A/N: Just one question: why the hell is FF.Net blocking stars and tildes? Does someone see the logic behind this? If so, please tell me, because I don't.
Chapter 9 - Get Together
This was not to Draco's liking. Rhiannon was virtually forcing him to work together with her. It seemed as if he would have to tell her what Salazar had told him. And Draco had wanted to never do that. Damn, didn't she realize he had done this all for her? He sighted.
"Well, I changed my mind. I won't anymore," he informed her equally coldly.
"I'm not accepting that." She turned her head to glare at him. Draco returned the glare. For a few seconds no one said a thing. Then Draco finally leaned back and relaxed with a smile.
"You're just doing this to get back together with me," he said.
"So what if I am?"
"It isn't going to happen. Ever." As Draco said this he literally felt his heart break into a thousand tiny pieces. He had never, ever wanted to inflict such pain onto Rhiannon. Her silky, black hair shimmered in the faint light of Draco's fireplace as she lowered her head. Somehow this little gesture of defeat made him more sad than anything else. He desperately wanted to reach out and stroke her hair to secure her, to show her he still loved her. But he couldn't.
The fact that he had only broken up with her for her own protection didn't make things easier.
He heard her whisper something, but not what she was actually saying.
"Sorry, didn't catch that. What were you saying?" he asked and leaned forward. Slowly she turned her head to him, a sad smile playing around her lips.
"I said: I'd like to know why."
Draco closed his eyes for a moment. He had been dreading this moment since he broke up with her. He had prepared the lies he would tell her now - that he had decided not to be his father's marionette any longer.
Then he opened his eyes and saw Rhiannon. It was like seeing her for the first time. Her crystal blue eyes were wide with innocence and her lips just seemed to beg for a kiss. But he also saw the hurt beneath and all the blame for it lay with him and him alone.
In that second all his lies were forgotten.
He realized it would hurt her more to be separated from him than anything else. He wasn't going to protect her from getting hurt if he distanced himself from her.
"Rhiannon, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He put his head in his hands and leaned forward, so that his elbows rested on his knees. Rhiannon moved closer and put a reassuring hand onto his shoulder.
"Draco..." "I'm so sorry for putting you through this. I never thought it would hurt you so much. How can you ever forgive me for what I've done?" He couldn't restrain himself any longer. A few tears slid down his face and he sobbed dryly. Over the course of the last few days he had almost gone crazy because of not being with Rhiannon. He had never known what it was like to lose someone he loved.
Rhiannon put her arms around him and held him tightly.
"I've already forgiven you," she whispered soothingly.
They remained like this for a while. Draco sobbed occasionally.
Some time ago he would have been ashamed of himself for crying in the presence of another person. Now it simply didn't matter anymore.
Rhiannon was there and she had forgiven him. It was more than he could ask for and was overwhelmed by the relief that surged through him at her words.
Gradually he calmed down again.
"Rhiannon," he muttered. "I left you because Salazar told me he wished Rowena had never met him. He saw how much she suffered because of him and so he left her before it got any worse."
"He ran away," Rhiannon said. "He wouldn't face his problems and so he just ran away. I'm sure this hurt Rowena more than he would have if he had stayed with her. She nearly broke out into tears when I told her Salazar was crazy because of his views."
"I see my parents didn't do a good job of grinding the Pureblood policy into your mind."
"I had a lot of teachers and a maid who told me otherwise. I was smart enough not to let your parents know, though."
At that Draco laughed lowly and kissed Rhiannon's hand.
"You're so much like Rowena," he told her, still laughing. Rhiannon smiled wryly.
"Yes, but don't you ever leave me like Salazar did Rowena," she said. "Never do that to me again."
The next morning was another school day. Rhiannon had needed persuasion from an annoyed Tracy to return to her dorm.
"I'd never have thought making up with someone could take this long," Tracy growled as they walked to their last lesson - Defense against the Dark Arts. "I'm still a freaking icicle from the time I spent in that freezing hallway."
"I'm sorry," said Rhiannon. "I thought I would be out of there in under five seconds. I'll invite you to the Three Broomsticks next time we get to Hogsmeade. I know it's not much, but..."
"I thought I heard the words 'making up' somewhere there," came a sneering voice from behind them.
Sure enough it was Pansy.
"I heard Draco and you broke up for a couple of days during the Christmas holidays," she continued. "I take it he finally realized how much you suck. I just don't get why he let himself be forced to be with you again."
"Drop it, Pansy. This is getting stupid," Rhiannon said, not even looking at her.
"You've already lost, Parkinson," Tracy added.
None of them noticed Pansy's wide grin.
They reached the classroom and sat down at their tables. Rhiannon sat down next to Tracy and saved the seat next to her for Draco, who had taken Ancient Runes and not Arithmancy like the two girls did.
He arrived about five minutes after the girls and immediately dropped down onto his seat. He took Rhiannon's hand and sighted. This little display of affection made Tracy growl again.
"Here I go and help my best friend with her love life and my reward for it is that said best friend cannot exist anymore without her boyfriend. God..."
"Oh, come on," said Rhiannon. "You weren't any better when you and Mark got together." At the mention of Mark Draco tensed a bit. Rhiannon just had to smile at him to make him feel heartened.
Professor d'Arbanville arrived shortly after the last student had sat down at his desk.
She shut the door behind her rather loudly and made everyone fell silent at once. Rhiannon looked at her with interest. She hadn't thought about her lately, the break up with Draco had occupied her thoughts.
d'Arbanville had an aura around that clearly said 'No Nonsense', in that aspect she appeared very much like McGonagall. However her voice was much gentler than McGonagall's, which became apparent as she spoke.
"Good morning, class. I'm your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Plimmswood had an unfortunate encounter with his mother's cauldron during the Christmas holidays and is currently at St. Mungo's for treatment," she said and looked up from her notes, which she had been spreading out on her desk while she spoke. Her right eye was still covered with her hair. Rhiannon noticed her voice wasn't coarse anymore.
"My name is Vanora d'Arbanville. I expect you to put your very heart into this subject, since the Dark Lord is stronger than ever." This earned her a few smirks from some students.
"And I will not tolerate your behaviour towards this very delicate subject," she spat at those students. The smirks were wiped of their faces, nobody dared to oppose her.
The woman had just earned Rhiannon's utmost respect with that.
"Now," the Professor huffed. "Role call. Ayde Francis?"
"Here." d'Arbanville nodded.
"Chastain Rhiannon?"
"Here," answered Rhiannon.
d'Arbanville looked at her and the almost familiar sharp pain shot through Rhiannon's hand again.
"Please come and meet me after class." It was no request, it was an order.
"Yes, Professor," Rhiannon said through gritted teeth. She saw the professor nod and move on to the next student before putting her hand to her temple.
'Why?' she thought 'Why?'
A/N: All it takes to make me happy is to have the same amount of chapters and reviews. Do you think this is manageable? Please, tell me what you think - that I suck at punctuation, that Rhiannon is a Mary Sue... anything. Go on, just click on the little blue "Go" button down there and write me some nice - or not so nice, as the case may be - lines and submit them. It would make me infinitely happy!