Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 56

'Merlin's Beard, you look awful.'
'Thanks, Ron.' I reply with sarcasm, hugging him and kissing his cheek. I see Hermione appear around the corner inquisitively, curiosity etched upon the foremost features of her face. 'Oh, he's right! What's even happened?'
'Flu happened.' I answer Hermione's question, embracing her. 'I'm almost better, in all honesty, just a bit pale . . . Mrs Weasley!' I exclaim, and walk forward to hug the short woman in front of me, beaming as bright as sunshine. 'Alyssia, here you are! Are you feeling much better? You still look ill.'
'I am almost right as rain again.' I chuckle, seeing Ginny appear and pulling her into me. Ron taps me on the shoulder and indicates the stairs, and I can tell he is clearly wanting news of my holiday, for we have seldom spoke, surprisingly. 'Let's get you sorted, then.'

'Did your mum speak to you, then?' Hermione asks once the door to Ron's bedroom is shut behind us. Ginny has also migrated upstairs with us, and asked for me to join her later, for she respects the closeness of me, Ron and Hermione, and therefore leaves us to catch up. 'Don't get me started. So, she walks in last night when me and Draco are in bed and pulls me out of the room, then tells me she doesn't want me going back to Hogwarts, says she's angry at me for seeing Draco because his father is on trial and causes me to make such a racket that I woke the whole house up.'
'He is a bit of a git.' Ron shrugs, causing me to glare at him feverishly. Then, a soft knocking on the door silences our mild chafe, and Ginny appears. I get up, without much haste about my person, and leave the room with her. 'Welcome back.' She smiles.

'What's up?'
'I'm just warning you to be careful around mum. She went a bit nuts earlier this week and said she didn't want me and Ron going back to school. I mean, dad calmed her down, but she's a bit uptight. Just remember that when you speak to her.'
'Our parents both.' I reply, frowning, 'But what's safer than Dumbledore?'

-*-

Harry got to the Burrow a few days after me and Hermione, and by total surprise. Nobody had expected him to arrive, which is what caused everyone to be so overwhelmed by his arrival. Once we were all alone, he began to tell us of the tale in which Dumbledore had picked him up at the train station, then taken him to meet Horace Slughorn, who I recognised by name as the old Potions Master at Hogwarts - who taught before Snape did so - then brought him to the Burrow.

Currently, we are all in Fred and George's joke shop, admiring the countless products which the twins have created. Hermione has had a pretty nasty run-in with a box which punched her, and Fred has given her some cream to help the black eye go down. At present, I'm helping her to dab the cream over the area in the crowded shop. Ron has seemingly disappeared, and when I look up, along with Harry and Hermione, he is on the steps, approaching the twins. 'Come on, let's go.' He mutters momentarily, and we all file out of the shop. 'How are Fred and George doing it after the alley has closed down?' Hermione asks.
'Fred reckons people need a laugh these days.' Ron replies.
'I reckon he's right.' Harry shrugs as we make our way further down the street.
'Oh, no. Everyone got their wands from Ollivander's.' Hermione breathes.

We step inside the shop and admire how broken and dull it looks. All the windows are smashed, the wood is torn up in several places, and wands are snapped in half or littered across the floor. The shop itself is uncommonly cold. I peer closer over the counter and note a long scratch on its carefully varnished wood. 'Is it just me or do Draco and Mummy look like two people who don't want to be followed?' Ron mutters, beckoning us. I peer over his shoulder and see Draco and Narcissa looking around peevishly, before stalking down the side alleyway that is Knockturn Alley. Harry tears from the shop, followed by me, Ron and Hermione. 'Are you insinuating that we stalk my boyfriend?' I hiss angrily.

'Did he tell you what he was getting up to over the summer?'
'A bit, but -'
'So you're not the least bit curious as to what the hell he's doing down here?'
'Yes, but -'
'Then shut your trap before we get caught and let's find out.'
'Excuse me -' Hermione puts her hand over my mouth before I can continue, and we all turn through the thin walkway, keeping careful distance between us and the Malfoys. They halt outside Borgin and Burke, and I notice Draco stop and survey the shop for a long moment before following his mother inside. Ron and Harry exchange dark looks, ones which my being vexes with relish beyond my usual capability for such a small action. A light overhead comes on, and immediately, my curiosity grows, despite my best attempts to tame it.

We manage to get onto the roof of the building, which surprises me to almost all extents. 'This isn't right.' I mutter to myself.
'He's up to something.' Harry peers over the ledge carefully. I, too, look over, and see Draco standing by a tall object, which is rather triangular in shape, and observing it closely, his hand resting on the handle. I watch him with carefulness, wondering what on earth he is looking at. Narcissa kisses Draco's cheek, and I glance at Hermione, shrugging from being so unbelievably confused. Then, a figure appears in the window, and I start back, hiding behind the ledge of tiles, keeping my head tucked into my chest, overthinking, my head whirring. What the fuck is he doing? And why did he not inform me?

When I peer around the tiles on the roof again, a blind has been shut in the window, causing blackness, and I can't see into the shop. Carefully, I slide off the roof, Harry helping me down. 'Cheers.' I mutter, and we start to make our way back up to Diagon Alley. 'And he definitely didn't mention anything about Borgin and Burke or Knockturn Alley during the summer?' Harry asks me.
'No, not at all. Even so, despite my curiosity, it's not our business, is it?'
'Why are you so pissed off about it then?' Ron asks, taking in my appearance.
'Because we usually tell each other everything.' I reply, looking around before we head back into Fred and George's. 'There you four are! Come on, your OWL results will be arriving soon!' Mrs Weasley trills.

(A/N I know that this isn't how they get their results in the book but yeah I wanted to fit it here so don't judge meh.)

When we hurry back to the Burrow, we find four different owls sitting in the kitchen window, and my hands immediately start to shake from such tremendous nerves. 'Ron,' Mrs Weasley hands Ron his letter, 'Harry,' Harry is handed his, 'Hermione,' Hermione takes hers with quaking hands, 'and Alyssia.' Shaking so bad I can hardly focus, I take the letter from Mrs Weasley and tear open the envelope, carefully unfolding the parchment, looking down at it. My ears tune out everything else, the talking voices somewhere far off, as I stare down at the parchment:

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades:
Outstanding (O)                   
Acceptable  (A)
Exceeds Expectations (E)

Fail Grades:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)                                             
Troll (T)

ALYSSIA DOLITTLE HAS ACHIEVED:

Ancient Runes: O
Arithmancy: O
Astronomy: O
Care of Magical Creatures: E
Charms: O
Defence Against the Dark Arts: O
History of Magic: O
Herbology: O
Potions: O
Transfiguration: O

'Oh, come off it!' I hear Ron shout, and I look up, knowing my face is white, as he snatches Hermione's results from her grasp. 'Yep, nine "Outstandings" and one "Exceeds Expectations" in Defence Against the Dark Arts.'
'Alyssia, how did you do?' Harry asks, taking my paper out of my hands before I can stop him. 'Same as Hermione, pretty much. Nine "O"s and one "E" in Care of Magical Creatures.' Ron and Harry are smirking at each other, and I stare down at the paper furtively once again. 'Not bad, I guess. Not bad.' I mutter, half smiling. It could have been worse - I could have failed them.