I slept for barely 2 hours that night. The nightmare and what I had heard Draco talking about keeping me up, my mind in overdrive. I was so groggy when at breakfast that Ryan had to stop me from pouring orange juice in my cereal.
"Why were you up so late?" she asked, forcing a cup of coffee into my hands.
"Nightmare," I grumbled. Draco was sat two people down from me so I couldn't tell Ryan what I had overheard just yet, "don't want to talk about it."
Ryan shrugged, stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth, "have you decided whether you're going to go home for Christmas or not yet?"
I hadn't actually but the thought of an awkward Christmas with my aunt and uncle and Valentine who refused to even look at me sounded like pure hell.
"I'm going to stay here I think."
"Oh, great, you can keep Draco company then," she lowered her voice, "I'm worried about him, this is his first Christmas here without Crabbe and Goyle. I don't want him to be alone on Christmas day."
I rolled my eyes, "I'll take care of your puppy, don't worry, Ryan."
She hit my hand playfully, then shot a look down the table at Draco, "he looks a mess, doesn't he? I don't think he's been sleeping."
Draco did look a mess, his white hair disheveled, stubble covered his usually smooth face and dark bags under his eyes made his grey eyes seem extremely dull. He didn't have his tie on either and his jumper had a stain on the cuff, very un-Draco like. He was usually obsessed with his image. It wasn't a surprise to me that he looked tired but now I was starting to believe Ryan, that Draco was tied up in something far more sinister than just preparing for exams.
The week flew in and soon Ryan and the rest of Slytherin were packing up their trunks for the holidays and dragging them down to the front doors. I went with Ryan to the door and gave her a long hug before she left.
"Now, don't miss me too much and remember, watch out for Draco."
I rolled my eyes, "My dear, I already miss you deeply," I feigned a tearful sob placing a hand on my forehead like the old timey actresses and then shoved her shoulder with mine.
"I hope you're not trying to steal my girlfriend," said a voice from behind me and Hermione grinned at me.
"Oh so you two are official now?" I asked, wiggling my brows at Ryan who blushed for the first time ever.
"I only asked her earlier today," she admitted.
"Well you waited long enough," I teased before giving Hermione a hug and waving the two lovebirds off.
I wandered around the empty castle for a while, not wanting to return to the common room with only Draco around. Soon though it became cold in the corridors and I made my way back to the dungeons to face Draco.
But Draco wasn't in the common room and he didn't return while I was awake. I next saw him the following evening. We didn't speak then either.
It was Christmas eve when it happened. I was coming back from the library after trying (and failing) to study when I saw Draco heading up the stairs. I decided that this time I was going to get some proper dirt on him. I'd have to be fast enough to get in behind him into the Room of Requirement.
It was easier to follow him this time having done it a few times now and knowing where he was going. When he got to the tapestry I prepared myself to run quickly after him. Soon the door had appeared. My hands were sweating and my heart was beating so hard I was surprised the noise didn't notify him of my presence.
He went looked around quickly and ducked in, I quickly darted in after him, barely making it in. The room was chock a block with different objects, stacks of chairs, cabinets and odd objects surrounded me. I was grateful for the many hiding spaces as I followed Draco to the most unassuming item in the room, a boring cabinet. To my surprise he plucked a bird from a cage and placed it in the cabinet, muttering something low under his breath. I held my breath, afraid whatever was in the cupboard would kill the bird but when he opened it again, it was still in there chirping away. He swore very loudly then, slamming the door. He began whispering incantations I had never heard before, moving his wand in an almost ceremonial way.
Time and time again he placed the bird in the cabinet and every time he was getting more frustrated. I was lost for an explanation for his actions and the longer I stayed the more in the dark I became.
My mind had started to wander after a while but I was brought back when I realised Draco was no longer in my vision. My heart sped up. Where was he? I didn't dare move incase I drew attention to myself, I stood frozen in place behind a pile of old chairs and tables, hoping to Merlin he wouldn't come up this aisle. Then I heard his footsteps. He was cussing softly under his breath, he rounded the top of the aisle and began making his way towards me, clearly looking for something. I closed my eyes trying to making my anxious breaths as quiet as possible. He stopped walking and looked around.
"Who's there?" He yelled. Fuck. He knew someone was here, my only tiny advantage here was that he didn't know where or who.
Two more steps forward. He was a metre from my hiding spot. My hand closed over my wand. One step. My heart would not shut up for even a moment. Another step. I tried to hold my breath.
"Carpe Retractum!" He yelled pointed right at my hiding spot, I quickly rolled out of the reach of the spell but it sent the pile of chairs reeling in his direction. I rolled under the pile of tables and began to crawl along hoping to be discreet but Malfoy was on to me as a blue light hit the table right in front of me, causing me to roll out of my hiding spot.
"Rose!" he sneered, his wand pointed at me. I was still on the ground and he stood above me.
"Expelliarmus!" I cried but he easily swerved.
"What the hell do you think you're doing following me around like some weird fan?"
I went bright red, I may have been following him around but I definitely was no fan of his.
"I'm trying to see what the hell you're up to." I pushed myself backwards and stood up, keeping my wand aimed at him.
"And why would you care?" he spat
"Because I can tell it's no good and knowing you family I can tell it's to do with that dark shit," I said, stepping towards him.
"I heard you in the common room talking to your aunt, Draco. I bet she's just as bad as your father is. Death Eaters the lot of you. Pathetic."
Draco laughed. He actually laughed. His eyes dead, he stepped towards me, and hissed, "You've no clue do you?"
"About your family? Trust me I do, it's all over the papers, the whole country knows what kind of people-"
"Not my family, you idiot, your own family. You really have no idea what they did."
I stared at him blankly, what did he mean what my family did.
"What're you talking about?" I said, keeping my tone even.
"You really are as clueless as you seem. No wonder Potter picked you to try get information out of. You had no clue what was happening until it was right in front of you."
"Shut up you fowl git," I snarled.
"Oh you like to think you're all high and mighty and different to all the rest of us Slytherins. But you're not. You're just as twisted as all of us but at least we've accepted it."
"Just tell me what the hell you're on about, Malfoy."
"Your mother was a Death Eater, Rose. Obviously not a very good one considering the way she ended up but nonetheless she was one."
I stared at him, dumbfounded. My own mother, a Death Eater. That was insane... how would I not have known. Why wouldn't Aunt Vivianne have told me?
"You're bullshitting, Malfoy. Prove it."
"Oh I have nothing to prove to you. She was driven insane by torture and murdered. They only save that one for the real traitors. What's worse is what your mother did to your father."
So my nightmares were true, that was how my mother went. Alone, hanging limply in the air.
He must've seen my face fall as he continued, "Oh, yeah, you didn't know this part either. Your mother gave up her own husband's location for her own gain. But all for what? After You Know Who disappeared she became a witness and pretended she'd been under the Imperius curse for the past 10 years. But please, tell me how bad my family is. At least we'd never turn on each other like your no good mother."
I was reeling. My mother had given up my own father's location? She had been just as bad, no, worse than the Malfoys. My wand hand was shaking and I couldn't keep a steady track on him.
"At least my mother didn't sail me down the same cursed river your family is. My mother didn't sell my soul so she could keep on living. But your family, Malfoy, they're using you to buy themselves more time and they're making you do all the hard work. You're their dog," I spat.
I knew I'd angered him, I could tell he thought he was doing what was best for him and his family and this had touched a nerve he hadn't known existed. I could feel he was about to hex me but then he lowered his wand.
"Get the fuck out of here and don't even think about talking to me again."
I took the opportunity and fled, stopping only at the door to look back at him, standing in the same spot, staring at me.