Malfoy - A Draco Malfoy Story

Chapter 18

On Sunday afternoon I shrugged on my coat, wrapped myself up in my scarf, and pulled on my favorite pair of gloves, before I skittishly headed down to the edge of the lake while the sun was still out.
There was a spot at the edge of castle where I liked to sit every so often and mull over things. It was in the way of a low stone wall that originally connected to the castle, which would block out any harsh winds; I could sit there for hours without getting too cold.
Although I didn't go down there often, whenever I did I would come back feeling refreshed. I was surprised I hadn't spent some time down there already. 

I bustled down the thin gravel paths across the green hillside, careful not to slip on the damp stones as I went. I was simply just looking forward to watching the water ripple and sway in the breeze. 
I inhaled softly, feeling the freezing oxygen wash over my lungs. The air was icy and yet somehow refreshing. It wasn't that sort of cold that made your bones ache, but rather sent a chill through you that made you feel suddenly very alive; I was thankful for that. 
Recently I had felt so subdued and overwhelmed, the sudden shift in rainy to cold weather had come at the right time.

My feet crunched on the pebbles as I reached the castle edge, shoving my hands down into my coat pockets. Then, as I rounded the corner of the cracked and broken stone wall, I stiffened,
catching a glimpse of a Hufflepuff scarf blowing in the wind. 
My stomach lurched in nervousness as I realized who it was.

Cedric was sat on the grass, staring out into the dark, pooling water, legs outstretched in front of him.
"Hey." I announced myself quietly, momentarily forgetting about anything that had happened the previous evening. "You okay?" He didn't respond to me, and I hoped it was due to him already being comfortable enough in my presence to not mind me, instead of perhaps not wanting me there.
I perched down next to the boy, who exchanged a wistful smile with me. "Yeah. I-I'm okay." He mumbled.

"Are you really though?"

Cedric sighed, staying quiet, and for a moment I worried that I had annoyed him by further questioning him.
Eventually, he shook his head, eyes still fixated on the huge body of water lapping at the bank below our feet.
"No. No I'm not." He said starkly, pressing his lips into a thin line. 
I stayed quiet, waiting on him to elaborate. 
It took him a moment, but he did explain why; his voice melancholic and drawling -  he sounded like he had barely slept, if at all. "I'm just nervous about the first challenge." His voice came out plastered in insomnia and doubt.

I nodded slowly, shifting my weight awkwardly, unsure of how to reply in a way that didn't sound like I was hinting at an 'I told you so.' I looked at the boy, who's eyes were dotted with exhaustion, bags formed underneath the hazel irises of someone who was usually so upbeat and positive. "Well... I don't blame you... but- you have three and a half weeks to prepare-"

"Prepare for what?" Cedric snapped turning to me, his eyes suddenly burning with vicious frustration, and for the first time since I'd met him he sounded angry with me, "What exactly am I preparing for, Veronica? I have no idea what the first challenge is gonna be, I-"

"Hey!" I bit back, holding my hands on either side of his face. He stopped, staring at me. "You're gonna be fine." I said as firmly as I could muster, "Y-you're going to be fine." And although I didn't believe the words that were leaving my mouth, I needed Cedric to snap out of the worrying state he'd gotten himself into. He stared at me a moment, his expression emotionless as he stared back at me, likely not believing anything I had said to be truthful.

Then, his face crumbled from a deadpan mask back into exhaustion and sadness as he fell into my arms, and I immediately pulled him into a hug, "...You're gonna do amazing." I said to him, my voice shaking ever so slightly.
I felt him nodding into the side of my neck as he tightened the hug. Maybe a pep talk wasn't what he needed, he just wanted support. His emotions were clearly all over the place; he just needed someone to be there for him.  Although I was terror-stricken and drowning in fear, I knew that what he was experiencing was so much more important, and currently he needed me to be as strong as I could possibly be.
The hug only tightened, he didn't seem to want to let go, and I didn't force him. I let him hug me for as long as he needed, his face buried into the scarf tied around my neck.