p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The Gryffindor party was in full swing when she arrived but Bella couldn't face it; happy that no one had noticed her entry, she back-tracked into the corridor, closing the door gently behind her. She wandered the corridors for a while until she found an alcove with a window seat, looking out over the Forbidden forest. There was a soft breeze blowing through a crack in the window pane and Bella sat back against the wall, staring out at the night sky. Her head fell back against the wall and she closed her eyes, feeling the soft breeze hitting her face./p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The breeze from the window helped to calm her, allowing her the only peace she'd had since the night before. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and just listened to the quiet sounds of the castle. In the distance, Bella heard the soft taps of footfalls against the stone flags - she opened her eyes and could see nothing but darkness before her. The sound of the steps grew louder as they got closer and Bella silently shuffled back, pressing her back flat against the wall. She pulled out her wand and held it at her side, ready to defend herself if need be. A sigh of relief escaped her as a flash of platinum blond hair was illuminated in the moonlight and Draco stepped out of the darkness, leaning against the wall beside her foot. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hi." he said quietly. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hi." she said back just as quietly./p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Are you okay?" he asked softly. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Yeah." Bella replied, relaxing against the wall. "What are you doing here?"/p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I just came to see if I could catch you. I wanted to check you were alright." Draco replied. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm fine." Bella replied, gesturing to the seat in front of her. "Don't just stand there looking creepy, sit down." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Yes boss." Draco chuckled softly, taking the seat across from her and stretching his legs out in front of him, his foot brushing against the edge of her thigh. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella turned to look out over the grounds, the silence in the corridor broken only by the sounds of their breathing and the low whistle of the wind through the crack in the windowpane. It wasn't an awkward silence, more a comfortable one. She could feel his eyes on her and she turned her head slowly to look at him. His eyes were focused solely on her, staring at her as though he was staring into her soul. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What?" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Tell me the truth." Draco replied, his stare unwavering, "Are you really okay?" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I already told you, I'm fine." Bella said, not looking him in the eye. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Bella -" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What do you want me to say?" Bella said rather sharply, her voice echoing around the draughty corridor. "Do you want me to say that I had no idea what was happening to me when I was under that water. That I wasn't even aware that Harry would even think of me as something he couldn't live without. That I am deathly afraid of any body of water and as soon as my head touched the surface I had a panic attack. T-That I thought I was going to die." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke. She wiped it away furiously, turning her face from Draco. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey." Draco whispered softly, moving across the alcove until he sat beside her. "It's okay, you're safe now." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"He wrapped his arm around her as she shook, silent sobs causing her body to tremble. Bella relaxed into his arms, allowing him to pull her trembling body into his own. Bella could feel his arms tightening around her, his fingers slowly running through her hair, and his soft, comforting words but she could do nothing as wave after wave of tears rushed over her, leaving her heaving for breath. She was unaware of how much time had passed by the time she caught her breath and her sobs had subsided to soft hiccups. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella pulled back from his embrace, just enough that she could glance up at him. Still running his fingers through her hair, he lowered his eyes to look down at her. There was a moment of hesitation between them both before Draco turned, lowering his head and pressing his lips softly against hers. His lips were cold against her own and she could still feel tears on her lip but nothing mattered in this moment. The kiss was soft, hesitant even, and then Draco pulled back, dropping the hold he still had on her and pulling himself backwards until he stood, leaving her in the alcove where he found her. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm sorry." he said quietly. Bella could see the sorrowful expression he wore, the moonlight spilling across his face. In an instant he was gone, his soft footsteps echoing after him were the only reminder that he had actually been in the corridor with her and this hadn't been some twisted dream. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face between them, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes. Bella had felt calmer than she had all day when she was in Draco's embrace and now she felt empty and her heart felt heavy. She hadn't realised how much she had wanted Draco to do what he did - now that he had, Bella felt as though things would never be the same between them again./p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The breeze from the window helped to calm her, allowing her the only peace she'd had since the night before. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and just listened to the quiet sounds of the castle. In the distance, Bella heard the soft taps of footfalls against the stone flags - she opened her eyes and could see nothing but darkness before her. The sound of the steps grew louder as they got closer and Bella silently shuffled back, pressing her back flat against the wall. She pulled out her wand and held it at her side, ready to defend herself if need be. A sigh of relief escaped her as a flash of platinum blond hair was illuminated in the moonlight and Draco stepped out of the darkness, leaning against the wall beside her foot. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hi." he said quietly. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hi." she said back just as quietly./p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Are you okay?" he asked softly. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Yeah." Bella replied, relaxing against the wall. "What are you doing here?"/p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I just came to see if I could catch you. I wanted to check you were alright." Draco replied. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm fine." Bella replied, gesturing to the seat in front of her. "Don't just stand there looking creepy, sit down." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Yes boss." Draco chuckled softly, taking the seat across from her and stretching his legs out in front of him, his foot brushing against the edge of her thigh. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella turned to look out over the grounds, the silence in the corridor broken only by the sounds of their breathing and the low whistle of the wind through the crack in the windowpane. It wasn't an awkward silence, more a comfortable one. She could feel his eyes on her and she turned her head slowly to look at him. His eyes were focused solely on her, staring at her as though he was staring into her soul. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What?" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Tell me the truth." Draco replied, his stare unwavering, "Are you really okay?" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I already told you, I'm fine." Bella said, not looking him in the eye. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Bella -" /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What do you want me to say?" Bella said rather sharply, her voice echoing around the draughty corridor. "Do you want me to say that I had no idea what was happening to me when I was under that water. That I wasn't even aware that Harry would even think of me as something he couldn't live without. That I am deathly afraid of any body of water and as soon as my head touched the surface I had a panic attack. T-That I thought I was going to die." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"A tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke. She wiped it away furiously, turning her face from Draco. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey." Draco whispered softly, moving across the alcove until he sat beside her. "It's okay, you're safe now." /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"He wrapped his arm around her as she shook, silent sobs causing her body to tremble. Bella relaxed into his arms, allowing him to pull her trembling body into his own. Bella could feel his arms tightening around her, his fingers slowly running through her hair, and his soft, comforting words but she could do nothing as wave after wave of tears rushed over her, leaving her heaving for breath. She was unaware of how much time had passed by the time she caught her breath and her sobs had subsided to soft hiccups. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella pulled back from his embrace, just enough that she could glance up at him. Still running his fingers through her hair, he lowered his eyes to look down at her. There was a moment of hesitation between them both before Draco turned, lowering his head and pressing his lips softly against hers. His lips were cold against her own and she could still feel tears on her lip but nothing mattered in this moment. The kiss was soft, hesitant even, and then Draco pulled back, dropping the hold he still had on her and pulling himself backwards until he stood, leaving her in the alcove where he found her. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I'm sorry." he said quietly. Bella could see the sorrowful expression he wore, the moonlight spilling across his face. In an instant he was gone, his soft footsteps echoing after him were the only reminder that he had actually been in the corridor with her and this hadn't been some twisted dream. /p
p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Bella pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face between them, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes. Bella had felt calmer than she had all day when she was in Draco's embrace and now she felt empty and her heart felt heavy. She hadn't realised how much she had wanted Draco to do what he did - now that he had, Bella felt as though things would never be the same between them again./p
