The Girl Who Lived

Classroom Brawls

May 24th, 1996.
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Draco Malfoy had a small sense something was wrong the moment Elena didn't return to the library at all that evening.

It was their usual plan.

Wake up, breakfast, go around the grounds, classes (on weekdays only), Elena's detention with Umbridge. After that, depending if she can hold herself up long enough to study, Elena either wakes up in the infirmary with Draco waiting for her in a chair or she studies in the library with him until he has to kick her awake.

It was Sunday, with no classes. Instead of going to their usual classes, they spent hours in the library until Elena dragged herself to detention for hours. Afterwards, she went to take the potion Madam Pomfrey made to flush the powder out of her system.

Elena had agreed to go and study for the rest of the night in the library with Draco but after Madam Pomfrey kicked him out of the infirmary when Marietta and Elena nearly got into a fight, he came back to the library. She swore to find him after she finished in the infirmary.

Elena hadn't showed up. It was three hours since he last saw her and something didn't feel right.

Madam Pince kicked him out of the library nearly ten minutes ago, claiming if he didn't leave that she would physically toss him out.

He didn't know where to go, where Elena would be.

No chance she would be in the infirmary still, she was alright after detention. She wouldn't be in Gryffindor Tower either, she barely spent any time there anymore. The meadow- no. He remembered her words, the ones where she said she didn't like to be there by herself on a good day.

The corridors were dark and bare. Every few steps, the moonlight poured through brightly like silver silk. Many of the love portraits were sleeping soundly while others glared and shook their fists at Draco's footsteps that shook the frames.

He tossed up his middle finger and walked on, rubbing his thumb over the two rings on his hand.

It was what he did when he grew nervous, it calmed him down to remember that someone out there understood the horrors in his head.

He also did it when he was irritated with everyone, as strange as it seemed.

He wondered what Elena was thinking all the time and that made him wonder what the feeling in his chest whenever she came around or smiled or did that thing where she scowled and had that shine in her eye...

"Fuck," Draco cursed underneath his breath.

His head was racing through every single image of Elena that he remembered. Every smile and scowl and stupid joke, every mouthing of whatever passage of Pride and Prejudice he was reading to her.

Ever since she gave him the book and told him to start from the beginning by himself, he hadn't gotten past the first chapter. Only because he didn't want to finish it and be disappointed.

What if Elizabeth and Mr Darcy didn't end up together? He wouldn't ever trust Elena again.

And... what in hell did she mean when she compared them to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy?

Rubbish- whatever it was.

"Mr Malfoy." Draco turned sharply and realized he was standing in front of Professor McGonagall's office.

Through her thin squared glasses sitting on the bridge of her pointed nose, she stared sharply up at him. Her hair was still put in its usual bun although it was close to midnight.