✰Better Than This: Draco Malfoy ✰

Part 3 Chapter 4

As time went on, Draco's mood only seemed to get worse. Lillian hardly ever saw him in the common room anymore. Whenever she was able to be around him, he seemed distant and distracted. Things were pointing in the direction of Harry's claim about him being involved with the Death Eaters being right. Yet Lillian refused to believe it. She knew as well as anyone else that Draco could be rude, stubborn, and ignorant at times. But he was not a bad person. He would never be apart of such a dark and evil group. She was convinced that it had to be something else. She tried not to bother him about whatever he was constantly busy doing, but she couldn't help her will to know.

It was a pretty average day. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were about to head off to the Quidditch pitch, something about tryouts. Lillian felt a little bad for not being able to spend much time with Hermione and the others, but she had been so focused on worrying about Draco. She figured they were doing well. In the few times she caught up with Hermione, she was told about how Ron had been doing exceptionally in Quidditch, and even got himself an admirer. Some curly blonde haired girl in their potions class. Harry had become obsessed with his potions textbook. They learned that it had been the property of someone titled the Half Blood Prince, though nobody had a clue as to who that could be. Lillian had a free period, and was just about to head back to the Slytherin common room to find some sort of thing to keep her occupied with. Yet as she was going down the corridors she caught a glimpse of white blonde hair and a black suit. Draco had just appeared around the corner, looking both ways as if to make sure nobody was around. He caught sight of Lillian, and greeted her with a hug.

"Where were you? I missed you in class."

"I was just working on something, don't worry about it." He told her.

"There's a weekend trip to Hogsmeade soon, are you going?"

"Probably, maybe. I don't know. I'll see you later."

"Wait, Draco." Lillian said, quickly grabbing his arm.

"What?"

"What's up with you this year? It's been four months of school and the entire time you've seemed so, I don't know. Distracted, or upset."

"It's nothing Lillian. I've just been busy with some really important things. That's all. Now I have to go, I'm sorry." He said, rushing off.

She sighed, but let him go. Anxiously twirling her necklaces, she left for the common room.

-

"Lillian, I'm going to the library to see if I can find anything on the Half Blood Prince, you want to come along?" Hermione asked.

It was a chilly, snowy Saturday morning. They were going to be heading to Hogsmeade later, but for now, everyone was casually hanging about.

"Sure."

The two of them headed off to the large castle library. They began looking around each carefully organized section, searching for anything related to a Half Blood Prince.

"What's Malfoy been up to lately?"

Lillian sighed.

"Great question."

"Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. He's just been so busy and distracted. At meals he barely eats anything, I almost never see him in the common room anymore. I don't know what's going on. He says he's been working on something important, but he won't tell me what it is. I'm honestly really worried."

"That doesn't sound good at all, in fact it sounds rather suspicious."

"Hermione you don't think Harry was right do you?" Lillian asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so, but he's definitely up to something. And if he's gone out of his way to hide it, especially from you, it must be something bad."

She had a point.

"Come on, we have to go meet up with Harry and Ron. There's clearly nothing here."

Hermione and Lillian left the library full of disappointment. Both of them had become quite curious over the mysterious former owner of Harry's potions textbook.

"It's freezing!" Lillian muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets.

Her along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione were trekking through the snow, heading towards the small town.

"For weeks you carry around this book, practically sleep with it, and yet you have no desire to find out who the Half Blood Prince is."

"I didn't say I wasn't curious, and I don't sleep with it." Harry argued.

"Well it's true! I like a nice chat before I go to bed. Now all you do is read that bloody book. It's just like being with Hermione." Ron pointed out.

"Well I was curious. So-"

"You went to the library." Ron and Harry said at the same time.

"I went to the library with Lillian."

"And?"

"And nothing. We couldn't find a reference anywhere to a Half Blood Prince."

"There we go then, that settles it."

The four of them noticed Slughorn up ahead, talking to Professor Filius Flitwick. He was saying that he was hoping to catch him in The Three Broomsticks, a popular inn that many went to while visiting Hogsmeade. After Flitwick declined, Slughorn went off by himself towards the inn.

"Does anyone fancy a butterbeer?" Harry asked, wanting to follow him.

Off they went in to the warm, welcoming inn and pub. It was rather crowded, but clean and inviting. They saw Slughorn talking to someone at the counter, and sat down at one of the many tables nearby. For some reason Harry was very picky about where they were seated. The waiter asked for their drink orders, and they asked for four butterbeers. Lillian smiled as she saw Draco enter the inn. He paused, making eye contact with Harry. It was very tense, and after a moment Draco went off entering a separate room, being sure to close the door behind him.

"He didn't even say hi." Lillian whined.

"Probably cause we're here with you." Ron remarked.

The next few minutes were composed of Ron complaining about his sister snogging some guy across the room. Hermione found it rather funny that he disliked it so much he wanted to leave.

"You know you could just not look over there." Lillian suggested.

Before he could respond, Professor Slughorn came over, seeming very happy to see Harry. It was no surprise, Harry was the top of the class, in fact he was even above Hermione. Of course it was only because of his unique textbook, but his success in the class, among other reasons, made Harry the favorite. Slughorn, after nearly spilling his drink on Lillian and Hermione, discussed something about a dinner party, and invited them. All of them except for Ron and Lillian, which was rather rude but neither cared too much. Apparently Dumbledore asked Harry to get to know him, although he wasn't sure why. He said it must be important, because Dumbledore wouldn't have asked if it wasn't. Lillian kept an eye out for Draco, but never saw him leave from the room he entered in.

"Where do you think Malfoy was going?" Ron asked as they headed back through the snow.

"I don't know. Merlin knows what Draco's been up to." Lillian remarked.

"Probably off to go play chess with his Death Eater buddies." Harry said sarcastically.

"Harry! He is not one of them. He can't be. Why-"

"Harry!" Ron interrupted.

"Hey I was ta-"

"No, guys-"

Suddenly an ear piercing scream came from up ahead.

"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!"

They ran up to see what was going on. Katie Bell, one of their classmates was lying in the snow being whipped around. She suddenly rose in to the air, her limbs outstretched. The wind was whipping her hair around. She rose higher in the air. She looked rather graceful, like she was flying. Her mouth and eyes were wide open, and suddenly she fell to the ground. It was clear she had been cursed.