Flowers and Oranges - Ron Weasley

TWENTY ONE

Leilani didn't look back as she rushed for the slytherin common room, wanting nothing more than to crawl up under the covers of her bed and weep until sunrise. She felt stupid for telling him, for exposing such a vulnerable part of her that she had desperately tried to keep hidden.

She had told him everything. Why had she done that?

Leilani let out a sound of discomfort, which slightly echoed through the halls of the dungeon. He hadn't even bothered to follow, to make sure she was alright. Although she didn't see a reason as to why he should.

Once she reached the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, Leilani muttered the password and quickly stepped in. She was immediately greeted with her brothers presence who stood up the moment he saw her and quickly wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. Draco pecked the top of her head before he pulled back, eyes searching her empty ones.

He tried to contain the frown at the gray around her pupils. She had been occluding again.

"Want to go for a walk?" He asked softly, knowing she liked to walk when too much was bothering her. When too much was making her feel and she didn't know how to express it, leading to a path of flowers in her wake.

Leilani shook her head, stepping aside "I'm going to bed. I think- I think i'm tired"

She didn't glance back at her brother as she made her way up towards her dorm and crawled into bed, ignoring Pansy's worried gaze. Leilani pulled the covers over her head and finally let the tears flow out, silently casting a muffliato around her four poster.

And that is how she planned to spend the night, crying until her eyes turned red.

—

Ron went after her ten minutes later, only for him to lose sight of her. He had quickly made his way to the Gryffindor common room, up the stairs to their dorm and snatched the marauders map right from Harry's grip. Ron searched his eyes for her name as he ignored his friend's yelp.

His shoulders slumped. She was in the slytherin common room.

If only he could get her out of there so he could explain himself. Well, not explain because there wasn't that much to explain. But at least to tell her that he didn't judge her. They didn't even have to speak at all.

He only wanted to make sure she was alright.

His eyes set as an idea formed in his mind,

Ron threw the map back to Harry, again ignoring his confused yelp, as he then made his way out of the Gryffindor dorms and then the common room itself. The dungeons were not too far from the gryffindor area and he quickly found himself nearing the portrait of Salazar slytherin. He raised his fist, only to pause caused by a moment of hesitation.

Ron would regret this in the morning. But he had to make sure she was alright.

So before he'd chicken out and walk away, Rons knocked on the portrait twice, ignoring the way the portrait was sneering at him and sniffing the air with a grimace. He tried not to take offense to that, giving the man a sarcastic smile "Remember who's stuck inside a portrait"

Salazar Slyherin huffed and turned away just as the door flung open, revealing a stench of liquor and the sneering, yet confused, face of Draco Malfoy. "Did you get lost, Weasel? The litter box is upstairs, you know"

Ron rolled his eyes, not even bothering to retort something back "Is she here?"

Dracos brows furrowed slightly and then they fell once he realized who he meant. Instead a storm of burning rage formed inside his shallow eyes "So you were the reason for her behavior. Didn't I tell you to stay away from here, Weasley?"