A/N: Draco is haunted by nightmares and decides to go down to the kitchens for something to warm him up and calm his nerves. Is there someone out there that can help him to deal with his problems and not just ignore them? Draco/OC. RxR. FxF. I do not own Harry Potter.
Submission for:
Fanfiction Terminology Challenge: Multi-chap
Hogwarts Fair 2014 Challenge/Competition: Mini Golf
Prompt: Write about something taking place in the Hogwarts kitchens
Draco could not sleep. There were whirling thoughts in his mind and a weight on his chest. He had been tossing in his bed for hours before he had finally given up. He walked out of his shared dorm and down into the cold Slytherin common room. The fire had been put out, allowing the cold to seep into the walls. Draco shivered, wishing he had grabbed a shirt before coming down here.
He sat there in the dark common room alone just thinking and making himself even sicker. He wanted to sleep so badly but every time he closed his eyes and lay back on the couch, his dreams were filled with frightening visions and he would wake back up with a gasp only having got a few minutes rest. He needed to do something. He needed something warm. He needed something to calm him down and to put the horrid thoughts at bay.
It was past midnight and all the castle was quiet as the students slept in their beds. Moonlight shone through the open spaces in the stone walls, lighting the corridors that ran throughout the structure. But that was for the floors above ground. Below ground in the dungeons, no light shone into the cold passageway. But he chose to remain in the dark, using only the muted light on the torches of the wall to guide him to his destination. He did not want to risk being caught outside of bed simply because of bad dreams.
Crabbe and Goyle had told him to locations of the kitchen a few years back when he had asked how they always had a constant supply of food in the dorm. He stood before the large portrait of a bowl of fruit and tickled the pear before he stepped through.
The kitchen was empty and clean, the tables wiped down and the ovens and burners spotless. There were no sounds as the house-elves as well were sleeping at this time of night. He stepped further in, smiling a bit at the large fire at the end of the room that warmed him from his head to his toes. This was much better than the Slytherin dorms. But he wondered how he would get something warm to drink now.
"Sir?" a soft voice asked behind him. He turned to see a small female elf gazing up at him with large brown eyes. She had very large ears and tomato nose and was wearing a blouse and skirt.
Though it was odd to see an house-elf in clothes, Draco regarded her indifferently. Normally, in one of his worse moods, he would have shouted at her, demanded his drink and thrown in a good kick for good measure. But right now, he just felt haunted and fatigued. He said quietly, "Could I bother you for a cup of hot chocolate?"
The little elf nodded enthusiastically before running off. A small smile graced Draco's face as he took a seat at the nearest long table and waited. The hot chocolate wouldn't solve his problems but it would help him for now.
The little elf bustled back over to him with a small tea tray, his lone mug of hot chocolate sitting on it. With a small smile, she placed it on the table and curtesyed, "Your drink, Sir."
Draco picked up the mug and took a small sip. It was perfect, with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, with floating marshmallows. "Thank you," he said without really thinking out it.
The little elf's eyes widened before saying, "You're welcome, Sir," before she ran off and left the blonde-haired wizard with his chocolate.
