crave

twenty-one

finally, the two weeks are up. i get to leave this hell hole. i think im even happier to leave this time than i was when i first got to attend hogwarts. my father has been brutal, he automatically assumed that me and draco slept together that night when he saw the shirt i had on. how cruel does he think draco is? ive been through beatings and unspeakable things and my mother has just stood back.

ive thought about draco everyday though, slept in his shirt almost every night. i wondered why he bothered to help me. i thought what if he was just jealous of my father, but why would he be jealous of such an evil person. besides, its not like i had ever turned draco down.

i hate the fact that this might change our-whatever you call it- that maybe he won't want to be with me anymore. i mean, not be with me like that but-i dont know.

i havent spoken to astoria or blaise any. i have no desire to speak to blaise after he threw me to the side. i hardly want to speak to astoria after what happened on the train. i cant help but think about the other things that happened on the train. me and draco in the bathroom, his hands on my body. stop, elizabeth, how could you even think of that right now?

*dracos pov*
the past two weeks have been torture. ive constantly thinking about elizabeth, worrying about her. scared that i made things worse. scared that maybe she wont make it back to hogwarts.

my finger taps on the armrest of the couch as i watch the door of the common room. every time someone walks in im hoping its her, hoping she walks in okay. though, i cant make it obvious, if she walks in with astoria imagine the look ill get if im worried about her.

the painting swings open and my eyes shoot to the girl walking in. there she is, her eyes are weak but still filled with a sort of freedom, her arms arms are bruised and as she enters more into the light i see the bruise around her eye and anger boils inside of me.

i want to stand up and hold her, ask her if shes okay but i dont. i dont know how she feels, if i made it worse for her she could hate me and i wouldnt blame her.

"ahh, liz" i hear blaise behind me, her eyes look from the ground and up to him. she then notices me on the couch and i just look at her. "fuck off, blaise" she still has her same attitude. i mean why wouldnt she? she's probably lived with this forever and put up a wall to hide it.

"get into a fight? looks like you lost" he remarks and she glares at him. "i said fuck off" she seethes as she goes to make her way up the stairs. "or i could just fuck you again" he shrugs "thats enough, blaise" i say and they both look at me. "since when do you care? weren't you just telling me how much of a slut she was the other week" he scoffs and i roll my eyes.

"cant you see someones already messed with her today? so just back off" i say and he looks at me confused before shrugging and walking up the stairs to the boys rooms. she looks at me and i go to stand up, i want to talk to her. "stop, draco. i dont want your pity. what you did was great and i thank you for that, but that shouldnt change the way you treat me. you've hated me since we met, no need to change now" she shoots me down.

i hate that she thinks i hate her when i clearly dont. there's something about her that makes my heart race and my hands go sweaty. i hate the fact that i acted like i hated her just so i could keep my reputation.

she continues her walk up the stairs, slowly though and slightly limping. i can see the bruises on her legs, her arms, her face. i want to kill her father, i would if she wouldnt hate me afterwards.

*elizabeths pov*
i hate the fact that he pities me now, trying to speak to me, tell me how sorry he is. thats why ive hidden it, i dont speak of my father because i dont want people to walk on eggshells around me.

though, when he looked at me, analyzing every bruise on my body, i could feel my heart beat rising at the thought that he cared. he cares for me. i dont know why, why would i want him to care for me when the only things he has ever said to me have been rude. i hate the way the heart works, it makes you feel things that you dont want to feel. feel things that are wrong. its wrong for me to think about draco. its wrong for me to want him to hold me in his arms. its wrong for me to care for draco after everything. but i cant stop myself.

"oh my gosh, liz. are you okay? what happened" astoria says as she sees me sitting on the couch. i laugh as i shake my head "dont worry about it" she looks at me concerned. "did malfoy do this to you" she says and looks at draco across the room. "im not that shallow, astoria. i dont hit women" he says and she glares at him "i wouldn't be surprised if you did" she says and i laugh. "you find that funny, elizabeth" draco says and i roll my eyes.

"anyways, how was your break" i ask astoria as she sits down beside me on the couch. "it was great. me and cam spent time together everyday. he wanted me to say sorry for what he said the other day" she says and i shrug "everyone has their opinions on my family. and everyone has a right to their own opinion" astoria sighs as she looks at me, analyzing the bruise around my eye.

"stop staring at it, gosh" i say turning my head and she apologizes. "how was your break" she asks and i shrug "same old thing. we had guests for dinner one night and that was it." of course i made sure to leave out everything that happened with my father. "sounds like a pathetic break" draco remarks as he stands up. there it is, the draco im used to.