The Abuser

Candy, Please!

Don't - with my love. That heart is so cold, all over my own. I don't wanna know that babe. Don't - with my love. I told her, she knows. Take aim and reload. I don't wanna know that babe.

- Don't by Ed Sheeran

........

Draco sits on a wide rock, the sunlight glinting off of the silver "I" pinned to his robes. I'm pulling a very Malfoy-like tactic by hiding in the bush behind him, but I don't care. I miss him more than anything! He looks so depressed that I want nothing more than to jump out and give him a hug, but we're not exactly on speaking terms; we haven't been for two months!

I shift and the braches above me rustle. Draco looks over his shoulder, but doesn't see me. He turns back towards the sloping lawns, picking a flower off of a nearby shrub. He begins to hum the tune to "Weasley is our King" while stripping the petals off of the daisy, grinding them beneath his feet.

I can't stand this. I want to be with him, I want to tell him that I love him...but he's such a selfish, stuck-up prat! I flinch at the perspective shame of apologizing, since I still feel that I'm in the right.

Draco finishes destroying his flower, tossing the mangled stem to the side with a sigh. I can't take this. I've been stalking him for the last few weeks, wishing that we could just make up and be friends again. He's just as sycophantical as ever and he abuses his Inquisitorial Squad powers with a gleefully vindictive pleasure, yet I can't bring myself to loath him. I feel like a hole which only he can fill has been ripped out of my heart.

You're so weak, DeLuce! You keep falling for him over and over again, but is this really love? Do you really love each other, or are you both simply stuck in a sick cycle of greed and desire? I bite my lip and close my eyes. If I really love him, then I should make every effort to preserve our relationship; if my efforts fail then I'll know that what we have isn't real.

I crawl noiselessly through the tangled branches of the bush till I'm lurking right behind him. I take a deep breath, then bringing my lips as close to his ear as I can, I yell at the top of my lungs. "BOO!"

"What the- oh. It's you..." Draco starts and looks wildly around, before his pale eyes fall on me.

I scramble out of the bushes and plop down beside him on the stone. "Well, I feel like it would be best to end this misery the way it started." He gives me a rather sullen look and shoves his hands into his pockets. "I'm here to make amends, but if you'd rather...well, end our relationship...then I'd understand."

Draco looks away and remains silent for a moment or two before glancing back towards me. "I-I'm sorry, too. I love you, and this fighting is killing me!" He bites his lip, looking embarrassed and shy. "Do- I mean, are you done...with us?" He asks haltingly.

I scooch closer to him, smiling gratefully. "Of course I'm not done with us! I came back, didn't I?" I put my arm around him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Besides, I was never done with you! I've been stalking you for weeks, if you haven't noticed."

"I hadn't, though I wish that I had. Then maybe this whole mess wouldn't have been sorted out sooner." He pulls me onto his lap, holding me tightly. "Damn. Why do I keep screwing everything up?!"

"You're not!" I protest, although I can't help but agree with him. I love him, but he really is clueless about girls and what we need!

"Really? Thanks for the vote of confidence." He mumbles a bit sarcastically.

I shoot him a mildly reproachful look. "Here, maybe if you could just work on...I don't know, your people skills, I suppose, things might go a bit smoother. Meanwhile, I'll try to be more forbearing and I won't be such a bothersome nag. There's always room for improvement, but we've been together for over a year, I'm sure that it'll take more than a few little arguments to shatter our love." I give him a slightly awkward hug and then hop from his lap. "I've got a study date with Hermione at the library. See you later in the Common Room?"

"Sure, see you then, I guess." He waves farewell as I rush back towards the school.

....

"Hey, what's up?" I sit down heavily on my favorite leather couch across from Draco. He stares listlessly into the golden glow of the fireplace, a slightly crumpled letter open on his lap.

He looks up with a forced smile. "Nothing. Just thinking. How about you, love?" His voice sounds oddly constricted, quite far from being the proud slow drawl that I'm used to.

"Same here, I suppose. Gosh, I sure am looking forward to the end of term in a few days! Who's the letter from?" I sigh, kicking off my heels and stretching out lazily on the couch.

"My mother." Draco mumbles dismally.

He has defiantly been moody lately; ranging from sour and sullen to energetically charged with a surprisingly vicious power. This term started out so well... I trace the letters carved permanently into my face. Why are we having so many issues?! Other couples are living the life of their dreams, while we're tortured by anger and pain. We love each other...so why is this so hard?

"Aww! That's nice. How is life at Malfoy Manor?" I smile brightly, tossing my cloak on the floor.

Draco ignores me-- quite a common habit, lately. After a moment he looks up, and I'm utterly shocked to see a small tear streaking down his pale cheek. "My father...he's- he's been sent to Azkaban. He's gone."

I gasp, feeling genuinely sorry. As much as may detest and fear Mr. Malfoy, I know that he's Draco's hero-- his role-model. (Personally, I think this is why Draco is so deeply in need of life counseling.) Plus, I know what it's like to lose a parent. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I'm so sorry." I don't really know what to say; I haven' seen Draco cry in a very long time, and I'm frightened by it.

He just shakes his head, mumbling something from which the only words I can decipher are "Dad...damn...Potter...gonna kill..."

My ever-present flame of curiosity flares up immediately at the mention of Harry's name, but I manage to stifle it as now is clearly not the most opportune to ask about the involvement of Draco's nemesis's role in his father's imprisonment.

"He's going to get free, you know!" He exclaims suddenly and a bit too loudly, looking up with burning passion. "The others got free and now all of the Dementors are gone. He'll come home. He'll come back to me and my mum! I know it!"

"I hope so..." I whisper, staring into the fire. For Draco's sake, let Lucius find a way out. Please!

...

"Harry! How are you?" I burst into the compartment, grinning at my friends. "Hello then, DA's." I nod brightly at the others. They murmur a general welcome and beckon me to sit down.

"Have you heard from Fred and George?" I ask Ginny and Ron. "I hope they're doing great. Where are they, anyway?"

She sets her magazine down and pulls a small bag from her pocket. "They're brilliant! And I meant to tell you, they send their love to you. They've started up a joke shop in Diagon Ally and it's going quite well. Have some Peruvian Instant Darkness Power." She tosses me the pouch. "They keep sending me samples of their new inventions, but God knows I don't need them all."

"Thanks!" I stuff the bag into my pocket. "Have you seen my boyfriend anywhere? Malfoy, I mean. I hate you ask you, but I can't find him anywhere!"

Hermione gives a sudden nervous giggle and looks at her feet, blushing deeply. "Oh...yeah. About that-"

"He's up there." Harry cuts her off, waving candidly towards the luggage racks. I send him a quizzical look, glancing up, but all I can see is a motley assortment of bags. "He came in here, trying to give us hell, so we hexed him, but good!"

Ron laughs around an enormous mouthful of chocolate frogs. "Yeah. He ain't lookin' too pretty right now!"

I frown and give them all a warry look, before throwing my hands up in the air in mock surrender. "Fine, as long as he deserved it. It's not always my job to stand up for him, so pass me the candy, please!"