𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 {a Draco Malfoy story}

chapter thirty-two

     The day Ron was released from the hospital, Harry and Hermione were sure to be extra careful around him. Hermione called Rose over to sit with the trio, waving a hand to signal her. Harry questioningly looked at Hermione, but she did not acknowledge it. Rose sat down beside them. Ron kept staring at Lavender Brown, and she stared back at him infuriated. "Stop it, Ron, you're making it snow."

     The ginger boy suddenly blinked out of his gaze and dusted some of the snow off the table. "Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again."

     Hermione glanced to the side. "Uhm, well, s-she came to visit you in the hospital, and you talked. I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation."

     "Don't get me wrong, I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It just seems she's a bit put out."

     All 4 students turned back simultaneously to look at Lavender Brown, who fixed her posture. "Yes, she does, doesn't she," Rose said. 

     "You say, you don't remember anything from that night?" Hermione asked curiously. "Anything at all?"

     Ron tried to focus. "There is something." Harry and Hermione shared a glance. "But it can't be. I was completely boggled wasn't it?" Ron laughed.

     Hermione frowned the slightest bit. "Right. Boggled."

     Rose looked over at what Harry was reading and saw a potions textbook. At the top of the page, the words 'Sectumsempra' were written in a cursive font. She tilted forward to read more, but Harry shut the book once he noticed Katie Bell walk through the doors.

     Rose searched for Draco, as the two Slytherins were the reason Katie was out of school in the first place. "Woah, Rose, your eyes became green for a couple seconds when you stood up," Ron said. Rose fixed her skirt as her eyes turned back to brown. She noticed Hermione staring at her with a small smirk, but did not question it. "I've got to go, see you later!"

     Before she left, Hermione grabbed onto Rose's arm and pulled her down. She whispered close to Rose's ear. "I know."

     Rose walked away, but glanced back at Hermione wondering how she would know of their mission. Her eyes widened as she put her left arm behind her back and ran off. Right as she was about the leave the Great Hall, Rose noticed Draco who now had terrible eye bags stand still in his place, looking at Harry and Katie Bell. He began pacing out, locking eyes with the girl he once loved. The two of them fled the Hall, but Harry followed behind. 

     "Malfoy, wait up."

     He momentarily stopped and grasped his hands around his tie, loosening it. "Esparay, now's not the time."

     Draco ran into a bathroom and placed his hands on either side of the sink. He pulled his black vest off him and opened the tap, washing his face. Rose followed closely behind.

     "She's back. She's back."

     "She's not dead, Malfoy, that's all that matters. We didn't kill her."

     "But she could have died just as easily!"

     "So what?"

     Draco turned so that he was no longer looking at her. His breathing was uncontrolled, his hair messed up. He stared at himself in the mirror and then turned the faucet off, a moment of pure silence overtaking them. 

     He quietly cried to himself. Draco knew that nothing good was going to come out of the mission. And although he didn't notice, Rose's eyes were flickering between green and brown. She put a hand on Draco's shoulder and he tensed at first, but then smiled softly. Harry Potter suddenly came in through the door.