Unexpected Bravery (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 7

“What do you mean, nice?” Ron shouted at me, in the almost empty Gryffindor common room. I flinched away from him. He had gotten an awful lot closer to me since he started shouting. “I didn’t say he was nice, I was saying for all you know he might not be as bad as you think he is..” I mumbled quietly, hoping he would calm down.

 

Christmas break is over, and everyone is back at Hogwarts again. Draco and I saw each other a few times the last week of the holiday, and we ended up spending New Years Eve together. Which was not at all what I expected. Draco was quiet and very observant. I didn’t mind at all, sometimes silence is welcomed when you live with a bunch of Gryffindors.

Anyway, Ron had been having a go at Malfoy again, while he, Neville and I were sitting in the common room. I know he hates Malfoy, but sometimes he crosses a line when talking about him, and I couldn’t keep myself from saying something to get him to stop his rant.

 

“Ron, I think you should calm down,” Neville tried to be brave, and I sent him a small smile. “Even though I completely agree with you, It gets kind of annoying, listening to one of you hate rants.” Seamus said from his seat in one of the window sills. Ron huffed and put his hands on his hips like a teenage girl, who didn’t get her way, before saying goodnight and leaving.

 

“He is almost as bad as your mom.” Seamus said with a laugh, before looking back down at his potions essay.

 

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The corridors are completely empty, and the only sound breaking the endless silence, is the sound of my footsteps. It’s way past curfew, and I can’t sleep. Everyone in my house is sleeping by now, and I didn’t feel like pacing the common room for the tenth time, so I figured I might as well walk the dark and abandoned corridors of the castle. No one was patrolling this late anyway, so I doubt I’m going to get caught.

 

The only other person, who might not be is Draco. He’s got permanent bags under his eyes these days. I don’t know if he’s doing some Death Eater duties, or if he’s just worrying too much to rest.

I know he worries a lot. I don’t exactly know what he has to do, but he always seem kind of anxious about something. And it worries me, more than it should. I’m constantly torn between worrying about his safety, and the safety of my friends and family. Not to mention the rest of the wizarding world. In some strange way, I connect with Draco, more than I do with my own family.  I know he’s a Death Eater, which makes him a potential danger. Which makes me seeing him potentially dangerous, and it would be seen as betraying to the order, not to mention my family.

 

Not that we had seen that much of each other. We had been spending some time together in the library, late in the evening right before curfew, when no students are in sight. We haven’t talked much about what we are doing. I’m afraid to bring it up, I guess. What is there even to talk about. It’s not like we’re doing anything.

 

I’ve been reading muggle books for him and we have been talking, and that’s basically it. After he finished Wuthering heights and returned it, he started showing interest in other muggle books, and insisted that I read them to him, apparently because he was too lazy to read it himself.

 

I enjoy his company a lot. I sometimes have to be careful when we talk, but so far we’ve only experienced smaller conflicts, which hasn’t been full on fights. Ron would have a heart attack if he knew I had been spending time with Draco. He exploded when I told him to stop complaining about him. I’d rather avoid him finding out. And I think Draco feels the same with his Slytherin friends.

 

I heard footsteps down the corridor and quickly put my wand away, which had been the only thing lighting the corridors for me. I hid behind a curtain, and hoped it wasn’t a prefect or a teacher. I hold my breath and stand completely still. I don’t want or need a detention right now.

 

I could see light coming around the corner, and the footsteps were heading closer to me. We are on the seventh floor, where the room of requirement once was, and there is no way for me to escape without the person noticing, so my best bet is to keep hidden here.

 

The person is coming closer and closer, I can’t tell who it is from behind this curtain, but if I’m lucky it’s just another student on a night stroll in the castle, and they won’t notice me.

 

The person stranger stopped a few feet from my hiding place, and I stand completely still, focusing on holding my breath, when suddenly the curtain is ripped away. I jump in shock and suppress the urge to scream loudly.

 

My eyes are granted the sight of none other than Draco Malfoy. And he looks mad.

 

“What are you doing here?” He sneers at me, and I flinch away from him. “I,I was just walking..” I stammer and he looks at me with narrowed eyes. “In the middle of the night?” He snaps at me, like he isn’t believing me. What in the world would I be doing in the middle of the night? Or rather, what could I be doing at this hour, that would make him react like this?

 

“I honestly wasn’t doing anything other than walking around the castle. You seem to be the one that acts suspiciously!” I snapped at him, before I had time to progress what I was saying. He stared at me, with an ice cold stare that I had only heard people talk about. Never seen myself, before now that is.  

 

“If you are accusing me of something-” He started angrily before I interrupted him, “You want to talk about accusing people, now?” I asked in a challenging tone. “Clearly someone sent you to snoop! After all you are from a family of filthy blood traitors!” He almost shouted at me. “And now you’re calling me a blood traitor. At least I’m not a Death eater, I’d rather die than be one of you!” I sent right back at him, and I saw him flinch briefly when I called him a Death eater. That was when I realised I shouldn’t have said that.  

 

I don’t usually let my temper take control like this, but it had been a long week. Ron had constantly been finding tiny things to fight about and I was tired of not sleeping well and most of all, I was tired of thinking about Draco all the time. So I sighed and took a deep breath.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” I said and looked at him apologetically, before averting my gaze to my boots. I had changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater before leaving the Gryffindor tower, expecting the castle to be quite cold. “You obviously did.” His tone was a bit warmer than it was before, but it still had a cold edge to it.

“I’m tired and frustrated, I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry Draco.” I said almost pleadingly. I just wanted him to drop this, and go back to being the more civil, almost sweet Draco I had spent New Years with. “Why aren’t you sleeping?” He whispered softly, no harsh tone left. “I have a lot on my mind. That and It’s getting really cold in the dormitories.” I  giggled softly. He chuckled at me, before grabbing my wrist and dragging me in the direction he had come from.