Little Miss Diggory || A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 21

Draco

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"No, absolutely not!" Layla laughed,

"pleeaaase," I pleaded, "just one sip."

"Nope." Layla and her grandmother. (who I had learnt went by the name Winnie) had been fussing around the kitchen for an hour or two making some sort of dessert. But I was only really interested in two things, the alcohol and Layla. Although Layla refused it to me.

The rest of the day had passed quickly, but I couldn't move past what had happened in The Leaky Cauldron. I wasn't sure what had happened one minute she was smiling and the next she was crying and shaking.

Was it something I said?

"There you go," Winnie chirped while slamming the oven door closed. Layla came and sat at the small island table next to me and shot me a joyful look which I gladly returned. A loud smash echoed through the house, "Chaos I tell you, I'll see you two tomorrow morning," Winnie laughed. She got up and walked away to see what Charles and Cormac were doing.

Soon after she left Layla let out a long sigh and placed her head in her hands,

"What is Charles gonna do alone?" She said sadly, "next year, he won't have Cormac or me, just him this house and two arguing parents."

"Things can change, you know, maybe something will come up," I suggested hopefully. She nodded her head and sighed again. I needed to ask her now. "Layla?" I asked quietly, causing her to look up cautiously.

"Yeah?"

"I have to ask, I-I mean you don't have to um... answer, It's your choice and-"

"Just say it you're scaring me,"

"About today, at The Leaky Cauldron," I pause, allowing her to answer. She looks down at the table before getting up and grabbing the bottle of Fire Whiskey and my hand and leading me back to the bedrooms.

What the hell is happening?

When we enter Layla's room, she picks up the floor mat and moves it aside to reveal a small door.

"What is that-"

"Shhh." She closes her eyes and the small engraved animals on the door begin to move. Soon enough, the door was open. I gasped. Wandless magic, how? The opening leads to a set of stairs, of which Layla quickly walks down, and I unsurprisingly follow. When I arrive at the bottom of the stairs, the room is already filled with light. The room had warm wooden floors, cream painted walls, a few yellow coloured couches and many potted plants. It was beautiful. The room was also lined with many moving pictures, most of which were of Layla and Cedric.

"What is this place?" I say in complete awe.

"My brothers and I use to come to hide down here, our parents were furious because we would disappear for hours straight," she laughs, handing me the bottle. I take a swig and hand it over to her, and to my surprise, she does the same.

"Sunshine!" I laugh "whats gotten into you?"

"mmm, I mean, you only live once!" She smiles, shrugging her shoulders. She pauses and sighs before beginning to speak again, "If I'm being honest I'm not sure what happened earlier today," she stops and takes a shaky breath. "I was hearing voices, and I could see Cedric, um... Oh, God, I sound crazy."

"No, not at all," I say, smiling.

That night we talked, laughed and drank. It was amazing. I was with one of my best friends, having the time of my life. Away from all the stresses of The Malfoy family.

I felt free.

I looked to my left to see a sleeping Layla, of course, she looks just as pretty when she was sleeping. I wanted more than anything to pick her up and hug her.

"What have you done to me?" I whispered as I picked her up and lay her across the couch. I kneeled next to her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "When this is all over, I will tell you how I really feel," I pause, "but not yet, I can't tell you yet, I can't risk you getting hurt, your all I have." I feel tears form in my eyes and begin to fall, but I quickly wipe them away, "Jeez you've turned me soft," I laugh standing up and laying back down on the opposite couch.

"Night Sunshine."