Say Something

Chapter 14

"Come on Mel, it will be good for you to get away, maybe even have some fun. You need a break from this school and I don't think you should go home alone."

"I'd rather be alone Hermione. Iris will be off with her friend Ruth for the break, I could use some peace. Besides, Harry is still furious with me and I don't think we should be under the same roof."

"Harry can make due, I know Molly will be upset if you don't come and we tell her you're at home alone. Plus, I'm sure Fred and George are chomping at the bit to see you. Come on." Hermione whined.

I held my hands up in defeat and Hermione clapped her hands excitedly. She had spent the duration of the term trying to persuade me to come to the Weasley's for our two week holiday vacation. I had planned on staying home alone but I suppose I was safer at The Burrow with the Weasley's.

Recently, I had felt the strangest paranoia as I walked the corridors. Draco and I hadn't uttered a word to each other since the incident with Katie Bell, I felt like I had hardly seen him at all. My heart ached painfully as I longed to just speak to Draco. He wandered the halls like the undead. His eyes were despondent, he looked exhausted, and I hadn't even heard his voice in weeks. Draco was only a shell of the person he used to be and I didn't know why, I never would.

"Get to packing Mel." Hermione squealed enthusiastically.

I felt distant as I mindlessly packed my trunk. I wanted to force myself to be happy, for Hermione's sake, but it seemed impossible. I wanted to at least see Draco before I left, even if it meant he would push me away again. I quickly finished packing my trunk and pulled on my coat, I would try one last time to get through to him. I walked to my bedside table and pulled the wrapped gift for Draco from the drawer. I had gotten it before all the turmoil and I would at least try to give it to him. Hermione looked at me sorrowfully as she folded her clothes.

"The train leaves in thirty minutes Mel."

"I'll be there, I just have to talk to him before we go."

Hermione nodded, though she didn't want me to go. While she didn't want to believe Draco was guilty with what happened to Katie Bell, she was still very wary of him. Even I was wary of him now, he was acting so apathetically.

I hastened through the halls towards Slytherin. I knew Draco would be going home for the holidays but I hoped he wouldn't be gone already. I jogged now.

I jumped backwards as Draco exited his common room, I was shocked to see his mother behind him, holding tightly to his arm. His eyes widened when he saw me in front of him. He was begging me to turn around, my mouth dropped as I heard his thoughts for the first time in weeks.

Draco's mother Narcissa Malfoy stared at me deliberately, as if she already knew me. Her mind was blank, she must have been taught Occlumency too. I forced the worrisome tears to the back of my mind as I tried to contemplate what to say to them.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend dear?" Narcissa said snidely.

I had never met Narcissa before but she was exactly how I imagined. Her angular face was perfect and stern, her cold eyes watched me carefully. She was dressed in a stiff black suit, she didn't look comfortable, and she looked stressed. She looked like she didn't want to be at Hogwarts a moment longer than necessary.

"This is for you Draco, happy Christmas." I said shortly.

Draco remained silent as I forced the gift into his hands and turned away from them to run back towards Gryffindor. He was a coward too in his mother's presence. I was out of breath as I reached Gryffindor Tower, Hermione was waiting outside the common room with both of our trunks at her feet.