The Diggory Sister || Draco Malfoy

36 - Harry Potter is a Liar

It was a long week. Each detention got harder and harder to walk to, knowing what I was to be facing.

I had taken to pulling my sleeve right down my arm, covering the increasingly deepening scarlet scar that had been cut into my hand. If I accidentally knocked it, causing me to flinch, or avoided using it in anyway, I explained it away by telling people I was suffering from soreness due to all the lines Umbridge was making me write. But Draco, especially, didn't look as though he believed me.

I made sure to position myself to his right at all times, so that if he held my hand, it would be my left. If I sat next to him in class, my right hand would be furthest from him.

Harry and I didn't speak about what happened in that room. Not even to each other. It was almost as if it felt like we were letting Umbridge win if we so much as referred to it.

And I couldn't let that bitch win. For Cedric.

Draco would be there, every night. Waiting for me. He didn't ask me anything, only took me in his arms as soon as I stepped out of Umbridge's office, and held me until my tears had subsided, before walking me back to the Ravenclaw Tower.

On the second to last night of my detention, Draco was biting his lip and looking agitated about something as he said goodnight to me.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling a flicker of fear, as we stood outside the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower.

"I'm so sorry, Aurora, but I won't be able to wait for you tomorrow night. I completely forgot I've got an extra Astronomy class. But I can skip it if you want?"

"Don't be silly, Draco!" I implored, my heart twisting at how upset he looked at the thought of letting me down. "You'll just end up landing yourself a detention instead, and I don't want to spend another week not being able to hang out together properly."

He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around me as he kissed the top of my head. I tried not to flinch as he accidentally knocked the back of my right hand.

Only one more detention to go.

...

Draco could barely concentrate as Professor Sinistra droned on about some special movement with the stars in the sky that night.

He hated that he couldn't be there for Aurora. These detentions did something to her, and even though she never said anything beyond that they had to write lines, he knew there must be something sinister behind them. She was always a broken mess when she emerged from them, for crying out loud.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was about this time that she normally left the office. He hoped she would be all right.

Suddenly the door leading up to the Astronomy Tower, flew open, making the class jump.

Draco was surprised to see it was Cho Chang, and even more surprised to see her eyes fix straight on him.

"For what do we owe this pleasure, Miss Chang?" Sinistra asked, looking quite perturbed by the unexpected interruption.

"Sorry, miss," she panted breathlessly, her eyes darting urgently back to Draco, "but I need Draco to come with me, now. It's urgent."

Draco's heart raced in his chest. He barely registered Sinistra's disdain as she grudgingly excused him. Packing his things away as quickly as he could, he flew to the door where Cho had already started descending the spiral staircase.

He knew before she spoke it was about Aurora.

"She's a mess, Draco." Cho explained as they raced towards the Ravenclaw Tower. "I can't calm her down, and- and her hand..."