Dead Girl Walking (Draco x Astoria)

Chapter 14 - Eating Anything

That next Sunday, the whole of seventh year had been out in Hogsmeade that afternoon. Astoria made it her mission to buy anything she wanted, especially chocolate bars, sour lollies, any lollies she wanted, she was at her leisure, no one could stop her.

"There's a shop down the road with a whole buffet full of lollies! We can pile as much as we can in a paper bag." Ella pointed to it.

"Sounds good to me!" Astoria smiled. Unable to contain her excitement, she ran off, not knowing that she left Ella a little behind— but she would be fine as her friend had found Theo only little away, and went in the opposite direction to him.

Astoria took a deep breath as she opened the door. She looked back and saw Ella preoccupied with Theo. She entered anyways, and was in amazement at all the colourful things.

For a few minutes she only looked instead of filling her paper bag with anything, she could hardly decide what to pick first. As she looked at the bucket of colourful sour worms which twinkled, she was interrupted from her thoughts when someone had stood by her. She moved out the way. "Sorry." She smiled at them, but then realised it was Draco.

"You weren't in my way at all."

"Oh, that's good then." She turned back to look at the other buckets. "What are you doing in here?" She asked.

"Well, what do you do in a shop like this? I'm getting sweets."

"Oh." She then looked at him. "I remember, sweets used to make me so sick."

"I'm sure they don't now." He piled a whole bunch of coloured worms into her paper bag.

"Draco," she scolded quietly through her teeth, holding his wrist to stop him. "That's too much." He only found it amusing.

"Come off it Astoria, this'll last you weeks."

She sighed. "I want other sweets, over there." He nodded, and they both went to the other isle.

"How's your forehead?" He went to touch his own.

"It healed really quick, surprisingly. It usually took ages. Like when we danced, and you accidentally bruised my elbow, that took weeks to go away." She shrugged, opening the plastic cover and getting the small shovel for the sweets.

"I beg your pardon?" He slid the plastic cover back over. "I bruised you? When?"

She looked at him. "Yeah," she paused. "When we first danced and I tripped in my spin, but you grabbed my arm by the elbow. Thanks by the way," she chuckled, going to open the lid back up again. "If I had fallen to the floor, I would have definitely broken a bone." She shoved more into her paper bag, that she worried it was going to rip. Strolling further down the isle, she opened another lid and picked some more. Draco walked behind her silently– she looked at him oddly, and he only looked very distracted.

"Do you think this will rip?" She asked, lifting her bag to his face.

"No I don't think so, but if you put anymore it will."

"Then this is quite enough. Let's go weigh it! I bet it's over a kilo! Maybe a kilo and a half? What are your guesses?" She asked as she walked quickly away from him, not waiting for an answer. He caught up to her at the counter already paying.

"Just under a kilo." She informed him. She thanked the shop keeper and then left with Draco. As they walked, Astoria couldn't find a bench to sit on so she had opened her paper back to have some sweets now, but was clearly struggling.

"Here," he offered, putting his hand under the bag to hold it for her.

"Thanks." She smiled, popping a sweet in her mouth.

After walking up the steep path, Draco stopped them, moving to the side into a small alleyway.

She looked flustered, looking around and asking Malfoy what he was doing.

"I'm sorry, but I bruised you that time last year?" Shaking his head in disbelief, he closed the paper bag so she would pay attention.

"Yes, what's wrong! I thought we were done with that conversation."

"Hardly, you can't just drop that on me and move on."

"It was last year, weeks and months ago. My elbow is all better now, see?" She opened it and closed it multiple times.

"No no," he shook his head. "Come on, pull your sleeve up."

She chuckled. "Pull yours up." She had immediately become regretful when she realised what she said, her eyes, growing with a little fear and embarrassment.

He pressed his lips together firmly. "Oh Draco– that's not what I meant." She groaned quietly, covering her eyes with her hand. "I was just replying–"

"I know, don't worry." But to Astoria, he clearly looked embarrassed.

Astoria unzipped her jacket and moved it off her shoulder enough so that he could see her elbow all healed. "Come on," she moved her head, gesturing to the exit of the alley.

He opened the bag and held it for her as she ate from it.

"You know, in July when we graduate, I'm planning to tell my mother about everything. It would be too awkward to tell her now, with Daphne still here. I want to avoid her."

"You are?" He paused for a moment. "Face to face?"

"Yes of course, how else? Lately, I don't worry about how you found this out since I do believe you now, but after we graduate, you must tell me." She looked up at him for any sign of confirmation.

He frowned, but nodded.

She shook her head. "You have to promise." She stopped in place which prompted him to, and she took out her hand, with her pinky out. He took it almost immediately, and then touched their thumbs together.

"Perfect." They continued to walk on down the path together, with no idea in the world where.