𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 {a Draco Malfoy story}

chapter thirty-one

Draco

     Rosalind and I had less than two month's time to get the cabinet prepared and ready for the Death Eaters. I knew that at this point, it was mostly her doing the research, and I was the one casting the actual spells. 

     After my chat with Theo and I last night, I realized how much more effort I need to put into bringing her back. If she doesn't come back, I don't know what I'm going to do. The one thing I know for certain more than anything else is that she's the absolute love of my life and without her, I'd be a lost cause. 

     In a spur of the moment, I decided to ask Granger about how to get Rose's emotion back. I walked to the library, hoping she'd be in there. I was right - she sat at one of the closer table with her nose buried in a book. I headed to the table and awkwardly stood there until she noticed me. She looked up from the book and raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

     I rubbed my hands together. "Granger, I need your help." I pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. 

     "Is this about Rosalind?"

     "I wanted to ask you about - wait, what?"

     She shut the book and placed it on the table. "I've noticed something's wrong, but I though the two of you had just broken up."

     "Well, yes, something like that happened."

     "...something like that?" She squinted her eyes, confused. "You either ended things or you didn't."

     I rubbed my eyes. "Granger, please don't think I'm a lunatic after telling you this."

     "I've always thought of you as a lunatic, but go on."

     I scoffed at her words and continued. "Rose has been acting differently. She spent the Christmas Break at my house and -"

     I suddenly realized that I can't tell her about how exactly it happened, because then I would have to explain why Voldemort was in my house in the first place, and why Rose was speaking with him in the first place. "You know what, never mind."

     "You were going to tell me that Voldemort made her do something leading to her lack of emotion?" She said, looking me straight in the eyes.

     Damn it, Granger.

     "How..." I looked around, making sure no one else could hear us. I leaned in. "How did you know?"

     She widened her eyes. I understood my mistake - she wasn't being serious. "I was, erm, I guessed honestly."

     I placed my elbows on the table and scrunched my nose, frowning. "Tell anyone, and I'll make sure you'll regret it."

     "Calm down, Malfoy. Your threats don't scare me. I won't tell Harry and the others if you don't want me to." She looked at my arm, and then back at me. "Are you, you know, one of them?"

     "What makes you think I'd tell you?" She tilted her head to the side and glared at me. It was terrifying, honestly. "Okay, okay. We both are, but..."

     "But... you don't want to?"

     The corner of my mouth lifted upwards. "Yeah."

     "I understand." She sorrowfully glanced at me. "So, what did happen with Rose?"

     I leaned back in my chair. "So, Pansy brought up the idea that You-Know-Who made her turn her emotions off."

     She looked at me as if she thought I was lying. "I thought only vampires could do that."

     "I did too, but it has to do with her being a descendants of Merlin and all. Anyway, he thinks that her emotions are holding her back from being powerful. It's like she's a completely different person. So, when I told you that we broke up, her emotionless side and I broke up. If the real Rose ever comes back, I'd still be in a relationship with her."

     "And... how am I supposed to help you with this?"

     I groaned at her ignorance. "Granger, you're the smartest person I know. Could you do some studying on how to fix this whole situation?"

    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I've already read about it a bit, as I suspected the same thing. She needs to witness something that her normal self would be deeply impacted with. An object or place of great value might work."

     As soon as she said that, I knew where to take Rose. "Claire de Lune beach."

     "Where?"

     "It's where we first - you know, I shouldn't be telling you that. It might work... and the snitch! You're a life saver, Granger. I owe you."

     "That, you do."

     I turned back before I left the library and faced her. "Promise not to tell anyone about the whole..." I pointed at my arm. She grinned. 

     "I give you my word, Draco."

+++

     I watched Rose sit on the floor in the common room, reading. I smiled, almost forgetting the fact that she wasn't the same person I loved. "Esparay, let's go somewhere tonight."

     "I'm not in the mood for a time-wasting date, Malfoy."

     "It's not a date. I think I found an object that can help us with our assignment," I lied.

     Her head shot up and she jumped on her feet. "Let's go."

     I ran up to my dorm, took the snitch out of my bag and shoved it into my pocket, then came back downstairs and we walked to Hogsmead.

     Once we got there, I lent out my arm for her to take so that I could apparate us. She reluctantly held on and with a crack, we were gone.

     She slapped my arm away when we landed on the ground again. "Seriously? You took us to this beach?"

     I turned her body to face the cave. "You feel... nothing?"

     Her eyes momentarily turned green again, but then back to brown. "Nope."

     I pulled the snitch out of my pocket. "What about now?"

     She made a fake vomit noise and rolled her eyes. "You still keep that thing? Ridiculous. Get rid of it, Draco."

     "No. You can't tell me you feel absolutely nothing."

+++

Rose

     I do, Draco. I love you. So much.

~ 

     God, Malfoy's such a prat. I almost feel bad.

+++

Draco

     She took the snitch from my hand and examined it. Then suddenly, she chucked it into the ocean.

     "NO!" I yelled, lunging forward hopelessly to grab the snitch. It was long gone, though, and I faced her full of anger. I've never hated Esparay more than I do now. 

     She laughed at my expression. "Relax, Malfoy, it's just another... what did we used to say? Ah, just another drop in the ocean."

     I wiped the tears from my face and disappointedly shook my head, frowning. "Why are you doing this? That was the only reason I didn't go insane these past few months because of your stupid emotionless personality. God, Esparay, what in the hell is wrong with you?"

     She walked up to me, so close that I could feel her breathe on my neck. She whispered in my ear. "You made me weak."

     She disapparated back to where I assumed was Hogsmead, leaving me in this bloody beach.

+++

This scene is what inspired the name of the story. Also, Draco and Hermione as best friends? Yes please.