We meet in words | Draco Malfoy

32.

Isabella

Isabella was pressed for time.

It all happened too quickly. There was no time for Draco to prepare for the unavoidable. He spent so much time attempting to be positive for his mother, to live for his mother.

But how could he do so if his light was no longer present to guide him?

Everything went downhill the moment it happened. Draco had locked himself in the metaphorical cage he had been in for all eternity. He kept his distance from everyone else. It was difficult for him to comprehend his mother's death.

It was difficult to accept that death takes even the best people. It made reality so much clearer. Isabella suddenly remembered everything that had gone wrong in her life, and she realised that nothing had changed. She's with the boy she loves, and this has allowed her to forget about everything that has caused her pain.

The death of Narcissa Malfoy was a slap in the face.

It jolted her out of the haze she had been in, and now that she could see clearly, she let herself be happy as if all her problems had been solved. What on earth was she thinking?

She paused before knocking on the door.

The door was a dark brown mahogany that stood proudly in front of her. Behind that door would be the boy who was irreparably damaged. She only wanted to help and love him. She took a deep breath, biting her lip, and let her knuckles ring as a signal of her arrival. She was tense and looked down at the ground, unable to see the world around her, to see how everyone was living and laughing. To see how a large portion of the population had never heard of Narcissa. How life continues after death.

To say the least, it was a morbid thought.

The door flew open, revealing a brooding Draco standing in front of her. She stared at him blankly as she was pulled from her thoughts. She wanted to take him into her arms as soon as she realised he was right there, close enough to touch and comfort her. But she was wiser now. She was aware that he was unavailable.

"Draco." she acknowledged, nodding her head and smiling dimly.

Despite her warnings not to touch him, she found herself reaching for his hand. He stepped back abruptly as her fingers grasped the tips of his. Her breathing became difficult to control, and the pang in her heart was difficult to ignore. Why did everyone seem to abandon her?

If her pain was visible in her expression, Draco didn't waste time caring.

"What do you want?" he demanded angrily.

He made it clear that he didn't want to see her.

She inhaled deeply.

"I just wanted to check in on you. It's been a week since I've seen you." It was correct.

Her contact with him had been limited, and being away from the one person who made her feel the most at ease was frustrating.

As he leant against the doorframe, he cocked his head to the side. With his arms crossed and his face expressionless, it was clear he wasn't in the mood to talk. Nonetheless, she found herself asking to be allowed into his mansion. The massive mansion that had suddenly shrunk to the size of a house. He stepped to the side, allowing her to pass before closing the door and returning to his room. She trailed him, confused as to why he was being so harsh.

He sat on his unmade bed, indicating that he hadn't moved much around the house in a long time. He threw his arm over his face, clearly avoiding the bright lights of his room. Isabella carefully dimmed the lights until they were barely visible against the dark aura that surrounded them.