Because I Love You (D.M)

Chapter 13: An Unexpected Study Session #3

I don't know what provoked me to haul myself out of bed at 11:30pm the next night and head to the library. Malfoy hadn't shown up to the last study session and he had skipped all his classes again. At least, the ones he had with me. I went through with it and sat in the back of the Restricted Section where we met the first time.

I stared out of the window again. The clouds were obscuring the moon and stars tonight which made it difficult to see much of anything. Though, it was better than watching the minutes tick by on the clock above the bookshelf.

It was 11:45pm when Draco Malfoy walked in dressed in his black suit jacket and black trousers. He carried the same demeanor as dying man about his person: tall, thin, dark circles under his pale eyes, and an irritable expression to top everything off.

"Look who showed up," I mused quietly.

"I don't want to be here as much as you don't so let's just get this over with," he snapped.

"Have a seat and we will," I said gesturing to the chair across from me.

I assumed he was irritable because of the incident at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party a few nights back, but I was not about to press him for anything. Just when I had thought he was getting better, Draco had slipped back into the safety of his snarky remarks.

Malfoy took a seat and slumped as though the very act of being here was a physical drain on his body.

"I was told you failed the latest test, let's review that because it's paramount you learn that before you start the next unit. You have your textbook this time?" I asked.

"Yes," he hissed but made no move to retrieve it from his bag.

"I can't tutor you if you aren't go to cooperate, Malfoy," I said sighing.

He leaned forward and stared at the center of the table absentmindedly. I was about get to up and leave when closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"I'm seriously not going to tutor you if you just sit there like that," I grumbled. "Just take out your textbook or I'm leaving."

There was an awkward pause and I began to get up. This wasn't worth me losing sleep over. I had almost made it passed the table when he snatched my wrist and pulled me back. I sat down and he released his death grip.

"Fine, you got me, now take out your book," I said stifling a yawn. "Need I remind you that---"

"Christ, Davis, can't you tell I know that I need your help?" He asked through a cracking voice.

I nodded slowly. "I do, Malfoy, I do. It's just you've only come to two of the study sessions counting this one and Flitwick approached me the other day about how you're still failing. You know that, I sent you that paper airplane in Charms the other day. He's considering dropping you from the class. You didn't show up the other night so I thought about not even coming tonight," I said with a lot more confidence than I felt.

Draco Malfoy met my eyes and what I saw looking back at me shocked me immensely. There were tear tracks on his gaunt cheeks. Those strong, steel cold eyes that normally looked down at me the disdain were breaking in front of me and I had no idea what to do. Well, I had an idea, but it's not like I can just reach over and hug him. He's been against me ever since I can remember just because I'm in Hufflepuff. Malfoy hates Hufflepuffs more than anything, or so it seems. Digging down deep inside me for some sort of courage, I took a deep breath and leaned forward.

Just as I was about to open my mouth a say the thing I wanted to say, he began to speak.

"It's just. . .lately I've been so busy with my family because of the Dark Lord and ever since I became a Death Eater, I've been tasked with something my father was too weak to accomplish. It's been ruining me everyday that I have to live with this impossible task. He wants me to mend the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement so he can send more Death Eaters through to watch me kill Professor Dumbledore. This will secure me in his following and bring Hogwarts to its knees. On top of everything, my father is expecting me to have perfect grades, but I can't manage that and mend the cabinet. It's just too much." Malfoy broke down and started full out sobbing.

As for me, my head was spinning. I felt dizzy and extremely confused. He had just told me an immense amount of intimate information in the span of less than five minutes. What should I even say to this? Of course, part of me had already come to this conclusion after Hannah had found me in the corridor after the party, but just hearing it from Draco's own mouth was rather disorienting. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to be able to somehow ease his burden. If only he had accepted the help that Professor Snape had offered.

Yet here he was, breaking down in front of me and I knew I had to do something before I dissected every word Malfoy had just confided in me. Taking another deep breath, I reached out and placed my hand on his shaking shoulder.

"Draco, I can't imagine the toll this job has taken on you, but listen to me. I can't empathize with becoming a Death Eater nor with the task at hand, but I can with the perfect grades issue. That's all my parents want from me so I set a good example for my younger brother. Even though I can't help with those other two things, I can help you pass Charms and whatever other class you're failing."

I retracted my hand from his shoulder and sat back in my chair. Perhaps the physical contact had been too rash of a move, but in this instance, I felt as though it was something Draco needed badly.

Draco sat up slowly and wiped his eyes on the back of his hands. He sniffed and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, he looked at me with a calculating stare.

"You're not scared, Nine? Did you not hear a word I just said? I'm a. . ." He unceremoniously ripped the left sleeve of his jacket up and showed me the familiar snake and skull branded deep in his forearm. His Dark Mark.

"I'm still here, aren't I? Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it," I said.

Malfoy blinked as though he had assumed I would've run away screaming to Professor Dumbledore about this. Yet here I sat in front of him, in the Restricted Section of the library at almost 1am.

Pulling down his sleeve, Malfoy ran a hand through his blindingly white hair and pulled out his Charms textbook from his bag.

"All right, today in class, Flitwick assigned us this page of spells to master by Friday. These are simple spells to levitate heavier objects than say a quill. You have to adjust the amount of concentration and focus solely on the object. Do you want to start with the table or the chair?" I asked him.

For the next two and a half hours, Malfoy fumbled with levitating anything. When 2:30am rolled around, I called off the session because we were both exhausted and frustrated.

As we packed up, I glanced over at him. He picked up his bag and was about to leave when I reached out and grabbed his arm. Malfoy spun around and tiredly blinked at me.

"Draco, will you actually go through with this task?" The question died in my mouth and I removed my hand from his arm and took a step back.

"I'm not sure, Nine, I have to go. Thank you for this and for not flipping out about what I said." With that, he was gone in the blink of an eye.

I was pretty glad I had convinced myself to get out of bed tonight. I was also very proud of how well I had handled the situation. This study session had accomplished more than I had originally planned. Hopefully, this was a start to getting Draco's grades and mental health in check.