Rhapsody of a Veela

Part 28 - Self-preservation

"Why are you even mad? it was your own bloody idea Fred" you said, looking annoyed up from your parchment where you were writing your homework in defence against the dark arts.

"I just don't like the thought of you meeting up with Malfoy for a butterbeer" Fred moped by your side, even though it was him who had very specifically proposed that you flirt with Draco to shake him of the trail of DA's activities in the Room of Requirements.

"Merlin's pants Fred, do you think I like this any more than you do?"

Fred could be cute when he was romantically frustrated, pulling his hair back as he sighed by your side.

"Draco has a girlfriend Fred, that horrid Parkinson girl, nothing is going to happen." you continued while he slipped into a continuous frown.

"Maybe you should ask to borrow Harry's invisibility cape so you can watch us?" you suggested cheekily, as you turned to him,

"But quit moping about it, it's not cute"

Suddenly George crept up on you from behind the couch,

"Did no one ever warn you that Fred's ideas always end up bad?" he smiled, "I'm normally the brains behind our operations you see"

"Oh shut up" Fred said, "Can't you tell I'm agonized about this?"

"You sure are making a big thing out of it, maybe you should come along, without the cape I mean, and Draco can bring Parkinson. Make it a double date" you continued to tease mercilessly,

Fred put up a grimace,

"Now that is even worse of an idea, don't you agree George?"

"Completely" George grinned, "Which is exactly why I think it's a brilliant ".

You had absolutely dreaded it, but as you were a woman of your words you determinedly went towards the Three Broomsticks on the very next Hogsmeade Weekend, during the days leading up to it George had not missed a single chance to mercilessly tease Fred about it, and while you felt a bit of humour certainly made the situation feel better you had not been looking forward to it whatsoever.

Afterall it was still in the back of your mind, how Draco's father had been there at the Graveyard in Little Hangleton, the very night Voldemort had murdered Cedric. It was not something you could just forget about, especially when you knew for certain that Draco must have known something about what his father was up to. Why else would he ever have concluded that your own father must have been a Death Eater?

The first snow of the season had fallen that morning, and it had been a rather chilly walk to Hogsmeade village. As you opened up the door to the inn making sure to gaze around the room that neither Fred or George had showed up to make things worse than they had to be, you spotted Draco waiting in a booth in the corner. He looked nervous, as if all pride and smugness had been knocked right out of him.

"Y/n!" he said, standing up from his seat as you saw him. There was already two pints of butterbeer on the table in front of him, and it seemed he had nervously chugged down most of his own before you had arrived.

"Hi Draco" you said with a pressed smile as you sat down, "I know it's been a while, but I think it would be nice to catch up" you said as you grabbed your own pint of butterbeer to wash the lie down.

"Yeah" he said, "Listen, I never got to tell you how sorry I was about.. what happened to Cedric"

His name unexpectedly hit you, you had managed to suppress most of the pain for a while now with the loving help of Fred. But his name, it still hurt whenever you were not prepared.

"Thank you.." you said, taking another sip of the butterbeer. His cold blue eyes studying you closely, clearly still perplexed about how he was even there, meeting you this day.

Looking into those eyes, you wondered if he knew. If he knew that your true birth father, not only had been a Death Eater, but the very Dark Lord himself. Before you even thought about it any further, you dove right into it mindlessly,

"Have you found out anything more...about my father?" you blurted out, and he shook his head and took another sip of the butterbeer,

"Unfortunately no, but I'm still quite sure you know.." Draco looked around nervously, at all the other people who were present,

"About what I said the last time we spoke about this.."

He did seem sort of oblivious, you believed him, at least for now.

"I wish I did not believe that too" you solemnly said, "Remember back at the riot after the world cup?" you whispered, so only he could hear,

"The Death Eaters, they circled me, but they did not do me any harm"

You carefully looked for any revealing reactions in his eyes,

"Merlin's beard, why didn't you tell me?" he demanded palely, "After I found you in the woods?"

"I don't know, I was in shock Draco, we all were" you whispered, almost crouching in your seat as Madam Rosmerta, the innkeeper passed by the table collecting empty pints around the tables.

"Well it doesn't matter now I suppose" Draco said, but you interrupted him before he let the subject go,

"But it does Draco! Now that.. he's back.."

"Which brings me to think, how can you so gladly play along with that horrid pink toad lady?"

"Who... Professor Umbridge?" Draco looked at you with furrowed brows,

"Yeah... siding with her, you're siding with the ministry... who tries to cover up everything like nothing has happened. Like.. – like Cedric died for nothing"

But Draco just shrugged,

"You could say it like that... or we're just trying to get through this dreadful year in our own way, at least my hands aren't getting carved up every bloody day" he looked towards your hand while curling his lip,

You immediately stood up,

"Oh grow some spine Draco" you huffed,

"Ask Madam Pomfrey if you can have some Skele-gro potion, and then maybe you'll stop only caring about your own bloody neck"

Before he could say anything you had already left, walking your way back to the castle with your hands curled into fists.

"How did it go?" Fred asked the second you stepped into the common room, he had clearly been anxiously waiting while you were away.

"He did not try anything did he?"

"No, but next time you have any brilliant ideas keep me out of it" you replied as you walked towards the stairs to the girls dormitory, before you made it however Fred grabbed your hand.

"Wait sweetheart, what did you expect? Decenecy? He's a bloody Malfoy for Merlin's sake"

Your underlip were quivering but you could not be angry with Fred any longer,

"I guess I always do expect the very best of people" you whispered, "But he's completely spineless Fred"

"I like that about you" Fred said, "Bad habit or not"

Kissing you, before he let you go.