CHAPTER 8:
"You're leaving." Potter looked at the blonde, and ran a hand through his hair.
"Leaving?" he asked, and Draco nodded, not looking at him. He was moving around, cleaning up things and messing it up again.
"To Privet Drive again?" he tried, and Draco shot him a deadly glare.
"No fucking way if I'll come to rescue your sorry butt again, Potter. No, you're leaving for the weasel's house." He didn't explain that he had met him and Granger today; Potter'd figure it out himself. He fell silent, and then he sighed.
"You met them today, didn't you? Did you tell them anything?" he asked, getting up. Draco still didn't turn around, and kept cleaning the bench, as if he was obsessed by getting it very, very clean.
"I didn't say anything. But you're going to leave." Potter had stopped back him, and suddenly Draco felt one single hand on his shoulder.
"If you say so. Thanks for the hospitality; say so to your parents too, and tell them I am very grateful for their help. I will see you back at school." Then the hand disappeared, and Potter left to pack his bags. Draco gripped the bench, and closed his eyes. Damn.
"Draco, go help aunt Mariel clean up the dishes! You're supposed to do something here too!" Narcissa shouted after Draco as he made his way up to his bedroom. He groaned, but turned around to help the old git clean up after dinner. He had been transported back to Privet Drive after Potter had left for Weasley's house. So now he was stuck here again.
"Okay, calm down," he mumbled, stroke away a few hairs from his face, and then walked back into the kitchen. He finished the dishes, and started walking upstairs. But he changed his mind halfway up the stairs, and turned towards the front door. He might as well take a trip outside. He pulled on his shoes and his jacket, and opened the front door.
"I'm taking a trip outside, I'll be right back!" Draco shouted, and closed the door before anyone could answer him.
Maybe I'll go back to that place. No, fuck, wait. I can't go back to that place. Maybe I'll go to the shop. But that's boring. Draco sighed, and shoved his hands deep down in his pockets. This summer had started boring, confusing and slightly interesting, but was turning out to be just confusing and completely boring. He couldn't decide where to go, so he ended up pacing the streets, back and forth, up and down, here and there. In the end, he had no idea where he was, but he didn't quite care.
"Hey, you look like some sort of lost puppy. By the way, I haven't seen you before, so I take it for granted that you don't live here," a female voice said, amused. Draco looked around, and spotted someone in a tree nearby. He frowned at her, and stopped.
"I am not a lost puppy. And no, I don't live here, and I couldn't be happier for that. And who in Merlin's name are you?" he said to her, and she laughed loudly.
She had the most amusing laugh Draco had ever heard, it sounded like a very loud waterfall, with some pig-sounds. She jumped down from the tree, straightening her hair. She was also the most amusing creature he had ever seen. He was used to girl who dolled themselves up, with brushing their long hair until it was silky and shiny, and wear pastel-coloured clothes and cute shoes. This girl, on the other hand, had long, black and white hair, which was ruffled and un-organized, and she was wearing a black and white tutu, with a black singlet over it, and a black jacket with white dots. On her left leg, she was wearing a black and white-striped stocking, and two different shoes, one of course white, and one black. She was wearing fingerless gloves, one black and one white. What's with this girl and black and white? Draco wondered, studying the girl.
"I understand you. I wish I didn't live here, but unfortunately, I do. And I'm Mica DeLuca, I live a few houses away from here. And why are you saying Merlin? Most people I know say something like 'and who in the name of God are you'. And who are you? Wait that was a very stupid question, as I didn't quite answer it when you asked me who I was. You see, I can't start telling you about who I am, because I am who I am, and you didn't ask for my name, which was what I gave you. So hi, I am me, and my name is Mica DeLuca. What is your name?" she then asked, and Draco blinked. She was as tall as he was, and she was grinning like an idiot.
"My name is Draco Malfoy," he said, quite taken aback by her chatting. He wasn't used to talk this much to anyone, not even those he knew! What the fuck was wrong with this girl?
"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Draco Malfoy. By the way, your name is very funny. Also, you look like a prick. Are you a prick?" she asked, as if they had known each other for ages. Draco almost shook his head at her, she was way too… he didn't even have words for her! He couldn't hide his small smile. She was very, very amusing, that was for sure.
"No, I'm not a prick. But I am an idiot, sometimes." Mica just pulled her shoulders, and grinned again.
"Oh well, so am I. Some people even say I am all the time! But that's just their opinion; I think I am a very nice person. Some say I am a freak, but I take that as a compliment, coming from Dudley Dursley." Draco flinched back at the name. Of course she knew who Dudley Dursley was, she lived here. She noticed that he flinched, and sighed, suddenly growing serious.
"So you have met Dudley and his gang, I take it?" she asked, and Draco's face darkened.
"Yes, I have. But they didn't do anything to me, they… they hurt a guy I know." Mica rolled her eyes.
"A guy you know? So it was not someone who's special to you?" she teased, and Draco growled, clenching his fists.
"No, he's not. He's just someone I know, and I have made his life fucking miserable for the last five years, ever since we were eleven." Mica put a hand on her chin, and furrowed her brows.
"Hm… you know that Potter-boy? You go to that school from criminal boys?" she asked, and Draco almost fell to his butt.
"What- how'd-? WHAT?" he managed to press out, very upset and very shocked. Potter? In a school for criminal boys? Was that what he told people? Was he ashamed of his school?
"I'm going to kill that prat," Draco mumbled, thinking about Potter. He should've told Draco when the incident with the stapler happened. Mica raised her eyebrows again, and placed her hands on her hips.
"Who? Potter? So you do know him?" she said, quite amused. Obviously, she thought that Draco was furious for letting the rumour slip that they went to a school for criminal boys. He shot her a deadly glare, and huffed.
"I am NOT attending a school for criminals! Did Potter say so? Damn, I will kill him, just wait…" Draco mumbled, mostly to himself.
"So you're not attending a school for criminals, as you so nicely put it?" Mica said, giggling. Draco straightned, and raised his chin. Did he look like he was a criminal? His family wasn't excactly innocent, but Draco was going to rise above what his ancestors had done.
"No, I am not. And if Potter said so, I swear to Merlin, I will hunt him down and kill him." Mica laughed, and patted his shoulder, one of her hands still on her hip.
"No worries, Potter didn't say anything. Actually, I never spoke to him. I was too busy running from people like Dudley. When they didn't chase Potter, they chased me. No, it's his family who spread that rumour. So he's not attending some sort of institute? What school is he at?" she asked, curious. Of course Draco couldn't tell her. She was a muggle, and she was now touching him… he pulled away from her touch, and cleared his throat.
"You should ask Potter that," he said shortly, and decided to try and find his way back home. He walked in one direction, deserving a laugh from the strange girl. He turned around to give her a questioning look, and she pointed the opposite way of the way Draco was walking.
"If you're searching for a house near Potter's, I suggest you go that way. That road will just lead you away from everything." Draco blushed, and turned around, walking past her with as much dignity he could muster. He could hear her giggle, but at least she didn't say anything. So he hurried home, hoping he wouldn't meet her again.
Once again, his luck failed him. He was walking into the shop, once again going to buy chocolate. I'm going to get fat, he thought, when someone laughed.
"Oh, isn't it Draco Malfoy again?" a bright voice said, and Draco's head snapped up. Mica DeLuca was sitting on the counter, her face shining with laugh. Draco's own face darkened, and he walked over to the chocolate, determined to ignore her. But she just laughed again, and walked over to him.
"Hello, Mica DeLuca," Draco mumbled, and Mica giggled, leaning closer.
"You haven't seen Potter around, have you?" she asked, and Draco looked at her.
"I though you said you didn't know him?" She shrugged, and pulled her shoulders, looking as innocent as possible with black eyeliner all around her eyes.
"I don't. But the shopkeeper wants to know, because he knew Potter, and he's concerned." Draco sighed. He couldn't say he didn't know anything, because then they wouldn't stop asking. And he couldn't tell them that he was at Weasley's place, because he didn't know Weasley well enough to tell Mica DeLuca who he was.
"He's all right, he's with some friends from school," Draco mumbled instead, grabbing some chocolate and heading for the desk to pay for it. Mica followed him, smiling.
"All right, then! Did you hear that, Mr. L? He's all right," she said, grinning widely at the shopkeeper. He smiled back, and then he smiled at Draco.
"I'm glad to hear, you all right? Mr. Dursley can lose his temper sometimes," he said, apologizing. Draco pressed a smile to his lips, which looked more like a line than a smile.
"I'm fine, thank you. But now I really got to go," he said, looking at Mica, who just grinned.
"Okay, see you later!" she shouted, and Draco gave her another look. Not if I can avoid you.
He was lying on his back, looking at the clouds. It was so peaceful to lie like this. He didn't miss his garden anymore, he'd survive without it. He missed something, but he didn't know what. It wasn't Potter, of course it wasn't Potter, he didn't give a shit about Potter! And it wasn't his garden or Malfoy Manor… Maybe I'm missing Slytherin, and it's making itself clear now that I know that I'm going back, he thought, and settled with that. It was so much easier than all the other options.
