Title: Trials of Love (12 of?)

Author: granger2malfoy

Pairing: D/Hr, B/G

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from HP verse.

Genres: Drama, Romance

A/N: Not HBP compliant. This is sequel to The Given Choices. Thanks to my beta.

Chapter Twelve – Not Alone

Two days since the last time he saw his equally young, secret wife and his godfather not only had been the one to magically blast himself off of Hermione but he also spent the time since then in the professor's private quarters. Snape's mood the whole weekend matched Draco's moods from rage to depression to hopelessness.

He thought over the Pensieve scenes that Snape had shown him earlier of his father attacking that young girl and then his own mother. Of course, he had only been a baby when it happened and couldn't remember any of it. Now that he saw it for himself as a young man, he would never forget. How could he forget the terror in his younger mum's eyes as her husband tore at her clothes? Then the dark pain deep within his soul became heavier when he stepped into his own memory of what happened two nights ago with Hermione, who had the same look of horror as she told him that she hadn't done anything with Blaise. Never could he forget seeing his own cold face as he almost forced her- oh, gods. How could she ever forgive him?

Deep in his thoughts, he made it back to his room out of habit not even realizing Blaise's presence on the couch, whom made no attempt to get his attention either. Draco entered his Head boy room and threw his chilled body into the armed chair across from the fire. The silver of his eyes stared into the whipping flames and his ears heard nothing but the crackling of the fire. Yet his mind swarmed with visions that would forever haunt him. He had not seen Hermione since that night and the next day they would have Potions first thing in the morning, if she actually showed up.

So many times he had considered writing her a letter to apologize for the horrid things he did but no words seemed to match the pain he knew he caused to his wife. Thoughts of sending flowers or a new book, all died quickly in his mind. Draco's crime far surpassed those simple gifts of forgiveness. As the wind whipped around him, he wished with all his might that he could just hold her tight to show her how much he loved her and how he didn't deserve her forgiveness. Suddenly, the direction of the cold wind changed to be blowing from behind him with a hint of warmth to it. His element seemed to be carrying his emotions to his love, if only she might be outside or even a window open. He shook his head as he second guessed himself and any abilities to control the wild wind like that. Draco doubted anything and everything about himself over the past couple days.

"I'd prefer to be alone," Draco mumbled as his hands clenched the stone railing of the covered bridge just inside the boundaries of Hogwarts and his eyes burned with pain from the tears he fought so hard not to shed. Yes, this night brought to a close the longest two days in Draco's life and he was in no mood for any company, whatsoever.

May Meadows silently evaluated the scene of Draco Malfoy alone near the middle of the long outdoor corridor. The bitter wind wisped around him and caused the long, blonde bangs to reveal that he appeared to be on the verge of tears. She felt that she could not leave him by himself. To another person it might seem like the young man in front of her was about to jump. But the Ravenclaw knew he wouldn't but still couldn't turn around and walk away like everything was fine.

Tightly May held her cloak closed as she walked behind the older Slytherin and watched closely for any signs of his flight for her act of ignoring his wish to be alone. But only his eyes showed forcibly shut and white knuckles looked to be the changes for her brave act. She silently stood three feet to his left and gazed out the bridge's openings for almost ten minutes before she spoke, "My dad, well step-dad, always says 'The times when we want most to be alone are the times we need most to be accompanied, even if just to remain silent or just to listen, to show that you are not alone."

"Go away. I do not need anyone to listen or just be silent. I especially don't need some foolish third-year Ravenclaw ," he snapped and yet she remained in his cold presence. Malfoy let out a heavy groan as he opened his eyes and kept them straight forward. "Sometimes fathers are not always right, even step-fathers I am sure."

"True enough," she agreed and nodded as she took a step closer to lean against the railing, "but he happens to be a very clever man, who usually ends up being right. But I'll never admit that to him."

Draco's eyes hardly blinked as he continued to stare out and he quietly said, "I always thought my father was right about almost everything. I am beginning to see that he is not right about a lot."

His younger companion did not reply immediately back to this statement but gather her thoughts around what he could be referring to before she responded, "Parent's imperfections are a hard thing to understand. Some parents work so hard to hide them from their children. So those same children would follow wherever they would lead them without question or conflict."

"Aren't you just all full of insight?," Draco sarcastically spat as he heaved back off the wall and walked the bridge toward the castle. "Did your perfect stepfather tell you that as well? Bet he was in Ravenclaw too."

May quickly kept in step with him as she stated, "No, my mother once told me that and my stepfather happens to have been a Slytherin when he went here."

With his hands shoved deeply into his black pants, the tall Slytherin laughed, "I find it hard to believe that any male with the last name of Meadows would've survived being sorted into Slytherin."

Her anger began to raise a little at all his gabs at her family as she snapped, "My mother did not take his name when they married."

"It's a good thing you are not a boy then, because I am sure as Mark Meadows you'd have gotten your arse kicked on the first day, if you had been fortunate enough to have been sorted into Slytherin," he smirked as they reached the end of the covered bridge and she kept right with him as he headed back to the castle. "You're probably also a muggleborn to boot and your mother just wanted to catch herself a wizard."

"Well for once in my life, I am glad I didn't get sorted there. Since I was five and learned my father was a Slytherin, I had wished to be put there with hopes of becoming more like him!", she bit out as she passed him on the long pebbled trail up to the large stone steps of the entrance. "I am learning not all Slytherins are the same. I thought you would be … different! I guess I was wrong. Don't worry; I won't make that mistake again."

Draco just shook his head in confusion and not caring as she whipped around to face him before they entered the large building as she bitterly spoke in a low tone, "And I'll have you know that my mother is a great witch and one that can kick your arse any day of the week and she doesn't need a wand to do it either."

With that she quickly turned back around and pulled the door open, May wiped the tears away as she swiftly escaped back to her tower and left Malfoy alone in front of the castle. He entered as he loosened his cloak from around his neck and as he headed back down to his dungeons, he noticed that silly Loony Lovegood and Weasleby stood quite close in the nearest dark corner exchanging whispers as hands appeared to be moving close to each others hips. Disgusted with that site and what it would surely lead to, Draco cringed and kept his track back to the Slytherin common room to spend more time in the darkness, maybe where he truly belonged.

To Be Continued