Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 61

A/N

Hola to you all! I am very sorry for my absence recently but I kid you not I've had some very stressful exams which I've had to do lots and lots of revision and memorising for, like it's taken me this whole week to write a chapter I could usually write in a few hours. And the ructions have been real this week. And I thought I would be nice and update because I honestly had the best Friday ever yesterday, so enjoy, my lovelies!
Mazzie

Today is the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match that has been so heavily talked about in recent weeks. I can't exactly say that I blame them, even I cannot wait to see the outcome. Seeing as Ron is going to be goalkeeping, and Harry, as usual, the Seeker, I am beyond happy to say I can support the both of them. Ron has been dreading this match for a good week, and I can't say I blame his nerves. Draco, being the git he is, made up the Weasley is our King chant, which can be heard echoing around the hall:

Weasley is our King,
He never blocks a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing,
Weasley is our King.

I am rather vexed with him, furthermore because almost immediately after we left the hospital wing, he returned to his usual sulky self. He became quiet, and stopped speaking as if everything was normal, and all replies were as bitter as stormy weather, and, yet again, I felt that I couldn't address his furtive senses.

'Come on, let's go.' I whisper, but Harry won't hardly budge.
'Juice.' Harry slides a cup towards Ron, and I watch the glass carefully, then glance at Harry. He stares straight back at me. Then, I catch sight of Luna Lovegood in a huge Gryffindor lion hat. 'You look dreadful, Ron.' She observes in her usual dreamy voice. 'Is that why you put something in his cup?' She is addressing Harry, and I turn to look at my best friend, my eyes wide. 'Is it a tonic?' I glance Harry turn the tiny bottle of clear potion in his hands before putting it back into his pocket. 'Liquid Luck.' Hermione exclaims, glancing from Ron to Harry. 'Don't drink it, Ron!' She hisses, and I, too, give him a stern look, but choose to remain silent. Ron downs the whole cup in one gulp, and a grin spreads across his face instantly.

The Felix Felicis appears to be working its magic. Hermione and I stand from the table begrudgingly and follow Harry and Ron from the Great Hall, departing half way down the green, where we go to sit by the Black Lake until the crowds begin to make their way down the green and to the stands, which isn't just yet. I laze against the tree and sigh heavily. 'He really shouldn't have done it.' Hermione shakes her head, flicking a page in her book. 'Maybe. But you still confundused McClaggen during tryouts.' I shrug. Hermione looks at me pointedly. 'In tryouts, not a real game.' She replies hotly, scolding me. I shake my head at her. 'I'm just saying.'
'Anyways, I need to speak with you. As you know, I was speaking of Slughorn's Christmas Party before Lavender came over. I was going to ask Ron . . .'
'You should. I mean, you told him you were going to.'
'Really?' Hermione brightens, and I smirk.

'Hermione, sweetheart, you're my best friend. I think I can work out for myself that you have a little crush on our old friend Ronald.' Hermione blushes a colour close to scarlet at my words. 'Don't be -' I raise my eyebrows, which causes her to sigh. 'Okay.' I squeal so loudly that Hermione covers her ears, before bursting into a fit of giggles. 'Sorry.' I whisper, smiling. 'I'm just so excited for you.' Hermione turns to look back over the green and stands. 'We'd better go, people are moving now, and I don't want to miss the start.' I also stand, digging my hands deep into my pockets, hearing a slight crumple. Frowning, I pull the apparent piece of parchment from my pocket. 'Oh, shit.'
'What is it?'
'Harry's Transfiguration essay. I told him I'd do the fourth paragraph because he wouldn't stop bugging me. I'd better go and give it back now or I'll forget.'
'He'll be in the changing room, won't he?'
'Yeah, come on.'

Hermione and I hurry down the green to the Quidditch pitch, slipping through the curtains and finding a scene of red and gold robes. I spot the untidy dark hair and make my way over, whilst Hermione engages in conversation with Ginny. 'Harry,' I tap him on the shoulder, and he spins round, 'this is your essay.'
'Oh, hey. Thanks, Alyssia.' He smiles weakly at me, taking the parchment.
'I did the fourth paragraph, like you asked. Is everything okay?'
'You're a star, and I don't know.'
'Are you nervous?'
'No, angry.' I frown and lean against the wooden pole hammered into the floor.
'Did you see something to do with Voldemort?'
'No, this was definitely something I saw with my own eyes.'
'Anything I should be concerned about?' I ask cautiously, putting a hand out and touching his shoulder. He takes a very deep breath and looks at me. 'Yes.

'I saw Malfoy.'
'So? You see him every day, Harry. Technically, we all live in the same building.' I laugh, but I'm silenced by Harry's serious look. 'He's not here. He's been calling quits on Quidditch, says he's injured his leg. But that's not the point.' He adds when I open my mouth to speak. 'He was with people. Two people, and . . . and they were both g-girls.' Harry chokes out, like he's terrified to tell me. I stand stock-still. 'He was heading in the other direction, too. I didn't want to tell you at first, but it made me so mad I -'
'You did everything right, Harry. Don't worry, the last thing you need is to be angry before a game. Listen, I'd better go, the match is starting any minute and we need seats. Good luck, I know you won't need it.' I smile at him, and I hope he doesn't see how false that smile is as I turn to leave.

Dragging Hermione from the changing rooms, I keep myself to myself as we ascend to the stands and take a seat beside Neville and Luna, looking down onto the Quidditch pitch and taking in the loud chatter all around us. 'So, anything exciting going on with Harry?' Hermione smirks, laughing.
'Aside from his Ginny crush, no. He just thanked me for doing his paragraph and we left it at that.' I say, hardly above a whisper for fear of being overheard. Then, the players begin to pour onto the pitch, and the cheers received are deafening. I clap lightly, my mind wandering to what Draco might be doing, all alone in that castle, with two girls by his side.

-*-

'Weasley, Weasley, Weasley!' Is all that can be heard inside the Gryffindor common room at present. Of course, we won the match, and Ron saved every goal that came his way. 'You really shouldn't have done it.' Hermione huffs at Harry, as Ron grins from the epicentre of the huge crowd. 'I know. I suppose I could've just used a confundus charm.' Harry shoots back pointedly. 'That was different. That was tryouts, this was an actual game.' Harry holds up the bottle and I stare at it in surprise. It's full. 'You didn't put it in. Ron only thought you did.' I turn back towards Ron to see Lavender Brown grab his arm very suddenly and pull him towards her, pressing her lips to his, hard. Harry starts to laugh at first, along with everyone else, but my face falls, and I turn to see Hermione's face completely blank. I put my hand out to touch her shoulder, but she turns away and hurries out of the common room. Harry turns, and I go to start after her, but he puts his hand out. 'Let me go first. Then you. Maybe it'll comfort her if she knows that I'm looking out for her, that I'm on her side, rather than Ron's at the moment.' I gulp and nod my head, and, once Harry leaves, exchange looks with Ginny, who is standing just behind me.

I wait for a long time in the common room, by which time Lavender and Ron have disappeared to God knows where. When Harry comes back, he smiles at me sympathetically. 'Down the hall, left, first door on the right.' He mutters solemnly, glancing around at Ginny and Dean, Neville and others. 'Where's Ron?'
'Pissed off with Lavender somewhere.' I shrug, going to exit the common room. 'Cheers, Harry. I'll try and not be too long, and I'll try and bring her back with me.'

I make my way down the hall, following Harry's instructions, down the flight of stairs from which the sobbing emits. Hermione is sitting on the bottom step, and I sit beside her, smiling. 'I'm so sorry, Hermione.' I whisper to her, taking my hand in hers. She continues to sob, 'It j-jus-st hurt-ts.' She manages, and I put an arm around her attendantly. 'Unfortunately, you're going to have heartbreak, but you have to power through, even if it's difficult. Ron thinks the world of you, I know that for sure.' Hermione puts her head on my shoulder and continues to cry, and it's then, seeing my best friend so upset, do I feel my own heart near enough split in two.

(A/N potterblacks was that a reference haha?)