A Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter 27

---------- Chapter 27 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next thing I know, Harry’s got his hand around Draco’s neck, knocking him into a tree. Harry holds him there, breathing heavily, trying to regain control.

               “I didn’t rape her!” Draco murmurs, his eyes hooded.

               “She just said she slept with you!” Harry explodes.

               “Yes, she slept with me. I didn’t rape her!” Draco snarls back.

               “She’s a minor and you’re an adult! It’s rape whether it was willing or not, you worthless piece of thrash!” Harry screams.

By now there’s a small group of students wandering over to where we are, curiosity written all over their faces.

               “Lower your voice, Potter,” Draco threatens, his voice low.

               “Or what?!” Harry is still shouting. I notice his arms shaking from his barely concealed rage.

               “Or you’re going to ruin your cousin’s reputation! You want that?” Draco murmurs, his eyes guarded once again.

               “Why don’t I just tell everyone what really happened?!” Harry threatens.

               “What really happened is she wanted it just as much as I did!” Draco snarls.

               “Shut the bloody hell up, Malfoy!” Harry spits.

               “Harry, you need to calm down. Let Deidre and Malfoy handle this. Don’t get involved,” Ron begins, standing beside Harry.

Harry reluctantly releases Draco and walks over to me. Instead of being livid like I imagined he would be, he looked worried and protective. He pulled me into an unexpected hug and held me there for a long time.

               “Did he hurt you, De?” he asked once he finally released me.

               “I’m alright Harry,” I whisper, avoiding his question. Because, yes, he did hurt me. Not physically like Harry meant, but I am hurt!

               “De, you know you can come to me for anything! You could have called me or told me what was going on. I could have protected you!” he sighs in frustration.

I just drop my gaze to the floor, not knowing what to do or say anymore.

               “Deid, please, just hear me out...I want to be with you, Merlin knows it’s true, but we need to take this a step at a time,” Draco murmurs, his eyes fixed on my face.

               “You won’t let me drop out of school to be with you!” I accuse like a child.

               “Wait! What?! Drop out of school?!” Harry asks curiously.

               “Can we please speak alone?” Draco asks primly, jabbing a finger in Harry’s direction, “at least then we won’t be interrupted.”

I nod my head in agreement and follow Draco through the crowd of gathered students. All busybodies, no doubt hoping for some juicy gossip they could pass on!

Draco walks briskly, as if he didn’t care whether or not I could keep up, and...I guess he didn’t. I have to jog to keep up with him. He keeps walking up flight after flight of stairs. Seriously? Where the hell is he taking me?!

Abruptly, once we’re on the seventh floor, Draco whirls around to face me. I’d never been up this high before, so I couldn’t help but take in my surroundings; from the bare walls to the worn out floor.

Draco let out a sigh of frustration at my lack of attention and only then did I look up at him.

               “Can you tell me what happened? When did you change?” he demands, his face hurt.

               “What?” his question catches me off guard, and for once today my tone isn’t piercing towards him.

               “You heard me. When did you change? When did you become the irrational girlfriend? When did you turn into the child that was too arrogant to listen to anyone? When did your ego swell up so much that you couldn’t be bothered shutting up for a moment to listen to what I had to say?” he asks, with each question his voice rising.

               “I...haven’t changed,” I whisper, taken aback at everything he just said.

               “So this is the real you? Then maybe I was wrong about you,” Draco spits bitterly, his face becoming cold and aloof.

               “I don’t understand! You said you loved me?” and despite trying to sound sure, it comes out sounding like a question.

               “I do! Or at least I loved the Deidre I knew! After last night...you just changed! You...are unreasonable and illogical and you won’t listen for any longer than my first few sentences. You won’t let me explain why I said the things I did!” Draco counters, his voice softer this time.

               “I’m sorry...I guess I misunderstood. I thought...we were together,” I mumble, dropping my gaze to the worn out floor.

               “You see?! This is what I mean! You pick out one thing I say and then look at it in isolation! I do love you! Don’t you get it?! I’m just...shocked by this whole pity thing you have going on. I don’t understand the tears and shouting! I understand that you were upset, it was a little shocking, maybe. I understand you need to let it out. But I followed you! I was there to be there with you. But the moment you come back down, you chew my head off! It’s as if you’re trying to find an excuse to hate me! So let me ask you this, is there a reason you hate me? Do you regret sleeping with me? Was it really a mistake like you told Weasley?” he demands, his voice earnest.

               “I...don’t know! It seems like you...don’t want to make any effort for us to remain together and that frustrates me. I feel betrayed. I wish you could have told me that you didn’t have any intention of...well, being together...that way I would never have slept with you,” I whisper.

               “I do want to be with you! Why don’t you understand that?! I’m just not willing to allow you to sacrifice your education! Do you understand? I’m the older, more mature one in this relationship, and I want the best for you. Is that so bad?” he asks quietly, tilting my face up so I was staring into his beautiful grey eyes.

And then it seems as if a current passes between us, the same electricity that’s there every time Draco and I are together. Draco’s face inches closer to mine and I close my eyes, pursing my lips, waiting for the kiss that never comes.

Footsteps thunder down the hallway and Draco and I pull away from each other, whirling around to face the direction the footsteps come from.

Ron barely stops in time, nearly knocking into Draco, his face flushed and his breathing heavy. A second later, Harry emerges from behind the bend, looking livid. And then it’s a heartbeat before Hermione thunders towards us as well.

               “No! Harry! No!” she screams.

               “I know why you want to stop school! You’re pregnant, aren’t you?!” Harry hollers at me.

Gosh! He just jumps to conclusions, doesn’t he?