Chapter 18

"What the hell, Draco?! What the bloody hell?!"

Azalea paced angrily in front of Draco who simply paged through a magazine, half listening to her angry rants. He had successfully broken up Azalea's date with Alex and was very pleased with himself. Draco had only dragged Zabini to Diagon Alley to provide the excuse that they only "happened" to run into the date and "since they were all friends", they wouldn't mind sharing a table.

Alex glared at him the entire time. Azalea only stared with disbelief. She was then forced to end the date early because it seemed like Draco wasn't going to go away any time soon and Blaise, who was previously bored, decided to entertain himself by making sly insulting comments to Draco about Alex. Alex, who was sitting beside Blaise, looked murderous. Draco grinned through the entire thing like a Cheshire cat.

"Have you lost your mind?" Azalea continued to rant. "What were you thinking, you half wit moron?"

"I don't know what you're mad about," Draco shrugged. "I wanted some ice cream so I went to go get some."

"You bloody murdered my date with Alex!" Azalea yelled. "Couldn't you have restrained yourself for an hour?"

Draco sighed followed by another shrug. "It's not like he was saying anything intelligent to you."

"Well, I'll never know now, will I?" Azalea glared at him and then grabbed her cloak.

Draco watched her shrug into it. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go see Dahlia," Azalea snapped. "Is that acceptable to you?"

"What business is it of mine if you want to bitch about what happened to her?" Draco smirked at her.

Azalea glared at him, anger radiating out of her in waves. Draco thought she looked even cuter when she was pissed off. His blissfully entertained face only irritated Azalea more.

"You know, you're adorable when you're annoyed," Draco said, grinning even wider.

"Get out!"

Dahlia watched Azalea pace back and forth. Azalea had come in a bitter mood, angry and complaining. Dahlia listened as patiently as she could, not at all surprised by Draco's behavior. In fact, her suspicions were more confirmed because of such behavior.

"Idiot!" Azalea exclaimed. "I don't know why he's acting like this!"
"Really?" Dahlia scoffed. "You really don't?"

Azalea stopped and stared at her. "No, why would I?" Azalea watched her best friend raise a skeptical eyebrow and responded with sighing and rolling her eyes. "Not your theory about Draco's imaginary feelings for me again."

"Is it so imaginary, Azalea?" Dahlia argued. "I mean, just look at his behavior. He seems to suddenly hate Alex when before he didn't give a damn. He suddenly wants to ruin him in your eyes when he previously wanted to help you in pursuit of him. He's spending more time with you than his precious Astoria. Merlin, open your bloody eyes!"

"You're being ridiculous!" Azalea exclaimed.

"Pardon me but who's the objective third party here?" Dahlia raised an eyebrow to which Azalea rolled her eyes.

"What utter bullshit," Azalea responded.

"How do you know it's bullshit?" Dahlia challenged. "Have you asked Draco how he feels about you since he came out of his coma?"

Azalea was silent for a while. "He can't have feelings for me," Azalea argued. "That was only in his mind. That's utterly impossible."

"How do you know it's impossible?" Dahlia continued to prod. "Have you asked him? Have you talked about it?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought," Dahlia nodded, satisfied. "You ought to be disappointed in yourself. Draco's showing all signs of fancying you and you insist upon on Alex. That's got to be murder for him."

"I can't help the way Draco feels about me," Azalea bickered, "if he feels anything at all for me."

"Do we have to go over this again?" Dahlia asked. "You'd have to be absolutely mentally retarded to not realize that Draco has some sort of feelings for you."

Azalea gave her best friend a look. "Fine then," Azalea conceded. "If you must insist on your theory, what would you have me do?"

"Find out exactly how Draco feels about you," Dahlia advised, "then find out if Alex is willing to fight for you."

Alex angrily shouted at his house elf to lead any visitors of his to his study. He expected a very large investor soon but the possibility of making a considerably fortunate business deal didn't liven up his spirits one jot. Damn Draco Malfoy. Who the hell did he think he was? He wasn't even interested in Azalea before his wretched brain defect. Damn retarded idiot, Alex complained to himself. What business did he have breaking up his date with Azalea? He was so close to luring Azalea to his manor that night.

Alex slammed the door to his study and subsequently punched the wall in anger. He felt like screaming. He felt murderous, tension exuding from him.

"Foiled again, I assume, Alex?" a vixen's voice came from a dark corner of his study.

Alex whipped around and watched her rise to her feet, a playful smirk on her face. Her dark hair shone alluringly in the faint light as she walked toward him, a decidedly seductive expression on her face.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Alex demanded, watching her approach.

"You've got to be joking," she chortled. "This isn't the first time I've been here. Don't insult me."

"I don't want you here right now," Alex said abrasively, brushing past her.

She chuckled. "You're bitter," she observed. "No doubt thanks to your precious Azalea."

"Have you come here to taunt me?"

She turned and headed him off as he charged to his desk. "We both know what I came here for, Alex," she whispered to him.

"I'm in no mood," he snarled.

"What?" she asked him teasingly. "Because of Draco and Azalea? Don't make me laugh. You weren't even interested in Azalea. You just intended to play with her. The only reason you're angry is because Draco's wise to your tricks and you're losing."

"What do you want?" Alex asked.

"You know all too well what I want," she said and sent her lips crashing down to his.

"Please wait here, Miss," the house elf squeaked, leading Azalea in front of wide mahogany double doors. "Master has been expecting you and will be with you shortly."

Azalea watched the house elf disappear into thin air. Expecting her? How odd. Alex probably expected another visitor and the little imp assumed that it was her. Azalea sighed. She could do nothing but wait, she supposed.

Azalea only hoped that Draco's shenanigans hadn't completely discouraged Alex. Azalea would hate Draco indefinitely if he destroyed all her chances of happiness. After getting humiliatingly rejected and losing her parents, she didn't think she could handle any more unhappiness. Life has been very cruel to her. She missed her parents. She missed the talks she had with her mom. She missed the way her dad made her laugh. Azalea wanted to be happy again. But she didn't know just where to start. She hoped that Alex could help her find her joy again.

Then she heard it. She heard the most distasteful moaning and groaning she had ever heard. It came from inside the doors, inside Alex's study. She heard a woman's giggle followed by a woman's groan. Azalea's stomach dropped. Her vision blurred. Surely she was only imagining things. Surely she was wrong. This couldn't be happening.

Azalea turned and stared at the door. The moaning continued. She pushed the door open and her eyes flooded, her heart constricted. Through the haze of tears she saw the two of them. She lay on her back on his table, top off, legs spread open. His shirt was unbuttoned, hands stroking her thigh, face buried in his chest. Alex and Pansy Parkinson.

Azalea felt the pain flood over her like a curtain of water. She felt her entire body go numb. She felt her chest tighten and her throat dry up. Azalea felt as if her heart was pierced and she felt the pain in waves throughout her body.

Pansy then saw her at the doorway. "Oh, Merlin," she laughed.

Alex looked up and his eyes grew wide. "Azalea…"

He moved toward her. Azalea sucked in a painful breath and Apparated away. Her feet landed at the base of a staircase and she crumpled to the ground. Tears flowed out of her. Her chest heaved as she cried. She covered her face, soaking her palm in tears. Why did this happen to her? What did she do? Why was she being punished? Why? She was shaking violently. She was slumped over on the floor. She felt like her heart had been slaughtered. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know who to turn to. She felt so alone and it killed her.

"Azalea?" Draco rounded the corner and ran to her as he saw her on the floor, kneeling next to her. "Azalea, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"He was having an affair, Draco," Azalea stammered out, between her tears. "He had been toying with me all along. I'm an idiot. I'm a damn bloody idiot."

Anger pounded through Draco as he watched her devastation. He wanted to kill him. Seeing Azalea so upset made Draco murderous. He gathered her in his arms and held onto her as she cried. Azalea hung onto him, feeling as if holding onto him would tether her to the real world. Draco let her cry. He simply held her close and tightly, refusing to let her go. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know where to begin.

Draco felt horrible. He could have prevented this. If only he told Azalea what that bastard was. If only he had done more for her. He should have protected her. He should have been there.

Draco sat holding her for twenty minutes as she cried. Soon Azalea drew in ragged breaths and her hand that was clutching to him tightly began to loosen. She was getting tired, he observed. He scooped her up and carried her upstairs in his arms. Azalea had fallen asleep. The tumult of emotions and pain tired her out and she drifted to sleep in his arms. Draco tucked her into her bed and wiped the tears from her face.

He watched her sleep, watched a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't deserve any of this, he thought. Hasn't she had enough? She's had her heart ripped out once before. Must it happen her again? She lost her parents. She doesn't need this.

Draco's thoughts drifted to Alex and his hands tightened into fists. That damn bastard, he thought. He doesn't deserve her. He shouldn't have done what he did, that wretched ass hole. Draco's anger made him see red. Tension and aggression rolled off him in waves. He should have done something about that worm Garrison a long time ago. Draco remembered the strangled sounds of tears that erupted from Azalea not too long ago and his anger doubled. He had to pay. Draco Apparated away from Azalea's room. Alex Garrison had hell to pay.

Draco yanked open Alex's mahogany doors and charged inside. He found Pansy perched on top of Alex's desk, looking satisfied and wanton. Alex was looking out the window. Both of them turned surprised towards Draco.

"You're not welcome here, Malfoy," Alex said loudly at him.

"Leave, Pansy," Draco hissed at Pansy.

"Don't tell me-ˮ

"Now!!" Draco yelled.

Pansy threw a look at Alex. He was only glaring at Draco. Pansy heaved herself haughtily off the desk and Apparated away.

"I don't want you here, Malfoy," Alex scowled at him.

"What right have you got, Garrison," Draco snarled at him, "to hurt Azalea like that?"

"What is it to you?"

"Sleeping with Pansy is one thing," Draco growled at him, "but hurting Azalea in the process. You've got some nerve."

"What of it?" Alex sneered. "I'm not dating Azalea. I can sleep with whoever I want."

"You're a heartless bastard," Draco said to him angrily. "Hasn't she been through enough? Don't you even care?"

"No," Alex laughed. "Are you really that stupid? I only wanted to sleep with the girl. That's the only thing she was useful for."

Draco's fist sailed into his nose. He relished in the contact and enjoyed the crack of the bone he felt. Blood rushed out of Alex's nose as he stumbled backward. But Draco wasn't satisfied. He followed with another punch to the gut and another blow to the face. Alex fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. His face looked like a bruised tomato.

"I catch you anywhere near Azalea again and, I swear, Garrison," Draco threatened menacingly, "I'll kill you."