Draco's Hufflepuff | Emerging

Fifty-Four: Devastation

A/N: There is another threat of violence in this chapter, and Draco is slowly becoming... let's just say a little unhinged. There's also one mention of implied self-harm. It's really hard to write about a character I've come to care about perform and choose to do questionable actions, but it will all make sense later on.

**

Sunday, 19th January, 1997

I spent most of last night telling the girls what happened and filling them in on everything that went down on the way to Hogsmeade. None of them knew what to take of it.

Hannah noticed right away that I was upset and that something had occurred whilst I was out with Draco. What hurt me though was how they immediately assumed it was something he had done.

It took a good five minutes of convincing them that Draco had nothing to do with it, and he had every right to be as upset as I was.

Once they believed me, I then told them all what Patrick had done, and how all of his friends were laughing and encouraging his behaviour, they were appalled.

Even Hannah, who just a few months ago, was headset on matching me and Patrick up together, was disgusted at what he'd done to me. I think she secretly had a soft spot for him. They all admitted that as much as they disliked Draco, it was pretty shitty of Patrick to drunkenly kiss me in front of him.

I weirdly slept amazingly last night, partly because I was so physically and emotionally drained from it all. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

I expected to have horrible dreams of it and keep myself awake with worry and sadness, so it was a pleasant surprise to wake up today feeling pretty refreshed. Perhaps sleeping in Draco's Slytherin Quidditch sweatshirt, that I had sprayed with his cologne, helped me sleep too. Knowing I had a part of him with me.

All I wanted was to be back with Draco today and have a much better day with him. We hadn't got any plans set in place, I think we were just going to sit together in either the Prefects common room or the library or the Astronomy Tower. I'd like to think Patrick had the sense to avoid us both if we chose to go to the Prefects common room.

When I said to the girls that I was spending the day with Draco again today, they didn't come out with any remark or somewhat condescending comeback. They just accepted it for what it was – I needed to be with the boy I loved.

**

My heart was racing as I walked through the archway from the stairs and into the common room. I just wanted to avoid Patrick as much as I could and get out of the portrait entrance without anything going wrong.

I thought I had gotten away with it until I caught eyes with Patrick. I stood still, not knowing what to do. He said something to his friends and walked over to me. He came walking through the portrait at the exact moment I was making my way over to it.

I really wished I had someone here with me. Hannah was with Seamus, Megan was with Ernie, Susan was with Lisa, and Leanne was with Katie Bell and a group of Gryffindors. Up until this moment, it didn't bother me whatsoever.

I was also harshly cursing myself for not leaving either a few minutes earlier or a few minutes later.

"Maddie," Patrick called out, "I'm glad I saw you today,"

"I don't have time to stop and talk, Patrick, I'm off to meet Draco," I said politely, yet firmly,

"Please, I just want to apologise to you. I know I was out of order, and I shouldn't have done that... I feel awful," Patrick said, his tone full of remorse and sadness. I could tell he meant it, but that didn't stop me from feeling an odd sort of anger towards him,