Draco's Hufflepuff | Emerging

Eighty-Three: Gone

**

Monday, 30th June, 1997

We had just five days left of our sixth year, and the thought alone was excruciating.

Over the past week, we've all completed our end-of-year exams, all of which I was sure I failed. The fifth years had done their O.W.L.s and the seventh years had done their N.E.W.T.s.

Our last day here was the 4th of July. I never wanted a week to go by slower in my entire life, because I knew after that on the Saturday, when we were going home on the Hogwarts Express, I wouldn't see him for around eight weeks.

I hadn't seen Draco since that night up in the Astronomy Tower, after his fight with Patrick. Speaking of... things weren't good with him either. It was my own fault; I knew it was. I felt awful, because every time we were in the same room, he would tense up and make some excuse to leave. He could barely look me in the eyes, let alone talk to me.

Maybe it was selfish of me, because I kept trying to make conversation with him, and deep down, I knew why he couldn't be around me, but that didn't stop it from stinging.

**

I should be back in my common room, as I was supposed to be meeting Hannah there, but I couldn't face it just yet. It had been a particularly bad day, and I wasn't quite sure why. The littlest thing was making me cry, I almost had a panic attack as I tried to go into the Great Hall at lunch time, and everything seemed harder to cope with.

The only thing I could pinpoint it down to was the fact we were nearly breaking up for the summer, and I would be away from Draco for all those weeks.

I was back up in the Astronomy Tower of all places because I needed some peace. Somewhere for a while where I could just breathe.

It was perhaps the one place in the castle where I felt comfortable. Even as I thought of all the pain I suffered up here, every memory attached to this part of the school was with Draco, the most important person in my life.

I rested my elbows on the railings of the tower, looking out into the beautiful view across the Black Lake, remembering all the times I had been here with him. Or all the times I gazed into the contents of the lake in the Slytherin common room.

I took a deep breath and tried to settle my breathing down. I'd already battled against one panic attack, and I didn't have the strength to fight another one, especially on my own.

I knew I'd have to go back to my common room soon, but in all honesty, I think I was a little embarrassed to be around everyone at the moment. All my friends knew the whole story of what happened between Patrick, Draco, and me now, as I broke down evening in our dorm room. So, I told the girls, and they must have told the boys.

Although they never said anything, it was written all over their faces, the disappointment and pity. I knew they wanted me to choose Patrick, and they might not have said it, but I knew they thought I was an idiot for not being with him. Maybe I was.

**

Out of nowhere, a loud bang came from underneath my feet, and someone barged their way through the doors. Someone was running up the metallic staircase. My head snapped towards the commotion.

As I looked on at who it was, my heart stopped, and a weight dropped through into my stomach. He looked scared and relieved at the same time. I could see how hard his chest was beating.

His wasn't wearing his uniform like I was, he was in his all black, three-piece suit, and his hair was styled to perfection. There were black rings all around his eyes and I could see how exhausted he was. He was gasping for breath