分卷阅读38（1 / 2）

Andalso,hewasaMalfoy.AndMalfoy’sdon’trunaway,nomatterhowmuchtheymaywantto.

“Ofcoursewe’regoing.”Hemakeshimselfsmile,butHarryjustrollshiseyesandducksdownforonemorekiss.“It’llbefun.”

Youreallyweretheperfectson,whenyouwenttothese.Dracothoughtsourly,evenasheleansfurtherintothearmthatHarryhadputaroundhisshoulderstoguidehimthroughthecrowd.TheyhadsaidhitoeveryoneanddodgedallthewaitstaffthatwereattemptingtobetheonetoserveTheBoyWhoLived,andnowHarrywasdraggingthembothinabeelinetowardsRonandHermione.Theperfectheir,theperfectMalfoy,thecreatoroftheperfectlegacy.Youcouldhavebeensomethinggreat.

Hetrips,justalittlestumbleovertheedgeofsomeone’sdressrobes,butHarry’sarmwasaroundhimandhedidnotfall,justfeltthetighteningofHarry’sfingersaroundhiswaist,asilentreminderthattheywereinthistogether.

“Draco!”Hermionewrappedhiminahugsotightthatitknockedtheairoutofhislungs,andDracofoundhimselfwithamouthfulofbushyhair.HecouldseeRonfromoverhershoulder,shruggingatHarryexasperatedlywhilebalancingaplatepiledhighwithcookies.“Ididn’tthinkyouwerecoming!”

“OfcourseIcame!”DracopriedherselfoffwithsomedifficultyandpassedherontoHarry,whowasabitmorepracticedatsufferingthroughherhugs.“YouthinkIwouldmissthis?”

Besidethem,Ronshrugs.“She’sbeenlikethisallday.”HehashisvoiceloweredtomutterinDraco’sear,apparentlydecidingthatthey’vecometoamomentarytruceuntilHermionegetsagrip.“Ijusthopeshedoesn’tfreakwhenshegetsupthere.”

“Youkidding?She’llbefine.”HesnagsoneofthecookiesofftheplatejusttotesttheboundariesandthenconsidersitagoodsignwhenRonkeepstheplatewithinhisreach.“Wejusthavetohopethatshedoesn’tsneakinsomethingaboutspew.”

Ronlaughed,andthenclappedahandonhisshoulder.“Don’tgiveheranyideas.”

Voldemortwasgreat,Dracoadds,slightlycalmer,likethislittlepieceofconversationwasallittooktosnaphisskinbackintoplace,tolethimstopfeelasifhewastoobigforhisbody.Hisfatherwouldnothavebeenabletotalktopeoplelikethat,asiftheywerefriends.Hisfatherwouldneverhaveknownhowgreattheywerebecausehewasblindedbyhisownbigotry.Hewasgreatandhedidhorriblethingsandhemadepeoplebowdowntohimbecausetheonlyotheroptionwastodieandheneverknewwhatitwastobeloved,notreally.Sometimesbeinggreatisn’tthebestthing,iftheonlymemoriesyouleavebehindarescars.

He’ssittingbetweenGeorgeandHarry,twotablesawayfromHermione,sowhenshegetscalleduptothepodiumbyKingsley,hehastobendaroundGeorgetoreachoutahandtoher.Shepausesjustlongenoughtoholdon,longenoughforthreesqueezes,theirlittlesignthateverythingwillbeokay,thattheywillfigureeverythingout.

(Ithadstartedbackwiththepotions,whenHermionewouldgettofrustratedwithnotknowingtheanswersthatsheseemedreadytothrowitalloutthewindowandletallherpotionsburntonothingbutacausticheap.Dracohadn’tknownwhattosay,buthehadknownenoughtodothis.It’sbecometheirthing,eversince.)

“You’regoingtobegreat.”Dracowhispers,inthetimeittakesforthosethreepulsestotravelfromhimtoher,one,two,three,andthensheletsgo,climbingthestairstostandbesidetheministerwithasenseofgraceDracothoughtwouldbehardtomiss,eventhoughhehadmisseditforsevenlongyears.It’seasytoseewhatyouwant,whenyou’reblindedbyhate.

He’snotstaringatherlikeeveryoneelseis.They’reallwatchingherwithraptattention,butDracoislookingaroundateveryoneelse,alltheothertables,sohecantellherwholaughedwhenshemadethatjokeintheopening(hehelpedhercomeupwithit.Ittookthemthreehours.neitherofthemwerethatfunny.)andifanyonecriedwhenshetalkedaboutthoseshehadlost.Shehadbeenathishouse(Harry’shouse?Hecanprobablysayit’shishouse)untilaftermidnightlastnight,practicingthewaysheenunciatedeverywordandthedramaticeffectheldineachphrase,makingsuresheknewwhentopauseforeyecontact.TheyhadevenmadeupabunchofsignalsforDracotogiveher,shouldhebewatchingandseepeoplelookingconfused,forhertoknowifsheistooloudortooquiet,toofastortooslow.

He’slistening,butheisn’twatching,whichiswhyheseesitbeforeanyoneelsedoes.

Howtheentirecateringcompanyhadseemedtomeltawayintotheshadowswhenthespeechstarted,buttherewasstillonemandressedintheiruniformedgingtowardsthefrontofthecrowd.Howhiswandwasdanglingfromhisfingers,eventhoughtheyhadbeenmadetochecktheirwandsatthedoorforwhattheyclaimedtobesecuritymeasures.HowevenasHermionewasstillspeakingandthecrowdwasstillwatching,thechandelieraboveherstartedtosway,justabit,enoughtosendscatteringoflightreflectingoffthecrystalsanddancingoverthefacesofthosewatching.

OneofthebeamsoflightcatchesHermioneacrosstheeyes,brightenoughthatshelosesherfocusandhalfraisesherhandtoblockit.It’stheonlyreasonthatanyonenoticesitatall,andthereisanawfulsenseofdejavu,thewayDracocanhearRonscreamingforHermionetomoveoutofthewayandhowthechandelierwasfalling,falling,fallingdowntoher,andshewouldnotgetoutofthewayintime,anditwasjustlikethatnightatthemanoronlytherewasnoDobbytosavehernow.

Therewasnoonetosaveher,actually.Ronwastoofaraway,andnoonehadtheirwands,andevenKingsleywasnotcloseenoughtosaveher.Caughtoffguard,noneoftheothershadevenstartedtomoveyet.