Hold me while you wait
I wish that I was good enough
-song: Hold Me While You Wait by Lewis Capaldi
___________________________________
"SO DID YOU BREAK UP?" Macy asked as she watched Ophelia hug her knees to her chest.
"I-I don't know," Woodlock chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to stop the endless tears from falling down her flushed cheeks.
Lillian sat criss crossed next to Ophelia on her bed "Well did you say anything about breaking up?"
Ophelia swallowed "I don't know," she mumbled.
Macy frowned "Honey," she said with a slight laugh "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked as she sat at the edge of the bed.
"Well he called me a bitch, then I slapped him," she rubbed her eyes "Which was stupid, I don't know why I did it, then we kinda just argued more, then I just left." she rambled.
Of course Ophelia wasn't going to tell them what actually happened after she hit him. As much as she would love to yell out to the world, or tell Harry he was right all along, she couldn't. She loved him too much, she wouldn't betray him like that.
"Do you love him?" Lillian said while exchanging glances with Macy.
"Obviously." Ophelia cried out, at this point she didn't care that she was full on sobbing in front of them.
Macy rubbed her shoulders "Then tell him how you feel."
"No," Lillian protested "Wasn't the fight about him treating you like shit?" Ophelia nodded "Then make him come to you, and if he doesn't then he doesn't care, and doesn't deserve you."
Macy scoffed "I think you should just tell him how you're feeling."
"Ophelia," Lillian said, placing a hand on her knee "I'm going to be honest, Malfoy is toxic, he's no good," she told her "Remember when he called Macy a Mudblood? Or the time he called you a Blood traitor, or the all the times he's been mean for no reason? Or wh-"
"Yeah but that was years ago," Woodlock interrupted "He's changed." she hiccupped.
Lillian shook her head "You're too good for him, and you know that."
"Hey," Macy said Lillian "I agree, he has changed a bit," she looked at Ophelia "And if you really do love him, then tell him how you're feeling, and maybe things will work out, but if he doesn't treat you the way you deserve to be treated, dump him." Macy stood up "But for now, we have a dinner party to get ready for."
She grabbed ahold of Ophelia's hands and pulled her up. "I don't want to go, I don't even have a date." she whined.
"You must," Macy said with a laugh "It will get your mind off the ferret."
-
Ophelia anxiously bit her lip as she stood against a wall in Professor Slughorn's office, which he had cleared out and decorated for Christmas. She fidgeted with her necklace, Macy tried hard to get her to take it off since Draco was the one who gave it to her, but she refused.
"Hello Ophelia."
She turned her head and smiled "Hi Luna," she said "How are you?"
"Oh, I'm alright," Luna tilted her head to the side slightly "Are you okay?"
Ophelia nodded "Yeah," she glanced around the room "Who did you come with?" She asked as she realized that Luna wasn't a part of The Slug club.
"Harry Potter." Luna gave Ophelia a smile. "You look lovely by the way."
"Thank you Luna, that's very sweet of you to say," She said "You look lovely as well."
Ophelia had on a simple white flower dress that ended a little below the middle of her thighs. The front pieces of her hair were pulled back and held by a black bow. For makeup, Ophelia just wore mascara and a little blush. As for shoes... she just wore her converses since she didn't own many pairs of nice flats or heels.
"Thank you," Luna looked around the room with wide eyes "I must get back to Harry now," she told her "Goodbye Ophelia."
"Bye Luna." she said as she watched her walk away.
Ophelia adjusted her glasses as she noticed Lillian walking towards her.
"How are you holding up?"
Ophelia shrugged "Alright."
"Well I-" Lillian stopped talking as she turned her head to the entrance "You have got to be kidding me." she said while nodding her head towards all the commotion happening at the front of the room.
Ophelia felt her breath hitch as Filch held Draco by his jacket, pulling him in the room. "What is he doing here?" she muttered to herself.
"Professor Slughorn Sir," Filch said, making everyone stop talking. "I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor," he said "He claims to have been invited to your party."
Ophelia cursed under her breath as she locked eyes with Malfoy. He looked at her and gulped.
"Don't hate me." she muttered to Lillian as she stepped forward "He was sir," she spoke out "I invited him, it's okay, he's with me."
"Is this true?" Filch asked Draco as he let go of him.
"Yes." Malfoy said through gritted teeth.
"Why would you do that?" Lillian uttered to Ophelia.
"I don't know," she panicked as she turned around to face her "But help, he's walking over here."
"Ophelia," She heard Draco say from behind her.
"Shit." She mumbled.
Lillian gave her a nod before walking away.
Woodlock slowly turned around with a slight frown on her face.
"Why did you help me?" he asked as his eyes scanned her from head to toe "I thought you were mad."
"I am," she nodded "I don't know why I helped." she was looking anywhere but his eyes.
"vous êtes belle" Draco told her with a slight smirk.
"Stop." she said while crossing her arms.
He scoffed "I'm sorry, since when is it a crime to tell you, you look beautiful?"
She swallowed "I can't do this here," she told him "I mean I literally just stopped crying an hour ago," she laughed while shaking her head "I'm really upset with you."
"And you have every right to be," he said while grabbing her hands "Can we please just talk this through?"
She let go of his hands "Maybe."
"Maybe?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
She nodded her head "Snape is walking towards us, I think he wants you."
Draco turned his head and frowned "Mr. Malfoy," Snape greeted "May I speak to you for a moment?"
Draco nodded his head and followed him out of the room.
Her two friends rushed to Ophelia's side.
"What did he say?" Lillian questioned.
"He wanted to talk things through."
"Brilliant," Macy told her "You can tell him how you feel."
"Yeah," Ophelia mumbled, not really knowing if she wanted to talk to Draco or not.
-
Ophelia watched as Snape entered the room once again. Draco peeked his head through the door, and locked eyes with her. He motioned for her to come out to the hallway with him.
She sighed and made her way through the crowd.
"What?" she asked as she stood in the empty corridor.
"Let's go a little further," he muttered as he placed a hand on her lower back -he tried to ignore the way she flinched at his touch- and led her down the hall. "Look," he said as he faced her "I know I've been a dick to you," he huffed out a breath and placed his index finger under her chin, raising her face so that she would look at him "I didn't tell you because I knew you would be mad,"
"When did it happen?"
"When did what happen?"
Ophelia rolled her eyes "When did you become one?"
"Over the summer."
She nodded her head "Why?"
"Love, you're gonna need to be more specific with your questions." he said with a slight laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"Why did he make you become one?"
"It's complicated," Draco said "He was mad at my father, or something along those lines," he rambled. "But Ophelia, please forgive me, I didn't mean to treat you so unfairly."
She stayed silent and chewed on her lip, thinking of what to say.
There was no doubt she was still pissed at him, they only had the fight earlier that day and he's already asking for forgiveness. Though the augment ran through her head again.
"Can I think about it?" her voice rasped out.
"Think about it?" he asked "What is there to think about?"
"Everything really," she sighed "I don't like the way you've been treating me, I don't like how you didn't just tell me you were working for him in the first place, I don't like the way you've been lying to me," she huffed and shook her head "There's a lot to think about."
Draco was starting to get impatient "But I love you." he said under his breath as he slung his head down in defeat.
"Do you?" she asked "Or are you just saying that?"
He looked at her and knotted his eyebrows "Why would I just say it and not mean it?" he tilted his head "Look, you can think about it, as long as you want," he said while taking a step forward "I'll wait, really I will," he took her hands in his "I've been in love with you for a while Ophelia Woodlock, it just took me a minute to figure it out."
His voice was soft. It made Ophelia want to melt.
She swallowed hard as he leaned down and pressed a kiss into her cheek. He let go of her hands and stepped away from her.
He waited a moment, waiting for her to say something, though she just stayed silent.
He nodded his head and sighed "Well just let me know what you think." he said while keeping eye contact with the flustered girl "Bye."
She squeezed her eyes shut as he walked away. She felt as if she could cry again. She really did love him.
~
ahhh thank you for 40K reads! Love you all!
the dress that Ophelia wears to the party is in the picture above the chapter.
-
French line:
You look beautiful (vous êtes belle)