Belong (D.M)

Part twentythree

Draco looked lost and distraught, peering at her with a quivering bottom lip. His eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying and something so sorrowful and hollow reflected in his grey eyes. His almost white hair was messy, falling flat against his forehead.

"Draco" she breathed, reaching out to hold his hands "hi"

"E-Ellie?" he stuttered "what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, how are you?"

"I-I..." he trailed, looking at her with uncertainty "I need to be alone"

He pulled his hands out of her grip and began walking down the stairs to the Slytherin common room.

"Draco" she called out after him, turning around "I know"

He stopped in his tracks. She watched as he stood still for moment before he slowly turned around to face her.

"I know about your father Draco, and I'm so sorry"

"Not here" he mumbled, rushing up the steps to grab her arm. Without any further words he began rushing out of the castle, dragging her with him. She followed him through the corridors and out of the entrance, and she almost tripped over a few turfs of dry grass as he dragged her down to the black lake.

He didn't stop until he reached the ensemble of large rocks at the very far end of the lake, and he sat down, hiding himself from the world around them. She sunk down next to him, leaning her back against the rocks. He stared off at the horizon, his eyes wandering from the dark water to the high tops of the hills.

"What do you know about my father Ellie?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Not much" she mumbled, tucking a piece of her brown hair behind her ear "just that some kind of battle went down at the ministry of magic last night and... some horrible things occurred, Hermione told me that her and the others were met by your father, and your aunt"

Draco snapped his head to look at her quickly, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched.

"My aunt..."

"Yes your aunt Bellatrix Lestrange" she said, looking at him "who escaped from Azkaban, did you know? You must've known, it was all over the Daily Prophet for days"

"Dearest auntie Bella" he muttered, turning his head back to look at the lake "I knew, but it wasn't like I was told in advance or anything, I saw it in the daily prophet too"

"But that's your aunt, she has done awful things and she's a death eater alongside your father, why didn't you tell me?"

"Why do you think?" Draco snapped, looking at her once again "it isn't a great conversation starter is it?"

Draco buried his head in his hands, breathing heavily.

"It's fine Draco, I get it" she breathed, laying a hand on his back "it's not your fault"

"It's not my fault?" he asked, still keeping his face hidden "I'm a part of that family, I'm a part of all that Ellie, no matter how hard I try to suppress it"

They sat quiet for a moment, just enjoying the calmness of the water hitting the rocks and the birds soaring high in the sky. Clouds danced along the blue sky, and the pathway by the dark lake was completely empty.

"So you knew he was back long before all of this? He who must not be named I mean" she asked, looking at Draco.

"No" he mumbled, shaking his head as he looked up at her "please Ellie you have to believe me, I had no clue, just because my father is a death eater does not mean that I am involved, I haven't met my aunt for years and my mother and father doesn't tell me things like this, they want to protect me I know that, no matter their beliefs"