Planned Liars • Draco Malfoy

Chapter #4

We haven't said another word to each other and Draco left half an hour before me. I felt horrible.

When I got to my office, Mira was there, of course, and there was also a big black box on my desk.

"Hello, Mira," I said after I closed the door behind me. "What's with that box?"

"Oh, good morning, Miss Mullen. Mr Malfoy had left this box here earlier," she said with a smile, looking up at me from the papers.

"Really?" I asked with raised eyebrows, approaching the box. Mira walked up to me, watching it excitedly.

I untied the blue ribbon which was on it and carefully took off the lid, only to see some greenish material inside. I held it in front of me and realised it was a short sleeveless dress with sparkling linings. 

Mira gasped with excitement.

"Oh Merlin! It's beautiful!"

"He's unbelievable..." I muttered to myself, examining the dress.

"You're so lucky," she said with her eyes lit up.

I sighed, putting the dress back into the box. I still didn't feel good from the situation at breakfast, but didn't want to show it to Mira, who would definitely start asking questions.

"Funnily enough, I guess he wants me to wear it for the wedding he didn't originally wanted to go to. Typical him," I told her with a fake laugh, but she didn't seem to be listening to me.

"There's a note!" she said, pointing excitedly at the back of the box. I turned it towards me and grabbed the note.

Wear it tonight was written on it, and underneath these words, very small scribbling in different-coloured ink: I'm sorry.

I couldn't help but sigh again. He wasn't the type to apologise, so I should be amazed just by that. I stared at the note for a moment, thinking about everything he said...

"You should try it on!" Mira's enthusiastic voice woke me up from my thoughts.

"Now?" I asked, startled.

She nodded eagerly and I took another look at the folded dress in the box, wondering if it was a good idea.

"No, I don't feel like it," I said finally. "I'll just wear it later," I added, putting the box's lid back on and then squatted to put it under my desk.

"Wow!" Mira exclaimed as I sat on my chair.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That's a beautiful necklace!"

I looked at my chest. There it was, the snake necklace I have worn almost every single day since Draco gave it to me that must have fell out from behind my robes when I got down.

I didn't have this necklace to look good. I just felt safer with it. I could always find Draco.

"Ah, this..." I said, placing the silver snake on my palm, reminding myself of all the times I needed to look for him... And then I put the necklace under the robes again, almost feeling like crying when all those memories popped up in my head. It made me feel even sadder then before.

"Is everything alright?" Mira asked me, sounding concerned.

"Yes, yes, let's get back to work," I said quickly, sitting down and wiping a single tear that formed in my right eye.

Mira nodded hesitantly, then walked back to her desk. For half an hour we were working in silence and then Hermione came to visit.

"Hey," she said and suddenly a paper plane flew in through the door right after her. "Looks like you got a note," she said as he noticed it, directing the plane towards me. I caught it in the air.

"Hello, Hermione," I said, trying to smile, but it must have turned into a weird grimace.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied immediately. I had already decided I didn't want to tell anyone about my worries.

Hermione eyed me suspicously for a moment, but then she shook her head.

"Well, I just wanted to ask if you and Draco are coming to the...?"

"Ah, yes," I cut her off quickly. "Yes, yes, I forgot to tell you. It looks like I persuaded him," I gave a fake laugh.

"Great," she smiled. "Well, that's all I wanted. See you around."

"Yeah, see you," I told her, looking at the crumpled note on my palm.

"Aurora?" Hermione said, turning to me one last time.

"Yeah?"

"I know we have never been this close, but you can talk to me if you need."

She shocked me with this, but I nodded anyways.

"Oh, uhm, I'm okay, but I'll remember," I assured her, pretending to be really focused on my documents.

She left the office and I turned to the note. I unfolded it and it read:

I can't come for you, so Apparate straight home after work. It's important.

I sighed, then threw the note into the bin. I hope at least it is important, Malfoy...

I needed a quick distraction. I put my quill away and turned my head towards Mira.

"Mira, why did you even choose to work here in the first place? I never got to ask," I said and she looked a bit surprised, but soon began telling me her entire story. I listened to her well and asked a lot of questions (even as simple ones as "Do you have siblings?") only to distract myself.

After work, I Apparated straight home, just like he had told me to, probably more out of sheer curiosity than anything else.

I opened the door to the Manor with an awful feeling in my chest, but then I looked up to see the hall - and what I saw took my breath away.