𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐨

chapter fourteen

September 23rd

His eye was still puffy when he awoke the next morning, but far less purple than it had been the night before.

His pillow was still wet with tears, mattress hard but comfortable under his unmoving body. He felt numb, but knew he would have to meet her again that night. He couldn't leave things where he had.

Despite the pity in her heart, she'd hurt him, and still he was the one who felt the need to apologize.

Even though he was grieving he checked the hole in the wall, only to find her bed empty, the cat occupying the space on her pillow.

When he reached breakfast, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and hair still messy from an awful night's sleep, Blaise, Theodore and Pansy were once again, at gryffindor table.

But besides Luna and Ginny was an empty space.

Draco sat down at the end of the table, smoothing his slacks before scooping a poached egg onto his plate. His eyes scanned the room in search of her, and she wasn't there.

He could find her in crowd of a million people; the great hall shouldn't be this difficult. Her curls would give her away anywhere. After concluding she wasn't in the room, he shoveled his food into his mouth.

He was about to leave early, walk to charms alone, when a cold liquid oozed from his hair, down his neck and into the lining of his shirt.

Laughs erupted from behind him, a group of hufflepuff boys pointing fingers as the water continued to rush down his jaw.

"Fucking pureblood," one of them sneered as the group continued away, turning left out of the hall. Draco clenched his jaw, closing his eyes with a bothered sigh.

How had his life flipped around so suddenly?

His friends were about to turn around to view the commotion, when Draco stood from his seat, and walked away calm and collected.

He wasn't in the mood to cause a scene. It was too early in the morning.

Water had thoroughly soaked through his shirt by the time he arrived at the renovated bathroom. The sinks had been changed, stalls repaired and bloodstains cleaned. Their interaction had been wiped from the face of the planet.

Draco peeled his shirt over his head, wringing it out in the sink before drying it with a quick spell. His plan to arrive early to charms was now spoiled. When he placed it back over his torso it was wrinkled.

He reattached his tie, quite sloppily around his collar. He was grateful his Mother wasn't here to see this. She would've killed him for attending class looking like such a slob.

The same group of hufflepuff boys laughed mockingly as he entered two minutes late, cleaned from their small dilemma before sitting down in his seat.

Draco's foot tapped as Professor Flitwick ignored his presence, trying his best to disregard the churning in his stomach.

He couldn't put his mind anywhere else.

Was it wrong that he was worried? Where on earth was she?

............

His heart was racing by defense against the dark arts. Not showing for even her classes during the daylight was unusual. Skipping astronomy due to it's time was reasonable, but this?

He was chewing his pen in the back of the library after dinner, praying for her arrival. There was so much he wanted to say, and if she didn't show, he might burst to pieces out of anticipation.