Little Bird

Chapter Thirty-Three

Eve

            I wasn't sure how long we stayed that way—Draco sitting against the nightstand and his arms around me with my body slumped halfway across his lap—but it was long enough for me to finally stop crying. My aunt's room was completely silent now, filled only by our quiet breathing, and the air was almost ringing from the aftermath of my loud sobbing. The sunbeams streamed through the windows around us and gave off a sleepy lighting to the room, but going to sleep was the last thing on my mind right now.

            Draco was holding me close to his chest, and I had one arm loosely slung over his shoulder to keep myself from sliding all the way off onto the floor. I was staring at nothing, my blank gaze fixed on the knobs of the nightstand behind Draco's shoulder as I just focused on breathing in and out. I was worried that if I tried to say anything to break the silence, my voice wouldn't work properly and Draco wouldn't be able to understand me.

            I finally focused my gaze on Draco's eyes, seeing that he had been staring straight ahead, but he inhaled slightly and glanced down at me as though he had felt me watching him. His eyes were red and a little swollen, and I knew mine were probably much worse. Neither of us said anything for a long while, but I eventually couldn't stop myself from sitting up slightly and wrapping my arms around his neck. Draco moved with me, pulling me close to him as I sat with each leg tucked on either side of his.

            He held me against him, my head buried in his shoulder with the afternoon sun shining through the windowpanes down onto us. After a moment, he whispered in a voice muffled by my hair, "You okay?"

            My voice cracked as I lied, "Yeah. I'm okay."

            "Yeah?"

            "Yeah."

            Draco kissed the top of my head then, pressing his lips hard against my hair for a moment longer than necessary—almost like he knew I was lying. When he pulled back and I twisted my head slightly to look at him, he asked me quietly, "Want to stand up?"

            I nodded instead of saying anything, because I knew my voice wouldn't work properly again. Draco carefully helped me to my feet, but my head still spun when we stood too quickly and he had to hold me upright. When I was finally able to stand on my own, Draco looked down at me seriously and told me, "We should get you out of here."

            "Okay," I replied in a thin voice that was barely above a whisper. "Can I get some of my clothes first? And, you know...my toothbrush."

            "Right," Draco said quickly, starting to lead me out of the room hastily as though he was upset with himself for not thinking of it first.

            "It's the second door on the left," I told him, since he was holding my hand tightly and almost refusing to let me walk in front of him. He led the way to my room, pushing open the door and pulling me gently inside after him.

            He let go of my hand and looked around as I moved for the closet, taking in the sight of my bedroom for the first time. I had just grabbed a bag and turned my head slightly when I saw that Draco had snatched a piece of paper off my bed and was furiously crumpling it into a ball.

            "What was that?" I asked blankly as he tossed it angrily into the bin. When he looked over at me, I saw that his jaw was set tight.

            "The letter," he said, shaking his head in anger. "The one they made me write to you."

            "Oh," I said, then realized I hadn't just left it sitting on the bed when I'd Disapparated yesterday. "I didn't put it there. I left it on the nightstand."