99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.21

My heart hurts when you're not around

"It's not fair. It's not fair and it's a stupid rule," Emily groans, dropping onto her bed in Grimmauld place. Fred, who is sat on the bed opposite that Ginny had been sleeping in gives her a sympathetic smile.

"Like seriously, you can't write to your boyfriend. What kind of a rule is that?" She demands

"It's cause his father. They're just trying to keep us all safe," Fred reminds her gently, knowing how hard it was for her.

"But you're all hunky dory with me being here! My parents are just as bad as his and you let me come here!"

"If you wrote to Draco his father could see the letter and-"

"I don't want to write about the order I just want to know how he is!" She shouts, Fred's response cut off by the door swinging open.

"You got mail," Arthur smiles, passing the young girl the letter. He had been on his weekly visit to the burrow to get mail and check on things.

"Thanks Arthur," she smiles, taking the envelope, he leaves the room and Fred sighs. He can't help but feel bad as the girl turns over the envelope in her hands, clearly the letter is from Draco. Fred would be lying if he said he didn't feel bad, he knew how much she was missing her boyfriend and it had only been two weeks, plus Draco's letters seemed to cheer her up for only a brief instant before she felt guilty it would never get a response.

She tears the envelope open and Fred watches her eyes scanning the paper.

Hey Darling,
I hope you're okay, I am starting to be really worried that I haven't heard from you. I'm sure you're busy with the Weasley's and trying to help Potter, do write back when you get a chance though. I miss you. My heart hurts when you're not around.

My family left Paris yesterday so I'm in Italy staying at your family's home. Nothings changed and it's as beautiful as ever. Nothing in comparison to you though, of course.

I think Blaise is coming to visit for a week, probably arriving on Friday. It'll be nice to see him. It gets lonely out here.

Anyway, I hope all is well and that you're having a good summer. I miss you sweetheart.

Yours, as always- Draco x

She folds the letter up, placing it into a drawer with the stack of other letters that she is being forced to leave without a response.

"You okay?" Fred asks, his voice gentle

"Fine." She returns, her blunt voice a stark contrast.

**

She lays on a sofa in the drawing room, book in hands as she ignores the sounds of Hermione and Ginny laughing next door. For a second she almost goes to join them but they'd all been treating her like a breakable, trying not to upset her due to her already down exterior.

"Move your feet?" Sirius questions, entering the room with a small smile. She lifts her legs up and he sits at the other end of the sofa, her legs dropping back to his lap.

Sirius had bonded with her in third year, when her and her friends had rescued him. They'd written back and forth over the next year and become even closer over the summer she was staying in his house. After all, they had similar pasts.

"How was Harry's trial?" she questions, looking up from the book in her hands

"He will be back at school next week with the rest of you,"

"Good. That's good," she hums in response. Sirius sighs, tugging the muggle book from her hands

"It is not what we think or feel that makes us who we are. It is what we do. Or fail to do." He reads from the page, "sense and sensibility, right?" He questions, reaching for my bookmark and placing it in the page

"Yeah. You don't strike me as a Jane Austen fan,"

"I'm not massively. It's my mother's copy, and well, being locked up in this house there's only so many things I can do. Think I've read every book in the building at this point," he shrugs

"She has a good collection,"

"Maybe the only good thing about her," he sighs placing the book on the table in front of us

"I get that. My family may be awful, but the Italian summer house,"

"I went to your families Italian house once. I was probably only about 9,"

"It's been in the family for generations," she shrugs

"It's where Draco is right?"

"Yeah. They'll be on the way back here tomorrow. Our families have always holidayed. Their big Parisian mansion for two weeks and then the Italian house for three. Then a week at home to prepare for the new academic year,"

"You miss him a lot?"

"Feel like I can't breathe if I think about him for too long,"

"Sure he misses you just as much," Sirius smiles gently. A silence overcomes the room for a second and she can't help but wonder if she should tell him. She hadn't told anyone yet.

"You'll see him soon, like 9 days right?"

"Yeah. Think he hates me though," she admits. Glancing away, embarrassed to be admitting that she was worried if she had a relationship to go back to at all.

"Why do you think that?"

"He stopped writing. Can't blame I've ignored him all summer. But- well- I even asked if Snape could pass on a message and they said no. I get that it's for safety and all but- I'm scared he doesn't want me anymore and we'll I couldn't blame him if he didn't,"

"Hey. He cares about you way more than that. I have no doubt you two will be just fine. He's probably just upset. You can make it up to him," Sirius assures before lifting her legs up and standing "Dinner's in 20 minutes, try and cheer up. Go see your friends, they miss you," he smiles gently.