a dancing beauty | d.m

5

song: Another Love by Tom Odell (I HIGHLY ADVISE YOU LISTEN TO THIS SONG WHILST READING THIS CHAPTER!!!)

Draco set down his glass, and stood up. He stood there for a second, then began to walk away. "Draco." I muttered under my breath. What was he doing? What was going on inside his head?

I got up and followed him all the way out of the Great Hall. He continued to walk without turning around to say a word to me. No one had left the Great Hall yet, so the halls were bare. Not a soul in sight.

Draco's feet didn't stop moving until we entered the courtyard. It was completely vacant. The crisp, fall air made it a bit chilly out.

Draco stood there, still not facing me. "You know, don't you?" He said sternly. My face drained of life. I couldn't find an answer. "I don-" Draco whipped his body around, cutting me off, "Lilac, answer the damn question. You know what I'm talking about."

It was hard for me to admit that I knew, and it shouldn't have been. I had no explanation as to why it was so difficult. "Yes, I know, and I want to be there-" He cut me off again, "You want to be there for me. Of course you do." Draco began to yell. "There is no way for anyone to be 'there for me' anymore! I'm a danger to you, and all of my friends."

This was it. This was what I dreaded. Him turning everyone away. "Yes Draco,  I know I can't be 'there for you' anymore, but I can sure as hell try! I care about you a lot, and I know that you are better than what you are." I yell right back at him. He began to laugh grimly, "Oh you think I want this? I want to be the big, bad Malfoy? I want to be my Father? Never in my life have I ever wanted to be how he is." Draco's eyes began to brim with tears. You could hear the quivering in his voice.

"Draco, I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about you. You seem to be even more troubled now that you have returned to Hogwarts." I say weakly, "I fret for you more than myself."

Draco's eyes locked with mine. "If I don't do what he says," His voice almost at a yell, "He'll kill me." A tear poured from my eye, as he stepped closer to me. "Then do what you must to stay alive." I say, attempting to be strong.

I was then being engulfed into a hug, from Draco. He was warm, and I was cold. "I will. Only for you." He whispered into my ear. His hand rubbed my back, as the sky became apparently darker.

My mind was running at a million miles an hour. The heart in my chest was beating faster than it should. Several tears stained my face, with a trail of mascara. My eyes were most likely red, and puffy.

Draco's eyes were red. His face, once wrinkled, was calm and smooth. The bleach blonde mop of hair on his head, was undone. Everything about him seemed, like myself, disoriented.

I pulled away from Draco, just to look at him. It was then, that I realized someone else was in the courtyard. My head jerked to the right, spotting Luna Lovegood standing there holding a book of some kind.

"Luna!" I say run towards her. My arms wrap around her, embracing her into a big hug. Luna and I had been friends for a while. Although she was a year younger than me, she was one of my best friends. She was definitely a sweetheart, and she saw the world differently than others. I enjoyed that about her. Virtually, I could come to her for anything, and I would take her advice to heart.

"Lilac! I missed you quite a lot. How was your summer? I can tell that it seemed to be good." She said gesturing over to Draco, who stood looking at his shoes. "Are you alright? There are mascara stains on your face." My hand shot up to my face, trying to wipe them away. "I'm okay. We just had a little argument. It's alright now. We've sorted it out." She smiled at me. "I'll let you two be. Don't be late for class, tomorrow! You don't want to start off a new year on a bad foot."

With that Luna was slipping away down the corridor. I watched her for a minute, then walked back to Draco. "She's a good friend." I chuckled a bit. He looked down at me and laughed with me. "We should be heading to our dorms now, don't you think?" He said. I nodded, and we began to walk out of the courtyard and down the hallway.

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab mine. I looked down, and it was Draco's. My head moved to face his, with my cheeks beginning to beat a rose color. "You've really got me wrapped around your finger, don't you Malfoy?" He smirked, and kissed my forehead. "Only if you want to be."