Hey guys!
Finally I do think I've solved the little problems in my storyline and can continue much easier, but I hope that you will still enjoy this story as much as I do! I really do hard work on it and do not want to disappoint my readers... This chaper will be one of my favourites, I suppose, and I love the development of it...
Just keep und reviewing and tell me you opinion about it ! Enjoy!
Alanis woke up less reluctantly than the last morning. She was happy being able to leave that awful night of the day before behind and was lucky and surprised to find a large amount of Christmas presents at the foot of her bed. And this time there was even no harsh voice of her grandfather ordering her to work.
She sighed happily and leaned forward to catch the biggest of the packages. It was a woollen pullover of Mrs Weasley in the colour of emerald green ink. She also got a nice collection of books from Hermione (The ambitious witch and her enemies on her way to fame) and Harry (Quidditch through the ages), a bunch of sugar quills from Ron, a bottle of gylliwater from Ginny and even a pair of radish earrings from Luna. She immediately put the pullover on and happily began to read the letter from Hermione.
"Alanis!"
Alanis grunted, emerged from her room and ran down to the taproom, stomping angrily with her feet. But her heart rose with excitement as she reckoned Aberforth finally calling her by her first name.
"Why can't I just unpack my presents in peace! Why do you have to call me when there's nothing to-!"
But then she stood still. Aberforth wasn't the only man there in the pub. Dressed in a long black coat, black gloves and a green scarf with silver embroideries, Draco Malfoy stood at the doorsill and looked like if he'd just recognized that coming there was a bad idea.
She could only agree to him, as she returned his gaze. Draco expression was very unhappy and he seemed to be likely to vanish into thin air.
"Malfoy.", Alanis stuttered. Suddenly a smirk ran over his face and Alanis reckoned that she stood there in nothing but her shorts and that pullover, her hair a completely mess, her eyes still full of sleep. Most inconspicuously as possible she tried to arrange her hair and pulled down the pullover to cover her bare white-skinned legs.
Draco took some steps forward and held out something wrapped in brown paper.
"You forgot it yesterday."
Alanis took the parcel trying not to touch his fingers, unpacking the Advanced Transfiguration book she got from Dumbledore.
"Thank you.", she whispered but big question marks whirled around in her mind.
Why did he come to give it to her? He could have cared less about her book. Yesterday evening made it clear that they were now natural enemies, even if they obviously enjoyed teasing each other.
Why did he come? At Christmas Eve?
To that old shed?
To her?
"I needed some fresh air anyway.", he said an shrugged, as if he just read her mind, his face motionless, but his glistering grey eyes rested on her bare feet. Alanis looked down to the ground and repeated her words of thanks.
He was Draco Malfoy, the invidious Slytherin prince, who would never even dare to be seen with a Gryffindor! Why did he take the risk of planting rumours? As much as Alanis wanted to ask Draco honestly what the hell he had been doing here, she reminded herself that her grandfather was still standing there and observing them.
"Can I offer you something? You must be half frozen!", she said shyly, knowing how ridiculous it was to invite Draco Malfoy to stay.
Draco backed away and shook his head as if he just realized a second time that he regretted stepping in. He bumped into the door and looked as if he had to run away from her. He opened the door and took a step out, as he suddenly hesitated and asked her in passing:
"Would you like to join my walk?"
Alanis just opened and shut her mouth several times in amazement.
What the bloody hell did this mean? Was she actually awake?
Could Draco Malfoy really be asking her for having a walk?
She could not find any words, but pulled out her wand and saw him twitching his eyelids for half of a second and mumbled some spells to transform her sleeping-shorts into a suitable pair of jeans. She quickly pulled on her boots and her coat and followed him outside.
She couldn't believe herself having a walk with Draco Malfoy!
What has driven me to do this? After all what happened yesterday?
Draco asked himself how often this questions had passed his mind in the past few minutes.
He wanted to clear his mind and unfortunately this girl was linked to his whole bloody awkward situation. Since the last day she was even more a danger to him and he was a danger to her too. The last night had proven it in the best way.
It was not just that he really had to get off his dark thoughts, even if they were connected to that little girl, he wanted to see that little girl. Although he threatened her to stay away from him the day before, he had been sleepless and restless since that night.
But how she looked, bloody hell!
Although she was obviously wearing one of these horrible Weasel-jumpers, she'd looked really nice in her shorts, her hair all up in a mess, her face showing more than surprise to him.
And he had to admit how skilled she was at Transfiguration once more, as she dressed herself with a nice pair of black jeans.
But what made him to take her that book? He'd never ever done anyone a favour, especially a favour that he even was not asked for.
And far worse, what made him having a walk with her?
He knew that this little Dumbledore witch already asked herself the same questions, perhaps why she'd just agreed to him too. They were both curious of finding out what had driven them to that awkward situation, but they were just overwhelmed by their own thoughts. Their thoughts hunted both their minds and let them walk through the village in complete silence.
And that was the best of it.
The silence veiled them heavily, but built up some kind of comfort.
Draco was even able to say that he gradually began to enjoy it.
Beside her person, the Dumbledore girl seemed to be the best companion he could have ever imagined. She was just silently walking at his side, looking at the snow covered rooftops and trees, enjoying the dim sunlight shining on her face.
With her by his side he began to forget about his mission, even to forget who he was, who she was. They just walked. Further and further, with no real target, but satisfied with this silence around them.
He was not able to remember when he felt that good in his whole life.
They finally made a halt when they reached the shrieking shack. The Dumbledore girl walked to the fence and looked at the shack with different expressions.
"I never went that far to see it.", she murmured, more to herself than to him, but broke the silence.
Draco would never have admitted him being superstitious, but that shack had always made him shiver. It was as if there was some different atmosphere around it. It felt almost as dangerous as being near the Dark Lord.
And he remembered those snowballs which seemed to come out from nowhere in the third year, and although he knew that these had been all bloody Saint Potter's act, as he used his invisibility cloak, he was still frightened from the memory.
"I have to admit that the Hog's Head is a lot nicer than the shrieking shack. But you should give it a good clean, Dumbledore. I could borrow you some house elves!", he said and rubbed his hands to hide them trembling. What made him so nervous?
"I think the only way being able to clean that 'shed' is putting fire on it."
Draco tried hard to suppress his laughter.
"You obviously prefer the bigger kind of campfires, do you?"
The Dumbledore girl shrugged and her breath emerged in little clouds of her mouth.
"It's just because there are so many people who have to be helped warming up their ice-cold stone-hearts or still have to learn how to deal with fire."
"Like the Chosen Captain you think?", he asked, but somehow he knew she was referring to her grandfather Aberforth.
"Or some clinging snakes."
Draco smirked and looked at the demolished and rotten rooftop of the shack.
"I'm happy to be a dragon, then."
"So don't fly too high, little one."
But she did not seem to be as amused as he was. Didn't she want him to tease her like the last day? In fact, she countered him brilliantly. So why that bad mood?
Perhaps just because of the same reasons he had. As much as they both were enjoying this, it felt wrong.
"I guess you would catch me if I fall.", he countered with joy in his voice, but a little too silent.
She looked at him from the side and finally smirked too.
"Don't overestimate yourself, Malfoy."
"Miss Dumbledore, I can assure you with all I have, that this would be the last thing on earth I would ever do!"
"I will certainly not be your slave any longer!", Alanis shouted and threw away the broom with which she just cleaned the pub.
Aberforth's face got red as he took some eager steps to where she stood.
"As long as you're living in this house you'll help whenever I need you!"
Alanis took some steps behind and her whole body trembled.
"But you never considered asking me for your help. You always order and I won't accept you treating me like a house elf! I am still your relative, your granddaughter!", she claimed and crossed her arms.
"You think that I can afford you living here easily? You do think that it's easy for me caring for you? Wrong! You have to earn your keep as much as I do, as long as you are here!"
Alanis pressed her lips together. Why couldn't he just accept her? Why couldn't he understand that she needed a family where she could live in, not a workhouse?
"You won't get anything free in your whole life. Even if you maybe won't listen to me wanting to teach you that, I am right! And I have to prepare you for your daily life!"
Alanis swallowed down her tears.
"But I need a home where I can go to if I seek help, even considering your advice, where I can go to, if I am lost. I need shelter, shelter full of love and security.", she muttered.
"Well that, girl, you'll be never able to find here.", Aberforth said.
Alanis could no longer stop herself from sobbing.
"But why can't you just repeat what you've done for Ariana? You fend for her, even opposed Albus, so why can't you just try to love me?"
Aberforth's face grew pale, but his voice remained that loud and angry as before.
"Because I don't want to fail another time, Alanis."
Alanis' tears covered her cheeks and she looked to the still dusty floor.
Aberforth abdicated himself from the responsibility he owed her to bear, because he just was a coward. He didn't seem to believe in love and compassion any more, otherwise he had known that Alanis and him would be able to manage everything.
"He's there, once again.", Aberforth grunted as he looked out of the window.
Alanis followed his gaze and saw Draco Malfoy standing on the other side of the street, staring at the Hog, and definitely waiting for her.
Every day since Christmas he had been coming, waiting there to take her out for a walk, where they had never again shared a word, but their presence. They just served each other as companion, breathing and walking together and sharing their silence.
It was all that Alanis needed.
It was distance.
And that bloody Malfoy was able to give it to her, even if he stood right beside her.
They were different parts from different lives, with different thoughts and aims. But they responded to the same air.
And she knew that with this last day of their holidays, it would be the last day of their companionship they would share, outside as well as inside the walls of Hogwarts.
Alanis just turned her back on Aberforth and walked out to join Malfoy.
Draco looked less than his best, as much as she must have, she supposed. He had dark circles around his eyes, his skin and his usually platinum blond hair got a slight tone of grey and he was more thinner and slender. Something seemed to break him down. But his grey eyes peered at her, even if he didn't say a word.
Alanis herself was exhausted, drained and she just felt that bad how Draco looked, so they both definitely needed some fresh air. And once again they found their way through Hogsmeade, speechless and left with their own thoughts, but side by side.
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