Oh God! This is the day! The day where my poor Draco gets cursed. I've been so busy thinking of my plan that I totally forgot to check whether or not he was a Death Eater. Stupid Harry and his Gryffindor ways. He always has to do things before actually thinking them through. I don't know if I can take this.
I pace up and down the hallway right by Snape's office. I have to wait until Harry passes by on the way to the boy's bathroom before waiting two minutes and fetching Snape. I just hope everything goes according to plan. Oh God! Here comes Harry. I better hide before he sees me!
I quickly hide behind a suit of armor and watch as Harry saunters down the hallway, looking very confused. I follow him silently as he turns the corner and pauses as he hears Draco's cry in the bathroom. As he enters silently, I quickly turn around and head back to Snape's door. I count to 10 before banging on the door.
"Yes, what is it?" Snape drawls as he opens the door.
"Professor, I need your help," I say meekly.
"Well why can't you just handle it yourself?"
"You see I believe that there is a disturbance, but I can't help out because it's in the boy's bathroom. I heard some noises as I walked past. It sounds urgent and you were the closest person."
"If I must," Snape says as he sweeps past me and towards the bathroom. I peek around the corner as I notice him open the bathroom door. He gasps slightly before quickly going in. Phew, My work is done. Before I can make my way back to the tower, I hide behind the suit once more, as Harry comes running down the corridor and towards the common room.
Wow, he really does look horrible. Covered in all that blood. All of Draco's blood! Oh God! Please let him be okay.
I get up and slowly walk to the tower. Right before I reach my destination, Harry comes scurrying out of the portrait. He stops suddenly as he sees me. He stutters a little before giving me these sad, sympathetic eyes and simply says, "I am so sorry," before rushing off again. I climb through the portrait hole and everyone is a buzz with what just happened. Allie looks up from her homework to see my deadly pale face. She hurries over to me to give me a hug. She whispers into my ear, "Did everything go ok?" I just nod in response as she helps me upstairs to my bed. I can hear whispers of new rumors flying, but I just ignore them. All I can think of is Draco's pale body, splattered with crimson blood. I lie down on my bed and fall into a restless sleep.
"Rae…Rae…Rachel!" Someone shakes me as I wake up. I open my eyes to find Allie looking solemnly over me.
"What is it Allie? Something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that. I don't think so anyway. It's just that Draco would like for you to visit him in the infirmary."
"Thanks, Allie. Let me freshen up and I'll go right away."
As I get closer and closer to the infirmary, my heart beats faster and faster. Why do I have such a bad feeling about this? I carefully open the hospital wing doors. Madame Pomfrey gives me a nod before ushering me over to Draco's bed.
"Now don't stay too long. Mr. Malfoy needs his rest."
"Yes Madame Pomfrey."
As she leaves, I take a deep breath to calm my beating heart. I slowly pull back the curtains to Draco's bed and slip inside. I gasp as I look at him. He's so pale and looks so weary. He doesn't look that scarred though. Just what looks like to be a little zigzag right across his chest. As Draco hears my gasp, he slowly opens his eyes. He can barely open them. He looks so vulnerable and weak as he lies there.
"Rachel," he groans.
"Yes, Draco. I'm here for you," I say as I walk closer to him and kneel down by his head.
"I'm so glad you're here," he croaks out.
"Me too," I say as I gently kiss him. As I go to pull he away, he lays his hand on the back of my head and brings me into one of the most breathtaking kisses I've ever had. It feels as if he never wants to let go. Like this would be his final kiss ever. I wonder why that is?
"Wow, Draco! I've missed you too. Are you alright? I could just kill Harry for what he's done to you," I ramble on. He shushes me and puts his fingers on my lips.
"I'm fine. As much as I hate Potter, I can't blame him for what he's done. I've been nothing but a prat to him and Weasley. I'm surprised he didn't do it sooner. I just don't know why Snape decided to heal me. Right now, I'd rather be dead,' he says staring at his bed sheets.
"Don't say that! How could you say a thing like that? You have me. Doesn't that matter?" I say trying to get him to look me in the eyes, but he just pulls away and continues to look anywhere but at me. "What's wrong with you, Draco? You've been very distant and you can't even look me in the eyes anymore."
"Rachel…I…I…" he stops and looks me straight in the eyes. These are not the eyes I'm used to. These are icy cold and yet have a sense of sorrow in them.
"I can't do this anymore," he finally says.
"Do what?"
"Everything! I'm so confused and frustrated and angry! I can't do anything right anymore. I'm so sorry Rachel, but I can't be with you anymore," he sighs sounding defeated.
"What! What do you mean you can't be with me anymore? I love you. You love me. How can this be?" I cry.
"Please don't make this harder than it already is. Please trust me in saying that this is for your own good. I feel like I could put you in grave danger if you stay with me and I just can't have that."
"But Draco… why? I don't understand. Just let me help you," I start sobbing.
"YOU CAN'T HELP ME! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT! NO ONE CAN! You think that you can always be nice and change people and help people, but it doesn't always work that way! Don't you see? There are more things in life than love! Things that can't be changed! Things that are sometimes more important than love!"
"Nothing is more important than loving someone," I meekly say through my tears.
"Why can't you understand?! Things are different here! Why don't you just go back to America with your fairy tales of "love"?"
"Is that really what you want, Draco?"
"Is that not what I just said? Merlin, I never realized how dumb you were. How did I ever fall for someone like you? Oh, and call me Malfoy, Cohen."
"HOW DARE YOU!" I shout as I slap him across the face. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE FACT THAT YOU JUST RIPPED SOMEONE'S HEART OUT AND TRAMPLED IT ON THE FLOOR! You know what? You're not the man…no boy…I thought you were. You're nothing but a self-centered PRICK and a downright BASTARD! Have fun with your miserable life! But please, don't come sniveling back to me when you need help! I won't be there!" I go to leave his bed, but turn around remembering something suddenly. "Oh, by the way, Malfoy, you can have your ring back. I don't want to marry you. Not now, not ever! I HATE YOU DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! Don't talk to me ever again!"
I throw my ring at him and choke back a sob as I run from the hospital wing. I'm about to shut the door when I sear I hear a sobbing cry coming from Draco's, no MALFOY'S, direction, but I ignore it and continue to run crying all the way back to the Gryffindor tower. I bite back a sob as I give the password and run through the common room and straight to my room. I burst through the door and collapse crying on my bed. I clutch the necklace around my neck as I sob. How could he do this to me? Did our time together mean nothing to him? He loved me! I SWEAR he loved me! Where did we go wrong? Maybe he's right. Maybe I should go home.