Broken Without You

Chapter 25 - Goodbyes are the worst

Grace's P.O.V. 

The 24 hours with Draco flew by too quickly. We had woken up and showered and rested. I had made him his favourite breakfast, poached eggs on toast. We hadn't really spoken much, the air was filled with dread of what was to come when we had finished eating. We ate our eggs in silence. I washed up the dishes and he dried, however unlike the playfulness flirtation back and forth like last night, the air was filled with dread and sadness. After we had put the dishes away I sat on the edge of the bed staring at the floor. Draco walked over to me but I couldn't look at him, I didn't want him to see that I was already crying. He knelt down in front of me and lifted my chin up with his finger so I was looking into his eyes. Of course my eyes decided Now was a good time to let a tear escape. Draco wiped it away and gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm pathetic aren't I?" I attempted a laugh to try and lighten the mood.

"Far from Grace, far from." Draco let out a sigh and the sat himself on the bed next to me. "No matter how many of these shitty goodbyes we've had to say, it never gets easier." He said as he looked at the floor. This goodbye felt different. With everything that's been going on, I couldn't help but feel like, each goodbye we've had recently could be our last. We sat in silence, both gazing at the floor for the next 10 minutes. I broke my gaze and stood up. It was almost 1pm. I turned around to look at Draco who was already on his feet behind me and engulfed me in a hug. I breathed his scent in deeply making as if I was scared that I would never smell it again. He broke the hug and kissed me. A soft kiss that was full of love and tenderness. I let out a sob when we took a step back from each other. Draco's face looked pained by this. He was clenching his jaw as if to stop himself from crying. 

"This is ridiculous, I'm being ridiculous. I'm acting as if I'll never see you again Draco. Of course I will, won't I?" I asked mostly for my own reassurance.

"You can't get rid of me that easily Grace." Draco smiled trying to make the situation more light hearted. 

"Good byes are the worst." I sighed as we made our way over to the door. Draco took my hand in his. As we exited the room he turned to face me and raised my hand that was firmly in his grasp to his mouth. He kissed it gently. Then he pulled me in for one last kiss. 

"Look out for my owls." He stated as he stepped back from me. He shot me one of his suave smiles before he disappeared before my eyes. Before I even had time to relish in the remaining smell of him or the picture of him smiling, I heard footsteps come thundering down the corridor. I turned to see Ginny Weasley and Neville stomping towards me. Fuck.

"Please tell me I did not just see you and Draco Malfoy kissing?!" Ginny shouted at me. 

"First of all, I would appreciate it if you lowered your voice and not scream at me like a banshee. Secondly, yes you are correct, you did not just see myself and Draco Malfoy kissing. Unless you have forgotten Ginny, Draco is no longer welcome in this school, so how would I be stood here kissing him? Thirdly, and not sure how this is any of your business, Draco and I haven't been together for some time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather be anywhere than stood here with a jumped up Weasley who thinks that she's some freedom fighter when in actuality, she is only known because she wants to sleep with Harry Potter." Ginny's face dropped. She went to retort but no words came to her. 

"Neville." I smiled and nodded at him as I walked past Ginny pushing past her shoulder with the force of mine. I could feel them both staring after me as I walked down the corridor they had just stomped down but I didn't care. Adrenaline was flowing through my whole body at this point. I had to protect Draco, no one can know he was here. 

I made my way back to the dormitory to finish my homework but it was too noisy. I took myself to the library and finished my charms home work in peace and quiet, not many people ventured out their house common rooms anymore. I went to bed that night longing to be in my loves arms.

The next morning I woke up, sadness filled me when I realised I wasn't waking up next to Draco. It was relieved slightly when I realised I would be receiving an owl from Draco at breakfast. I got up and got dressed. Fixed my hair in a voluminous high curly ponytail and makeup as usual. Padma smiled at me across the dorm, "I wish I could do my hair like that, it's my favourite style you do"

"I'll teach you tonight." I smiled back at her. We made our way down to breakfast chatting between us which abruptly stopped when we got to the hall. The usual tension filled the air but today it was a bit more prominent as pretty much the whole Gryffindor table were glaring at me. Padma gave me a concerned look. We sat just the two of us and I filled her in on what had happened. 

The owls flew in dropping off letters to everyone. Draco's handwriting was in front of me before I could even look up to find his owl. I smiled and opened the letter. Before I could read even the first word Padma kicked me under the table. I instinctively hid my letter in my inside robe pocket. 

"Who's that from?" Demanded an all to familiar voice. I rolled my eyes and spun around and stood up to be face to face with Ginny. 

"I'm sorry, Ginny. Did I miss the owl that told me I now answer to you?" I asked my voice laden with sarcasm. 

"Don't make me ask again." Ginny stated and  crossed her arms  who does she think she is speaking to. This girl needs bringing down a peg or two that's for sure. At this point we had peaked the interest of most of the hall, including Blaise and Goyle. 

"Ginny, let me put this simply to you. I know that you have some little grudge against me because of your thirst for Potter and his history with Draco. But I am failing to see how my letter has anything to do with you. Was it addressed to you? No. Did it mention you? No. So take your irrelevant little self back to your table with all your little crusaders and continue to talk about me and what you think you saw behind my back because, quite frankly, talking behind my back only means that you respect my presence enough not to act up in my face. Lets face it, your parents respect the presence of my family's money too much for you carry this little vendetta on. Ok?" I smiled sweetly at the end. Everyone in the room was either gasping with their hands over their mouths or trying not to laugh. 

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny asked me, her eyes darting around the room suddenly aware every single person was listening. She knew exactly what it meant. They had taken handouts from my parents before, it was a low blow from me but I have to get her off the Draco being in the castle scent. 

"You know exactly what that means, Dear." I replied a little too sweetly with the fakest smile I could muster. "Now off you toddle." I said as I made a shoo motion with my hand. "Oh and Ginny..." I said as she turned, red in the face, to make her way back to her table. "Do yourself a favour and keep my name out of your mouth." I glared at her. She turned around and made her way back to her seat with her tail between her legs. I sat down trying not to look victorious in winning the argument. Chatter started to quietly fill the hall again. 

"Jesus Christ, Grace. Remind me never to get on your bad side, ever!" Padma chuckled at me.

A bell rang signalling first class of our day. We got into our orderly single file lines to be taken to our class. Blaise was in the line next to me. "Grace" he whispered loudly. I looked over at him and he was smirking, "that was fucking epic." He laughed.