The next day, students were at the train station, readying to leave for Christmas break.
The night before had been a hellish one. Melanie barely spoke a word. Curled up in her bed. Half-heartedly packing. It broke her friends' hearts.
…..
But no one was hurting more than Draco. Forced into doing things he'd never wanted to do, plotting murder, lying to the people closest to him, hurting them. Hurting her. He was crushed.
Blaise did his best to help him get through that night. Told him it was for the best. To focus on surviving. That Melanie would wait, heal, and forgive. And Blaise truly believed so too, but Draco didn't. His mind was fogged; he couldn't think straight. What little will he had left, Blaise pushed, and never left his side, intent on bringing him back to his feet, but he could only do so much.
When the students reached their destinations, the broken lovers reached their homes, where great concerns and suspicions arose.
When Madeline saw the state Melanie was in, she was shocked to her core. Never had she ever seen her Granddaughter so broken, so in pain, it was worse than when she found out about her parents.
And all Melanie needed, was a push, and she was sent weeping till sunset, speaking words that only succeeded in perplexing Madeline further.
All she was able to comprehend was that it had something to do with that Draco boy, the Dark Lord's threats, and how it wasn't fair.
Knowing they were to spend Christmas at the Weasleys', Madeline held her granddaughter in her arms, telling her it would be alright, as she herself worried away, hoping it would help, till she could figure out more from Melanie's friends.
Draco, on the other hand, said nothing to his questioning mother, and the all too suspicious Bellatrix.
He bottled up, it wasn't healthy. But that changed the day Blaise decided to take his 'helping' a step further. Christmas wasn't going to keep him from assisting the drowning Malfoy.
And it was then that Draco began to truly appreciate his friendship with Blaise, who had stood by him from the beginning, and had never let him fall. He began to wonder where he would have been without the persistent Zabini.
Most likely dead, or worse.
…..
Alas, the day came.
After supper, the Weasleys and the Order of the Phoenix discuss Draco and Snape, and what Melanie was told, and Harry had heard. Madeline was pleased to have some light shed on the situation, but Harry didn't sugarcoat it. It was direly disturbing.
The Redwing herself, however, joined in no such endeavors. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss this with people who were clueless. Clueless about the Malfoy she grew to know. Grew to love.
Aside from that, this was still Christmas, and though her friends tried persuading her to join in a little fun, she refused. And they didn't push.
Climbing up the several Weasley house stories, Hermione reaches the final one. Careful not to spill the cups in her hands, she takes a left, knocks, then enters, to Melanie curled up in blankets, sitting on a bed, and starring out the window.
The Granger inhales as Melanie turns to her, wiping quickly at her stained cheeks. She was crying again.
Why?
For a lot of reasons. She was reassessing, going back to the start of the year, wondering when the lies had started, when was he, or was he ever, being sincere about what he was doing, whilst still trying to remind herself that he had to.
Did he? What was he really asked to do?
Katie. He almost…killed her. Why? What was he trying to do? What was he being forced to do?
…Kill someone?
…No. It couldn't be. Could it?
What if it was? What would she do then?
…Would she ever look at him the same way?
Why did it have to be this way?
It hurt so much, just thinking about it. This was Draco. So much had happened between them. They'd built such a foundation, and it was cracking.
Would they survive it?
Hermione hated it. She hated what was happening, and she hated that she couldn't find the right way to help make it easier. But still, she would try.
"I brought hot coco," the Granger smiles at her friend, who smiled back weakly, yet, appreciatively.
Hermione hands Melanie a mug, and she takes it graciously, simply lying it on her lap with disinterest as Hermione sat opposite her on the bed, putting one foot up.
"So, how are you feeling?" she asks, wincing at her own words. Melanie smiles at her friend once more.
"I'm fine, Hermione," she assures, then turns to the liquid in the mug. "Just…worried. That's all," she says.
Hermione watches her painfully, uncertain what to say. Melanie was so much better at this than herself.
"Did you write to him?" she asks, wanting, well, semi-wanting, her friend to open up.
Melanie grimaces at that, shaking her head softly. "No…I just…need some time," she replies. Hermione nods hastily.
"Yeah. No. You're right. Take all the time you need," she smiles. "And, Mel…I'm here for you, whenever you need me," she stresses, taking hold of and squeezing Melanie's free hand. Melanie nods happily at her, squeezing back.
"I know," she says.
A few minutes of silence, and it was then that the commotion started. There was yelling, screaming. The girls looked out the window to see that a fire had started in the back yard, and Harry jumping across it! Then Ginny!
The two girls storm out of the room. Outside, professor Lupin and his wife Nymphadora were battling the fearsome fires that the girls soon discovered had started because of the one and only Bellatrix, and her minions.
After dousing the flames, Mr. Weasley, Madeline, Lupin, and Tonks, stormed after their children, while Mrs. Weasley ensured that no more ran off.
After a pressuring amount of minutes, their attention was caught to an even grimmer sight.
The infamous Weasley home, that housed up to twelve family members, lit up in cruel flames, so unexpectedly, it broke Mrs. Weasley's and her children's hearts.
…..
After the dreadful incident, and a much ruined Christmas, Madeline had offered to house the Weasleys, till they were able to find a new home. Whilst the children were sent back to Hogwarts.
Even though the events that had happened were enough to keep them thinking and on edge, at the station, Melanie's heart and mind could only see one thing, well, one person, and he wasn't even there.
"Mel, come on," calls Ron, about to climb the near-departing train. She turns to him irritably, then back to the crowd. She glimpses Blaise, and storms off, causing Ron to sigh tiredly as he resumed to his destination.
Blaise, about to climb, sees her coming, and stops, closing his eyes momentarily. He climbs back down, and turns to her as she stops directly in front of him.
A moment of silence passes, then she speaks up. "Where is he, Blaise?" she asks in grand concern. Wanting to ease her nerves, Blaise cracks a joke.
"Nice to see you too, Redwing," he smirks half-heartedly. Her face reddens in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I-" she starts, wondering where she'd lost her manners. Blaise eyes her in sympathy.
"Mel. I'm kidding," he assures.
"Oh," she replies uncertainly, subconsciously attempting to confirm that he'd called her 'Mel'.
Blaise smiles slightly. She was as lost as her boyfriend was. It was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking.
"He'll be here in a day, or so. Family drama," he tells honestly.
"Is everything alright?" she asks in concern.
"Yeah. Don't worry about it," he replies neutrally.
Sensing he was being genuine, Melanie slowly raises a smile.
"You've been a good friend to him, Blaise," she says seriously. Blaise rolls his eyes and grins.
"Believe me, I know. He owes me big time," he says, being the first to succeed in making her laugh since that damned night of truth.
Blaise found that her smile certainly was a sight for sour eyes. No wonder Malfoy was head over heels for her.
The train honks, and the two part ways. Even though she'd wanted to meet with Draco face to face, Blaise's words had set her at ease, as they were honest.
Even if only partly honest. Yes, Malfoy was caught up in family drama, but it wasn't the main reason he was being held off.
Together, the two had been conducting a new plan, per the Dark Lord's cursed wishes. And the vanishing cabinet. It would soon be fully functional.
It would soon be over.
Yes, it would leave once innocent teenagers, with full lives ahead of them, tainted, but it would be over.
That was the only goal.
…..