Different Worlds [Draco Malfoy Fanfiction]

8. What is happening with Pearl?

Real Life - Send Me An Angel

Around 9.pm we sat together in our bedroom. We had placed pillows on the floors, like we usually did when we studied together, and sat on them.

I took a deep breath, I had no idea how to explain anything, mostly because I haven't really thought anything through. After our Defense Against Dark Arts class, I had accompanied Draco to the Great Hall to eat dinner. He had turned his back against the rest of the school, probably because they were still laughing. We didn't talk that much, but it still felt kinda nice to sit there with him.

Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Millicent had been sitting near us as well. They only talked about the unforgivable curses that they saw in the classroom and everything they knew about Morales, which wasn't too much.

I looked at my friends who was very quiet this evening. It's always been me and them, ever since the first year at Hogwarts, but now it felt like we drifted apart, just in a couple of days. They stared at me like I was some sort of alien.

"I don't know what to say." I laughed nervously.

"I think the explosion messed with your head." Imogen sneered. "Do you realize who you are hanging out with? Well, the people who have been bullying us for years."

"What do they usually say? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?" I joked.

"Sure." Imogen glared at me.

"Pearl, we're not mad at you." Freya said. "But you have to be careful. We don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't even know what's going on." I said.

"I can tell you that." Imogen said. "You like that the more "popular" people talks to you, even though they've always been mean to us but you only see their popularity, but who knows? You might prefer to be like them."

"Who said I like them?" I sneered back in annoyance.

"Oh, I've seen how red-faced you get around Malfoy." Imogen grinned wickedly. "I don't wanna say: what did I said, but what did I say?"

"Oh come on, Imogen. Does it really matter if Pearl is in love with Malfoy." Delilah said. "It's only fun for her if he likes her back." I felt my face heat up again. Love? I didn't even know what I was feeling but I was pretty sure love is not the right word.

"Can you be more naive?" Imogen sneered. "Do you even remember how he treated us during these years? He's either treated us like air, or he's pushed us, don't you guys remember when he cast a spell on me that tied my shoelaces and I fell? And how he, along with Parkinson and their clique just laughed?

Me and Delilah shook our heads while Freya nodded. "She is right." Freya said "Malfoy and Parkinson have been mean to us all these years. But that doesn't mean people can change. Just be careful Pearl. We don't want you to get hurt by them."

"No, but it's perfectly okay for her to hurt us, right?" Imogen said.

"I didn't say that." Freya said. "I don't want us to fight."

"Neither do I." Delilah agreed. "Can't we just go back a week and just talk about the normal stuff, like our homework?"

"Word." Imogen said.

"I don't want to argue either." Pearl said. "But you can't keep on picking on me, like I said, I have no idea what's going on."

"I need to study." Imogen said. "But we'll see each other tomorrow and have breakfast together, right? All four of us?" She looked meaningfully at me.

"All four of us." I nodded

Imogen nodded back and then closed the curtain on her bed. I knew I had to study, but my body felt so itchy so I knew I had to sneak out. I had to go through everything that happened today.

"Where are you going?" Delilah asked.

"I need to take a walk." I said. "Alone."

"But it's past curfew." Freya said worriedly.

"It's fine." Pearl said and slipped out the door and into the Slytherin common room. There was a few students sitting on the couches but no one I knew so she walks towards the stairs and to the entrance. I took a deep breath. Finally alone, now I just had to make sure that I didn't run into Filch, his cat or Peeves.

I carefully walked towards the Astronomy Tower. I'd done this before, especially in the first year. I walked up the stairs until I reached the top and settled down on a bench.

I gazed at the stars. I always believed my family is up there somewhere. "Hey Freddy. Hey mom and dad. I guess you're wondering what's going on with me? So do I." I whispered. "Is it that weird that I ran after him today? I know he have been bulling me and my friends but frankly I can't remember exactly what he did. Parkinson has always been worse."

I was silent for a while before speaking again: "I'm sorry I've not been talking to you as much, I guess I've just been busy with life the last couple of months. Anyway I love you all, and I'm so sorry Freddy. I know I've said it before. But I really am."

I wondered who I would have been today if they all were alive, how would we be as a family? Would we play board games together? Read together? I'll never know.

My thoughts then drifted over to Draco and I felt this weird feeling in my stomach. Delilah said love. Is that what it was? Could I even love someone I barely know? I don't know. But one thing I did know was that I wanted to get to know him better. I thought about how tormented he looked after what happened today. His teary eyes, red cheeks and messy hair. I could feel it ache in my stomach. And then he asked me to sit with him in his class. Was it because I ran after him?

I got up and walked towards the common room then slipped into my bed. I looked forward to tomorrow. Would he still hang out with me? Or was it a one time thing? I felt a rush in my body. When I'll wake up tomorrow this feeling must be hone. Right?