Chapter 14: Yes, No, Maybe So
Seraphim entered the Gryffindor common room and fled past Harry to her room, slamming the door shut. Performing a quick locking charm to make any unwanted interruptions impossible, she sat on her bed and curled up with the sky-themed quilt, lost in thought. It was Malfoy; it was Draco Malfoy.
After all the time she'd spent convincing herself that he was a mean, spiteful prat who didn't deserve the time of day from her… She shivered. The warm, masculine scent lingered about her person. She felt like she'd been burned. Breathing deeply, Seraphim wondered what the hell was wrong with her.
There was a knock on the door followed by a muffled "Seraphim!" She knew it was Harry.
"I don't wish to speak with you."
"Seraphim! Open the damn door!" Harry pounded violently.
"Please leave me alone. I'm trying to…think," she trailed off.
"What is there to think about? Open the door!" Harry swore as he pounded the door a little too hard. "Alohomora!"
"It won't work." Seraphim debated putting a silencing charm on the door as well, but Harry was distracting her from that which made her uncomfortable.
"I'm going to break the door down," Harry threatened.
"I'd like to see you try."
"Seraphim, please let me in; I need to talk to you," Harry pleaded.
"What about?" she asked airily, fingering the satiny warmth of the quilt.
"Seraphim!" Harry berated.
Grumbling, Seraphim muttered, "Finite incantato." Harry stumbled into see her glaring at him, wrapped up to her neck in the quilt and looking, for all the world, like Mrs. Weasley when she was about to tell Fred and George off.
"Seraphim…" Harry began.
Seraphim made no move to lessen her glare. But she did scoot over so Harry could sit beside her on the bed.
"Seraphim, please give him a chance," Harry looked meaningfully at her.
"Why such a sudden change of heart?" she asked sarcastically. "I thought you two were sworn enemies." Seraphim crossed her arms in a huff.
"He wants to make you happy," Harry put his hand on Seraphim's shoulder. "He wants to make up for all the less-than-admirable things he's done."
"And what about yesterday in class? Huh? Seems that bad-mouthing me isn't the best way to 'win fair lady's heart'," Seraphim bit her lip.
"Give him a chance."
"Why are you defending him? I'd have thought you'd love for me to hex his ears right off! You wanted me to teach you the wandless leg-locker curse to use on him at the beginning of the year!" Seraphim argued hotly.
"Because he needed the help," Harry explained.
"So? Just because- …oh never mind," Seraphim looked away and the vase of glowing stars caught her eye.
"He picked out all the gifts himself you know," Harry said after a long pause. "I told him that I'd help him but he wanted to do at least that on his own; see if he really could make you happy without running to me for advice. Hah, running to me for advice, that'd be the day," he said absent-mindedly, forgetting that it was through his advice that the Slytherin had been able to get the gifts to Seraphim.
Finally, Seraphim spoke, "I'm scared."
"Of what?" Harry asked, facing his friend.
"Broken heart…believing that I'm living in a fairy tale…" Seraphim sighed, "I wasn't always this pessimistic."
"Seraphim look," Harry grasped her chin firmly and turned her to look at him, "see all those gifts? Tell me they didn't make you happy. Tell me to my face that you didn't enjoy receiving them and that they don't mean anything to you. Tell me that it's not just because Draco Malfoy gave you those presents that you refuse to accept the offer he's making."
She raised her eyes to meet Harry's. "I…"
"You said so yourself when you were convinced our former plan would work: he can change. He has changed; or rather, he's dropped his mask for you. What more could you ask?" Harry smiled wryly.
"Lots of things," she mumbled distantly.
"I can't make the decision for you but I want you to know that I fully approve. And I'm sure Hermione does too. And don't worry about Ron," Harry assured her.
Seraphim laughed. "I worry about Ron, believe me."
Harry sighed; she was avoiding the subject.
"I need to make this decision on my own. I'm glad you put in your two cents, but I need to think. Seriously," Seraphim sent Harry a meaningful look. "This is my problem and I need to deal with it. I appreciate your concern but I need to do this by myself."
Harry chuckled. "You sound just like him when he flipped through the catalog looking for your presents."
Seraphim glared at the younger boy.
"All right, all right. I'll go," Harry stood and straightened his robes. "It'll be okay." He winked and strolled out the door.
Sighing to herself, Seraphim raised an eyebrow. Since when had Harry been the voice of reason? She had to admit that what he said had a ring of truth to it. The presents did make her happy. They showed that he had taken the time to get to know her without her realizing it.
He showed his knowledge of her love for idea of love with the rose: red for love and a touch of yellow for friendship. He knew of her love for music by means of the onyx jewelry box. The journal expressed an awareness of her desire to be creative in writing, no doubt seen in her assignments (give a detailed, original example of a scenario where wandless magic is helpful). By giving her the attachable star charms, he knew of her desire to be beautiful. The vase of glowing paper stars expressed an understanding of her reverence for the celestial bodies that served as such a great inspiration for her to venture into the unknown. And by leaving the beautiful quilt for her, he showed that he knew of her need for security and was willing to provide it. Hadn't the parchment said 'to comfort you when I cannot'?
And the last gift… Seraphim summoned a mirror and admired the beautiful pendant at her throat. People said that opals amplified feelings and emotions but all Seraphim felt was uncertainty. The dolphins…Seraphim thought hard to remember what they stood for. Finally, it came to her; balance, harmony, allowing life to happen. But her life was so confusing. The sphere obviously meant continuity, eternity, endlessness…but endlessness of what? Hope perhaps. In reference to the Christmas star. She knew that the gold chain meant immortality.
The necklace signified endless, immortal hope and flowing of life, allowing emotions to surface. Seraphim could not have been more confused. Of course, every aspect of the necklace had many different meanings. Seraphim had a book somewhere that would tell her each and every one but she was puzzled enough as it was.
She was missing something important, something simple because she was over-analyzing so much. But she could not, for the life of her, figure out what 'it' was. She knew how he felt, but how did she feel? How did Seraphim feel about the mysterious, blonde Slytherin who'd gone through what seemed like a major personality change in order to win her heart?
His gifts made her happy and his touch sent shivers down her spine, what was she waiting for? She was afraid. One did not travel through the wide world and not become a little jaded. How many times had she pined for someone only to find that they were far out of her reach? But maybe an exception was possible.
Seraphim looked at the clock. She'd been debating with herself for quite a while; it was nearly eleven thirty. She glanced at the gifts again.
The rose was the one that did it. She remembered the feeling; the rapturous joy of knowing someone admired her enough to send her such an exquisite flower. Looking at the perfect example of simple beauty, Seraphim felt an ache in the pit of her stomach. She needed to find Draco. She needed to give him an answer.
"Harry!" she called, crashing into the sixth-year boy's dormitory.
The familiar black-haired head appeared from behind the curtains of Harry's four-poster bed. "Whaizzit?" he mumbled sleepily.
Seraphim dashed over to him. "Where is he? Where is Draco?"
"Why?" Harry yawned, a hint of a smirk on his face.
"I…I need to talk to him," Seraphim explained.
"Mmm, thought you might." Harry ducked back into his bed and muttered something while Seraphim waited impatiently. "Mimpiff mannphed," he mumbled, reappearing. "He's still in the room of requirement."
Seraphim thanked Harry quickly and hurried out of the room.
She dashed down the hallways, nearly colliding with a suit of armor that was stretching its legs with a little midnight stroll. The clock began to chime midnight.
Bong…bong…Seraphim ran down the stairs two at a time and made a sharp left turn.
Bong…bong, bong, bong…The next staircase lurched heavily and Seraphim had to make a jump for the landing.
Bong, bong! Bong, bong!There was the room! Seraphim quickened her pace and grasped the door handle.
Bong…She wrenched the door open.
Bong!
"Draco!"