Moon and Stars

CHAPTER 5

"Elara..." Conor said as he smiles, gently grabbing her right hand, giving it a brief peck. "Conor!" she said, surprised. "I can't believe you're here!" she continued. "Of course I'll be here. As soon as I heard that Adrian boy talking about a Slytherin party, I knew I just had to come." Conor replied as his green eyes met hers.

Her face crimsoned, as she frantically averted her sight.

"Do you want to dance?" Conor asked. "Sure... But I'm not so good at it." she replied as her right palm touches her left elbow. "Why don't we take a few shots, maybe that will help you loosen up." Conor said. "Oh no, I don't plan on getting drunk tonight." she replied, hesitant. "Oh come on, you have nothing to worry about. We are in a room full of people... People who are already half drunk as we speak..." Conor said as he arches his eyebrow.

"Fine..." she said, downing a shot of Dragon's Barrel Brandy and two more shots of Fire Whiskey.

"Woah that was strong..." she said, nictating to the feeling of the burning sensation of the alcohol in her throat.

...
~I don't like anyone better than you~
~It's true~
~I'd crawl a mile in a desolate place with the snakes just for you~

K.Flay- High Enough plays in the background.
...

"Hey, I love this song!" Elara exclaimed. "You do? What song is this anyway?" Conor said with a giggle. "Yeah, I do! It's a muggle song." she said, as the loud music fills the large walls of the Slytherin common room.

"This one is for our Slytherin princess! Let's give it up for the best head girl in Hogwarts' history... Elara Stardust!" Adrian exclaimed, plastered, as he stood on the table in the middle of the common room.

"Wooooo!!" everyone cheered.

"Now Elara dear, let's drink to this little celebration." Adrian mumbled. "I just downed three fucking shots, Pucey. I don't think so..." Elara huffed. "Oh come on, everyone's counting on you!" Adrian said as he gave her the puppy dog-eyes.

"Stardust! Stardust!" Theo cheered, half drunk.

"Stardust! Stardust! Stardust!" everyone started to cheer.

"Fine." she huffed as she held up one shot of Dragon's Barrel Brandy.

"Oh no no no... not just one, princess... We need you to down all five of these..." Adrian mumbled, pointing at the shot glasses aligned on the table beside him. "Five?!" she exclaimed, eyes widened.

Elara was contemplating about the shots. She knew what this meant and what would happen.

"Pfft... Easy." she huffed as she downed all five shots.

"Woooooo!!" everyone cheered.

"Woah, m-might be a little tipsy here, mate!" Elara mumbled, giggling. "Are you alright?" Conor asked as he laughs. "Well of course I'm alright. What? So we're not going to dance now?" she mumbled as she toppled down.

"Woah, I think you need to sit down." Conor said grabbing her by the waist.

"Hands off." Draco exclaimed, appearing from the crowd. "Calm down, mate." Conor said as he raises his hands in surrender.

"Jade, can you walk?" Draco asked. "Why walk when you can dance?" she mumbled, as the alcohol she devoured started to take effect on her. "I'm taking you back to your room." Draco said, stern. "No!" she exclaimed, pushing Draco away. "What the fuck do you mean, 'no'?!" Draco exclaimed.

She went silent for a moment. "You're such a pain in the arse sometimes, you know that?" she scoffed. "Excuse me?" Draco huffed.

"You've been treating me like crap, with your bloody mood swings and all, you're never around anymore and now what? You're ordering me to do things like you own me. Who the fuck do you think you are?" she exclaimed.

***
..
Draco Malfoy

You don't deserve her.
You're a monster.
You promised that you would protect her from all the bad things in this world.
You swore that you would do anything and everything in your willpower to save her.
Even if that means protecting her from a monster, like yourself.
...

Draco stood up from his arm chair and threw a cup of Dragon's Barrel Brandy in his grip towards his bedroom wall. The glass shattered, alcohol went everywhere. He was shaking as the self appointed anger was starting to consume him.

"Draco..." Narcissa said as she walks towards him.

"How could you, mother?" he said in rage. "I'm so sorry... It was her choice, Darling." Narcissa said. "Even if it was her bloody choice, you could have stopped her! You could have disagreed!" he yelled. "Draco, I agreed, only to protect you..." Narcissa sighed. "And who's going to protect her?" he huffed.

"I'm so sorry, Draco." Narcissa sighed. "No mother, don't apologize to me, apologize to her. And just so you know, 'sorry' doesn't make up for what you and father have agreed to put her through." he said.

He grabbed a bottle of Fire Whiskey and devoured half of it before speaking another word.

"You treat me like I'm fragile, mother. And we both know that I'm way past that." he chuckled, taking another sip. "You and father know how important she is to me. And because of that stupid fucking agreement of yours, I could have lost her." he exclaimed, sharply making eye contact with his mother.

Draco walked out his bedroom. He stopped before exiting, turning to look back at Narcissa.

"And if she dies..." he said. "Consider me dead too." he continued, as he walks out his room without another word.

He arrived in Hogwarts precisely fifteen minutes before the stroke of midnight. The hallways and corridors, empty as it was way past curfew.

"Mr. Malfoy..." Dumbledore said. "Professor..." Draco replied, as he stopped walking. "Glad to see you arriving back here, safely." Dumbledore said. "T-Thank you." he replied, not knowing how to respond.

He entered the dorm as quiet as he could, hoping he wouldn't wake Elara up.

And there she was, sound asleep.

Even so, the faint moonlight was able to capture her beauty; her silky brown hair, her long lashes, her rosy cheeks and her soft lips, the lips that he could only ever imagine to kiss.

He quietly pushed her bedroom door wider as he walked in and kneeled beside her bed, their faces, inches away from touching. He gently pushes her hair away from her face and places it behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry, Jade. I'm so sorry for all of the pain that you had to go through. I'm so sorry that you did that all for me. I don't deserve you. I'm a monster..." Draco said quietly, tearing up.

He gazed at the sight of her for a moment as he sobs quietly to himself, the guilt taking over him. "You saved me once. Now let me save you." Draco whispered as he places a soft kiss on Elara's forehead.
***