A Summer in the Life of Draco

The next day seemed a blur to Draco. It was a difficult time for the whole household. John and Dominique had left last night for their honeymoon, so only the Stone's remained. As they all watched the trunks be brought down to the living room fire, a few tears were shed.

"Oh girls, I'm going to miss you so much!" said Narcissa, hugging Melanie and Ella in a group embrace.

"We'll miss you too, Narcissa. Thanks for everything this summer," said Melanie. Over in the other corner of the room, Keith was saying his goodbyes to Lucius and Draco.

"Well boys, it's been a pleasure. Come see us in New Zealand some time."

"That's an offer I would love to take you up on. Have a safe trip home," said Lucius, shaking Keith's hand. Draco shook it a little halfheartedly.

All morning, he had been avoiding Ella. You would think that they wanted to be together every last second, but it seemed to only intensify the pain when they were even in the same room. As Melanie made her way toward the fire with her trunk, he knew he didn't have much more time with her. It was time.

"Ella? Can I talk to you for a moment?" he said, shakily. Ella gave him a sad smile and followed him into a corner of the room.

They stood there, not saying anything for a second. Draco was very bad with goodbyes like this. Being emotional was something new to him... and he didn't like the feeling.

"Draco, it's been fun," she said. Fun is an understatement, she thought to herself. This was hard for Draco. She could see it in every line of his face.

"Indeed it has."

"Write to me often, ok?" Ella said, taking his hand and loosely holding it in her own. He squeezed it back.

"Alright."

"Ella? It's your turn to go, sweetheart," said Keith from over by the fire. Ella dropped Draco's hand and looked into his eyes. He flashed an encouraging smile. One of them had to be strong. She walked slowly over the fire and took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. Stepping carefully into the emerald blaze, she turned back one final time.

As she gazed into Draco's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, she realized she had to leave. With a sigh, she tried to speak clearly.

"The Stone Bungalow!"

And with a puff of smoke, she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

The steam rose out of the Hogwarts Express as Draco walked through the crowds. It had been more than a week since Ella had left. He hadn't received any letters from her since. He felt that she had abandoned him, and he had every right to feel that way. Now that he was back to his old life, it was time to forget her.

Lucius had dropped him off roughly ten minutes ago. He was still looking for Crabbe and Goyle. His worthless excuses for friends hadn't been where they had said they'd be. He finally spotted Blaise Zabini, a fellow sixth year Slytherin. He flagged him down.

"Blaise! BLAISE!"

"What? Oh, hey Draco! Interesting summer?"

"You could say something like that," said Draco. Blaise eyed him with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," said Draco, not wanting to talk about Ella. Blaise didn't think of this as anything. He just shrugged his shoulders and carried on.

"Any sign of Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Not yet... I think they're on the train. Let's go look," said Draco. Blaise followed him through the crowd and towards one of the cars. Draco saw numerous other Slytherins that he knew, but he wasn't exactly interested in them. All he wanted was to get back to his dorm room at Hogwarts. The train left in ten minutes and he was hoping to get a seat.

They boarded the train and walked down the rows, checking compartments for Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. As they moved, they took amusement in scaring the new first years. They would occasionally pop into a compartment and yell random questions at them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Draco yelled at a little blonde-haired boy who was attempting a spell for his friends. The little kid blushed and tried to hide his wand from view. Blaise was quicker, however, and snatched it from him.

"Give it back!" yelled the little boy. He was near tears. Draco could see it. For a moment, Draco saw himself as a first year. Self-conscious, scared, and just trying to fit in. Draco thought of what Ella would think if she was watching this scene. He sighed and grabbed Blaise's arm and lowered it, taking the wand with him. He handed it back to the boy and turned from the compartment.

"What was that all about?!" said an angered Blaise. Draco ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from him. He kept going with their search. He really didn't want to talk about Ella with any of his friends, or the effect that their short romance had had on him. He learned to question his actions, think before he spoke, and care more about others than himself. Well, maybe not so much that last one...

Finally after another five minutes of avoiding Blaise and his questions of Draco's sanity, they found the other three friends. Sitting in nearly the last compartment on the train was Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Draco!" yelled Pansy as she jumped from her seat and wrapped him in a hug, pinning his arms to his side.

"Uh, hi Pansy," said Draco unenthusiastically. He shook her off and took a seat between Crabbe and Goyle. Without thinking much about it, he began to rub the ring that Ella had given him.

"Oh my goodness, my summer was so fabulous! Mother and I went shopping in Rome and I went to America..." Pansy said as she began to relive her whole summer even though no one had even asked about it. Draco sighed and closed his eyes.

For the next twenty minutes, the four boys fought the urge to sleep as Pansy talked about the fabulous leopard-print dress that she had purchased for a large sum of money. Then, they all heard a tap on the train window. This was rather strange, considering that the train was moving awfully fast. It was a large, snowy-owl. Draco didn't stir from his seat and let Blaise open it for him. The owl flew in and landed on Draco's lap, startling him.

This owl was a very beautiful one. Nearly all white with big, blue eyes. Draco recognized her instantly by the leather collar she wore around her neck. He turned its tag over to make sure his assumptions were true. He began to read its information.

Just as he had suspected. Ella's owl had managed to find him. He looked down on her leg and, sure enough, a piece of parchment was tied neatly to it. He stroked her head and carefully let her go out the window.

Sitting back down in his seat, he looked upon the letter. He was slightly angered that she hadn't attempted to contact him earlier. That emotion quickly faded when he saw her neat, loopy handwriting written in her trademark pink ink. Turning it over, he pulled carefully at the seal.

"Who's that from, Draco?" said Pansy. Draco ignored her as he pulled the letter from its envelope. Everyone in the car was staring at him, but he didn't care. The letter inside was short, as if she had written it in a hurry.

Sorry it has taken me so long to write. My parents and I got into a bit of a tussle a few days after we returned home. They grounded me, of course, so I lost use of Eros. I'm currently staying at a friend's house. You could say that I, uh, "ran away from home." I can't write much because I'm switching houses again in a couple hours and I need to pack. I'm trying to get away from my parents. They just don't understand me right now. Don't worry about me, though. If it all works out, I should be fine. Remember that I'm always with you, sweetheart.

All my love,

Ella

He re-read the letter a few times. All he got out of it was that Ella had been in a fight with her parents and was moving from house to house before returning to Durmstrang. He smiled as he thought of Ella as a "woman-on-the-run." He could see her as some sort of undercover agent for the Ministry one day...

"Who was that from?" asked Pansy. Can't you ever keep your up-turned nose out of other people's business for a change?! Draco thought to himself.

"No one special," he said, pocketing the letter. None of them seemed to believe him. He was saved from this predicament when Glen Rutherford, a Chaser on the Slytherin team, came into their compartment.

"Hey boys! Oh, and Pansy," he said. Glen was a rather lanky kid with perfect brown hair and brown eyes. He could play Quidditch like it was nobody's business and had been added to the team last year. "How were your summers?"

"Oh, mine was wonderful--"

"Yeah, we all heard about it already," said Draco, who was annoyed with her endless chatter. How could he possibly have dated with woman?

"Well, Draco, you've been awfully quiet. What about your summer?" she said. She stuck her nose up at him, crossed her legs, and waited for his answer.

"Um, well..." he said, not really wanting to talk about Ella. He was hoping to keep her away from his life at school. Oh Merlin, if people knew Draco Malfoy had a heart... they might take it as a sign the world was ending! "My aunt Dee got married at our house... just a bunch of mushy love rubbish. I went to Paris and saw the Bulgaria-France match up. It was an awesome game," he said. This caught Glen's attention, who was more avid in Quidditch than any of them combined.

"Really? I bet it was bloody brilliant! I read all about it in one of my magazines," he said.

"Oh it was. Bulgaria totally dominated!"

"Is that all?" said Pansy with a bored tone. Draco stared out the window and watched the countryside roll by. He had flashbacks of his summer.

Ella kissing him sweetly on the lips in the lake... Carrying her back to the house after their flight... Meeting Viktor Krum in the streets of Paris... Learning about her past... And finally saying goodbye...

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's all."

~*~*~*~*~

Two hours later, the train rolled into the little village of Hogsmeade. Draco reluctantly tugged at his school tie and walked out of the door and off of the train. He saw the giant-of-a-man, Hagrid, leading the first years off towards the lake. It wasn't raining yet, but it was still cold enough to wear a cloak.

He led the way as his fellow Slytherins followed him up the path to the horseless carriages. His attempts to shut out Pansy had been worthless and she had somehow ended up sitting next to him the last part of the train ride. He would most definitely have to scold whoever allowed this to happen.

When they finally reached the top of the hill, he realized that the horseless carriages were mainly full. They sat four to a carriage, so they would have to split up. Draco and Glen went into one carriage and the other four set off to find someone to buddy-up with.

They hadn't actually realized who they had intruded upon until they had closed the door. When he looked across the seat, he realized that they were now in the same vicinity as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

"Sorry to intrude on whatever intimate moment you might have been having, but everywhere else was full," said Glen.

"Shove off, Rutherford," said Ron, his ears turning red. Draco thought of a comeback, but held it in. Glen looked at him with a confused expression. He had already noticed that the normally boastful Draco Malfoy had been nearly silent on the ride here. All he did the entire ride was read the mysterious letter that had arrived on the train for him. He couldn't help but notice that distance that he had all of the sudden. He elbowed him in the ribs.

"What? Oh! Yeah Potter, does your girlfriend find these secret meetings unusual?"

"Sure Malfoy, and does your little Bulgarian lass trust you now that you're back here?" said Harry. He saw the look of panic on Draco's face and knew that he had touched a nerve. Glen looked at him with a peculiar look, oblivious to who this girl was he had mentioned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Draco, obviously lying. He averted his eyes elsewhere for the rest of the ride while the other three continued to throw insults at each other. Every now and then, one was thrown at him, but he tried his best to ignore it. For ten long minutes, his travel partners quarreled. He was relieved when they finally made it to the castle.

They unloaded quickly and were soon met by Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Together, they walked into the large front doors. Draco was met by the familiar smell of the castle. It was most definitely one that could never be forgotten. The mixture of fresh pastries, disinfectant, and the light mist of a Dung Bomb... truly remarkable.

They followed the rest of the older students into the Great Hall. It was glowing in the light of hundreds of enchanted candles. Draco, however, really wasn't in the mood to soak in the beauty of his school. All he wanted was to get up to his dorm, sleep, and get through the year as quickly as possible. Even his shiny new Quidditch Captain badge couldn't cheer him up. He had planned on writing to Ella as soon as he had received it, but he had held off. It had arrived only moments after she left. He thought that it might have seemed desperate if he owled her right away. Oh well, maybe tonight he would reply to her letter.

He quickly navigated through the crowds to the Slytherin table at the far end of the Hall. He sat down with a sigh and leaned his chin on his palms. Pansy plopped herself in the seat next to him. He rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore her.

While Draco waited for the rest of the school to get seated, Pansy continued to talk his ear off. He began to hum the tune of a muggle song that Ella had gotten him to listen too. Closing his eyes, he pictured her. All of her beauty, grace, elegance...

"SILENCE EVERYONE!" yelled Dumbledore, and everyone immediately got quiet. Draco, as usual, wasn't paying much attention to the old mans eccentric ramblings. He had never been too fond of Dumbledore. He was too much of a Mudblood lover.

"Students and staff, welcome back! I can assure you that this will be a most wonderful year of education, Quidditch, and competition. We are all aware of these dark times that lie ahead for us, and the best thing that we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge.

"Our job here at this school is to make sure that you are well prepared to deal with whatever may come your way. We can not protect you forever. Soon, you will be on your own.

"First years, for seven years this will be your home. If you were to ask any of our older students, I'm sure that they would tell you that this is truly a wonderful place to spend seven years of your lives. You will learn that the ability to use magic is a privilege, not a right. You have top-notch schooling, I can assure you.

"And finally, Mr. Filch has requested that I remind you that all Zonko's joke shop products are off limits to all students. Also, the Forbidden Forest is still out of bounds for all students who do not wish to die a most painful death.

"Without further ado, let the sorting ceremony begin!" he said to the applause of many students. The Slytherin table was nearly silent with a few of the younger students clapping. As you became an older Slytherin, you knew that it was expected of you to hate the Headmaster. The rest of the group scowled.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting hat on its stool and it began to sing its usual song. It was never the same two years in a row. Draco's brain hurt just thinking about how many songs it must have had to sing. Thousands maybe. Each original and unique to the new group of pupils and they would all remember what it had sang before they were sorted. All of them would search for a hidden meaning in the song, but would find none. It was just a song, and that was it.

Draco watched as she worked through the list of A's. A small, black haired girl was sorted into Slytherin and met with great applause. Every new addition to the house was a good thing in their eyes. It meant that there was one more pureblooded child in this world and that they were one more step closer to ridding this school of all the dirt of muggle blood.

Draco watched the ceremony with some intrigue. All of the first years looked nervous. Of course, he hadn't been nervous at all. He was certain that he was destined to be in Slytherin. The hat hadn't even touched his head before announcing where he would be residing.

When she was about halfway through the P's, he began to doze off. It wasn't as exciting after the first twenty students. Before he was totally out, he heard the large oak doors open and his head snapped up at this sound. No one had ever invaded on their ceremony before it was complete. This was extremely rude and Draco scanned for the person who had caused such a racket.

A taller girl came hustling into the hall, hopping on one foot and trying to tie her shoelaces. She wore a large fur cloak with the hood up so that no one knew her identity. Draco, along with everyone else, stared at this intruder.

"Sorry I'm late! I missed the train and I had to ride my broom the whole way here and it wasn't exactly the best conditions for flying," the stranger said. Dumbledore stood from his chair at the head table.

"Aw, hello young lady. Will you please remove your cloak and take your place in line so that we may continue our sorting?" he asked politely. The girl nodded. Draco knew right away that she definitely wasn't a first year. They weren't allowed to have brooms. This was a new experience. In the five years that he had been here, a new student had never come before.

The girl took her place in line and unclasped her hood. She swung it from her shoulders, showering everyone nearby with water from the rain. They groaned in protest. She fluffed her hair and Draco did a double take.

She had long blonde hair, was about five-foot-five, and had a very athletic build. He couldn't see her face because she had her back turned to where he was. Everyone that could see it, however, was whispering rapidly. He could hear it all throughout the Hall. He wondered who she could be... she seemed too familiar.

"Sinclair, Eric?" said McGonagall clearly. He sat upon the stool and the hat was placed on his head. After a few moments, the hat sorted him into Hufflepuff.

"Stone, Ella?" she read allowed. Draco froze. No... it couldn't be.

Had Ella really come to Hogwarts?