Broken: a Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 10 - Rise to the Downfall

Rain seemed to pour down endlessly on Monday. The morning was stormy, windy and cold, and the ceiling of the Great Hall was bewitched to be dark and grey; filled with huge, rainy clouds. Winter was approaching, and the dreary weather didn't help Alexia feel any better about the recent events that had occurred over the weekend. She noticed that a lot of people watched her as she walked to Breakfast with Crabbe, Goyle and Draco, and even on the way to Herbology she was stared at. Usually this wouldn't of bothered her, but the looks they were giving her weren't the one's she usually got. The girls didn't look envious or dying to find out where she bought her necklace, and the boys weren't falling to her feet or staring in that dreamy way they always did. By late morning, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Alexia had had enough. She stared out the window at some birds flying through the dark clouds. She longed to be amongst them, soaring and carefree. Simple things and thoughts, like things she had to get done that day, spells that needed practicing, or work she needed to start, seemed to slip her mind like sand in an hourglass. She just couldn't focus. The more she tried to abolish the images of Blaise and Pansy, the more they would slip back into her mind, but she couldn't help it. Within seconds, she was back in the hallway watching the two breathing, touching, kissing. Alexia couldn't even bare to look anywhere near Pansy or Blaise in real life because if they made eye contact, she thought she would vomit.

Draco noticed the looks Alexia was getting from people and realised over the next day, Alexia was trying her hardest to go unseen, which was very unusual. Apparently, Blaise and Pansy's reputations weren't the only two she had ruined after the confronting of Pansy in the Great Hall on Sunday.
"Blaise's chance of becoming one of us, like you said he was trying to do, might be completely ruined, and Pansy might be a hypocrite and disloyal friend, and have no respect for herself, but that doesn't compare to me! I look desperate and gullible!" Alexia had said, "Even some worthless Ravenclaw Mudblood sniggered at me just before!"

While Pansy started sitting with Millicent Bulstrode, taking the advice to disappear as best as she could, Alexia's other best friend, Daphne, seemed to be sitting on the fence, still deciding who to take sides with. She kept to herself throughout the week and only spoke to them when she had too. Blaise, apart from Draco seeing him being patted on the back by a group of sixth year boys straight after the news had came out, had gone almost invisible. He was never in the Common Room, disappeared quickly after classes and rarely ever ate meals with the rest of the school.

On Thursday morning, the first day of winter, Alexia, Draco, and Crabbe and Goyle arrived in the Great Hall. Alexia had clearly been up all night crying as her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was rather messy and didn't have its usual sleek shine, but Draco or anyone else didn't dare to ask about it. They knew it would just lead to her breaking down into more tears and she had only just started to at least pretend she was alright.
"Montague!" Alexia called, catching the Quidditch captain at the Slytherin table.
"Oh, hey Alexia! How are things-"
"Nope," She said putting her hand up to stop him from continuing, "That's not what I'm here to talk about."
"Ah, yeah, sorry... What did you want to talk about?" Montague asked, looking at Draco behind her who shrugged.
"I'm wondering if you could get me some firewhisky and maybe something a little more sophisticated," Alexia pondered quietly. By sophisticated she meant champagne, but she didn't think Montague would have access to that.
"Er... yeah I guess. When do you want it?"
"Friday." Alexia said efficiently.
"What?"
"Okay, maybe Saturday."
"Alexia, that's two days away..."
"I know, but thanks for telling me," Alexia said.
"No, I mean, I don't think I can get it by then," Montague told her.
"Here," said Alexia, pulling out the black pouch which once carried badges from her robes.
Montague took the heavy pouch that was filled with many gold Galleons and cautiously and peered inside it, "Wow," he said, "How much did you want?"
"Oh just a few bottles," Alexia shrugged.
"This will get you a lot more than a few," Montague informed her.
"Exactly, I'll have it by Saturday then." Alexia grinned with self-satisfaction and before Montague could even start to respond, she strode off further down the Slytherin table.