The Same Mistake

Draco stood in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, his features strained. The necklace had failed. The cabinet remained broken. Harry suspected him. Ellie knew something.
His life was a mess. He had to come up with a new plan, a better plan. It was almost Christmas. The Professors would be giving Dumbledore gifts most likely. Who would never be suspected? Who would be susceptible? Who?

The questions echoed in Draco’s mind. He stared, unblinking, at his haggard reflection. Ellie had tried to talk to him several times since Thursday. He had evaded all of her advances. But they were weak attempts. More than anything he wanted to talk to her, wanted to find out how she knew and how much she knew.

That was why he planned to corner her. He couldn’t handle not knowing. What she knew could put her in danger and as much as Draco would have liked to pretend it didn’t matter to him if something happened to Ellie, that was a lie. He was overly interested in her. Too interested in her.

Snape had asked him the day before how the recruiting process was going. Draco had sworn that it was going according to plan. What plan, he had no idea. But Snape had asked no more questions, instead choosing a very different line of questioning. One that involved matters which were not Snape’s concern.

A telltale splash in the last stall let Draco know he was no longer alone. He ran an anxious hand through his short hair then departed the bathroom before Moaning Myrtle came to talk to him. His plan was to find Ellie in the castle, convince her to go out to the grounds with him, then interrogate her.

The plan skittered off track the moment he set foot outside Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. A smaller body slammed into him, Draco reached out, steadying the girl before him. A swish of blonde hair told him it was Ellie who had collided with him.

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t looking, I was in a hurry,” she babbled, not looking up to see whom she had hit. Ellie tried to walk around him, but Draco held her in place. “Excuse me – Oh. It’s you.”

Draco’s mouth twitched into a self defacing smile. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”
She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. “I was under the impression you thought it was.”

Draco chuckled darkly. “I may have before. We need to talk.”

Ellie bristled, brushing her blonde hair over one shoulder. “I’m busy right now. If you didn’t notice I was in a hurry.”

“Running off to meet that idiot Finnigan?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but as a matter of fact I am.”

“He can wait, this can’t.” Draco took Ellie by the elbow and steered her down two floors out the front hall and onto the grounds.

“Hey, let go!” Ellie wrenched her elbow free. She glared at Draco angrily. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m talking to you, obviously,” Draco drawled.

Ellie glanced down at her watch. “You have exactly five minutes. Seamus is waiting for me.”

Draco grimaced in disgust. “Yes, can’t keep the Leprechaun waiting.”

Ellie tapped her foot impatiently. “If you just dragged me out here to insult my boyfriend, I have far better things to be doing.”

Draco glowered. “Boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend, boy I’m dating, what’s the difference?”

Draco’s eyes snapped to Ellie’s pink lips; had Finnigan kissed those lips? Jealousy raged within him, but he had much more important matters to deal with. “What do you think you’re playing at, Ellie Loren?”

Ellie stared over Malfoy’s shoulder. He was looking worse than he had the day Katie Bell had been cursed. The dark smudges were now black circles; his usually well maintained appearance was in complete disrepair; his hands trembled very slightly. An ache started in her heart and traveled throughout her.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she challenged.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he retorted.

“Then show me your arm.”

The trembling got worse. Malfoy shoved his hand roughly through his disorderly blonde hair. “None of this makes a difference. I saw the way you looked at me on Thursday. Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. And it would be stupid of you, very stupid of you to keep asking questions.”

“I must be pretty dumb, then. I’m not going to let this rest. I know something is going on with you. Something beyond your control. Tell me. Let me help you,” Ellie argued.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He waved his arms angrily.

“Then help me understand! You’re right I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s not the point. The point is that I want to help you. You can trust me, Draco,” Ellie said desperately the lies weaving easily with the truth.

“No one can help me. I’m in this alone.” The isolation was evident in his tone.

“Stop!” Ellie shoved him hard. “Why are you letting other people control you? This isn’t you. This isn’t the obnoxious self assured version of you that makes me crazy.”

Malfoy stared down at her, his grey eyes burning into hers. He grasped her waist firmly, pulling her to him. He wanted nothing more than to crush his lips to hers, to feel the fire her kisses ignited in his soul. Ellie stayed him with her hand on his chest, “No. This can’t happen. You made that choice.”

She disentangled herself from his grasp. “If you change your mind, come find me.”

“Change my mind about?” he asked her retreating form.

“Wanting to tell me what’s going on.”

“And the other?”

She paused, turning back to speak to him. “I don't think that's a good idea for us.”