Love & Redemption - Draco Malfoy

Chapter Nine

  The rest of Christmas Break went by quickly. Draco and I finished his essay within the first four days but after that I was surprised that he still tried to talk to me and ask me to go for a walk towards the lake.

  The day after hogsmeade I was sitting at the Gryffindor table completely alone at breakfast, just reading a book, when all of a sudden Draco came sitting in front of me demanding what happens next in the book he got and if they get out of the maze. I was surprised he actually read the book, and within in the same 24 hours of getting it. But I told him he had to read the rest of it and find out himself.

  Towards the end of Christmas Break we were almost together from breakfast to dinner. But when the day before students were supposedly coming back to Hogwarts, it almost felt it would be our last day to ever do that... Once Harry, Hermione, and Ron came back.

  But I didn't let it bother me much, it was kind of inevitable. I knew Draco and I being friends or Draco being nice to me was doomed to end at some point. But then why did it upset me so much?

  I tried to ignore it, making it seem like any other day, but once the day ended and we said our goodnight's... It almost seemed like our final goodbyes. Pathetic I know but I can't help but have this... Feeling inside my chest. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was but it was there. I try to ignore it, but it's still there... Like an elephant inside the room. But back to the key question... Why did it bother me so much?

***

  The morning students were coming back to Hogwarts I woke up with a smile on my face, forgetting all about the feeling lingering inside me. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were coming back, I missed them a lot. Though I didn't regret staying back at Hogwarts, I missed having my best friends around.

  I knew they would be arriving soon so I headed quickly down to breakfast. Once I walked into the great hall, no one was back yet so I decided to sit down and wait.

  After a few moments, the door to the great hall opened once again, revealing Draco, Flint, and Zabini coming in. Without a second thought I sent him a smile. He returned it but didn't come over to the table as he usually did, most likely to ask me a question about the book he got a few days ago.

  I continued waiting, eating some fruit, even taking out a book to read. I mentally noted that I'd have to take a trip to the library again soon to find another one as I was already almost done this one.

  Just when I was about to finish the 2nd last chapter of my book, the great hall doors opened, revealing all the returning students. With a smile I bookmarked my book, looking intently in the crowd of students for Ron's ginger hair as that would reveal Harry and Hermione along with him.

  I thought I spotted his familiar red hair but it turned out to be Fred and George, they both greeted me and sat down a few spaces ahead of me. Neville and Ginny came as well, sitting on the other side of the table ahead of me.

  Just when it seemed all the students were here and Harry, Hermione, and Ron were no where in sight, I began to worry but my worries were lifted once they came walking into the great hall side by side.

  "Sophia!" Hermione exclaimed jogging over to me.

  "Hey guys, I missed you. How's your dad doing Ron?" I asked as they sat down. Ron of course, immediately went for the food on the table.

  "He'll be okay, the whole holiday he was prazing Harry on saving his life." He chuckled as he took a bite of his sausage. I laughed and glanced over to Harry, I noticed he was looking down at the table with an unreadable expression.

  "You okay Harry?" I asked in a whisper, he looked back up at me and gave me a smile that didn't reach his eyes, nodding.

  "Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't want to push so I looked over at Hermione who gave me a half smile, telling me that she has been trying to figure what was wrong as well.

"  So how was your break Soph? Ron and Harry tell me you had to help Malfoy with an essay." She asked changing the subject, she scoffed when she mentioned the last part and I felt my chest twist.

  "It was good... I got a new book in hogsmeade."

  "Who did you go with?" She asked, I winced internally as she asked, I completely forgot the 'no students without another student present' rule.

  "Um... Malfoy actually." Just when she was gonna reply, all of them giving me wide and surprised eyes, Professor Umbridge shushed the whole hall and "greeted" everyone back. I knew that they wouldn't forget what I just said but I was relieved it would wait a little while longer. That gave me enough time to figure out just what the bloody hell I was gonna tell them...