Belong (D.M)

Part eight

November ended, and December came upon them with a even harsher cold. Snow fell heavily and several herbology lessons had been cancelled due to the snow storms that roared outside of the castle.

During her free period she sat with him in the back of the library, hidden away from everyone else. A candle was burning on the desk next to them and the snow whirled outside of the tall windows. He looked up from his book to sneak a glance at her before he wrote something down on his parchment that laid before him. He was working on his transfiguration homework and she was reading a book on the history of healing magic.

They were friends again, or they had made up at least. He hadn't exactly apologized, but she had seen something that strongly hinted of sorrow in his eyes that night up at the top of the astronomy tower and for some reason, which she hardly understood herself, she had forgiven him. Although she could not forget his odious actions against her friends, she still figured that he should get a second chance, for he had not actually been mean towards her.

She figured that it was best to keep her Gryffindor friends and him apart, and he had a preconceived notion that hanging around people of less pure blood than his was somewhat of a sin, so therefore their friendship remained secret, hidden away from curios eyes behind a tall shelf with dusty books in the school library.

"Hey Draco?" she mumbled, still keeping her eyes glued to the book she was reading.

His eyes however shot straight up from his homework, and a surprised smile tugged at the edges of his pale lips as he looked at her.

"What did you say?"

She looked up, furrowing her eyebrows towards him as she saw his surprised but slightly happy facial expression.

"I was just going to ask you a question..." she trailed, confusion clear in her soft voice.

"Yeah I get that, but y-you called me... Draco"

"Yes" she laughed, looking funnily at him "what's wrong with that? That is your name"

"I know, I know" he said, shutting his book as he looked at her with astonishment "you've just never called me by my first name before"

"Oh" she said, suddenly taken aback with the realization of his words. He was right, she had never actually called him Draco, she usually just says Malfoy, as everyone else at the school. He is known for his last name.

"I like it Eleonora" he said, gazing down at his hands as he grabbed his book and opened it once again "it establishes our friendship slightly further"

"Well I suppose..." she trailed, giving the pale boy a small smile "but don't call me that"

"What? Eleonora? That is your name"

"I know" she mumbled, scratching the top of her head "but it sounds so posh"

"I like it" he exclaimed, sitting up straighter "it sounds almost royal"

She sighed, flipping a page of her book before she looked up at him once more.

"Just call me Ellie please"

"Alright Ellie, will do"

....

The stone corridor was silent and empty as she walked back to the common room on a Wednesday evening. She had just been with madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing, helping her mend injured and sick students. It had been a particularly slow evening, but she managed to learn a thing or two nonetheless.

Christmas time was drawing nearer, but the morale of the school had never been so low. Hardly anyone seemed to look forward to Christmas, mostly everyone longed to go home merely to escape Umbridge. That woman is the walking devil. This time last year everyone was cheerful and excited, getting ready for the yule ball, but this year no one seemed to even smile.