Queen of Hearts (editing)

Chapter 24 - New Year

The days between Christmas and New Year's Day are always the slowest, passing by with not much to do, given that most folk are away home, surrounded by the love of their families. No, no she's not jealous at all.  Apart from the letter that her mother sent on Christmas Day, she's received nothing.
New Year's Eve comes round and she sits in the Gryffindor common room with Harry. Ron's parents were in Romania again this year, but they invited him over for New Year, much to Harry's disappointment.
"Hey, at least we can be alone in this together." She tries to cheer him up while he lies on the couch, his feet resting on a footstool. His mind ponders as he stares at the roaring fire in front of them.
"Yeah.." he sighs out, clearly distracted.
"Have you figured the egg out yet?" She asks. She's not been as attentive as she should have been, her parents ask of her still weighing heavily on her shoulders.
Harry sits upright on the couch, his elbows to his knees while his feet return to the ground. His palms support his head.
"Yeah, it's...it's fine, I've got it sorted." His eyebrows furrow but he keeps his concentration on the fire, not once turning to look at her.
"And?" She continues to press him when he refuses to give her more detail, curious to know what the next task could possibly be. If it's anything like the dragons, he's in for a rough ride.
Harry shakes his head and stands up, his arms flailing by his sides. "It doesn't even matter..I.." He looks to her for the first time this evening, his expression solemn and deflated. "It's fine."
She can tell by his tone that he no longer wants to discuss the topic. As much as her parents want her to help Harry, she can only do so much.
"Okay, okay," she raises her hands in the air, showing  defeat and changing the subject. "Did you have a good time at the Yule Ball at least?"
She hasn't spoken to him since their brief encounter on Christmas Day, having spent most of her days either reading or hanging out with the Slytherin boys. Apparently, Draco's father needed him home, for whatever reason it wasn't disclosed. It's been nice to see the boys all in a different light, to see them happy.
However, both Theo and Blaise's words have been playing on her mind since Boxing Day.
Boys obsessed with her? It's good that Mattheo is around when Draco isn't?
"Yeah, I suppose. Ron is quite the idiot though." Harry's voice pulls her out of the trance, the pair of them laughing at his statement, knowing full well that Ron should have just invited Hermione in the first place. She thinks secretly, Ron has always loved Hermione. He may not know it, but from the lingering glances and the way he was looking at her at the ball, it's so obvious. To everyone but him apparently.
"You're friends with Mattheo, right?" The quick conversation turner peaks her interest.
She nods her head. Where is this going?
"Has he you know..." Harry takes a pause in between asking his question. "Has he said anything about you-know-who?"
She holds her breath for a moment, not wanting to divulge anything that Mattheo spoke with her about in confidence at the ball, but this is Harry, the one boy who You-Know-Who has always wanted to murder. 
"Uhm, kind of but he grew up in foster care as a child," she hesitates, this is pretty personal stuff. "But obviously, you-know-who, is dead right? So, Mattheo doesn't have anything to worry about. And, by the way, neither do you." She's not being entirely truthful in her words. "Except for the tournament."
"Hmm." Harry murmurs in response, staying quiet for a moment before piping back up. "And how are you getting on with your research?"
She breathes deeply out of her nose, unsure how to reply as she doesn't have all the answers yet. "I mean, aside from what we found out that day in the library, not much. My parents weren't much of a help either. But Dumbledore, he uh... I think he knows more than he lets on."
Harry nods as the fire ahead of them crackles, spitting out small sparks and they both stare at the flames. He says nothing as the clock get's closer to 12pm and she debates going to bed, but she doesn't want to leave Harry alone. He's already spent so much of his life going through hurt and loneliness, the least she can do is wish him a happy new year. Last New Year, she spent it alone, her friends away home but the common room was empty. She remembers the hollow feeling inside as the clock struck 12 wishing herself a Happy New Year. Clearly didn't wish hard enough as this year has been awful.
While staring into nothing, her mind wanders to Noah, thinking about what he's doing and the letter in her bedside cabinet springs to mind. She hadn't even thought about it recently, she had promised herself that she'd send it, but the last few days have just been so blissful that the hurt and anger she felt when writing that letter had disappeared for a while. She needs to send it. She must. As far away as Noah feels from her life right now, she can't just avoid it forever.
The countdown of the chimes start, Harry looking to her with a soft smile.
"I guess this is it, right?" Harry speaks quietly.
"Yeah." She quietens for a moment.
"I wish.." she lets a smile creep onto her lips. "I wish that you, Harry Potter, have a fantastic year. I wish that you ace this tournament and show everyone who has ever doubted you that you are indeed a powerful wizard."
A grin covers his face as he claps his hands in agreement. "And I wish that you, Emilia Halloway, get everything you wish for this year. You deserve it and I just want to say.." Harry looks down, before raising his eyes back to her. "Thank you.. you know. For your help so far this year, it has meant a lot."
The clock strikes 12pm and the unforgiving ache of guilt eats at her as they quickly embrace with whispers of 'Happy New Year'. 
The only reason she's helping Harry this year is because of her parents. She, no doubt, would've been as judgmental as the rest of the students, thinking of him as a cheat and an attention seeker.
"Goodnight, Harry."
The dorm is quiet, Camilla already sleeping soundly in her bed.  The shower is warm and her body longs to be cleansed of the past year as she scrubs away. Exiting the bathroom, her damp hair falls out of the towel and she opens the bedside cabinet, her free hand flowing over the soft material of the green scarf. Mattheo's scarf, it is only a scarf right?
His cologne is strong on it when she picks it up from the cabinet, wrapping it over her shoulders, the material just as soft as she remembers. It's just a scarf.
Malaki shuffles in his cage at the end of her bed, tweeting a little as she closes the cabinet door.
"Hey buddy, Happy New Year to you too." She pops a finger through the metal railing, scratching at his wing. Below his talons, a small piece of parchment rests on the bottom. "What have you got here, boy?"
She groans as the door screeches open, glancing back to Camilla who remains sound asleep. The parchment is small, folded neatly and she hold it in her grasp as she falls onto the bed. Unravelling it, the ink appears almost instantly, filling the paper.

Happy New Year, Emilia.
Sorry I can't be there to drag you into another broom cupboard when the clock strikes 12 - I wish I could be.
D.M

Mattheo's scarf is heavier than before around her neck as she re-read's Draco's letter. It's as though the room brightens, the candles around her bed glowing even more ferociously as a giggle escapes her mouth.
Draco may do the unbelievable, he may kiss other girls, he may argue and be stubborn, but he never fails to make her mind dizzy with euphoria.

Why?

                                             ***
"Thank god you guys are back, I actually thought I was going to go stir crazy!" Emilia holds the pair of them in her arms as they return the embrace. Alicia and Katie returned early this morning, not wanting to wake her as she slept.
"Me too." Alicia sighs as she sits down on her bed. "Mum and dad are arguing about the shop again."
Alicia has confided in Emilia before regarding her parents, their constant arguing around how little money the shop is making. It affects her more than she lets on, but she knows she can't do anything about it.
"It's not your responsibility to fix them, Alicia." Emilia tries to comfort her friend, wrapping an around her shoulder. "At least you're here now, you can maybe try to forget about it for a while." Easier said than done, all she can think about is her parents lately.
Their recent letter from Christmas haunts her mind - the reminder of her tasks this year. The last few days have served as a gracious distraction, spending time with the boys, the kind exchange of words with Harry. Draco too has been kinder to her since Christmas and she's been finding herself eagerly awaiting his return. On the good days, his eyes remind her of a winters day, like the one they had with the snowball fight - happy, content, merry. On the bad days, his eyes remind her of a turbulent ocean, destroying everything in its path, swallowing everything whole.
But she still doesn't know him. It's something she finds that with each passing day, she's yearning for. However, Mattheo and his stupid scarf is also screwing with her mind.
"Anyway, how was your Christmas and New Year?" Alicia asks purposefully to diffuse the tension in the air.
Emilia talks through the last two weeks, skimming past Draco's present that hides under her hair, his note and Mattheo's scarf that are both hidden away in her drawer. It's less complicated that way.

                                             ***

She waits by the Great Hall, students slowly entering with fresh faces and gaggles of conversation filling the air. Her mind cares not for others, focusing only on one person. The moment he appears in the corridor, her heart lifts, beating rapidly as he draws closer. She narrows her eyes to focus a little harder, his own eyes appearing dark and ringed with bags, as though he's had but five minutes of sleep since he left Hogwarts.
She can't help the warmth in her tone as she speaks, "hey, you."
Theo departs from Draco's side, beaming a toothy grin in her direction as he bumps her shoulder. "Good luck, mate." Good luck?
"Hi." Draco breathes out, tilting his head towards one of the stone benches in the corridor. Silence befalls them for a moment as they sit on the cold bench. She risks what should be a simple question, were it not for the intended recipient being Draco. "How was being at home?"
Apart from his note on new year, she's heard nothing of his time away.Draco mumbles incoherently as he watches students pass by, glancing feverishly in each direction of the corridor as though waiting for someone to appear.
"What was that?" She asks.
"Nothing, it was fine." Draco snaps, his face falling as he does. "I'm sorry it's just... I'm glad to be back."
"Hm." She replies quietly, the uncomfortable tension between them reaching into her chest. His silence warns her not to broach the subject any further and she fear he may break if she continues.
She tries to break the tension, "I guess we should maybe go find a broom cupboard."
"Wait.." Draco turns to face her, a smile befalling his lips for the first time in this brief encounter. "You got my note then?"
"Of course I did." She replies gleefully, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Fancy it then? Broom cupboard?" His eyebrows raise, but his smile drops, as though the energy to exert the muscles in his face is heftily depleted.
"Maybe later." She stands. "We should probably go in."
Draco straightens his tie as he glances behind him. He hesitates for a moment when his fingers leave his tie, instead embracing with hers for a single second. "We'll talk later, yeah?"

Whiplash.