Rotten | D. Malfoy

Twenty

Waking up the morning after our fight, it's like any other day until everything comes flooding back. My eyes well up with tears and I burry my face into my pillows, pulling my duvet over my head.

I don't want to be seen right now, not by anyone. Especially not Pansy. I allow myself to cry this time, last night I fought them back so hard I eventually fell asleep, having tired myself out.

"Oh Rory, did you and Draco break up?" I hear Pansy ask me from outside my blanket, her voice sounds empathetic but I know it's fake. It sparks the same flame of rage in me I had last night.

I don't move my duvet from my face, afraid if I see her I might lose control, "No." I bite out the bitter word. "Go away."

She doesn't say anything, but I can feel the smirk on her face burning into me through the blanket — it takes everything in me not to knock her lights out. Last time I only slapped her, next time she gets a closed fist.

Eventually her footsteps trail away and our dorm room door opens and shuts, leaving me alone in my agony.

Classes start soon and I can't afford another detention so I force myself to climb out of bed. Slowly, I change from my pajamas into my school uniform — sometimes I wish I could just wear sweatpants to class.

I grab my tote, not caring if I have the proper books and head out of the dorm room. Making my way down the stairs, I can hear Draco and Theo arguing in a corner. "I wasn't with her, I was with someone else." Theo sounds like he's trying to defend himself for last nights accusations as well.

"Who were you with then? Tell me." Draco snaps at him, I lean against the stairwell wall as I listen in.

"I don't want to say, we wanted to keep it on the low." Theo retorts but it doesn't help his case and it makes me wince, knowing Draco wouldn't like that answer.

Draco's voice gets even quieter but I'm able to hear his hushed threat, "Theo if you don't give me a straight answer, you're going to wish you never laid a finger on her."

"Okay, mate, jeez." Theo sighs before going on, "I was with Granger, but I was no where near Rory. I swear." Theo's answer seems to have soothed Draco because Granger is definitely the last person either of us expected to hear.

"Granger? That filthy mud-blood?"

"Watch it." Theo scolds and it actually makes me smile thinking about how perfect they would be for each other.

I continue through the common room, passing the boys as if I never heard a thing. I pass Draco like I have nothing to say to him, and it works. His footsteps come chasing after me as I exit the common room out into the dungeon halls.

Instead of saying anything though, he just takes my hand into his and walks beside me. I furrow my eyebrows at him but shrug it off, thinking perhaps he doesn't want to speak on it out here.

When we get to our Transfiguration class he sits beside me, but still silence. Usually he asks me how I slept or what I dreamt about before his mask goes on in class. I know he doesn't like to show other people his emotions, besides anger, but he usually at least shows me.

Then again after class is over, walking down the hallways together he still isn't speaking. "Draco will you please say something?" I ask him but he keeps his gaze on the floor, no response. Yet, still he's holding my hand with such a tight grip I couldn't let go even if I wanted to.