Little Miss Diggory || A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 52

Layla

-

The snow had begun to melt, and birds to chirp again for the time being. It was good news for the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams, considering they had a game today.

I had woken early today and decided to head out for a walk as people wouldn't be waking for some time due to the weekend sleep-in chance. Something about the air this morning was so refreshing. I would say the air was crisp. It was nice, quiet, at least I thought it was.

As I rounded a corner, I heard yelling from behind the herbology room. I stopped for a moment, trying to identify the voices. "Why do you always do this?" A girl shouted, "I can't deal with you right now!" Ginny?

"I- Ginny, please don't. We aren't working-"

"It's working fine, Dean!" Ginny and Dean, fighting, once again. I heard footsteps march off, one's of which I assumed were Ginny's, and sobbing came from where they were both standing. I continued to walk, acting as though I hadn't heard a thing.

Deans leant against the building, his knees tucked up to his chest and his hands on his head. Seamus was right. This really is tearing him apart.

I walked over and sat beside him. But kept my distance, so he had his space. "How much did you hear," he whispered. I frowned, thinking of what to say.

"Just the end," I smiled sadly upon seeing the state Dean was in. He was a good guy, and Ginny was a lovely girl. But as strange as this metaphor is going to sound, I believe it to be true. Ginny was like a toaster. She bought life, fun, and a spark to everyone's life. Dean, on the other hand, was a tub full of warm water. He was calming, reliable and kind. But what happens when a tub full of water meets a toaster, an explosion. Smoke, fire, the works.

"What should I do, Layla?" He cried, "Neither of us is happy, but she won't listen." I felt my heart sting as the boy continued to ball his eyes out. "Do you think we can work it out?"

"I- Do you want my honest opinion?" He nodded his head. "I think some peoples personalities clash, and if you aren't happy now do you think it will get better?"

"Not really," he frowned deep in thought, "what do you mean by clash?" I explained to him the metaphor I had made up. He nodded his head in agreement, sometimes adding on to something I had said.

"Besides, I'm not sure you can ever fully like someone when you love someone else." He looked at me and began to tear up.

"How did you know?" He was smiling a little now.

"Well, for starters, the way you look at him." He laughed, a blush on his cheeks. "It kinda reminds me of the way Ron looks at his food... Or Hermione, actually."

"What about the metaphor? What would you call Seamus in the metaphor of my love life?"

Seamus was bright and happy, but he could also be deep and mature (believe it or not) Bubble bath.

"Bubble bath," I said proudly, though unable to contain my laugh.

"What do you mean?" Dean questioned, a smile spread across his face.

"Well, you can look at bubbles in two different ways. They can be in a kids bath, the kind you play around with and make fake beards to pretend you're Santa with. Or they can be calming and deep. Seamus seems to have two sides to him. His funny, happy and sometimes a little... sassy side. But then there's the side of him that would sit and listen to you rant for hours or talk about his feelings, and he's loyal, sweet, and I'd even say romantic."

Dean laughed loudly before nodding and looking at me. "It's true." He laughed, "and bubble bath and a warm tub go perfectly together." I watched as he stared off into the distance. He was no longer crying, though the tear tracks stained his face. He seemed better. "What about you?"

I lifted my eyebrows, unsure of what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

"What's your metaphor?"

"I'm not sure I could find one to explain it to you."

"Draco's different when he is around you. Sweet, caring. God, didn't he carry you across the castle last year?" I laughed and nodded my head. "He used to be sour and cold before you two became friends." He was right. Since I had begun hanging around him, he seemed to try to be more friendly. I missed it a lot. "I got it," Dean whispered, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Draco is lemon juice. Not many people like to try lemon juice by its self because it's sour. And you are sugar, sweet. When you mix sugar and lemon juice, the juice isn't so sour and the sugar... brings out the lemons good side." We both burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh shoot, we are going to miss breakfast. Let's go."

Oh, how I missed my lemon juice.

-

Later that day, Pansy had dragged me along to the quidditch game. Which was a reminder of why I prefer playing over watching. To say the least, it was boring. In the end, Gryffindor won, leaving a bunch of annoyed Slytherins. But one of which wasn't Draco. In fact, he wasn't even at the game.

So as I nodded off to sleep, I thought about him again. About how truly serious what he is doing is. He gave up everything, Quidditch, Pansy and Blaise said he doesn't really talk to them anymore, and for the first time, he was barely scratching through any of his classes.

I felt guilty. I had been having a good year while Draco suffered. But then again, maybe that was just another lie I told myself to keep me sane. I wasn't really ok.

There was rarely a day where I didn't cry or throw up. There barely a moment I wasn't thinking about him. It was torture.

Maybe he felt it too. I just need a sign. A sign he still cares.

Because I know now that I can't live without him.