"Why are you talking to me?"

"Because... but... the summer..." I raised my eyebrows.

"What are you on about? Now, let me pass."

"But..."

I pushed him to the wall, and flounced past. The famous all mouth bad-boy of the school, left silenced and stuttering by me. A pathetic little mudblood.

And if you ask me, serve him right. Stalking around like a big hard... boxer or something.

But... the summer...

I shook my head again, throwing the thoughts out the window. I found an empty compartment and sat on my own. I waited to see if anyone would join me. The people that walked past, looked in, and turned, whispering behind their hands. They needn't have bothered.

I blinked away some unshed tears, and opened a magazine. I was still aware of people talking about me. I started to cry again. Silently, and hiding behind the magazine.

Someone opened the door. I wiped my eyes, and looked up. Harry and Ron stood in front of me, looking down. I looked at the floor. It was all my fault. Everything. They knew it, I knew it, and everyone knew it. I ruined everything

"Well. Are you going to say anything?" Harry said.

"I'm sorry. I've said I am, and I am. You know that, you know me! You know I didn't mean any harm. I'm sorry!"

Tears ran afresh down my cheeks. I didn't bother wiping them away. I just let them flow down my face, and drip off my chin. They stood, watching me crying. They didn't comfort me, or anything. Just stood there.

These were supposed to be my friends. Sure, I mucked up, but friends were supposed to be there for you, no matter what.

I know that's kind of hypocritical, but what I did was an accident, I didn't mean to, and I couldn't help it. If they had told me the truth from the beginning, none of this would have happened!

But, a part of me, some obscure, small little part of me, was glad it did... I just didn't want to admit that. I couldn't risk anyone finding that out, or finding out what had happened at that beach hut...

No. I'd promised myself I wouldn't think about that... it would be to painful, because I know that nothing will come of it. Nothing can.

"You're sorry?" Ron sneered. "You're sorry?"

"After all that's happened, and all you can say is you're sorry?"

"Well, it's all I can say. Please. Please don't do this to me, guys! Have I not been through enough?"

Ron shook his head, and stomped off. Harry shrugged, and followed him. The tears started again. I wanted to go to the one person, in the whole of this damn school who could make it better, and it was all his fault! I sobbed into my arms, dropping the magazine. .

"I'm sorry." I heard a voice say above me. I looked up, still crying. Draco stood above me.

"I know why you ignored me. You want everything to go back to normal, as if nothing happened, don't you."

I nodded weakly, and looked at his feet. How pathetic. I thought after the summer we had, and I can't look in his eyes. So, so blue...

They say blue eyes are the hardest to hide behind. They say you can read that person's emotions, easy as pie. His weren't like that. His eyes were a shield.

"I can't believe it. I'm not me anymore. I found them, and lost them. In one summer."

Tears were still trickling down my face. He nodded, and sat beside me.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked.

I nodded, shook my head and shrugged. He smiled. I looked up at him. For a second, just a second, I could see in his eyes, I could see...

Then it was gone. The shield was up, the key turned.