She came back to the hall the next Tuesday, having realised she'd left her ipod and loudspeakers so she entered the hall warily. Draco was waiting for her, her things in his hand. She hadn't seen him since he'd taken her away from the classroom and back to the Gryffindor Common Room, ignoring her protests that she needed to go to the library.
She cautiously walked over and took her things from his hand.
"Thanks" she said, raising her eyes to meet his. He didn't reply; he was too busy staring into her eyes, completely lost.
They were like a drug to him. And he seemed to be taking an overdose.
He blinked and looked away quickly, blinking quickly several times more to clear his thoughts. He noticed what she was wearing instead. A black, strappy tank top with small white hearts on it, pink pyjama bottoms with red and black spots on and a pair of beige fluffy looking boots that said "Ugg" on the heel. Clearly not from the wizarding world.
Damn he wished she'd put on some more clothes. She looked incredibly good for someone in their pyjamas, her eye make-up smudged slightly, making her eyes more mysterious and her hair done up in a messy bun with strands falling out and framing her face.
"She's shivering!" he realised.
He could give her his dressing gown...but he was only wearing grey sweats underneath and no shirt.
He took of his dressing gown as she stared at him incredulously.
"What are you doing" she whispered as he started to strip.
"Making you warm" he replied a he slung his dressing gown around her slim shoulders. It fell all the way down to the floor on her whereas it only fell to his knees.
"Oh...thank you, but...what about you? Won't you be cold?" she asked him, eyeing his bare chest as she spoke.
"Yes" he said in a voice that was clearly trying to hold back a laugh.
"Well then- " she started to protest and take it off but he only rolled his eyes and pulled it back around her shoulders.
She ignored the tingling feeling his touch left and put it down to her arms and shoulders being sensitive right now, thanks to the bruises.
She looked up at him and he could see the thanks in her eyes.
He was looking down at her with a smile on his face, only it was a real smile, not the smirks he normally did.
Suddenly she longed to ask him what had been on her mind the whole night.
"What did you mean when you told Harry that it was none of his business?" she asked hesitantly.
His smile faded a little. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "I meant exactly that" he stated, clearly uncomfortable. He gestured with his head. "Come on I'll walk you back". She followed him a while before he asked "How long's this thing between you and Diggory been going on?" changing the subject.
Now it was her turn to feel uncomfortable. "A few months".
"You should tell somebody".
"Like who?"
"Anybody. You'd feel better for it".
She laughed bitterly. "It's going to take more than telling someone to make me feel good again". And unfortunately, it's going to take more then you, Ron, Harry and Neville following me to protect me from him.
"I wouldn't be so sure... actually, where is your tail? Isn't Ron meant to be following you today?"
"Yeah, he was following me this time last week."
She saw him turn his head to look at her as she slipped her arms into his dressing gown. The ends of the arms fell well over her fingers and as she felt his gaze she stared down and lifted an arm to push back a strand of hair as the silk wrinkled up to her elbow.
Draco smiled slightly. But she didn't see that.
"Why do you let him treat you like that?"
"Because if I didn't he'd..." She trailed off, biting her lip.
Draco waited for her to speak.
"He'd...he'd tell everyone my dream. And then everyone would laugh at me" she said with a sigh and she flushed as she realised how ridiculous it sounded out loud.
"I see" he said. "And is your dream to sing and dance?"
"Yes" she replied, tipping her head forward to hide her face slightly.
"Why would people laugh at you for that?"
"It's not something that people do around here is it?"
"No. But nobody would laugh at you if they saw or heard you perform".
She smiled and ducked her head again at the compliment. Then her head shot back up. "Exactly how many times have you watched me?" she asked casually.
Draco smiled slightly again "Oh all the time".
She stopped walking and stared at him incredulously. Then she began to laugh. He realised that it was the first time he'd heard her laugh.
"It suits her" he thought as he began to laugh along with her. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did your friend die?"
Her expression became sad immediately "his name was Callum. He was helping another one of my friends. My other friend got into a fight with a man who lived nearby. He pulled a knife and started waving it around. Callum stepped in to help my friend and got...stabbed for his troubles. In the muggle world, you can die from something like that. The ambulance couldn't get there quickly enough, and he bled to death..."
They arrived outside the Gryffindor entrance and stopped walking. He handed her her belongings and said "Pumpkin" to the sleepy fat lady.
"How do you know the password?" she asked him slightly suspiciously.
He gave a cheeky grin and repeated what seemed to be his favourite phrase "None of your business".
"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. "It's like Harry said- I'm just another Gryffindor".
He paused as he considered how to answer her. Then he smiled slightly to himself, leaned towards her and whispered the lyrics to her favourite Tinchy Stryder song.
"Because I can't live without you" he murmured then he was gone.