Forever & Always

Chapter Seven

I'm wandering around the castle when I see Draco in the seventh floor corridor. He walks back and forth three times in front of a wall. A door suddenly appears and I gasp. He walk through the door and I see it shrinking. I run through it just in time. Woah. We're in a room with some couches and armchairs. There's a fireplace right in front of us, with a stack of blankets on one side, and a stack of pillows on the other. I watch as Draco sits down on one of the couches and barries his head in his hands. I sit on the couch beside him, cloak still on. His body shakes like he's crying. I tap him, still under the cloak. He leaps up in surprise.

"Who's there?" I slowly pull off the cloak. "Sara?" He quickly wipes his eyes.

"Draco I-"
"What are you doing here?" He asks angrily.

"Draco I-"

"Couldn't you tell that I wanted to be alone?"

"Draco I-"
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" He yells. I flinch.

"Draco I-"
"Just stop and leave me alo-" I cut him off this time.

"Draco listen to me!" I scream at him. "Stop cutting me off! I want to- I mean, I need to talk to you!"

"What?"
"I need you to tell me what you wrote."

"In what?"

"Draco," I say, annoyed. "You know what I'm talking about. What did you write?"

*****

"I don't remember," I lie. I totally, completely remember. I rewrote it so many times that I could recite it aloud if I wanted to. But that's just it, I don't want to. Plus, she doesn't need to know. She frowns like she doesn't believe me.

"Tell me the truth Draco," she pleads. I try not to give into that name.

"I am telling you the truth." She narrows her eyes.

"That I know isn't true. Why can't you just tell me? I promise I won't judge you. You were my first friend, that does mean something to me." I roll my eyes because I know that I'm going to give in.

"Accio blanket!" A blanket flies to me and I hold it in my arms, mumbling through it. "I do remember."

*****

I watch as he summons a blanket and mumbles into it. I can still hear him though.

"I remember exactly what it said," he says quietly. "It began with 'Sara'." He takes a deep breath. "'I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called you Hawthorne. I shouldn't have told you to never speak or try to communicate to me ever again. I didn't mean it, I was just mad. But it still doesn't excuse what I said. I'm forever sorry. You didn't deserve me yelling at you. Forever and Always, Draco'."

"Are you sure that's all?" I ask, knowing it's not.

"No. There's more. 'You're probably wondering why I got so mad when you were about to kiss him. I guess I should just tell you the truth. I like you Sara. I like you Sara Hawthorne. More than just a friend! I just... I didn't like you kissing someone other than me! That sounds selfish, but I want you to know the truth. Sara Hawthorne, I love you. I know you probably don't feel the same, but I need you to know. Love and Forever Always, Draco'." He's blushing and I'm looking my lap, grinning.

"Do you still feel that way?" He doesn't answer. "Draco?" No answer. "Look at me." He slowly looks up to meet my eyes. He looks away.

"It doesn't matter anyway, you have a boyfriend. There's nothing I can - well there is - but there's nothing I would do about it. If you like him, and he likes you, and you're happy, then so be it."