Battle Scars {Draco Malfoy}

Chapter Nineteen

Astronomy class while awkward for Draco, proved to be very entertaining for Clara. Professor Black was a humorous soul who somehow made the subject of Astronomy incredibly interesting. Far more interesting that Professor Sinistra had made it in all her years of teaching, no offense to the woman. Professor Black certainly had his jokes, mainly pertaining to himself as he was named after a star, the brightest one as he made it well known. He even had a few songs to help the students remember constellations. She found herself in quite a good mood after class, unfortunately though, Draco didn't seem to be in the greatest.

As the class was dismissed for the evening, Clara walked down the steps beside Draco until she claimed to have forgotten her book back up in the tower. Draco kindly offered to go back with her to retrieve it, but she politely declined.

"I'll see you tomorrow." she said with a smile before turning back up the stairs.

Professor Sirius was sitting on the edge of one of the castle walls, looking up at the stars in amusement as if he had just told the funniest joke to himself, in which, he probably did.

Upon seeing Clara, he seemed confused by her reappearance.

"Can I help you, Miss Easton?" he said remaining where he sat.

"Uh...I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment, Professor?"

"Of course, is it about the material we covered this evening?"

"Not quite." she said walking over and sitting beside him. She could feel his gaze settled on her scars before she cleared her throat and moved her hair into her face.

"I know this isn't my place to bring this up but I'm going to feel bad if someone doesn't..."

"And what is that?" Professor Black questioned.

"It's about Draco, Sir."

She could sense him grow uncomfortable as soon as she said Draco's name.

"What about Mr. Malfoy?" His tone wasn't hostile as he spoke his relative's name, but it certainly didn't sound friendly either.

She shifted uncomfortably until the two heard someone coming up the stairs. Clara sincerely hoped it wasn't Draco because she was sure he was going to be upset if he realized her true intentions for going back up to the tower.

However, it was Clara's good fortune that it wasn't Draco, but Professor Dover and Professor Lupin that came into view.

Upon seeing the Clara sitting with Professor Black, the two ceased their conversation and fell silent waiting for an explanation.

"I should go." Clara said not wanting to make things even more awkward that evening. She hopped off the wall and greeted the professors with a respectful nod before hurrying down the stairs.

As she headed down the stairs she could hear Professor Dover start to scold the man.

"What did you do now, Sirius?"

"I didn't do anything! At least that I'm aware of."

"Clara! Clara! Clara!" 

Clara awoke the next morning to her bed shaking violently causing her to jump up and fall from her bed to the floor. As she groaned in pain and looked up, she saw Abby looking down at her.

"Ooops, sorry, Clara." the girl giggled.

"What is it, Abby?" Clara yawned looking at the clock in the room and seeing that it was extremely early in the morning.

"I'm hungry, can we go get breakfast?"

"Abby, you could have gone and got breakfast without me." Clara told her.

"Yeah, I know but it would be so much better if you joined me...please?"

The older girl smiled before pushing herself up from the floor. "Fine, just let me take a quick shower first."

"You got it! I will impatiently wait here!"

"Don't you mean patiently?"

"No."

"Alrighty then."

Draco sat at the Slytherin table, with his chin resting on his arms, after another restless night of almost no sleep. He had the letter from his mother that she had sent the day prior, asking him all sorts of questions about his school year so far but he didn't have the heart to respond with truthful answers. He knew his mother would become upset the minute he told her that he was just absolutely miserable. Besides his time with Clara and Abby, Draco didn't want to be around any other student or faculty member for that matter. And the harsh reality was that Clara and Abby were not in Slytherin and he wasn't in Hufflepuff, so he couldn't spend almost every waking moment around them.

But that morning, he was pleasantly surprised as he saw a hyperactive Abby enter the Great Hall with a sleepy Clara close behind.

He became even more happy as they joined him at the Slytherin table rather than sitting at the Hufflepuff table.

Clara sat down across from him as Abby looked down the table trying to figure out what she wanted to eat.

"You look tired." He said as she yawned again.

"So do you." she replied. But suddenly stopped, before shaking her head. "I mean...yeah Abby woke me up because she's hungry and wanted company."

"I wanted good company." Abby said from where she was eyeing a bowl of eggs with a scrunched up nose.

Clara smiled before turning her attention back to Draco, her eyes fell on the letter on the table.

"Letters from home?" she asked.

"Letters from my mother." Draco told her. "It's probably the sixth one she's sent just this week."

"Wow...sounds like she really misses you." 

"That and she's extremely worried...I haven't sent her a letter since I've arrived here."

"Why not?" Clara's smile faded and her lips turned downwards into her a frown.

"I can't bring myself to write to her...it would be all lies."

"Then don't lie to her." 

Draco wished it was as simple as just being honest with his mother, but he had taken on the duty of protecting her as she was the only one who had protected him in the past or at least tried to.

He looked up at Clara who's gaze was focused on the letter.

"Well, you don't have to tell her everything.." Clara said, " you can control how much you tell her, but you should at least let her know that you're alright."

But that was the problem for Draco, he wasn't alright.

He was far from it.