The Girl Who Lived

Headlines and Friendships

June 10th, 1996.

_______________

Elena Clairmont sat with Ginny and Ron at the Gryffindor table. Harry was sitting across from them with Hermione, who was chewing on her bottom lip. All of them were waiting for the latest edition of the Quibbler to come out.

Late last night, Luna had received an owl from her father saying that the article would be printed in the morning and distributed. She immediately found Elena and Malfoy and told them first, running off to tell Blaise and Harry.

Elena and Malfoy had spent the rest of the night simply talking about the article and the way Elena was feeling about it. The strangest part? Draco had asked her about how she was feeling. He had never done that but then again, he had never hugged her before or blatantly held her hand before.

So there were plenty of new beginnings. Even stranger? They had spent the night together, sleeping soundly on the beds of green grass. Now that had not been the strange part. The strange part was the part where Malfoy still spoke to Elena while she slept and once she truly fell asleep, his voice lulled her to sleep.

"I don't believe in God, you know." Malfoy spoke softly, his pale fingers ghosting along Elena's hair. Her eyes were shut and her features were peaceful although still alert.

Lately, that alertness had been amplified by a thousand percent and she never looked calm. Only ever ready to pounce or fight back. It was a bitter thought, especially knowing what his mother had reported back to him about Elena's injuries and the conditions of her confinement.

He would never forget how his mother described her injuries. She had said that her injuries were fatal. That it was somehow a miracle she wasn't worse off but judging on how Elena came back to Hogwarts and the state she was in, Draco thought his mother had been sugarcoating it. He couldn't be sure, especially since Elena had been masking her body with heavy knit clothing and oversized sweaters and makeup on her face.

He wanted to peel away those layers- in a non sexual way, mind you- and see the naked truth of what happened during those days she had been locked in the Ministry. But having her here, laying next to him, being comfortable enough- to be vulnerable enough to sleep, it was enough. He just wanted her.

If she was a drug, she was the most addictive kind because he had no idea how much he could love touching only her.

"I don't believe in God but I prayed for you, y'know." Malfoy whispered, scoffing slightly. "I prayed for two straight days that you would live and be alright and would make your way back home... Back to me. I don't believe in God or spiritual things but at times, it is as though you have been crafted solely for me."

He knew that Elena must not have been sleeping yet. He knew all of her tells. The way her nose twitched when she was lying or her eyes would squint when she was angry or if she grew emotional, her voice grew into this powerful and thick Scottish accent, or- or how sometimes, she would mumble small songs in an unknown tongue, something ancient and when he would ask her about it, she wouldn't know what he was talking about.

And when she only pretended to be asleep, her brow bone would twitch up.

He kept speaking, stealing a small moment from the world to give to Elena. "I don't know how and I don't know when but you- God, you have changed my life."

Inside of her chest, her heart swelled with those three words. She didn't move or make a noise as he continued.

"I am no poet and I am not a good man, not the kind of which you deserve but I am trying... I am trying to be the man you deserve. I do not make promises but I give you my word, in which I say that I will fight for you, even if I am not the man you truly want."