Even Royalty Falters || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 37 - Slughorn's Party

"You coming Cress?" Hermione called from the path leading down to Hogsmeade.

"In a bit, I've got something to do, but I'll meet you guys there!" I replied, waving back at them as they set out in the light snow. 

When they were far enough down, I turned back and skipped down the hallway to meet up with Draco. He looked out of breath and distracted, sitting by the window and, staring out at the snowflakes dancing to the ground, hands gripped tightly on the window ledge. He jumped when I tapped him on the shoulder, his face a little pale. "Oh, it's you." He pulled me into his arms, his eyes softening.

"Why so tense lately, Draco?" I asked. "Do you miss...your father?"

Draco ran his hands through my hair, "Things certainly have changed because of him," he sighed. "Cress, what would you do if you had to chose between someone you loved and your family?"

"So basically the situation we're in," I replied, recognizing the question as one I'd asked myself many times over.

"No one's making you chose though, Cress," he said.

"Yea, that's because my mother chose for me. This summer, she told me to cut all ties with you..." I looked up at him.

"What if you were threatened with death should you fail what you were asked to do?" his eyes held a hint of sadness that he was trying to conceal.

"Draco...what's gotten into you this year?" I murmured, shaking my head. "That's not something you would've said last year," I frowned. Something definitely was on his mind, but based on all the what-ifs he was asking me, it was obvious he wasn't planning on telling me.

"Nothing..." he said, "I guess I've just gotten too paranoid after being away from you for too long," he buried his face in my neck. I knew I shouldn't be so easily convinced but his words were like honey and I was just glad in the moment that we could still be together.

"Just remember everything I do is to protect you because I love you, Cress," he whispered, and then he pulled back.

I nodded. "Let's go walk around Hogsmeade?" I took his hand in mine.

He shook his head. "I've got detention," he said gloomily. 

"Bet they're no fun without me," I prodded, thinking of the times during our first and second year where we constantly served detention together.

"Everything would be a lot darker if I didn't have you," he gave me a kiss on the lips and walked off in the direction of Professor McGonagall's office. 

I pulled my jacket tighter around me as I headed out back towards Hogsmeade. The air felt a lot chillier without him. The snow had gotten heavier, the windy whipped harshly at my face. In the distance, I spotted Hermione, Harry and Ron trudging through the snow slowly back in the direction of the castle.

"Back so fast?" I asked, meeting up with them.

"Well, you were taking a bit long. Besides, it's supposed blizzard soon. Flitwick told us to start heading back if we had gotten everything we wanted," Ron said, fumbling with his earmuffs. 

"Did you want anything, we can still go back," Hermione offered.

I shook my head, "Not really, I was just going to walk around with you guys anyways."

On our way back, Katie Bell ran into me with a box, knocking both of us over. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, reaching for the necklace that had fallen out of the box.

I brushed the snow off my pants, "It's alright," I assured her, but Katie suddenly let out a blood curdling scream as she was lifted up into the air, her face ghostly white and her eyes unfocused, and then she fell back into the ground.