𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 | 𝐝.𝐦.

seven

Draco Malfoy and Betty Lin plough through the snow in unison steps, hands buried in their pockets, nose nuzzled deep in their scarves. The cool air graces their skins.

It is a sight Betty has never thought she might imagine, let alone experience.

The silence is deafening as they wander around the forest, as if taking a relaxing, morning stroll. Except Betty is overwhelmed with anxiety and it is almost sunset.

Malfoy leads the way, and they have been walking continuously for a tiresomely long time. Betty is almost starting to doubt Malfoy's sense of directions. But she hasn't said a thing about it because for the first time, she didn't really want to demolish his spirit.

He was helping her after all when he could be loafing around back home the first day of break.

Until, she notices the swirl of light orange tinting the darkening blue sky. She starts to fret, thinking that they are lost. And Malfoy had gotten them lost.

"We've been walking in rounds, Malfoy," she finally complains, stopping in her tracks. He turns around to look at her, button nose red from the freezing cold. "Are you absolutely sure you know your way around here?"

He lifts his head from the scarf, allowing snow to slide from his hair to his pale cheeks. "Are you the one who's lived here your entire life?" he questions.

She remains silent, frowning, disgruntled, at him.

"Didn't think so either." He continues walking without looking back, and she is forced not to stay behind to dawdle.

"We've been walking for ages now, and I'm not seeing any of my siblings," she points out.

"We could always turn around," he offers, nodding his head backwards to the manor, although she doesn't see it. They are quite a distance away from the manor, Betty could tell, considering how much they have walked, and the lack of humanity or houses around them.

The only sign of life was them, and a few scattering squirrels that should be hibernating. Even the trees were withering to death.

"We can't, Malfoy," she objects quickly, "I mean, I'm not leaving until I find my siblings. But you can, if you'd like." She says the last part softly, almost incoherently.

He lets out a scoff. "I could," he begins, "But, admit it, you're afraid to be left all alone in this woods."

She inhales raggedly. "I'm not afraid," she lies, "I can protect myself without your help. And we both know, that if it comes to us meeting a real acromantula, you'd be the first one to flee."

He throws her an offended look which she returns with a cheeky smile. "Well, now that you've said it, I would. Without hesitation," he admits.

The air that blankets them is light, friendly even if Betty could be so brave to say. It is always a new thing with Malfoy. Every encounter, they dispute on a different issue, share a different fervour. And if ever Betty was held to knifepoint, she would say that this was her favourite.

"Are you very familiar with this woods?" she asks.

"Do you always doubt my abilities?" he answers.

"Most times," she admits, then gnaws on her cracked lip before adding, "And I didn't intend it in that way. I meant - do you always wander this forest alone? Is that how you've grown so familiar with it?"

He pauses, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye which she doesn't catch because she is distraught, still, by her sibling's absence.

"I know this forest like the back of my hand," he starts, eyes falling on the heap of snow concealing the bushes. "When I was younger, my father brought me here aplenty, just to teach me how to hunt."