Disenchanted

As Kitty walked down the halls with Hermione she couldn’t help but feel out of place. Hermione hardly talked to her, and if she did, they were short sentences. Glancing towards her friend, she gave a sad sigh, when she saw Hermione frown.

“Hermione-”

“I think Harry would be interested in your relationship with Malfoy.” Hermione stated as the walked up the stairs, towards the Gryffindor Common Room, “He could be using you to get to Harry, or someone.”

Kitty’s frown set deeper, “He isn’t Hermione. He trusts me, he would’ve said something-”

“How can you be so sure?” Hermione snapped, causing her friend to stare in surprise, “He’s Malfoy he’s not a kind hearted person at all!”

“How can you say that?” Kitty whispered as they stood at the entrance, “You saw what he did yesterday. He saved my life.”

“Yes but-”

“And he hasn’t been calling me or you, or any other for that matter a Mudblood, or other disgusting names.” Kitty said genuinely, as the portrait opened, and they walked, “All because of me, he won’t do anything.”

“Kitty,” Hermione said exasperated as they climbed the stairs towards the dormitories, to pack for the Holidays, and get ready for Slughorn’s party, “You put too much trust in people, and
that’s always where things go wrong.”

Kitty stared as Hermione left the girl to go to the bathroom, and she sat down on her bed. She was caught, not between to lives, but between two paths. The boy who’s trying, and the boy who lived.

Kitty stayed by Harry’s side as the door was flung open, and arguing was heard, before Argus Filch made an appearance, dragging Draco by the nape of his shirt into the party. Snape, who had been a few feet away from Harry and Kitty moved forward, a deep scowl planted on his face.

“Professor, I’ve just discovered this boy lurking in the corridor,” Flich wheezed, “Says he was invited -”

Draco tugged away from Filch’s grasp, his face furious, “I wasn’t invited! I was trying to gate-crash, happy?”

“No I am not!” Filch stated, “You’re in trouble, you are! DIdn’t the headmaster, say that night prowling’s out, unless you’ve got the permission didn’t he, eh?”

Kitty stumbled, as Snape pushed between her and Harry, “That’s all right, Argus, I’ll escort Mr. Malfoy.”

Kitty saw a flash of panic, pass over the boys face, before he nodded with a sneer, “Certainly, Professor.”

As they left the room, Draco made purpose of bumping into Kitty, where he whispered “Find me.”
Kitty watched unsure as gnawed on her bottom lip, as Draco and Snape left the room, moments after as she turned to acknowledge Harry, she frowned realizing he was gone.

“Hermione,” Kitty approached her friend, tapping her shoulder.

Hermione jumped and stared cautiously at her friend, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to go.” Kitty stated, “Harry left-”

Hermioned imediately narrowed her eyes at her roommate, “You better not be going to see
Malfoy.”

“So what if I am.” Kitty snapped back, “Nothing’s going to happen. Nothing wrong, will happen.”

“You don’t know that Kitty!” Hermione whined, grabbing onto her friend’s arm as she made a movement to leave, “Please, listen to me.”

“Stop bossing me around Hermione.” Kitty snapped, pulling her arm roughly from Hermione’s grasp, using Ron’s words on her, and she watched as the girl let go of the grasp, as though she had been burned, and stared with a hurtful look.

“Fine.” Hermione huffed, “But If something goes wrong, I will not hesitate to say I told you so.”

As she walked up the stairs towards the seventh floor, Kitty immediately hid in another corridor as she heard footsteps walking past her. Holding her breath as they passed she stared forward, and watched as Professor Snape rounded a corner. Digging into her purse for a candy, Kitty pocketed the wrapping and moved forward down the flame lit halls, hands shoved in her dress pockets. As she sucked on the candy, she nearly screamed as she heard a meow near her feet. Meeting the red eyes of Mrs. Norris, Kitty began to panic.

Kitty walked with wide eyes as she heard Filch’s wheezing breaths coming closer to her, she was about to start running, when a hand reached out and covered her mouth, and pulled her into a dark room. She stayed frozen as the door slowly closed, and Filch quickly passed by, the footsteps disappearing.
The cold hand was removed from her mouth, and she slowly turned around, and in the moonlit room she recognized Draco.

“Thank you.”, she said softly.

Draco said nothing as he watched the girl survey the large cluttered room, full of broken devices, tables, frames and mirrors. He watched as her face filled with recognition.

“The Come and Go Room?” she asked curiously, “Haven’t been here in ages.”

“The Room of Requirement...” Draco trailed off, as the girl gave him an unsure look, before she glanced at the wall where the door had been. She didn’t move away from him however, instead she took the hand he had outstretched to her, and let their fingers intertwine.

“What do you do in here?” she asked him softly as she was pulled deeper into the room. He didn’t answer her but let the feeling of his hand in hers, bring warmth to his body, life again.

“Draco, what s wrong?”

He was pulled to a stop as the girl stopped walking, and stared at him, squeezing her hand around his, causing him to close his eyes at the feeling, before he slowly approached her and they stood facing each other. No space between them.
Kitty swallowed nervously, and stared up at the boy before him. She let her bottom lip tremble from cold as she studied his face. He was pale, gaunt looking, but only in the moonlight. The paleness in his skin, made his messy hair seem white, and the only color she could see, was in his eyes. For they were not grey, but they were blue.

“Draco, what s wrong?” she asked in a soft soothing voice, as she felt him tremble as he slowly, and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her small frame, soft sobs shaking him harder.
Kitty stood frightened as she was pulled closer to the scared crying boy, she let her arms wrap around his frame, pulling them towards the hard ground and into a sitting position.
Draco gripped his companion closer, trying to calm his breathing as he hid in her neck. They
were both on their knees, one crying, the other looking around the room with worry.

“I can’t do it.” Draco whispered almost inaudibly, as he pulled away from the girl, and turned towards a man sized cabinet.

“Can’t do what Draco,” she whispered to him as he turned back towards her, leaning into her hand as she touched his cheek.

“I can’t fix it, and h-he ll kill me if I don’t.” he whispered, his pale blue eyes widening at the horror of his own words.

“Draco, who?” Kitty said softly as the boy sat properly and gave her a pained look.

She watched unsure as the boy pulled his hand away from hers, not before giving it a tight squeeze, and a delicate kiss. He unbottoned the bottom of his sleeve, and as realization hit her, Kitty let both of her small hands, land ontop of his, and stopped him.

“No.” she whispered at him, looking up to meet his eyes, but he only shook his head and pushed her hands away. She watched in horror as he rolled up the sleeve. Draco glanced up at the girl who was now silent, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, not wanting to see what was burned onto
the boy she now cared for.

“Kitty,” Draco said sofly, watching as she shook her head, refusing to look at the wrist and even now at him.

“No!”

Draco watched, as he knew she would, she opened her eyes, and curiousity got the best of her and she glanced down. Using the palms of her hands, she scooted away from her until her back hit a table and she stared.

“She tried telling me.” she whispered at him, but it came out more like a spat, “All tried warning me off with they’re theories. I should’ve listened. I always thought you were different.”

“I am-”

“No, you’re not.” she cried, her face contorted in pain and confusion, “What are you creating in here? You’re going to kill Harry?”

Draco shut his eyes, “No.”

“Who then?” she squeaked, “Who, Draco, who?”

“Dumbledore.” he opened his eyes and watched as her eyes doubled in size. He watched as she shook her head back and forth, “You won’t do it, I know you won’t. You can’t. Because you’re not like the others.”

Draco slowly got to his feet as the small girl moved away from him, “Remember, how you said you weren’t afraid of me, even though I was cruel and because of my name.”
Kitty stared up at him, and nodded slowly.

“It’s still me. But you re afraid of me now because of what you know now. If I hadn’t told you, I would ve been lying to you, and you would’ve been hurt either way.” Draco said slowly to the girl who stared at him.

“I won’t tell anyone.” she whispered as tears filled in her eyes.

“Why?” Draco asked her with a pained voice, almost wanting her to tell someone.

“Because I know you won’t do it.” she whispered to him.

“Yeah, well keep thinking that, Mudblo-”

He immediately stopped talking, and glanced at the girl with a pained expression, as she closed her eyes, and tear squeezed between her lashes and down her cheek.

“I know why you’re like this.” she said softly, “You want to push everyone away-”

“It’s better this way Kitty! Don t you understand. He'll kill you, and I can t let that happen.” he hissed at her, grabbing her shoulders, causing her eyes to snap open.

“You could never push me away Draco.” she whispered at him, and brought her small hand towards his cheek, as he wiped the tear away from her cheek.

“You need to stay away Kitty-”

“You don’t really want me to,” she whispered as she watched him through her tear stained lashes, “And I don’t want to.”

Draco watched the girl carefully, as she leaned towards him, stopping until their was the tiniest space between their two noses. He felt her soft and warm breath on his lips, and closed his eyes, letting warmth and life fill him once more. Opening his eyes she saw hers were closed silent tears pooling from her eyes. Little hiccups escaped past her lips, as he pressed his pale cold lips under her the corner of her eye, trailing down towards the corner of her mouth, where he stopped and watched as her eyes fluttered open.

“It s not safe,” he whispered against her mouth, watching as her hands raised and pressed themselves into a grasp on both his arms holding him close.

She stared at him through her lashes, “I’ve known since I smelled the cinnamon toothpaste. Since then I’ve known you’re not safe.”

Draco let out a chuckle,.

She smiled, and he felt the tug of her lips against his own. Draco took a deep breath gazing at the Muggle born before him, and took the chance, the plunge. The single contact that made his spirits sore, and his heart beat faster then ever before

Harry Potter sat in the boys dormitory, the sounds of his friends snoring meeting his ears. That didn’t have his entire attention however. No, his eyes were focused on the Map before him, lit by the wand. He blinked over and over again, starring at the spot where moments before he had seen Draco Malfoy and Kitty Jenkin s disappear, and appear once more.