Shallow ~ Draco x Lilia Lowe

Christmas

I woke up in the Hospital Wing the following day. Draco and Harry were both there waiting for me to wake up, but it just so happened they both fell asleep. Draco was holding my right hand and Harry my left. The only difference was that Harry's head fell back hanging over the chair, and Draco was sleeping on my stomach again. "Boys?" I whispered. "Boys!" I whisper yelled, but neither of them budged.

I sighed and put my head back on my pillow. I looked to my left towards Harry, who was fast asleep. I squeezed his hand and then shook it, I did whatever I could to wake him up, but he didn't move a muscle. I tried the same with Draco, and he also didn't move. "Wake up!" I yelled, getting a little annoyed. Both of their heads shot up, and they looked at me, shocked. "What? I tried to wake you two in a calm way, but neither of you woke up." I shrugged.

"Lilia, something happened last night," Harry spoke slowly. I raised my eyebrows, telling him to continue. "Barty Crouch was killed. We found him last night. Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and me." I sat up straight and cleared my throat. "Wait, there's more. Fudge said that the Triwizard Tournament is still on. He says that the only way to show the people he is strong is to keep the tournament going." Harry finished.

"Do they know who did it?" Harry shook his head. "No suspicions?" He shook his head again. "Draco, can I talk to Harry alone for a second? Just wait outside the doors. We won't be too long." 

"Of course, love." He said as he stood up and walked away. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised, not expecting him to call me that, and when he walked out the door, I looked back to Harry.

"Okay... um, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"Yea, I was in Dumbledore's Office last night and stumbled on his Pensieve, which is-"

"I'm well aware of what it is, Harry. I've used Dumbledores a couple of times this year alone."

"Oh-"

"We can talk about it another time. For now, tell me what you saw."

"Right, I saw a hearing for Igor Karkaroff, and towards the end, he said that Barty Crouch was helping Voldemort,"

"Barty Crouch, The one that died last night? Or his son, Barty Crouch Jr.?"

"How do you know everyone and everything?" He sighed. "Nevermind, yeah, his son. Who just so happens to be the third man in the dreams I've been having." 

"Anything else?" Harry shook his head. "Alright, can you send Draco in on your way out? I need to talk to him as well."

"Of course, and congratulations on second place." He smiled. I smiled back, and Harry left. Moments later, Draco came in and sat back in the chair to my right. 

"Draco-"

"Lilia, I'm sorry for lying to you. It was stupid of me, and-and I shouldn't have done it. I can't believe I ruined our relationship because of my father. I jus-"

"Draco! You didn't get it, did you?" 

"Get what?"

"What I said the day I broke up with you?" He looked at me, confused. "I said I wish we hadn't met during the first year and started enemies..."

"Merlin's beard, you did say that, didn't you? But we didn't meet during our first year."

"Draco, I was trying to hint to you that-well-uh I don't know what exactly I was trying to say, but it was supposed to show you that I didn't want it any more than you did. I hated breaking up with you, even though I was mad. I didn't want to end things but rather to work through them. I knew, however, that Narcissa was right. You and Lucius needed to think it was real. That was the only way to get him to stop asking questions."

"Blimey, I didn't realize you even said it." I looked down at my stomach where the scar from Lupin was. There were fresh bruises on top of it, but the fault was still visible. 

"It's alright, you know now, that's all that matters. Or at least most of what matters, but for now, I want to not think about all the bad things happening right now, with Crouches death and the tournament still going on. I want to focus on good things, you know?"

Draco took this as an opportunity to sit beside me on the bed. "I see you're wearing the necklace I gave you for Christmas."

"Of course I am. I had Hermione help me put it on that night." I looked at his hand and saw the ring I gave him. "And you're wearing the ring I got you." I smiled to myself.

"Of course I am." Draco mocked. "I put it on right after you left," he said with a small, sad smile. I thought about what this might have felt like for him over the past couple of months, but I was wrong with everything I had thought. He wasn't as angry as I thought he would be and a lot sadder. But he was also a lot more sympathetic than I ever would have thought. 

"I know that you feel like your to blame. And in ways you are, but at the same time, it was all your father. He was making you go behind my back, but in the end, even though you knew who my father was, you never told him. You could have at any point, and you still can. The reason that you didn't is beyond me, but believe me when I say I am so happy you didn't. It's hard enough keeping this a secret from everyone here. It's even harder keeping it a secret from my boyfriend's dad." I sighed.

Draco looked at me with confusion written all over his face, which made me confused in return. "What did you just say?" He said with a smile. I thought back over my last words but didn't understand why he was confused. Before I could ask what he meant, he spoke again. "You said 'my boyfriend's dad.'" Did I?

"Did I? I-I didn't realize, I-I'm sorry." I studdered. 

"Sorry? Why are you sorry/" He said with a smile.