Charmolypi

Four

     " This is ridiculous, " Draco groans, sitting back on his bed and running his hand through his hair, " What is with her this year?" Crabbe interjects himself into Draco's self reflection, " You didn't have a problem last year, why the sudden inner tassel?" Draco looks up at Crabbe, " haven't you learned by now not eavesdrop? Get out of my room." Crabbe does as Draco says before backing out and making an exit. Draco secretly liked it when his friends were there for him but of course his ego wouldn't allow it, so he pushes them away. Draco suddenly gets up from his bed, wrapping himself in his house robe and leaving his room, grabbing his wand on the way out. He creeps out of the Slytherin common room, careful not to wake anybody up. " Lumos," He whispers, so that he can see the stairs as he leaves the dudgeon. It's quiet throughout the halls, meaning he must be just as quiet. If he is caught in the corridor past the allotted time, he could be given detention and lose house points for Slytherin. After what feels life forever he is finally able to take the long spiral steps to the astronomy class room, his favorite spot in the entire school. He feels like he can see all of London from the tower, but most importantly he can see all of the stars. The stars were always the boys escape, a safe place where he was away from everybody else that didn't know him, really know him. It gave him an escape from-

     " You know class is over right?" 

     Her. It gave him an escape from her. " What are you doing in here, Draco," Arabella asked, leaning onto the door frame of wide, arched, open door. " I could ask you the same, " Draco responds, his hands on the railing as he looks up into the sky, not turning to face her. " You could, " Arabella agreed, taking a noticeably audible step forward, towards Draco, " But I asked first." Draco gritted his teeth, still refusing to face her. " I don't have to answer to you, " He avowed, it took every ounce of strength in him not to turn around and hug her. To not hug an old friend. He spent his entire time at the school developing a certain way for people to see him. He was cold. He didn't have feelings. At least thats what he wanted people to think. " Fine, don't tell me," Arabella retorted, taking a few more steps closer, " I'll just stay here and keep bothering you." Draco finally, much to both of their dismay, turned to face Arabella. " Hello, Arabella, " Draco finally croaked, trying to sound as normal as possible. For the first time in almost four years, the two of them stood in front of each other, Draco speaking instead of throwing insults. " Hello Draco," Arabella uttered softly. The two stood there for a moment, the silence wasn't peaceful... it spoke volumes. They looked at each other, a stare forming between the two of them. Draco had to do something before he said something he'd regret saying. He swallows and snarls up his nose at Arabella before looking away, "Imagine what my parent's would do if they caught me, alone with. . ." He pauses for a moment to look back at her, " Alone with the traitor pure-blood." Arabella stiffened at the words, Draco biting his tongue to stop himself. " I'm not a traitor and you know that Draco." He doesn't respond to Arabella, because he can't. She's right. " What you can't respond now?" Arabella begins to fume, " You always have something to say until I say something back! Because you know I'm right!" She pauses for a moment, trying to readjust her stance but she so mad that she can't stay still. " You know I'm right and you hate it! God! I'm so tired of the person you've become, Draco! You've ruined yourself! And you've ruined every ounce of love and hope I still had for you! I thought maybe you'd realize what your father forced you out of and that we'd be able to be friends again one day... But I've realized something," Arabella stops for a minute, drawing back because she knows what she says will hurt Draco. She straightens her stance, swallowing and looking at him dead in the eyes, " You're becoming your father. You're just like him, Draco." With that Arabella turns away and walks out of the tower, leaving Draco by himself. The moment she's out of sight and hearing range, Draco lets a tear fall from his eye. He puts his hand to his head, trying to make sense of everything she said. He turns back towards the railing to look over the city, sliding his hand from his forehead, to his chin, then off and onto the rail. It finally hits him and more tears come to follow. She made realization of his worst fear. . . Maybe he is becoming to much like his father. He lets out a sob, echoing throughout the room. What did I say? His father betrayal following the sorting hat ceremony would only be the first stab for many years to come. 

     Arabella finally made it back to the Gryffindor common room, meeting with the fat lady portrait. " What's the matter?" The fat lady asks, as Arabella approaches. " Balderdash, " Arabella said, tears in her eyes. " Fine but I expect all the details tomorrow!" The Fat Lady says as the doors open. Arabella walks in, trying to dry her tears but is greeted by Ron, sitting on one of the couches reading. " Bella? What's wrong?" He asks, immediately noticing the half-dried tears, he puts his book down and leans up. She instantly walks over and collapses beside him. Her head lays on his chest, her shoulder nuzzled into the crook of his arm, her legs back on the couch. Out of instinct his arms wrap around her, holding her tighter. Ron has a worried expression as she slowly stops crying. " Go to sleep," He whispers, kissing the top of her head, " We can talk in the morning." 

     The two lay there for the night, Ron running his hand through Arabella's hair as she sleeps. Finally after an hour or so, Ron falls to sleep. The sun comes creeping up the next morning, waking Ron and Arabella as light shined through and slowly lit their faces. Arabella's eyes flicker open, and she looks up to Ron. Carful not to wake him, she snuggles her head closer to him. She felt safe with him, like she always did. " Morning," Ron whispers, not realizing Arabella is already awake. " Good Morning Ronnie," She whispers back, a sharp spike still lingering in her voice from the cry she had the night before. " Do you wanna talk about what happened?" Ron questions, sitting up, guiding Arabella up with him. " I uh-" Arabella stammers, looking from the floor to Ron. Slowly she collects herself and starts to add parts onto the story she's telling Ron. Of course, while she was painting one picture for Ron. . . Draco had seen something completely different. Draco was hurt, the words that compared him to his father, especially coming from her, cut deeper than any knife, any sword, deeper than any dagger or spell ever could. 

     Ron wrapped his arms around Arabella and pulled her into a hug. " I'm sorry," Ron calmed, not sure what to say. Arabella smiled into the hug, thankful for the people she has. But something felt weird. Not particularly bad, but weird in the sense she didn't know how to interpret this feeling. She pulls back from the embrace, happening to catch Ron's gaze. The two get caught in yet another stare, but this time, Ron isn't the only one getting the feeling of time freezing. This was obscure to Arabella, so before the feeling had time to set, she looked down at her bracelet, breaking the stare. " We should get ready before class starts," She chuckles quietly, causing Ron a smile. He stands and kisses her on the top of her head before walking off to his room. She turns and watches him walk down the stares before she finally stands. 

     She didn't know what to think of the sudden feeling she had, so she let it pass by. Despite being smart, she was incredibly blind, fore she was the only one that couldn't tell Ron Weasley was completely and utterly in love with her.

𝑅𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒾𝑒,


     𝒲𝑒𝓁𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝐼'𝓁𝓁 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓁𝓎 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒹. 𝒜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝐼 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓏𝑒𝒹 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃'𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹, 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒶𝒻𝑒 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝓃. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓂𝑒. . . 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒶𝓈𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇. . .


𝒜𝓇𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒶 𝐿. 𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃𝓌𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇

A/N
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