Unmatched Hatred

Chapter 23

Only a week goes by, yet it feels like many more weeks. I'm already impatient for Harry's reply to my letter. I was just walking up to Malfoy to receive any mail there may be for me until he blurted out.

"It's not here."

Disappointed, I start heading up to my room alone, because ever since Kasper started working, I have had no one to talk to. He goes to work at 8:30 a.m. and doesn't get back until 5:30 p.m. This means I have no one to talk to during the day and when he does get home, he is too tired to chat about anything. I worry he may be over working himself, but I be as considerate as I can and leave him to rest until the next morning. Therefore, I have practically spent this entire week alone in my bedroom. I have become so bored that I have written over five letters to Harry, and I have mailed all of them. I didn't know what else to do, so I pretended I was talking directly to Harry through the words which I wrote upon the paper.

Luckily, Kasper gets Sundays off and is supposed to come home with a handful of galleons.

I just wish it weren't Saturday.

Before my hand could reach the doorknob to my room, Narcissa calls out to me from a distance. As I watched her walk up to me, I wished I had gotten to my room sooner.

"You've been locked up in your room lately. Why's that?" asked Narcissa, whose gaze seemed compassionate.

"Oh, just bored. Nothing to worry about," I smiled to try to mask the fact that being lonely was slowly draining me.

"Well, I believe you should cure that boredom by taking a walk with Draco in the garden."

"With Draco..." The words floated out of my mouth involuntarily and trailed off quickly.

I haven't spoken Malfoy's first name in months.

"Yes, with Draco. Do you not like him or something?"

"I- um-"

"I'm just teasing, darling. Just be downstairs in five minutes please. Draco has not been too busy nor cheerful either, but I know you can cheer him up. It will do both of you some good."

"I'll be there."

I step into my room and shut the door.

You know, maybe being alone wasn't that bad. I take everything back.

Well, as much as I wish I could take back my thoughts and possibly time, I can't, and I must live with the present reality.

As I changed into a pair of jeans and an over-sized sweater, Narcissa's words ringed in my ears.

Do you not like him or something?

I don't, I wanted to say, in fact, I hate him. He does nothing but take pride in tormenting me. He's toxic. He's selfish. He's everything you don't want to be.

I slowly slide on my boots, trying to waste as much time as possible before I had to go downstairs and approach Malfoy.

To my surprise, he was already waiting for me at the back door. He stared at me blankly and opened the door.

"After you," he said, his hand suggesting I should go before him.

I scanned the room for Narcissa, though she was nowhere to be seen. I supposed Malfoy was being polite all on his own.

It seemed to be rather cool for a summer evening. Perhaps the occasional breeze that would pass by as we walked could be the reason for this. I appreciated the cool atmosphere though. Going on a walk in the heat is certainly not comfortable. I love Narcissa to bits, but what is her reason for forcing me and Malfoy to take a stroll? An even bigger question: why does she feel the need to force us? Maybe she should leave me and Malfoy to settle things on our own, because I don't believe this will solve anything.