A Child Of Darkness : A Draco Malfoy fanfic

16 - Forgive and Forget

"Hey Elen"

"Hey Cedric"

The boy slipped into the seat next to her, snatching the book out of her hands.

"Pride and Prejudice?". He handed the book back to the girl. "Is that from the muggles?"

Eleonora nodded, flipping through the pages as she spoke. "Hermione gave it to me".

"Right". He leaned against the bench, looking up at the cloudless sky before he returned his gaze to her. "You could have gone with her".

The girl shrugged. "I could have but I'd be intruding. Potter and Weasley aren't exactly fond of me".

Elen found the page she had been reading and leaned back on the bench, glancing up when a group of students walked by, squeals and giggles erupting when Cedric looked up as well. The 2nd years were out strolling the gardens while the 3rd years were making their way into Hogsmeade. Even though she was given an invitation to join Hermione on the visit, Eleonora had kindly declined.

"Well it's wrong of them to do so", Cedric spoke. "Maybe I should talk some sense into them", he voiced his thoughts.

Eleonora scoffed, glancing at the boy as he held a distant look. "You could try knocking sense into them but it still wouldn't work".

The boy flashed a smile before leaning back against the bench. "Well, I ought to head to the common room". Cedric rose to his feet and Elen glanced away from her book. "I promised to tutor some of the kids".

"Are you sure they need tutoring or do they just want a taste of good old Diggory's company?", she teased.

"Jealous are you?" Cedric chuckled, an amused glint in his eyes as he grinned.

Eleonora leaned forward, raising her right brow as she smiled brightly. "Never".

Cedric shoved the girl as she laughed. He mirrored her expression and waved her goodbye after throwing a playful glare at Eleonora.

She went back to before, settling in the comfortable corner of the bench with her focus solely on the plot of the book. But it wasn't long before she was interrupted again.

"Eleonora".

The girl sprang up in her seat, her hand reaching for the wand in her bag.
"Harry?! Wha-". Eleonora stuttered as she held her book to her chest in fright. "Were you spying on me?"

"I just need to talk to you", the boy confessed.

"And your option was to hide behind the trees and stalk me?"

Harry sighed, taking a step forward. "That was not my intention".

"Look", Eleonora sighed. "I'm not going to deny that I've seen the looks you've been throwing me and the attempts of grabbing my attention the past couple of days, but I have no intention of talking to you Potter".

She angled her body away from the boy. "And I thought I made myself clear".

"I know I have been horrible and haven't tried to get to know you", Harry explained and Eleonora scoffed at his words.
"I'm willing to put away my foolish ideas and believe you".

"Do you want an award for that?", Eleonora snapped. "And why the sudden change?"

"Professor Lupin told me everything".

The girl sighed and snapped her book shut. She turned to the boy, eyeing the awkward posture as he avoided her gaze.
"Why are you here?"

Harry took a deep breath and took a seat on the bench despite no invitation from the girl to join her. "I want to apologise. And I hope we could move past everything and be", he paused. "Amiable", he choose the word after a moment of thought.

Eleonora stared straight at the boy letting his words sink in when a chuckle tore her lips apart. "And why would you want that?"

She looked down and played with the frills of her bookmark, shaking her head at the boy's suggestion. "I mean it's not like you know how great of a company I am. You're just going into this blind asking us to be friends when I could completely be evil like everyone says so".

"I'm not asking us to be friends". Harry interrupted, his voice raising as the girl threatened to ramble on. "Hermione has told me all about you, so I know quite a bit. Atleast as described in her point of view".

The boy sighed for the millionth time, raising his palms in an attempt to reason. "All I'm asking is that we could be comfortable with each other, exchange greetings and as much as the glares I've undoubtedly thrown your way has been a lot, I hope you would forgive me".

He relaxed back into the seat, all the while eyeing the girl who said nothing but just stared back.

It seemed like forever when Eleonora finally spoke and Harry found himself taking a breath much more easily.

"Fine", she answered. She opened her book and settled against the arm rest of the bench. "I've got nothing to lose but let me make one thing clear."

Elen narrowed her eyes and threw an accusing finger in his direction. "You understand that it's indeed you who must change and I've done nothing to unnerve you in anyway?"

"I completely agree and I'm sorry". He pursed his lips as her gaze drifted back to the words on her book. "Just don't freak out if I smile, yeah?"

Eleonora's face wrinkled into one of disgust as she looked up from her book yet again. "Don't make it weird Harry".

The said boy held his hands up in surrender, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his trousers and rose to his feet. Harry looked around him, basking in the easy success of his attempt to renew their odd relationship.

"And just because I've forgiven you so easily doesn't mean anything. I'm just being nice", Eleonora added, staring at him to make sure the point got across.

"Noted", Harry replied instantly.
"Also", he added, grabbing the attention of the girl. "How are you? You know, after the collapse?"

"I'm alright", she replied with a nod to the boy.
"Madam Pomfrey suggested it might have been exhaustion. I don't see what I've done to be that tired but it could happen".

Elen paused as she let her gaze wander over the letters of the book. "Thank you by the way. For taking me to the hospital wing".

"Anytime Elen".

"Yeah let's not start with the nicknames so soon. It feels weird coming from you", she stated in mock disgust and the smile that followed assured the boy it was all humor.

Harry smiled in reply, awkwardly fidgeting in his spot before taking his cue to leave. As he walked away, he found himself looking back at the girl and he couldn't see how he had believed her to be the treacherous spawn of evil that everyone made her out to be. When Harry should have understood her the most, he had completely evaded her point of view and fell prey into the rumors.
All he hoped was that Professor Lupin, Hermione and several others were right about Eleonora and he wasn't being fooled like he always was.