Draco Malfoy's Perspective

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Draco stopped coming to classes. Violet didn't notice at first, but when days passed and either Crabbe or Goyle gave excuses for him, it was hard to miss. Sometimes both of them were in class, and sometimes it was just one.

Weeks passed in this manner. It drew close to the holidays. Violet kept quiet about Draco to Theresa, but there was worry where he was concerned. She'd seen him at one or two meals each day, but that was it. And he looked more sickly each time he showed up.

Soon even that came to a stop. He took his meals in the dormitory; Crabbe and Goyle took food to him.

Two days before holiday break, with everyone going places in droves, Violet broke off from the group and walked by herself down the hall. It was too loud; she needed some peace and quiet. The only place she would get that was the disgusting third floor girls' bathroom.

As she drew near, she heard something inside. Was someone crying? She almost didn't open the door, thinking one of the younger students would cling to her, but it could have just been Moaning Myrtle. Slowly pushing open the door enough to peer inside, she saw the back of a blond-white head and froze. Surely not. Surely it wasn't!

He was tall, had the right build, and the hair was the same. Did Violet dare enter now? Was her need for aloneness any greater than his?

She pursed her lips and pushed open the door. There, in the mirror. His face. It was Draco. And he was crying like a little girl. What had happened?

Myrtle saw Violet before he did. Her head blew up huge and she screamed at Violet. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Draco spun and wiped his face. When he saw who it was, his face turned down in a half-sneering, half-relieved expression.

"I will not!" Violet yelled back. "I'm not leaving him like this!" Myrtle was screaming over her. She bellowed, "I'M HIS FRIEND, MYRTLE! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Myrtle stopped screaming. Her head deflated to a normal size. "Draco, is this true? Is she your friend?"

He stared at Violet. Why would she have said that? "Yes." He wasn't sure why he said that. He assumed it must have been because he wanted to know why she had told Myrtle they were friends.

Myrtle left then, holding all her dignity as she disappeared down the toilet.

Violet stepped toward Draco. He shuffled away. She stopped. Held up her hands. "I think it's time I solve something," she said, reaching for her wand. He pulled his out and pointed it at her before she'd even gotten ahold on her own. "Careful where you point that, Draco."

"Since when do you call me by my first name, Ramsey?"

"Since when do you call me by my last?" she retorted. "Put that down. I'm not going to curse or hex you. I'm going to fix something."

She pulled out her wand as his lowered to his side. Raising it to point at his head, Violet said, "Reliviate."

His eyes unfocused for a moment; he grabbed the edge of a sink as he swayed. Then he shook his head slightly and looked back at Violet. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I don't like being helpless when my friends are hurting. You would never have talked to me if I hadn't." She put her wand away, appeased for the moment. She had her friend back now.

"Talked to you? About what?"

"What's going on."

He shook his head and started for the door. "You don't want to know."

"Yes, I do." Violet blocked his path. "I can get a bottle of Verastirum from the Potions closet if you don't want to tell me."

He smiled a bit. "You won't. You're too kind for that. I'll see you on the train, Vi." He brushed past her and left. Violet shook her head; something was going on, and he was going to tell her. Willingly or not.