12«Good-byes

Justine had been given an excuse on her exams and she only had to take part of each. She did fairly well when everyone received the results. Of course, Hermione had once again passed every test with a perfect score. Ron and Harry on the other hand were wondering where they went wrong on Potions.

“I swear, Snape changes my answers to the wrong ones,” Harry announced as they were carrying their trunks out of the common room where house elves were lined up to take them to the Hogwarts Express.

“Unless you’re a Slytherin, you’re not worthy of anything,” Ron commented as he carried Scabber’s cage. “I’m just happy I’m going home.”

“I’m glad someone is,” Harry laughed.

“I agree with Harry,” Hermione said. “I really did enjoy this year. Much more challenging than the past years.”

They all walked out the front doors and down to the docks where the little rowboats were ready to take them to the train. Justine happened to catch a glimpse of Draco getting into a carriage, but after that, she lost complete sight of him.

She sat quietly most of the way home, as the train chugged along towards London. She stared out the window, much like she did when she was returning to school after vacation. However, memories of Christmas break came spilling back into her head. She had such a fun time with him. Even the ride to his house on at spring break was fun, seeing they were riding the train and he’d try to cause some sort of accident with the trolleys and the conductors that passed by.

“Justine?” Hermione asked noticing her friend’s tears.

Justine looked over quickly, wiping the tears away with her hand. “Yeah?”

“Honestly, girl, you’ve got to forget about him,” Ron told her. “He’s nothing. You really are better off without him.”

Justine thought about Ron’s comment for the entire way home. Was she really better off without him? She knew that he wouldn’t have let any harm come to her, but then again his father was something to think about. She was nothing but a mudblood to that family, and Lucius Malfoy would most likely kill her if she went near Draco again.

“London!” The conductor’s voice shouted down the hall of their car.

All of the Hogwarts students moved out of the trains’ cars and looked for their parents and luggage. Most of the kids gave their mothers and or fathers big hugs as they all walked away happily. Hermione and Justine’s parents would be waiting outside on platform 9, seeing they couldn’t get onto platform 9 ¾ because they were muggles. And in Harry’s case, the Durselys just didn’t care about what happened to him.

When they were all out and back into the busy muggle station, Harry was quickly forced by his aunt and uncle to leave. He said goodbye and was dragged off, Hedwig screeching behind him in her cage.

Ron said his goodbyes and invited the girls to visit his house whenever they wanted over the summer.

Soon, Hermione found her parents in the crowd, and Justine found her’s. They gave each other a big hug. “Write to me,” Justine told her.

“Of course! And same to you,” Hermione smiled. “And try not to think of him, ok? We’ll cheer you up over the summer if you’re blue. Just make sure to keep in touch!”

“Absolutely,” Justine said waving farewell as her friend pushed her cart and disappeared into the crowd.

“Welcome home, darling,” Justine’s mother said giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

“You’re travels were good, I expect?” Mr. Tidewater asked moving behind Justine’s luggage cart.

“It was good. I’ll tell you all about it when we get home,” Justine said. “Right now I just want to get out of here.” As she said that she noticed not far away someone looking at her as he stood next to his father who talked to another wizard.

Justine then, a large man and his wife moved slowly in front of her view, as they searched for their own train. When they had finally passed, he was gone. Justine sighed. “Mom, Dad, lets go home.”

Draco Malfoy kept away, but followed Justine and her family out of the station. He watched from the front steps as her father loaded her belongings into the car’s trunk, and she climbed into the backseat. Before she did so, someone must have said something to make her laugh. She had turned her head around with a large smile on her face.

He didn’t smile, nor frown as the car backed up and drove away. He knew that he loved her. He knew that she’d probably be the only one that he’d ever love. But his arm showed what would happen if he went back to her. And if it weren’t for that, he’d be running after the car at that very moment.

«The end«