BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

28

It's overwhelming, but I pack as many things as I can. He moves things around with the wooden stick in his hand, and I do not have time to think about it. Someone knocks at the door, and he locks it without touching it. I call out that I'm fine, but surely, they must hear that I'm panicking. I change into the sweater Amanda bought me and leave the one she let me borrow. Once my duffle bag has as many things as I can manage in it, we leave the bedroom. Draco hides the stick in the pocket of his coat.

"What's going on?" Amanda is on the other side of the door. Actually, they've all crowded around.

I push through her and head to the bathroom. There, I grab my toiletries and shove them into my bag.

"Where are you going?" Amanda asks again, trailing after me.

I don't know where I am going. All I know is that there is that my bag is on the brink of tearing open. Once everything is zipped inside, we head back into the living room.

"Jane," Ali physically grabs me, stopping my body from running around the flat even though my mind continues to race. "What is happening? Graham told us what happened in the botanical gardens. Care to explain?"

"We really don't have time," Draco interrupts.

"I am going to be gone for a few days," I explain. "Emergency trip."

"She's not coming back," Draco corrects. "We'll pay her share of the rent for the rest of the lease."

"Stop talking for her," Graham shoves Draco backwards. Then, Graham looks back at me. "Wait, is he friends with that guy who showed up looking for you?"

Draco's eyes widen and turn to face me.

"It's just Blaise," I explain. "He was being weird."

"He was only being half as creepy as this guy!" Graham is shouting.

I look between them all. Their concern is entirely fair. After all, I was not going to leave with Draco before he started moving things with his mind. Why would they believe anything this man has to say?

"I love you all, but I do need to go," I tell them. "I'll send you all emails when I get to where I am supposed to go, or I'll write a letter. Something."

"You are in no way serious?" Ali is incredulous. "You're going to be human trafficked! Who is this guy? Do you even know his last name?"

I flinch, looking over at Draco. No, I don't know his last name. I never even thought to ask. I know Blaise's full name, but not Draco's. It hits me like a train how crazy this is. Then again, it seems as if there is so much that I do not know.

"Zabini," I lie, "it's Italian."

"That's hardly the point she was making," Niamh adds, rolling her eyes.

"Well, the point is, I am going to be safe."

They continue to chatter, shouting over each other about how crazy I am being. I am crazy. I hit my head so hard in Brighton that I am hallucinating or delusional. This cannot be happening.

"One minute before I lose my patience," Draco's voice is low.

Graham grabs him by the collar and attempts to shove him into a wall. Ali screams. Draco barely resists, and soon his back is pressed against the wall.

"Call the police," Graham says.

Ali reaches into her pocket for her phone, and I snatch it from her fingers. This is going to get very bad very soon. I do not know what Draco is capable of doing, and I think everyone would rather not know.