She shook with every sob as she spilled every tear in her broken body.
Cradled into a tight ball on her bed, all she could do was wait for her eyes to dry themselves out.
***
The hole in her chest was excruciating. She mounted the Hogwarts Express, her hands clutching her shirt by handfuls as though trying to stifle the ache.
She had already drowned similar pain, only this time it was much, much stronger. It was something she would have to live with; she hoped time would ease it down.
She would hang in there, no matter how hard, because she had promised him she would. The thought ignited a new outburst of pain – she pushed it aside. She would come back next year, attend her classes and expect nothing more. That was the key. Routine. Monotony. To fill her days with work to prevent thinking, to prevent memories until it was safe to remember. She was going to be STRONG; she had to. She had sworn.
***
The strangest thing had happened to Draco Malfoy that morning; he had woken up on top of the Astronomy Tower. This was even stranger since he had no memory of walking up there. In fact, when he thought about it, these strange happenings had occurred throughout the year; as if it were a puzzle with missing pieces. Somehow, he also felt like he was missing pieces of himself: a peculiar ache had clustered in his chest, and it throbbed endlessly. He wondered where it came from, and hoped he wasn’t deadly ILL. Although, that was probably more desirable than heading back home to his wretched family and ‘Lord’. Draco spat at the thought of it. This was going to be one lovely summer. Summer? Whoops; he meant lifetime. He wasn’t coming back to school – that is, away from that desolate place he called home – no, instead, he would probably find death in one of Voldemort’s missions. Surely He must be intent on finishing him off, now that he had failed with Dumbledore. What a bundle of joy. Then again, he hated bundles.
He walked to the back of the train, hoping his ‘friends’ – more like followers, friends tended to get in the way – wouldn’t be there. The last thing he wanted was worthless company.
That’s when he saw her.
The air caught in his throat as a strange warmth rushed through his body and tingled underneath his SKIN. With a jolt, his HEART started beating again, but it was wild. He stared, bedazzled, as she skidded out of his sight. Too soon, she had vanished; just as she had appeared.
Draco felt dizzy and had to remind himself to breathe. He unwillingly forced his feet to the last empty compartment before he could do anything stupid, such as going looking for her. He sat down stiffly. Pain, sharp, cruel pain, hit him full blow in the chest as he recalled her sad face. Somehow – for he didn’t quite know how – he knew it was because of him: the pain was merciless... he was nothing more than a Death Eater. He had surely participated in the hurting of someone she knew, maybe even her, and the thought was unendurable. How frustrating.
But that’s the problem with a memory charm, isn’t it? Only the mind forgets; not the heart. And their love was meant to last.
The end.