𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 {a Draco Malfoy story}

chapter seventeen

Rose

     We stayed that way for a while - Draco sitting against his bed frame and his arms around me with my body slumped across his lap. I was given permission to leave the manor so that I could retrieve some of my belongings from my house, and Draco wanted to come with me.

     He was holding me close to his chest, and I had one arm loosely slung over his shoulder to keep myself from falling over. I was staring at nothing, my gaze fixed on the balcony leading out of Draco's room. I was worried that if I tried to speak, my voice wouldn't come out properly and I'd begin crying all over again as I had all of last night.

     I looked over at Draco, seeing that he had been staring straight ahead, but he inhaled slightly and glanced down at me as if 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.

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

     My voice cracked as I hid the truth. "Yes. I'm okay."

     "Are you sure?"

     "Yeah."

     Draco kissed the top of my head, then pressing his lips against mine. He took my hands and helped me up and out of bed, the sick feeling from yesterday still bothering me. I wobbled out of the bedroom, and I gripped onto Draco's arm. "Rose, you need to eat."

     I nodded and he helped me down the stairs and into the kitchen. He rummaged through the cabinets and turned back around to face me, putting his hands on the island counter. "What do you like?"

     "Anything is fine, honestly."

     He grabbed some fruit and turned his back on me. It's funny how such a simple, everyday action becomes so incredibly beautiful if you care for the person doing it. He turned his head slightly, but enough to see me staring. "Liking what you see, Esparay?"

     "Yes, actually. Very much."

     He grinned and although it wasn't a big smile, my body warmed up at the sight of him finally being showing some form of happiness. "Where are the others, anyway? Is it just us?"

     He shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. Everybody left after you... got the mark. You-know-who isn't going to be back for a couple weeks, so we should be fine."

     I relaxed. "And your parents?"

     "I honestly never know. My dad's at the ministry most of the time - except this time, he's in prison - and my mother's been acting strangely, leaving for hours at a time."

     He put a bowl with strawberries, cherries, and a couple peach slices in front of me. "When you're done eating, let's go to your old house. I figured wearing the same clothes for many consecutive days isn't the best idea."

     "Draco, can't I just wear your clothes?"

     "As much as I love to see you in my shirts, you need some of your own as well."

     I groaned and shoved slice of peach in my mouth. Draco took a strawberry and ripped off the leaves, popping it into his mouth. He slapped the table and with the fruit still in his mouth, said, "All right, let's go."

     He apparated us to my house and I entered through the surprisingly unlocked door. As soon as I stepped into the house, I fell to my knees. The couches had been torn apart, as if a savage animal had been clawing at them. The kitchen tiles were broken and the plates were scattered all over the place. Everything that had any sentimental value was shattered, the only remaining things being a picture of my Grandmother and I.