Charmolypi

Nine

          Arabella's eyes meet Draco Malfoy's, once again. Only this time he was the first looking. A hard lump formed in the girls throat as the voices around her began to mesh together, her ears ringing with the mess of sounds that had became unclear so suddenly. Her eyes seemed to narrow, her glace at the boy began to harden. But while she began to narrow her eyes, his seemed to widen. Arabella had never looked at Draco like this, her eyes for him were always happy. For once the way she was looking at him, it made him feel. She was angry, she wanted to resent him. This was not an emotion he had ever seen her put out. Arabella was so kind in every way, to everybody and has never outwardly expressed angry, especially not towards Draco. 

          It was hard for anybody to say what Arabella felt for Draco anymore. After all the years they'd been apart had the love she had for him faded? Had it changed? Or had it gone away completely? It was unknown to everybody, including Draco himself, how she really felt. Yet it wasn't because of how she treated him, it was how she spoke of him. Her tone was almost always neutral when it came to him, almost bland as if she was trying to hide how she felt. However, had anybody taken the time to ask her, she knew. She loves the boy. She always has and she knows, above everything else the world has given her, she probably always will. But something changed that day. Even after all the years Draco spent pushing Arabella away, never once did she ever feel anything but unconditional, limitless, unrebukable love for him. He had finally found a way to push her over that limit. She was angry, and she wasn't hiding it. She was hurt, and couldn't love him in that moment. Needless to say, Draco didn't like that.

          Draco clenched his jaw, a very obvious vein appearing as he brought his hands to his face and rubbed his chin. He looked away from Arabella, and whispered something to Goyle, next to him. Just as Arabella was about to look away, he'd turned and stood from the table, looking back at her from over his shoulder. His head nodded towards the door of the Great Hall, motioning for Arabella to follow him as he left. Against what Draco thought the girl would do, she remained in her seat. Draco walked slower than usual as he made his way to the door, not looking at Arabella, almost as if he was considering what he was doing. As he reaches the exit, he turns and looks back at Arabella, and connects with her eyes once more, but only for a short moment. As he turns to leave the room, Arabella finally swallows the lump in her throat. Her hands slightly begin to shake as she turns back to her friends. " Victor most definitely will be submitting himself, we all know that," Ron finally peaks a smile, talking about his favorite quidditch player.  Ron's smile causes Arabella to perk up, and for a moment, forget that Draco was trying to get her to meet with him. When Ron notices that she had tuned herself back into the conversation, his smile leaves just as quickly as it had came. This causes, a now flustered, Arabella to bite the inside of her lip and look back at the door. She knows exactly where he is. She knows she shouldn't go. Yet somehow, almost subconsciously Arabella lets out a huff, and grabs her wand, standing from the table. " I'll see you at the name entering ceremony later, " She gripes, before quickly making her way out the Great Hall. Ron looked at Hermione, " What's her problem?" Harry lets a snort of a laugh leave his nose, as Hermione glares at Ron, " What's her problem? You've been acting like an ass all day, Ronald. Seriously!" 

          Draco had found himself in the empty astronomy tower. His heart was racing and his hands had began to shake, and sweat. He was wondering if Arabella would show, if he should've even been there in the first place. He walks over to the overlooking balcony and rests his hands down, looking over the ground of Hogwarts. " Draco," He hears behind him. The voice is cold, but familiar. " Draco, why are we here?" She asks, walking behind him. " You're angry," he states, panning himself around to face Arabella. He takes a few steps closer to her, " why?" Arabella's head drops slightly as she lets out a forced chuckle, full of air. Her eyes peak at Draco, looking up as her head is still down. " Come on," he snarked, once again stepping even closer to her, " Bella." As her old nickname left his lips, her head turned slightly and she pursed her lips, then a slight smirk began to form on her face. Arabella had power over him for once and she was enjoying it. Finally, it had gotten to Draco and he raised his voice, " Arabella!" Her head snapped up very quickly as he raised his voice. " Answer me!" His voice thundered, but he was not expecting her to respond as she did. " You!" 

          Draco couldn't remember the last time she'd raised her voice at him, and it took him back. He steps back from Arabella and tries to collect himself. Arabella huffed and closed her eyes for a moment before taking a step towards Draco. " You, you made me angry Draco," She agonized, a pain forming in her voice. " How so," he sounded cold, colder than he usually did. He was trying to hide the fact that hurting Arabella, hurt himself. " Your ability to just turn away from something, from us! You don't even have enough heart for me to tell me! How can you be so cold Draco!" Arabella was far from her usual soft voice. And she wasn't backing down, " How do you pretend to care then just walk away!" Draco takes a step closer to Arabella and slowly runs the back of his hand down her arm, " walk away from what, Bella?" He turns his attention to her face and uses his finger to lift her chin up, their eyes connecting, " We both know this. . . this can't ever happen." With that Draco drops his hand, and his gaze, from Arabella and walks out of the room the two were standing in, leaving her alone now with her thoughts. She blankly stared at the wall for a moment, the ducks of her eyes starting to feel heavier. Suddenly she turned towards the door, and the staircase Draco was descending and she huffs. She didn't know what came over her all of a sudden but she didn't care, she couldn't control it any longer. " I hate you Draco, I hate you so much!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, needing the boy to hear her. She knew she couldn't stay here much longer, she needed to meet with Hermonie, but she had to stay just long enough she wouldn't bump into Draco again.

          As Draco found himself stammering down the long staircase, headed back towards his dormitory, he heard Arabella's voice echoing. It continued to replay in his head, and it hurt him. Draco regretted what he had said to Arabella, he really did but he had too. Why, you ask? Sure, he could've been nice to her and returned her feelings but he knew that if he didn't push her away now he never would, and he needed to put that distance back between the two of them. He's grown fond of the idea of them being around each other more often but it simply couldn't happen, so he did what he knows best. He hurt her. He put a gap back between them, like he knew he had to. He hurt her. . . but he hurt himself too.