Charmolypi

Five

          " Arabella, are you okay?" Harry asks, Arabella having zoned out. " Huh?" A confused sound escapes her mouth as she pulls her chin off of her fist. " What's wrong?" Harry questions once again. " Oh," she looks to the side, only slightly enough that she can see Draco's empty seat out of the corner of her eye, " nothing. . ." she stalls, " Just a long night." Harry nods this response off, not wanting to pressure Arabella into an answer she didn't want to give him. 

          Arabella had started to regret what she said to Draco, as two days had passed and she'd to see him in class. " Can I be excused?" Arabella blurted, not paying attention to the words coming out of her mouth. " I don't appreciate you skipping my class," McGonagall starts, " But if you must." Arabella gives a quick thankful smile before quickly stacking her books and grabbing her wand. As she turned to the door, her hair spiraling behind her, Harry's head turned to watch. Why was she leaving? She doesn't know that answer either. Part of her wanted to talk to Draco but she also knew it was a bad idea. So what does she do, listen to her heart that so desperately wants her to check on an old friend, or her head that's telling her seeing Draco is a bad idea. Why, she listens to her heart of course, that's just who she is. 

          " Draco?" Arabella said quietly as she creeped into the Slytherin Dungeon. " Draco?" She wisped again, stepping further into the common room. She made her way to the boys side of the dorms, slowly walking past each door. " Draco?" She murmured a bit louder, hoping to get his attention if he were in here. " Draco?" She said once more, now at a speaking volume. Hearing no response, Arabella let out an audible sigh and turned to leave the hall. Right as she was about to turn towards the common area, she hears a voice. " Bella?" She freezes for a moment, subconsciously hoping that she was hearing things. " What are you doing down here, Arabella?" He hissed once more. Arabella turns, her head crossing over her shoulder first. " Draco," She sounds surprised to see him, though that was her purpose for coming down in the first place, she whispers again, " Draco." " You've already said that once," He tries to joke, but forces back his smile, " get in here before somebody sees you here." Draco turns into his cold dormitory, Arabella still frozen momentarily before she shakes the shock from her face and follows behind him. " What do you want?" Draco asks as Arabella closes the door behind herself. " I wanted to check in on you."

         Wanted? More like needed too. Arabella wouldn't allow anyone to suffer alone, friend foe or in between, whether she caused that pain or not. She had to be sure Draco was okay. " Why?" He snarls, not paying Arabella any attention at all. " I'm sorry," Arabella offered no explanation, just a hushed apology. " What?" Draco spat, this coming out as a confused, angered question. " I'm sorry," She repeated, " for what I said." Draco finally looked over to her, his head crooked to the side, looking up from where he sat on his bed. It was silent for a moment, the two staring at each other. Arabella shook her head at the silence, and went to repeat herself, " Draco I said I'm sor-" She's not able to finish, as an angry out burst from Draco cuts her off. " I don't want your stupid apology!" He yells in response, standing from his bed. " Draco-," Arabella scoffs, hurt by his response, " I just wanted to-" 

          " No, Arabella. What do you not get? Can't you just fuck off already!" Draco yells back, walking past the girl angerly, grabbing the handle of the door to open it. " No, I can't just 'fuck off'," Arabella mocks, turning to Draco and walking closer, " I have things I need to say." She reaches out and pulls his hand from the door handle, pulling him back to the center of the room. He quickly snatches his hand away from her, rubbing it against the side of his pant leg. " You've already said what you think," Draco swallows his words, gritting his teeth and looking to the side, away from Arabella, " you made that clear." Arabella took a large breath, trying to not get mad with him. " I know what I said, I know. I didn't mean to hurt you," she tried to get him to look up at her but his stature wouldn't budge. " But you said it," he hissed, " and you meant it then!" Arabella coiled back as he began to yell, " But Draco-" yet she seemed to be at a loss for words. " Stop repeated yourself, Arabella! You've apologized and that is clearly all you had to say! Just stop! I'm angry, damnit! Don't you see," Draco pulls himself from his bed, walking closer to Arabella, " Job accomplished! You pissed me off for what ever sick reason you wanted too. I'm angry, is that what you wanted to hear?" Arabella narrows her eyes as he speaks, getting angrier by each word. She glares at him, taking a large stomp towards him, " You're angry?" She asks, rhetorically, " You don't get to be angry, Draco! You're the one that left! You didn't get left, remember? You didn't have to make new friends, you're not the one that had to fight to move on! Merlin, Draco did you just forget everything that happened? Sorry I said ONE thing that was somehow so much worse than all the collective things you've done to me since first year." She breaks for a moment, so angry that her words are spilling out of her, her face reddening, "  I just don't understand how you can be SO self centered-" before Arabella can finish her angry rampage, Draco grabbed her face. She was shocked as his hands were clammy and cold, her words stopped almost immediately. Without hesitation, in an attempt to silence her, pulled her into a kiss. It took Arabella off guard, making her forget what she was going on about. For just a moment, she closed her eyes and gave into his kiss, as it gave her a comforting feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. Almost to comforting, as if it was a false safety net. She pulls herself back quickly, pushing Draco as well, as her angry thoughts take back her head. Draco lets out a breath, straightening his sleeves as he always does. Arabella has a disgusted glare on her face, holding back tears. She glares at him for a moment before turning to the door. A tear finally slips from her eye as she pauses, waiting only a second, before opening the door and leaving Draco alone with his thoughts. He walks to the door frame and watches as she leaves the hall. Even with the large mistake Draco himself had just made, she made one just as large, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts. It is a cold and lonely place in the mind of Draco Malfoy.

          Up the stairs. The never ending changing staircases of Hogwarts. She's looking for someone. Who? She just met with who she needed to talk. A certain red headed pure blood. Her safe place, she needed him just to be there. " Arabella?" A voice calls from behind as she makes her way throughout the halls. " Not now, Hermione," she responds, trying to hide the crack in her voice and the tears on her face. " Arabella, wait," Hermione calls again, running to catch up with her. " Why were you leaving the- are you crying? Why are you crying?" Hermione begins to bother Arabella with dozens of senseless questions. " Hermione! Please! I can't handle your game of questions right now!" Arabella snaps, causing Hermione to stop walking along side her. Arabella continues off in her original direction, while Hermione takes another route. 

           " Ron, somethings the matter with Arabella," Hermione states frantically, running into the common room. The four had a free period that allowed them to study, hence why they're in the common room and not class. " What?" Ron asked, quickly closing his book and standing to his feet. " I don't know but she snapped at me and it looked like she was crying," Hermione recounted, trying to explain. Harry looked up from his book and studied the face on Ron. Ron didn't say anything after that, only laid his book to the table and walked out. He paced the halls, checking her favorite places one by one. Finally, he found her. She was standing in the empty astronomy classroom, watching over the edge as the first years road around on their brooms for the first time. You could hear a few sobs coming from her, not to loud as to be noticed by somebody not close by. " Arabella?" Ron said, taking a few steps closer to her, her back facing him. 

      She turned, and said not a word. Only ran to greet Ron with a hug. 

A/N

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