"These used to be my mother's," I explained to Mayhem, while messing up the fur on the top of his head. He looked at me inquisitively. "Look at this," I said, opening the jewellery box. It played a soothing tune for me, one I heard constantly, but still enjoyed. I sang the song quietly with the music.
"There's no place I'd rather be
Than here with you, and you with me.
But when I'm nowhere to be seen,
Close your eyes, I'm in your dreams."
Mayhem purred along to the music, and I smiled. That was the song my mother used to sing to me. Since the day she passed, it's been an inspiration. It's so much more than just a song to get me to sleep... it's a song to get me through life.
I heard a large crash coming from the door, and subtle moaning. I looked up to see none other than Draco Malfoy, and a 'little friend' of his, Pansy Parkinson. He pushed her forcefully onto her bed and started groping her and kissing her neck, not even noticing me sitting there in disgust.
"You know, when people tell you to 'get a room', they usually mean one that isn't occupied," I stated flatly. Malfoy looked up at me, and groaned.
"You again, Reynolds? Get out of here!"
"Does Lola know about this?"
"Do I care?"
"You should. She's your girlfriend," I said. He rolled his eyes at me and continued to feel up Pansy. I shuddered at the sight. "Will you kindly bring these festivities elsewhere?"
"Draco, baby, can you please get her out of here so we can... continue this?" Pansy asked him, fluttering her eyelashes and touching his neck in a sad attempt at being seductive. Malfoy got up and walked towards me.
"Oh. Right. Is this supposed to be intimidating?" I asked, smirking up at him. "I'm telling Lola!" I said, sticking my tongue out at him. He walked even closer to me, with anger in his steps, until our faces were less than inches apart.
"Don't. You. Dare," he said, eyeing me with hatred. I felt the bitter coldness with his stare.
"Or what?" I said. He took one final step forward and I heard a crunch. My jaw dropped as I looked down. "YOU BROKE IT!" I yelled. I saw my mother's jewellery box, shattered on the floor in a jumble of wood scraps that would take forever to put together. My eyes stung with tears, and I had a shortness of breath. "You... you broke it..." I said, much more quiet this time around.
"Does that teach you?" he said, smirking down at me.
I loathe him.
He always has to have the last word, always has to win.
Not this time.
I flung my right fist at him with all my might, and knocked him square in the face. I hit him in the mouth with my left. I continued striking him with my clenched fists, losing control. Before I could grasp what I was doing, my legs got into the brawl, and I was kicking him too. It was pure gold, because I knew he would never fight back - I am a girl. He would just have to take the beating. I heard Pansy scream and run out of the dormitory. I started scratching and kicking more. At that point I wanted to do everything I could to put him through as much pain as possible.
And before I knew it, Malfoy laid on the ground before me, with a bloody nose, black eye, and fat lip. He had random scratches scattered on his face and arms. He was clutching his side, probably somewhere where I kicked him. I didn't know what to do at that moment. Should I run away and pretend I didn't do anything? I knew he would never tell a soul that I did this to him; everyone would make fun of him for getting his beat up by a girl - especially a girl of my height and dainty figure.
He breathed deeply in pain as I thought to myself, looking down at him. For some reason, seeing him like this made me want to cry even more. And knowing that I caused this damage just made it worse. I heaved a sigh and outstretched my arm, helping him up, for I knew this wasn't the first time he was put through this type of pain...
FLASHBACK TIME!
I heard yelling come from across the street; a grown male, with a piercing voice, so much so that you could hear the immorality in his every word. Then, a little boy, whose voice sounded hurt and sorrowful, crying and yelling...begging, pleading.
"Sir, no! Please!" came the boy. I saw a flash of red light coming from every window of the mansion, and then there was silence...
It was four years after my mom's death. I was ten. Although I was still unaware of the harsh reality of the world around me, I knew there was something wrong. I also knew, for that matter, where those screams where coming from.
The Malfoy Manor.
I knew what I was to do. I grabbed my broom and opened the door to my balcony. It was nighttime, and it was very dark, but I didn't mind. He was there for me when things got rough, so it was my very first priority at that time to be there for him. I stepped onto my balcony and mounted my broom, and then with one last breath, I kicked off and soared into the air. I had gotten much better at flying, with Billy's help, so I arrived at The Malfoy Manor in a short amount of time. I flew onto Malfoy's balcony and peered into the glass door. There I saw Draco, crying, in a horrible state. He had a huge gash through his forehead, and bumps and bruises everywhere. His nose and lips were bloody and swollen. I knocked on the door. He shot me a glance and quickly turned around so I couldn't see his tear-stained face.
"I already saw you, dummy," I stated. He huffed at me and came to open the door.
"What?" he said.
"I came to help,"
"I don't need your help, go away!" he said. I lead myself inside, since I knew he wasn't going to do it. He remained silent.
"What happened?" I asked, although I already knew.
"That's none of your business, Reynolds!"
"Sit down," I said. He took a seat on his extremely large - and fancy - bed. I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and brought out my wand. I waved it towards the gash on his forehead. "It should be fixed now," I couldn't really tell, since his face was completely covered in blood.
"And my lip?" he said, pointing to his abnormally large lip.
"I can't fix that... I only know the spell to treat open wounds," I explained. "But I'll help with it," I waved my wand again, causing a small bag of ice to appear in my hands. I placed it on his face.
"Ah! That's cold!" he said, backing away.
"Well do you want to fix it or not?" He groaned and sat back down, as I put the ice pack on his mouth and nose again. He twitched at first, because of the cold, but eventually got used to it.
"How do you know all this?" Malfoy said - his voice muffled. "All the magic... and making the swelling go away?"
"My brother..." I explained. "He teaches me everything," I told him stories about Billy and my mother, and how we used to go out to the park, ride our brooms, and have picnics.
"I wish I had a family like that," he said. I sighed, knowing his 'family' wasn't worthy enough of being called a family at all. He had no one that cared for him as much as Billy did for me... no one to clean up his bumps and scrapes, and no one to teach him anything in life. I thought I had it bad without a mother... but I didn't realize that he had it worse. I still had Billy, while he had to resort to me, his sworn enemy, to care for him. "I've never been to a park... or had a picnic,"
"Well, Billy and I will have to take you one day," I said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Hold this ice against your face, please," I reached into my other back pocket and pulled out my handkerchief. "Where's your washroom?"
"I have one in my room," he said, pointing to a door near the back of his extremely large bedroom. I went into his washroom, and gasped. Everything in there was the most expensive looking black marble. I quickly turned my attention to the sink, and wet my handkerchief. I walked back over to him and dabbed some water on his bloody face. I wiped away the blood the best I could, to see his ice blue eyes staring up at me. I smiled.
"There you go," I said. I got up and picked up my broom to leave, but I felt him tug my arm.
"Wait!" he said. I turned back around to face him.
"Yes?"
"I... uh, er, Thanks," he said.
"No problem," I said, grinning. And with that, I was gone.
END FLASHBACK
After helping Malfoy up, I lead him over to the boy's dormitory and handed him over to Crabbe and Goyle.
"Put ice on those bruises, guys," I said simply, and left the room. I had better things to do than tend to Malfoy's bruises again.
I walked down the stairs and into the empty common room. I hated the Slytherin common room; it was so dark and unwelcoming. I climbed out of the portrait hole and into the halls, heading for the hospital wing.
"Good day to you, Miss Reynolds," said Madame Pomfrey.
"Hello, Madame. Would I be able to visit Lola?" I asked. She nodded, even though we both knew I wasn't allowed there late at night.
"Just don't tell anyone," she said, grinning. I smiled and nodded, walking into the hospital wing. I saw many of the patients in their bed, sleeping. In the very last white bed of the room, was Lola. She wasn't sleeping, but sitting up in her bed, staring blankly out the window, with a troublesome look upon her face.
"Boo!" I said, pulling up a chair next to her bed and sitting down. She jumped and gave a quick smile.
"Hi," she said. I could tell something was wrong.
"What's up?" I said. She shrugged.
"I guess... it's Draco. He hasn't even come to visit me yet, or anything..." I cringed at the subject, remembering what I came here to do - tell her about Pansy.
"Um... yeah... about him," I started. "I don't think he deserves you, Lola."
"I'm the one that doesn't deserve him! He's so amazing, I don't know what to do!"
"Lola, please, listen..." I said. "He's not who you think he is... I mean... I caught him cheating on you with-"
"With Pansy," she said. I nodded. "And Millicent, and Hermione, I know,"
"Hermione?" I said, my eyes widened. "That's kind of... unexpected,"
"Yeah. Stupid Mudblood," she said with a sickened look.
"So... you know about all this?"
"Yeah. But what am I supposed to do about it? I can't leave him... I'm nothing without him. He completes me. He's my everything!"
"I know it seems that way at first... but once you just spend some time away from him, you'll get used to not having him around, and I bet you'll start to like it. I mean, you'll have freedom! And, he won't always push you around. It'll be fine, please, just leave him," I said. "You're better off,"
"You don't understand, you're not with him. Draco's... addictive. No matter how horrible he treats me, I always want to be with him, I always want more," she said. "I can't leave him, Blair," she wiped away some stray tears, as I gave her a reassuring hug. I didn't know exactly how she felt. I mean; if I were in that situation, I would definitely leave him. Why is it not that easy for her?
After a few hours, I finished my job as a best friend by making her happy. We were giggling and talking when Madame Pomfrey decided it was time that I should leave. I said goodbye to Lola and gave her a goodbye hug before heading up the stairs to the Slytherin Common Room.
I walked into the empty common room and climbed up the stairs to the dormitory. Everyone was sleeping. I got to my bed and looked down, realizing something: my jewellery box was gone! I sighed to myself, thinking that the house elves might have cleaned up the broken mess. I got into bed and shut my eyes, only to be acquainted with yet another awkward dream...