Touch Starved

Maddest of all

The conversations changed quickly after that, but you lingered on it for the rest of the night.

Molly and Arthur were the first to leave the table, yawning as they made their way to the freshly prepped guest room. Hermione and Ron insisted they had more room at their house when Draco said again you two could find a hotel room. But you had to admit, being here with this family as they smiled and held one another made the pain in your heart not sting so badly, you were hoping you never had to leave. You walked with the rest of the group to Hermione and Ron's, it was less than a minute walk.

While their house looked smaller from the outside, it was obviously enchanted. Long hallways had many bedrooms. All with beds and dressers. They insisted you take the last bedroom upstairs. Hermione lent you something to sleep in, you would have to run out tomorrow for sure and get clothes at least. Harry insisted you both go out with the group because according to him and the other Auror the burning down of your house was an attempted murdering of you and Draco. Because why else would someone leave Eleanor's body behind if not to send a message. Draco wore one of Ron's pajama pants and a t-shirt. He looked as uncomfortable as you felt.

"I hate wearing people's clothes like this" he sat on the bed.

"Me too, we need to go to the store tomorrow and get something." You sighed, sitting with him.

"About what I said at dinner. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It just kind of slipped out" Draco laid back on the bed.

"No it's ok... do you really think that it'll be soon?"

"I wouldn't mind it. Obviously"

"You're adorable"

"I love you, come here" he reached out his arms to you. You curled up next to him. "I'm going to miss her too" he spoke, sending you over the edge you didn't even realize you were dancing on. Tears rolled, soaking his shirt. He held you to him, like that night you came home he just let you cry on him. He brushed your hair, pulling you with him so you could both lay the right way in the bed. Pulling the soft quilt over you. You cried yourself to sleep, missing your home and your family who were now all gone with Elenore.

———

The smell of coffee woke you, the sun had just barely cracked over the horizon. You snuck out from under Draco's arm. You made your way to the kitchen, where Hermione was gathering her things into her bag.

"You're up early" she smiled at you, putting her notebook into her bag closing it.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a morning person. You're leaving for school?" You asked not realizing it was Monday.

"Yeah, I have muggle law at 8 am" you missed school, but now of course you didn't know if you were ever going to be able to go back.

"That sounds really fun actually" you sat at the island on one of the stools.

"I thought all Slytherins hated muggles" she winked at you.

"And I thought all Gryffindor's hates Slytherin's" you smiled back at her. You wished more than anything you could join her, walking into a college campus talking with others so interested in what you loved. It was so good for your brain.

"Here," Hermione said pouring you a mug of fresh coffee. "How do you take it?"

"Black, thank you" you reached for the mug, it was cute, shaped like a pumpkin.

"I will see you after class okay?" She leaned in, wrapping one arm around you squeezing your shoulder.

You were sitting alone in the living room when you decided to go out of the small side garden you could see through a sliding door in the living room. You sat there, with your hot cup of coffee on a porch swing. You hadn't been alone in so long you had almost forgotten was totally silence sounded like. While most people seem to hate silence, you have always enjoyed it. But it had nothing in the new noises of your life, the rolling laughter from your friends, the music you and Draco would listen to in the car, the way he breathed when he was deeply sleeping. It was the soundtrack of your life. So even though you missed the quiet, you could never give that up. You'd been sitting alone long enough for the run to hit your face, the warmth of it danced on your skin. You were rocking slowly when the glass door slid open, you turned to see George, who was wearing the famous Weasley sweater. He smiled at you, holding coffee in his hand. He sat by you on the porch swing, enjoying the sunshine for a moment. His coffee looked nearly white in the cup, much more of a cup of cream with a splash of coffee kind of guy.

"I have to know how you managed to make Draco Malfoy into someone tolerable... no, even likable!" George asked

"It really wasn't that hard. I think he just needed someone to let him be that person"

"Fred would be bloody shocked, honestly. Draco was a real prat in school. Though he did think our pranks were funny"

"Well that's because they were"

"Oh I know... if you had told me then what life would be like now. That I would be sitting on a porch swing next to Draco Malfoys girlfriend as he slept in my brother's house... I would have assumed you were mad."

"Were all a little mad"

"You're the maddest of all of us..."

"I never got the chance to say I'm sorry about Fred" you spoke, looking at George now who watched the sun.

"it's weird... some days I forget he's not around. I go to call him or even start just talking as if he's standing right next to me. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it"

"I don't think you ever have to... it's easier sometimes to just forget for a second they're gone."

"So you're dad is gone hey? Mum too?"

"Yeah, mom died when I was just a baby. And dad while I was at Hogwarts. You probably don't remember, but when my dad got sick I was crying in one of the hallways, you and Fred found me and offered me a trick, the one that made toys dance. My father and I laughed at it for hours. It had been the first time we both laughed since he got sick. I never really got a chance to thank you"

"Well, you're welcome. How on earth did you end up in Slytherin?" He laughed, people always said that. I guess you were too sweet.

"As you said, I'm the maddest of all"