A Slytherin Secret; Draco Malfoy

T W E N T Y - S E V E N

ELLE'S DORMITORY;

Elle's pov

I sat there, my body warming up from anger, dumbfounded, was I really gaining weight? I haven't noticed... I don't even eat that often, to begin with.

I blinked, slowly looking down at my stomach, then up at my salad covered plate. Salad is pretty much all I ate, how could I have gained weight? Am I eating too much salad? Maybe if I don't eat today all the extra weight will vanish. I bit my lip, promising thoughts running through my mind, and slightly pushed my plate away, grabbing a book from my bag.

I noticed Draco staring at me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, he looked furious. "Bitch, " he muttered, running a hand messily through his hair. I proceeded to read the beginning of a chapter in my book, taking my mind off the situation, when suddenly, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. I sighed, placing my bookmark on the page I had stopped at, and hesitantly closed the book.

I gaped at the table, scraping the nail polish off my nails. "Elle..., " Draco started softly. I gulped and hung my head low, "mhm?" I mumbled quietly.  "Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly, tilting his head slightly to the side. I nodded slowly in return.

Draco wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gently rubbed the side of my arm. "No, you're not, " he disagreed as I saw him shake his head. "Why wouldn't I be?" I asked faintly with a light laugh. Draco let out a sigh, "I heard what Greengrass muttered."

I brought my mouth into a straight line. "That's not true Elle..." stated Draco, trying to reassure me. My eyes started to water, I wiped my eyes before any tears could fall. I didn't want to look weak, I'm always so fucking weak. That time with Crabbe in the Hospital Wing, I was weak. When I was in the Forbidden Forest with Draco, I was weak. When I found out Snape was my father, I've been too weak to tell him.

I'm weak, and I surely needed to fix that. Even if I can't fix it, I could just be weak alone. "I'm fine, Draco, see you in defense against the dark arts. In the meantime, I'll be in my dormitory." I said as I grabbed my book and put it into my bag.

After glancing at the other Slytherins at the table, slightly smiling at Pansy, I stood up and rubbed Draco's shoulder, walking away hastily. I heard Draco call out for me, but I left the great hall too soon to respond.

I walked through the dimly lit corridors towards the Slytherin Common Room - my shoulders heavy - where I'll be residing until lunch is over. It was quiet, no noise at all, not a peep of commotion. The noisy students all sat in the great hall, corridors away. It was just me. Me and my books. Me and these thick walls of the school.

I walked on the left side of the corridor, my fingertips grazing the cold stone walls as I walked by.

I grew closer to the dungeons. I looked outside the small window which lied in the dark. It was still snowing. Heavy wisps of frozen water came falling from the sky. Around Hogwarts, it looked quite esoteric at this time of the year.

As I stayed walking whilst I looked out the window at the white covered grounds, I felt a heavy force against my body, I suspect I had run into someone. I fell hard to the rough floor with a woosh. "Ow, " I let out as I fell onto my ass. I looked up scarcely. Only to see what I would describe if distress and hatred were a person.

"Hello, Ms. Miles," said Snape with an exhausted tone. "Professor..." I mumbled as I stood up, dusting off my skirt. He sighed and peered down at me. "Ms. Miles... why aren't you—at lunch?" Snape asked coolly. I couldn't look into his eyes, his gaze was too intense.
"I'm merely not hungry, professor" I answered, staring out the window once more. He grunted, "and why is that?"