disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does

Chapter 26: Hello Only to Say Goodbye

After a few seconds of contemplation Draco ignored the looks he was getting from passing nurses and walked into the girls' bathroom. "Alina?" he called out. "Alina?" he called again. A few girls left the bathroom; one pointed towards the third stall and mouthed "she's in there" and left.

He walked towards the stall and pushed the door open. "Merlin- Alina- are you okay?" he bent down on the floor and brought her away from the toilet, where her head was drooping slowly after vomiting. "Alina-" his head was filled with gladness and sorrow all at the same time. Only several minutes before his mother had left him- his only source of love his whole entire life. Now a new source had come back to him- one that he had missed for a long, long time.

"Draco- I'm so sorry," she cried and bowed her head onto his chest.

"It's alright," he said soothingly and took a wad of tissue paper to wiper her tears and her mouth. "Let's get you cleaned up." He hoisted her up gently and walked her over to the sink, where she washed her face and drank some water.

"She's- your mother-"

"Yes," he said, barely audible. Alina threw her arms around him, so glad to see him and so upset for him all at once. Draco welcomed her embrace, noticing that she was considerably thinner and frailer. "Are you eating Alina?" She nodded. "What happened to you?" Alina burst into tears at his words. "Shh.. shh.. I didn't mean it that way.. did David do anything to you? Are you hurt?" She shook her head. "Good.. let's go. I have to sign some papers and then you can go back- I'll come back in a day or two-"

"I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

"What? Alina, no- this isn't your problem-"

"I'm going to the funeral with you," she said again, determined.

"It's my father's funeral too." Ignoring Alina's gasp he continued. "Considering that Voldemort was the one to kill him, I highly doubt that they'll be holding a burial for him. Same with my mother... it'll only be me. And it's likely that Snape will come." Draco suddenly scoffed. "I highly doubt that Dumbledore will come, though." He suddenly looked at Alina.

"He'll come, Draco. He will." she said, realizing that although Draco's dislike of Dumbledore was great, his respect for him was considerable. Draco said nothing in response and led her to the cafeteria. "Eat," he ordered food for her and left. Obediently she stayed and watched him leave, the overwhelming feeling of loss and loneliness retaking her.

'Cheer up Alina, this isn't goodbye,' she told herself.

After thirty minutes or so, Draco returned, finding Alina finished with her meal, which she had, to his approval, eaten completely. "The funeral's tonight. The Order wants it to be quick and they want me hidden for a few weeks." he told her.

"What? Why?"

"Alina- do you really not know the answer to that already?" She thought about it. Of course she did. They were picking off the Malfoys one by one, and Draco was the next target. "It's only a few weeks, to make sure that no one is coming to find me." he sat down next to her and she leaned against him, his scent intoxicating as always. "Thank you- for coming." Alina looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap. Could Draco tell how much despair and wretchedness her mind had gone through?

She decided she'd keep that to herself and replied "The least I can do after lying to you." She finally brought it up, knowing that somewhere inside him it had to be bothering him. Slowly she felt his demeanor change, and he shifted around a bit.

"You had to, I wouldn't have let you go," he answered, a bit forced.

"I wouldn't have been taken the US and I wouldn't have had my memory erased," she said.

"What? He erased your memory?" he said angrily.

"They didn't tell you?" she asked, surprised.

"All Dumbledore told me through mail was that they found you and that you had to stay a little bit to help your family," he said. "Merlin- I can't believe- that arse-"

"It's not worth working yourself up over," she sat straight up again. "I'm just glad I'm here with you again."

As they walked back towards Narcissa's room, an Order member met them. "Mister Malfoy, Miss-?" he asked.

"Alina Thomas." she smiled faintly.

"Miss Thomas. We're intending on having the funeral right now- it's almost nine. We need to hurry so that we can get you to Headquarters as soon as possible," Kingsley informed them. Draco and Alina followed him and they left the hospital almost immediately. Narcissa, Kingsley said, was taken by other members of the Order and she was being brought to a cemetery near the hospital. It was ridiculous to even think of burying her at Malfoy Manor at this point. Yes, it was protected by enchantments from anyone breaking in, but there was undoubtedly a good amount of Death Eaters lurking around, with the possibility that Draco would be struck with stupidity and come to bury her there.

The funeral was short, simple, and quiet. Dumbledore did come, along with Snape. The presider was Dumbledore, obviously. Order members circled the group, keeping guard. At the end of it all, Alina felt incredible sadness as she watched Draco say goodbye to his mother. His father was unceremoniously buried in the ground, without sentiment. To his mother's coffin, however, he placed a single hand upon it and whispered "Farewell, mother." Alina laid a single flower on the grave after she was fully buried. She turned to Draco, unwilling to say goodbye, when just a couple of hours ago she had said hello (not literally, of course).

"I'll be back before you know it, Alina. Don't worry," she hugged him and he kissed her forehead. Looking up at him she kissed him fully upon the lips, only to be disturbed by Mad-Eye Moody, who was eager to get a move on. She watched as he and the group departed, and left with Dumbledore and Snape to travel back to Hogwarts with. Shivering she pulled her cloak closer about her and they walked back to a portkey that had been set up. As the familiar unpleasant feeling of being sucked up and pulled around began, she held on tightly to the pendant around her neck, wishfully hoping that the following weeks would pass by quickly.

A/N: shorter chapter than normal, but it's going to get less depressing in a chapter or two :)