𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#9 Runaways

„Where are we going, Draco", I breathed out as the ground under my feet got more slippery the deeper we went into the forest.

If it wasn't for Draco's hand guiding me, I would've probably fallen down five times already. And if I would've known, that he was about to lead me into the forest by dawn, I would've put on other shoes.

Or for that matter, wouldn't have scarfed down two butterbeer in ten minutes.

„Just trust me for once, Fox", Draco chuckled and kept me steady as I slipped on an icy root.

We went on for another two minutes in silence, because I was focused on my steps. But then the blonde boy came to a hold, my hand still secure in his.

I first looked at him, but his eyes were excited laid on the surroundings in front. As I followed his gaze, I realized that we stood at a beautiful, small, frozen lake surrounded by trees and bushes covered in a soft layer of snow. The white surface was almost perfect. There was just one big branch pushing through the layer of ice from a fallen tree. It looked so innocent and pure.

„You like it? I found this place in third grade", Draco smiled and signalized to follow him towards a small place near the edge of the lake to sit down on the tribe of the same fallen tree hanging in the water.

The boy pushed the snow from the wood before we sat down and for almost a minute neither of us said something and just listened to the sound of the forest in winter.

„Calming, isn't it?", Draco then said with his eyes still on the trees surrounding the scene.

„It is", I agreed and looked up at the boy next to me.

His cheeks were slightly blushed by the cold, his nose was too. He looked younger than he normally did.

I felt the small flakes, still falling from the sky, tingling in my lashes, stick there for a blink of an eye and melted away shortly after.

„I never showed it to anyone. I always wanted it to be my own, you know?", Draco then said and looked down to meet my gaze shortly. There wasn't the tone of mocking in his voice anymore, no sarcastic comment. He was back to the open boy, the one I met at the astronomy tower for the first time.

„Why showing me then?", I asked curious why he brought me there in the first place.

Of course, he already knew my place to calm down, but it was the public tower in the castle, for everyone to enter. This here seemed to be more secure, more private.

„Because you're as much into melancholic places than I am.", Draco huffed amused and leaned himself on his elbows forward. „And it's only fair to show you mine after you let me be in yours."

„It's beautiful", I almost whispered. I didn't dare to speak louder, everything outdoing the surrounding sound felt wrong. As if the innocent and beautifulness of this would vanish as soon as some hustle and bustle would cross it. And I didn't want this place to lose that. 

It was almost too dark to see everything around us and normally I would panic if we ever would find our way back to the dark alley we took back in Hogsmeade, but the calmness of Draco kinda revealed to me, that he was here more often then I probably thought. And that he would find the way back easily.

The quiet and innocent atmosphere was a relief compared to anything going on around us. It gave me energy in a way I needed it. Time to take in what was happening.

I just came back from a meeting, where a bunch of students, partly still kids, organized an army in the fight against the most frightened wizard of all times. The same wizard who murdered Cedric, the same one who wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone coming in his way. It didn't matter if man, woman or child. Pureblood or muggle-born.