Beauty and the Beast [Draco Malfoy]

Chapter Seventeen

Draco's POV:

Liz and I fell asleep on the sofa in the common room. When I was sure she was asleep, I gently laid her down and threw a blanket over her. I lay myself down next her and draped an arm around her, drawing her close to me. Her body and the blanket were enough to keep me warm in the cold dungeons we slept in. She pulled her arms up in front of her and snuggled into my chest. I smiled at this and closed my eyes.

I awoke to the sound of students shuffling their way to breakfast. Stretching my arms above my head and yawning widely, I forced myself to wake up.

I glanced over to see Liz sleeping soundly beside me. This sleep looked different than that of the coma's. She looked like she was actually resting this time and I didn't want to wake her up, but we had classes today.

"Hey, Liz," I said, nudging her. "C'mon, love, it's time for breakfast." She groaned and buried her head into my chest. Laughing, I pat her hair and coaxed her. "You don't want to miss breakfast do you?" I asked, knowing that would get a reaction from her. She groaned louder and flopped onto her back.

"Do I have to get up today? I just woke up from a coma," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her hands.

"Yes, I'm making you go to class today. Now, up," I commanded, shoving my hand under her back and forcing her to sit up.

"Dracooo," she grumbled.

"I'll carry you into the Great Hall just like this, unless you want to go change and make yourself look presentable," I threatened. Lizzie really didn't look bad. Her hair was still somewhat flat and the bags under her eyes weren't too great.

"Fine. Merlin, you can be a git sometimes," she grunted.

"I know. Now go change. I'll meet you down here in ten minutes. If you need me, you know where my room is," I told her, standing up and holding my hand out to her. She took it and I hoisted her up to her feet. "Do you need me to walk you to your room?" I asked, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"No, no, no. I'm a big girl," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes again.

"If you insist," I chuckled. We walked our separate ways to our dormitories.

I pulled my old robes off and replaced them with new, better smelling ones. Once I had my tie tied and my buttons buttoned, I waltzed back down to the common room to wait for Liz. Seeing as she wasn't there already, I sat back down on the sofa where we had slept to wait. Spreading my arms on the back rim, I watched the fire slither around in the mantle. It's movement reminded me of a snake.

After I was sure that ten minutes had passed, I decided that Lizzie was having trouble, so I stood up and walked down the girls dormitory hall. Once I had reached her door, I stopped to listen for noises. Nothing made it past the door, so I knocked lightly.

"Liz?" I called. When no one answered, I got worried. "Lizzie are you in there?" Again, I received no answer. "I'm coming in." I placed my hand on the brass doorknob and turned it easily.

The room I entered was very similar to mine, with beds surrounding the walls, each with their own respective bedside table.

Lizzie was seated on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest and her head hidden in between her legs. I noted that she wasn't wearing any clothes, just her undergarments. Looking to the ground and making sure not to look at her, I walked over and sat beside her. I wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her bare back soothingly.

"Liz?" I questioned her quietly. "Are you okay?" She lifted her head and looked at me. Her eyes seemed dull. "Talk to me, love."

"I-I'm fine," she croaked.