Behind the Façade

Chapter Three

Draco's Point of View:

What the fuck am I supposed to do in this situation?

Emmet called his daughter down, and lord have mercy I did not know we were talking about the Maeve Monroe. Maybe I am the moron for not putting two and two together, but when I saw her walking down the stairs my brain froze.

The scars and bruises looked so new, yet so old at the same time. I could practically feel every drop of blood boiling in my entire body.

Okay...Draco... think

She looked the same as she usually did, but this time something was different. Her aura that once seemed to glow, was almost like a dark cloud had walked into the room. What happened? She was quite kind for a Slytherin, maybe its hidden deep inside, behind her deep beautiful green eyes.

Jesus, who am I?

Draco Malfoy speaking of a girls eyes...yeah right

I mean truly, this is Maeve we speak of how could I not? Every sixth-year wanted to be with her or be her, but she seemed to be a really closed off individual. Hence why I have never spoken to her. This is much outside of my regular behavior, usually the nice and quiet ones get it the worst from me. For some reason, I felt as if I were to say anything it would be interrupting her. The girl always looked to be so deep in thought that she couldn't fathom a way out of her own mind.

"Maeve, darling, what seems to be the issue?" Emmett sneered way too forcefully, clearly not happy about her arrival.

"Mother said I had an attitude during our conversation we just had. She asked me to come talk to you about it. I came straight here when she told me, I apologize for not realizing we had company." Maeve looked like she had seen a ghost, and her voice came out barely above a whisper. I think this is the first time I had heard it since beginning of 5th year when she asked Pansy for some notes in Potions. It was beautiful, very soft spoken but amazingly articulated.

"Very well then, go wait in your room and we will discuss it when company has left." If Emmett could have smoke pouring out of his ears from all of the anger he showed right now, he would. Maeve spoke so formally towards him, like they were speaking of some sort of business deal.

"Thank you, Father." She whispered as she turned to walk away, and with that her long brown hair whipped behind her creating a draft of her scent.

Blueberries, but sweeter, almost like glazed blueberry donut. Yet with a tiny mix of cinnamon somewhere hidden in there. It was almost mouthwatering.

What the fuck am I thinking?

I am sitting here thinking of all the different kinds of sweets she smells like, who am I?

As she is walking away, I feel Lucious watching me as I watch her. I need to stop before I have to hear him blabber about how I should only focus on school but I couldn't do it. My eyes felt glued to the back of her head and no matter how much my brain told them to move, they wouldn't.

God, she is beautiful.

"Well boys, I think it may be time for me to cut our hang out short. I've got this kiddo that refuses to listen to a word I say." Emmett tries to joke and make light of the situation, but I send him back a blank stare.

Why is he acting this way? Does he have something to hide? Is she safe?

Certainly I have known Emmett for a long time, I don't think he would hurt anything more than a fly. Maybe that's the part that worries me, what if he has something to take all of his emotions out on? It would explain her acting as if she were a house elf to her father. I was waiting for her to bow down after that little show but it never came.

"Pleasure as always Emmett, talk soon."

And with that, Lucious and I apparated back to Malfoy Manor. My gut feeling was telling me something was deeply wrong. The universe screaming at me for not speaking up for Maeve, but then again I truly am letting my mind run wild. I have no idea about her home life, and as of now I couldn't care less.

I was so thankful to be back home, it had been such a long day and all I wanted was to hide away in my room for the rest of the day.

With back to school quickly approaching, I need all the sleep I can get. Welcome back parties are going to be absolutely insane this year, Blaise owled me about them last week. I missed that little git.

Gross, don't tell him I said that. He will gloat about that until we are 25 and quite frankly I can't have him talking more than he already does. Although, he is like the brother I never got to have.

I had a really bad feeling about Maeve. I just couldn't put my finger on what exactly was happening. Would she show up for the train in the morning? She had to...right?

I approached my bedroom door and slowly twisted the grand silver knob, and welcomed the rush of cold air that rushed forwards when the door opened. The only time I could sleep comfortably would be when its freezing in my room, there is comfort in the cold.

Stripping myself of my day clothes and getting into my deep green pajamas proved to be quite an exhausting task. All I wanted to do was welcome sleep, and be shipped off to Hogwarts tomorrow. That place can be a real shit hole, but it feels more like home than this place does.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I drifted off into a deep peaceful sleep. Yet my dreams were filled with these certain deep forest green eyes and I knew exactly who they belonged to.

-

Peeling my eyes open to another grey morning seemed to be fitting for the mood today.

I woke up with just enough time to shower, grab my bags, and get to the platform.

Lucius and Narcissa looked at me with little to no emotion, they were used to having to send me off. Even prior to Hogwarts, I had never spent much time at the manor. Every chance they got to send me to a boarding school, they did. Hell I was lucky to even get owled at this point, its like they enjoyed my absence.

Grabbing my things and bursting through the wall between platforms 9 and 10, the sound of the train brought peace to my mind. I didn't even look back for my parents, the first chance I got to take off I took it.

Crabbe and Goyle found me pretty quickly, but I was still on the hunt for a certain brunette.

"How was your holiday, Malfoy?" Crabbe asked, already shoving his face with sweets. How did he even get those?

"Same as always Crabbe." I replied plainly while my eyes traveled a mile a minute over the crowd, where the hell is she?

"Who are you looking for? The extent of your friends are standing right in front of you."

"Shut it Goyle, I'm looking for Blaise you little git." I lied straight through my teeth but how else was I supposed to get them off my back?

As if the universe had this exact moment planned, someone face planted directly into my back and got knocked on their ass.

I turned around ready to start some shit, assuming it was a first year that has mistakenly ran into the wrong motherfucker.

Big green eyes focused into mine, and my breathe was knocked from my lungs.

There she sat on the floor in the middle of this train station, flat on her ass, but still as beautiful as she had ever been. She looked to be in pain, so I offered her my hand. I had never done that for anyone, and I can already imagine the earful I will get from Crabbe.

"Sorry Malfoy." Maeve lost eye contact and stared down at her fingers.

Before I even had the chance to process that she had actually even said something, she was off to the train and disappeared right before my eyes.

She spoke...to me? Like actually spoke. Holy shit.

Why did she look to be in so much pain? Come to think of it, her entire body was covered head to toe in clothes and it was warm outside. Why?

Her uniform was a skirt like every other girl, looking back she wasn't even in uniform. I am so confused.

Maeve Monroe, what are you hiding?