Pure as Snow

chapter 29 : Bella

“Blaise, please,” Hanna pleaded as he kept silent.

His eyes found mine and asked me what to do. I didn’t know what to tell him. It was really his call. He could tell her if he wanted to, but what about Draco’s wish? He didn’t want to tell her just yet. I didn’t know what exactly what he’s been employed to do. So, I could only see that it’s only Draco’s place to tell her, but I’m not Blaise. Maybe I don’t see it the way he does. So, I sent a shrug to him. It was the only thing that I could do.

“Blaise,” Hanna said again. “I need you to tell me what’s wrong with Draco. Please, you’re my only hope.”

“Hanna, he didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just taking a lot out of him, that’s all. You’ve got to understand that first, okay?” he said.

That’s when I knew. He was going to tell her. I closed my eyes and lowered my head. The news would devastate her. Draco had kept a huge secret. It’s going to burst open sometime, right? If Blaise didn’t tell Hanna that Draco was a deatheater, it would all come falling apart anyway, right?

She must’ve nodded or something because he continued. “Draco’s under a lot of stress right now. His parents –“

“Wait!” I found myself yelling.

They both turned and looked at me, surprised. I had to admit that I was surprised myself. I hadn’t expected to shout out against my boyfriend, but I just kept thinking about how it would hurt Hanna so much if she didn’t hear this from Draco himself. Blaise was in the wrong, no matter how much he thought that he wasn’t.

“Bella…?” Hanna asked, her watering eyes filled with questions.

Blaise sighed. “Bella, she has a right to know.”

I nodded. “I know that it’s just that I think she should hear it from Draco when he’s ready to tell her. It would hurt her too much if she hears it from someone else. Seriously, Blaise, have you not thought of that? I want them together. He’s the best for her. Always will be. You have to understand,” I looked at Hanna and quickly added, “I’m so sorry, Han.”

She didn’t look convinced of it though. “I was this close, Bella Rae! I was this close to finding out what was wrong with my boyrfriend, so I could help him, not judge him. Okay, Bella. Blaise was my only hope, and just because you’re his girlfriend, he’s going to listen to you. I bet you any amount of money,” she eyed Blaise for a moment, who said nothing. “That’s what I thought. I thought you were my friend, Bella,” she said, rounding on me again. “I guess we’re not.”

“That’s right, we’re not friends,” I said, reaching for her. “We’re sisters.”

She flinched away from me before turning and walking down the hall. I didn’t try to stop her. I just let her go, same as Blaise. We looked at each other before I started tearing up. The water flowed gracefully from my eyes as he walked to me and wiped them with his thumb. He was smiling down at me. He shouldn’t be smiling at me. I just got my friendship broken off, and it was all my fault.

“Blaise, don’t,” I said, pulling away.

“Don’t what?” He smirked, taking my chin between his fingers and making me look into his eyes, his beautiful eyes that make me weak in the knees.

“Don’t smile at me. I don’t deserve it,” I mumbled.

“What are you talking about? You were protecting your friend. She’ll realize it tomorrow after she’s slept on it. Trust me, Bells. You did the right thing. I,” he paused, “was in the wrong.”

I smirked. “You really are a keeper. Saying you’re wrong even though you still think you’re not. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said before kissing me quickly.

I pulled away from him and took his hand. “Where do you think Draco is?”

“Probably still outside. He didn’t pass us, remember?” he said, starting to lead me down the hallway.

I let go of him and turned so I could go in the direction that we had just came from. I pushed open the door and ran outside into the bitter cold with Blaise yelling behind. I instantly wished that I had thought to have brought a coat, but then shook that thought off. That was the least important thing at the moment. I had to talk to Draco – and fast. I spotted him fairly quickly down by the lake throwing rocks in. He looked sad. So, I walked right up to him and grabbed him by each shoulder.

“What the bloody hell are you doing, Bella?” he asked, but I ignored his question.

“You hurt her, Draco. You better fix it, and fix it damn soon before I fix it for you, which won’t be so pretty. I can promise you that,” I said before letting him go.

He glared at me. “What do you care anyway? You know why I hurt her. Blaise told you all about how stupid of a guy I am, didn’t he? Hanna told me that you know, so don’t try to hide it.”

“Yes, I know, but only part of it. I know that you’re a deatheater, but I don’t know what your mission is that’s making you so weak. Blaise wouldn’t tell me that part, and I really don’t have any desire to know. I just want you to come clean with Hanna before you lose her. Because, Draco, you will lose her over this. She’s already said that if you don’t tell her, she will dump your sorry as.” I know that I shouldn’t have said it, but I wanted to dig down deep and get to his heart. I wanted him to understand what I wanted him to do.

“Maybe that’s for the better then,” he said, turning from me and back to the lake. “This mission is too dangerous to expose her to. If he even finds out about her, he could use her against me. It would bloody work too. I love her so much.”

I sighed. “Is that really what you want? To not be with her?”

“Of course not. I’ll always want to be with her, but if it’s too dangerous then I’ll be happy to leave her out of it, and it is. I will not bring her into any deatheater business. She’s too pure for that.”

I looked away from him and down at my feet, rubbing my arms for warmth. “Draco,” I stated seriously. “Why do you love her?”

“Honestly?” he said, looking at me and I nodded. “She takes out all the dark and replaces it with light. She’s just like the snow,” he said, smiling at the snowy world around us. “She’s pure as the snow. My total opposite. I feel whole, complete around her. She knows exactly what to say.”

I smiled at how his face was so pleasant thinking about her. I hadn’t seen him like that in weeks. “I know she does.”

“Will you do me a favor and not tell her about this conversation? I promise that I will tell her, you just have to give me some time.”

I shook my head. “You either tell her or break it off with her. There is no waiting, Draco. Make your decision soon. Either way, you’ll hurt her, you know that? If you don’t make your decision by Christmas, I will tell her. Do you understand? I’ll tell her everything I know.”

He nodded. “You know, you really are a bitch.”

I laughed. “I am when it comes to her. She’s my sister.”

“I know,” he said, eying me funny.