Belle's eyes followed Draco as he fleed the tavern. She scoffed, rolling
her eyes. Ron sighs, rolling his eyes along with her.
"He's a bloody coward, I swear!" he said matter-of-factly.
Belle narrowed her eyes in thought, bringing her mug up to her lips for a sip. She swallowed the warm liquid, sighing. "He's afraid of the past.." she said quietly
"But Belle, what do you mean by that?" Ron said curiously.
"No matter" she said simply in reply, rising from her stool. She nodded a goodbye to the group. "See you tonight.." she said as she walked up the stairs to the inn. As the old wood boards creaked beneath her, memories flooded her mind. Memories of Hogwarts, and the life she once had there. She reached her door, and opened it with her key, before gently shutting it behind her once more. The first thing she spotted as she walked in was an old owl, sitting in the middle of her bed.
"Well, hello" She said softly, walking over to it, and pulling a package and a letter off of its leg, pulling some bread out of her pocket and feeding it to it. She examined the things she had recieved, and sat down. She set the package down next to her, as her eyes scanned the envelope. She flipped it over, and her eyes met the Malfoy seal. She furrowed her eyebrow at this, but opened it anyway. The letter read: Belle- I thought you would like this back...I was cleaning out my old office in the ministry, and came across it..don't ask me why it was there, I haven't a clue. I have no use for it any longer, and since it was yours to begin with, I figured you'd like it back. -Draco Malfoy, Minister of Magic
She laughed a little at the letter. "What could this be?" She thought aloud. She reached for the package, and ripped off the brown wrapping. Her eyes widened as she saw the cover of a book she hadn't seen in years. She opened the cover cautiously, and her eyes fell upon a picture. She laughed slightly at it, examining it closer. It was a picture of her and Draco at a very young age..5 or younger possibly. In the picture, he was handing her a rose, a goofy smile plastered across his face. The younger her giggled, taking it and smelling it. Belle laughed, turning the page. On the page was another picture, similar, except that Draco and Belle were about two years older. As she flipped through the album, the two got older in the pictures, and their faces changed. After the second picture, their faces got sarcastic, until a few more later. They were about 14, and their faces looked sincere. Belle smiled a little at this, flipping the page once more. Over the next few pages, the two's faces got more hardened, angry. She furrowed a brow, flipping one last page. This picture was different from the rest. It was graduation day..she leaned back on the bed, remembering the day clearly.
It was a lovely summer day, and the 7th years were bustling about in the common room, speaking of graduation, and what would happen afterward. Belle smiled politely as her friends spoke of their dreams, but she knew it was likely they would never come true. She wasn' much of a dreamer anymore. Those days had past, she was moving on. Before she knew it, the cermony had come and gone, and she was standing with her parents, her face emotionless and blank.
"Oh come on sweetie, give us your marvelous smile Belle! Its all over! You did it!" Belle's mother beamed at her daughter, putting a slender hand on her shoulder. Her attention turned to the distance behind Belle. "Oh! I've got an idea!" She grabs Belle's arm, dragging her over to the Malfoy family. Belle gives a pleading look to her father, but he just shrugged and chuckled, following. Her mother pulled out her camera, and Belle groaned, knowing what was about to happen. "Draco get in the picture." Belle's mother said, motioning him toward Belle. He walked over, his face looking blank. "OH! Can't forget this!" Belle's mother handed him a rose, and smiled. "Just for old times sake, go on..you know what to do" She winked, backing up a few paces to get a good shot.
"er..um Mrs. Gratio..." Draco tried to protest, but Belle's mom just shooed him toward Belle.
"Go on dear!" she said, shaking her head, laughing.
Draco walked over toward Belle, barely glancing at her. He put his hand out to hand her the rose, looking down.
"Draco LOOK at her for heaven's sake!" Belle's mother called.
He looked up at her, his eyes softening. Belle took it, just as the camera flashed, a tear rolling down her cheek. She turned away quickly, biting her lip. Draco reached out his hand slightly, but pulled it back just as quick.
Belle stared down at the photo. That was so long ago...but it seemed so close. She sighed, snapping the album shut. All that was in the past now. She musn't go back....
"He's a bloody coward, I swear!" he said matter-of-factly.
Belle narrowed her eyes in thought, bringing her mug up to her lips for a sip. She swallowed the warm liquid, sighing. "He's afraid of the past.." she said quietly
"But Belle, what do you mean by that?" Ron said curiously.
"No matter" she said simply in reply, rising from her stool. She nodded a goodbye to the group. "See you tonight.." she said as she walked up the stairs to the inn. As the old wood boards creaked beneath her, memories flooded her mind. Memories of Hogwarts, and the life she once had there. She reached her door, and opened it with her key, before gently shutting it behind her once more. The first thing she spotted as she walked in was an old owl, sitting in the middle of her bed.
"Well, hello" She said softly, walking over to it, and pulling a package and a letter off of its leg, pulling some bread out of her pocket and feeding it to it. She examined the things she had recieved, and sat down. She set the package down next to her, as her eyes scanned the envelope. She flipped it over, and her eyes met the Malfoy seal. She furrowed her eyebrow at this, but opened it anyway. The letter read: Belle- I thought you would like this back...I was cleaning out my old office in the ministry, and came across it..don't ask me why it was there, I haven't a clue. I have no use for it any longer, and since it was yours to begin with, I figured you'd like it back. -Draco Malfoy, Minister of Magic
She laughed a little at the letter. "What could this be?" She thought aloud. She reached for the package, and ripped off the brown wrapping. Her eyes widened as she saw the cover of a book she hadn't seen in years. She opened the cover cautiously, and her eyes fell upon a picture. She laughed slightly at it, examining it closer. It was a picture of her and Draco at a very young age..5 or younger possibly. In the picture, he was handing her a rose, a goofy smile plastered across his face. The younger her giggled, taking it and smelling it. Belle laughed, turning the page. On the page was another picture, similar, except that Draco and Belle were about two years older. As she flipped through the album, the two got older in the pictures, and their faces changed. After the second picture, their faces got sarcastic, until a few more later. They were about 14, and their faces looked sincere. Belle smiled a little at this, flipping the page once more. Over the next few pages, the two's faces got more hardened, angry. She furrowed a brow, flipping one last page. This picture was different from the rest. It was graduation day..she leaned back on the bed, remembering the day clearly.
It was a lovely summer day, and the 7th years were bustling about in the common room, speaking of graduation, and what would happen afterward. Belle smiled politely as her friends spoke of their dreams, but she knew it was likely they would never come true. She wasn' much of a dreamer anymore. Those days had past, she was moving on. Before she knew it, the cermony had come and gone, and she was standing with her parents, her face emotionless and blank.
"Oh come on sweetie, give us your marvelous smile Belle! Its all over! You did it!" Belle's mother beamed at her daughter, putting a slender hand on her shoulder. Her attention turned to the distance behind Belle. "Oh! I've got an idea!" She grabs Belle's arm, dragging her over to the Malfoy family. Belle gives a pleading look to her father, but he just shrugged and chuckled, following. Her mother pulled out her camera, and Belle groaned, knowing what was about to happen. "Draco get in the picture." Belle's mother said, motioning him toward Belle. He walked over, his face looking blank. "OH! Can't forget this!" Belle's mother handed him a rose, and smiled. "Just for old times sake, go on..you know what to do" She winked, backing up a few paces to get a good shot.
"er..um Mrs. Gratio..." Draco tried to protest, but Belle's mom just shooed him toward Belle.
"Go on dear!" she said, shaking her head, laughing.
Draco walked over toward Belle, barely glancing at her. He put his hand out to hand her the rose, looking down.
"Draco LOOK at her for heaven's sake!" Belle's mother called.
He looked up at her, his eyes softening. Belle took it, just as the camera flashed, a tear rolling down her cheek. She turned away quickly, biting her lip. Draco reached out his hand slightly, but pulled it back just as quick.
Belle stared down at the photo. That was so long ago...but it seemed so close. She sighed, snapping the album shut. All that was in the past now. She musn't go back....