Just in case || Draco Malfoy

Sixteen - She's Back

"You are a risk, a mystery, and the most certain thing I had ever know"

-Beau Taplin

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It was the fourth of January, the winter weather still strong through the air. The end of the Christmas holidays were upon us and the looming return of school was fast approaching. Our classes resumed on the fifth of January and the six of us were focusing on enjoying the last few days of our break.

"Should we go in for dinner? I'm starving" Blaize complained.

Today, like countless days before, we were sat under the large oak tree that lay on the bank of the black lake. The winter snow still lay fresh on the ground, but Zack had cast a spell that cleared a large area of the snow so what there was more than enough room for us all to sit.

We had gone out there after breakfast that morning. We had spent several hours on the school grounds, Cass and Eddie getting extremely competitive over several games of wizards chess, while Blaize and Zack hadn't stopped talking to each other about various things but the main subject being quidditch, as it was a passion they both shared.

As for me, I had spent my time with my head stuck in my book while sat against the tree next to Draco. A few times, he had joined in on Blaize and Zacks discussion. But most of the time he remained silent. His silence was not uncommon, but I didn't welcome it - I hated when he didn't speak. 

I noticed how quiet he was being and I began to talk to him about our shared dislike for professor Slughorn who happened to be walking across the grounds at that moment. I continued to talk to him. I don't remember what specifically about, but I was entertained nonetheless.

It wasn't kissing him that I enjoyed the most about us. It was talking to him. We often times wittered on about everything we could. It didn't matter what we spoke about, I loved every moment of it. I would say he had a way with words, but I wasn't sure he did. I just loved the sound of his voice, it wasn't particularly what he was saying.

His voice made me feel... safe? I know, I don't quite understand what I mean myself. But his voice was calming to me. He could comfort me with just a few a few mumbles of nonsense.

God, I really had fallen hard for him.

"Me too, come on it's freezing to" Eddie added and after him standing up, we all made our way to the castle, my hand interlocked with Draco's.

...

"Helena!" I was sat at the Slytherin table and heard a familiar voice call out to me. Ron was stood up from the Gryffindor table and looked as if he wanted me to come over to him. Draco had just left the table to go to the bathroom - I had seen Ron steal a few glances at me along with Harry and Hermione. He had stepped a reasonable distance away from them.

"What does he want?" Eddie questioned me with a mouthful of food.

"Not sure. Um, gimme a sec" and I stood up from the table making my way over to Ron, curious as to what he wanted.

"Hey, what's up?" I said to him cheerily, in a good mood from this morning.

"Hi. Um.." he shuffled slightly in his feet. "I um- I noticed you before. Are you and Malfoy... you know..." he trailed off.

What did it matter to him? I could see Harry and Hermione glancing at me from the table, a look of dislike in their eyes.

"Oh, um. Yeah. We are" I said with a slight smile. He looked slightly offended.

"Oh. Uh... right." He said nervously.

"Not to be rude, but why do you want to know?" I asked him. He turned away to look at Harry who I could see looking at me but he averted his gaze when Ron looked towards him.

"It's just... look I'm gonna be straight with you" he said with a sigh. "He's no good. Really, don't get yourself involved with him" he said.

Seriously? This boy that I had only ever spoken to a few weeks ago was trying to tell me what to do with my relationship?

"Ron I really don't think that's any of your business" I said to him standing up straight.

"You know who his dad is don't you? I mean, he's in Azkaban for gods sake."

"Well I'm not dating his father, am I?" I said to him. He could tell that I was irritated with him.

"Come on. You can't say that he's a good person. Didn't he hate you not six months ago?" His words hurt. I hated to think back to then.

"Yes he did. But he doesn't anymore. And I can't say he is a saint, but he's not exactly evil is he? Besides, you only know one side of him." I said sternly.

"Listen" he took a step towards me and moved towards my ear slightly. "We think he might be..." he said quietly. He didn't finish.

"He might be what, Weasley?" I said harshly. He was beginning to anger me.

"A- a death eater." He moved away from me as he said it. "I hate to say it Helena but to me it sounds like he's using you. I don't know what for, but come on. He hated you not a few months ago."

Surely he wasn't serious. Why on earth would he make an assumption like that? Draco Malfoy, a death eater? I get that they hated each other, but this was pushing it way too far.

I opened my mouth to respond to him, but before I could, my shoulder was knocked by someone jogging past me - it was Harry.

I turned to see where he was running to and as he stopped to talk to a girl, I knew why. The girl was Katie Bell. She had been returned from St Mungos and she seemed perfectly fine. I decided I was going to talk to her, maybe she knew what had happened or who had given her the necklace, but first I turned to Ron.

"You listen Ron Weasley. I don't know where the hell you have gotten that idea from, but you don't get to tell me how to live my life and say things like that. You don't know hi-" I stopped my words as I noticed something at the entrance to the grand hall - Draco.

He was looking towards the opposite end of the hall. He stumbled backwards slightly, looking like he had been startled by some sort of invisible phantom. He took a few steps backwards before turning on his heel and walking out of the hall as fast as he could.

I looked towards where he was stood in confusion, but then someone rushed past me - Potter. He almost ran down the hall, stopping only when he reached the doors. He looked left and right quickly and then hurried down the left corridor.

Harry was going after Draco.

"I-I need to go" I said to Ron stumbling forward.

"Helena wai-" I ran down the hall before he could finish his sentence.

...