Caught in the Common Room [COMPLETED STORY]

twenty nine

Draco Malfoy POV

Everyone leaves tomorrow, I've got one more night with her. She just came back from mending things with Potter. She said it went well and seems content, but underneath the smile she looks scared. I don't want to pry, but I think I should probably ask about it, being her boyfriend and all.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

"Hm? Like what?"

"I don't know, did everything go well with Potter?"

"Yeah, I think we're in a good place now."

"Emery, I want you to be able to tell me what's on your mind."

"Seriously, Draco, I'm alright. Just... they're not coming back next year."

"No?"

"No."

"They're going to be alright. I know you're worried... but you can't be there for them all the time."

"I wish I could be."

"You're that person. You need to protect everyone because you can't protect yourself. Trust me, I've experienced it first hand."

"Oh, shut up."

"It's true. It's like a compulsion you have."

"Draco!"

"I'm kidding, well, not really. You need to let them go."

"They're not dying! At least not yet."

"Don't spiral."

"What if they do die? What if they need me but I'm not there?"

"Emery, slow down."

"My only friends are going to die. Or they're going to be tortured by that bitch, Bellatrix! Oh, I should've killed her when I had the chance. Now she's going to torture and kill them and I can't do anything about it."

"Hey!"

I cupped my hands around her face and made her look me in the eyes. She needed to be talked down. I don't know if I was the best person for that, but it was getting late and I was the only one around. Her green eyes were wide and glassy, I didn't want her to cry.

"First of all, that's my aunt you're talking about murdering. Second, have you met them? They're some of the most powerful people in this school. You know you can't change their minds so stop stressing. You're going to go mad if you don't think about something else. They are not children and you are not responsible for them!"

She slightly nodded so I let go of her face and watched her blood pressure come down. She started breathing regularly again in a few moments, I think it worked. Every so often she needed some tough love, it slapped her back into reality. She didn't get like this often, so when it happened, you had to squash it quickly.

"Thank you."

"Course."

"You're mean, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

She snuggled next to me in my bed and pulled the blanket a little higher. I was worried about her, it was hard for me to tell what she was thinking. Obviously she's going to worry, anyone would, but I don't want her making herself sick over it. I don't know whether I should let her think through all the gruesome possibilities or distract her for a while.

I wanted to live in this moment forever. Tomorrow we would go our separate ways and I wouldn't see her for a while. I knew there was a storm waiting for me at home, I wish I could stay here over the summer. I love my parents, but I don't know what's going to happen with them... or the Dark Lord.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

I stroked her hair and looked down into her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You're breathing funny, what's on your mind?"

"I don't want to go home tomorrow. I know it'll be fine once I'm on the train, but I wish I could be here forever."

"I know. Are you afraid?"

"To go home?"

"Yes. With everything that happened, are you afraid to see your family? To see Him?"

"I am."

She sat up and turned to face me. I didn't want to get into this right now, there were only a few hours until we had to leave. The little time we had left here, well I wanted to savour it. We would have next year of course, but in a matter of months.

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Well, when?"

"I don't want to talk about it at all, then."

"Don't spend the rest of the night distracted."

"I'm not distracted. I'm here, in the moment, with you."

"No you aren't. You just made me talk out my feelings, it's your turn."

"I don't want a therapist, I want my girlfriend."

"You used the G word."

"What?"

"The G word."

"G word? Wha- oh. Girlfriend?"

"Draco Malfoy has a girlfriend. The world must be broken because nobody ever thought they sentence would be uttered."

"Watch it."

"Am I wrong?"

"No."

"If you don't want to talk, I won't make you."

"I appreciate that."

I didn't know calling her my girlfriend would be such an ordeal. We made it official a little while ago, I thought it was common knowledge she was my girlfriend. Maybe it was the fact that I said the word, I don't know... I don't fully understand women.

"It'll be okay, Draco."

"I know. It'll be better when I'm with you, though."

"Everything's better with me, you might as well learn that now."