The snow outside of Hogwarts had melted and flowers in an array of different colours had began to come alive on the grounds of the school. The trees were once again coated in green leaves and the water of the black lake were no longer frozen solid.
She sat on a stone bench outside school one early morning, waiting for him to finish his Quidditch practice. The fog rolled off the tall hills in the distance, and the sun was beginning to rise slowly. She hoped for a clear day with no rain.
After half an hour she saw him walking along the pathway from the Quidditch pitch, dressed in his Slytherin robes. He was walking alongside Crabbe and Goyle, laughing loudly at something. She watched him, and he did not seem to notice her. She wanted to talk to him, she somewhat craved his company, but she did not want to approach him as he was next to his friends, she remembered what he had told her about them not understanding.
So she stayed put, sitting on the stone bench as he walked on by, making his way towards the castle.
After a while she walked up to the school, joining Hermione, Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor breakfast table. They looked concerned, which was starting to become a regular look for them.
"Are you alright?" she asked, gazing at them as she picked up a slice of bread and began spreading butter on it "you all look worried"
"Umbridge has been interrogating students with harsher methods, I fear it's getting quite out of hand" Hermione sighed, taking a bite of her eggs. Ron and Harry slowly nodded their head as to agree with Hermione.
The rest of the breakfast felt oddly quiet, at least between the four of them. Chatter and loud clinks of glasses against the wooden table filled the great hall, but neither Ron, Harry or Hermione uttered a single word.
During potions class professor Snape seemed utterly displeased to be there, barely even paying any attention to Malfoy, his favourite. Umbridge had stormed in to ask him a few questions during class, something that he did not seem to appreciate in the slightest. As I result he let everyone go early. Ron and Hermione went to the library and Harry went back to the dorms to rest.
She however, lingered around the dungeons, trying to catch a glance at him. He was once again with his friends, prancing in the middle of Crabbe and Goyle with Pansy Parkinson swooping around his feet. When they were all looking away, putting their potions books back into their book bags, she threw a piece of a dried up ingredient at him. It hit the back of his neck, causing him to immediately lift his hand to rub the area. With a infuriated look upon his face he turned around, ready to call out the one who had thrown something at him. However, his angry expression melted away as he saw her sitting at a desk, smiling slightly towards him.
"Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy go ahead to the common room without me" he said, looking back at his friends "I have to ask professor Snape a few questions"
His possé nodded, leaving the dark room. And he turned around to face her, leaning his back against a wooden desk.
"Hi Ellie"
"Hi Draco, I've been looking for you all day"
"Well you found me" he shrugged, looking at her "here I am"
"Obviously" she laughed, taking a step closer to him "how did Quidditch practice go?"
"Quite alright" he shrugged, flinging his black leather book bag up on his right shoulder "how was madam Pomfrey's last night?"
"Quite boring without you there to complain after falling off your broom"
"Oh well you see Ellie..." he trailed, taking a step closer to her "I am an excellent flyer"
"And still you've managed to get a ban, a concussion and a dislocated shoulder in just a matter of months"
"Oh yeah but that's not because I'm a bad flyer Ellie' he laughed, grabbing a hold of her chin "that's because I'm a badass"
"You've got to be kidding me" she laughed, shaking her head free from his grasp.
"Break a rule with me?" he questioned, looking at her with a smirk.
"We already are" she pointed out "boys and girls are not to be within eight inches of each other"
"Do not fret my darling, I'm sure professor Umbridge will make an exception for me, she loves me"
She rolled her eyes as she looked away, suddenly remembering the fact that Draco had joined that stupid inquisitorial squad.
"What do you say Ember?" he asked, taking a step back as he looked at her with raised arms "break a rule with me? I dare you"
"Fine, what is it?"
"Meet me at the astronomy tower at midnight" he said, a smirk upon his lips as he lowered his arms.
"At midnight?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest "are you out of your mind? If we get caught out of bed at midnight, especially at he astronomy tower, we will both be expelled"
"Oh come on my pure sweet little innocent Gryffindor girl, live a little" he laughed.
"Draco no"
"Ellie yes"
"Draco that's madness and you know it" she sighed, looking at him with stern eyes.
"Come on, I promise I will make it worth your while"
She sighed, rolling her eyes. But she had to look away due to the smile building upon her lips. He's quite something that Slytherin boy, that's for sure.
"Fine, midnight?"
"Midnight"
....
She had made a promise, and promises are to be kept. So on a chilly April evening, just as the clock was about to turn midnight, she climbed out of the hole in the wall of her common room, hushing the fat lady as she questioned her about leaving at this hour.
The paintings in the castle were all asleep, and not a single fire was burning to light up her path as she sneaked down the halls.
At a minute to midnight she stopped at the feet of the tall staircase that led up to the top of the astronomy tower, and the seconds passed as she waited for Draco to appear. She felt her heart beat hard inside her chest, making her whole body ache with the fear of getting caught. She did not feel like getting expelled tonight, or any night for that matter.
"Psst, psst Ellie"
She heard his voice calling out for her in the dark, hushed into a bare whisper.
"Draco?" she asked quietly, looking around.
"Up here Ellie"
She looked up and there he was, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her. She gave him a smile as she hurried up the stairs, leaving the empty corridor behind her as she sprinted.
"For a moment I almost thought you weren't going to show up" he said, giving her a small smile.
"Well here I am, I showed up" she said, looking around them to make sure that they were alone up in the tower.
"I'm glad you did"
The moon was almost full, and it shined down on them, illuminating his pale skin and light blonde hair. He looked like he was almost glowing, and something so playful laced with pure joy was glistening in his bright eyes.
"Why are we here?" she asked, looking at him.
"For some peace and quiet" he shrugged, turning to walk to the edge of the tower "the world is just so loud all the time you know?"
"Yes" she mumbled, walking up to him "I know"
He sat down, dangling his feet of the edge as he leaned his arms against the railing. He looked away, pushing his lips together in a conflicted manner. She looked down at him, slowly observing his every move.
"But Draco?" She questioned "if you want some peace and quiet why did you ask me to come with you? Surely I only make things louder"
"I don't know" he shrugged, staring at the hills in the distance "you tell me Ellie, tell me why I always find myself right next to you? Tell me why I'm so drawn to you? I mean you're a Gryffindor and a mud... a muggleborn"
"I don't know Draco" she sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she sat down next to him "I can't answer that"
"It's like the universe is controlled by the Weasley twins"
"What?" she asked confused "the Weasley twins? What do you mean? What does Fred and George have to do with this?"
"The universe is playing a prank on me, a epic one Ellie, and there are no greater prank masters than those two red heads, they must be in control of the universe somehow"
"Draco that's ridiculous" she laughed, laying a hand on his arm "and why would you think that the universe wants to fool you?"
He sighed as he looked away once more, his eyes darting across the dark midnight scenery before them. He only looked at her for a second, quickly turning his head away again.
"I don't know Ellie, but there's just so many things going on inside my head, I wish I could find a way to let you know"
"Why don't you just tell me?" she asked, her voice soft and supporting.
"I can't" he mumbled, looking off in despair "I can't tell you Ellie, you will walk away from me"
"I won't Draco, friends don't do that" she said, stroking his cheek "you can tell me anything"
He suddenly turned to her, a bewildered look in his grey eyes, "why am I so fascinated by you?"
She was taken aback by his question, not fully certain what to answer. How could she possibly know why he, someone she only learned not to despise a few months ago, now all of a sudden found her fascinating?
"I don't know Draco" she whispered.
"I-I just... I don't know what to say" he mumbled, tripping over his words as he shook his head vigorously.
"You seem upset" she said, trailing her fingers along his arm until she reached his wrist "are you upset? Did I do something?"
"No Ellie, no you've done nothing I promise" he mumbled, looking away from her "and I'm not upset, I'm just so confused all the time"
"Why?"
"Because I feel things that I've never felt before" he spat out, swallowing hard "and feelings aren't really something I often deal with, I'm not good with feelings Ellie"
"I've noticed" she laughed, taking his hand in hers "but it's okay Draco, you can't be good at everything"
She felt him relax slightly as he squeezed her hand harder, intertwining their fingers.
"That's the thing Ellie, I have to be good at everything or else my father is going to be disappointed in me"
"So this is about your father?" she asked, looking at him.
"No not really" he sighed, shaking his head "this is about you"
"Me?"
"Yes you, I have these thoughts about you that consume my mind all of the time and I don't know how to tell you, I don't know what to say"
"It's okay Draco, you don't have to say anything" she assured him, giving him a comforting smile.
"But I want to Ellie, I want to scream, I want to just tell you everything, I need to get it off my chest but I just don't know how" he sighed, looking at her with glossy eyes "I don't know how Ellie"
Silence fell upon them as she looked into his eyes, trying to figure him out. He looked away after a moment of connection, staring at the hills in the distance again.
"Start small" she said, gazing at the moon as she held his hand "just tell me something small that you carry around with you in your mind"
"I can't" he said, shaking his head "if I tell you one thing then everything will come out and I'm not ready for that just yet"
"That's okay Draco" she breathed.
"Can we just be here for a moment?" he asked, looking at her with his bright eyes.
"Of course" She hummed quietly.
He let go of her hand and laid down on her lap, closing his eyes as she began combing her fingers through his light blonde hair. She watched him as the pale light of the moon danced along his face, giving it an angel like glow.
"It's okay Draco, everything's okay"