Requisite - Draco Malfoy

3.5

A few weeks passed by since that afternoon, and the road ahead had had it's fair share of bumps.

Draco's mood often shifted from snappy to playful, but was more so the former. It was only when he had a break from visiting back to the Manor that he began to perk up a little.

On the nights he had to visit back, there weren't any fresh bruises or cuts that he returned with, only a rigid expression and coldness to him. He didn't let me stay in his room for the first new nights when he returned, but often caved and bought me in during the evenings for company before taking me back to the Room of Requirement at nightfall.

He wanted to be alone, but he wanted to be alone together. I understood he wasn't one for talking about the troubles in his head, so I just cuddled with him, fidgeting with his rings whilst he relaxed and hummed against me. We would sit for hours like that.

After the first two weeks he felt finally confident enough that the nightmares were gone, so he asked me to stay the night with him. I could see the terror in his eyes and feel the rigidness of his body as he tried to fall asleep, but refused to let me go when I offered him the night alone. He made sure I had my wand under the pillow, just incase he would have an episode again. Thankfully nothing happened, and after the first night he slept like a baby when I was with him.

Some days he still locked himself away in his room  when the demons in his head proved too much for him, but we'd established a system.

Now he was back, whenever he would press his ring and send the signal to my necklace, he was asking me to come and see him.

He wasn't one for asking verbally when he wanted comfort, and I didn't like to feel like I was pressuring him by asking.

It helped, in a way. I didn't feel like I was in the dark so much about how he was feeling.

It was currently 9:48pm, and Draco had just called for me to come and spend the night with him.

I gathered my uniform for the next day and shoved it in my little bag that Hermione had bought me for Christmas. It had the same extension charms as hers, and was a gentle blue in colour. My hand grasped onto my robe and I threw it over my arm before standing up.

I squeezed Luna's hand to let her know where I was going, and was half way out of the door when Neville's voice beckoned me.

"Ivy?"

I grimaced, turning around slowly.

"Yeah?"

Neville stepped over, his red reindeer sweater clinging to his arms. The Christmas lights glowed behind him, Ravenclaws dancing along to the stereo. Seamus and Dean danced arm in arm together, laughing at the cheers and woo's.

"Where are you going?"

I sighed, chewing my lip as I examined his questioning expression.

"Just to the Astronomy Tower again."

He looked behind him for a moment before ushering me gently out of the door, pulling them shut behind us as we stood in the dimly lit hall way.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be going out anymore." He rolled the sleeves of his jumper up as he spoke, his eyes warily checking we were alone.

"What? Why?" My brow furrowed as I adjusted the hem of my skirt.

"Well now Malfoy's back, I don't think it's too safe to be roaming around the castle."

Something in my gut twisted.

"What do you mean, 'now Malfoy's back'? What difference does it make? I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, Neville."