Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 35

The competition is now open for entries. Fred and George are supposedly trying an ageing potion to make them older, so they can enter the contest. I'm convinced it will fail them. Sudden cheering can be heard from all around us, and I look up from my book with Hermione and see two tall, red-haired boys, shouting and running towards the Goblet of Fire and the age line. 'We've done it, lads!'
'Cooked it up just this morning!'
'It's not going to work.' Hermione sings.
'You two can be so thick sometimes.' I shake my head, and the twins glance at each other a moment before joining us. 'Oh yeah? And why's that, Granger? Dolittle?'
'You see this? This is an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself.'
'And Dumbledore possesses extremely powerful magic.' I nod.
'So?' The twins chorus.

I roll my eyes and Hermione snaps her book shut. 'So, a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by something so pathetically dim-witted as an ageing potion.'
'But that's why it's so brilliant.'
'Because it's so pathetically dim-witted.'
'It'll chuck you straight back out.' I shrug, looking up at the twins.
'Alyssia, you're being stupid. This potion will work.'
'Likely.' I mutter in utter sarcasm as the twins stand and shake the potions which they are both holding. 'Ready, Fred?'
'Ready, George.' The twins link arms and hold the potions to their mouths.
'Bottom's up!' They chorus, before chugging the phials of blue-tinged potion.

Then, they spring from the bench and jump into the circle, which ripples ever so slightly. Cheers go up around the hall, and I feel a little stunned. Despite this, I'm still adamant the two will be kicked from the circle. I watch as the twins put their names into the Goblet and stare, wide-eyed, grinning. 'Yes!' I exchange surprised looks with Hermione, knowing she is thinking the same thing - no way. But then, the Goblet begins to flame out over the whole hall, causing several heads to duck and multiple screams to erupt around the room. Me and Hermione smirk devilishly at one another as the twins are ejected from the circle, flying backwards. Hysterical laughter can be heard around the room, and looking up I see the twins now have white hair and beards. I roll my eyes and continue to compare notes with Hermione. A sudden quietness causes me to look up. Viktor Krum is walking through the hall. I can't suppress a smile when I see just how fascinated Hermione is by his entrance.

I check my watch once the usual hubbub resumes in the hall. 'I have to go, I'm going to meet Draco.' I note Harry rolling his eyes. 'Problem, Harry?'
'He's annoying me. You spend more time with him than us!'
'That's hardly true, is it? Besides, it's not like I can sit in the common room with him, is it?' I glare. Harry rolls his eyes at me. 'You being sarcastic isn't ever going to change my opinion, Harry.'
'Why do you have to spend so much bloody time with him?' He spits as I stand and grab my bag, Harry hot on my heels. 'He's my boyfriend, of course I want to spend time with him!' I shout as we leave the Great Hall and exit to the Entrance Hall.

'I just don't think he's good enough for you.'
'Really? Draco is more than good enough for me! You're never going to think anyone is good enough for me, are you?' I seethe, looking around the empty space. 'Fuck, Harry. You don't know a thing about my relationship with Draco - I love him and he loves me!'
'That's what you call it? He's not in love with you, Alyssia. He's just saying he is.'
'Are you joking? Draco would never do that, can you honestly see him faking to be in love with a muggle-born? Just shut up, Harry!' I scream.
'He's not good enough.'
'That's the biggest obloquy I've ever heard! Don't you understand -?'
I am cut short and left in utter shock.

Harry is kissing me.

I'm so stunned I can't even make a move. I can't push him off me and I can't shout at him. That is, for about ten seconds. Realisation hits me, and I push Harry as hard as I can away from me. 'What the fuck was that?' I shout, gasping. Harry looks almost as shocked as me, and he too is panting. I feel rooted to the spot, staring at my best friend. 'Oi, Potter!' I feel my stomach knot and think someone has knocked all the air out of my chest, my heart starts to beat unbearably fast.

Draco.

He storms towards Harry, who reaches for his wand. 'Expelliarmus!' Draco shouts, and Harry's wand is knocked from his hand. I have never seen someone look more angry, more menacing, than Draco right now. He puts his wand back into his pocket, and my eyebrows furrow. 'Draco, what are you doing?' I watch in horror as Draco storms at Harry and punches him as hard as he can on the jaw, knocking him onto the floor. 'Draco, what are you doing?' I shout, watching as Draco continues to punch Harry, punch him until his knuckles are covered in Harry's blood. I try and rush forward, but someone grabs me around the waist to hold me back. I see red hair when I turn around. 'Ron, let me go!' I scream, kicking and thrashing around. People are starting to gather around the boys.

Harry flips the two of them over, so he is now the one punching Draco. 'Harry, stop!' I shout, starting to cry, my eyes burning and stinging with tears. 'Please!' Ron's grip on my waist tightens. 'Ron, please let me go.'
'Let them sort it.' He grumbles. I thrash around, trying to get out of Ron's grip, crying. I watch as the blood flow steadies, and I hear one of the boys cry out in pain. 'Ron, please break it up, please!' I beg, kicking him in the leg. Hermione looks utterly horrified. 'What's going on?' Oh, God. McGonagall and Snape. Ron lets me go as the boys stop fighting, and I run forward and fall onto my knees, mortified by the amount of blood and the state of the pair of them.

'You,' Draco growls at me.
'Me?' I squeak, suddenly extremely afraid.
'Outside, now.' I stand, and Draco grabs the arm of my robe, pulling me out of the crowd and toward the door as McGonagall shouts after us. The blood covering him is dripping everywhere, and he looks purely horrific. His knuckles are bruised and split in places, but it's rather indistinguishable due to the amount of blood on them. Harry's blood. His nose is bust and looks broke, and his lip is punctured and bleeding. One of his eyes has already swollen shut, and the other has a sickly bruise hovering over it. He's carrying himself funny, and I suspect something is broken. He lets go of me outside.

'What the fuck?!' He shouts. I whimper and hold back a sob.
'I - I swear I didn't.' I cry. 'I didn't. Harry -'
'I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to kill him!' Draco screams, and the anxiety building in my intensifies. 'Draco, please -'
'What? He was necking on with you! My girlfriend, not his!'
'I didn't kiss him, he -'
'Oh yeah, and I didn't kiss Ingrid and fuck Pansy!' Draco scoffs. I feel my jaw drop and feel like I've swallowed a bomb. 'Surprised?' He laughs.

'Didn't you hear me defending you? I don't stick up for people I don't like. Draco, you know how I feel about you.'
'Maybe, maybe not.' Draco shrugs.
'You're ridiculous! You saw me push him off, you saw me react! I don't kiss my best friends, and I certainly don't kiss people who slag you off.'
'You still kissed him.'
'Not willingly! What choice did I have? You believe me, don't you?' I whisper, hardly able to talk.
'I don't know.' Draco frowns. I hope he does. I need him, and I need him bad.
'I didn't kiss him, just like I didn't sleep with him.' I pause a moment and run my hands through my hair so vigorously that I start to pull my hair out. 'I love you.'

Draco stares at me for a moment as he spits blood onto the floor. 'Why would I lie to you?' I cry. 'I wouldn't. You have to believe me.'
'I hate to break up this touching moment,' I close my eyes a moment. Snape. 'But you are wanted in Professor McGonagall's office, the both of you.' I turn around and trek up the grass, following the billowing black robes, trying to ignore the multiple stares I get whilst I walk through the hall.

Reaching McGonagall's office, we are interrogated for information on how the fight started, and we reluctantly give in. Both boys are dripping blood. Everywhere. 'Malfoy, Potter, a month's detention. Both of you get yourselves to the Hospital Wing immediately. That will be all.' McGonagall snaps. We all exit the office in silence, Harry walking ahead with Ron and Hermione. I also go to speed up, but Draco grabs my arm. 'I believe you.' He mutters. I feel a smile spread over my lips and kiss him, not caring about the blood. 'Thank you. I love you.'
'I love you, too.' Draco looks at me and laughs. 'You're the one who needs cleaning up now.' I blush, realising I'm now covered in blood around my lips.
'You - you didn't actually kiss Ingrid and fuck Pansy, did you?'
'No, I just said it because I was mad.'
'Better have. You just can't stay mad at me. I'm fabulous.' I laugh, lacing our hands together, yet I catch Draco wincing. I fucking hate fights.