the daughter of severus snape

Chapter 28: The Proposal

It's February now. Things haven't gotten better with my Father or friends. Pansy stopped checking up on me. Now I can do my business in peace. I've been missing classes. I don't really see the point of it anymore. I don't think I've left my dorm in a few days. I'm hungry now, so I go to the Dining Hall. I think I've drunk much more than I should have. People are surprised to see me. I observe myself in the glass. I look different. My skin is paler and I can swear I can see some veins. I also have black spots under my eyes. My eyes look red too. I look terrible. I cover my face with my hair so no one can see me. I see someone behind me. "Bella. Have you been drinking?" I freeze. I know it's Draco. "No." I lie. 

"LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME YOU AREN'T!" I don't. He grabs my shoulder and moves his head so he can see my face. I know he'll know. "You have."

"Just leave me aloooo-" I stumble backward and fall, hitting my head against the table. 

-----

"What happened?" My head's still spinning.

"You showed up to dinner, drunk. You stumbled and fell. How long, Bella?"

"Since December." 

"So you've been drinking for 3 whole months? Why?"

"Why? Because. You and everyone else I loved left, Draco. That's why. Because of a decision I made. Pansy was the only one who kept checking up on me. I pushed her away though." He doesn't say anything. 

Draco's Perspective:

I can't stop thinking. I don't know how I didn't realize how much she was struggling. I was so mad at her for putting her life in danger, that I've put her life in danger. She was going to drink her way to death. I sigh and lay next to her. "I know I've been a terrible friend. I wasn't your best friend when you needed me. I was so worried about you. I was worried Pansy would try to kill you again. I almost killed you. I didn't even think. I'm so sorry, Bells. Can you please forgive me?"

"I don't know."

"Does it make you feel better that I had a terrible time since we've stopped being friends?"

"A little bit." I laugh and hug her.

"I'm still mad at you, though."

"You'd better be. If you weren't, I'd be concerned. Look, we all screwed up. Of course you, Bella, are the only one of us that are in the right." She laughs, which is good. I haven't heard her laugh since... well, a long time. I really screwed this year up for her, didn't I? "Look, I need to go. But I'll be right back." I go up to the Slytherin Commons. 

"Blaise. You need to come with me. I know we're worried about Bella and Pansy. But she's in the hospital wing. She was drinking. Since December. We need to get over this right now and go apologize to her. I already did."

"What?"

"Yeah. Go. I need to call a few more people." He rushes out. I go to Calvin next. Lucky for me, he and Daph are talking to each other. "Guys. We need to get over our thing with Bella and Pansy. Bella's in the hospital wing right now. She was drinking since December." They rush out quickly as well. I go talk to her Dad and Professor Lupin. "Professors?" They're both having an argument with each other in the Dungeons. "Uh, Bella needs you. She's in the hospital wing. She's been drinking since December. She needs us to not be mad at her anymore."

"How long?"

"For about 30 minutes."

"And why was I not the first to know?" I shuffle. I really don't want to deal with Snape today. He shoves past me. If I weren't scared of him I'd say something back.