just for you (years 5-7)

chapter 41

"...and so, i welcome you all back to these hallowed halls, and i say...." blaise smirks as his head circles the room, surveying the room from his elevated spot on the table, "let's drink!"

the whole room erupts into cheers, and glasses clink together loudly.

blaise will find any excuse to throw a party, and tonight's no different. first day back from back— he says a celebration is mandatory.

"can we go... anywhere else?" draco leans down next to me, tightening his arm on my waist. i look up and he's wincing, his eyes slightly wide as he looks around the loud, buzzing room.

must be quiet the overstimulation after a week of solitude in the manor, shutting out all of his memories.

"our room?" i say quickly, raising my eyebrow.

he nods, pulling me to his hip and guiding me through the crowd to the exit.

soon as we're in the hall, he gives a loud sigh, relaxing against the wall and sliding down to the floor.

"zabini had to throw a party, didn't he?" he chuckles solemnly, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes.

"that's blaise for ya'." i frown, staring down at him for a second before spinning to take a seat next to him.

we sit in silence for a minute, before he lifts his head from his hands and leans back against the wall, turning his neck so he can look at me.

"i cast an unforgivable." he says softly, meeting my eyes with clear intentions. he looks scared— really, really scared.

"right... well hadn't you already tri—"

"it worked." he chokes out, facing back away from me and staring at the wall across from us. "aunt bella took me down to the basement, for the rats, just like usual... but i said it and..." he shakes his head. "it's never worked before."

"oh..." i whisper, watching as he takes in a ragged breath and leans his head forward onto his knees, staring pointedly at the ground.

i inch closer to him, wrapping an arm around his back at starting to lean my head on his shoulder— before he shrugs me off.

"don't comfort me." he grumbles, burying his head further into his knees and curling away from me. "you should go back to the party."

i let out a small laugh, moving directly next to him again. i keep my arms from moving around him this time, though, instead placing one hand lightly over his.

"i like it out here! in the... hallway." i reassure him jokingly, squeezing his hand.

he chuckles into the fabric of his pants, before tilting his head on its side to look at me.

his eyes are red, bags beneath them like he hasn't had a proper sleep in a while.

"bed." he says softly, sighing and looking back ahead. "let's go to bed."

i nod slowly and stand up, keeping my hand in his until he eventually stands next to me. he sighs again, wrapping our arms together and partially leaning on me as we make our way up to the seventh floor.

he's pretty quiet on the way up, and looks anxiously around every corner. he's a bit jumpier than usual— when a portrait talks he'll flinch, he gasped and had to pause when mrs. norris meowed particularly loudly in the next hall over.

i think that in the manor, someone or something much more ominous was probably always waiting around the corner.

i hold his arm tightly and decide not to press any questions on him just yet, he's clearly not in the proper state of mind for anything but silence right now— or maybe just casual conversation about the weather. anything war-related is off the table.