In The End

Chapter 17 - White Dove

Draco sat in his Charms lesson with a bored expression on his face. He just couldn't care less about school in general, knowing where he would be in a year's time.

He never understood why Eliza cared at all. She worked so hard when it came to her schoolwork and yet she was destined for the same fate as him, if not worse.

"Dracy, what's gotten into you today?" Pansy Parkinson whispered from a seat across from the aisle, directly next to his.

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, blinking a few times. He had almost forgotten that she was still technically his girlfriend.

"None of your bloody business, Parkinson." He grumbled.

After class, she yanked his sleeve and dragged him around a corner where they could be alone.

"What's the matter, Draco?" She asked seriously.

Her concern for him made him sick to his stomach.

"Nothing."

"It's something." She said stubbornly.

"Alright, maybe I just don't want to be with you anymore," Draco said irritably.

He found that he had no patience around most girls, other than Eliza, of course.

"What are you saying?" She asked confusedly.

"I'm saying I think that we should break up," Draco said coldly.

Tears started to rest upon the rims of her eyes.

"If that's what you want." She said softly, before quickly turning and striding away.

Draco felt relieved to be rid of her. He knew that she was perfectly harmless, but he couldn't help but dislike her for the way she treated Eliza. He still felt burning guilt from the thought that he had treated her even worse. He truly didn't deserve her. 

Never before, had he been willing to commit to just one girl. He had been in on-and-off relationships with basically every girl in Slytherin and had a fair share of experience when it came to intimate endeavours.

Why, then, did he feel so strongly the need to give everything of himself to her? She never promised to give him anything on the sexual side of things. Strangely enough, he didn't even feel bothered by that.

She was so innocent, yet she was still an enigma to him. She had seen things that no girl her age should ever have seen and yet she remained so pure and strong.

Draco could not avoid it. He was clearly besotted with her. He couldn't resist her, but he would have to if he were to keep her safe. For all he knew, his very presence might be harmful to her one day...

---

When Eliza found out that Draco had broken up with Parkinson, she had to work extremely hard to conceal her happiness as she made her way to the Room of Requirement.

When she opened the door she saw that the vanishing cabinet was there, waiting for her. She and Draco hadn't been spending much time working on it lately.

They found each other far too distracting. She let out a deep sigh and sat down beside the cabinet, examining it. She was procrastinating and she knew it.

She absent-mindedly ran her fingers down the rough wood of the cabinet. She noticed something uneven underneath and bent down to examine it more closely.

"Don't tempt me, Eliza," Draco said smirking, as his eyes hungrily raked themselves across her backside, which was pushed outward.

Eliza simply rolled her eyes and continued to examine the bottom of the cabinet.

"There's a crack underneath. Did you know about it?" She asked distractedly, pulling out her wand.

Draco moved closer, trying to stop himself from staring more and bent down to sit beside her.

"Reparo." She chanted, pointing her wand at a slightly awkward angle underneath the cabinet.

The crack instantly disappeared, leaving only smooth wood behind. Draco helped Eliza up and gave her a big kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that all day." He let out a satisfied sigh.

"Hmm, miss me, did you?" Eliza asked cheekily raising her eyebrows.

Draco rolled his eyes and tilted his head downwards, giving her another sweet kiss. After a few moments, Eliza reluctantly broke away.

"We need to test it," Eliza said.

Draco sighed and pulled out yet another apple from his robes.

"Thank you." She said, taking the apple and placing it in the closet.

"Shall you do the honours?" Eliza offered.

"No thanks, I like watching you." He replied with a smirk.

Eliza turned and pulled out her wand again, ignoring Draco's shameless attempt at flirting.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus." She whispered.

A distinct warping sound emerged, as always and they immediately knew that the apple had successfully vanished. She whispered the spell once again and the warping sound came once again.

Eliza bit her lip as she opened the cabinet uncertainly. To her surprise, the apple had come back whole. When Draco saw her face, he knew immediately what had happened.

They both started grinning and soon Eliza was enveloped in Draco's embrace as they celebrated, laughing in astoundment.

"You're bloody brilliant." Draco said, still grinning.

"Now for the real test." Eliza sighed, looking longingly into Draco's hypnotic silver eyes.

"Do you want me to do it?" Draco asked gently, knowing that Eliza was rather uncomfortable with the next test required.

She nodded in affirmative and through whispers, told him that she would wait for him in the library. After giving her one last kiss, knowing that it would have to last him for a while, Draco turned towards the cabinet while Eliza left.

He picked up the apple and transfigured it into a live bird. He could feel it's warmth as he held it gently in his hands. It was a simple white dove, so pure, just like Eliza.

He set it down inside the closet and closed it. After a few moments, he looked up with a determined expression on his face. He cast the spell and then recast it.

He was afraid to see what was on the other side. When he eventually opened the cabinet, he found the meek little dove lying on the bottom of the cabinet.

The test had failed. The bird was dead. Draco made sure to cast a few Scourgify charms to remove any evidence of the innocent blood which had been spilt, before he reluctantly walked to the library, preparing himself to tell Eliza the result.

She cared so much about animals. He had remembered her tell him once that she would never wish pain or suffering on animals. They didn't deserve it.

Draco felt sick. He felt as though he had failed Eliza. He was indirectly the cause of the transfigured bird's untimely death. It seemed so pointless to feel so sorry for it, but he did. He felt what she felt.