Denying Draco

29 - Another Side Of Draco

Poppy pulled up her skirt over her underwear and began buttoning her shirt as she kept her back to Draco. She heard him sit up and she could feel his eyes on her but she did not want to turn around. She sensed that he was in a strange mood and she didn't want to push and find out what it was only to invite him to start up with the cruel remarks again.

'Why did you really come and talk to me in the courtyard today?' His question surprised her and she slowly turned around to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, in his boxers and shirt as he slowly buttoned it up halfway, stopping to lean back on the bed and study her. His eyes burned into her as he was carefully waiting for her answer, appearing like he really had no clue of what it would be.

'Ummm...' She frowned softly and shrugged, unsure of what answer to give. 'You know why I came over to you. I asked you if you were okay.'

'I know what you asked me,' he replied, sharply. 'Now I'm asking for the truth. Did Granger send you over to me?'

'Why would you ask that?' Poppy questioned, feeling confused.

'The way you all stared over at me after you returned to them,' he stated. 'It was clear that you'd discussed it before you came over. What was the real intention behind it?'

'This is crazy talk,' Poppy sighed. 'Yeah, if you must know, we were discussing you beforehand; discussing how down and lost you looked.'

'So you thought you'd pry once again and actually approach me to find out what's going on and report back to your loser friends?' Draco snapped, scowling at her. 'I bet Potter has asked you all to keep a close eye on me!'

'Nobody asked me to come over to you whatsoever,' Poppy explained. 'I chose to come over and check that you were okay. You looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders, your face was full of deep worry and you just appeared...miserable. I was checking on you, Draco, nothing more.'

'But...why?' he asked, this time with genuine confusion in his tone.

'I...I don't know...' she murmured, realising that she actually did not know why she had cared to find out if he was okay when he was always such an awful person to her. 'I guess that's the difference between you and I. I actually care about other people and the reason you're struggling to understand why I did that today is because you certainly don't care about anyone but yourself. To you, it had to have some ulterior motive behind it. That kind of behaviour is all you know of in life and frankly, I find it rather sad.'

'Are you calling me sad?' he asked, defensively.

'You're a complete dick who has no consideration for others and gets off on making people feel like shit about themselves but nonetheless, I wanted you to know that you could talk to me if you needed to.' She felt herself blushing as she said it, knowing the words made her sound weak and would lead to taunting from him as he would never in a million years confide anything deep to her. 'I know you never would...but I just wanted to let you know that.'

He didn't respond. Instead, he nodded ever so slightly but his face still appeared confused and unsure of her response. She pitied him even more for it. He really had no idea of what it meant to have someone look out for him and be there for him. Even now she had explained it, he still did not look like he understood; he still did not look like he believed her.

'Your tie,' he said, quietly, pointing to where it lay on the floor by a chest of drawers.

She nodded at him and retrieved it, pulling it around her neck and tying it loosely.

'Now, to get back out of here unnoticed,' Poppy murmured.

'Well, that's your problem,' he stated, shrugging quickly. 'I got you in, you can get yourself out.'