Disclaimer: I don't own Queen JK's characters, only the plot of this story.


"Don't scare me like that, ever again."

I held her tightly in my hands, she must have been really worried because she looked ghastly. Her red hair twisted in every which way, her eyes matching her hair colour with bags around them. Her tears paving rivers through her red cheeks. She was shivering in my arms as she was sobbing. Her dusty jacket reeked of many things, alcohol being one of them. She doesn't drink, so she must have been searching for me with Potter.

"I'm here..."

"I can't… not if both of you…" She started a new wave of sobs into my shoulders. I gently rubbed her back with my hand while the other held her head. Finally starting to relax, she let out a whimpering sigh of relief and closed her eyes as she turned her head to my neck and gave off a small hint of a smile.

I glanced over her shoulder to find a mix of a scowl, surprise, and a hint of something else on Granger's face. I didn't recognise that emotion as I've never seen that on her face, and I'm pretty sure I never saw that on my mirror either.

Before I could decipher what it was, the growl from Laurie's stomach distracted me. She must not have eaten anything at all last night, searching for me. I wanted to finish cooking those tuna sandwiches for Laurie but I remembered the look on Granger's face. She was already pissed that I was here, I'm pretty sure from the look on her face that she won't take Laurie's visit that well. And we all don't want to anger Granger… For Laurie's sake, it'll be hard to take care of Laurie with an angry Granger around… I was being considerate for Laurie, not Granger.

Deciding to take her to the café so that we could eat and I could comfort her, I led her to the door, grabbing my sweatshirt from the couch, I quickly checked for the keys and my wand before I led her out of the apartment into the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Granger piped up from behind me as we reached the door.

"I'm taking her to the café for a while. I'll be back for lunch."

"I can't authorise that." I made Laurie wait near the staircase and walked back to Granger.

"Granger, I have to take care of her, look at her."

"I said it before I can't authorise that." The insensitive bitch… I thought she was the voice of reason among the terrible trio.

"Granger, I'm in witness protection, not under house arrest."

"But Harry said-"

"Look I know what Potter said, and I know you don't want to let your friend down, but then so do I. She's not in the condition where I can let her go out alone like that." I was starting to get irritated at her.

"Draco, you don't hav-" She started to rise up from her seat as I turned to look at her.

"Laurie, don't… I'm taking you to the café and that's for sure." My voice was grim, and she knew she couldn't change my mind when I took that tone, so she sat back down

"Malfoy, I can't let you out without any protection. Besides, why is your girlfriend so upset about your mothe-"

"Wait… you thought she was my girlfriend…" I started to laugh, both girls staring at me as if I had just kissed a house-elf, on the lips. "Was that why… earlier you were glaring, were you jealous?" I started laughing hysterically. She turned bright red at the statement.

"WHAT? Why the fuck would I be jealous… and for you of all the people in the world? You… bigoted ferret… you're such a pain in the ass… you know what Malfoy, I don't care where you go and with who? Just get out of my sight… you… MAN-FERRET" She slammed the door shut as I turned out to a tired Laurie starting at me quizzically. I quickly gathered my composure and pieced it back together as I walked over to Laurie and held her hand as I side-along apparated us to the café.


We landed on our feet in the kitchen, instantly I walked up to the counter and got my emergency snack supplies. There were a few home baked chocolate chip cookies, an energy bar, a bottle of coke and an old sandwich. I handed her the energy bar and the cookies as she sat down on a chair and threw the sandwich in the trash.

"Have the energy bar first, you must be tired from searching for me."

The shop was a bit of a mess, a spoilt cake lay in the corner as I didn't bother disposing anything when I came here earlier. I only grabbed the essentials before I was shipped off to the witness protection home, or the depressing asylum as I call it.

"I'll make French Toast, your favourite." I checked for the ingredients and found enough for a breakfast for one. I noticed the meek nod from Laurie as she bit into the energy bar. The dam of tears reaching its brim once again. I set aside the breakfast, walked back to her and held her tight, motioning for her to let it all out. I wasn't particularly good at this but I knew enough from mother trying to cheer me up that all anyone needed is for someone to hold them. It pained me to think of mother again, especially while holding Laurie, but I knew I had to be strong now, my turn to cry finished last night, now it is Laurie's turn. The tears in her eyes now flowing freely down her cheeks as she brought her wavering hand up to mine.

"She… she… I… I just c-can't… believe t-that she's g-gone."

"She's in a better place now."

"I know… B-But it was s-so sudden… She was j-just there a w-week ago."

"I know… I know…"

"We were p-planning to eat out that night… at that r-restaurant down the street…" Her sobs started with a new vigour as her grip tightened on my sleeve.

"It'll be alright Laurie… We're here for you… I am here, and so are your parents… and Janet, and Emily from class… we're all here for you… even Granger, I'm sure… She wouldn't want you to give your life up…"

She cried into my shoulder as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a necklace, more precisely mother's necklace. A family heirloom she received from her grandmother as a child. She had all charms and spells present on the necklace removed after the war. I brought it back for Laurie after what happened and decided this would be a good time to give to her. Pressing it into her palm, I tilted her head up and kissed her forehead. Laurie stared at the necklace, recognising it as mothers, before erupting into a new wave of sobs as she tried to make me take it instead.

"You can't refuse… I have her ring back in my bag, so keep it." I lied.

She cried for a few minutes before her stomach growled again. She scolded me for letting her get hungry and pushed me to make breakfast again, the pushy side of her revealing a small vestige of the old Laurie, as if to say 'I'll get better, in time.' She gave me a weak smile, and I smiled back, before turning to the French toast.

We remained relatively silent through most of breakfast, a time I passed off as her regrouping time. As we neared the end of our meal, she suddenly broke away from sad reverie and gave me a little smirk, one that I usually feared.

"So… what's up with this Granger girl?" I knew that smirk was trouble. But just this once, I was happy that it was there.

"There's nothing, we have a history of hating each other to the end of the Merlin's pointy hat."

"She's cute, and you guys were shouting something about jealousy and girlfriends?" Not so happy of course, I still feared the damn thing, though I would never admit that to anyone, at any point of time.

"It's nothing…"

"Let me guess, she got jealous because she thought I was your girlfriend." Always has to hit the nail on the head, doesn't she. Why can't she ever get the thumb?

"…"

"Oh wait… you're also going to live with her these next few weeks, aren't you?" I quickly got up from my seat and picked up the food that isn't spoiled yet, I realised the dangers of staying back for a while. Laurie was quite the prankster to those who know her well enough, so good that I'd even compare her to the Weasley twins, put together. She even looked like them… almost.

"Listen, I have to go now… I'm under witness protection." Letting her tease me, I walked over and dumped the dishes in the kitchen before picking up the bags and grabbing my wand to apparate.

"You're fine, aren't you?" I asked her.

"No, but I will be… Don't worry that much… I'm better now thanks to you." She had a smile on that I could believe was real. "Don't mind if I raid the kitchens a little, do you?" I shook my head. "A little. Find me if you need anything else. I'll let you know when I open the café again, I hope they let open it soon." She smiled and I finally decided she was well enough for me to leave her to her devices. I waved my wand and thought of the hallway in front of Granger's apartment.


I heard voices coming from inside, two women were chatting away pretty loudly as I could hear snippets of their conversation. I could recognise one of the voices as Grangers and I'm positive I heard the other voice more than once before, enough number of times to remember it.

"Malfoy… living… perfect… kiss…"

I smiled as I recognised the owner of the voice, and opened the door.


This will probably be the last sad chapter in the recent future. Any guesses on the voice? It should be easy enough.

I also know this isn't my best chapter, but I'm sure my next ones will be better.

And also check out my other stories from my profile. I'm back on fanfiction after nearly a year, and I've been writing for a year before that, so I hope you can find something there. Also check out my Game of Thrones story (Only if you finished season 6).

And once again, thank you for the reviews and I'm open to more reviews, suggestions, compliments and especially flames. They burn the fuel stored in me to help me write better... constructive criticism always helps. So please drop reviews, especially if there are any flames whatsoever.