Villain, D. Malfoy

34. The Price of Happiness

Emerald:

"I have something that you'd like to see. Or in this case, perhaps, hear."

I halted to glance at him. I couldn't really make out his face; well, the sky was as murky as my orbs. "What do you mean?" I challenged his mysterious tone.

"I have some words," He took a step closer to me, "Your little friend wants you to hear."

I took a step back subtlety, not knowing his intentions. "Who? Draco?" He was the only person who could logically come to mind since Goyle mentioned he and Ambrose used to know each other.

"Isn't it thrilling how much words can hurt more than physical torture?" He swiftly pulled out a recorder, bringing it up to his face. "Well, if you didn't know, you will now."

"I actually need to meet Draco as of now, so if you'll excuse me," I tried altering the topic and walking past him down the Astronomy tower, but his touch was more potent. His arm grasped mine, yanking my body back so I could still make eye contact with him.

"I think you'll want to listen before seeing him ever again." He lifted the recorder, and with the push of a red button, Draco's voice began ringing like an echo.

"I never did." He spoke.

"And what about Emerald?" Ambrose asks in the recording tape, but his voice seemed louder than that of Draco's.

"What do you mean? I just used her. Please," Draco puffed, "You'd think I'd ever like a whore like her? Don't be ridiculous." I heard him laugh, and then I heard a muffled crash of bottles smashing the ground.

My mind flicked with a million thoughts as my heart raced a billion beats. "No," I muttered, slightly shaking my head. My voice was dangerously low; it was cracked. As each of his choices of words resounded through my brain, I felt my chest shatter all at once.

He stopped the recording, hiding it back in his pocket. "You still want to meet with him?" He smiled. His chuckle was wicked and purely masochistic.

"You'd think I'd ever believe you over him? He warned me, you know." A tear already tempted to escape my left eye.

"About what exactly, darling?"

"Don't fucking call me that. He said he never trusted you, so why should I?"

"Emerald!" I heard Draco's voice from the back of my head. I swiveled around, and there he stood, black suit and all. I clasped my jaw, shaking my head. I couldn't even bear to look at him anymore. I wanted to throw up.

"So? Is it true-true?" I had to enunciate twice; the lump in my throat didn't allow me to talk correctly. I tried my best to hold back my tears as they stung the back of my mouth.

"What is? What's going on here?" He was out of breath from sprinting up the stairs. "Ambrose?" He turned to the guy who he apparently despised more than me.

"My role here is done." Ambrose attempted to excuse himself, but Draco's sound-arm stopped him from fleeing. "What the hell happened here?" His voice grew louder. He was hungry for answers.

"Listen to this. And after you do, never speak to me again." I spit, snatching the recorder from Ambrose's back pocket and tossing it to Draco's chest. Due to his fast reflex, he hastily grabbed it before it hit the floor.

Draco pulled his eyebrows in with profound confusion, which made this even more disgusting. Is he seriously pretending he didn't say what he just said in that tape? Is he not mature enough to acknowledge his own faults?

"Emerald!" He screamed as I bit my lip, trying to hurry down the Astronomy Tower stairs. "Hart, what the hell?!" He kept shouting. I turned around and saw Ambrose hold him back from chasing me. Instead of leaving, I hid behind the staircase, trying to eavesdrop on their discussion.

"You heard the girl. Play it." Ambrose hit the red button for Draco.

The same spiteful words I just heard were echoing the Tower once again. "You fucking bastard! You edited this!" I heard Draco force Ambrose back as another tear permeated my cheeks.

My body wanted to stay, to listen to any sort of explanation. To hear Draco say this wasn't real. But I didn't. I left before it was too late.

Luna had already packed my bags for the trip; all I needed to do was go back to the garden and meet everyone there. But no one could see me like this. So first, I attended the bathroom. My body kneeled against the sink, letting out a sob I never planned to blurt.

He was going to ask me the question tonight. We were going to make it official. I brought my hand up to my chest, staring at the clay ring we once made over the break.

Yours always,

D.L.M.

The matching ring said. I couldn't bring myself to take it out. I physically couldn't. I guess this is the part I detest the most, the one where I know I need to leave, but leaving hurts more than his words.

My mind flashed with flashbacks as my eyes gaped at the ring. From the first time, we were paired up in Potions to the time we spent the week at the museum over the break, admiring the paintings as much as we admired one another.

I don't want to want him anymore, but I have to. "Fuck you, Malfoy," I mutter to myself, not knowing why this got to me so much. This was never the plan, but plans take a turn of their own. The person I most felt hostility toward turned out to be the person who made me the happiest. But now I know that happiness has to come with consequences. I'll pay the price. Will he pay his?