❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

TWO

"You said she went away, you carried them and scraped your face, and she's at the back again."

***

    ALICE ROWLE NEVER liked the thought of becoming a Death Eater. She never wanted to go through what her parents had. Hiding, manipulation, loathing. Three things her parents went through that she could never fathom. It was hard enough as a child to go through things like having her parents go into hiding, but as a teen she never wanted to picture leaving them again.

The following day after arriving at Hogwarts, Alice had gotten an owl from her mother, mentioning how she and the Malfoy's would be going on a mission from the Dark Lord to an undisclosed location. The Death Eaters that had once resided in her home had apparently fled, not wanting to be caught in the large mansion without the protection of the Rowle's.

"You seem tense, did you get your mum's owl? Mine said to make sure you were alright," Draco said, sitting beside Alice at breakfast, as she solemnly nodded in response.

"I hope they'll be alright," Alice frowned staring at her pancake. "I can't bare to go home to an empty house again."

Draco nodded, he didn't fully understand as it was always him and his mother at the manor, but even then it seemed like he was still alone.

"It'll be alright, our dad's know what they're doing." Draco tried to console the girl, but to no avail, she was still worried.

She put on a fake smile, "Anyways. Are we off to potions then?"

The blue eyed boy finished his eggs and toast, following Alice out of the Great Hall. He wasn't excited for potions, but Alice would be there with him, which made it all the better.

    He caught up to her, walking beside her and taking in the scent of her perfume. She had worn the same perfume since he could remember, one his mum had bought her from a shop in a Diagon Alley. As the walked through the dim Hogwarts halls, Draco noticed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley staring at himself and Alice. He glared at them, about to say something, but was pulled by Alice into the potions classroom.

     "There's no time for banter, I don't want to lose house points for being late."

—

The stress of O.W.L.S had taken over Alice's mind, making her forget all about dinner. As she sat in the library, parchment and books surrounding her, she was brought out of her train of thought by familiar footsteps approaching her. She kept her eyes trained on the book in front of her, not wanting to lose her train of thought.

"What're you up to, Rowle? Studying instead of eating, that's not like you." He placed a plate full of food and a goblet in front of her as he sat in the chair beside her.

Alice looked up quickly, muttering a "thanks," before continuing to write.

"Alice," Draco said gaining her attention after a few seconds. "How are you?"

"I'd be much better, if you'd just bloody leave me alone for a few minutes." She dropped her quill on the table finally staring at him.

His face fell as he grit his teeth, beginning to get up and leave. His footsteps echoed throughout the library as Draco walked further and further from Alice.

"I'm sorry," Her voice sounded so frail, that he almost didn't recognize it.

He stared at her for a moment before taking his seat beside her again. "You're stressing way too hard, love. You need to take a break, what... with our parents leaving and everything."

Alice nodded, putting her quill back down as she took a few bites from the food on the plate in front of her.

"How are you not worried? With Umbridge taking over, and O.W.L.S, and our parents... It's just so much- Too much, Draco."

Draco looked at the petite girl and realized how tired she had become within the last few weeks of being back at Hogwarts. He agreed, it was all too much. The stress of exams, the stress of their parents, and petty drama between him and Harry was all becoming too overwhelming. He didn't want to look weak in front of Alice, but deep down he felt exactly how she looked on the outside. Tired.

"If you ever have a problem with Umbridge, you know I'm on the Inquisitorial Squad, I'll-"

Alice scoffed, "Don't even remind me about you lame gits, trying to get into the Room of Requirement. Idiots you are."

Draco exhaled a large breath he had been holding, "Don't push it, Alice."

She sat back in her chair, and laughed at his annoyance. She always knew how to press his buttons, ever since they were kids she would always know the right thing to say. It was funny how only several years ago they were playing games in Draco's garden, yet here they now sat stressing over life altering issues. Her eyes scanned his face, noticing the now prominent jawline, and the same piercing blue eyes that always gave her goosebumps.

"It's so weird," Alice broke the silence, "when you were younger you had this arrogance about you, I hated it. And you're still arrogant, but now you're mature about it. Yet, your eyes, they've always shown how you were innocent. Like, you have this exterior you put off, but on the inside you're still the same little boy I grew up with."

Draco looked at her, blinking a few times, before smiling. A genuine smile, one that he would only ever show her.