99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.54

She's probably fine

The atmosphere at Hogwarts was horrifying. Draco wondered how the place he believed to be his home had turned from a place of joy to one of such pain and suffering.

He kept to himself, he wasn't sure if it was a conscious choice or not. Students from other houses avoided him, scared of the black skull sitting on his wrist. Students from his own house knew the Malfoy family had less power than ever before yet they respected him, he was the only true death eater amongst them.

Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy stuck to him like glue. They always had. They seemed almost as scared as the rest of the school. Almost as scared as he felt.

Pansy seemed to be the one who realised the real fear Draco was in. It wasn't for his own life, he was almost past caring what happened to him. It was the thought of Emily. Out there somewhere hunting and hunted all at once, he just hoped she wasn't a sitting duck.

The Davies family had moved into Malfoy Manor as per the families previous agreements for a high pressure situation. The plans had been set since he was 4 and only just been used. They'd shipped Rosaleena off to school a year ago and she was yet to return from France. He hadn't wanted to go back to school but the dark lord insisted, he claimed that he needed Draco's eyes and ears on the ground. Draco doubted that, the school was full of death eaters without him.

He attended class and spent his free time in his quarters, his friends sharing his seating area sometimes but knowing him well enough to know that they needed a balance of accompanying him and giving him space.

He was sat in an arm chair after class, fingers gripping a photograph of Emily. It was the only one he had. From her disposable camera, she'd left it when she moved out of the quarters, he had no idea if it had been intentional. He kept it folded up and on his person at all times.

It was the pair of them, Theo had taken it. She had been supporting him at a quidditch match. He's smiling brightly, looking down at her, one arm wrapped around her and the other clutching his broom by his side, he was pretty sure they'd won the match. She was next to him, laughing at the camera, head leaning into his chest, his hand spread wide round her hip pale against his green quidditch jersey she was wearing.

Pansy is laid on the sofa, her nose in her potions textbook, glad to have a lesson that no death eater is involved with first thing tomorrow.

"Could you turn that thing down?" She questions, sitting up and stretching. "I can't concentrate with it on,"

The small radio is tuned to Potterwatch. Draco took the news he heard no mention of Emily or any of her friendship group as a good sign.

"Study somewhere else then," he snaps. Pansy sighs, crossing her legs underneath her.

"Listening to hear if she's mentioned is awful for your mental health Draco," she comments

"Better than knowing nothing,"

"You still know nothing. You are torturing yourself. If she shows up, if any of them do, you'll hear about it. Spending every waking second waiting for a mention of her name, or Potter's, or Weasley's or Granger's is killing you slowly,"

"I can't not listen Pans. If something happens to her I will- I- I don't know what I will do. This is the closest thing to knowing she's safe I've got,"

"She's probably fine,"

"But she might not be. They aren't stupid. If anything happens to any of them they'll come out of hiding to get help, medical help, they'll have to. If I'm listening to this I'll know about it. If I'm not I might miss it,"

"Draco if they come out of hiding it'll be the talk of the school,"

"If it distracts you I am sorry but you'll have to study somewhere else. The radio stays on Pansy," he speaks in  an authoritative tone.

"Alright. I'm going to study in my dorm," she decides, standing up and grabbing her textbook.

"Sorry Pansy,"

"It's okay. I understand. We are all just coping. Will you be coming to dinner?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you all down there," he nods.

She lingers behind his arm chair for a second, pondering if it's her place to say before deciding there's not really boundaries between them anymore.

"It's a lovely picture,"

"Thank you,"

"If it means anything I really do think she will be okay. She's a great witch and she's so smart. Potter, Granger and Weasley are great too and they'll be looking out for each other,"