Swallowing Stormclouds

Chapter 8

Weeks passed when I finally wrote a letter to Remus, I poured my heart and soul into it, the reason I had delayed writing back to him was because I didn't know where to start, but I had to eventually. I told him all about Draco and the curse, that I knew everything and how I suspected he knew everything all along as well. I also told him I wasn't mad at him, not even remotely. He was the only thing I had that's even close to family, holding a grudge will only hurt me as well.

As I was leaving the owlry after I had sent off the letter I slipped down the last few steps and went tumbling forward. I collided harshly with the floor and even though I hadn't inspected my hands and knees yet I already knew they were scrapped up pretty badly. They stung immeasurably and I could feel my eyes beginning to water. "Stupid stairs." I spit as I force myself into a sitting position so I can tend to my wounds. Just then I hear a laugh, a deep laugh that pleased me on the inside.

"Only you would curse the stair case for what was clearly your own doing."

"Oh sod off." A smile on my face nonetheless. Draco then couches next to me on the floor plams held flat on his bent knees, no doubt he would never sit his actual backside on anything that was not a plush rug or hand stitched sofa.

"You always were the clumsy one." Draco half chuckles. He gently takes my hand in his and turns my hand palm up. He brushes this thumb across the scrape and I wince slightly. "Tergeo." He utters and any trace of blood disappears. He does the same to my other hand and then turns his focus on my knees. He gently rolls down my thigh high socks so he can better inspect the wound. He touches it with his pointer finger and it burns. One of his hands was firmly grasped around my thigh as he utters the same spell. After he was done there was a long moment of silence. I clear my throat and abruptly stand.

"Er, thanks Draco." He laughs this time.

"it's always weird hearing you say that, hardly anyone refers to me by my first name." I turn a bright shade of blushing pink.

"Sorry, in our memories it's what I remember calling you, I didn't know it might not be appropriate now."

"Don't be daft." He interjects. "As my oldest friend, you can call me that... just when no one is around." I nod, understanding the boundaries of this new budding friendship.

From around the corner we hear high-pitched laughter. The voices were muffled but it panics us nonetheless. Draco abruptly pulls me up, pulling up the sock he had pushed down my thigh and turns to stalk forward, leaving me in his trail. As he walks past the young Hufflepuff students Draco barges into them on person. There is a chorus of complaints but one dark look from Draco silences them.

It bothered me, the way he treated and acted unkindly towards others, but part of me guessed it was simply a front. It made me wonder, did Remus also have to watch my mother be unkind to rival house members whilst he simply observed from the side lines?

I tried to ignore it, I really did, pretending I didn't just witness him and his friends in the halls knock a boy off his crutches or add extra wolfsbane to Neville's cauldron so it explodes in his face. Maybe the fact that I had just lost my mother played a part on this, maybe I was so desperate to have someone in my life that I knew for a long time that I chose to ignore his wicked ways, either way I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I didn't want to dwell on the negative for too long.

"Earth to Aria" Fred says, his pale hand waving rapidly in front of my face. I zone back into the room and smile up at him.

"Sorry, I was in my own world" I laugh back.

"You don't say" he retorts. "Anyway, you're just in time, me and George were just planning a gem of a prank, care to join us" he asks charmingly, his voice oozing with charisma. I laugh aloud and roll my eyes following him towards the seating area where the other Weasley's were sat huddled around a spitting fire, small sparks of ember flittering out into the cool evening air.