The Invisible Life

After Dumbledore left I went to bed in the Gryffindor tower. I woke up the next morning to a beautiful Saturday morning. I dressed in jeans and a dark green long sleeved shirt as it looked slightly nippy. I left the tower to spend the day near Black Lake on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest.

I watched as all the people around me interacted jovially with each other, none of them taking notice of me. I felt a familiar pang in my chest; the pang of loneliness. I was tired of being lonely, but I had been pretty much by myself for so long that I was now unsure of how to interact normally with others. I continued to observe those around me, forcing myself out of my head for my own good, to see couples cuddling under sporadic tree and holding hands while walking; another pang. I remember how the Weasley twins would take time on days like these to prank the unsuspecting couples. I couldn’t help but to chuckle at the memories of the pranks and yearn to be in one. And I kept yearning, not only to be involved in a prank but to be involved in anything. I yearned and I cursed for myself for letting it get this bad. I cursed and cursed myself until tears began to fall. “Why did you let yourself get this way, Pia?”

Eyes blurry with falling and unshed tears, I didn’t see that someone was walking by when I mumbled to myself. “Beautiful,” a silky smooth voice asked.

“How many times do I have to tell you; I’m not beautiful, Draco,” I sniffled. I should have known he would walk by at the most inopportune moment.

“What’s wrong,” he asked as he kneeled in front of me. The strange thing was; he had a caring expression on that he never let anyone see, but he was letting me see.

“Nothing,” I forced out. “Just wishful thinking and self scolding, nothing to concern yourself with,” I paused thinking for a moment as to why he would concern himself with this. “Is Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince, showing compassion?” He grinned and I grinned with him, thankful for the distraction he provided. “Quick, before someone sees, you might want to replace your mask.”

We chuckled for a bit, but it quickly grew silent; his born of contemplation, and mine of forceful silence. “Since you already know of me, I supposed I’ll go,” he said as he stood and turned to walk away.

Before he could take a step, I grabbed his arm and gently turned him to face me. I looked up into his eyes as I told him truthfully, “I only know of the reputation of Draco Malfoy. I do not know Draco Malfoy. What I do know, with all certainty, about Draco Malfoy is that is very caring towards a girl whose name he knows not. That’s the Draco Malfoy I’m talking to now, not the reputation. Well that and the one who got turned into a ferret in fourth year,” I grinned cheekily then changed it to a warm smile as I stood up. “That’s the Draco Malfoy who I may one day count as a friend.”

“Why would you count that git as a friend? You’re much too nice, sweet, and beautiful for someone as big of trouble as he is,” Draco said thoughtfully touching my hair then slowly running his finger down my cheek.

“Because I’m much too lonely for my own good and I find you to be so drop-dead gorgeous, “ I laughed, “not to mention you’re so compassionate to a girl, I repeat, whose name you don’t know.

“Whose name I know not, but whose face so innocent, whose heart so pure, whose eyes as bright as a phoenix as they burst into flame,” he smiled and kissed my hand gently. I blushed not use to talking to people anymore, let alone accepting compliments as lavish as that. “So, may I know the name of the beautiful girl behind such amazing features? Or shall I just keep calling you Beautiful?”

I smiled up at him, “Call me what you will, but the name my parents gave me is Pia.”

He playfully winced, “I think I’ll stick with Beautiful.” He grinned cheekily at me now.

I scoffed and tousled his hair a bit. He glared playfully down at me and said, fighting a smile that so clearly wanted to break free, “You did not just mess up my hair.”

I defiantly put my hands on my hips and said, “And what if I did? What are you going to do about it, Ferret?” I smirked at him and laughed gleefully.

“Well, Ms. Pia, it looks as if you’re about to become soaked,” he replied with and evil glint in his eye.

I started backing away slowly, smiling all the while, as he stalked towards me just as slowly, an amused smirk on his face. “You wouldn’t,” I continued releasing gleeful laughs.

He laughed now too, “I think I would,” and then he charges at me.

I squealed with laughter and ran trying to avoid capture. I taunted him a little, but it didn’t take long for him to catch me. “Damn you and your freakishly long legs picking on the short people,” I pouted playfully through my laughter.

His chest rumbled with laughter against my back. I tried squirming to get away as he got closer to the lake, but his grip was iron on my waist.

“Draco,” I chuckled as we kept getting closer. He didn’t stop. “Draco,” I said more urgently with more laughter seeping through. He still didn’t stop. “Draco,” I squealed as we were almost to the water, peals of laughter now escaping my lips.

We had reached the water’s edge and he had begun to toss me into the water when I jumped in and pulled him along with me. That was the start of our short, short time filld with laughter, dunking, and budding friendship.