I Love Him

Chapter 9

Year 7

1997

//An Evening Swim, Draco's Confessions and Harry's Regrets//

A few days later and Draco had sent a letter of to his parents explaining that he was going on holiday to Germany for a month or two. The pair of them were packing up to leave the inn they were staying in. Robyn closed her bag then looped her arms through the straps and turned to Draco,

“Are you ready?” She asked and he nodded in response tightening his backpack straps and walking over to her and grasping her hand. Robyn smiled at him.

They had decided to attempt to find Harry, Hermione and Ron. Robyn had explained why she was separated from them and Draco was angry, to say the least. He was furious that Harry hadn’t let her explain what had happened concerning the kiss between her and Ron. Robyn actually had to remind him of what happened in fifth year because he forgot and thought that the kiss in questioned happened whilst they were dating. Even Robyn knew that she wouldn’t be able to find the Horcruxes on her own, even with Draco, thus the reason why they were going to look for her brother and two best friends.

Robyn glanced at him and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, she took a breath and closed her eyes picturing their destination. Then a whoosh they disaperated.

Robyn placed her bag down on the grass land and looked around at Pistford Waters, Northamptonshire. It was a secluded place, in the middle of nowhere, about six miles from the nearest town. Perfect for staying under the radar. She turned to face Draco who was standing looking down at a deconstructed tent they had bought before leaving the muggle town. She giggled slightly as his perplexed expression and walked over to him.

“How do muggles put up these things?” Draco asked her quietly still staring intently as if, just by staring at it, the tent would erect itself. Robyn giggled quietly as she watched Draco inspect the tent before finally pulling out his wand and putting a spell causing the tent to spring up completed. She raise an eyebrow to which he shrugged.

A few hours later and the sun was beginning to set and the two teenagers now had a small fire going. “Okay, first kiss?” Draco asked her a small smirk playing on his lips. She blushed slightly and looked at the fire muttering her answer and he teased, “Sorry, what was that?”

“You.” Robyn said clearer with a hint of annoyance and embarrassment in her tone. Draco smirked triumphantly “Who was your first kiss?” He flushed and looked down, it was Robyn’s turn to smirk now “Seriously, who was it?”

“Pansy.” Draco answered bitterly and She sniggered quietly “It’s not funny.” He shivered slightly “In fact, I don’t know if you can even call it a kiss.”

“Why?”

“Well, she sort of pounced on me.” He admitted,

“Pounced?” Repeated Robyn with a small smile,

“Honestly, she pounced on me in the charms corridor and shoved her lips against mine.” Draco explained with a small grimace “I swear I had nightmares for a week.” Robyn laughed at his words.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence for an hour just watching and listening to the fire crackle before them. Out of nowhere Draco jumped to his feet and stretched. “Well, I’m going for a swim.” He said and began pulling off his shirt, Robyn’s eyes widened.

“What? It’s December you’ll freeze!” She exclaimed but he payed her no heed and began pulling off his shorts which caused Robyn to clamp her hands over her eyes “Put them back on!”

“Nope.” She heard Draco respond and she could hear the smirk in his tone,

“Seriously, Draco!” She exclaimed,

“What? It’s not like you haven’t seen any of this before.” Robyn’s cheeks and ears turned bright red at his words. She felt his hands begin to pull her hands from her eyes,

“No, no, Draco.” She whined and closed her eyes when her hands were completely away from her face.

She heard Draco chuckle, “I’m still in my underwear.” Draco mused and Robyn opened her eye slightly and saw that he was telling the truth. She opened her eyes completely and saw him, with a boyish grin on his pale face, run toward the water and dive into it. Her jaw dropped at his actions – the water would be freezing! She watched Draco come up from the water and look at her with a grin “Come on, Robyn!”

“No way.” She said standing up, shaking her head “It looks freezing!”

“It’s not that bad.” He shrugged “Come on.” Robyn sighed and looked down before huffing as she gave in.

“Fine.” A grin formed on his face but she quickly whipped, “But you have to close your eyes.”

Draco frowned, “Why?” he whined “I’ve seen it before.” She glared at him and he rolled his eyes and turned so his back was to her “Happy?”

“Very.” Shd replied pulling off clothes but leaving her tank top on. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself and rubbing her shoulders and she walked toward the water. Robyn stopped at the edge and dipped her foot it then yelped and jumped back “That’s freezing! “No way. Im not going in.”

Draco turned to face her, “Come on. Please?” With a sigh she nodded and walked a few paces back then running and jumping into the water with her eyes squeezed shut.

Robyn surfaced and pushed her hair back and looked at Draco who was grinning widely at her, his blonde hair messy and clinging to his face, “See, not so bad.” He commented and Robyn rolled her eyes,

“It’s still cold.” She pouted and Draco chuckled and swam over to her. He wrapped her legs around his waist so that he was supporting her as they floated in the water. Silence fell over the pair as they just relaxed in the water. It seemed that both of them were in deep thought.

Robyn looked around at the dark landscape, the sun was completely down now with the only light source being the fire that Robyn and Draco had made earlier and the moon lightly. She heard Draco sigh and looked at him, “What is it?” She asked softly and he looked at her running his eyes over her face,

“Every time I look at you, I can’t help but see that night at the astronomy tower.” Draco muttered quietly “Looking down and seeing the look of fear and…” he faltered slightly as if the words pained him “…disappointment.”

“Draco – “

“No, let me finish.” He cut her off “When I was standing there with my wand pointed at him just staring at him knowing that I was just two words away from killing him…I couldn’t help but see you, instead of him.” Robyn looked at him with a slightly shock expression “Every time I close my eyes I see you on the astronomy tower with my wand pointing toward you. You falling off the astronomy tower. You in the courtyard…dead.”

Robyn flinched slightly but it went un-noticed by Draco who seemed to be lost in his own mind as he recounted his feelings. She watched his face scrunch up as if in pain as he stared a little past her lost in his mind. “It’s slightly different, though” Draco commented quietly “Snape doesn’t say the words…” he choked up slightly “…I do. Every time I’m the one that kills you. Every time it’s me that says the words.”

“But you didn’t.” Robyn pointed out placing her hands on his face “You didn’t say the words.”

“Who’s to say I wouldn’t have if Snape hadn’t pushed in?” Draco muttered bitterly “Who’s to say that I wouldn’t have killed him?”

“I do.” Robyn said defiantly “You wouldn’t have killed Dumbledore, or me, even if Snape hadn’t intervened. I saw you lower your wand that night. I don’t believe you would have killed him” Draco looked at her, searching for any lie or dis-trust of her own words but he found none. Robyn watched him look down nervously.

“When I fled from the tower, when Bellatrix set fire to Hagird’s hut, I remember your expression” Draco said quietly “When you were standing beside Harry looking at me with such…anger and pain. The hate I saw in your eyes…it haunts me, every time I look at you I fear that I’ll see it again. I felt like I was being stabbed in the heart when you told me you didn’t trust me anymore.” Robyn frowned and looked at him

“What? I didn’t even speak to you that night.” She said, perplexed. Draco sighed and held the pendent from his neck

“When you speak directly to the other person with the twin of this it recites the words to the other.” Draco explained “So, when you whispered ‘I trusted you’ that night the necklace told it to me.” Robyn flushed slightly and bit her lip before saying

“Does that mean…anything I toward you specifically?” she squeaked remembering all the moments in the past few months she’d spoken as if he was right there. Draco’s lips twitched in a small smirk

“Don’t worry, Robyn, I love you too.” he assured her and Robyn flushed deeper and dug her face into his shoulder in an attempt to hide her face. She felt Draco’s chest vibrate under her as he laughed to himself quietly.

His laughing soon came to a stop and Robyn felt Draco place his chin on the top of her head

“Do you think it will go back to normal?” she heard him whisper softly “Where we won’t have to live in fear or keeping running? Where everything is just…normal” Robyn bit her lip and looked at the water with a frown

“I don’t think my life has ever been normal.” she muttered, Draco kissed her head.

“It will be.” He assured her “You’ll see.” Robyn could hear the sincerity in his voice…but then…why didn’t she believe him?

***

It had been nearly a month since Robyn and Ron had left. Harry stared at the snitch which hovered in front of him. He didn’t speak to Hermione much and when they did it was short one-word replied. The guilt he felt for forcing his sister to leave and allowing his best-friend to walk out was him was eating him live.

Then again, Harry thought to himself, she did kiss Ron and didn’t tell me. But he didn’t let her explain herself. Harry groaned and ran a hand through his short hair. No matter what she’d done, he shouldn’t have sent her off alone. He had no idea where she was. Was she okay? Was she alone? Was she being tortured? Or…was she dead? Harry shook his head quickly. No, Robyn was too smart for that and he would have felt it. Robyn was all he once had. Robyn was fine and alive, he was sure of it. She had to be.

The tent flap opened and Harry look up to see Hermione with her eyes ringed with red and her face slightly puffy from where she’d been crying. He remembered hearing Hermione pleading Ron to come back when he disaperated then her voice crying out Robyn’s name. Hermione looked at him before hurrying off into her room.

Harry sighed and looked down. His mind pictured Ron and his heart sunk even lower. How could Ron react when he found out that Harry had forced Robyn to leave? Ron was closer to Robyn then anyone…including himself. His insides twisted at the thought. Ron and Robyn were more sibling-like then Harry and Robyn had been for the past few months…even years.

Reaching up, Harry grabbed the snitch from the air and it retracted its wings. He stood and walked over to his room but glanced at Hermione who was curled up in her bed with his back to him. A frown appeared on his face but he continued to climb into bed and pull the covers over himself.

As his eyes closed the only thought that was in his mind was…I’m sorry Robyn.