Flowers and Oranges - Ron Weasley

SIX

Firewhiskey really was a gift from fucking Merlin and if she'd ever had the chance to meet the wizard, she'd drop to her knees and kiss his feet. That is how grateful she is for the numbing liquid she held tightly in her hand and just thinking about that made her cradle the bottle close to her chest.

If anybody had walked into her at that moment, they'd have thought she was a lunatic. They'd thought she was an alcoholic who only found comfort in something as pathetic as a bottle of firewhiskey.

Her sober self would have agreed. Would have curled their lip up in disgust and turned around, letting the judgment float in the air.

Fortunately for her, she wasn't very sober at the moment. Her legs dangled off the edge of the astronomy tower, Draco's bottle still as tight in her hand. She had stolen it from him after their fight and she felt no remorse. Her brother had all of a sudden refused to share all the dozens of bottles he brought with him, which she found odd.

Usually he'd be glad when he had a drinking partner.

But she really didn't think much of it. She was still his little sister. Perhaps he wanted something to protect her from. Something he had somewhat power in. She admired that, but still didn't mean that she would listen to him.

She was his little sister after all.

When they'd returned to the common room after the courtyard, Draco had pulled her aside and Leilani knew immediately what he wanted the moment his eyes softened. He was still drunk, but after drinking relentlessly from morning to night for a couple of months, his body seemed to have grown accustomed to the effects.

It didn't seem to have the same result anymore.

He'd sighed hesitantly, before holding her wand in his hand. His concerned eyes flashed up to meet hers, who put her walls up in case he could see what she was really feeling. In case he saw the way her eyes flashed with fear and how her heartbeat sped up at the sight of it. "Lani...tell me what I can do to help you." he had gently dropped her wand into the pocket of her robe "I feel useless. Tell me what I can do so you don't have to pretend to forget your wand in places. Tell me what I can do to make you feel better. Tell me what i can do to make you touch your wand again"

Her cold gray eyes had locked with his. They both had gray eyes, with the Malfoy/ Black gene and all, but they held different shades. Dracos was a shade lighter than hers were, which really did say a lot of their characters. She had scoffed coldly in his face "There is nothing you can do Draco. I don't need help, I'll handle it on my own. I'm like my brother in that way" she hated herself when he flinched slightly at her words, but ignored the stab in her heart. Kept her walls up "Besides- what the fuck are you talking about? I still touch my wand"

"You don't Lani. Not really. Not like you used to" his eyes searched hers and he frowned "And stop with the bloody walls. I'm your brother, you don't need to Occlude with me. So put them down, and speak to me with the real Leilani"

"Don't know what you're talking about, Draco. As far as i'm concerned, this is the real Leilani. Perhaps you've been too busy to see it"

Suddenly, his eyes had hardened. "Don't know what I'm talking about? Have you looked in the fucking mirror. Your eyes are almost black, for fucks sake. They used to be gray, the verge of dark blue. Wake up, Leilani"

"Wake up? Me?" She had huffed a laugh and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the cold wall behind her "Ever heard of denial, dear brother? I mean, look at you. At this rate you're going to die at twenty. Cause of death? Liver shutdown!"