After hearing what had happened with Katie, Blaise had been looking all over for Draco, but he could not, for the life of him, find him.
There was only one more place he could be.
Zabini strolled the forbidden floor cautiously so as not to be seen. He stopped at one of the corridors' dead ends, spoke words till the door appeared.
He opened the enormous, engraved, magically-built door, with minor struggle, stepping into the Room of Requirements.
Blaise quickly evades a book sent flying at his head in the dimly-lit and fully filled with junk room. He looks to see an extremely distressed Draco, kicking and flipping everything in his sight furiously.
"Malfoy!" He shouts to get his attention. To say the least, he expected to find him like this, that's why he's here.
Draco turns to Blaise, tears of fear, anger, and self-loathing brimming his eyes. "Get out, Blaise!" He yells threateningly, voice hoarse.
He almost killed someone. Someone innocent. What if she had really died? What would he have done then?
What has he turned into?
Blaise could almost read his thoughts, he himself feeling heavy.
This was no joke. Everything was at risk. People's lives. Their lives. Their humanity itself was at stake.
What was asked of Draco, was not a task, it was punishment, punishment for his father's failure, punishment for his father's past decisions.
He didn't deserve this.
Blaise pitied him greatly. He knew he didn't have a choice. He knew what would happen if he didn't see this through. He couldn't just stand by and watch him fail. He found that he'd be no different of a murderer if he did.
So here he was.
"I'm not leaving, Malfoy!" He shouts back, approaching the maddened boy with fast steps. He takes hold of Draco's shoulders firmly, attempting to stop the activeness of his adrenaline-fueled body. "Look at me!" He demanded. "Remember why you're doing this!"
Draco stills, and looks him dead in the eyes. "I almost killed her, Blaise." He utters solely.
Hearing it out loud, it hits Blaise, hard. He clenches his jaw in an attempt to collect his thoughts. "Draco, listen to me." He started, using his first name as a sign of seriousness. Draco tries half-heartedly to listen, unable to think about anything other than what he had done. "You and I both know, you wouldn't be doing this if you had a choice." He tries. Draco isn't convinced. "Do you want to see your mum and dad dead?" He asks sternly.
Draco twitches at the thought, a gruesome, terrifying thought. He shakes his head slowly, making Blaise nod in satisfaction with his reply and finally earned concentration. "Do you want to die?" He resumes. Again, Draco shakes his head. "Then this must be done. You made a mistake. You got lucky. It's over now. There are greater things at stake. You have to stay concentrated."
….
It had been two days since the events of Katie. Melanie barely spoke to her friends, always copped up in the library, or by the Black lake. Ron and Hermione hated the new position, and definitely blamed Harry for it, who tried apologizing to Melanie several times, but never got the proper chance, or found the proper time. She'd always come up with an excuse, like needing to study, or its time for class, or she's tired and needs to go to bed.
She'd also been avoiding Draco, as much as he'd been avoiding her.
She didn't want to tell him about what Harry said, but she was so obviously bothered by it, he was most likely to ask her about it. She just needed some time to cool off, and be ready to face everyone again. She'd clear things with Harry, and make sure Draco never finds out what he'd been called.
Draco, however, had been avoiding her for the exact opposite reason, a reason where Harry is completely right. He just couldn't face her, not with what he'd done. How could he? How could he look her in the eye and lie? To Melanie? He couldn't.
Then came the day, the night of the second day since the past events. Draco needed out of his dorms, somewhere he could see the skies. He feared going to the lake. What if she was there? It wasn't the first time Melanie snuck off at night. But where else could he go?
The Quidditch pitch.
True so, Melanie was indeed roaming the halls that very night like many other nights. She just wanted away from Harry for a while, clear her head.
On his way to the pitch, Draco turns a corner and pumps into her. They jump in shock, her more than him. She places a hand on her chest, chuckling slightly. "Oh, Draco! You scared me." She smiles, making his own grow upon seeing her, only to be recalled by his grim reality, the one he had to lie about to her of all people.
She stops too, her eyes catching his. She does not notice how worried he is, mainly because the bigger part of him is glad to see her.
She begins to wonder how on earth it came to Harry that Draco was to be accused of such a horrific act. It was Draco, her Draco, the Draco she'd known for years, the Draco she'd seen so many sides of, the Draco she trusted with her life…the Draco she fell in love with.
"What are you doing out so late, Mel?" He questions curiously.
"I could ask you the same thing." She tells, feigning playfulness. She was still quite upset, more now that the topic of her frown was right in front of her.
And though she tried her best to hide it, he could see right through her. He always could, even before they were anything more than frienemies, he could always see the difference between a genuine Melanie, and an acting one.
"What's wrong?" He asks in concern, and slight fear. Had she found out about him? Melanie's face falls for a mere second, enough for the truth to be caught. She quickly smiles, shaking her head dismissively. She refused to discuss this with him, extremely. She would not tell him that Harry thought him a murderer.
"Nothing. Just a little tired." She tells. He cocks a doubtful eyebrow.
"Come on, love. You can't hide from me." He tells seriously. Her smile brightens, genuinely this time. How she loved it when he called her love. How she loved it when he could see her for he she really is, how she was really feeling, always.
"Nothing. Really. I'm fine now."
Maybe this is just what she needed, to be with him for a while, just the two of them, like old times.
He nods thoughtfully, not wanting to push, as if subconsciously hoping she would never push him for truth either.
"Alright then." He starts, offering her his arm, she takes it curiously. "Let's go."
"Where to?" She asks.
If they were both to spend the night out, talking was the last thing either wanted to do. He had the perfect alternative idea in mind.
"The Quidditch pitch." He answered.
"Why?"
"Promised I'd teach you how to ride a broom, remember?" He asked mischievously. She stared at him wide eyed, surprised that he himself remembered. She laughed out from excitement, making his heart skip eight beats at once. God, he loved her.
…
After what had happened with Katie, Blaise had been keeping an extra eye on Draco, who seemed to have lost a bit of his sanity after what he'd done.
Blaise couldn't have him exposed, that would send all they've been doing to the ground, and he couldn't have him breaking down either, he'd never have the mind to finish the job.
So, currently, Zabini was following the two love birds, several, several feet away still, just keeping an eye on the blonde idiot, using the Disillusionment charm to remain unseen as he blended in with all his surroundings like a chameleon, book in hand to entertain himself. He doesn't get paid to babysit.
Draco led Melanie to the pitch. Meanwhile, Blaise had placed a napkin on the grass, seated himself far off, and opened up his book, reading patiently. The sky was clear. It was quiet enough. He should get out more.
Draco summoned his broom, a top Nimbus 2001 model, bought to him by his father in the second Hogwarts year, when Draco was partially interested in Quidditch, mostly for beating Harry.
Melanie chuckles slightly. "Haven't seen this in a while." She notes, amused.
"Haven't used it in a while." Utters Draco.
He then hands it out to her. She eyes him quizzically. He nods in assurance. She grasps it doubtfully.
Her hand wrapped around its black, thin but sturdy, wooden figure. The broom's hairs as if brushed ethically. The stirrups' metallic surface shimmering in the moonlight.
It was as intimidating as it was fascinating, making her chuckle slightly. She then turs to him doubtfully once more. "Are you sure?" She asks, afraid of scratching it maybe, she was barely experienced in broom-riding, she was sure to bruise it, and that would be a great shame. The broom was quality-made.
"Of course, I'm sure." Draco tells firmly. Honestly, the last thing he could care about right now was getting scratches on his rarely-used broom. He needed this.
Granted, it reminded him of a time when his father was a free, generous man. When the top of his own problems was living up to Harry's vastly increasing reputation. Still, broom-riding was easy. He'd make sure she got the hang of it.
Draco walked around and behind her as she eyed him curiously. He got closer, wrapping one arm around her waist, making air rush out of her lungs as he pulled her closely. He put his other arm on hers, the one with the broom.
Zabini looked up from the pages of his shriveled book, saw the exchange and rolled his eyes, resuming reading.
Love was silly, and too much of a distraction in his opinion, though most girls would kill for a guy like him. But time changes people, especially conflicted teenagers.
Draco places his hand on hers, rotating it till she held the broom in a horizontal position, though she could barely concentrate on anything but his touch, his warmth.
"Now." He started, his breath making the hairs on her neck stand, driving her mad, but she loved it, and he knew. "Let go."
She does so as if in trance. Then, the broom floats, two feet above the ground. Draco releases Melanie, her body fighting his sudden absence extremely.
He walks to the other side of the broom. "Get on." He beckons. She is hesitant, but does as told, him supporting her. "Put your legs on the stirrups. Now, tilt forward, and think up." He smirks. She eyes him quizzically, then floats another foot off the floor, eyes going wide with concern.
"Oh my god!" She grins nervously with excitement, making him let out a laugh.
"Now, keep in mind that tilting up, will make you go higher. You probably don't want that." He laughs again.
"Not funny!" She shouts back.
"Well, go on then, fly around!" He tells.
Again, she hesitates, but eventually, she's circling around the pitch at ground level, as happy as she could be, Draco watching her proudly. "Well, come on then! Go higher!" He encourages.
She parks up next to him, shaking her head in refusal. "No. I've had my fun. But I am not going higher." She smirks playfully.
"Even with me?" Draco suggests confidently. She arches an eyebrow thoughtfully.
"How am I to know you won't drop me?" She asks daringly, inching closer.
"You'll just have to trust me." He retaliates.
But she did trust him, more than anyone these days, so when he offers her his hand…she takes it.
Draco gets onto his broom. She follows after, climbing behind him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, making him chuckle. "If you choke the life out of me, love, we won't make back to the ground." He notes sarcastically.
"Shut up!" She shouts nervously.
He sets up, pushing Blaise's alert up to ten when he's refocused, and finds that they're sky high! Where he was sure, at least one professor could see them.
On the way up, Melanie squeezed her eyes shut, wincing at the feeling of her stomach doing flips, scared half to death. Then, he stops, but that doesn't ease her concern as she feels the rush of cool air on her skin and in her loose hair.
"For god's sake, Mel! Open your eyes!" Draco insists.
"No!" She yells in a child-like tone, making him laugh again.
"Melanie, come on!" He tells again.
Slowly, she opens them, to a sight that takes her breath away. The moon. Huge. White. Glowing in majesty.
"Oh, my!" She utters in amazement.
"See. Worth it." He tells as she rests her head on his back, observing beauty like no other.
Up there, that far from all the troubles of the world, Draco found a deep yearning in him for that freedom. He honestly debated flying off with Melanie, and never looking back. What he would give now for this calm, this peace, this free life, with her.
A sharp whistle grasps both their attention, making Melanie tighten her hold on Draco in fear of falling from shock. They look down. Was it a teacher?
"Is that Blaise?" Melanie asks suspiciously. Draco squints his eyes, then sighs.
"Yes." He replies, flying back down reluctantly, Melanie trying not to scream in the process.
"Well, that was quite impressive, Malfoy." Blaise starts sarcastically. "I'm sure half the teachers will be at our backs any time now." He looks around for emphasize. He then turns his eyes to her. "Melanie." He smiles, making her smile brightly for finally using her first name. Why not?
"Blaise." She greets back happily.
He then turns back to Draco. "Come on, genius." He tells, walking off, Draco following irritably with Melanie beside him as he sent his broom away.
"What are you doing here, Blaise?" Draco inquires.
"Just passing by." He answers casually.
"Really?" Draco asks disbelievingly.
"Yes, really. Problem, Draco?" He questions innocently, making Melanie chuckle.
"Amused, love?" Her lover inquires.
"Not at all." She smiles.
It was one of the best days she'd had in her life, and she'd be damned if she'd let Harry accuse Draco, her Draco, of anything, ever again.
…..