The Diggory Sister || Draco Malfoy

24 - The Absent Hufflepuff

Draco was torn between wanting to stay and punch Potter, or going after Aurora.

In the end he spat out the worst thing he could think of to say to Potter, before sprinting off out the door.

His heart bled for her. He couldn't know what she was going through, but he knew it was awful. And bloody Potter hadn't helped.

He looked up and down the corridor he had just stepped into, but she had already gone. Driving his fingers through his hair, he tried desperately to think through his tired mind where she would head to.

"Drac, man," a voice called from the far end of the hallway.

Draco turned to see Blaise heading hurriedly towards him.

"I've just seen her," he murmured, his face full of compassion as his eyes rested on Draco's tired appearance. "She didn't look good, man. She was running down towards the kitchens."

Of course. The Hufflepuff common room.

"Thanks, mate," Draco nodded, starting to pelt in the direction of the stairs.

"If there's anything I can do?" Blaise called after him.

"Yes - twat Potter one for me!" Draco hollered furiously, not looking back.

...

He heard her before he saw her.

"LET ME IN! LET ME IN, PLEASE!"

As he rounded the corner, his heart twisted upon seeing her furiously pounding her fists on the barrels, her tear stained face full of pain and anguish as she begged the empty Hufflepuff entrance to allow her entry.

"Aurora," he cried, running to her and pulling her into his arms as she broke down in a fresh wave of heart wrenching tears.

"I need to see him," she sobbed, shaking against his chest as her hands clung to the shirt on his back. "He can't be gone. He can't!"

"He's not there, Aurora," Draco murmured, clutching her tightly to him, trying to somehow ease her pain. "I'm so sorry, but you have to know - he's not there."

He suddenly felt panicked; out of his depth. He wanted to help her so much, but he was afraid he was not dealing with it very well. Tiredness overwhelmed him, and he wanted to just lie down and sleep. But he didn't want to leave her, didn't want her to deal with this all consuming, paralysing grief on her own.

"My dears!"

Draco's eyes darted up to the new, yet familiar voice that had just emerged from the barrels.

Professor Sprout.

She bustled over to them, concern etched on her face as she took in Aurora's broken, wretched body sobbing in his arms.

"Come. Come with me." She ordered briskly, and Draco found himself almost giddy with relief at the thought of someone else taking charge.

Holding Aurora up, he followed the Herbology professor through the barrels and, for the first time in his life, Draco found himself in the Hufflepuff common room.

Everyone averted their eyes as Sprout led them through to the boys dormitories. They didn't stop until they reached a room. The room Cedric had resided in.

"Take as much time as you need." Professor Sprout murmured kindly, as they stood next to a bed. Cedric's bed.

She turned on the spot and left the room.

Draco watched as Aurora's eyes raked over the belongings of the absent Hufflepuff, her trembling fingers reaching out and shakily caressing the yellow pillow where her brother's head once lay.

Without a word, she crawled onto the four poster and curled into a ball atop the yellow bedspread. Not knowing what else to do, Draco joined her, pulling her to him so that her back pressed up against his chest, moving his hand to furl his fingers around hers.

And, feeling her body relax beneath his, he finally closed his eyes.

...

"I'm not going to go back to France."

As soon as the words left my lips, I knew I meant them. I couldn't leave. I was going to stay where I could be close to Cedric.

Fleur blinked, her blue eyes staring sadly at me. "It is zee grief. You will think differently when vee are back 'ome."

I hesitantly tugged at the sleeves of my black robes. No more blue for me.

We were about to head down to the end of year feast. Madame Maxime had decided that Beauxbatons would stay on at Hogwarts for the last few days of the school year given the... events of the tournament. Durmstrang, however, had already left after Karkaroff did a bunk.

"I'm not going back." I stated bluntly. "My life is here, with Cedric."

"But, Aurora," Fleur cried despairingly. "Cedric's not 'ere! 'Ee iz d-"

"DON'T!" I yelled, throwing my hands up to cover my ears.

I still wasn't ready to hear it. I don't think I ever would be. My father certainly wasn't, either. He had been admitted to a psychiatric unit, sedated pretty much up to his eyeballs. I hadn't seen him since he was screaming over the still body of my brother.

Fleur shut up, instead offering up an arm as we walked silently out of the carriage, towards the castle with the rest of the remaining Beauxbatons students.

My heart felt like a painful solid lump of lead in my chest as we entered though the great oak doors into the Entrance Hall.

I wasn't ready for this. I leant shakily against Fleur upon being faced with the black flags greeting us in the Great Hall.

Black for death.

Black for Cedric.

"It eez okay," Fleur whispered in my ear, clutching my arm tightly, as we slowly made our way through the sea of pitying eyes. "I've got you."

My eyes couldn't help but drift to the Hufflepuff table as we walked past and I found my knees buckle beneath me at the sight of an empty seat.

The seat where my beautiful, wonderful brother used to sit.

Where he would sit never more.