His Hidden Side - Draco Malfoy

11- Astronomy Tower

I sat in the Great Hall at the Ravenclaw table sipping pumpkin juice and tracing my finger around the glass in circular motion. I was alone and so was Draco. He sat bored on his own table staring at me and tapping his fingers against the table.

He stands with a sigh and then approaches me."Come on. I want to show you something." He switches to excitement, it's rare he acts like this.

"I'd love to. But I'm just not interested Malfoy."

"It'll amaze you. The astronomy tower. Beautiful views-"

"Hmm, I've been there, many times..."

"Of course you have. In the dark, crowded with others, only paying attention to the learning. But in the day time, it's magnificent. Come on, what else have you got to do?" He explains, eyes shining. Before I can respond he grabs my wrist and starts dragging me through the hallways and up the changing stairs. I am frozen, I can't resist.

We reached the tower in no time. Normally it would take long to climb the long daunting stairs, but with Malfoy, times flies. He holds the door open as I walk in.

The room itself looks beautiful and the same. Stone arches, different trinkets everywhere and a glass globe in the middle, emitting a light from inside.
My eyes however lay their focus on Malfoy who has his arms crossed, leaning against the rails, admiring the outside view.

"Lily, I brought you here to see the view, come up."
I listen and come up to him, leaning in just like him.
His voice is so gentle and calm, he even called me by my first name. Butterflies swarm inside me. I even find it hard to focus on the beautiful view of the valleys and lakes surrounding us, as we look down from so high up.

"But why bring me here?" I ask.

"I wanted you to see this view. It's spectacular, not many things are so beautiful." He peers at me for a second and looks away, cheeks slightly flushed. I couldn't tell, maybe it was just the light.
His face looks so soft and smooth up close, he's not making those face expressions of his, he's perfectly relaxed. He looks perfect...

We stay looking at the view for a few minutes in silence, with several quick glances between us.

"It's strange. I never though of you as the softie type." I finally speak up.

"I am not soft!" He scoffs and steps back. "Believe it or not. I actually like it here. It's my own little place, away from the chaos."

"Malfoy, you cause the chaos." I follow him. We walks out of the room side by side. Down the steep staircase.

"Let's just say, it's in my nature... But sometimes I just want change. Like move away from here. Quit all this rubbish and just live alone, a cabin in the woods maybe." I stare at him in amazement. Is this seriously the same Draco Malfoy? I'm speechless.

"Alone?"

"Definitely. I don't like people, they don't like me." He says it so casually, so sure of himself. The silence is back.

We pass by a wall full of student pictures hanging against the stone wall. The pictures are neatly sorted starting out grey, from the past and then gradually getting colour.

"Draco points at a picture. "Damn Roswell, this woman here looks almost identical to you!" He explains. I follow his finger. It's placed on my mum. I almost can't believe it, it's impossible to imagine mum immersed in magic.

He was right... She looks exactly like me. Her short raven hair was long, her green eyes sparkle, and her frown is a smile in the picture. It's a huge shock, I barely recognise her.