99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.55

He's proud of you

"This? This is your great plan?" Harry snaps.

Harry, Hermione and Emily are stood in the front foyer of the Davies estate.

"Look, I wasn't thinking-"

"-Clearly,"

"Ron left and we were all upset and suddenly we had to move quickly and I just- it's the first place I thought of," Emily retaliates

"Where are your family?" Hermione questions, Emily lets out  a sigh, racking her brain for an answer.

"Draco said they'd sent Rosa off to France for school and she wasn't returning until everything had blown over. My parents will be at the Malfoy manor, the plans were always for us to move there if a high pressure situation were to arise. Power in numbers or something,"

"Maybe here's not such a bad spot for the night. I mean no one will look for us in a death eaters house,"

"Is Malfoy manor not literally next door?" Harry questions angrily

"It's miles away. The only place you can see into the other is my room into Draco's. We forced my mother to put an enchantment on it so we could communicate through the windows in the mornings, we weren't allowed to go to the others house until 10am,"

"So we just avoid your room. Your parents boarded up all the windows before they left anyway," Hermione shrugs

"This is ridiculous. Ridiculous and dangerous," Harry comments.

"We can stay here the night, it's better than us freezing in a tent in the snow somewhere. We can leave first thing. We will stay in one room and that way if anything happens we are together. Hermione don't unpack anything, we need to be ready for a quick get away. We can stay in the drawing room. There's plenty of sofas we can sleep on," Emily decides, Hermione nodding in agreement at the plan.

"Fine. But if we die know I told you this is a bad plan," Harry agrees

"Take the locket off Harry. You've had way over your turn," Hermione commands, following Emily up a flight of stairs and into the room.

It's large and full of books and plush cream sofas. Three large bay windows that are all bordered up.

The trio are silent as night falls, all glad to not be out in the freezing night. Harry falls asleep first and Hermione eventually moving to sit next to Emily against the bordered up centre window.

"Usually overlooks the rose garden," Emily informs, nodding with her head to the window "was the only room in the house I liked being in. Father never came in. Draco and I would spend hours reading in here,"

"He's proud of you. You know that?"

"My father? Merlin you've got the wrong end of the stick,"

"Draco," Hermione corrects with a light laugh.

"My father hates snow. That's why we live here. The only time it ever snows is the end of December,"

"What's your point?"

"It's snowy outside. That means it's the end of December. That means it's the Christmas holidays,"

"Oh," Hermione sighs out "Draco is next door,"

"He is. It's the closest I've been to him in months. He's physically less than 10 minutes away. He's so close that I can practically feel his presence, maybe it's just being back here. You know badly I want to go there?"

"It's a death trap,"

"I know. I also know that there's a blind spot, there's an oak tree by his bedroom window. If you climb it from the side furthest away from the house the trunk is thick enough to hide you, once your up high enough you can climb through the branches and be right outside his window. Knock twice quick then pause then three times quick. It's the same knocking code we've had since we were 7. I could probably do it. I could see him,"

"Emily," Hermione sighs gently "you know I can't let you,"

"I know. I know it's crazy. I just- Hermione you guys don't understand. I feel the same way for Draco that you feel for Ron. I know he isn't a bad person, I know everyone thinks he is but he's not. He doesn't have a choice, his parents would have been killed, he would have been killed. He had no choice. He's not evil. He's what I would be if I hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor. He's a good boy, a kind boy, he's one of us if we had no option. He's in that house with murderers. With people who would snap in a heartbeat. He's in as much danger as we are. He doesn't even know if I'm alive. I want to see him more than I want anything else in the world. I would risk my life to see him. If I could do it and not put you guys in danger I would,"

"What are you saying?" Hermione questions, eyes wide.

"Tomorrow, I want you guys to leave. I want you to tell me exactly where you are going and I am going to sneak into the Malfoy manor to see him. I want you to wait wherever you go for an hour. I will see him, I will let him know I'm okay and then I will come and join you. If in an hour I don't arrive, Hermione, you have to leave, do not come back here. Do not come looking for me,"

"Emily- that- it's- I'm not going to let you do that. It's a suicide mission. I'm not going to leave you. If you have to see him that bad we can help you,"

"No. No this, what we are doing, defeating you-know-who  is more important than that on a whole, you have to do that. But I can't keep going without seeing him. I'll try and rejoin you,"

"Emily-"

"This isn't a question,"