Obliviate {Draco Malfoy}

Chapter 16

The desire to be buried deep between the covers of my bed is prominent, for I can barely keep my eyes open as I walk inside the school. The school hallways were nearly pitch black, only small flames lighting up the torches hanging from the walls. The muscles on my legs have already begun to feel the marathon I ran this morning, making every step burn painfully. As much as I attempt to keep my eyes open and alert, my eyelids feel rather heavy, making it quite hard not to fall asleep right in the middle of the deserted hallway.

I know it's only obvious I should be dragging what's left of me up towards the dormitories, but instead of making a right towards the Gryffindor common room, I make a left, limping through the small corridor leading towards the Astronomy Tower. I've still got one more thing to take care of before the night ends, or one more person, I should say. Even with how tired I am, I won't be able to fall asleep knowing Draco thinks I lied and betrayed him.

My white sneakers squeaked against the polished ground as I approached the door leading up to the tower, careful not to be heard by any professors patrolling the halls. I took out my wand, pointing its tip towards the lock before whispering "Alohamora".

The door's rusty metal lock clicked open, and I made sure to check both ends of the dimly lighted hallway for any sign of another's presence before walking into the tower and locking the door behind me.

The spiral stairs leading up to the top of the tower are completely taken over by darkness, the moonlight shining through the small windows being the only source of light. Climbing this staircase has always felt agonizingly long, but the burning sensation on my legs every time I climb a step made it feel like more than an eternity had gone by once I was halfway up. I tried not to grunt at the pain, continuing to torture myself for the sole purpose of clearing my name with a damn boy. Damn it, I should've just gone to my dorm and left this conversation for tomorrow. I would've been well-rested, possibly pain-free and newly patient.

But I don't have time for this tomorrow, I've got to study for my owls. This is the only free time I have to argue with him, because I know that's how this will go. We don't talk, Draco and I, we fight, scream and cuss.

Once I finally made my way up the last step, it didn't take long for me to spot Draco leaning slightly over the railing, his two hands gripping the metal tube rather tightly as his back faced my way. I stood a couple of steps behind him, unsure of what to do in order to make my presence known.

"Draco" I softly said, trying to catch his attention. I expected him to turn around at the sound of my voice, but instead, he stayed still and silent, the soft sound of the night answering in return. I rolled my eyes, either he's completely oblivious to my presence or he's just ignoring me.

I opened my mouth to call his name again, until he suddenly spoke.

"What are you doing here?" He drily asked, his back still turned in my direction.

"You know what I'm doing here" I answered, feeling the chilly midnight air blow across my face. "You didn't give me a chance to explain-"

"I'm not doing this right now, Isabelle" He cut me off rather instantly, making me let out a sigh.

"Draco, I'm tired, okay? I've had a long, long day and I just want to go to bed and sleep. But I can't do that until I talk to you and clear things up" I said, trying my hardest to remain calm and patient, without those two factors I will not make it out of this conversation alive.

I crossed my arms against my chest, watching as he slowly turned around to look at me. The moment his semblance came to view against the bright moonlight, goosebumps took over my skin. The look of rage plastered across his face is almost impossible to miss, the shadows below his eyebrows marking his anger rather harshly. He stayed standing next to the railing, keeping a cold distance between us.