Winning Over Slytherin | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 23: Recuperate

R E C U P E R A T E

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Mal's POV

This summer was a lot. It started off with me mostly staying in bed, sleeping, barely eating. I hated myself. I blamed myself. My parents saw me suffering and they tried, they tried to make me feel better, tried to get me to eat, but I refused.

Couldn't they see it? I had made him die heartbroken. I'm a bad person. I thought to myself.

Then, Mione decided it was finally her time to get involved. After 5 weeks of this behavior she came to my room and opened the curtains, allowing the light I had barely allowed myself to see shine through. I covered my eyes and groaned.

"Close the damn curtains Hermione." I ordered.

"No. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of seeing you destroy yourself because you think you're to blame. What happened to Cedric is horrible, but it isn't your fault. Voldemort killed him, not you. So I repeat: this isn't your fault."

"He died heartbroken because of ME Hermione. There's nothing I can do to change that."

"No. There isn't. But he doesn't hate you, he loved you, a lot. He would not like to see you like this. So get up..." She ripped my blankets off me.

"Hey!" I complained and tried to bring them back to me but she threw them on the floor.

"Get your arse out of bed, take a bloody hot shower, and come meet me downstairs, we have visitors."

"I'm not in the mood."

"I don't care." She pushed me off the bed and pulled me to stand up. "Take a shower. Wash your face. Brush your hair. Get dressed and meet me downstairs in Twenty minutes."

"Mione—"

"Go! Go! Go!" I rolled my eyes and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

I looked at myself in the mirror and stumbled back a little at what I saw. I haven't seen myself in weeks, this is a change. I had lost weight, a decent amount, maybe six pounds? My eyes looked dull, lifeless. And my face was paler, no longer the usual golden tan it was. I don't like it. I cried a little as I took off my clothes and got in the shower. I've never hated looking at myself as much as I just did. I have to get back to my usual self. Mione's right, Cedric would hate seeing me like this. I've gotta pull myself together.

I took a shower, enjoying the feeling of hot water against my skin and of shampoo in my hair. I put on my clothes and was a little sad when they fit me loose, I tried to ignore my insecurities and I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail to go downstairs.

I descended the staircase warily but smiled when I saw who the visitors were. I ran towards the twins and lunged myself at them, making us all fall onto the sofa.

"We can't breathe Mal." Fred groaned against my embrace.

"You don't need to breathe." I smiled as I hugged them tighter.

They both laughed and I got off, making them move so I could sit in the middle of both of them.

"How have you been?" George asked.

"Fine. You?"

"Liar." Mione said and I shot her a dirty look.

"Spill it mini us, what's wrong?" Fred asked.

"I just... I guess Ric's death hit me pretty hard." I sighed.

"I figured, I'm sorry Mal." George slung an arm around me.