When Bella finally opened her eyes she froze when she heard the soft snores from Draco and felt the steady rise and fall of his shoulders under her head. Her hand brushed against something on the ground and she glanced down to see her wand lying beside her thigh. Whoever locked them in the night before must have thrown her wand in while she lay sleeping. She wouldn't complain, at least she had it back now.
She slowly lifted her head from his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't stir. Rising to her feet she stretched her stiff muscles with difficulty in the tight space, dusting the dirt and dust from her clothes. Grasping her wand tightly in her hand she shuffled forwards and pointed it straight at the door handle. 'Alohomora'; the door popped open with a soft click. Draco began to stir behind her and she turned to look over her shoulder at him.
"What's going on?" He asked groggily, rubbing his eyes.
"The door's open." She answered, inclining her head towards the door standing ajar.
Draco pushed himself off the floor, brushing the dirt and dust from his trousers as he went. An awkwardness fell over the pair as they stood staring at each other, Bella feeling the cupboard getting tighter each second she remained. Without a word she fled from the space, putting as much space between her and Draco as was physically possible.
She ran as fast as her feet would carry her to Gryffindor Tower and stumbled through the portrait hole, falling into someone as she went.
"Hey, watch -"
Bella realised it was Ron she had stumbled into and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle as he embraced her.
"Where have you been?!" Hermione questioned.
"Long story." Bella replied. "Where is Harry? What happened?"
"Harry's okay." Freya answered.
"He's out cold right now but Madame Pomfrey reckons he'll be okay." Emily added.
"Oh I'm so glad you're all okay." Bella breathed, pulling herself out of Ron's arms to look at her friends smiling faces.
"I'm just glad you're okay, mum would kill me if anything happened to you." Ron replied.
"Seamus has been worried sick about you." Hermione commented.
Bella followed Hermione's line of sight to see Seamus and Dean emerging from the staircase. Dean tapped Seamus' shoulder and pointed towards Bella; Seamus turned his head and his face split into a wide grin. Bella walked swiftly across the common room and Seamus wrapped her small frame in his embrace.
"Are you okay?" He asked into her hair.
"I'm okay." She replied.
"What happened?" Seamus pulled his head back to look down at her as she did the same.
"Come sit and I'll tell you everything."
Bella pulled out of his embrace and took his hand in hers as she pulled him over to the sofas, dropping down into one and pulling Seamus down beside her. The other first years took the seats scattered around the fire and turned their expectant eyes on her.
"So where were you?" Ron asked.
"Locked in a cupboard on the other side of the seventh floor with Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Hermione questioned.
"Malfoy." Bella answered with a nod of her head.
"What's Malfoy got to do with it?" Ron asked angrily.
"Well someone grabbed me on the staircase, took my wand and chucked me into a cupboard. I only realised anyone else was in there when I fell on top of him." Bella replied.
The first years shared a look and Seamus' grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.
"What happened after that?" Emily asked.
"We bickered about stuff most of the time and then I fell asleep." Bella answered.
"You just fell asleep?" Seamus asked.
"Yeah. That was it."
She knew she couldn't tell them what had really happened in the cupboard; it felt wrong, as though she was betraying Draco in some way. She couldn't explain how but something had changed between them in that small confined space that night. Between protecting her from potential attack in the forest and letting her sleep on his shoulder, Bella knew something was going on in Draco's mind but she also knew she would never figure it out; she didn't know if she wanted to. She was supposed to hate him, he was supposed to hate her. But even at eleven years old she knew within herself that she couldn't hate him even when she and her family despised everything he and his family stood for, not now.
It had been exactly two weeks to the day since the incident with the Philosopher's Stone and Harry was now wide awake, just in time for the end of year feast. Everyone had discovered what had led Harry to land in the hospital wing and this made him anxious to leave the safety of the Hospital Wing, however with the encouragement of his friends he did.
It was extravagant as every special feast was. Slytherin had won the house cup and the other houses were in a sombre mood, however that changed when Dumbledore awarded last minute points to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Emily and Freya, bringing Gryffindor into the lead by a strong mile. As expected the Slytherins were extremely put out. Bella had caught Draco's eye and the pair turned away quickly, embarrassment written all over their faces. Cedric had wished Bella a happy summer and Bella wished him one back as they parted ways in the Entrance Hall after the feast.
The final night in Gryffindor Tower was a happy one as the Gryffindors all sat laughing and playing games all around the common room. Bella was sad to be leaving although she was excited to be seeing her family again.
The following morning passed in a blur and before she knew it Bella was tucked away in a carriage of the Hogwarts Express, barrelling through the Scottish countryside on their way back to London.
Bella sat snugly between Seamus and Dean, her head resting gently on Seamus shoulder as they spoke.
"Can I talk to you outside for a second?" Seamus asked.
"Yeah." Bella replied.
They made their way from the packed carriage to a quieter part of the train where they could speak in peace. Bella noticed that Seamus appeared nervous, wringing his hands and looking everywhere other than at her.
"Is everything okay Sea?" She asked.
"Yeah." He replied.
"What did you want to talk about?" She asked.
"I-I just think you're pretty amazing and I want you to be my girlfriend."
Bella gaped at him while he spoke. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. When she didn't immediately answer Seamus' face dropped but his smile returned when she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Of course." She squealed.
With matching beaming smiles they made their way back to the carriage hand in hand. Everyone looked between their intertwined hands and their smiling faces but no one said a word as they took their seats again. After what felt like minutes the Hogwarts express pulled into Kings Cross Station and they all reconvened on the platform, bags in hand.
"Write to me this summer and I'll see if mum will let you all come stay." Bella was saying to her friends as Ron wished Harry a goodbye.
She pulled Harry into a hug and made him promise to write with an offer of staying at the Burrow soon as well. She wished Dean a happy summer before turning her attention on Seamus.
"You'll write me this summer won't you?" He asked her.
"Of course I will." She smiled.
They shared a short hug before parting ways for their respective parents. She watched as he greeted his mother a little further down the platform and followed Ron to where their mother stood. Ginny launched herself at Bella as soon as she seen her and held her tightly.
"I've missed you so much!" Ginny cried.
"I've missed you too Gin." Bella replied.
Bella ushered her crying sister back out of the gateway and into the station where her father was waiting by the car for them. Settled in the backseat between Ron and Ginny Bella thought back on her first year at Hogwarts and smiled.
"Did you both have a good first year at school?" Molly asked.
Bella sighed a happy sigh before she spoke.
"It was amazing."
