TRAINING WHEELS

NARCISSA MALFOY

14 November 1996

Despite all the previous reassurance that Draco's mother liked her, Amora couldn't help the nerves that crept up on her on the morning she was supposed to have lunch with them. Narcissa was well-known in the Pureblood community seeing as she was a Black and a Malfoy, but that wasn't the reason Amora was anxious. She had no problem with Narcissa's high status and family background, but more so the fact that this was her boyfriend's mother.

A woman Amora strived to impress, despite their obvious differences. Part of her knew Draco probably wouldn't allow them to have lunch if he thought they wouldn't get along, which reassured her a little bit more, but she still hoped he didn't expect her to lie to get Narcissa to like her more. Amora refused to be anything less than authentic - though she knew to be politer than usual and a bit more reserved, of course.

She slipped on a pair of tights with a plaid skirt, her white turtleneck shirt tucked into it, and grabbed a coat. It wasn't snowing today and the rain had come overnight, meaning the ground was pretty icy and the air was chilly. That was sort of the least of her worries though. She tied her boots up and glanced over to Kathy who was still in her pyjamas.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Amora squeaked nervously.

Kathy raised her blonde eyebrows at Amora. "And do what? Sit there and watch you eat with your boyfriend and his mother?"

"No," Amora whined, "You'd sit a few booths away. For moral support. And then, if I give you the look, you'd come over and get me out of there as soon as -"

"You're stressing over nothing!" Kathy promised her, climbing out of her bed and grabbing Amora's hands which had been flying about animatedly. "From what you told me about when you met her before, Malfoy's mother doesn't seem too bad. You should just be thankful you're not meeting his father. Everybody knows how terrifying that man is."

Amora shuddered. "I can't believe we got away with him never finding out about the two of us before he was sent to Azkaban. I think I would have died if I had to meet him whilst he knew I had been shagging his son. I mean, he'd probably have a heart attack before I even stepped through the bloody door, but -"

"Stop putting yourself down," Kathy hushed her. "And start bringing yourself up. It will give you confidence before you leave. His father might have liked you. You're a Pureblood and you're pretty - you'd give him good grandchildren."

Amora grimaced. "Please don't say that. I don't want to think about giving Lucius Malfoy any grandchildren right now, thank you."

Kathy giggled. "Okay, sorry. But still - you'd inherit some Malfoy money and you'd be so bloody minted -"

"Kathy!"

Eventually, Kathy managed to force Amora out of the dormitory with her coat and her bag - filled with nothing but a few Galleons, a hair tie and some lip balm. She took a deep breath as she moved through the common room, unsure if she looked paler than usual because of the recent change in weather or because she felt sick with anxiety.

"Hogsmeade weekend, huh?" Leon called from the couch, looking over the back of it as he rolled a joint between his slender fingers. "You look worried. Fancy a joint? Might de-stress you a bit."

For a split second, Amora almost contemplated it, but she quickly shook her head. "No thanks. I have to go."

"So what?" Leon called after her. "You got your boyfriend back and you don't want to spend time with me anymore?"

Amora paused in her tracks and turned back around, her brows furrowed. "No. I just said that I didn't want to smoke any weed with you right now."

Leon scoffed, raising his brows as he looked down at his work. "Right," he muttered sarcastically beneath his breath. "Or any time in the past two weeks, either."

The brunette girl stood there for a moment or two. She debated whether or not she really wanted to get into this argument with him about who was in the right and who was in the wrong, but ultimately decided that she shouldn't get even more worked up than she already was. Which was why, with nothing more than a pursed-lipped smile that she pettily knew would piss him off a bit, Amora was on her way out of the common room.

The slightly dusty smell of the barrel-filled room provided her with a sense of comfort, before her eyes landed on her actual safety a few feet away. Draco had his back to one of the stone walls, one leg pressed against it as he folded his arms across his front. His silver eyes landed on her immediately, scanning her up and down once as she approached him.

"Hi," she breathed.

"Hi there," Draco replied, his large hands planting on her hips when she was merely inches away. "You look pretty."

Amora tried not to blush, but failed. "Thank you. So do you."

His nose scrunched up at the compliment. Amora knew he preferred 'handsome', but she was pretty sure it secretly flustered him a little bit too. His hand slipped from her hip to grab a hold of her hand and he gave it a soft squeeze.

"So," Draco said, "Are you ready for lunch with my mother?"

Amora pursed her lips. "I am."

"Are you nervous?"

"Not at all," she lied.

"Ah, that might have been convincing if you weren't crushing my hand," Draco teased with an amused glint behind his eyes.

Amora gasped quietly and pulled her hand away from his. "I'm sorry," she muttered, "I - Just - I don't even know what I'll say to her. I'm pretty sure the only thing I have in common with your mother is our love for you. And those are two very different kinds of love."

The blond chuckled a little bit, shaking his head. "I would hope they were different kinds. Besides, that's not true. You have other things in common."

"Like what?" Amora questioned apprehensively as she took the hand he was holding out to her, being careful not to subconsciously squeeze it this time as they began to walk up the stairs that led to the first level of the school.

"Well, for starters, who do you think got me into reading? It certainly wasn't my father," Draco said, "My mother's very proud of her library. And I remember you had plants in your bedroom back in your home. My mother loves gardening, so much so that she takes over it from the house elves."

Amora began to smile a tiny bit. "Well, I don't garden. I just have a few cacti because you can't really kill them. And I still managed to do that a couple of years ago."

"I'm sure she'll find your efforts admirable," Draco insisted, "Besides, I'm sure it will be more of her asking you questions and telling us stories. No need to become best friends."

"It just means a lot to me that your mother likes me because I know how much you love her," Amora sighed heavily. "And I don't want to embarrass you or anything."

Draco paused, turning so he could cup her cheek. "Hey. You could never embarrass me, okay? Never. I promise you that. I'm proud of you - I'm more than happy to show our relationship off. We've worked so hard to get where we are today. You've made me a better person, and my mother knows that."

"How have I made you a -"

"Do you remember the very start of our relationship?" Draco cut her off. "How rocky it was? We couldn't get through the week without an argument or breaking it off. I'm sure we both thought this would never last more than a few months. I couldn't communicate with you, I refused to even think about my feelings, we had to hide every single little thing, and I was just even more of an arsehole than I am now."

Amora tilted her head a bit. "I didn't realise how far we've come until you put it into perspective like that."

Draco smiled again. "See? And I'm proud of it. Of us."

The brunette bit on her bottom lip, trying not to smile wider. "You know it kind of turns me on when you talk all sappy and stuff."

Draco's smile dropped and his eyes widened. "Wha -"

"Come on." Amora grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the nearest exit. "We have to go and meet your mother."

D.M + A.B

The Three Broomsticks was far warmer than the outside world, feeling almost oven-like as Amora and Draco stepped inside of it. The sweet aroma of butterbeer met their nostrils as Draco pulled off his coat, holding his hand out for Amora's. She went to protest, but he sent her a pointed look, reaching for the collar. Amora helped him shrug it off, nearly flinching when a soft voice carried right beside them.

"Oh, you're both ten minutes early," Narcissa smiled, and Amora could have sworn that the witch had popped up from out of nowhere. "I was actually just about to go and purchase a butterbeer for myself. It's been a while since I've had one."

"Let me get it for you, mother," Draco said, already grabbing his wallet out of the back pocket of his smart trousers. "You and Amora should go sit down. I'll come and find you both."

Amora wanted to grab Draco and shake him by the shoulders. She didn't want to be left alone with Narcissa, no matter how kind she might be, especially the first thing! Nevertheless, she sent Draco a pursed-lipped smile whilst Narcissa thanked her son and squeezed his shoulder, heading over to a more secluded booth with the woman.

Her bags and her coat were already placed down, so Amora guessed she had been sitting here for a little while. She'd chosen a booth that had quite a nice view of Hogsmeade. Amora could see students of all ages bouncing up and down the cobblestone pavements, wrapped up warm for the icy weather and pointing towards shops they wanted to go inside.

"I must say, I'm very happy to finally be meeting you properly, Amora," Narcissa smiled, breathing out in excitement as she took her seat opposite the teenage girl.

Narcissa was beautiful. This was a fact that Amora was pretty sure she thought of every time she laid eyes on the woman - whether through photograph or in real life - and it was very true. No doubt did she live a life of wealth; her black dress and corset were integrated with all sorts of details, and her fingers were home to many rings that probably cost more than Amora's home. The necklace sitting around her neck was further proof, and her skin looked amazing despite her age.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs Malfoy," Amora beamed, placing her hands on her lap. "I'd like to apologise for some of the comments my mother made in Flourish and Blotts. She can be rather overprotective at times."

Narcissa chuckled as she raised her brows. "There is no need to apologise on the behalf of your mother, sweetheart. I've known Elle for many years now and we've never managed to see eye-to-eye, really. It's not by any fault of your own."

Amora smiled sheepishly, unsure how to reply. "You - You said you've known my mother for a long time?" She attempted to make conversation.

"Oh, yes," Draco's mother replied, "I believe we met right before our own Sorting Ceremony. She was adamant on Hufflepuff and I Slytherin, of course. It's startling how much you look like her when she was your age. Of course, the Diggorys are like the Malfoys in that sense."

"How do you mean?" Amora tilted her head to the side.

"My son, as you must have noticed, looks a lot like his father, and Lucius looks like his father, Abraxas Malfoy, and so on. The Diggorys are alike in that sense - very strong genes there," Narcissa said, "Which is why I think it will be very interesting to see what yours and Draco's child will look like."

Draco, who had just turned up to their table whilst managing to juggle three Butterbeers, nearly began to choke on the air around him. Amora moved quickly to take one of the drinks away from him to ease his struggle, trying to contain her own surprise as Draco trained his wide silver eyes on his mother.

"I'm sorry, what are we talking about?" Draco sounded quite traumatised as he slid into the booth beside Amora. "Something about a child?"

"Oh, I was just being hypothetical, sweetheart," Narcissa told her son. "Wouldn't it be interesting to see whether the Diggory genes are stronger than the Malfoy genes or not? I have yet to come across a single portrait of a Malfoy who didn't possess the white blonde hair." She looked at Amora and grinned, eyes sparkling. "Or a Diggory without the dark eyes and hair to match."

Amora's mouth hung open slightly in astonishment. She was only sixteen! Why -

"Oh, or what house they would be in!" Narcissa pondered, growing more excited with every word. "With a long history of Hufflepuffs on your side, Amora, and a long line of Slytherins in Draco's, it would be like a little competition. Of course, the child could end up like my cousin, or perhaps like your father, Amora -"

"Mother!" Draco reached across and planted his hand on top of hers. "There is no child. There's no need to start getting ahead of ourselves. You're putting Amora off."

Narcissa frowned but Amora gasped quickly. "No, no, not at all," she tried to defend herself, despite Draco telling the truth - it was a little strange. "It's very sweet. Just sort of overwhelming, considering I've never thought of it in as much detail before."

When Amora had a child, none of what Narcissa had mentioned would even matter. Their house, the colour of their hair or their eyes... Whether they were more 'Diggory' or 'Malfoy'. Amora had never really even considered herself a Diggory - she was a Buckley - but she supposed she did take after her mother's side far more than her father's. And Cedric and Uncle Amos had come from her mother's side too.

"Oh, of course, of course. You're both still so young," Narcissa said, "So much to look forward to. When I was younger, it was more who was getting married off to who as soon as Hogwarts was over. For the Purebloods, anyway."

"Well, it's a good thing it's not like that anymore," Draco replied, hoping to sway the conversation away from Pureblood tradition and marriage and whatnot.

Amora raised the butterbeer that Draco had bought for her to her lips, taking a small swig and immediately swiping off the excess cream from her top lip.

"How's your father, Amora?" Narcissa asked. "I haven't seen him in many years. He actually used to get along with Lucius quite well in our first few years at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Draco furrowed his brows.

He couldn't imagine his father getting along with anybody that wasn't placed in Slytherin. He supposed Lucius made an exception for some Ravenclaws too. However, her mother had said 'in our first few years', meaning they definitely grew apart. Most likely due to their obvious differences in beliefs.

"He's fine," Amora said, though she hadn't actually written to or received a letter from her father at all this year. "He's quite busy with work and stuff."

"Ah. He always did have his head down," Narcissa smiled, "Typical Ravenclaw. Your parents went well with one another. Although everybody was rather surprised to see them together. I remember it quite vividly, actually."

"Really?" Amora perked up a little bit, eager to know more about her parents' time at Hogwarts. "What were they like?"

"I'm afraid I'm a bit biased since I didn't get along with your mother very well, Amora, but she seemed quite nice. Just very... opinionated," the woman replied, "Especially for the time we were living in. She mainly stuck to her group of Hufflepuffs, or some of the Gryffindors, I believe."

"And my father?"

She was very curious to know about him. Her father wasn't one to bring up the past very much. Or the future. Or the present, actually. He didn't actually talk much at all.

"Very polite, quite quiet. I didn't know much about him other than the fact that he was a Buckley, of course," Narcissa said, "I just recall the way people spoke about them. Everybody was surprised to find your mother was dating a Pureblood - given her strong opinions."

Draco opened his mouth to try and change the conversation, thinking this would be the last thing his girlfriend wanted to talk about. However, Amora didn't seem to care that his mother was bringing up her parents and Purebloods in the same sentence.

"I suppose that would be a bit shocking. I know what you mean - occasionally I wonder why she married into another Pureblood family when she seems to..." Amora furrowed her brows, trying to choose her next words carefully. "Seems to be so passionate about ridding the blood hierarchy and encouraging Purebloods to mix with Muggle-borns and half-bloods..."

She waited for the disgusted expression to cross Narcissa's face, but it never did.

"Yes, well I suppose you can't really help who you fall in love with," Narcissa smiled softly.

"No, you can't," Amora agreed.

Draco cleared his throat. "So, mother, I was actually telling Amora the other day about the library at our manor..."

Surprisingly, the rest of the lunch with Narcissa went smoothly. The topic of Pureblood tradition and Amora's parents wasn't brought up again, and Narcissa seemed to be thrilled to get to know Amora. She told the teenage girl stories of Draco's childhood, the time they taught him how to ride a broomstick and the first time he accidentally used magic...

Amora was pretty sure she didn't stop smiling for the whole hour and a half. Even Draco looked a bit brighter than usual, though he probably said the least out of all three of them. He seemed rather content in sitting back with his butterbeer and watching them talk, occasionally running up to the bar to get them more whenever one of them finished their glass.

"It was lovely to chat to you, Amora," Narcissa said as she stood up from the booth, shrugging her coat back onto her body and grabbing her bag. "And seeing you again, of course, Draco."

"Of course, mother." Draco leaned forward and wrapped her in a short side hug, earning a kiss to the side of his head.

"It was nice to talk to you as well, Mrs Malfoy," Amora smiled, reaching for Draco's hand once he was back by her side.

Narcissa beamed, shaking her head. "Oh, you can call me Narcissa, sweetheart. No need for the formalities between us, I think."

Amora's breath hitched a little bit and she grinned wider. They bid Narcissa a proper farewell before Draco turned to face Amora, the two of them stepping aside so they didn't block the entrance to the Three Broomsticks.

"She loved you," Draco chuckled, stroking some of her hair out of her face. "See? I told you that you had nothing to worry about. I don't think I've seen her so happy in months, Amora. She was really fond."

"You think so?" Amora's eyes lit up.

"Oh, I know," Draco confirmed, leaning down and pressing their lips together.

He wasn't one for public affection, so Amora was slightly startled. However, as soon as his large hand reached to cup her cheek, his other tangled in her long hair, she melted against him and began to kiss back. It was soft and slow, nothing too passionate or aggressive, but it was perfect. They both tasted like butterbeer and their usual tastes.

"There they are!" They heard the familiar belt of Blaise. "Sucking each others' faces off - as usual!"

Draco pulled away with a groan, rolling his eyes. Amora reached up to swipe some of her lipstick off of his face, smiling a little. He wrapped an arm around her as their three friends approached, bags with different logos from different shops in their hands.

"Amora, I bought you some sweets," Pansy said, "They were honey-flavoured, so I thought why not."

"Aww, Pansy." Amora reached forward and squeezed her into a small hug. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," Pansy muttered, "How did your lunch date with Mrs Malfoy go?"

"She's on a first name basis with her," Draco bragged.

Pansy gasped. "Wow. She must have liked you."

Amora blushed and gave a small shrug. "How couldn't you like me?" She joked.

"Well, I certainly didn't for four years," Draco huffed, earning a small punch from the brunette. "Sorry, sorry. I learned from my mistakes. I love you now."

"You better, Malfoy."

D.M + A.B

15th November 1996

The next morning, Amora sat at the Slytherin table as per usual, her normal breakfast right in front of her. She'd slept in a bit so her friends had already finished but sat waiting around for her, talking and laughing like average teens for once.

"What are you thinking about?"

Amora glanced up from the bowl of porridge, staring into stormy eyes. "Hm?"

"Well, you haven't touched your porridge yet, but you're staring at it awfully hard. Something must be on your mind," Draco elaborated for her.

The brown-eyed girl chewed her bottom lip for a moment before deciding to reply.

"Something is on my mind, actually. It has been since yesterday," Amora admitted, watching Draco's face etch into a sort of concerned frown. "Nothing bad. Hopefully. I've just been so glad that your mother likes me and... well... I really want my parents to like you too. Or at least my mother, anyway."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "What are you saying?"

"Would it be so bad if we had lunch with her someday? Like how we did with your mother?" Amora asked anxiously. "It would mean a lot to me. I know she could really like you if she knew you like I do."

Draco scratched the back of his neck. He couldn't say no to her— not when she had sat through a meal with his mother just yesterday. It wasn't that he was particularly nervous, truth be told Amora's mother's opinion didn't really matter to him, but it clearly mattered to Amora and that meant something.

"You set the date, I'll be there," Draco said after a moment of silence.

Amora jumped. "Really?"

"Yeah," the blond boy shrugged. "If you want your mother to like me, I'll put on my finest suit and work out what to say to please her."

The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes. "You just have to be nice. And yourself. She might not get you at first, but if she sees how nice you treat me, I think she'll begin to understand."

Pansy began to snicker.

"Hi mum, this is my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy. He's a complete arsehole to everybody but me and he won't even pay for his friends' butterbeers even though he'a an actual billionaire. Oh, and he's enemies with the boy who you think is perfect for me—"

"Shut up, Pansy!" Draco spat.

Amora sighed heavily. "Pans... Not helping."

"Oh, I wasn't trying to help," Pansy shrugged and Blaise failed at attempting to hide his grin as he ate a spoonful of his cereal.

Theo, whose head was buried in a thick book, paid no attention to the bickering going on around him. It was as if he was in his own little world, completely immersed in the story in front of him.

"Great. Now I'm not sure this is a good idea," Draco said.

"It wouldn't go badly," Amora tried to recover. "And, just so you know, my mother doesn't actively want me to be with Harry, she just thought we would end up together."

"Is there a difference?" Draco glared harshly.

"Um, kind of? I think so?" Amora winced. "Look— she'll see how good we are together and she'll completely love you! I mean, looking past my mother's slight prejudice towards Slytherins, she's super compassionate and warm— she knitted Pansy gloves last Christmas when she had to stay at Hogwarts for the break."

Pansy nodded. "True."

"And besides, if your mother can like me despite our differences, my mother can like you too," Amora finished hopefully.

"This is the same mother who knows the exact time and date that you lost your virginity to me, right?" Draco huffed, recalling the letter that had turned up to the Buckley household whilst they'd been in London.

Theo glanced up from his book at that and snorted. When Draco shot him a glare, he winced like Amora and averted his attention back to the pages below.

"If it makes you feel any better, she was far less angry about it than my father was," Amora said.

She swallowed painfully at the memory of her father nearly smacking her around the face. If Professor Buckley hadn't been there, she probably would have had a bruised cheekbone for the summer.

"You're being a dick, Draco, just sit down with Amora's mother and tell her you're a reformed asshole or something," Blaise muttered, "It's not that hard."

"No, it's fine," Amora said dramatically, "If Draco doesn't want to properly meet my mother, then he doesn't have to. I won't force him."

There was a long silence. Draco took a bite of his toast as everybody awkwardly began to get back to what they were doing before. He couldn't even take his second bite before he threw the food back down onto the plate and sighed loudly.

"Fine!" Draco huffed, "Fine! I'll do it. Next time you pull those stupid puppy dog eyes and pout like that, I'm not going to give in so easily though."

Amora raised her brows as Draco stood from the bench and marched away stubbornly. She turned back to her friends with a wicked grin.

"He's so easy," Amora giggled.

D.M + A.B

Professor Buckley dropped the quill she had been writing with. At the words that had escaped her daughter's lips, she seemed to freeze, slightly horrified even. Amora immediately squirmed under her mother's gaze.

"You had dinner with Narcissa Malfoy?" Professor Buckley repeated.

Amora swallowed. "Technically it was lunch?"

"Amora!" Her mother moved around the desk. "What did I say, huh? What did I say about associating with his family during times like this? How could you be so reckless and - and —"

"Mother, it's not like she tried to recruit me," Amora sighed. "I just tagged along to Draco's lunch with her. And she was actually very kind. She didn't say a mean word against your or father, and she didn't mention You-Know-Who or the war once."

Professor Buckley ran a hand through her hair. She looked like she wanted to say more, but in fear that more was simply just an unwanted lecture, Amora spoke again.

"And it got me thinking that maybe you'd like to meet Draco properly?" Amora asked awkwardly, "Sometime in the future maybe? For lunch or something. That way maybe you will warm up to the idea of me being with him and realise that he's not what you think."

Her mother was silent for a few long moments. "I don't see why not."

Amora grinned brightly. "Great! He'll be really excited to meet you, mother —"

"But Amora, I don't want you meeting with Narcissa Malfoy again," Professor Buckley ordered firmly.

Amora's face fell. "Wha— why not?"

"Because her husband is a Death Eater in Azkaban, Amora! She was on You-Know-Who's side last time... no doubt is she on it again!" She answered quickly, "And— and her and her friends used to say some rather nasty things about you when you were young."

Amora froze. "Me?"

"Yes," Her mother swallowed, teary-eyed. "They'd say things in their little Pureblood community that you'd ruin the Buckley's Pureblood line because of me. That I'd be some controlling freak of a mother who would force you off to some Muggle family to prove a political point. I hated the way they spoke about you when you were just a baby. Like you were some sort of monster to them— some sort of weapon to erase the Buckleys from the Sacred Twenty Eight."

Amora frowned as she listened.

"And people would place bets on you. On my baby. I was terrified— I lived in fear of someone trying to take you away from me, so you'd grow up and be forced off with a Pureblood. And you might think that I sound ridiculous or irrational, but the war wasn't over when you were born. You were born into it. And only when You-Know-Who disappeared just a couple of months after your first birthday could I even begin to try and relax," Professor Buckley breathed shakily.

"Mum," Amora croaked, "I'm sorry you were scared... but I'm fine now. And they were just stupid conversations that mean nothing now."

"Don't you see, Amora, you silly girl?" Professor Buckley grew frustrated. "History is repeating itself. This is exactly what all of those Pureblood snobs would have wanted! For you to defy me and end up with a Pureblood. And a Malfoy, just to top it off."

The brunette's face twisted into irritation. "Mother!" Amora gaped, "How could you think that me being in a relationship is simply to defy you? If that was the case, I would have made you aware of it far sooner."

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that." She placed her palm against her forehead and took a deep breath. "What I meant was, that is what it looks like from an outsider's perspective."

"But still," The teenage girl glared a little, "Did you only expect me to fall for a Half-blood? Or a Muggle-born? Was that the only way you'd be happy with me?"

"You can be with whoever you want, Amora." It was obvious that Professor Buckley was getting angry too from the way her voice was rising and her face was glowing red. "Whether that's a Pureblood or some Muggle you met at King's Cross. But those conversations... They will always haunt me. The idea of You-Know-Who winning and taking you away from me to build his army of Purebloods... It was so close to coming true. And now... And now you're with a Pureblood, and I just - I -"

"You sound like a hypocrite when you say all of this to me!" Amora suddenly yelled, "And I'm not with him because he's a Pureblood - that is the very last reason I am with Draco! But if you hate the idea of Purebloods being together so much, then why the hell did you marry father -"

"Because, Amora," Professor Buckley cut her off harshly as she grabbed the girl's wrist. "Some of us didn't get a choice who we ended up with."

Amora was stunned into silence, all of the air deflating from her lungs. Her brown eyes stared in a mixture of wonder and horror up at her mother.

"No," Amora scoffed, "No. Because Narcissa told me that you and father were together during your time at Hogwarts, so that can't be -"

"We both knew what we had to do if we wanted to survive the pending war, Amora," Professor Buckley began to cry as she released her daughter. "I was a blood traitor - one of the biggest ones, at that. And You-Know-Who was getting so close to winning... I was in danger with how much I had spoken out against him and the whole Pureblood ideology. And the Buckleys were looking to marry off your father as soon as he was finished with Hogwarts, anyway."

"But - but you still chose each other," Amora said weakly, her voice breaking. "You still fell in love."

Professor Buckley scoffed quietly. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry you ever had to even find out about this. I just want you to know how it really is - the sacrifices some of us have had to make just to be here today. But I don't regret being with your father, otherwise I would have never had you. And you are the most important thing in my life, Amora. You always will be."

"So you didn't? You didn't love him?"

"Not as a wife should love a husband, no," her mother admitted numbly.

Amora felt sick. It almost felt like her entire childhood had been one big lie. Her parents had been practically forced into a loveless marriage and she'd been brought up thinking that they were childhood sweethearts. And she was just like some sort of scapegoat to keep them together. To make their marriage worth something.

"Why have you never told me this?" Amora whispered, almost afraid if she spoke much louder then she would get overly upset.

"It's not exactly something you want to tell your child," Professor Buckley said, "And besides, it shouldn't affect you. We are still your parents and it doesn't change how much we care about you-"

"It does affect me, though," Amora cut her off. "Finding out your parents aren't and never have been in love with each other is - it's not a nice feeling, okay?"

Amora swallowed thickly, turning away from her mother. "I think I'm just going to leave you to it." She started to head for the door.

Professor Buckley sighed heavily. "Don't be like this, Amora."

The brunette didn't listen and was out of the Muggle Studies classroom within seconds.

...

i think some people were confused/worried about why i was adding dates all of a sudden, but it wasn't to do with any foreshadowing or anything, it's just that this book is taking course over years, so i thought it would be easier to understand if i put dates for you guys since i have always had the dates myself.

in fact!! i thought i'd share the timeline with you so far, so if you ever need to recap it's here! i've never shared a google doc before so hopefully you can't edit it? but yeah! you should be able to see all of the events, the dates/time they took place, and the chapter :) and i'll continue to update it!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Gghc8kBd-NwWewkJzApqyMbsR7CubGHizpkRFfN3rl8/edit?usp=sharing

or find it over on my tumblr (malfoysstilinski)

https://malfoysstilinski.tumblr.com/post/655171851001167872/training-wheels-timelinerecap

word count: 5.6k

thanks for reading <33