𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 - 𝐟.𝐰

𝟐𝟖: 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞

It had been two weeks since Eden and Fred's argument, and surprisingly, they were able to mend their relationship rather quickly. Fred apologized for his actions multiple times once he was sober, and Eden found it easy to forgive him. Since that night, they had not spent too much time together, as Eden was preoccupied with studying for her upcoming exams.

As she exhaled deeply and placed her quill on the desk, Eden closed the exam paper she had been working on. Professor Sprout then swished her wand, gathering all of the papers neatly on top of each other on the front of the desk. With this, Eden stood up from her desk, alongside the other students, and left the Great Hall.

Feeling relieved to have finished all of her exams, Eden rushed towards the Slytherin common room. Finally, she could take a break from her intense studies and enjoy some time doing something else. She slumped into the chair by the fireplace and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She felt exhausted but satisfied, knowing that she had worked hard and was making progress. She allowed herself to relax, taking a few moments to savor her accomplishment.

"Eden, can we talk?" Draco approached her, who looked like something had been bothering him.

"Of course, Draco." She rose from her seat and followed him, where he stopped in a corner of the common room.

"I know you're going to the burrow and that I was supposed to go with you, but there has been a family emergency, and I need to return to the Manor for summer." He gulped.

Normally, Eden would worry if someone told her that there was a family emergency, but she could only hope that something awful had happened to Draco's father.

"You'll still stay in touch, right?" she asked.

"I promise." He smiled, almost forcefully.

"I'll miss you." She spoke, wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah, me too." He patted her shoulder tensely. 

--

"I'll see you soon, Draco." Eden squeezed Draco, her head resting against his shoulder on the platform.

"See you soon." Draco spoke coldly, wriggling out of Eden's grasp.

"I'll see you soon, D." Hermione said, pulling him forward and placing a delicate kiss against his lips. 

He pulled away after a second, muttering "Bye" to Hermione before walking to his Mother's side.

He gripped his Mother's arm and looked straight forward, avoiding the gaze of Eden and Hermione. In a flash, Draco and his Mother were gone. Hermione let out a shaky breath and forced a smile in Eden's direction. 

The two girls linked arms and made their way over to the Weasley family, who were stood a few meters away from them.

"Are you girls ready to go home now?" Mrs Weasley asked, which they nodded their head at.

Crack!

Eden opened her eyes, her surroundings coming into focus. The Burrow stood tall and proud in front of her. However, with Draco missing, it didn't feel the same. Sure, she had Fred, Ginny and Hermione, but it wasn't going to be the same without Draco. The weight of his absence made her heart heavy, and she felt like she was there all alone.

"Everyone, get settled in. You all know where you will be sleeping!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed as they entered the home.

Eden followed Ginny and Hermione as they ascended the stairs to Ginny's room. Once the three girls walked in, Eden threw her trunk down in front of her makeshift bed and took a seat on the edge of it.

Ginny and Hermione immediately began unpacking their bags. Eden watched them, a sense of longing washing over her. She wished that Draco was with her. She was terrified of what could be happening back at Malfoy Manor. The realization stung, and she felt an emptiness that only his presence could soothe.

The burrowthat was once filled with joy and laughter now felt cold and empty. As she sat there, surrounded by her best friends, she reminded herself that she was not truly alone. 

--

Dear Draco,

I miss you. I really really miss you. I know that we spend every summer apart, but this time it feels different, it feels like you should be here. I'm worried about you, D. I don't know what could be happening to you right now, but I have a feeling it's not good. 

I probably sound stupid, sending you a letter telling you I already miss you even though I saw you a few hours ago, but I really do. It doesn't feel the same without you here, it doesn't feel as homey when you're not here. I think Hermione is really missing you too, she's putting on a brave face, I can tell, but she really does miss you.

I'm looking forward to seeing you again, I just know I will be running to you as soon as I see you on the platform. I'll make sure to send you some polaroid's over the summer so that you can see what we get up to. I hope you're having fun, making all of the cool stuff you make. I hope to have some drawings sent to me, you know I love your drawings. 

Please write back to me as soon as you can, just let me know you are okay. 

I love you so much, stay safe.

Love,

Eden.

She wiped a tear from her eye and folded her letter, sliding it into the envelope and licking it shut. She picked up her quill and wrote his name on the front and stood from the dining room table. She approached the window where Errol was perched and handed the letter to him. She watched as he flew off into the distance, the moonlight casting a glow on the owl.